Steering wheel photonic crystal fiber for monoclonal antibody detection

A solid-core photonic crystal fiber (SC-PCF) with a microstructured all-silica steering wheel lattice containing a 3 µm diameter core is used to identify dye-free monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in very small volumes (i.e. < 0.1 µL). The samples used in this study are mAbs, which are useful in detecting the presence of the botulism toxin. A 0.66 m length of SC-PCF was used with a ∼ 0.008 µL sample with a broadband LED in the 1300-1700 nm range. Absorption characteristics associated with these mAbs were measured using a standard optical spectrum analyzer. A compact, efficient sensor could potentially benefit water quality monitoring, drug manufacturing and food quality control.