Duplex-Channel Plasmonic Biosensor for Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Cancer Cells

A novel duplex-channel biosensor designed for simultaneous detection of cervical cancer and adrenal gland cancer is proposed here. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based photonic crystal fiber (PCF) uses a thin film of Ta₂O₅ and gold for cancer cell detection. The finite element method (FEM)-based confinement loss (C_L) analysis is used for geometrical optimization. The right and left slots are denoted by Channel 1 (Ch1), and Channel 2 (Ch2) is the label for vertically positioned top and bottom slots, respectively. Two channels are separated by a thick barrier of silica layer to prevent direct contacts between two neighboring channels such that the analytes in each channel will not mix up. Simulation results show that Channel 1 with adrenal cancer cells supports y-polarized electric field modes, whereas Channel 2 with cervical cancer cells supports x-polarized modes. For cervical and adrenal cancer cells, the sensor’s amplitude sensitivities are 1168.83 RIU⁻¹ and 394.29 RIU⁻¹, respectively, while its wavelength sensitivities are 8333.33 nm/RIU and 12,142.86 nm/RIU. The suggested sensor is a circular-shaped, dual-channel PCF sensor capable of detecting two separate analytes at the same time. The sensor uses an external sensing technique, which is affordable; liquid sample infiltration will be simpler, and it will make the sensing mechanism more convenient. With the ability to identify multiple cancer cells at once, the suggested sensor is a good fit for the biosensing applications in healthcare.