Disposable Integrated Biophotonic Polymer Chip - Lasers on chip

Abstract:

Currently, one finds a wide variety of approaches for integrated lab-on-a-chip systems developed for applications in the biomedical field. Our interdisciplinary independent junior research group is utilizing mass production techniques and heads for lab-on-a-foil systems with solely optical and fluidic interfaces, avoiding electrical interconnects. We implement fluidic structures in the chips by using the same technologies, which are chosen to create the optical elements, thus achieving a limited number of process steps. We generate organic semiconductor lasers by creating a resonator with thermal nano imprint lithography into bulk PMMA and subsequent thin film evaporation of organic semiconductor active material. Varying geometrical parameters allows selecting the lasing wavelength in the visible light regime of the on-chip lasers. Waveguides are monolithically integrated in PMMA and laser light is guided to the biological sample in the microfluidic channel on chip. We design & process micro-optical cavities to be functionalized for detecting biological binding events in the channel. Surface functionalization is carried out for integrated label-free detection as well as for fluorescence excitation of biomarkers. This will enable for rapid point-of-care diagnosis in the medical area & fast results for in-the-field applications in environmental or biological research & control.