Fluorescent label-free quantitative detection of nano-sized bioparticles using a pillar array

Disease diagnostics requires detection and quantification of nano-sized bioparticles including DNA, proteins, viruses, and exosomes. Here, a fluorescent label-free method for sensitive detection of bioparticles is explored using a pillar array with micrometer-sized features in a deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) device. The method relies on measuring changes in size and/or electrostatic charges of 1 µm polymer beads due to the capture of target bioparticles on the surface. These changes can be sensitively detected through the lateral displacement of the beads in the DLD array, wherein the lateral shifts in the output translates to a quantitative measurement of bioparticles bound to the bead. The detection of albumin protein and nano-sized polymer vesicles with a concentration as low as 10 ng mL(−1) (150 pM) and 3.75 μg mL(−1), respectively, is demonstrated. This label-free method holds potential for point-of-care diagnostics, as it is low-cost, fast, sensitive, and only requires a standard laboratory microscope for detection.