免疫感測器主要是由生物元件及物理轉換器二部分所組成。生物元件部分為抗體與抗原之特異性反應:物理轉換器部分則包括直接或間接之訊號轉換系統。間接型之訊號轉換系統係在抗體抗原反應後使用例如螢光法或冷光法等標示來進行檢測;直接型之訊號轉換系統則係利用抗體抗原結合後所導致之電位、電流、電阻、質量、熱或光學性質之改變來檢測,其優點為可即時(real-time)偵測抗原抗體反應情形。免疫感測器具有高敏感度、高特異性、所需樣品量少、低檢測低限、即時輸出、可重複使用等多項優點。目前已有少數之免疫感測器如BIAcore及IAsys等裝置被成功商品化,可廣泛應用在臨床醫藥、環境保護、發酵工業、以及科學研究等範疇。
The main components of Immunosensor are composed of biological functional materials and physical transducers. The biological components perform the specific interaction between antigens and antibodies. The transducer components confer the direct and indirect transformation of signals. The indirect signal transforming system bases on the detection of the emission from coloring, fluoresce, or luminesce materials labeled on antigens and/or antibodies. The direct signal transforming system, on the other hand, bases on the detection of the deviation of potential, current, resistance, mass, heat, or optical characteristics during the immuno-reaction. The direct signal transforming system is advantageous on its ability of real-time monitoring of immuno-reactions, The merits of immunosensors include high sensitivity, high specificity, little sample requirement, low detection limit, real-time output, and reusability. Powerful immunoscnsing systems, BIAcore and IAsys for example, have been well established and commercially available. They are widely applied in the fields of clinical analysis, environmental protection, fermentation industry, and scientific research.