| 14. Biosensors the size of a fingertip | |
|---|---|
Offered by | EE and AP |
Available in timeslot | D |
Target student major | All majors |
Preferred entrance knowledge / skills | The preferred knowledge of optics and photonics can be gained during the project. |
Student capacity | 120 |
Group size | 6 |
Contact person | Yuqing Jiao, Y.Jiao@tue.nl |
Project description
Fast and accurate assessment of certain biological molecules is highly desired nowadays. Low cost tests at home could provide timely monitoring and early diagnosis. A prominent example is the continuous glucose sensor for diabetic patients, this sensor monitors the glucose concentration over time in a device that is no more than one square centimeter in size. Integrated optical sensors could potentially achieve this for a much broader range of analytes, thereby enabling diagnostics at home for a wide range of conditions. They on one hand can be mass manufactured thanks to the mature semiconductor manufacturing, and on the other hand provide high sensitivity due to unique properties of the light. The challenge is how to bridge the bio world and the optical world. In other words, how to translate the presence of small amounts of biomolecules to a detectable signal in the optical domain? Similar to electrical signals which have intensity and phase, optical signals have even more properties which can be utilized to carry the signal. Which optical property should we choose for the detection? Are there methods in the optics domain to enhance the signal? How to build an entire optical system, from light source to sensor and detector, into a single chip? This project calls for creative minds from physics and engineering to work together on a potential sensor design.
