Ultra-Sensitive Flow-Through Optofluidic MicroResonators for Biosensing Applications

Optofluidic microresonators

The objective of this project is the development of three ultra-sensitive "flow-through" optofluidic microresonators, namely optofluidic photonic crystal microresonator,  optofluidic microbubble resonator , and optofluidic ring resonator, based on different operation principles and on different fabrication technologies. The assessment of the microresonators will be evaluated by the optical the detection of specific sepsis biomarkers, such as procalcitonin and neopterin, with high sensitivity and low limit of detection, thus breaking a new ground in the biosensors and Lab-on-Chip fields and, in turn, healthcare and point-of-care applications.  The main objective of the research unit  IREA in the framework of this project, is the design, simulation, fabrication and characterization of the optofluidic ring resonator  (ORR). The flow-through ORR consists of an optofluidic ring resonator based on a hybrid-silicon polymer liquid core Antiresonant Reflecting Optical Waveguides (H-ARROW). The H-ARROW is composed by two integrated part: a silicon integrated part that comprises the waveguide liquid core for delivering the liquid sample and a polymer-based part for the realization of the fluidic inlet and outlet. The liquid core waveguides allows the same channel to be used both for guiding light and, at the same time, for delivering the sample under analysis, which results in a strong liquid-light interaction suitable for high sensitivity sensing application. 

Funds: MIUR 

Prime contractor: University of Pisa

Period of activity: 2013 - 2015

Responsible for CNR-IREA:

Genni Testa

Activity

 

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