Fluorescent microarrays have the ability to detect and monitor multiple analytes simultaneously and noninvasively, following initial placement. This versatility is advantageous for several biological applications including drug discovery, biohazard detection, transplant organ preservation and cell culture monitoring. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel microarrays are described that can be used to measure multiple analytes, including H+ and dissolved oxygen. The array elements are created by filling micro-channels with a hydrogel precursor solution containing analyte specific fluorescent sensors. A photomask is used to create the microarray through UV polymerization of the PEG precursor solution. A compact imaging system composed of a CCD camera, high powered LED, and two optical filters is used to measure the change in fluorescence emission corresponding to analyte concentration. The proposed system was tested in aqueous solution by altering relevant analyte concentrations across their biological ranges.

Date Published: 15 February 2007
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 6445, Optical Diagnostics and Sensing VII, 64450Y (15 February 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.701216

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6445:
Optical Diagnostics and Sensing VII
Gerard L. Coté; Alexander V. Priezzhev, Editor(s)