PNNL

Abstract

We describe a disposable electrochemical immunosensor diagnosis device that is based on the immunochromatographic strip technique and an electrochemical immunoassay based on quantum dot (QD, CdS@ZnS) labels. The device takes advantage of the speed and low-cost of the conventional immunochromatographic strip test and the high-sensitivity of the nanoparticle-based electrochemical immunoassay. A sandwich immunoreaction was performed on the immunochromatographic strip, and the captured QD labels in the test zone were determined by highly sensitive stripping voltammetric measurement of the dissolved metallic component (cadmium) with a disposable-screen-printed electrode, which is embedded underneath the membrane on the test zone. The new device coupled with a portable electrochemical analyzer shows great promise for in-field and point-of-care quantitative testing of disease-related protein biomarkers. The parameters (e.g., voltammetric measurement of QD labels, antibody immobilization, the loading amount of QD-antibody, and the immunoreaction time) that govern the sensitivity and reproducibility of the device were optimized with IgG model analyte. The voltammetric response of the optimized device is highly linear over the range of 0.1 to 10 ng mL-1 IgG, and the limit of detection is estimated to be 30 pg mL-1 in association with a 7-min immunoreaction time. The detection limit was improved to 10 pg mL-1 using a 20-min immunoreaction time. The new disposable electrochemical diagnosis device thus provides a more user-friendly, rapid, clinically accurate, less expensive, and quantitative tool for protein detection.