Photonic Biosensor Research Articles

From Lab-on-chip to Lab-in-App: Challenges towards silicon photonic biosensors product developments

This work presents and evaluates different approaches of integrated optical sensors based on photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technologies for refractive index sensing. Bottlenecks in the fabrication flow towards an applicable system are discussed that hinder a cost-effective mass-production for disposable sensor chips. As sensor device, a waveguide coupled micro-ring based approach is chosen which is manufactured in an 8” wafer level process. We will show that the co-integration with a reproducible, scalable and low-cost microfluidic interface is the main challenge which needs to be overcome for future application of silicon technology based PIC sensor chips.

Plasmonic photonic biosensor: in situ detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 particles.

We conceptualized and numerically investigated a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for rapid detection and quantification of novel coronavirus. The plasmonic gold-based optical sensor permits three different ways to quantify the virus concentrations inside patient's body based on different ligand-analyte conjugate pairs. This photonic biosensor demonstrates viable detections of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD), mutated viral single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) and human monoclonal antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG). A marquise-shaped core is introduced to facilitate efficient light-tailoring. Analytes are dissolved in sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and surfaced on the plasmonic metal layer for realizing detection. The 1-pyrene butyric acid n-hydroxy-succinimide ester is numerically used to immobilize the analytes on the sensing interface. Using the finite element method (FEM), the proposed sensor is studied critically and optimized for the refractive index (RI) range from 1.3348-1.3576, since the target analytes RIs fluctuate within this range depending on the severity of the viral infection. The polarization-dependent sensor exhibits dominant sensing attributes for x-polarized mode, where it shows the average wavelength sensitivities of 2,009 nm/RIU, 2,745 nm/RIU and 1,984 nm/RIU for analytes: spike RBD, extracted coronavirus RNA and antibody IgG, respectively. The corresponding median amplitude sensitivities are 135 RIU-1, 196 RIU-1 and 140 RIU-1, respectively. The maximum sensor resolution and figure of merit are found 2.53 × 10-5 RIU and 101 RIU-1, respectively for viral RNA detection. Also, a significant limit of detection (LOD) of 6.42 × 10-9 RIU2/nm is obtained. Considering modern bioassays, the proposed compact photonic sensor will be well-suited for rapid point-of-care COVID testing.

Current Trends in Photonic Biosensors: Advances towards Multiplexed Integration

In this review, we present the current trends in photonic biosensors, focusing on devices based on lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems capable of simultaneously detecting multiple real-life diseases on a single platform. The first section lists the advantages and challenges of building LOC platforms based on integrated optics. Some of the most popular materials for the fabrication of microfluidic cells are also shown. Then, a review of the latest developments in biosensors using the evanescent wave detection principle is provided; this includes interferometric biosensors, ring resonators, and photonic crystals, including a brief description of commercial solutions, if available. Then, a review of the latest advances in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors is presented, including localized-SPRs (LSPRs). A brief comparison between the benefits and required improvements on each kind of biosensor is discussed at the end of each section. Finally, prospects in the field of LOC biosensors based on integrated optics are glimpsed.

Detection of Hemoglobin Concentration Based on Defective One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

The significance of the optical biosensor is its ability to detect biomolecules in their natural form. Among them, photonic crystal-based biosensors analyze the refractive index changes due to molecular interaction, and that is correlated to the sample concentration instead of sample mass. In this paper, we report the sensing performance of a one-dimensional photonic crystal-based sensor for the detection of hemoglobin concentration using an asymmetric periodic structure with a single defect. We have used the transfer matrix method to analyze the reflectance properties of the photonic crystal. The resonant dip in the spectra and its shift with hemoglobin concentration is the basis of our sensor design. The proposed sensor is efficient in sensing hemoglobin concentration, the sensitivity and other sensor parameters were derived numerically, and the obtained parameters are comparable to the many of the reported values of photonic crystal-based sensors. The dependence of the defect layer thickness on the position of resonant dips and sensitivity is also demonstrated in our work. The numerical results prove that these photonic crystal biosensors are simple, cost effective and highly accurate for detecting the hemoglobin concentration.

