Blu-ray Disc Research Articles

Drip-Dry Strategy Assisted Blu-Ray Disc Biosensor for Fast Point of Care Testing.

Discs and numerous other consumer products have been developed for point of care testing (POCT) to replace traditional large and expensive biochemical devices in certain scenarios. Herein, we propose a drip-dry strategy (2D strategy) assisted Blu-ray disc (BD) biosensor, termed BDB, for rapid and portable POCT within 30 min with the cost of a single test < $1. The platform utilizes the covered area formed by the deposition of the substance to be measured on the activated BD surface after the evaporation of water and realizes the quantitative detection of the target through the error readout of free disc quality diagnosis software. As a proof of concept, we first demonstrated the feasibility of direct quantitative detection of substances in solution in a single system through the detection of pure proteins avoiding colorimetric reagent used in traditional optical detection. For the complex mixed systems, we then innovatively utilize the principle that soluble targets promote/inhibit the dissolution of insoluble precipitates to achieve specific detection of targets and successfully apply BDB to the indirect quantitative detection of glutathione (GSH) with LOD of 0.447 mM in the range of 2-16 mM and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) with LOD of 2.122 × 10-7 M in the range of 1.289 × 10-7-1.289 × 10-4 M. The BDB is widely applicable, easy to operate, and less time-consuming, which is anticipated to provide an alternative method for early, on-site detection or screening.

Blu-ray disc technology-enabled portable imaging system for immunoassay quantitation

In this work, we have developed a portable laser scanning imaging system derived from Blu-ray disc technology for high-throughput biochip and sensor array characterization. This portable imaging system was constructed by adapting a standard Blu-ray drive to perform the scanning or imaging of an entire disc or interested regions. In addition, we have compiled a complete operating software program to process the raw data, generate the assay image, and perform quantitative analysis. Furthermore, the developed BD-LSI system was successfully applied to the quantitative detection of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which is an important biomarker of reproductive potential, in standard physiological buffers and serum samples. The achieved detection limit is as low as 18 pg/mL with a dynamic range of up to 25 ng/mL, which meets the needs of clinical diagnosis. As validated by comparing with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) data on the same set of samples, the consistent results confirm that this BD-LSI system holds promise for multiplex on-site quantitative analysis at community clinics and even at home settings for self-monitoring of individual health.

Development of Micro/Nano Pattern Arrays with Grating-Based Periodic Structures using the Direct Laser Lithography System

Introduction: This research delves into utilizing the Direct Laser Lithography System to produce micro/nanopattern arrays with grating-based periodic structures. Initially, refining the variation in periodic structures within these arrays becomes a pivotal pursuit. This demands a deep comprehension of how structural variation aligns with specific applications, particularly in photonics and material science. Method: Advancements in hardware, software, or process optimization techniques hold potential for reaching this objective. Using an optical beam, this system enables the engraving of moderate periodic and quasi-periodic structures, enhancing pattern formation in a three-dimensional environment. Through cost-effective direct-beam interferometry systems utilizing 405 nm GaN and 290 to 780 nm AlInGaN semiconductor laser diodes, patterns ranging from in period were created, employing 300 nm gratings. Result: The system's cost-efficiency and ability to achieve high-resolution permit the creation of both regular and irregular grating designs. By employing an optical head assembly from a bluray disc recorder, housing a semiconductor laser diode and an objective lens with an NA of 0.85, this system displays promising potential in progressing the fabrication of micro/nanopattern arrays. Conclusion: Assessing their optical, mechanical, and electrical properties and exploring potential applications across varied fields like optoelectronics, photovoltaics, sensors, and biomedical devices represent critical strides for further exploration and advancement.

Plasmon-induced hot electron injection and local surface potential modification in WS2/Au-nanogratings

The integration of metal nanostructures and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can lead to exciton-plasmon coupling, which can provide a platform to investigate intriguing physics and cutting-edge applications. In this work, we fabricated hybrid systems, consisting of WS2 multilayer flakes and Au nanogratings (AuNGs), and investigated their optical and electrical characteristics. WS2 flakes were directly exfoliated on large-area AuNGs, prepared by evaporation of Au thin films on Blu-ray disc templates. The polarization- and angle-dependence of the reflectance spectra of WS2/AuNGs indicated surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation and SPP-exciton coupling in the visible wavelength range. The surface potential maps in WS2/AuNGs, acquired by Kelvin probe force microscopy, could visualize how the SPP-exciton coupling affected the creation and redistribution of charge carriers. The SPP-induced hot electron injection from AuNG to WS2 as well as band-to-band excitation in WS2 contributed to the local modification of the potential distribution under light illumination.

