Silicon nanowire luminescent sensor for cardiovascular risk in saliva

Cardiovascular diseases are some of the today major cause of death in the world. C-reactive protein (CRP) is well known as the main biomarker related to cardiovascular risk and heart attack occurrence. The standard CRP analyses are performed in a hospital or in a biochemical laboratory with blood analysis after a long chemical and labelling preparation that require expert personnel. In this scenario, a health care analysis that can be performed by the same patient at his own home appears extremely revolutionary. In this paper, the study of an innovative sensing platform based on the luminescence at room temperature of silicon nanowires (NWs) is reported. This NWs sensor is label-free and does not require a chemical treatment of the analyte, is strongly selective to the CRP demonstrating a femtomolar limit of detection and a wide operating range. This proposed silicon sensing platform can be realized with an industrial compatible approach and permits to reveal the strategic CRP level in saliva in order to prevent a heart attack, with great advantages for the patient.