A surface acoustic wave activated electrochemical microbial device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of based on surface acoustic wave activation electrochemical microorganism device and method, the device includes electrolytic cell main body, working electrode, surface acoustic wave excitation module;The working electrode, attached electrochemical microorganism;The surface acoustic wave excitation module, by applying alternating signal generates surface acoustic wave, surface acoustic wave spreads to working electrode area, and acts on the electrochemical microorganism attached on working electrode.The method includes that reference electrode, working electrode, counter electrode are accessed electrochemical workstation;Start surface acoustic wave excitation module, and alternating signal is applied to the interdigital transducer in this surface acoustic wave excitation module, for generating Rayleigh wave;Through peristaltic pump, bacteria liquid is placed into device, and after flowing through working electrode, it is discharged to sterile container, and this step is recycled 3-5 times.

Description

A device and method for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biosensing technology, and in particular to a device and method for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves. Background Technology

[0002] Electrochemically active microorganisms (EABs) are unique environmental microorganisms possessing extracellular electron transfer capabilities. They have been successfully applied in various fields, such as space science, wastewater treatment, and water quality monitoring. Electrochemical microbial water quality early warning technology is a novel biological early warning technology. Toxic substances inhibit the metabolic activity of electrochemical microorganisms, thereby causing changes in their output electrical signals. By assessing the fluctuations in these signals, the overall toxicity of the water can be evaluated, achieving the purpose of water quality early warning.

[0003] With increasing demands for water environment monitoring, real-time on-site water quality monitoring has become more critical. Due to limitations in the speed of material transport within sensors, the formation of biofilms by electrochemical microorganisms on electrode surfaces, and the increased biofilm thickness, further complicates material transfer. On-site emergency comprehensive water toxicity monitoring requires rapid response and high accuracy. A response time of several hours is a major bottleneck in the on-site application of electrochemical microbial water quality sensing technology. Exciting microorganisms with surface acoustic waves (SAWs) can accelerate changes in their activity, speeding up material transport and improving detection accuracy while shortening response time. SAWs are mechanical waves generated on solid surfaces using sound waves, with wavelengths ranging from millimeters to micrometers. They utilize the piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric materials and the elastic properties of solid surfaces to generate and propagate sound waves of specific frequencies for information transmission or signal processing. SAWs offer advantages such as high frequency, high speed, long transmission distance, low power consumption, and strong anti-interference capabilities, leading to their wide application in wireless communication, sensors, filters, and antennas. In recent years, combining surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology with biomedicine has become a research focus. SAW energy is coupled into liquids and acts on microorganisms through acoustic microfluidic effects. By adjusting parameters such as SAW power and frequency, effects such as improving microbial metabolic activity and accelerating cell differentiation can be achieved. Applying SAW technology to the field of water quality detection based on electrochemical microorganisms will play a positive role in water quality detection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention aims to provide an electrochemical microbial activation device and method based on surface acoustic wave activation.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] An electrochemical microbial activation device based on surface acoustic wave activation, comprising:

[0007] Includes the main body of the electrolytic cell, the working electrode, and the surface acoustic wave excitation module;

[0008] Electrochemical microorganisms are attached to the working electrode;

[0009] The surface acoustic wave excitation module generates surface acoustic waves by applying an alternating signal. The surface acoustic waves propagate to the working electrode area and act on the electrochemical microorganisms attached to the working electrode.

[0010] An electrochemical microbial activation method based on surface acoustic wave activation, comprising:

[0011] A. Connect the reference electrode, working electrode, and counter electrode to the electrochemical workstation;

[0012] B. Start the surface acoustic wave excitation module and apply an alternating signal to the interdigital transducer in the surface acoustic wave excitation module to generate Rayleigh waves;

[0013] C. Use a peristaltic pump to place the bacterial solution into the device, and after it flows through the working electrode, it is discharged into a sterile container. Repeat this step 3-5 times.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, one or more embodiments of the present invention may have the following advantages:

[0015] By combining a surface acoustic wave excitation module with an electrochemical microbial electrolysis cell, surface acoustic wave excitation can be applied during the film formation process of electrochemical microorganisms on the working electrode, which can increase microbial activity and shorten activation time. This is of great significance and has great potential for improving the detection limit and sensitivity of microbial electrochemical water quality sensors. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a surface acoustic wave-excited electrochemical microbial device;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the surface acoustic wave excitation module;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the principle of surface acoustic wave excitation of microorganisms;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a surface acoustic wave-excited electrochemical microbial device.

