A CMOS Diaphragm Based Label-Free DNA SoC Detection with Improved Sensitivity & Efficiency

A CMOS Diaphragm Based Label-Free DNA SoC Detection with Improved Sensitivity & Efficiency
An Intermediate Report (Zeroth Review)
Submitted by SHABAZ AHMED SHEIKH.SS REGD NO: 12304013 COURSE: M.TECH (Electronics) YEAR: 2ndYEAR (2012-14)

Under the Guidance of Dr.T.Shanmuganantham

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

PONDICHERY UNIVERSITY PUDUCHERRY

1 Dept Of Electronics Engineering Pondicherry University

A CMOS Diaphragm Based Label-Free DNA SoC Detection with Improved Sensitivity & Efficiency

Abstract

DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC acid (DNA) detection is an important analytical method in molecular biology, and it finds a wide range of applications from genetic disease diagnostics, medicine and drug discovery, to forensic investigation and food testing, etc. Lab on Chip (LoC) device are now widely used in many important aspects of daily life, for example, medical care, from genetic disease diagnostics, Medicine and drug discovery, to forensic investigation and Food testing, etc. To date, optical detection method based on the use of fluorescent labels attached to the target DNA is still the most common way adopted in labs. However, it suffers from many drawbacks, such as complex fluorescent labeling process, time consuming, and high costs. Moreover, the necessary optical scanner system which comprises light sources, cameras, and lenses, etc. is normally bulky and hence inappropriate for rapid point-of-care testing (POCT) and outdoor applications. This paper presents a highly-integrated DNA detection SoC, where several kinds of diaphragm based DNA sensors, a readout circuit, an MCU, voltage regulators, and a wireless transceiver, are integrated monolithically in a 0.35m CMOS Bio-MEMS process. The diaphragm-based biosensors with embedded piezo-capacitors aim to transduce DNA hybridization into capacitance variation without cumbersome labeling process. To improve detection sensitivity for low DNA concentration use, an oscillator-based self calibrated readout circuit with high precision is proposed to convert small capacitance variation of the sensor into adequate frequency variation and further into digital data. Moreover, its wireless capacity enables isolation of the sample solution from electrical wire lines and facilitates data transmission. To demonstrate the effectiveness of full system, it can be applied to detect cancerous cell,Hepatitis B virus (HBV) etc DNAs.

2 Dept Of Electronics Engineering Pondicherry University

A CMOS Diaphragm Based Label-Free DNA SoC Detection with Improved Sensitivity & Efficiency

Introduction:
. With the development of the MEMS technology, Lab on Chip devices based on micro fabrication have emerged. There are various types of MEMS biosensors, including resistance based sensors, optical biosensors and so on monolithically embedded on a single chip and the chip acts as mini diagnostic/forensic device . To avoid cumbersome labeling process, a number of approaches are proposed for labelfree bio-molecular detection. Most of them are also realized in CMOS technology based on capacitance measurement, electrical current, impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical detection using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs). The ISFET type DNA sensor is attractive for its easy implementation in standard CMOS process. However, a power-hungry heater, a large reference electrode, and stable environment are needed because ISFET is sensitive to temperature and potential hydrogen (pH) value. To fulfill all the requirements addressed above, I propose a fully-integrated CMOS DNA detection system-on-a-chip (SoC) where diaphragm-based DNA sensors and the related detection circuitry are monolithically integrated. It can be used to perform label-free DNA detection with features of high sensitivity, small size, low cost, and great stability. Also, its wireless capacity will be modified to achieve the higher data rate for transmitting and there efficiency will be improved.. It also enables isolation of the sample solution from electrical wire lines and facilitates data transmission. It can be remotely controlled to avoid contaminants and man-made interference from various operators. The working of the diaphragm based sensor will be capacitance based as the stress applied on the diaphragm will be transduced through variable micro capacitor. The output of the capacitor is interfaced with a block called capacitance to frequency converter. The communication with the external module will be done by using QPSK digital communication technique instead of the presently employed On-Off Keying technique. Different low power methodologies will be iterated and the best optimized technology will be employed.

3 Dept Of Electronics Engineering Pondicherry University