(100IDP008-2) Multichannel High Throughput Organic Light Emitting Diode Surface Plasmon Resonance Micro Bio-Sensor (I)

SPR techniques used in bio-detection have been commercialized by Biacore Life Science for many years. However, these equipments require a large amount of capital, complicated training process to ensure the system to be properly operated, and bulky size limits their applications. Recently, many have attempted to develop portable systems for point-of-care, field testing for pollution, or faster diagnosis of bio-terrorism. Therefore a lot of miniaturized SPR biosensors have been proposed and studied. To miniaturize SPR biosensor, first a newer light source is in need to replace a conventional laser or halogen lamp. Many different light sources have been reported such as LED, VCSEL LED, solid laser diode, and OLED. Among these possible replacements, OLED is the most promising candidate because OLEDs can be adapted to almost any surface with an adequate smoothness. In this proposal, we are aiming to integrate a SPR biosensor with an OLED light source. Several principles are required in an OLED light source proposed in this project in order to achieve a highly sensitive OLED-SPR (1) light output divergence angle as small as possible. Divergence angle less than 10 degree is better. To achieve such small divergence angle, the integration of Fabry-Perot cavity with an OLED device structure can narrow the divergence angle of output light. The narrowing of output light divergence angle can guarantee most of light is used for SPR detection. Simulation of microcavity and the use of top-emitting structure will be considered to reduce the divergence angle. (2) Light intensity should be as high as possible. Therefore phosphorescence OLED material with high brightness will be used in the OLED-SPR biosensor system for portable TB diagnose. Since incident light used in SPR system needs to satisfy conservation of momentum and only P-polarized light can excite surface plasmons, high power OLED light source is required for SPR biosensor system to compensate the loss due to randomly polarized output. Thus the high intensity light source will be used in this proposal to ensure enough light illuminating photo-detector to realize a high sensitivity SPR biosensor system. (3) A polarizer will be required to allow only the use of P-polarized light. (4) New encapsulation technology will be developed to increase OLED life time. Finally several new apparatus have been invented in this proposal as a result of special characteristics of fully transparent OLED light sources which are developed over many years by the principle investigator. After finishing OLED-SPR biosensor development, this OLED-SPR biosensor will be used as a diagnostic tool for TB infections through the detection of antibody in sputum. Multichannel diagnostic system will also be implemented in the final year.

Project ID:PC10006-0138
External Project ID:NSC100-2325-B182-007