Integrated CMOS photodetectors and signal processing for very low-level chemical sensing with the bioluminescent bioreporter integrated circuit.
We report an integrated CMOS microluminometer optimized for the detection of low-level bioluminescence as part of the bioluminescent bioreporter integrated circuit (BBIC). This microluminometer improves on previous devices through careful management of the sub-femtoampere currents, both signal and leakage, that flow in the front-end processing circuitry. In particular, the photodiode is operated with a reverse bias of only a few mV, requiring special attention to the reset circuitry of the current-to-frequency converter (CFC) that forms the front-end circuit. We report a sub-femtoampere leakage current and a minimum detectable signal (MDS) of 0.15 fA (1510 s integration time) using a room temperature 1.47 mm2 CMOS photodiode. This microluminometer can detect luminescence from as few as 5000 fully induced Pseudomonas fluorescens 5RL bacterial cells.
Bolton
Eric K
EK
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916, USA.
Sayler
Gary S
GS
Nivens
David E
DE
Rochelle
James M
JM
Ripp
Steven
S
Simpson
Michael L
ML
D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004581:Electronics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000235:genetics*; D012459:Salicylates; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
D009281:Naphthalenes; D012459:Salicylates; C031721:naphthalene