Ultrasound-assisted electrochemical distinction of normal and cancerous cells

A method for detecting cancer cells, comprising:

• preparing an electrochemical-ultrasonic system, comprising:
• fabricating an electrochemical biosensor, the electrochemical biosensor comprising an integrated three-electrodes array patterned on a nanoroughened surface of a substrate, the integrated three-electrodes array comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode;
• culturing a plurality of biological cells on the electrochemical biosensor comprising attaching the plurality of biological cells onto the working electrode by placing the electrochemical biosensor in a medium solution, the medium solution comprising a cell culture solution of the plurality of biological cells;
• connecting the electrochemical biosensor with the plurality of cultured cells to an electrochemical stimulator-analyzer system, the electrochemical stimulator-analyzer system configured to measure electrochemical responses;
• and
• exposing the electrochemical biosensor with the plurality of cultured cells to an ultrasonic system;
• generating a plurality of microbubbles on the electrochemical biosensor with the plurality of cultured cells comprising electrolysis of the medium solution by applying an instantaneous electrical potential in the medium solution utilizing a cyclic voltammetry technique using the electrochemical stimulator-analyzer system, applying the instantaneous electrical potential in the medium solution comprising applying a DC signal with a voltage between −2 V and −0.5 V for a time duration less than 1 seconds on the biosensor with the plurality of cultured cells;
• measuring a first electrochemical response from the electrochemical biosensor with the plurality of cultured cells using the electrochemical stimulator-analyzer system, the first electrochemical response comprising an electrochemical response of the plurality of cultured cells;
• forming a plurality of stimulated cells on the electrochemical biosensor by applying ultrasonic waves to the plurality of cultured cells and the plurality of microbubbles using the ultrasonic system;
• measuring a second electrochemical response from the electrochemical biosensor with the plurality of stimulated cells using the electrochemical stimulator-analyzer system, the second electrochemical response comprising an electrochemical response of the plurality of stimulated cells;
• and
• detecting presence of cancer cells responsive to a difference between the first electrochemical response and the second electrochemical response being less than a threshold.