Fiber Optic Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

描述（由申请人提供）： 本项目的目标是开发一种通用的、模块化的光纤传感器系统，能够在体外定量特定蛋白质的生物相关水平。该传感器系统设计用于快速床边分析，用于农村或技术落后环境中的初步诊断，以及现场第一反应者的及时诊断。该传感器系统将比现有的市售现场传感器更快，同时保持对目标蛋白质的常见实验室测试的灵敏度和选择性。通过将传感器构造在光纤上，传感器系统可以采用便宜的、可互换的感测元件用于特定测试，并具有用于准备感测元件以供操作的简单自动化程序。 传感器使用光纤上的表面等离子体共振（SPR）通过免疫测定来检测标记物，并封装在薄膜聚合物外壳中，以防止传感区域的细胞污染。噬菌体展示将用于收集具有用于靶向应用的所需结合灵敏度的改进的蛋白质特异性受体。由于测定是在光纤的表面上进行的，因此探针可以用作体外浸没探针。四个目标的示例应用程序，我们将围绕它的基础开发和优化的传感器系统已被选定：蛋白质用于检测和确定心肌梗死的严重程度，蛋白质用于评估伤口愈合的能力，蛋白质与缺血性中风;蛋白质用于检测脊髓运动萎缩。传感器优化将解决这些蛋白质存在的特定生物基质。选择这些示例应用是为了展示传感系统的灵活性和相关性，但不应被解释为限制其使用的情况。事实上，基于抗体的免疫测定方法的应用远远超出了这里所考虑的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop a general, modular fiber optic sensor system capable of quantifying biologically relevant levels of specific proteins in vitro. The sensor system is designed for rapid bedside analysis, for primary diagnoses in rural or technologically poor environments, and timely diagnoses by first responders in the field. The sensor system will be faster than existing commercially available fieldable sensors while maintaining the sensitivity and selectivity of common laboratory tests for the target proteins. By constructing the sensors on optical fibers, the sensor system can employ inexpensive, interchangeable sensing elements for specific tests with simple automated procedures for preparing the sensing elements for operation. The sensors use surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on optical fibers to detect the markers through immunoassays, and are encapsulated in a thin film polymer housing that prevents cellular fouling of the sensing region. Phage display will be employed to collect improved protein specific receptors with desired binding sensitivities for target applications. Because the assay is conducted on the surface of an optical fiber, the probes can be used as immersion probes in vitro. Four target example applications around which we will base development and optimization of the sensor system have been chosen: proteins for detecting and determining the severity of myocardial infarctions, proteins for assessing ability of wounds to heal, proteins associated with ischemic stroke; proteins for detecting spinal motor atrophy. Sensor optimization will address specific biological matrices where these proteins are found. These example applications are selected to demonstrate the flexibility and relevancy of the sensing system, but should not be construed as the limiting cases of its use. In fact, the antibody-based immunoassay approach has applications far beyond those considered here.