Portable sensors for detection of COVID-19 and other viruses

The future may contain wearable and wearable sensors to detect viruses and bacteria in the surrounding environment. But we are not there yet. Scientists at Tohoku University have for decades studied materials that can change mechanical energy into electrical or magnetic energy, and vice versa. Together with colleagues, they published a review in the journal Advanced Materials on the most recent efforts to use these materials to make functional biosensors.

“Research on improving the performance of virus sensors has not progressed much in recent years,” says Fumio Narita, materials engineer at Tohoku University. “Our journal aims to help young researchers and graduate students understand the latest advancements to guide their future work aimed at improving the sensitivity of virus sensors.”

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Antibodies which interact with a specific virus can be placed on an electrode embedded on a piezoelectric material. When the target virus interacts with the antibodies, it causes an increase in mass which decreases the frequency of the electric current moving through the material, signaling its presence. This type of sensor is being studied to detect several viruses, including the human papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer, HIV, influenza A, Ebola and hepatitis B.

Magnetostrictive materials convert mechanical energy into magnetic energy and vice versa. These have been studied to detect bacterial infections, such as typhoid and swine fever, and to detect anthrax spores. The probe antibodies are attached to a biosensor chip placed on the magnetostrictive material and then a magnetic field is applied. If the targeted antigen interacts with the antibodies, it adds mass to the material, causing a change in magnetic flux which can be detected using a “sensing coil”.

Narita says developments in artificial intelligence and simulation studies can help find even more sensitive piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials for detecting viruses and other pathogens. Future materials could be spoolless, cordless and soft, which would allow them to be incorporated into fabrics and buildings.

Scientists are even studying how to use these and other similar materials to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19[feminine, dans l’air. Ce type de capteur pourrait être intégré dans les systèmes de ventilation des transports souterrains, par exemple, afin de surveiller la propagation du virus en temps réel. Les capteurs portables pourraient également éloigner les personnes d’un environnement contenant des virus.

«Les scientifiques doivent encore développer des capteurs plus efficaces et fiables pour la détection des virus, avec une sensibilité et une précision, une taille et un poids plus petits et un meilleur prix, avant qu’ils ne puissent être utilisés dans des applications domestiques ou des vêtements intelligents », explique Narita. «Ce type de capteur de virus deviendra une réalité avec les développements ultérieurs de la science des matériaux et les progrès technologiques en matière d’intelligence artificielle, d’apprentissage automatique et d’analyse de données.»

Référence: «A Review of Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive Biocensor Materials for Detection of COVID ‐ 19 and Other Viruses» par Fumio Narita, Zhenjin Wang, Hiroki Kurita, Zhen Li, Yu Shi, Yu Jia et Constantinos Soutis, 24 novembre 2020, Matériaux avancés.
DOI: 10.1002 / adma.202005448