A Piezoelectric Immunosensor for the Detection of Cortisol

Abstract

A piezoelectric crystal immunosensor has been developed for the detection and determination of cortisol. Cortisol antibody was layered onto the gold electrodes of a 10 MHz piezoelectric crystal which was precoated with either protein A or gluteraldehyde. Crystals pre-coated with protein A showed the best results with respect to stability and sensitivity.

The sensor was successfully used for the determination of cortisol in standard solutions from 36–3628 μg/L (part per billion). The advantages of the proposed sensor include simplicity, short analysis time, cost effectiveness and selectivity. The results demonstrate the feasibility of cortisol assay in clinical testing and in drug monitoring.

Key Words:

• Cortisol
• Antibody
• Piezoelectric Immunosensor