Investigation of an electrical-field-based allergen biosensor utilizing selective polyvinyl chloride membranes for histamine detection

In this study, we developed an electrical-field based biosensor with a Polyvinyl Chloride membrane designed for precise histamine quantification. By employing the lab's high sensitivity readout circuitry in conjunction with an advanced double cancellation offset comparator, the biosensor demonstrates robust linearity across histamine concentrations ranging from 0.1 μM to 300 μM. The sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 4.2 analog-to-digital (ADC) counts per μM (corresponding to 10.25 mV/μM) and detects a 61.6 % variation in response when histamine interacts with diamine oxidase (DAO). In comparison, the traditional cyclic voltammetry (CV) method shows only a 3.8 % change. This minimal difference underscores the difficulty of accurately distinguishing variations in histamine levels using the CV approach. The proposed biosensor's high sensitivity and specificity to histamine make it well-suited for on-site inspections and portable use in food and fish markets, facilitating early screening and mitigation of histamine-related health risks.