Laser-Induced Surface Acoustic Wave Sensing-Based Malaria Parasite Detection and Analysis

Malaria parasite-Plasmodium falciparum infection is a severe healthcare problem in tropical and subtropical regions. Early detection of such disease is vital in reducing mortality and controlling the spread in the affected areas. In this article, detecting the ring-stage malaria parasite is carried out by using the proposed photoacoustic (PA)-surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensing and detection system. By optical radiation, the PA signal is generated from the red blood cell (RBC), and then, the SAW sensor could transfer the acoustic wave into the electrical signal for the analysis. The SAW sensor is manufactured via the standard two-step lithography techniques. The proposed system consists of a tunable pulse laser device with the adjusting optical components, a PA-SAW sensor, a function generator, two analog front-end (AFE) circuits, a digital oscilloscope, a workstation for data postprocessing, and several auxiliary coaxial cables for data communications. With the acquired PA signal and its fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrum from the various specimens, the cultured ring-stage malaria parasite in the infected whole blood could be detected at a low concentration level of 0.5% with the PA-SAW sensor. The proposed system demonstrates its excellent potential in the early diagnosis of the malaria parasite.