[0020] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the surface acoustic wave-excited electrochemical microbial method. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 shows an electrochemical microbial activation device based on surface acoustic wave activation, which includes an electrolytic cell body, a working electrode 9, and a surface acoustic wave excitation module 4.

[0023] Electrochemical microorganisms are attached to the working electrode;

[0024] The surface acoustic wave excitation module generates surface acoustic waves by applying an alternating signal. The surface acoustic waves propagate to the working electrode area and act on the electrochemical microorganisms attached to the working electrode.

[0025] The main body of the electrolytic cell is sealed by an upper end cover and a lower end cover 7. The lower end cover 7 is connected to the outlet pipe 5 through an elbow interface 6.

[0026] The working electrode is disposed in the surface acoustic wave excitation module, which also includes a piezoelectric wafer 11 and an interdigital transducer 12; the working electrode is located at end A of the piezoelectric wafer and embedded in the stepped hole of the piezoelectric wafer; the interdigital transducer is located at end B of the other end of the piezoelectric wafer (as shown in Figure 2).

[0027] The interdigital transducer is excited by an alternating signal output from a signal generator to generate surface acoustic waves. The surface acoustic waves propagate along the piezoelectric wafer and adhere to the working electrode on the surface of the piezoelectric wafer, which is covered with electrochemical microorganisms.

[0028] The frequency applied to the interdigital transducer is 18-25MHz, and the power is 3W. The surface acoustic wave excitation module includes one or more interdigital pairs, with 10-30 pairs of interdigital fingers, a finger width of 1.5cm, and a period of 200μm. The activation process of microorganisms by surface acoustic waves can be adjusted by adjusting the power, frequency, time interval, and length of the input signal.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the principle of the surface acoustic wave excitation module is as follows: an alternating signal is applied to the interdigital transducer to generate surface acoustic waves that propagate forward along the surface of the piezoelectric wafer. Electrochemical microorganisms are attached to the surface of the carbon felt electrode that is adhered to the surface of the piezoelectric wafer. After the sound wave comes into contact with the liquid, the energy is coupled into the liquid and acts on the electrochemical microorganisms.

[0030] The above-mentioned device also includes a counter electrode 10, a reference electrode 8, a solution inlet, and a solution outlet. The solution inlet is used for inputting and outputting electrochemical microbial bacterial solution through an inlet pipe 1 and an outlet pipe 5.

[0031] The surface acoustic wave generated by the interdigital transducer is a Rayleigh wave. By measuring the current signal output by the electrolytic cell in real time, the activation state of the electrochemical microorganisms is determined based on the current signal. At the same time, the signal parameters output by the signal generator are adjusted and correlated with the fluctuation of the time-series current signal output by the electrolytic cell to explore the excitation mode of electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic wave excitation.

[0032] In this embodiment: the surface acoustic wave excitation module can be installed in different numbers in the electrochemical microbial activation device based on surface acoustic waves, as needed; the gap at the connection between the surface acoustic wave excitation module and the main body of the electrolytic cell is sealed by the sealing ring 3. The upper and lower end covers are connected to the main body of the electrolytic cell by bolts.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment also provides an electrochemical microbial activation method based on surface acoustic wave activation, including:

[0034] Step 10: Connect the reference electrode, working electrode, and counter electrode to the electrochemical workstation;

[0035] Before implementing step 10, the assembly of various components of the electrochemical microbial activation device based on surface acoustic wave activation is also included, including the main body of the electrolytic cell, the working electrode, the surface acoustic wave excitation module, the reference electrode, the working electrode, and the counter electrode.

