Development of an automated handheld immunoaffinity fluorometric biosensor

A new immunoaffinity fluorometric biosensor has been developed for detecting and quantifying aflatoxins, a family of potent fungi-produced carcinogens that are commonly found in a variety of agricultural products. They have also been cited as biological agents under weapons development. The handheld, self-contained biosensor is fully automatic, highly sensitive, quick, quantitative, and requires no special storage. Concentrations from 0.1 to 50 parts per billion can be determined in less than 2 min with a 1-mL sample volume. The device operates on the principles of immunoaffinity for specificity and fluorescence for a quantitative assay. The analytic procedure is flexible so that other chemical and biological analytes can be detected with minor modifications to the current device. Advances in electro-optical components, electronics, and miniaturized fluidics were combined to produce this reliable, small, and versatile instrument.