Real-time continuous biosensing by particle motion analysis
Max Bergkamp defended his thesis at the Department of Biomedical Engineering on December 13.
For his PhD thesis, Max Bergkamp conducted research on the development of real-time signal processing for continuous biosensors, focusing on Biosensing by Particle Motion (BPM) technology. His research resulted in the development of software for real-time analysis of more than 10,000 BPM particles, making the technology practically applicable. The culmination of his work also included successful real-time measurements of fluctuating cortisol concentrations, demonstrating the potential of BPM sensor technology for continuous health monitoring.
Biosensors that can continuously measure the concentrations of molecules have great potential for various applications, such as healthcare, food industry and biotechnology research. If the result of these measurements is immediately visible (real-time), this has many advantages in, for example, health care, as immediate action can be taken if a certain concentration value is too high or too low.
Bergkamp's research focused on the development of real-time signal processing for continuous biosensors based on Biosensing by Particle Motion (BPM) technology. The principle of a BPM sensor is to analyze the motion of particles. Particle motion is related to the concentration of the molecules you want to measure. To achieve high precision in concentration measurements, it is necessary to measure thousands of these particles in parallel. This analysis takes hours with traditional methods, which is far too long for the applications where results need to be available within minutes.
Real-time analysis with many particles
One of the main results of his doctoral research is the development of software for real-time analysis of more than 10,000 BPM particles. As a result, BPM sensor technology is now suitable for use in practical applications. In addition, real-time signal processing has significantly improved the pace of research. Screening studies that would previously take several weeks of work can now be performed in one day.
Another highlight of Bergkamp's research is the demonstration of real-time measurements of fluctuating cortisol concentrations. Here it has been shown that fluctuating cortisol concentrations can be measured with time scales of only a few minutes. These results show that BPM sensor technology has great potential for continuous monitoring of patient health.
Title of PhD thesis: “Real-time analysis of particle motion for continuous biosensing with single-molecule resolution”
Supervisors: Menno Prins and Leo van IJzendoorn