FIBER OPTIC MICROSENSOR FOR RECEPTOR-BASED ASSAYS

OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF APPLYING OUR FIBER OPTIC MICROSENSOR TO RECEPTOR-BASED ASSAY IN THE FIELD. OUR MICROSENSOR SENSES ONLY WITHIN THE SUB WAVELENGTH THIN EVANESCENT ZONE ON THE WALL OF AN OPTICAL FIBER. IT IS BEING APPLIED TO FLUOROIMMUNOASSAY FOR BOTH MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. THE ASSOCIATED INSTRUMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING MINIATURIZED (POCKET SIZE), MODULAR, BATTERY OPERATED, AND USED FOR BOTH IMMUNOASSAYS AND RECEPTOR-BASED ASSAYS. THE WAVELENGTH USED WILL BE LONG, TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE THE LARGE MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF RECEPTOR-BASED ASSAY. THE EFFORT WILL INCLUDE AN OPTIMIZATION ANALYSIS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BREADBOARD AS DEFINED BY THE ANALYSIS. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS BREADBOARD WILL BE THE FIRST FLUORIMETER EVER TO USE AN LED AS THE LIGHT SOURCE. THE BREADBOARD PERFORMANCE WILL BE EVALUATED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIELD REQUIREMENTS. WE WILL ANALYZE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FIELD UNIT FOR RECEPTOR-BASE ASSAY.