Tapered Optical Fiber Sensor for Label-Free Detection of Biomolecules
Open Access
- 27 March 2011
- Vol. 11 (4), 3780-3790
- https://doi.org/10.3390/s110403780
Abstract
This paper presents a fast, highly sensitive and low-cost tapered optical fiber biosensor that enables the label-free detection of biomolecules. The sensor takes advantage of the interference effect between the fiber’s first two propagation modes along the taper waist region. The biomolecules bonded on the taper surface were determined by demodulating the transmission spectrum phase shift. Because of the sharp spectrum fringe signals, as well as a relatively long biomolecule testing region, the sensor displayed a fast response and was highly sensitive. To better understand the influence of various biomolecules on the sensor, a numerical simulation that varied biolayer parameters such as thickness and refractive index was performed. The results showed that the spectrum fringe shift was obvious to be measured even when the biolayer was only nanometers thick. A microchannel chip was designed and fabricated for the protection of the sensor and biotesting. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques were used to precisely control the profile and depth of the microchannel on the silicon chip with an accuracy of 2 μm. A tapered optical fiber biosensor was fabricated and evaluated with an Immune globulin G (IgG) antibody-antigen pair.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Miniature Fiber Optic Refractive Index Sensor Built in a MEMS-Based MicrochannelSensors, 2011
- Fluorescent biosensor using whole cells in an inorganic translucent matrixAnalytica Chimica Acta, 2007
- Infrared biosensors using hydrophobic chalcogenide fibers sensitized with live cellsSensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2006
- Fiber-optic biochemical sensing with a colloidal gold-modified long period fiber gratingSensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2006
- Biconical Fiber Taper SensorsIEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 2006
- Label-free DNA sequence detection using oligonucleotide functionalized optical fiberApplied Physics Letters, 2006
- Fiber-optic biosensor to assess circulating phagocyte activity by chemiluminescenceBiosensors and Bioelectronics, 2005
- An optical fiber biosensor based on anomalous reflection of goldSensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2003
- Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study of DNA Immobilization and Hybridization for Nucleic Acid Sensor DevelopmentAnalytical Chemistry, 1997
- Fibre‐optic biosensor based on luminescence and immobilized enzymes: Microdetermination of sorbitol, ethanol and oxaloacetateJournal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence, 1990