Currently within decentralised clinical laboratories there is a need for simple and rapid techniques to detect antigens and antibodies of diagnostic significance. The interaction between antigen and antibody molecules may be extremely specific as a consequence of binding geometries and is a principal phenomenon of antibody-based chemical sensors, i.e. immunosensors. Direct optical monitoring of this interaction is an attractive alternative in the development of immunosensors, because optical sensors can be very sensitive, small in size, safe, and cheap. This paper reviews immunosensors based on optical sensing techniques including such methods like light reflectance (the Brewster angle reflectometry, surface plasmon resonance), and evanescent wave fluorescence. The basic principles and the current state-of-the art are discussed with emphasis on sensitivity, measurement range, shortcomings and problems to be solved. Some comments on miniaturisation and future developments will also be given.

Date Published: 16 January 1989
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 0954, Optical Testing and Metrology II, (16 January 1989); doi: 10.1117/12.947617

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0954:
Optical Testing and Metrology II
Chander Prakash Grover, Editor(s)