Manufacturers of custom QCM sensors for biomedical applications

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor is a novel sensor which combines the high specificity of biomolecule with the high sensitivity of oscillation frequency of piezoelectric quartz crystal to change of mass load on crystal surface. Its principle is the inverse piezoelectric effect of quartz crystal; when the mass load on electrode surface changes, the oscillation frequency of quartz crystal changes correspondingly; by fixing biomolecule (antigen, antibody, DNA etc.) on the surface of quartz crystal electrode, bio-sensitive film is formed; through specific binding to the target substance (antigen, antibody, DNA etc.) in test specimen, it causes change of mass load on the surface of quartz crystal electrode; this change is converted to the change of oscillation frequency of quartz crystal via quartz crystal resonator. QCM biosensor has many advantages. High sensitivity; very sensitive to tiny mass change on electrode surface up to ng level; easy operation in medical diagnosis/testing process, easily automated; the tester made of QCM biosensor is small and portable and enables real-time testing, especially suitable for quick testing outside the hospital; low testing cost; no need of labelling, avoiding harm on human body and pollution on environment by radioactive substances.

Currently, QCM biosensor has been used in testing of various pathogenic microbes. Clinically, the common method for diagnosing bacterial infection is bacterial culture; but it is time-consuming and requires high skill of operators, not conducive to quick diagnosis and treatment of the patients with bacterial infection. With QCM biosensor, it can directly detect pathogenic microbes at ng/ml level within tens of minutes. For example: the test results on staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, bacillus anthracis, Escherichia coli, staphylococcus epidermidis, schistosome etc. by using QCM biosensor are not statistically different from those by using common bacterial culture method; but with QCM biosensor, it obviously shortens testing duration. It provides very effective method for human pathological examination and anti-terrorism activities.

Clinically, common methods for virus testing are virus culture or PRC; but both methods are time-consuming, require high skill of operators and need special devices, not conducive to timely clinical diagnosis and treatment. QCM biosensor provides a new method for quick diagnosis of virus; it also has advantages of low testing cost, easy operation and online testing. Artificially synthesized antigen peptides specific to various virus are used to make monoclonal antibody; monoclonal antibody is fixed onto the electrode surface of quartz crystal for testing the virus in specimen. Currently, it has been successfully used for testing of various virus e.g. EBV, zoster virus, herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus.

Aptamer is single-stranded DNA or RNA which has high affinity and high specificity to the target molecule e.g. protein, nucleic acid, amino acid and metal ion; it has features of good stability, long-time storage, reversible degeneration and renaturation, in vitro artificial chemical synthesis and easy chemical modification, allowing aptamer to be widely used in many applications e.g. testing of small molecule and protein. QCM biosensor is combined with cell sensor chip to build biosensor; it can determine unlabelled, full real-time kinetics of the target under biological matrix conditions, and can be used to compare the bound purified target with the interactive cell; it is conducive to earlier and better selection of candidate drugs in drug development, and can save time and cost before and in the clinical test of new drugs.

QCM chip is the most critical component in a QCM device; the associated chips from most device manufacturers are not interchangeable; currently, they are mainly supplied as associated components from device manufacturers. Globally, because the market is small and relevant enterprises are not many, the enterprises that are specialized in/dedicated to crystal chips are even fewer; in most cases, the brand owners purchase/resell them from OEM/ODM manufacturers; SungThai is one of a few specialized ODM/OEM manufacturers; thanks to specialized manufacturing for thirty years, SungThai can develop customized products for customers; nowadays, SungThai is in leading position in China and even in the world.

Our product team has a history of manufacturing QCM sensors for nearly 30 years; with same manufacturing system, we manufacture crystal components for the devices of aviation/aerospace grade. Our product manufacturing system integrates the high requirements for military and aviation applications; longevity, stability, accuracy and anti-interference are the intrinsic gene of our products.

The price of our products is very competitive; because you directly purchase products from our factory, standard products can be delivered from the inventory or in shortest time. In case of customized products, we can provide competitive lead time for you.

All of our products are packaged in Class 1000 secondary clean room, with vacuum sealing; it ensures that the products are not contaminated in the process of delivery to you, and maintain as high quality as discharged from the production line. In addition, it can provide longer storage time for you.

High-end piano allows for better performance; but a person without long-term special training cannot make excellent products no matter what high-end machines he uses. Our engineers are our core competency; thanks to expertise accumulated for 30 years, our engineers can make use of modern equipment, manufacturing system and excellent technology to manufacture QCM sensors with superior quality.

A good-quality product depends on strict management on the process from raw materials to delivery of packaged products, rather than 100% testing before shipment. Just like an excellent school, its competency is built on the soft power of outstanding education system, rather than excellent physical facilities.
China’s important export countries of piezoelectric crystal, we are one of the industry standard setters