Achieving ultra-high-density two-dimensional optical storage through angle resolved LSPR arrays: A case study of square array

With the development of optical storage technology, there is an increasing amount of research based on multi-dimensional high-density storage. Compared to two-dimensional storage, three-dimensional storage can achieve ultra-high-density optical storage by stacking two-dimensional storage layer by layer on the vertical direction. However, three-dimensional storage has problems such as high manufacturing costs, large processing errors and complex readout processes. Therefore, it is of great interest to study the implementation of two-dimensional ultra-high-density optical storage. Plasmonic is one of the most promising technologies to realize ultra-high-density, low maintenance media, and long-life optical storage. In this work, nano-scaled rotary gold square two-dimensional arrays were designed to achieved ultra-high-density optical storage. For angle-resolved localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) nano-arrays, when the rotation angle of 1-unit gold square nano-structure is 2°, the storage density was 12.79 GB/cm2, which was 53.29 times of a single-layer Blu-ray disk. By varying the shape and size of the nano-structure, higher two-dimensional storage densities could be achieved. Research results showed that, with proper design, the density of two-dimensional optical storage can match or exceed that of three-dimensional optical storage. This study demonstrates the potential of LSPR-based two-dimensional nanostructures for optical storage, providing another possibility for ultra-high density and high-resolution optical storage.

Plasmon mediated extra-ordinary optical transmission through an apertureless plasmonic metagrating

Extra-ordinary optical transmission (EOT) through subwavelength plasmonic nanoapertures is possible due to the funneling of light via surface plasmons (SPs) at the resonant wavelengths through the apertures. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate EOT through a plasmonic metagrating which does not have any open apertures. The plasmonic metagrating was fabricated by deposition of silver (Ag) on a one-dimensionally patterned flexible and transparent polydimethylsiloxane grating obtained via pattern imprinting and subsequent peeling off a commercially available blue ray disk. For normal incidence of transverse magnetic-polarized light on the top surface of plasmonic metagrating, transmission of light through it was obtained in the visible wavelength range of electromagnetic spectrum. Control experiments on variation of Ag film thickness were performed to attain optimal parameters for maximum transmission, followed by polarization and refractive index (RI) dependent performance of the plasmonic metagrating. Electric fields and Poynting vector profiles were simulated using a finite element method to explain the interaction of light with the plasmonic metagrating and the mechanism of plasmon mediated optical transmission. Such a large optical transmission is possible because the SP modes generated at metal–air interface penetrate through metagrating and couple with those supported by the metal–substrate interface. As a model application, RI sensing using the plasmonic metagrating was demonstrated. The present study shows that optical transmission is possible from apertureless structures and enriches literature with better understanding of EOT. Moreover, it opens avenues for development of flexible, cost-effective plasmonic metagratings for sensors, spectral filters, polarizers, etc.

Innovation in Constrained Codes

Constrained coding is a somewhat nebulous term which we may define by either inclusion or exclusion. A constrained system is defined by a constrained set of “good” or “allowable” sequences to be recorded or transmitted. Constrained coding focuses on the analysis of constrained systems and the design of efficient encoders and decoders that transform arbitrary user sequences into constrained sequences. Constrained coding has extensively been used since the advent in the 1950s of digital storage and communication devices. They have found application in all hard disk, non-volatile memories, and optical discs, such as CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Disc, and they are now projected for usage in DNA-based storage. We survey theory and practice of constrained coding, tracing the evolution of the subject from its origins in Shannon's classic 1948 paper to present-day applications in DNA-based data storage systems.

Do I Need to Ask Permission? Applying Fair Use to Educational Activities.

Do I Need to Ask Permission? Applying Fair Use to Educational Activities.

Gold nanoparticle decorated blu-ray digital versatile disc as a highly reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate for detection and analysis of rotavirus RNA in laboratory environment.