[0036] Step 20: Start the surface acoustic wave excitation module and apply an alternating signal to the interdigital transducer in the surface acoustic wave excitation module to generate Rayleigh waves; apply an 18M-25MHz alternating signal to the interdigital transducer.

[0037] Step 30 involves placing the bacterial solution into the device using a peristaltic pump, allowing it to flow through the working electrode and then be discharged into a sterile container. This step is repeated 3-5 times.

[0038] Before performing step 30, the process includes: loading the prepared bacterial solution to be activated into a sterile container, placing the inlet water pipe of the peristaltic pump into the bacterial solution container, connecting the outlet of the peristaltic pump to the inlet of the activated electrochemical microbial device, and then starting the peristaltic pump to place the bacterial solution into the device.

[0039] Step 30 includes: tracking the changes in current signal during the circulation of bacterial solution through the working electrode, evaluating the electrochemical microbial activity level through the current signal, and ending the process of activating electrochemically active microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves when the current signal reaches a predetermined range and stabilizes.

[0040] While the embodiments disclosed in this invention are as described above, the content is merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make any modifications and variations in form and detail of the implementation without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein; however, the scope of patent protection for this invention shall still be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves, characterized in that, The system includes an electrolytic cell body, a working electrode, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) excitation module. Electrochemical microorganisms are attached to the working electrode. The SAW excitation module generates SAW waves by applying an alternating signal. These SAW waves propagate to the working electrode region and act on the attached electrochemical microorganisms. The working electrode is disposed within the SAW excitation module, which also includes a piezoelectric wafer and an interdigital transducer. The working electrode is located at one end of the piezoelectric wafer and embedded in a stepped hole. The interdigital transducer is located at the other end of the piezoelectric wafer. The interdigital transducer is excited by an alternating signal output from a signal generator to generate SAW waves. These SAW waves propagate along the piezoelectric wafer to the working electrode, which is adhered to the surface of the piezoelectric wafer and has attached electrochemical microorganisms. The SAW waves generated by the interdigital transducer are Rayleigh waves. By measuring the current signal output from the electrolytic cell in real time and determining the activation state of the electrochemical microorganisms based on the current signal, and by adjusting the signal parameters output by the signal generator and correlating them with the fluctuations of the time-series current signal output from the electrolytic cell, the excitation mode of electrochemical microorganisms based on SAW excitation is explored.

2. The device for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the electrolytic cell is sealed by an upper end cover and a lower end cover.

3. The device for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The surface acoustic wave excitation module and the interdigital transducer each include one or more.

4. The device for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a counter electrode, a reference electrode, a solution inlet, and a solution outlet, the solution inlet and solution outlet being used for inputting and outputting electrochemical microbial bacterial solutions.

5. A method for activating electrochemical microorganisms based on surface acoustic waves using the apparatus described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method includes: A) connecting the reference electrode, working electrode, and counter electrode to an electrochemical workstation; B) activating the surface acoustic wave (SAW) excitation module and applying an alternating signal to the interdigital transducer in the SAW excitation module to generate Rayleigh waves; C) placing the bacterial solution into the device via a peristaltic pump, and after flowing through the working electrode, discharging it into a sterile container, repeating this step 3-5 times; before performing C, the method includes: loading the prepared bacterial solution to be activated into a sterile container, placing the inlet water pipe of the peristaltic pump into the bacterial solution container, connecting the outlet of the peristaltic pump to the inlet of the electrochemical microbial activation device, and then activating the peristaltic pump to place the bacterial solution into the device; C includes: tracking the changes in the current signal during the circulation of the bacterial solution through the working electrode, and evaluating the electrochemical microbial activity level through the current signal; when the current signal reaches a predetermined range and stabilizes, the process of activating electrochemical microorganisms based on SAW is terminated.

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