Photonic crystal based immunosensor for clinical diagnosis

Abstract

The progress in medical field has provided fast remedies for the most of diseases affecting today's society. Now, the next step is to propose a fast way of diagnosis, avoiding long waiting time and expensive laboratory assays. Thanks to the recent research findings and progress in nano-technological fabrication techniques, new biosensors have been developed with the purpose to introduce portable and user-friendly instruments for medical analysis aimed to improve life quality and lower healthcare costs. In this work, we propose a proof-of-concept of an immunosensor based on a two-dimensional silicon nitride photonic crystal membrane able to efficiently detect the concentration of Interleukin-6 in a buffer solution.