Detection of Bacterial Resistance Based on Bioimpedance Spectroscopy and Microfluidics

Jinming Liang¹, Tianshi Mao¹, Bihan Gao¹, Kai Liu¹, Jiabin Jia³, Jiafeng Yao^2*

¹College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
²College of Physics & Optoelectronic Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
³Institute for Imaging, Data and Communications (IDCOM), School of Engineering
The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

^*Email: jfyao@jnu.edu.cn

ABSTRACT

The rapid determination of bacterial drug resistance is a critical challenge. This paper presents a viable methodology for detecting stages of bacterial drug resistance using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) and Microfluidics. The approach combines a high-fidelity electrical model, which couples bacterial dielectric properties with the electrical double-layer (EDL) effect, with a custom-designed microfluidic chip featuring an 8-electrode array. The optimal detection mode for this platform was analyzed to enhance measurement sensitivity. For experimental validation, 20 µm polystyrene (PS) spheres coated with silver, gold, and nickel were employed as physical phantoms to mimic distinct resistance levels. Impedance measurements, analyzed via both Nyquist and Bode plots, consistently revealed that these phantoms produce markedly different impedance signatures, particularly in the high-frequency domain. These findings confirm that our proposed method can effectively differentiate between various stages of bacterial drug resistance, holding significant promise for applications in rapid biochemical analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Keywords: Bioimpedance Spectroscopy, Microfluidics, Electrical Double-Layer

Industrial Application: Cell detection field