Integration of Remote Floating Gate FET-Based Biosensor with Millifluidic Systems for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Methods of developing low-cost biosensors that are rapidly-producible and highly accurate are necessary for effective response to disease outbreaks. Early detection during disease out-breaks can reduce the long-term spread of disease, which reduces the loss of life, and prevents a shutdown of societal functions. Remote-floating gate field effect transistors (RFGFETs) can potentially improve population-based rapid detection capabilities during pandemics. RFGFETs possess many of the necessary qualities of an ideal sensor device to use in emergency scenarios, and have 3 key advantages over other methods of detection: (1) the limit of detection (LoD) is 11 magnitudes lower than the LoD of traditional at-home diagnostic devices, (2) RFGFETs provide results at the minute time-scale rather than hours or days, (3) RFGFETs are low-cost. However, the preparation method that precedes the usage of RFGFETs for pathogen detection is labor-intensive and must be completed in a laboratory setting. Here, we report a simplified procedure as an alternative to the traditional preparation method for RFGFET devices to widen the scope of its use beyond the laboratory setting. This will be accomplished by fabricating a millifluidic device to automate the preparation steps of the sensor platform. Integration of fluidic devices with RFGFET biosensors allows for automation of the preparation process, bringing RFGFETs closer to the target goal of becoming an efficient point-of-care biosensor. The overall preparation process was shortened from approximately eighteen hours to four hours, and concentrations of antigen in the ng/mL range were detected.