An ultrasensitive label-free biosensor based on aptamer functionalized two-dimensional photonic crystal for kanamycin detection in milk

A novel photonic crystal aptamer biosensor SiO2-Au-ssDNA two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D PC), allowing label-free and highly sensitive to kanamycin (KANA), is successfully manufactured. This 2D PC biosensor was prepared via a needle tip flow method, using electrostatic adsorption to introduce negatively charged gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) into the 2D PC, combined with sulfhydryl-modified ssDNA for the rapid measurement. Benefiting from the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of Au NPs and optical response capability of PC, the biosensor has an excellent performance on quantitative analysis of KANA ranging from 5 pg∙mL−1 to 5 μg∙mL−1, with a limit of detection of 1.10 pg∙mL−1. The recovery of KANA is between 97 % and 110 % in the milk samples with relative standard deviation less than 4.8 %, which revealing that the 2D PC biosensor has the excellent performance on the KANA detection in complex conditions.

Progress and Challenges of Point-of-Need Photonic Biosensors for the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infections and Immunity.

The new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect the world and after more than two years of the pandemic, approximately half a billion people are reported to have been infected. Due to its high contagiousness, our life has changed dramatically, with consequences that remain to be seen. To prevent the transmission of the virus, it is crucial to diagnose COVID-19 accurately, such that the infected cases can be rapidly identified and managed. Currently, the gold standard of testing is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which provides the highest accuracy. However, the reliance on centralized rapid testing modalities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has made access to timely diagnosis inconsistent and inefficient. Recent advancements in photonic biosensors with respect to cost-effectiveness, analytical performance, and portability have shown the potential for such platforms to enable the delivery of preventative and diagnostic care beyond clinics and into point-of-need (PON) settings. Herein, we review photonic technologies that have become commercially relevant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as emerging research in the field of photonic biosensors, shedding light on prospective technologies for responding to future health outbreaks. Therefore, in this article, we provide a review of recent progress and challenges of photonic biosensors that are developed for the testing of COVID-19, consisting of their working fundamentals and implementation for COVID-19 testing in practice with emphasis on the challenges that are faced in different development stages towards commercialization. In addition, we also present the characteristics of a biosensor both from technical and clinical perspectives. We present an estimate of the impact of testing on disease burden (in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), and Quality-Adjusted Life Days (QALDs)) and how improvements in cost can lower the economic impact and lead to reduced or averted DALYs. While COVID19 is the main focus of these technologies, similar concepts and approaches can be used and developed for future outbreaks of other infectious diseases.

Design of 2D photonic crystal biosensor to detect blood components

Photonic crystals are periodic structures made of insulators. They are the best option to design biosensors. In this paper, a photonic crystal biosensor containing insulation rods in the air was designed and simulated. This biosensor was used as a photonic crystal circular nano-ring between the internal and external waveguides. At the end of the internal waveguide, a defect exists to create an increase in the coupling distance. This causes the quality factor and resonant wavelength displacement to increase. The purpose of designing this sensor is to check blood ingredients. After connecting to a measuring rod, this sensor shows different refractive indices. Another important characteristic of the proposed structure is that most radiuses of dielectric rods are identical. This causes the sensor construction to be easy. The plane-wave expansion method is utilized to calculate the band structure. The results show that a photonic band gap with a wavelength from 1.26 to 1.92 $$\mathrm{\mu m}$$ is created at this distance where no wavelength can spread. In this work, the Q-factor, detection limit, figure of merit, and sensitivity of the proposed photonic crystal were recorded as 5166, 0.021RIU−1, 9.84 nm/RIU, and 2.94 nm/RIU.

