An Improved Automated High-Throughput Efficient Microplate Reader for Rapid Colorimetric Biosensing
Jinhu Yang,
Yue Wu,
Hao Wang,
Wenjian Yang,
Zhongyuan Xu,
Dong Liu,
Hui-Jiuan Chen,
Diming Zhang
Affiliations
Jinhu Yang
State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Display Material and Technology, School of Electronics and Information Technology, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yue Wu
Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
Hao Wang
State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Display Material and Technology, School of Electronics and Information Technology, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Wenjian Yang
Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
Zhongyuan Xu
Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
Dong Liu
State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Display Material and Technology, School of Electronics and Information Technology, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Hui-Jiuan Chen
State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Display Material and Technology, School of Electronics and Information Technology, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Diming Zhang
Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
A high-throughput instrument to measure the full spectral properties of biochemical agents is necessary for fast screening in fields such as medical tests, environmental monitoring, and food analysis. However, this need has currently not been fully met by the commercial microplate reader (CMR). In this study, we have developed an automated high-throughput efficient microplate reader (AHTEMR) platform by combining a spectrometer and high-precision ball screw two-dimensional motion slide together, for high-throughput and full-spectrum-required biochemical assays. A two-dimensional slide working on a ball screw was driven by a stepper motor with a custom-designed master control circuit and used as a motion system of the AHTEMR platform to achieve precise positioning and fast movement of the microplate during measurements. A compact spectrometer was coupled with an in-house designed optical pathway system and used to achieve rapid capture of the full spectral properties of biochemical agents. In a performance test, the AHTEMR platform successfully measured the full spectral absorbance of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glucose solution in multiple wells of the microplate within several minutes and presented the real-time full spectral absorbance of BSA and glucose solution. Compared with the CMR, the AHTEMR is 79 times faster in full-spectrum measurements and 2.38 times more sensitive at the optimal wavelength of 562 nm. The rapid measurement also demonstrated the great capacity of the AHTEMR platform for screening out the best colorimetric wavelengths for tests of BSA and glucose development, which will provide a promising approach to achieving high-throughput and full-spectrum-required biochemical assays.
