Photonic integrated circuit (PIC) biosensors allow the direct, real-time and label-free detection of biomolecules and organisms matching all the requirements to become the technology to employ for next generation of Point-of-care detection devices.
PIC devices are mass-produced at wafer level, becoming a cheap and disposable technology suitable for biosensing applications. A PIC biosensor typically comprises a SiN substrate containing three main types of integrated components: a waveguide with the sensing configuration such as ring resonators or interferometers and light coupling blocks (such as grating couplers), but also includes the microfluidics necessary to bring the sample to the sensor area of the device and the micro-optics to increase optical coupling tolerances.
In a typical PIC biosensor, a human fluid flows over the functionalized surface of a sensor containing bioreceptors that have been specifically tuned to capture a particular antigen or antibody. Simultaneously, light in the VIS/NIR wavelength range is coupled into the PIC creating an evanescent field of a few nanometres over the sensor surface. When the target antigen or antibody is recognised, a change in the properties of the light (phase, frequency, or intensity) occurs, which can be correlated with the target concentration providing a real-time diagnosis. The final device including the sensing PICs, the microfluidics and the micro-optics is disposable, so it must be discarded after every evaluation.
PIXAPP offers specialized building blocks for developing customized biosensors including microfluidics building blocks to bring the sample to the sensing area and micro-optics building blocks to increase coupling tolerances.
PIXAPP offers as part of the Pilot Packaging Platform the biosensor package, including all the required building blocks to start detecting after getting your PICs.