An innovative wireless electrochemical card sensor for field-deployable diagnostics of Hepatitis B surface antigen

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 3523 - 10
• Main Authors: Teengam, Prinjaporn, Tangkijvanich, Pisit, Chuaypen, Natthaya, Chailapakul, Orawon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.03.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/45; 631/61; 639/638; 692/53; Antibodies; Antigens; Biosensing Techniques; Calibration; Chitosan; Electrochemistry; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immobilization; Immunoassay; Immunosensors; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensors; Smartphones; Spectroscopy
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30340-5

A wireless-based detection utilizing an innovative electrochemical card ( e Card) sensor controlled by a smartphone was developed for targeting Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). A simple label-free electrochemical platform allows a convenient operation for point-of-care diagnosis. A disposable screen-printed carbon electrode was modified straightforwardly layer-by-layer with chitosan followed by glutaraldehyde, allowing a simple but effective, reproducible, and stable method for covalently immobilizing antibodies. The modification and immobilization processes were verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The smartphone-based e Card sensor was used to quantify HBsAg by measuring the change in current response of the [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3-/4- redox couple before and after the presence of HBsAg. Under the optimal conditions, the linear calibration curve for HBsAg was found to be 10–100,000 IU/mL with a detection limit of 9.55 IU/mL. The HBsAg e Card sensor was successfully applied to detect 500 chronic HBV-infected serum samples with satisfactory results, demonstrating the excellent applicability of this system. The sensitivity and specificity of this sensing platform were found to be 97.75% and 93%, respectively. As illustrated, the proposed e Card immunosensor offered a rapid, sensitive, selective, and easy-to-use platform for healthcare providers to rapidly determine the infection status of HBV patients.