Supervisor name & contact details:
Supervisors Profile:
Research Centre:
Name John Cassidy
Email john.cassidy@dit.ie
The Focas Research Institute addresses the common needs of research activities in Science and Engineering. It contributes strongly to the development of self-sustaining research teams in a number of strategic areas, such as Bio and
Nano technologies. Recent notable research outputs include novel technologies for cervical cancer screening and antibacterial surface coatings. Its state of the art premises include an unrivalled suite of instrumentation for spectroscopic (UV to far IR) characterisation and imaging (Raman, FTIR) and optical
(Confocal fluorescence), scanning probe (AFM, conductive AFM) and electron microscopy
(SEM, WDX, EDX, variable pressure/cryo SEM,
TEM).
Research Centre website:
Supervisors Publications: http://www.dit.ie/focas/ http://arrow.dit.ie
and search under cassidy
Title of the Project: Microfluidic Paper based electrochemical sensor for Glucose and Cholesterol detection.
Project Summary: The aim is to develop a commercial glucose and cholesterol sensor for use in third world countries. This should be cheap, reliable and the output should be easy to understand. There are a number of possibilities; a photochemical device which yields a colour change ( which can be relayed using a mobile phone camera) or an electrochemical device which is based on a fuel cell configuration that yields an electronic output. Previously electrochemical devices have been used with potential control using a potentiostat[ 1,2]. This is the basis of the commercial Medisense glucose sensor. However these are expensive and not very rugged devices. The aim is to further the work done previously using a microfluidic paper based system
[3,4]. The paper can be patterned using a wax based ink. The reagents ( enzymes, buffers, mediator) will be spotted onto paper and the sample will wick through the paper; the reaction

will take place and the products will be determined either photochemically or electrochemically.
References
1 A Novel Electrochemical Device for the Detection of Cholesterol and Glucose', J.Cassidy,
C.Clinton, W.Breen, R.Foster, E.O'Donoghue, The Analyst, 118, (1993), 415-418
2A Novel Method for Catalyst Incorporation onto Electrode Surfaces', S.deSmit, J.Cassidy,
T.McCormac, N.Maes, Electroanalysis, 7, (1995),782.
3'Diagnostic Device for Cholesterol Analysis', R.Foster, J.Cassidy, E.O'Donoghue, Electroanalysis
12, (2000), 716-721
4. R.A.Foster, J.Cassidy, N.O'Sullivan, Electrochemical Diagnostic Device, International Patent
Publication number WO 98/30893 (1998).
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area: