Plasmonic Fluorescence Microarray Detection System

描述（由申请人提供）：SBIR第二阶段项目的目标是开发一种用于高度平行微阵列分析的新型荧光检测技术，该技术将提供显著增加的荧光信号，从而可以使用廉价的CCD相机和低成本的一次性塑料芯片实现高灵敏度检测。该技术基于表面等离子体激元耦合荧光（SPCF）发射现象。在第一阶段，我们证明了拟议技术的可行性。在第二阶段，我们将建立一个仪器原型，并展示其应用于高度并行的细胞因子检测。基于荧光的检测是用于灵敏地检测低浓度生物分子的最重要的技术之一。基于微阵列的分析可能是目前最强大的蛋白质、核酸和细胞功能大规模并行分析平台，它们在生物技术和生物医学科学的许多领域中发挥着核心作用。由于需要在不断减少的样品体积中检测以极低浓度存在的生物分子，因此更高的检测灵敏度是基于微阵列的测定领域中最优先的需求。此外，基于微阵列的生物测定已经达到足够的成熟水平，开始从研究实验室迁移到临床和工业环境中的更常规使用。这就产生了对降低仪器和耗材（芯片）的复杂性和成本的日益增长的需求。所提出的技术将通过提供采用CCD成像检测和低成本一次性芯片的相对便宜的平台来满足这些市场需求，该芯片的灵敏度比当前系统高约1000倍。在这项工作中将被商业化的技术将使生物医学研究和临床诊断能够使用更具成本效益和更敏感的工具。具体应用包括自身免疫性疾病和癌症的诊断和监测以及疫苗开发的更好工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this SBIR Phase II project is to develop a novel fluorescence detection technology for highly parallel microarray analysis that will provide dramatically increased fluorescence signals so that high-sensitivity detection can be achieved with an inexpensive CCD camera and low-cost disposable plastic chips. The technology is based on the phenomenon of surface plasmon coupled fluorescence (SPCF) emission. In the Phase I we demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed technology. In phase II we will build an instrument prototype and demonstrate its application to highly parallel cytokine detection. Fluorescence-based detection is one of the most important techniques for sensitively detecting low concentrations of biomolecules. Fluorescence-based microarray assays are probably the most powerful current platform for massively parallel analysis of proteins, nucleic acids and cell function and they play a central role in many areas of biotechnology and biomedical science. Because of the need to detect biomolecules that are present at extremely low concentrations in ever decreasing sample volumes, higher detection sensitivity is the highest-priority need in the field of microarray-based assays. Additionally, microarray-based bioassays have reached a sufficient level of maturity to begin migrating from the research laboratory to more routine use in clinical and industrial settings. This has created a growing need for reducing the complexity and the cost of the instrumentation and the consumables (chips). The proposed technology will fill these market needs by providing a relatively inexpensive platform employing CCD imaging detection and low-cost disposable chips with about 1000-fold greater sensitivity than current systems. Technology to be commercialized in this effort will enable more cost-effective and more sensitive tools for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Specific applications include diagnostic and monitoring of autoimmune diseases and cancer and better tools for vaccine development.