CLARITI

Motivation:


The crucial element in stopping the rapid spread of potentially lethal pathogens is the immediate availability of Point-of-Care diagnostic technology. A biosensing platform that is multiparametric, highly scalable, portable, and sensitive, capable of monitoring complex dynamic molecular parameters, holds the potential to revolutionize our capacity for early diagnosis and understanding the progression of diseases. Current biosensing platforms heavily rely on labeling techniques. However, despite their accuracy, these labeling techniques face challenges in PoC settings due to the reliance on clinical laboratories and infrastructure that are not easily deployable. In addition, they are unable to provide real-time information about molecular interactions such as binding kinetics, which is key for continuous monitoring of dynamic disease processes. Therefore, a label-free sensing approach is critically needed.

Over the past decade, Refractive Index (RI) chip-scale biophotonic sensors have shown increasing promise in monitoring real-time label-free molecular interactions. Despite their label-free operation, evanescent field biosensors have been constrained by the requirement for complex, bulky optics, and external readout equipment. These limitations hinder both mass production and the miniaturization necessary for Point-of-Care testing.


Proposed Solution: 


We address these challenges by using a first-of-its-kind electronic-photonic label-free sensor with nanophotonic micro-ring resonators (MRRs) and electronics on the same chip of a high-volume CMOS 45-nm advanced electronic process. The seamless integration of nanophotonic ring resonators with on-chip electronics paves the way for intelligent, monolithic, and scalable lab-on-chip (LoC) photonic devices.  These devices have the capability to monitor real-time multi-molecular dynamics, making them suitable for Point-of-Care (PoC) settings.

References