0000000000121502
AUTHOR
Karlis Grundsteins
Cavity ring down spectrometry for disease diagnostics using exhaled air
In this paper we report the current stage of the development of a cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS) system using exhaled human breath analysis for the diagnostics of different diseases like diabetes and later lung cancer. The portable CRDS system is made in ultraviolet spectral region using Nd:Yag laser 266 nm pulsed light. Calibration of the CRDS system was performed using generated samples by KinTek automated permeation tube system and self-prepared mixtures with known concentration of benzene and acetone in air. First experiments showed that the limits of detection for benzene and acetone are several tens of ppb.
Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of TiZr Alloy in ZnONPs-Contained Solution: Structural and Biological Assessment
Titanium (Ti) and its alloys with zirconium (Zr) due of their biological safety, lower elastic modulus and excellent corrosion resistance are the most attractive metallic materials for medical applications. Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is an environment-friendly process with rapid deposition of anodic oxide coating on the implant surface. PEO coating can incorporate different nanoparticles (NPs) into implant surface such as ZnO that stimulates osteoblast proliferation and mineralization, possesses antibacterial ability. The aim of current research was to evaluate structural and chemical properties of TiZr-alloy with addition ZnO NPs after the PEO in Ca/P solution. The alloy of the Ti…
Whispering gallery mode resonators covered by a ZnO nanolayer
Abstract The exceptional ability of whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) to confine light within makes them interesting for sensing applications. The small size and high values of quality (Q) factors of the WGMR can be combined with a broad range of supporting optical elements. The surface of the resonator can be coated to enhance the desired attributes. In this paper, the impact of the ZnO layer thickness on the Q-factor of the WGMR has been studied. WGMRs were fabricated on a tip of a standard telecom fiber melted with an oxyhydrogen flame. The surface of the WGMR was coated with ZnO nanolayers of different thickness (5–100 nm) by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The Q-factor of as-pr…
Whispering gallery mode resonators coated with Au nanoparticles
Whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) are very interesting for sensing because a resonance shift could be caused by any perturbation of the surrounding environment. Additionally such a resonator is coated with nanomaterials to tailor and enhance the sensitivity for a specific purpose. WGMR were fabricated using standard telecommunication fiber and a hydrogen flame, characterized using the scan method to obtain the quality factors and then coated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using dip coating method and characterized again for comparison. Au NPs were chosen because their positive impact on microresonator sensitivity has been mentioned before and the surface can later be functionaliz…
Application of polydopamine functionalized zinc oxide for glucose biosensor design
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are widely used in optical sensors and biosensors. Functionalization of these nanostructures with polymers enables optical properties of ZnO to be tailored. Polydopamine (PDA) is a highly biocompatible polymer, which can be used as a versatile coating suitable for application in sensor and biosensor design. In this research, we have grown ZnO-based nanorods on the surface of ITO-modified glass-plated optically transparent electrodes (glass/ITO). Then the deposition of the PDA polymer layer on the surface of ZnO nanorods was performed from an aqueous PDA solution in such a way glass/ITO/ZnO-PDA structure was formed. The ZnO-PDA composite was characterized by S…
Quality Factor Measurements for PMMA WGM Microsphere Resonators Using Fixed Wavelength Laser and Temperature Changes
The whispering gallery modes (WGM) resonators are based on spherical objects, which are made from optically transparent materials, and are capable of maintaining circulating optical waves, inside the sphere, using total internal reflection. If there is a monochromatic light source which supplies the sphere with a constant intensity, the wave moving along the perimeter of sphere starts to constructively interfere. In this case the resonance happens, which is called whispering gallery mode (WGM). The current work explores the possibility of using temperature changes to measure polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) WGM microsphere resonator quality factor (Q) and thermal expansion parameters. Differe…
Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator Temperature Compensation and Refractive Index Sensing in Glucose Droplets.
Among the different types of photonic sensor devices, optical whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) have attracted interest due to their high level of sensitivity, small size, and ability to perform real-time temperature measurements. Here we demonstrate the applicability of temperature measurements using WGMR in both air and liquid environments. We also show that WGMR allowed measurements of the refractive index variations in an evaporating glucose–water solution droplet. The thermal tuning of WGMR can be reduced by coating WGMRs with a thin layer of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Dip-coating the silica microsphere multiple times significantly reduced the resonance shift, partially c…
Acetone measurements in the exhaled air by the cavity ring-down spectrometry
Our work is focused to develop sensitive optical diagnostic methods for the detection of Volatile Organic Compounds in the breath. For the breath measurements, we have built a cavity ring-down spectrometer, operated in the UV region. The system was tested and calibrated using a KinTek automated permeation tube system with nitrogen as a carrier gas, as well as self- prepared acetone mixtures in air with known concentrations. In this paper, we present results of the measurements of acetone concentration in the breath for the test group of randomly selected 40 people in the age group over 50. We observed the values of acetone concentration in the breath in the range from 0,1 – 80 ppm, with a m…
First results of cavity ring down signals from exhaled air
In this paper we report first results from the developed cavity ring-down spectrometer for application in human breath analysis for the diagnostics of diabetes and later for early detection of lung cancer. Our cavity ring-down spectrometer works in UV region with pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm wavelength. First experiments allow us to determine acetone and benzene at the level bellow ppm. In our experiment, first results from breath samples from volunteers after doing different activities were collected and examined. Influence of the smoking on the breath signals also was examined.
Frequency comb generation in whispering gallery mode silica microsphere resonators
Optical frequency combs (OFC) using different kinds of whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microresonators have already shown different applications and especially their applications in fiber optical communication systems as replacements of laser-arrays. For this application the free spectral range (FSR) of 200 GHz or less is desirable. Besides the fabrication material for microspheres, the resonator radius can be modified to change the FSR. In this paper use of silica microspheres for OFC represents an inexpensive alternative over the other microcombs: microring, microdisk, and microtoroid. We experimentally present a microsphere fabrication process from a different kind of silica (SiO2) fibers …
Whispering gallery mode resonator and glucose oxidase based glucose biosensor
Abstract In this research whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) were applied in new concept of glucose sensor based on the shift of WGM resonance frequency induced by enzymatic oxidation of glucose by glucose oxidase (GOx), which was immobilized on WGM-resonator surface. During the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by GOx electrons from glucose via GOx are transferred towards co-immobilized gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). WGM-resonators were fabricated from standard telecommunication optical-fiber melted in a hydrogen flame. Whispering gallery mode resonance based optical signals generated by these WGM-resonators were evaluated. These WGM-resonators, which were characterized by sufficient qual…
Bioactivity Performance of Pure Mg after Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation in Silicate-Based Solutions
The biodegradable metals, including magnesium (Mg), are a convenient alternative to permanent metals but fast uncontrolled corrosion limited wide clinical application. Formation of a barrier coating on Mg alloys could be a successful strategy for the production of a stable external layer that prevents fast corrosion. Our research was aimed to develop an Mg stable oxide coating using plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in silicate-based solutions. 99.9% pure Mg alloy was anodized in electrolytes contained mixtures of sodium silicate and sodium fluoride, calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), contact angle (CA), …