Chemical Transducers Group (GTQ)
The group activities are focused on applied research on the development of application-specific analytical systems (ASAS): Ad-hoc analytical tools for the measurement of chemical parameters in (biological) liquid fluids. We aim at offering market solutions to analytical needs in the environment, health and food fields and contributing to some of the sustainable development goals set by the UN to address the social, environmental and economic challenges of our time.
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Main activities
We design and develop chemical sensors and microfluidic components to produce smart system platforms including but not limited to point-of-care systems, wearable devices and lab-on-chip.
(Bio) sensors & PoC devices
Chemical sensors and Biosensors based on different silicon transducers -ion selective field effect transistors (ISFETs), amperometric and impedimetric thin-film electrodes- modified with polymers, silk, hydrogels, biomembranes, developed and implemented in Point-of-Care devices (PoC) for applications like:
- Multiplexed electrochemical point-of-care device for the detection of biomarkers in sputum as well as for the detection of biomarkers of SARS-CoV-2 virus in serum and nasopharyngeal samples. Such devices are aimed to aid in the early detection and monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (LungCheck ERA-NET project) and in the rapid detection of COVID-19 disease at its different stages (POC4CoV CSIC project), respectively.
- Wearable platforms for detection of biomarkers in sweat. Combination of multiple sensors with Deep neural networks to monitor continuously and predict the state of an athlete. (WECARE project)
SiN photonic technologies
Implementation of a silicon nitride based technological platform for the manufacture of integrated photonic circuits, in collaboration with the company VLC Photonics. The platform runs under a Multi project wafer scheme to assist SMEs into the development of PICs prototypes in the NIR and photonic transducers in the visible for biosensor devices.
LoC integration technologies
Different strategies and architectures for the monolithic and/or hybrid integration of chemical transducers with fluidic elements, both active and passive, are developed. Silicon technologies are being applied together with microfabrication and rapid prototyping techniques for patterning and integrating a variety of alternative materials including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), SU8, hybrid xerogels, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), wax or silk. This wide range of options makes our technological approaches to be highly versatile and easily adapted to different measurement scenarios.
Quality management system
The GTQ has a Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001:2015 standard certified by AENOR-IQNet (ER- 0143/2018 06-03-2018).
The scope of the system includes the following activities:
- Development of R&D&I projects of electrochemical and optical sensors for the measurement of chemical parameters in liquid media.
- Management of the production of electrochemical sensors for the measurement of chemical para meters in liquid media.
