NOVEL THERMAL MICROSENSOR METHOD FOR ONLINE MONITORING OF IN-VITRO BIOFILM FORMATION

A novel sensor principle for continuous monitoring of biofilms is presented. A small heater generates a steady sinusoidal heat signal. The resulting temperature oscillations are measured through a temperature sensor. The amplitude and phase shift of the oscillations are used as sensing parameters. The sensor system successfully detects surface attached bacterial growth within 30 minutes of inoculation. We also show that the sensor enables continuous evaluation of the effect of antibiotics on early stages of biofilm development. Furthermore, the evolution pattern of the signals over time may be useful to differentiate biofilm-forming organisms.