Sensor Mounting

The design and functionality of the sensor consumable for any analytical biosensor system has a huge influence on the technologies ease of use, applicability, and overall performance.

Historically label-free analysis using QCM detection has been impractical due in large part to the fragile nature of the quartz resonators and their lack of stability when interfaced with sample delivery systems. By enabling the development of QCM sensors that are simple to manipulate and function robustly when interfaced with sample delivery systems, Sierra Sensors proprietary Dry Side Sensor Mounting technology has converted a cumbersome and unstable process into an easy to use, highly robust molecular analysis technique.

In Dry Side Sensor Mounting the quartz crystal substrate is permanently affixed to a mounting substrate with a rigid and liquid tight seal.  This design creates an easy to handle sensor and results in a constant and reproducible level of constraint applied to non-sensing surface of the resonator.

When docked onto the sample delivery system the liquid seal is formed between the fluid delivery head and the substrate of the sensor, not the crystal.  The detection flow cell is formed around the resonator crystal, ensuring that assay liquids are the only additional pressure exerted on the crystal.

By rigidly bonding only the non-sensing surface of the quartz crystal to the sensor substrate, and decoupling the flow cell seal pressure from the resonator, detection stability and sensor to sensor reproducibility are optimized.

The open access design of the sensors also provides full flexibility for surface preparations. Users can apply their own linkage chemistries, or coatings, directly to the sensor surface using standard bench top protocols such as spin coating.