Comparison of a potentiometric and a micromechanical triglyceride biosensor

Sensitive biosensors for detection of triglyceride concentration are important. In this paper we report on two types of silicon based triglyceride sensors: an electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor capacitor (EISCAP) which is a potentiometric device and a polysilicon microcantilever. The detection principle for both sensors is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of triglyceride though the sensing mechanisms are different: electronic for the EISCAP and mechanical for the microcantilever. The characteristics and performances of the two sensors are critically compared. The EISCAP sensor necessitates the presence of a buffer for stable measurements which limits the sensitivity of the sensor at low concentrations of the bioanalyte to 1 mM. The cantilever sensor works without a buffer which improves the lower level of sensitivity to 10 mu m. Both sensors are found to give reproducible and reliable results. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.