A Miniature Bio-Photonics Companion Diagnostics Platform for Reliable Cancer Treatment Monitoring in Blood Fluids.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Nanobiotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Current cancer treatment monitoring faces limitations in detection reliability, sensitivity, specificity, compactness, and cost.
• There is a need for advanced diagnostic tools to complement existing cancer treatment monitoring methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated photonic biosensor device for cancer treatment monitoring.
• To overcome limitations of current technologies by combining photonic, nano-biochemical, microfluidic, and reader/packaging platforms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an array of six asymmetric Mach-Zender Interferometer (aMZI) waveguides on silicon nitride substrates.
• Sensing performed by measuring phase shift due to analyte binding on functionalized aMZI surfaces.
• Employed a novel biofunctionalization methodology with material-selective surface chemistries and high-resolution laser printing.

Main Results:

• Achieved improved sensitivity (<5000 nm/RIU) due to waveguide morphological design.
• Successfully detected periostin (POSTN) and transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBI) in cancer patient blood serum.
• Demonstrated the device's capability as a complementary diagnostic tool for cancer treatment monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated photonic biosensor offers enhanced sensitivity and reliability for cancer biomarker detection.
• The device, utilizing disposable microfluidic cartridges, shows promise for practical clinical application in cancer monitoring.
• This technology provides a valuable complementary diagnostic tool for cancer treatment assessment.