Binbin Luo

Novel glucose sensor based on enzyme-immobilized 81° tilted fiber grating

We demonstrate a novel glucose sensor based on an optical fiber grating with an excessively tilted index fringe structure and its surface modified by glucose oxidase (GOD). The aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was utilized as binding site for the subsequent GOD immobilization. Confocal microscopy and fluorescence microscope were used to provide the assessment of the effectiveness in modifying the fiber surface. The resonance wavelength of the sensor exhibited red-shift after the binding of the APTES and GOD to the fiber surface and also in the glucose detection process. The red-shift of the resonance wavelength showed a good linear response to the glucose concentration with a sensitivity of 0.298 nm·(mg/ml)-1 in the very low concentration range of 0.0~3.0mg/ml. Compared to the previously reported glucose sensor based on the GOD-immobilized long period grating (LPG), the 81° tilted fiber grating (81°-TFG) based sensor has shown a lower thermal cross-talk effect, better linearity and higher Q-factor in sensing response. In addition, its sensitivity for glucose concentration can be further improved by increasing the grating length and/or choosing a higher-order cladding mode for detection. Potentially, the proposed techniques based on 81°-TFG can be developed as sensitive, label free and micro-structural sensors for applications in food safety, disease diagnosis, clinical analysis and environmental monitoring.

Biosensor based on excessively tilted fiber grating in thin-cladding optical fiber for sensitive and selective detection of low glucose concentration.

We report a highly sensitive, high Q-factor, label free and selective glucose sensor by using excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG) inscribed in the thin-cladding optical fiber (TCOF). Glucose oxidase (GOD) was covalently immobilized on optical fiber surface and the effectiveness of GOD immobilization was investigated by the fluorescence microscopy and highly accurate spectral interrogation method. In contrast to the long period grating (LPG) and optical fiber (OF) surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) based glucose sensors, the Ex-TFG configuration has merits of nearly independent cross sensitivity of the environmental temperature, simple fabrication method (no noble metal deposition or cladding etching) and high detection accuracy (or Q-factor). Our experimental results have shown that Ex-TFG in TCOF based sensor has a reliable and fast detection for the glucose concentration as low as 0.1~2.5mg/ml and a high sensitivity of ~1.514 nm·(mg/ml)⁻¹, which the detection accuracy is ~0.2857 nm⁻¹ at pH 5.2, and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.013~0.02 mg/ml at the pH range of 5.2~7.4 by using an optical spectrum analyzer with a resolution of 0.02 nm.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Sensitivity-Enhanced RI Sensor Based on Ex-TFG in Thin Cladding Fiber

We report a highly sensitive refractive index (RI) sensor in the aqueous solution, which is based on an 81°-tilted fiber grating structure inscribed into a thin cladding fiber with 40 μm cladding radius. The numerical analysis has indicated that the RI sensitivity of cladding resonance mode of the grating can be significantly enhanced with reducing cladding size. This has been proved by the experimental results as the RI sensitivities of TM and TE resonance peaks in the index region of 1.345 have been increased to 1180 nm/RIU and 1150 nm/RIU, respectively, from only 200 and 170 nm/RIU for the same grating structure inscribed in standard telecom fiber with 62.5-μm cladding radius. Although the temperature sensitivity has also increased, the change in temperature sensitivity is still insignificant in comparison with RI sensitivity enhancement.

Human heart failure biomarker immunosensor based on excessively tilted fiber gratings

A label-free immunosensor platform based on excessively tilted fiber gratings (Ex-TFGs) was developed for highly specific and fast detection of human N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which is considered a powerful biomarker for prognosis and risk stratification of heart failure (HF). High-purity anti-NT-proBNP monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) prepared in our laboratory were immobilized on fiber surface through the staphylococcal protein A (SPA) method for subsequent specific binding of the targeted NT-proBNP. Utilizing fiber optic grating demodulation system (FOGDS), immunoassays were carried out in vitro by monitoring the resonance wavelength shift of Ex-TFG biosensor with immobilized anti-NT-proBNP MAbs. Lowest detectable concentration of ~0.5ng/mL for NT-proBNP was obtained, and average sensitivity for NT-proBNP at a concentration range of 0~1.0 ng/mL was approximately 45.967 pm/(ng/mL). Several human serum samples were assessed by the proposed Ex-TFG biomarker sensor, with high specificity for NT-proBNP, indicating potential application in early diagnosing patients with acute HF symptoms.

Luminous exothermic hollow optical elements for enhancement of biofilm growth and activity

In this work, we present a luminous-exothermic hollow optical element (LEHOE) that performs spectral beam splitting in the visible spectral range for the enhancement of biofilm growth and activity. The LEHOE is composed of a four-layer structure with a fiber core (air), cladding (SiO2), coating I (LaB6 film), and coating II (SiO2-Agarose-Medium film). To clarify the physical, optical and photothermal conversion properties of the LEHOE, we determined the surface morphology and composition of the coating materials, and examined the luminous intensity and heating rate at the LEHOE surface. The biofilm activity on the biocompatible LEHOE is far greater than that of commercial fibers, and the biofilm weight on the LEHOE is 4.5 × that of the uncoated hollow optical element.

Modified technique for the fiber surface using Staphylococcal protein A

We presented a modified technique for the fiber surface using Staphylococcal protein A, and the effectiveness of the fiber surface modification was investigated by scanning electron microscope and fluorescence microscope.

Semiconductor saturable absorber mirror passively Q-switched 2.97 μm fluoride fiber laser

A diode-cladding-pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber laser using a reverse designed broad band semiconductor saturable mirror (SESAM) was demonstrated. Nonlinear reflectivity of the SESAM was measured using an in-house Yb3+-doped mode-locked fiber laser at 1062 nm. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficient of 12.1% with respect to the launched pump power. Maximum pulse energy of 6.65 μJ with a pulse width of 1.68 μs and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of ~50 dB was achieved at a repetition rate of 47.6 kHz and center wavelength of 2.971 μm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first 3 μm region SESAM based Q-switched fiber laser with the highest average power and pulse energy, as well as the longest wavelength from mid-infrared passively Q-switched fluoride fiber lasers.

Sensitivity enhanced SRI sensor based on an Ex-TFG in thin cladding fiber

A high sensitivity SRI sensor was fabricated by inscribing an ex-TFG in a thin cladding fiber, achieving enhanced SRI sensitivities of the TM and TE resonance peaks around 1180nm/RIU and 1150nm/RIU at the index of 1.345.

Mechanism of refractive index distribution measurement based on etched fiber Bragg grating

We present the mechanism of refractive index (RI) distribution measurement based on an etched fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a residual diameter of about 5.73 μm. The etched FBG is installed in a micro-tube where the RI of the liquid medium decreases linearly alone its axis. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of RI gradient and the average sensitivity of RI of this sensor is 336.2 nm·mm/RIU and 49.44 nm/RIU, respectively, when the RI ranging from 1.330 to 1.3586. The RI distribution of the inhomogeneous liquid medium can be obtained by the RI gradient sensitivity and the average RI sensitivity.

Design and research of adaptive control of purification process of biotrickling bed for VOC waste gas

Based on visualization test of biotrickling bed, we analyze the dynamicmodel of the purification process, and get the dynamic model on liquid flux and purification efficiency. The adaptive control strategy is applied in the purification process. The simulation test proves that under the same disturbance the adaptive control strategy is more effective than PID.