In
clinical diagnosis, accurate and reliable measurement technologies
for the detection of disease biomarkers at ultralow concentrations
can provide guidance for the initiation of treatment and potentially
improve survival for patients. Here, we demonstrate an optical microfiber
reader for enhanced analytical sensitivity in enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assays (ELISA) that enables the detection of tiny changes of the refractive
index (RI) induced by the catalyzed oxidation of substrate, owing
to the strong interaction between the evanescent field and surrounding
medium. By employing the microfiber reader for the C-reaction protein
(CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) assays after the enzymatic signal amplification
in ELISA, we experimentally investigate the biosensing capacity of
the device. As a result, log–linear relations of CRP and IL-6
detection in PBS and human serum between the concentration and spectral
response were obtained at both nanogram and picogram levels, respectively,
and anti-CRP/HRP detection as low as 9.75 pg/mL was achieved, which
was undetectable by the conventional spectrophotometry. With a stable,
accurate, and color-free detection capacity, this optical microfiber
reader has a promising prospect in early disease diagnosis and clinical
treatment.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) involve risks in that they are generally carcinogenic, and may lead to respiratory and neurological issues. [1] Detection of VOCs and designing
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