Conservation of orbital angular momentum and polarization through biological waveguides

A major roadblock to the development of photonic sensors is the scattering associated with many biological systems. We show the conservation of photonic states through optically self-arranged biological waveguides, for the first time, which can be implemented to transmit light through scattering media. The conservation of optical properties of light through biological waveguides allows for the transmission of high bandwidth information with low loss through scattering media. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the conservation of polarization state and orbital angular momentum of light through a self-arranged biological waveguide, several centimeters long, in a sheep red blood cell suspension. We utilize nonlinear optical effects to self-trap cells, which form waveguides at 532 nm and 780 nm wavelengths. Moreover, we use the formed waveguide channels to couple and guide probe beams without altering the information. The formed biological waveguides are in a sub-diffusive scattering regime, so the photons’ information degrades insignificantly over several centimeters of propagation through the scattering media. Our results show the potential of biological waveguides as a methodology for the development of novel photonic biosensors, biomedical devices that require optical wireless communication, and the development of new approaches to noninvasive biomedical imaging.

Assess of Chemical and Biosensor Chips

A biosensor is an analytical instrument that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector to detect a chemical molecule. A biosensor is a biological detection device that combines a biological component with a transducer to perform biochemical amount measurement. Biosensors are often designed to convert physical, chemical, or biological events into measurable signals, providing qualitative and/or quantitative data on the target analytes. While the topic of biosensors has attracted a lot of attention from scientists, combining it with micro fluidics could result in even more substantial gains in terms of sensitivity and specificity, resolution, automation, throughput, repeatability, dependability, and accuracy. Biosensors-on-chip (BoC) might thus serve as a bridge between diagnostics in central laboratories and diagnostics at the patient's bedside, allowing for significant breakthroughs in point-of-care (PoC) diagnostic applications. The purpose of this publication is to present an up-to-date review of BoC system development and their most current application in cancer, infectious diseases, and neurological disorders diagnosis. Leland C. Clark invented enzyme electrodes in 1962, which marked the beginning of biosensor development. A biosensor typically consists of an enzyme, antibody, or cell receptor, as well as a detecting device or transducer. Covalent bonding, matrix entrapment, physical adsorption, and membrane entrapment are some of the ways used to combine these two elements. A biosensor is a type of analytical equipment that detects chemical substances. They normally consist of three segments: sensor, transducer, and related electrons, and combine a biological component with a physicochemical conductor. Keywords: Biosensor chips, Silicon square chips, integrated photonic biosensors, revolutionize biology, bioreceptor, Biosensor technology

Design of a 2D photonic crystal biosensor using X-shape ring resonator based on Graphene Oxide (GO) for detection of blood components

Recent advances in photonic devices lead researches to be interested in designing all-optical biosensors as new alternatives to large laboratories. In this work, a two- dimensional photonic crystal biosensor based on Graphene Oxide (GO) is developed. The biosensing mechanism is based on the resonance wavelength shift due to refractive index changes of different blood components. The PhC waveguide is designed with an X-shape ring resonator and a hexagonal lattice of (GO) rods in the air background. In the proposed structure, the array of dielectric rods are with a total size of 21.4mm ×16.5 mm. For the optimized structure, the best calculated values of sensitivity (S), quality factor (Q), full width half maximum (FWHM), figure of merit (FOM), and transmission efficiency (TE) are 375 nm/RIU, 14665.8, 0.14nm, 2500 RIU-1, and 99.8% respectively. The important features of this biosensor are excellent FOM, acceptable sensitivity, and high transmission efficiency compared to other studies.

Photonic crystal based biosensor with the irregular defect for detection of blood plasma

Truncated 1D photonic crystals-based biosensors with aperiodic defects under the Kretschmann configuration are investigated for sensing the refractive index changes in an aqueous solution polluted with blood components like plasma (n=1.35). The aperiodic defect cells are three types of Fibonacci sequences (S2, S3, and S4) made of two Dirac semimetal and dielectric materials. Dirac semimetal materials have considerably tunable permittivities and conductivities and evidence have shown that light-matter coupling is stronger than previously known materials like graphene. The Bloch surface waves and defect modes are the results of breaking the periodicity in an ordinary 1D photonic crystal that appeared in the photonic band gaps. The influence of the irregular, periodic defect layer on the hybridization of the defect and surface modes and the performance of the proposed biosensors are investigated by using the well-known transfer matrix method. The effect of the defect layer thicknesses is also taken into account. Plotting the electric field profile shows that the modes in the crossing region change their roles and those following the slope of the modes in the defectless structure have better sensing performance than farther ones. In addition, results show that the figure of merit of the structures (N′=2, N=4) using the aperiodic defect with mentioned Fibonacci sequences (FOM(S3)=525 and FOM(S4)=508) is considerably better than those made of periodic defects (FOM(S2)=406).

