Fiber Optic Biological and Chemical Sensor

Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a fiber optic medical instrument capable of greatly improving both the accuracy and efficiency with which pharmaceutical, biochemical, and other substances are measured. The instrument will use a novel optical sensing technology under investigation at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Optical fibers will be tapered to allow light to "leak out their sides," interacting with immunochemical detection layers bonded to their surfaces. Relatively standard fluorescence immunoassay techniques will be used to immobilize and label target molecules, and a high-sensitivity optical detection system incorporating a semiconductor laser and custom optical components fabricated at POC will be used to convert the captured fluorescent signal to a reading of chemical concentration. The main goal of the proposed Phase I effort will be to demonstrate the ability of such sensors to measure meaningful concentrations of at least one chemical of medical interest. During the project, advanced optical design software, a fiber tapering station, immunological coating procedures, and an optical testlied would be developed to support these goals. An optional set of tasks will allow for the "breadboarding" of an instrumentation package that would facilitate Phase II development of a portable instrument. Anticipated Benefits/Potential Applications - Instruments based on this approach could be used in civilian and military hospitals and clinics. "Spin off" instruments could be used in a large number of other important defense (e.g., chemical and biological warfare) and civilian (e.g., environmental monitoring) applications. Due to the high interest of a well-known DoD Prime Contractor, rapid commercialization of products based on this technology is extremely likely.