Cantilever Sensors: Concentris GmbH

Kore is collaborating with Concentris GmbH developing the UK market for their cantilever sensor array platform. For further information on Concentris products in the UK please contact Kore.

Principle of operation

Schematic showing operating principle of cantilever sensor

Nanomechanical cantilevers are very small and extremely sensitive force and mass sensors. By coating its surface with a material that selectively adsorbs or binds a given target substance, a cantilever can be converted into a highly sensitive and selective chemical or biochemical sensor. When the cantilever comes in contact with the target substance, it reacts with a mechanical response: the cantilever bends and changes its resonance frequency. Both signals are measured with extremely high accuracy allowing identification and quantitative detection of the target substance.

Label-free detection of biomolecules

Cantilevers transform a chemical reaction into a mechanical motion on the nanometer scale, which can be measured directly, e.g. by the deflection of a light beam from the cantilever surface. Therefore, no fluorescent or radioactive labels are necessary for the detection of biomolecules like DNA or proteins. This significantly reduces the number of steps needed for the detection of biomolecules and eliminates the influence of labels on the result.

Analysis of complex mixtures

Cantilever sensors can easily be manufactured as compact arrays containing a number of different sensors. This allows the detection of a variety of substances in a complex chemical mixture without time-consuming purification and separation steps.

In connection with an artificial neural network, cantilever sensor arrays can be used for "electronic nose" applications, i.e. for a fast qualitative recognition of complex gas mixtures.

Wide range of applications

Using customized chemical sensing layers, an extremely wide range of applications becomes possible with cantilever arrays, including among others:

Medical diagnostics:
Label-free and parallel detection of disease markers like proteins or antibodies, detection of microorganisms, recognition of specific DNA sequences.
Drug discovery and life sciences research:
Label-free (bio) chemical assays and investigation of bimolecular interactions.
Process and quality control.
Food analysis.
Fragrance and flavour analysis.
Environmental monitoring.
Security devices:
Detection of potentially hazardous substances or microorganisms.
Scientific Research:
Studies of chemical reactions or host-guest interactions at surfaces.

Products available from Concentris:

Cantisens Research

Photo of cantilever sensor platform

Cantisens Research is a cantilever sensor platform designed specifically for industrial application development and scientific research.

Eight channel label-free biochemical sensing.
Low volume liquid chamber.
Integrated temperature control.
Sample handling system included.

Cantilever Arrays

Photomicrograph of cantilever array

High quality cantilever arrays are now available in two different geometries.

Eight high precision levers per array.
Lengths of 500 µm and 750 µm.
Thickness of 1 µm for highest sensitivity.
Width 100 µm, pitch 250 µm.

For further information on Concentris products in the UK please contact Kore.

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Last updated: 28 September 2005 20:51