A Label-Free Optical Nanobiosensor for Measurement of HbA1c via Portable Reader

Abstract

Access to accurate diagnostic tools is one of the essential challenging improvements in global health assessment. Currently, most existing diagnostic tools are targeted for use in developed countries and do not meet the health needs of developing and underdeveloped countries. When they are presented as a solution to global health problems, they are expensive and complex. One solution is using portable diagnostic methods like point-of-care tests (POCTs). One of the most widely used POCTs instruments is the portable glucometer, which is used today by a large group of diabetic and non-diabetic patients to control blood sugar. Although the common view of this device is called glucometer, according to the basic knowledge and technology of the electrochemical mechanism of this device, it can be used for identifying various markers by engineering and designing via an appropriate condition. This study aims to design and develop a new nanomolecular diagnostic method to quantify HbA1c using a glucometer as an electrochemical-optical reader with several advantages compared to the other existing methods for this purpose. Here, we design and describe a portable and label-free optical method with high reproducibility in performance using aptamer-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for capturing and specific detection via measurement with a glucometer.