Polymer-Based MEMS Sensor for Label-Free Chikungunya Virus Detection

Piezoelectric MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) Cantilevers have successfully been used in a wide variety of applications in recent years. This paper is a simulation-based study on Micro-cantilever based Piezoelectric MEMS biosensors for Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) detection. In addition to providing early detection, the proposed method is label-free, faster, and more reliable. The proposed biosensor detects CHIKV E2 protein via MEMS Sensor. The basic principle involves using piezoelectric material on a micro-cantilever for biomaterial detection. A piezoelectric MEMS cantilever is simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics and compared for voltage, stress, and displacement for three materials (silicon, gold, and PDMS). Analytical equations are derived. Post-processing for biosensor design is done in SIMULINK. Simulated voltage, stress, and displacement show a linear relationship with the viral load. PDMS also provided the highest voltage and displacement among the three materials used for MEMS simulation. The graphs show the comparison between simulated and analytical values. Simulation results are also compared to clinical results to prove the biosensor's validity. MEMS Biosensor performance matches with the RT-PCR results, with the added advantage of faster results. Diagnostic tests in the medical field can be performed using the proposed biosensor.