An organic thin film photodiode as a portable photodetector for the detection of alkylphenol polyethoxylates by a flow fluorescence-immunoassay on magnetic microbeads in a microchannel

Dopamine as a polymerizable reagent for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using horseradish peroxidase

We demonstrate that dopamine can be used as a reagent for colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Dopamine was able to be polymerized in the presence of HRP and H2O2, and black polydopamine was obtained after the enzymatic reaction. Because of the black color, the absorbance was significantly changed in the whole range of the visible light region. Here, an indirect competitive ELISA based on the polymerization of dopamine was performed to detect a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, enrofloxacin. The antibiotic is commonly used in livestock farming. The anti-antibiotics antibody was produced from egg yolk from chicken hens. In the visible range, sufficient absorbance changes of ∼0.4∼0.5 and a low background level for the ELISA response were obtained, and the 50 % inhibitory concentration value at 450 nm was determined to be 26 ppb. The performance of the indirect competitive ELISA based on the polymerization of dopamine was compared to that based on the oxidation of catechol because dopamine has a catechol skeleton. By the complex of HRP and H2O2, catechol can be oxidized to o-benzoquinone having a maximum absorption wavelength of 420 nm. It was shown that the absorbance change in the case of polydopamine was about 2.5 times higher than that of catechol, where the background levels were similar. This confirms that the polymerization of dopamine significantly enhanced the photosignal.

Development of a fluorescence microplate reader using an organic photodiode array with a large light receiving area

We developed a small fluorescence microplate reader with an organic photodiode (OPD) array. The OPD array has nine OPDs that have a large light receiving area (9.62 mm² per one OPD). Since the OPD array is fabricated on a flat glass plate, it can be placed just below microwells and can detect fluorescence emitted through the entire surface of the microwell bottom. The analytical performance of the developed plate reader was evaluated by measuring an aqueous solution of resorufin. The limit of detection (LOD) for resorufin (0.01-0.05 μM) was lower than that obtained with a plate reader equipped with nine inorganic photodiodes developed in a previous study (0.30 μM) and a commercially available microplate reader (0.16 μM). These results indicate that the large light receiving area improves the detection performance of the system. In addition, the developed reader was successfully used to quantify immunoglobulin A (IgA) in human saliva. The LOD for IgA was estimated to be 1.2 ng/mL, which is low enough to objectively evaluate human stress.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on light absorption of enzymatically generated aniline oligomer: Flow injection analysis for 3-phenoxybenzoic acid with anti-3-phenoxybenzoic acid monoclonal antibody

A flow enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method based on light absorption by enzymatically generated aniline oligomer in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), H₂O₂, and aniline is proposed. Aniline oligomer is rapidly formed through the polymerization reaction via the enzymatic reaction, and its fast reaction rate is beneficial for flow ELISA. An anti-3-phenoxybenzoic acid monoclonal antibody (mAb) was produced by mice, and was used for the flow competitive ELISA for the determination of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA), which was performed on an acrylic plate having a Y-shaped channel. ABS resin beads (d = 1 mm) were filled in the channel to increase the surface area for the adsorption of the mAb. A clank-type detection chamber (optical length: 1 cm) made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) containing carbon black, which can significantly decrease light scattering, was fabricated with a 3D printer. The PDMS detection chamber was connected to the outlet of the acrylic flow chip with a tube. A blue LED was used as a light source for the flow ELISA. The inhabitation concentration at 50% and the detection range (absorbance change from 90 to 10%) for the proposed flow competitive ELISA were 0.5 ppm and 0.05-5 ppm, respectively. We also performed the flow competitive ELISA in an artificial and real urine, and no significant matrix effect of the urine samples on the ELISA was found.

Histogram analysis for smartphone-based rapid hematocrit determination

A novel and rapid analysis technique using histogram has been proposed for the colorimetric quantification of blood hematocrits. A smartphone-based "Histogram" app for the detection of hematocrits has been developed integrating the smartphone embedded camera with a microfluidic chip via a custom-made optical platform. The developed histogram analysis shows its effectiveness in the automatic detection of sample channel including auto-calibration and can analyze the single-channel as well as multi-channel images. Furthermore, the analyzing method is advantageous to the quantification of blood-hematocrit both in the equal and varying optical conditions. The rapid determination of blood hematocrits carries enormous information regarding physiological disorders, and the use of such reproducible, cost-effective, and standard techniques may effectively help with the diagnosis and prevention of a number of human diseases.

Multi-band visible photoresponse study of Co2+ doped ZnO nanoparticles

Cobalt doping enhances visible absorption in ZnO nanoparticles as a result of d–d transitions. By co-precipitation method, Zn_1−xCo_xO nanoparticles had been synthesised and multiband photodetectors were fabricated after characteristic analysis.

Recent developments in optical detection technologies in lab-on-a-chip devices for biosensing applications

The field of microfluidics has yet to develop practical devices that provide real clinical value. One of the main reasons for this is the difficulty in realizing low-cost, sensitive, reproducible, and portable analyte detection microfluidic systems. Previous research has addressed two main approaches for the detection technologies in lab-on-a-chip devices: (a) study of the compatibility of conventional instrumentation with microfluidic structures, and (b) integration of innovative sensors contained within the microfluidic system. Despite the recent advances in electrochemical and mechanical based sensors, their drawbacks pose important challenges to their application in disposable microfluidic devices. Instead, optical detection remains an attractive solution for lab-on-a-chip devices, because of the ubiquity of the optical methods in the laboratory. Besides, robust and cost-effective devices for use in the field can be realized by integrating proper optical detection technologies on chips. This review examines the recent developments in detection technologies applied to microfluidic biosensors, especially addressing several optical methods, including fluorescence, chemiluminescence, absorbance and surface plasmon resonance.

Ultrasensitive opto-microfluidic immunosensor integrating gold nanoparticle-enhanced chemiluminescence and highly stable organic photodetector

The expensive fabrication of current opto-microfluidic sensors is a barrier to the successful adoption of these devices in point-of-care testing. This work reports a simple inexpensive opto-microfluidic device incorporating a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-glass hybrid microfluidic chip modified with gold nanoparticles and a high-detectivity, high-stability organic photodetector. The enhancing effect of the gold nanoparticles on horseradish peroxidase-luminol-H2O2 chemiluminescence was exploited in rapid single-analyte immunoassays. The limit of detection for 17-β estradiol was 2.5  pg/ml, which is ∼200 times more sensitive than previously reported chemiluminescent immunosensors employing other organic photodetectors. Detection was also demonstrated in complex media, including natural water and blood serum.