Tubular optical waveguide particle plasmon resonance biosensor for multiplex real-time and label-free detection

A tubular optical waveguide particle plasmon resonance (TW-PPR) sensor is demonstrated for higher-throughput and sensitive label-free biochemical detections. Compared to other evanescent field absorption sensors, the TW-PPR sensor possesses merits of itself being a microchamber of a defined sample volume, a mechanical support for sensor coatings, and ease of systematic multichannel expansion. The sensor resolution is estimated to be 2.6 × 10^-6 RIU in measuring solutions of various refractive indices (RIs). Additionally, the multichannel TW-PPR sensing system can perform independent measurements simultaneously and its limit of detection (LOD) of anti-DNP antibody and streptavidin separately measured by DNP-functionalized and biotin-functionalized TW-PPR microchambers is demonstrated to be 1.21 × 10^-10 and 2.27 × 10^-10 g/ml, respectively. Accurate determinations of these molecules with known concentrations spiked in artificial urine are examined and the sensor responses give excellent correlation with results demonstrated in standard buffer examinations, supporting the utility of the device for analyte screening in more complex media. The TWPPR sensor can be inexpensively fabricated and has a special niche as high-sensitivity refractive index sensor as well as biosensor for label-free monitoring biomolecular interactions in real-time. It is ideally suitable for disposable uses, especially promising for convenient higher-throughput biochemical sensing applications.