Towards an advanced neurotechnological system: colorimetric sensing with a novel grism-based spectrometer, functionalized gold nanoparticles and a heterogeneous embedded system

Neurotransmitter sensing in the brain is crucial for the understanding of neuro-degenerative diseases. Most modern methods for the purpose rely on bulky instruments or are disruptive to the neurotransmitter medium. In this work, we describe and evaluate the design of a novel, compact and non-invasive instrument for neurotransmitter detection based on the colorimetric sensing method. The instrument includes a grism-based spectrometer that measures the wavelength shift of gold nanoparticles that are functionalized with aptamers to act as neurotransmitter-specific markers. It also includes microfluidic and electronic subsystems for sample preparation and control, and processing of the obtained signal. The instrument is tested with gold nanoparticles and its performance is compared to that of a commercial instrument, showing that the designed prototype matches the commercial instrument in performance while being much smaller, and it can surpass it with further improvements. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being’.