The Multicorder: A Handheld Multimodal Metabolomics-on-CMOS Sensing Platform

The use of CMOS platforms in medical point-of-care applications, by integrating all steps from sample to data output, has the potential to reduce the diagnostic cost and the time from days to seconds. Here we present the `Multicorder' technology, a handheld versatile multimodal platform for rapid metabolites quantification. The current platform is composed of a cartridge, a reader and a graphic user interface. The sensing core of the cartridge is the CMOS chip which integrates a 16×16 array of multi-sensor elements. Each element is composed of two optical and one chemical sensor. The platform is therefore capable of performing multi-mode measurements: namely colorimetric, chemiluminescence, pH sensing and surface plasmon resonance. In addition to the reader that is employed for addressing, data digitization and transmission, a tablet computer performs data collection, visualization, analysis and storage. In this paper, we demonstrate colorimetric, chemiluminescence and pH sensing on the same platform by on-chip quantification of different metabolites in their physiological range. The platform we have developed has the potential to lead the way to a new generation of commercial devices in the footsteps of the current commercial glucometers for quick multi-metabolite quantification for both acute and chronic medicines.