Detection and estimation of various biomolecular samples are often required in research and clinical laboratory applications. Present work demonstrates the functioning of a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate that has been obtained by drop-casting of citrate-reduced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of average dimension of 23 nm on a bare blu-ray digital versatile disc (BR-DVD) substrate. The performance of the proposed SERS substrate has been initially evaluated with standard Raman active samples, namely malachite green (MG) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE). The designed SERS substrate yields an average enhancement factor of 3.2 × 106 while maintaining reproducibility characteristics as good as 94% over the sensing region of the substrate. The usability of the designed SERS substrate has been demonstrated through the detection and analysis of purified rotavirus double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) samples in the laboratory environment condition. Rotavirus RNA concentrations as low as 10ng/μL could be detected with the proposed sensing scheme.

Shrinking violet

In this paper, a simple method is described for visually demonstrating that the wavelength of light reduces when entering a medium of higher refractive index. When a violet laser (405 nm) is reflected off the surface of a Blu-ray disc (track spacing 320 nm) diffraction cannot occur since the wavelength is greater than the track spacing. However, in water (refractive index 1.33) the wavelength of violet light reduces to 304.5 nm and therefore first-order diffraction can occur when a violet laser is reflected off a Blu-ray disc submerged in water. A violet laser was reflected off a DVD in air, and one diffraction order was seen, but two orders were observed when the disc was immersed in water. Red, green, and violet lasers were reflected off CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs and the number of observed diffraction orders compared with theory. When a violet laser was reflected off a CD in air, three diffraction orders were seen, however five orders were observed in water. The use of tonic water in the experiments enabled the diffraction orders to be seen more easily because violet light causes the quinine in tonic water to fluoresce.

Blood-Coated Sensor for High-Throughput Ptychographic Cytometry on a Blu-ray Disc.

The Blu-ray drive is an engineering masterpiece that integrates disc rotation, pickup head translation, and three lasers in a compact and portable format. Here, we integrate a blood-coated image sensor with a modified Blu-ray drive for high-throughput cytometric analysis of various biospecimens. In this device, samples are mounted on the rotating Blu-ray disc and illuminated by the built-in lasers from the pickup head. The resulting coherent diffraction patterns are then recorded by the blood-coated image sensor. The rich spatial features of the blood-cell monolayer help down-modulate the object information for sensor detection, thus forming a high-resolution computational biolens with a theoretically unlimited field of view. With the acquired data, we develop a lensless coherent diffraction imaging modality termed rotational ptychography for image reconstruction. We show that our device can resolve the 435 nm line width on the resolution target and has a field of view only limited by the size of the Blu-ray disc. To demonstrate its applications, we perform high-throughput urinalysis by locating disease-related calcium oxalate crystals over the entire microscope slide. We also quantify different types of cells on a blood smear with an acquisition speed of ∼10,000 cells per second. For in vitro experiments, we monitor live bacterial cultures over the entire Petri dish with single-cell resolution. Using biological cells as a computational lens could enable new intriguing imaging devices for point-of-care diagnostics. Modifying a Blu-ray drive with the blood-coated sensor further allows the spread of high-throughput optical microscopy from well-equipped laboratories to citizen scientists worldwide.

Development of micro/nano structure pattern generation using direct-beam interferometry

To generate periodic patterns with a 300 nm periodicity on PET substrate, a low-cost direct-beam interferometry device with a 405 nm GaN semiconductor laser diode (Nano Materials) is employed. A similar, cost-effective system was utilized to create periodic patterns with periods between 290 and 750 nm over a vast area using an AlInGaN 405 nm diode. While interference lithography devices are inexpensive and simple to use, they have the drawback of only being able to recreate periodic patterns that are defined by the interference patterns of the laser beams. We present a low-cost direct write lithography system that use the optical head assembly from a Blu-ray disc recorder and is capable of producing both periodic and non-periodic, high-resolution structures for use in Macro/micro/nano processes. The optical head assemblies in Blu-ray drives feature a semiconductor laser diode and a 0.85 NA objective lens for reading optical media. We can attain very huge volumes of homogeneity, throughput, process control, and reproducibility using this Direct Beam approach. We optimized simulated patterns with controlled periodicity, density, and aspect ratio by altering different input parameters and was achieved to 51 nm.

