An optical sensor system is described which is particularly well suited for medical point-of-care diagnostics. The system allows for all kinds of immunochemical assay formats and consists of a disposable sensor chip and an optical readout device. The chip is built up from a ground and cover plate with in- and outlet and, between, of an adhesive film with a capillary aperture of 50 microns. The ground plate serves as a solid phase for the immobilization of biocomponents. In the readout device, an evanescent field is generated at the surface of the ground plate by total internal reflection of a laser beam. This field is used for the excitation of fluorophor markers. The generated fluorescence light is detected by a simple optical setup using a photomultiplier tube. Because of the evanescent field excitation, washing or separation steps can be avoided. With this system the pregnancy hormone chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) could be determined in human serum with a detection limit of 1 ng/mL. Recovery values were 86, 106, and 102% for 5, 50, and 100 ng/mL hCG, respectively. The SD in repeated measurements (n = 10) was 5.6%. Furthermore, the feasibility of the system in competitive-type immunoassays was demonstrated for serum theophylline. A linear calibration curve of signal vs theophylline between 1 and 50 mg/L was obtained. Recovery values varied between 118% (10 mg/L) and 81.0% (20 mg/L).

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An optical sensor system based on evanescent field excitation of fluorophore-labeled DNA-targets specifically binding to immobilized DNA probes has been developed, thus enabling for real-time analysis of hybridization events. Oligonucleotide probes are directly immobilized on the surface of the disposable sensor chip via biotin/neutravidin linkage and hybridize to complementary Cy5-labeled target DNA in the sample; this is recorded as an increase in the fluorescence signal. Under optimized conditions the hybridization rate was constant and directly proportional to the target concentration. When an 18mer oligonucleotide was used as a probe a linear calibration curve was obtained for a 56mer single-stranded DNA target derived from the neomycin phosphotransferase gene, a selection marker in a variety of genetically modified plants, with an estimated lower limit of detection of 0.21 nmol L(-1). No cross-hybridization to a 51mer actin DNA target was observed and even a single-nucleotide mismatch led to a negligible signal. A shutter in the readout device enabled separate detection of targets hybridizing to probes immobilized at the inlet and outlet sides, respectively, of the flow channel. This opens a route toward a real-time DNA array format with analysis times as short as 1-2 min. As a realistic sample a Cy5-labeled 56 bp PCR product was measured after separation of the double-stranded DNA by simple heat denaturation with a detection limit clearly lower than that of traditional gel electrophoresis.