NANOPHOTONICS BREAKTHROUGH TO DRIVE PORTABLE BIOASSAYS
Omega Optics, a leader in nanophotonics R&D, is developing novel chip-based technology that will revolutionize the world of portable, label-free bioassay devices.
Our most recent achievements and innovations in silicon-based “slow light” photonics enhances the effective optical path lengths and thereby enables miniaturization and higher detection sensitivity. With these breakthroughs, we are engineering a platform technology of highly sensitive, flexible, portable, multiplexed and cost-effective “lab-on- chip” solutions that will soon disrupt portable bioassay markets.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
Our patented (and patent-pending) technologies can power highly-sensitive portable (or bench-top) devices for biosensing applications including:
• Detection of heavy metals, VOCs and TICs in water
• Pathogen detection in Food & Beverage
• Early cancer biomarkers
• Infectious diseases
• Antibiotic monitoring
• Pharmaceutical drug discovery
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
• Our proprietary microarray design allows for up to 128/256 different targets and controls to be tested simultaneously on the same chip
• Total sample volume of only 100μl required for all 128/256 targets and controls
• Detects any biomolecule (proteins, DNA, mRNA, small molecules) via conjugate affinity with high specificity and high sensitivity
• In-situ results in less than 30 minutes with rugged, portable, easy-to-use devices
HIGH THROUGHPUT MULTIPLEXED DETECTION OF LUNG CANCER CELL LINE LYSATES
The development of a benchtop platform program was supported by a SBIR contract (Phase 1 and Phase 2) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI/ NIH)
Representative Publication:
• S. Chakravarty, X. Chen, N.Tang, W-C. Lai, Y. Zou, H. Yan, R. T. Chen, “Review of design principles of 2D photonic crystal microcavity biosensors in silicon and their applications” , Frontiers of Optoelectronics 9(2), 206 (2016).
• S. Chakravarty, W-C. Lai, Y. Zou, H.A. Drabkin, G.R. Simon, S.H. Chin, R. M. Gemmill, R.T. Chen, “Multiplexed Specific Label-Free Detection of NCI-H358 Lung Cancer Cell Line Lysates with Silicon Based Photonic Crystal Microcavity Biosensors”, Biosens. Bioelectron. 43, 50 (2013).
DETECTION OF HEAVY METALS IN WATER
Preliminary development of handheld platform program was supported by a DOE SBIR contract (Phase 1).
Representative Publication:
• H. Yan, N. Tang, S. Chakravarty, R. T. Chen, ” High-sensitivity high-throughput chip based biosensor array for multiplexed detection of heavy metals, ” in BiOS (Photonics West), San Francisco, California, United States (2016) (oral)
THERAPEUTIC DRUG MONITORING
Preliminary development was supported by a US ARMY SBIR contract (Phase 1).
Representative Publication:
• H. Yan, C-J. Yang, Y. Zou, N. Tang, S. Chakravarty, R. T. Chen, “Wide Dynamic Range Specific Detection of Therapeutic Drugs by Photonic Crystal Microcavity Arrays” in CLEO (Optical Society of America), Abstract ID: STu4K.2, San Jose, CA (2015)
INTEGRATED PLATFORM FOR EXOSOME ISOLATION, MICRORNA EXTRACTION AND HIGH SENSITIVITY LAB-ON-CHIP DETECTION
We completed Phase 1 of a NCI/NIH supported contract for the development of an integrated platform for the isolation and enrichment of exosomes, microRNA extraction and high-sensitvity lab-on-chip detection. Results to appear soon.