Design and Bulk Sensitivity Analysis of a Silicon Nitride Photonic Biosensor for Cancer Cell Detection

Bulk sensitivity is an important parameter to validate the efficiency of the photonic waveguide sensor. Due to recent advancements in point-of-care silicon photonic biosensing, the focus is to identify the effective way to improve sensitivity. Integrating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel in sensor architecture decreases the sensitivity due to leakage of molecules at edges. The silicon nitride (SiN4) Mach–Zehnder interferometer utilizes the refractive index of different cancer cells (1.39–1.401) to determine the bulk sensitivity. The proposed gradient step rib-slot structure of 970 nm wide and 400 nm thickness is designed to hold the liquid sample without any PDMS material. This novel waveguide exhibits high waveguide bulk sensitivity S w , bulk and device bulk sensitivity S d compared with the gradient rib waveguide. We achieved a waveguide bulk sensitivity S w , bulk of 2.0699 RIU/RIU and device sensitivity S d of 568 nm/RIU through finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis.

Si/SiO2 Based Nano-cavity Biosensor for Detection of Anemia, HIV and Cholesterol Using Refractive Index of Blood Sample

Objectives: To model photonic multipurpose biosensor for detection of sickle cell anemia, HIV and cholesterol by its refractive index using FDTD method. Methods: The proposed multipurpose photonic biosensor has 12mm X 08mm dimension designed using Lumerical software. Blood sample is deposited inside the hole cavity of sensor and gaussian light source of 1.5 – 1.6 mm wavelength is injected inside the waveguide, based on the refractive index of disease sample to the normal sample there will be shift in the wavelength. FDTD method is used for simulating the PhC silicon sensor. When body gets infected there will be changes in physical as well as biological composition results in disparity of refractive index of biological component. Resonating frequency will be displayed in DFT monitor at the output waveguide. Findings: Based on the RI value the resonating wavelength shifts inside the bandgap of frequency spectrum. By comparing with the normal value there is shift in wavelength of 03nm, 08nm and 22nm for anemia, HIV and Cholesterol respectively. Biosensor has Quality factor of 257, tolerance factor 3% and the sensitivity obtained for change in RI of the sample is 225 nm/RIU. Novelty: The proposed biosensor functions as multipurpose detector and design is compatible in detecting anemia, HIV and Cholesterol in photonics platform. Novel signature analysis is performed by using polar plot for distinguishing the disease in early stage. Keywords: Photonic Crystal; Refractive index; Red blood corpuscles; Human immunodeficiency virus; Finite difference time domain; Photonic bandgap

Comparative study of 1D defective photonic structures composed of single and double defect layers

In this study, we investigated the sensing capabilities of 1D defective photonic crystal designs composed of single and double defect layers. These structures can detect and distinguish minor refractive index changes of various organic samples infiltrated one by one into defect layer regions of the respective designs. We have used the standard transfer matrix method to analyze the transmission properties of both structures at normal incidence. The normal incidence has been chosen to overcome the experimental difficulties associated with oblique incidence. The performance of the proposed designs has been examined by measuring the shift in the position of the defect modes inside PBGs of respective structures depending upon the change in the refractive index of various organic solvents, called samples. We can also find adulteration in the organic samples by comparing the observed data with the experimentally available standard data of pure organic samples. Moreover, double defect photonic structure possesses pair of two defect modes inside PBG. These pair of defect modes are located on either side of bandgap edges that cannot be found in 1D defective PCs composed of a single defect. This intriguing property of double defect PC structure is due to the quasi Fabry–Perot cavity nature of the structure. Finally, we have compared sensing and detection features of both the designs made up of single and double defect photonic structures. It has been noticed that the double defect photonic structure also improves the transmittance of defect peak to unity compared to the single defect photonic structure. Moreover, the FWHM of two pairs of defect modes in double defect PC are opposite in nature. This remarkable feature of double defect photonic design may be very useful for improving the performance of photonic bio-sensors. It may be very helpful for designing some advanced bio-sensing designs whose defect mode properties are mirror image in nature.

