Researchers at UCLA have developed a low-cost, portable device that can detect proteins, cancer biomarkers, viruses, and other small objects. This innovation addresses the long-standing challenge of finding practical and affordable solutions for early diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases. The device utilizes plasmonic sensing, a technique that amplifies electric fields using metal nanostructures to detect molecules. Traditionally, plasmonic sensing has been limited to laboratory settings due to the requirement of expensive and bulky equipment. To overcome this limitation, the UCLA team employed machine learning to design a more efficient and cost-effective device.
The prototype is lightweight and portable, featuring a 3D-printed housing, colored LEDs, and a camera. A machine learning algorithm was used to select the optimal combination of LEDs and develop a computational method for analyzing sensor output. This approach allows for a much more accurate and affordable sensor compared to conventional designs, making it accessible for wider use outside of research labs.
The research team also developed flexible and disposable plasmonic sensors using new nanofabrication methods. These sensors can be modified to specifically target and capture molecules of interest like bacteria, viruses, or cancer cells by using a surface modification technique similar to a lock and key mechanism. To operate the device, a fluid sample such as blood or urine is applied to a disposable microchip containing the sensor. This chip is then inserted into the device, which automatically measures and provides the diagnostic results. The researchers suggest that this technology could be further miniaturized into a mobile phone attachment, leveraging smartphone capabilities for cloud connectivity and processing power, further reducing costs and increasing accessibility. This innovation aims to provide researchers and engineers with a tool to create optimized, low-cost optical sensors for various applications in healthcare and environmental monitoring.
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