Polymer Brush Formation Assisted by the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Topological Supramolecules.

The development of methods for the polymer brush layer formation on material surfaces to improve the surface properties has been researched for decades. Here, we report a novel approach for the formation of a polymer brush layer on materials and the alteration of the surface properties using a pseudo-polyrotaxane nanosheet (PPRNS). In the PPRNS, β-cyclodextrin (CD) selectively covered the central poly(propylene oxide)29 segment of the carboxyl-terminated poly(ethylene oxide)75-b-poly(propylene oxide)29-b-poly(ethylene oxide)75 (COOH-EO75PO29EO75) triblock copolymer to form columnar crystals. The EO chains of COOH-EO75PO29EO75 then adopt polymer brush conformations and exhibit an oil-repellent property on the material surfaces. Based on the flexibility derived from the nanosheet structure, the PPRNS showed high adhesion to the Blu-ray disk substrate (1D bending), polystyrene spherical beads (2D bending), and random rough surface of pork skin. The PPRNS is expected to become a new method for obtaining polymer brush layers and improving the surface properties irrespective of the material type.

Super-Resolution Imaging with Patchy Microspheres

The diffraction limit is a fundamental barrier in optical microscopy, which restricts the smallest resolvable feature size of a microscopic system. Microsphere-based microscopy has proven to be a promising tool for challenging the diffraction limit. Nevertheless, the microspheres have a low imaging contrast in air, which hinders the application of this technique. In this work, we demonstrate that this challenge can be effectively overcome by using partially Ag-plated microspheres. The deposited Ag film acts as an aperture stop that blocks a portion of the incident beam, forming a photonic hook and an oblique near-field illumination. Such a photonic hook significantly enhanced the imaging contrast of the system, as experimentally verified by imaging the Blu-ray disc surface and colloidal particle arrays.

Label-free non-invasive subwavelength-resolution imaging using yeast cells as biological lenses.

There is a growing interest to use live cells to replace the widely used non-biological microsphere lenses. In this work, we demonstrate the use of yeast cells for such imaging purpose. Using fiber-based optical trapping technique, we trap a chain of three yeast cells and bring them to the vicinity of imaging objects. These yeast cells work as near-field magnifying lenses and simultaneously pick up the sub-diffraction information of the nanoscale objects under each cell and project them into the far-field. The experimental results demonstrated that Blu-ray disc of 100 nm feature can be clearly resolved in a parallel manner by each cell.

Fast readout method for multidimensional optical data storage using interferometry-aided reflectance spectroscopy.

The multiplex technique increases the capacity of optical data storage, but the current reading throughputs is limited by the single-bit reading. We propose a fast readout method of multidimensional optical data storage using interference-aided reflectance spectral measurement to readout multiple bits information simultaneously. The multidimensional data is recorded in the photoresist layer on the disc with dielectric multilayer substrate by laser direct writing. With the designed interference layer inside the disc, the relation of thickness of recording layer and the peak shift of the reflected spectra has been built up. With different writing depths representing different bit of data, 2 bits and 3 bits unit information have been recorded and successfully read out at one exposure. This fast readout method is not only suitable for optical data storage by engineering the optical path length for example Blu-ray disc but also for super resolution optical data storage.

Optoplasmonic-Enhanced Imaging of Monolayer Polystyrene Nanoparticle Arrays by Barium Titanate Glass Microsphere-Assisted Microscopy: Implications for Nanoparticle Characterization

