Biosensors are devices to detect biological or chemical materials using a sensor system containing a biological component. NVE has developed Biosensor technology using its proprietary spintronic materials.

Some of the company’s research has been under government contracts, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Bio-Magnetic Interfacing Concepts (BioMagnetICs) program, which covers the use of nanoscale magnetics at the cellular molecular level.

Applications include ultra-miniature biological warfare agent detectors, real-time DNA testers, and laboratory-on-a-chip diagnostic systems. NVE has fabricated working biosensors that have been independently tested, and has announced successful completion of prototypes for laboratory-on-a-chip applications.

NVE has identified a long-term goal of putting low-cost, manufacturable devices in the hands of soldiers and consumers that are as easy to use as a digital thermometer. This technology could allow cabinet-sized instruments to be replaced by handheld devices for a small fraction of the cost, and produce accurate results in minutes rather than hours.

How do spintronic biosensors work?

Several spintronic biosensor configurations have been identified. In the configuration illustrated at right, a magnetic biological marker nano-bead adheres to the immobilization surface when a targeted biological agent is present. The bead is separated from a spintronic sensor by a passivation layer as thin as 10 nanometers. The sensor uses either a Giant Magnetoresistor (GMR) or a Spin-Dependent Tunnel (SDT) Junction to detect a small perturbation in the magnetic field caused by adhering beads.