High sensitivity medical device and manufacturing thereof

Abstract

A sensing device able to do concurrent real time detection of different kinds of specimens of living beings, chemical, biomolecule agents, or biological cells and their respective concentrations using optical principles. The sensing system can be produced at a low cost (below $1.00) and in a small size (˜1 cm 3 ). The novel sensing system may be of great value to many industries, for example, medical, forensics, and military. The fundamental principles of this novel invention may be implemented in many variations and combinations of techniques.

1 . A sensing device comprising:
 a removable section, wherein said removable section comprising:   a nanochip having a first waveguide with a core and a cladding, said cladding having a periodic dielectric system that forms a photonic bandgap;   an inlet for specimens;   a blood filtration system for separating plasma, wherein said blood filtration system is configured to allow the separated plasma to contact said nanochip;   an outlet for specimens; and   a plurality of receptors for interacting with a specimen to be sensed, said receptors disposed in the periodic dielectric system of the cladding;   a main body, wherein said main body comprising:   a substrate;   a light source;   a detector for converting optical signals into electrical signals;   at least one electrical processing circuit for processing electrical signals received from the detector, said electrical processing circuit configured to output a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal corresponds to the intensity of the optical signal passing through the first waveguide without the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors, and the second signal corresponds to the intensity of an optical signal passing through the first waveguide with the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors;   at least one monitoring system for determining the concentration of a specimen based on signals received from the electrical processing circuit, said monitoring system configured to calculate a ratio of the first signal and the second signal, correlate said ratio to a change in effective refractive index of the cladding resulting from specimen interaction with the receptors, and correlate the change in effective refractive index to the concentration of the specimen; and   a second waveguide for guiding optical signals from said light source to said nanochip;   
     
     
         2 . The sensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one display unit. 
     
     
         3 . The sensing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a third waveguide for guiding optical signals from said nanochip to said detector. 
     
     
         4 . A sensing device comprising:
 a removable section, wherein said removable section comprising:   a nanochip having a first waveguide with a core and a cladding, said cladding having a periodic dielectric system that forms a photonic bandgap;   an inlet for specimens;   a blood filtration system for separating plasma, wherein said blood filtration system is configured to allow the separated plasma to contact said nanochip;   an outlet for specimens; and   a plurality of receptors for interacting with a specimen to be sensed, said receptors disposed in the periodic dielectric system of the cladding;   a main body, wherein said main body comprising:   a substrate;   a light source;   a detector for converting optical signals into electrical signals;   at least one electrical processing circuit for processing electrical signals received from the detector, said electrical processing circuit configured to output a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal corresponds to the intensity of the optical signal passing through the first waveguide without the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors, and the second signal corresponds to the intensity of an optical signal passing through the first waveguide with the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors;   at least one monitoring system for determining the concentration of a specimen based on signals received from the electrical processing circuit, said monitoring system configured to calculate a ratio of the first signal and the second signal, correlate said ratio to a change in effective refractive index of the cladding resulting from specimen interaction with the receptors, and correlate the change in effective refractive index to the concentration of the specimen;   at least one display unit;   a second waveguide for guiding optical signals from said light source to said nanochip, and;   a third waveguide for guiding optical signals from said nanochip to said detector;   
     
     
         5 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of receptors are HIV-1 aptamers or antigens chosen for binding with HIV-1 TAT protein. 
     
     
         6 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein said aptamer are selected from the group consisting of aptamers-RNATat, aptamer-derived second strand and combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , comprising at least two nanochips and/or at least two detectors, wherein each of said at least two nanochips utilizes a different type of the plurality of receptors. 
     
     
         8 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrical processing circuit comprises: an electrical signal integration circuit for integrating electrical signals received from the detector over time; a filter and sample-counter circuit for removing electrical noise from the signals received from the electrical signal integration circuit and generating corresponding digital signals; and a read out circuit for storing digital signals received from the filter and sample-counter circuit. 
     
     
         9 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrical signal integration circuit comprises: a transimpedance amplifier (TIA); a first switch and a second switch; an analog memory; a first integrator circuit and a second integrator circuit; a first comparator and a second comparator; and a differentiator, wherein: the TIA feeds through the first switch, through the analog memory, to the first integrator circuit; the first integrator circuit feeds to the first comparator, which is reset back to the first integrator circuit; the first comparator feeds into the monitoring system; the TIA feeds through the second switch to the differentiator; the analog memory feeds to the differentiator; the differentiator feeds to the second integrator circuit; the second integrator circuit feeds to the second comparator, which is reset back to the second integrator circuit; and the second comparator feeds to said monitoring system. 
     