Low-contrast nanoparticles are difficult to detect optically because they weakly interact with photons. In this work, we have addressed this challenge by developing optoplasmonic hybrid structures composed of barium titanate glass (BTG) microspheres and Blu-ray disk (BD) substrates deposited with multilayer metal/dielectric coatings. A 300 nm and a 250 nm hexagonally close-packed polystyrene (PS) nanoparticle monolayer sample self-assembled on both a BD substrate and a metal one (glass slide deposited with the same multilayer coatings) can be discerned by BTG microsphere-assisted microscopy, and the contrast of the virtual images of the sample on the BD substrate is enhanced compared to that of the metal substrate. When the size of BTG microspheres is 20–30 μm, the contrast of the observed virtual images is the best. Moreover, the Talbot images of 300 nm PS nanoparticle arrays assembled on the BD substrate can also be experimentally observed. We can also distinguish 200 nm PS nanoparticles assembled into a one-dimensional stripe structure on the BD substrate. Numerical simulations reveal that the electric field among the gaps of PS nanoparticles and the contacting areas between the nanoparticles and a metal/BD substrate is enhanced, and the enhanced electric field of the sample placed on the BD substrate is stronger than that of the sample placed on the metal substrate. In addition, the enhanced electric field is the strongest when the BTG microsphere size is 20–30 μm in optoplamonic structures. The simulated results fit well with the experimental ones, indicating that the enhanced electric field improves the resolution of microsphere-assisted microscopy in imaging low-contrast PS nanoparticle samples.

Super-resolution imaging on multilayer sample by microsphere-assisted microscope

Microsphere-assisted super-resolution imaging (MSI) is a label-free and wide-field imaging technique, which draws much attention in the field. Here, a novel characteristic of MSI was reported. We demonstrated microsphere-assisted microscope possesses certain tomographic ability in the imaging of multilayer structure sample, Blu-ray disc (BD), resolving both periodic stripes and sub-surface recording marks which locate at different lays on BD, and performs the best vertical resolving under a short-wavelength illumination. Moreover, the magnification generated by microsphere and the lateral resolution in MSI, as well as their relationship, were discussed. Furthermore, our experiments show that a higher relative refractive index between the microsphere and immersion medium brings greater magnification, rather than better resolution, and theoretical simulation suggests that narrower beam waist focused by microsphere leads to better resolution in MSI.

Machine Learning Approaches over Big Data for Health Care Systems: A review

Today the digital data that world produces is unseen and spectacular. The data from social media, e-commerce and Internet of things generate approximately 2.5 quintillion of bytes per day. This amount is equals 100 million Blu-ray discs or almost 30,000 GB per second. Till today data is growing and will continue to grow in future. In the field of Health care industry, big data has opened new ways to acquire intelligence and data analysis. Collected records from patient, hospital, doctors, medical treatment is known as health care big data. Big data by machine learning are assembled and evaluates the large amount of data in health care. Analytic process and business intelligence (BI) is growing up day by day, as it acquires knowledge and makes right decision. As it is vast and complex growing data, it is very difficult to store. The tradition method of handling big data is incapable to manage and process big data. Hence to resolve this difficulty, some machine learning tools are applied on large amount of data using big data analytics framework. Researchers have proposed some machine learning approaches to improve the accuracy of analytics. Each technique is applied, and their results are compared. And this concluded that we get accurate result from one machine learning approach are called as Ensemble Learning. The final result observed that ensemble learning can obtain high accuracy. In this paper we shall study about various methods to process big data for machine learning and its statistic approaches. Further we study various tools for storing of big data, its advantages, and disadvantages in the field of health care industry.

Bimetallic Au-Ag on a Patterned Substrate Derived from Discarded Blu-ray Discs: Simple, Inexpensive, Stable, and Reproducible Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates.

A simple and reproducible surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate of bimetallic gold-silver (Au-Ag) based on discarded a Blu-ray disc read only memory (BD-ROM) was developed by simply incorporating electrochemical (EC) treatment and chemical reaction. The resurfaced AgBD-ROM substrate (r-AgBD-ROM) was fabricated by EC treatment on a Ag film layer in BD-ROM (AgBD-ROM) to generate silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the indented pattern surface. Then, galvanic displacement reaction of Au and Ag was carried out to prepare the bimetallic Au-Ag structure (Au-r-AgBD-ROM). The suitable size and density as well as location of NPs on the surface can be tuned via EC treatment conditions to obtain highly active SERS performance. The SERS enhancement phenomenon on our developed substrate was studied by observing the location of the SERS hot spot obtained by Raman mapping. The developed SERS substrate offers excellent stability (90 days), good uniformity [6.14% relative standard deviation (RSD)], and reproducibility (3.79% of RSD). Moreover, this substrate can be used as a promising sensor for detecting acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid. This finding suggests a simple and low-priced process, which potentially facilitates fabrication of highly sensitive SERS substrates for practical applications.