Invention:
This invention outlines a new way of preparing a microtoroid optical resonator for the purpose of detecting amyloid-β plaque. Traditional ways of surface functionalization leave roughness on the optical resonator, making it difficult to achieve a higher Q-factor. This invention provides a new way of smoothing the surface of a resonator so that ultrasensitive detection can be achieved, providing high Q-factors as well as reduced scattering loss, which is important when detecting key biomarkers such as amyloid-β.
This has potential application in biomarker detection for patients with COVID-19, as well as vaccine research.
Background:
Optical resonators are a key component of biosensors that are used in many different applications. However, the resonator has to have a smooth surface to allow the capture of light at different wavelengths. The ability of a resonator to capture light effectively is referred to as its Q-factor (quality factor). Traditional ways of smoothing the surface of a resonator still leave too much residual roughness that leads to a lower q-factor, and thus less accurate detection of biomarkers.
Applications:
- Biomarker detection for healthcare diagnostics and drug development
- Defense/security applications to detect explosives, chemical weapons, drugs
- Environmental biosensors for air/water quality
- Detection of disease in agricultural/food products
Advantages:
- Achieves better surface smoothness for an optical resonator
- Better Q-factor, longer wavelengths
- Better for the detection of biomarkers
- Validated in Alzheimer's use case
COVID, COVID-19, COVID19, Coronavirus