Photonic Crystals for Malaria Detection

Abstract

Cell refractive index is a key biophysical parameter, which has been extensively studied. Healthy red blood cells have a homogeneous distribution in refractive index, while infected red blood cells in malaria disease show non-homogeneous refractive index throughout the cytoplasm of the cell. In this paper we design and simulate a 2D photonic crystal ring resonator based refractive index biosensor for malaria detection. The simulation results have analyzed by using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the band gap calculation is performed using the plane wave expansion method. The grating design, incorporated in the photonic crystal waveguide increases the efficiency and sensitivity of the designed sensor. risk of blood-borne disease transmission, and is uncomfortable for the patient [8]. Optical techniques are revolutionizing the way in which biological questions can be addressed directly in the living cell. The optical techniques that inform on the changes in mechanical properties during the infection cycle. Their sensitivity, specificity and non-intrusiveness make optical techniques indispensable to generate high-fidelity data, significantly improving the tools available to future research into blood disease [7]. Photonic crystal based biosensor is one of this optical techniques. Photonic biosensor are presents early diagnostic tool and provide a superior sensitivity, reliability, stability, fast response in vivo and vitro diagnostics [9]. In this paper we design and simulate a 2D photonic crystal biosensor. Where the biosensor chip is filled by blood sample and according their refractive index transmission is deliberated. The ‘PWE band solver’ of the software package OPTIFDTD is used to investigate the band gap of 2D rectangular PCs with GaAs rodes distributed in air wafer and its relationship with the refractive index of blood samples filled in order to improve the sensitivity. The Structure By creating point defects or cavity or by changing the size of each rod causes defect which act as a resonator. The optical resonator is also designed by creating some defects into the structure which breaks the periodicity of structure and also localized the light. Another type of optical resonator is designed by creating ring resonator [10]. We choose a ring resonator because the sensitivity is derived from the long photon lifetime inside the cavity. It provides high field localization, which increases the interaction between the light and the matter, that’s why the sensitivity increases also, for this reason we choose to implement a ring resonator in our design. Citation: Bendib S, Bendib C (2018) Photonic Crystals for Malaria Detection. J Biosens Bioelectron 9: 257. doi: 10.4172/2155-6210.1000257