     
         10 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein the filter and sample-counter circuit comprises: a common clock for generating a clock signal; a first filter for filtering signals received from the first comparator; a second filter for filtering signals received from the second comparator; a first sample counter for comparing signals received from the first comparator to signals received from the first filter; and a second sample counter for comparing signals received from the second comparator to signals received from the second filter. 
     
     
         11 . The sensing device of  claim 4 , wherein said blood filtration system comprises: an inlet channel for inserting a blood sample, wherein said inlet channel reduces gradually to a small narrower channel; an output channel, wherein said output channel is wider than said small narrower channel; and a microfluidic channel connected laterally to said output channel for collecting separated plasma. 
     
     
         12 . A sensing device comprising:
 a removable section, wherein said removable section comprising:   a nanochip having a first series of one or more waveguides, each with a core and a cladding, said cladding having a periodic dielectric system that forms a photonic bandgap;   an inlet for specimens;   a blood filtration system for separating plasma, wherein said blood filtration system is configured to allow the separated plasma to contact said nanochip;   an outlet for specimens; and   a plurality of receptors for interacting with the specimen to be sensed, said receptors disposed in the periodic dielectric system of the cladding;   a main body, wherein said main body comprising:   a substrate;
 a light source; 
 a splitter
 wherein the splitter splits a optical signal from the light source to at least one optical signal, wherein the at least one optical signal is passed to the first series of one or more waveguides; 
 
   at least one detector for converting the at least one optical signal to at least one electrical signal;   at least one electrical processing circuit for processing the at least one electrical signal received from the at least one detector, wherein the electrical processing circuit outputs a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal corresponds to the intensity of the optical signal passing through the first series of one or more waveguides without the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors, and the second signal corresponds to the intensity of an optical signal passing through the first series of one or more waveguides with the specimen interaction with the plurality of receptors;   at least one monitoring system for determining the concentration of a specimen based on signals received from the electrical processing circuit, wherein said monitoring system calculates a ratio of the first signal and the second signal, correlate said ratio to a change in effective refractive index of the cladding resulting from the specimens interaction with the receptors, and correlate the change in effective refractive index to the concentration of the specimen;   at least one display unit;   a second series of one or more waveguides for guiding the at least one optical signal from the splitter to said nanochip; and   a third series of one or more waveguides for guiding the at least one optical signal from said nanochip to the at least one detector.   
     
     
         13 . The sensing device of  claim 12 , wherein said plurality of receptors are chosen for binding with HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, HBcAg, anti-HBc, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The sensing device of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of nanochips, and a plurality of detectors, wherein each of said plurality of nanochips utilizes a different type of receptors. 
     
     
         15 . The sensing device of  claim 12 , wherein the electrical processing circuit comprises: an electrical signal integration circuit for integrating electrical signals received from the detector over time; a filter and a sample-counter circuit for removing electrical noise from the signals received from the electrical signal integration circuit and generating corresponding digital signals; and a read out circuit for storing digital signals received from the filter and sample-counter circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The sensing device of  claim 15 , wherein the electrical signal integration circuit comprises: a transimpedance amplifier (TIA); a first switch and a second switch; an analog memory; a first integrator circuit and a second integrator circuit; a first comparator and a second comparator; and a differentiator, wherein: the TIA feeds through the first switch, through the analog memory, to the first integrator circuit; the first integrator circuit feeds to the first comparator, which is reset back to the first integrator circuit; the first comparator feeds into the monitoring system; the TIA feeds through the second switch to the differentiator; the analog memory feeds to the differentiator; the differentiator feeds to the second integrator circuit; the second integrator circuit feeds to the second comparator, which is reset back to the second integrator circuit; and the second comparator feeds to said monitoring system. 
     
     
         17 . The sensing device of  claim 15 , wherein the filter and/or sample-counter circuit comprises: a common clock for generating a clock signal; a first filter for filtering signals received from the first comparator; a second filter for filtering signals received from the second comparator; a first sample counter for comparing signals received from the first comparator to signals received from the first filter; and a second sample counter for comparing signals received from the second comparator to signals received from the second filter. 
     
     
         18 . The sensing device of  claim 12 , wherein the monitoring system comprises: a digital divider circuit for calculating said ratio; and an n-bit digital signal processing (DSP) unit for determining concentration of the specimen based on said ratio. 
     
     
         19 . The sensing device according to  claim 12 , further comprising a microfluidic system for allowing specimen to move from said inlet to said nanochip. 
     
     
         20 . The sensing device of  claim 12 , wherein the splitter is coupled to the light source and wherein the at least one optical signal is passed to the second series of one or more waveguides.