A fluorescent coagulation assay for thrombin using a fibre optic evanescent wave sensor

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Thrombin is a key enzyme in blood coagulation, making its detection crucial for diagnosing and monitoring coagulation disorders.
• Current methods for thrombin detection can be time-consuming and lack sensitivity.
• Development of rapid and sensitive detection methods is essential for clinical diagnostics and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a fiber optic evanescent wave sensor for the rapid detection of thrombin.
• To assess the sensitivity and speed of the developed sensor for thrombin quantification.
• To explore the potential of this technique for amplified immunosensing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fiber optic evanescent wave sensor for real-time monitoring.
• Employed fluorescently labeled fibrinogen to detect coagulation induced by thrombin.
• Bound unlabeled fibrinogen to the sensor surface to capture thrombin-mediated interactions.

Main Results:

• Achieved rapid detection of thrombin within 5 minutes.
• Demonstrated sensitivity down to 0.01 NIH/mL for thrombin concentrations.
• Successfully observed real-time coagulation of fibrinogen via the evanescent wave sensor.

Conclusions:

• The fiber optic evanescent wave sensor provides a rapid and sensitive method for thrombin detection.
• This technique holds significant promise for amplified immunosensing and clinical applications.
• The sensor's ability to detect low thrombin levels quickly is a key advantage.