The Quartz Surface Microbalance-A Possible Candidate for Rapid Respiratory Virus Detection

Avramov, I. D.

The mass sensitive quartz surface microbalance (QSM) uses Rayleigh surface acoustic wave (RSAW) and surface transverse wave (STW) modes propagating in high-Q two-port resonators on temperature compensated rotated Y-cuts of quartz and is considered as the high-frequency equivalent of the widely used classical quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) using the thickness shear bulk acoustic wave (BAW) mode. In this study we investigate the QSM's ability to detect extremely light particles attached to its surface for possible applications in portable equipment for rapid detection of the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus and other similar respiratory viruses in the human breath. We feel that it may be useful for personal use and prescreening large masses of population for such viruses. We estimate the mass of a virus particle as 0,5 fg and determine the mass sensitivity and limit of detection of a typical calibrated 434 MHz RSAW QSM as 19,7 kHz/ng and 11 pg (22 average virus particles), respectively. Thus, the QSM provides at least 3 orders of magnitude higher mass sensitivity and lower limit of detection than the classical QCM. Furthermore, using protein particles simulating the presence of the coronavirus in human breath, we show experimentally that the QSM can successfully detect such particles and measure their concentration. © 2021 IEEE.