Highly sensitive photonic crystal fiber-based plasmonic biosensor with improved malaria detection application

Highly sensitive photonic crystal fiber-based plasmonic biosensor with improved malaria detection application

Photonic Biosensors: Detection, Analysis and Medical Diagnostics

The necessity of personalised diagnoses and ad hoc treatments for individual patients is driving the outbreak of personalised nanomedicine in research and in clinical studies in the healthcare field [...].

High performance surface plasmon resonance-based photonic crystal fiber biosensor for cancer cells detection

High performance surface plasmon resonance-based photonic crystal fiber biosensor for cancer cells detection

Topological photonic crystal biosensor with valley edge modes based on a silicon-on-insulator slab.

In the development of integrated sensing, how to reduce losses and improve robustness has always been one of the key problems to be solved. The topological photonic crystal structure based on the quantum Hall effect has gradually attracted the attention of researchers due to its unique immune defect performance and anti-scattering performance. Here, we have successfully applied the valley photonic crystal structures to topologically manipulate the light within the band gap of 252 THz-317 THz in a silicon-on-insulator platform. We experimentally demonstrated that satisfactory transmission performance can be obtained using the valley-dependent topological edge states below light cone, even if there are structure defects such as lattice missing and lattice mistake near the interface between two kinds VPCs. Based on the features of topological protection, a triangular cavity consisting of three 10×a-length sides is proposed, and the Q factor value reaches 1.83×105 with little influence from defects. Finally, based on drying etching technology, a biosensor with cavity-coupled waveguide structure was prepared, and the RI sensitivity was 1228 nm/RIU.

Design of a hexagonal outlined porous cladding with vacant core photonic crystal fibre biosensor for cyanide detection at THz regime

A hexagonal outlined porous cladding with vacant core photonic crystal fibre (HOPC-VC-PCF) sensor using Zeonex has been presented, which can detect cyanides at the THz regime. Cyanides are incredibly lethal chemicals to humans as they can rapidly cause impairment or even death; such harmful substances must be identified precisely. The proposed model has been analysed at a broad spectrum of THz regimes for three different analytes, and the numerical investigation is performed using the Finite element method (FEM). Simulation results exhibit that at optimum design parameters, extremely high sensitivity of 99.75%, negligible confinement loss of 0.5 × 10−13 cm−1, extremely low and flat dispersion of 0.12 ps THz/cm, and other excellent features were obtained. The performance analysis and the design methodology have been depicted in detail. Due to the simplistic design, fabrication of the model is easily achievable by current technology. The remarkable sensing capabilities will not only make it suited in chemicals analysis but also will play vital roles in other applications as well.

Double-sided polishing photonic crystal fiber biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance for cancer single cell detection

In this paper, we propose a high sensitivity double-sided polishing photonic crystal fiber biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance. The performance of the sensor was analyzed by the finite element method, including the influence of different pore sizes and positions, polishing depth, pore spacing, metal thickness, refractive index (RI), and manufacturing error (5%) on the sensing performance. And the performance of practical application in cancer detection was analyzed. The use of a double-sided polishing structure and coating with a gold layer not only increases the contact area between the analyte and gold layer but also provides a large-enough space for the analysis channel, which is conducive to the actual manufacture and use. The sensor has a detection range of 1.35–1.39, maximum wavelength sensitivity of 21,500 nm/RIU, average wavelength sensitivity of 9550 nm/RIU, amplitude sensitivity of − 1057.1756 RIU − 1 , R 2 of 0.98265, figure of merit of 250, and maximum resolution of 4.68 × 1 0 − 6 , which can be used in cancer detection and other biological areas.