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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Using Extraordinary Optical Transmission to Quantify Cardiac Biomarkers in Human Serum
Published on: December 13, 2017
Real-time, automated, fluorophore mediated multi-cardiac marker biosensing system with nano-metallic particle reagent
Bin Hong1, Liang Tang, Yongjie Ren
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
Insights
This study enhances a fiber-optic biosensor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarker detection. Novel nanoparticles improve sensitivity, enabling rapid, simultaneous quantification of four key cardiac markers in blood plasma.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death, necessitating early and accurate diagnosis.
- Timely diagnosis and prognosis rely on rapid, precise quantification of cardiac biomarkers in blood.
- Existing biosensing systems face challenges with low-concentration biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the sensitivity of a fiber-optic, multi-analyte immuno-biosensing system for cardiac biomarker detection.
- To enable accurate and simultaneous quantification of four critical cardiac markers in blood plasma.
- To overcome sensitivity limitations for picomolar-level biomarker concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Development of plasmon-rich nano-metallic particles and biocompatible solvents for fluorescence enhancement.
- Application of these reagents to a fiber-optic biosensing platform.
- Integration with an automatic flow control unit for automated sample handling.
Main Results:
- Sensitivity of single cardiac marker sensors increased by 1.5 to 3 times.
- Simultaneous quantification of four cardiac markers achieved using a 3-cm sensor.
- Assay completed within 10 minutes with an average signal-to-noise ratio of 20.
Conclusions:
- The developed nano-metallic particle reagents significantly enhance biosensor sensitivity.
- The improved system enables rapid, simultaneous, and accurate detection of multiple cardiac biomarkers.
- This advancement supports earlier and more effective diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in U.S. Early and accurate diagnosis of CVD is crucial to save many lives, especially for the patients suffering the heart attack. Accurate and fast quantification of cardiac muscle specific biomarkers in the blood enables accurate diagnosis and prognosis and timely treatment of the patients. A prototype of fiber-optic, multi-analyte, immuno-biosensing system integrated with an automatic flow control unit has been in development to quantify four important cardiac markers in blood plasma accurately, rapidly and simultaneously. The validity of the sensor was, however, challenged because the concentrations of two markers are only at tens of picomolar level. Here, plasmon rich nano-metallic particles and selected biocompatible solvents were developed for fluorescence enhancement to improve the sensitivity of our fluorophore mediated biosensing. By applying the nanometal particle and the solvent, the sensitivity of single cardiac marker sensors were increased by 1.5 - 3 times. By using the fluorescence enhancing nano-metallic particle reagents, simultaneous quantification of four cardiac markers in plasma is currently possible, using 3-cm-sensor within 10 minutes at an average signal-to-noise ratio of 20.
