Dengue immunoassay with an LSPR fiber optic sensor

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Dengue fever impacts millions globally, but current diagnostic tests are often costly, complex, or slow.
• There is a critical need for accessible, rapid, and reliable dengue diagnostic methods for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a novel, all-optical fiber sensor for the rapid diagnosis of dengue during the acute phase of infection.
• To assess the sensor's capability in detecting the NS1 antigen, a key marker for acute dengue.

Main Methods:

• An all-optical fiber sensor utilizing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was designed.
• Anti-dengue NS1 antibodies were immobilized on AuNPs at the fiber optic endface for antigen capture.
• Specular reflection from AuNPs was used as the sensing mechanism.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor successfully detected the NS1 antigen at various concentrations.
• The limit of quantification for NS1 antigen detection was determined to be 0.074 μg/ml (1.54 nM).

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical fiber sensor demonstrates potential as a fast, reliable, and simple tool for dengue diagnosis in the acute phase.
• This technology could significantly enhance the widespread availability of specific dengue diagnostic tests.