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Updated: May 17, 2026
A Silicon-tipped Fiber-optic Sensing Platform with High Resolution and Fast Response
Published on: January 7, 2019
Detection of filarial antibody using an fiber optics immunosensor (FOI)
T Madhan Mohan1, N Nath, S Anand
1Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, 110 016 New Delhi, India.
Abstract:
Optical waveguides based immunoassay has been reported in the literature for the detection of pathogens likeC. botulinum and F1 antigen ofY. pestis (3) and also for the antibodies to pathogens like the Rubella virus (4) in the serum or the whole blood. In this line we have demonstrated the FOI for the detection ofS. digitata antibody. Experiments are in progress in our laboratory to standardise the sensor for detection of Bancroftian filariasis caused byW. bancrofti. Few modifications are also in the process so as to improve the signal amplification at evanescent region as well as to reduce the two step method into single step method. The FOI has an advantage over other conventional methods because no extensive washing steps are required and the whole procedure takes just 15 minutes to get the result. The FOI designed for this experiment can be made portable for use in the field level for epidemiological studies.
Insights
This study demonstrates a fiber optic immunoassay (FOI) for detecting antibodies against *S. digitata*. This rapid, 15-minute assay requires no extensive washing, offering potential for portable field diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Immunotechnology
- Optical Sensing
Background:
- Optical waveguide-based immunoassays are established for pathogen and antibody detection.
- Previous studies utilized these methods for *C. botulinum*, *Y. pestis*, and Rubella virus detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a fiber optic immunoassay (FOI) for the detection of *S. digitata* antibody.
- To develop a rapid and field-deployable diagnostic tool for filariasis.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a fiber optic immunoassay (FOI) for antibody detection.
- Focus on evanescent region signal amplification and method simplification.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of FOI for *S. digitata* antibody detection.
- Current efforts focus on standardizing the sensor for *W. bancrofti* detection.
Conclusions:
- The FOI offers a rapid (15-minute) immunoassay with minimal washing steps.
- The developed FOI is potentially portable for field-based epidemiological studies.
