Surface modified amorphous ribbon based magnetoimpedance biosensor.

Magnetoimpedance (MI) changes due to surface modification of the sensitive element caused by human urine, were studied with the aim of creating a robust biosensor working on a principle of electrochemical magnetoimpedance spectroscopy. A biosensor prototype with an as-quenched amorphous ribbon sensitive element was designed and calibrated for a frequency range of 0.5-10 MHz at a current intensity of 60 mA. Measurements as a function of the exposure time were made both in a regime where chemical surface modification and MI measurements were separated as well as in a regime where they were done simultaneously. The MI variation was explained by the change of the surface magnetic anisotropy. It was shown that the magnetoimpedance effect can be successfully employed as a new option to probe the electric features of the Fe(5)Co(70)Si(15)B(10) amorphous ribbon magnetic electrode surface modified by human urine.