Multiplexed tri-mode visual outputs of immunoassay signals on a clip-magazine-assembled photothermal biosensing disk

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2020-12, Vol.170 (C), p.112646-112646, Article 112646
• Main Authors: Fu, Guanglei, Li, Xiujun, Wang, Weihua, Hou, Ruixia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical device; Biosensing Techniques; Cancer biomarkers; Colorimetry; Humans; Immunoassay; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Male; Multiplexed immunoassay; Photothermal biosensing; Surgical Instruments; Visual signal output
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112646

The photothermal biosensing principle is of increasing interest for point-of-care detection, but has rarely been applied in portable analytical devices in a lab-on-a-chip format. Herein, a photothermally responsive poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/paper hybrid disk (PT-Disk) was developed as a novel photothermal immunoassay device with the integration of a clip-magazine-assembled photothermal biosensing strategy. The PT-Disk consisted of a dissociative thermoresponsive hydrogel-loaded clip unit where the sandwich-type immunoreaction with an iron oxide-to-Prussian blue nanoparticle (PB NP) conversion took place and a magazine bearer for the rotational clip assembly and visual signal outputs. Upon laser irradiation of the clip-magazine-assembled PT-Disk, on-chip photothermal effect of PB NPs triggered both dose-dependent temperature elevation and the subsequent release of dye solutions from the central clip unit to surrounding magazine-bearing paper channels as the result of phase transition of the hydrogels, realizing multiplexed thermal image- and distance-based visual quantitative signal outputs in combination with the preliminary colorimetric readout on the PT-Disk. Using the multiplexed tri-mode signal outputs, the PT-Disk can quantify prostate specific antigen with limits of detection of 1.4–2.8 ng mL−1. This is the first attempt to apply the photothermal biosensing principle in portable PMMA/paper-based analytical devices, which offers not only versatile on-chip visual quantitative signal outputs, but also the implementation of the photothermal biosensing principle in a lab-on-a-chip format. •Application of photothermal biosensing principle in PMMA/paper-based devices.•Development of a novel photothermal immunoassay disk.•Use of a clip-magazine-assembled photothermal biosensing strategy.•Realization of on-chip multiplexed tri-mode visual quantitative signal outputs.•Tri-mode visual quantification of prostate specific antigen (PSA).