Development of a Low-Cost, Open-Source Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring for Potential Biomedical Applications

Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) systems are widely used for the real-time analysis of mass changes and viscoelastic properties in biological samples, enabling applications such as biomolecular interaction studies, biosensing, and fluid characterization. However, their accessibility has been limited by high acquisition costs. To address this limitation, the development of a low-cost, open-source QCM-D system tailored for biomedical applications has been carried out. A 10 MHz quartz crystal with a sensor module and a control and acquisition unit were integrated. The full system was built at a total cost below USD 500. Performance validation showed a temperature stability of ±0.13°C, a frequency stability of ±2 Hz in air, and a limit of detection of 0.46% polyethylene glycol (PEG) in batch mode. These results demonstrate that key sensing capabilities can be achieved at a fraction of the cost, making it a viable alternative for certain biomedical applications. Its open-source nature allows full customization and future upgrades, offering a flexible alternative for laboratories seeking affordable yet reliable tools for biophysical analysis.