Regeneration of Microparticle-structured Biosensor Surfaces

Self-assembly of polymer microparticles from particle suspensions provides a simple method for structuring surfaces. However, the heterogeneous nature of the suspensions makes it difficult to develop reliable protocols for producing regular structures. Therefore, plasma regeneration was tested to allow the repeated application of regular particle structures once obtained. Microparticle structures were applied to surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensors and coated with parylene C. After use, the parylene layer including experimental residues was removed by plasma and a new parylene layer was added. The physical performance of the sensors after regeneration was similar to that of the freshly prepared sensors.