A fiber-optic sensing apparatus, system, and method for characterizing at least one metal ion in a solution are provided. The sensing apparatus includes a fiber-optic sensor and a controller. The sensor includes an optical fiber with tilted grating in its core, and includes a conductive and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-active coating assembly that allows the sensor to also serve as an electrochemical working electrode. The controller is electrically connected with the sensor, configured to provide an adjustable potential such that when the coating assembly is in contact with the solution, redox reactions of each of the at least one metal ion occur on an outer surface thereof, resulting in a detectable change of the surface plasmon waves generated in the fiber-optic sensor. Based on the change thus detected, identities and/or concentration of the at least one metal ion in the solution can be determined with high accuracy and sensitivity.

The invention discloses a biosensor device (100) to detect the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in a biological sample. The device includes an optical fiber probe (104) having a curved portion (104a) with a probe region (105) immobilized with bioreceptor molecules (201) configured to bind to the target molecule V indicative of the presence of the SARS-CoV-2. The probe has a light source (102) and a detector (106) on either end. The device works on the principle of plasmonic fiberoptic absorbance biosensing. Plasmonic gold nanoparticles (120) are used as either sensor substrate over the fiber or labels conjugated with a biorecognition molecule (211). The probe is exposed to a biological sample either directly for label-free detection, or after mixing with labels to realize a sandwich assay. The target biomolecules are detected by a proportional drop in the light intensity passing through the probe.

Provided herein is an air monitoring system with a venturi pump including an air supply passageway, a sample passageway, and a discharge passageway, the discharge passageway in fluid communication with the air supply passageway and the sample passageway, and a detection device including a biochip, a light emitting source, a photodetector, and a controller electronically coupled to the photodetector. Also provided herein is a photonic biogel and uses thereof for spectroscopic detection of airborne pathogens.

Lumiphoric materials and corresponding light-emitting devices, and more particularly localized surface plasmon resonance for enhanced photoluminescence of lumiphoric materials are disclosed. Plasmonic materials are disclosed that are configured to induce localized surface plasmon resonance and excite a corresponding localized surface plasmon enhanced electric field in response to incident light. An increase in photoluminescence of lumiphoric materials may be realized when the lumiphoric materials are arranged within the localized surface plasmon enhanced electric field. Plasmonic materials are disclosed that include various arrangements of nanoparticles and/or patterned structures with corresponding dielectric materials that are collectively arranged in close proximity to lumiphoric materials.

Provided herein is a sensing apparatus comprising, at least one LSPR light source, at least one detector, and at least one sensor for LSPR detection of a target chemical. The sensor comprises a substantially transparent, porous membrane having nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of its pores, the nanoparticles being functionalized with one or more capture molecules. There is further provided a self-referencing sensor for distinguishing non-specific signals from analyte binding signals. The self-referencing sensor comprising one or more nanoparticles having at least two distinct LSPR signals.

A contrast-amplifying carrier for observing a sample, includes a transparent substrate bearing at least one absorbent coating suitable for behaving as an antireflection coating when it is illuminated at normal incidence at an illumination wavelength λ through the substrate and when the face of the coating opposite the substrate is in contact with a medium referred to as a transparent ambient medium, the refractive index n.sub.3 of which is lower than that of the refractive index n.sub.0 of the substrate. The absorbent coating comprises: an absorbent sublayer referred to as the contrast sublayer, deposited on the surface of the transparent substrate; and an absorbent layer referred to as the sensitive layer, distinct from the contrast sublayer and comprising between 1 and 5 sheets of a graphene-type material. Methods for producing and for using such a contrast-amplifying carrier are also provided.

Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for detecting and/or monitoring target extracellular vesicles (“EVs”), e.g., to detect and/or monitor cancer treatment, such as breast cancer, in a subject. The methods can include obtaining a nano-plasmonic array including nanostructures configured to amplify one or more specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, flowing a liquid sample over the nano-plasmonic array, optionally labeling target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array with one or more reporter groups, projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the labeled target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array, and capturing an image of the target EVs by receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted, scattered, or reflected by the labeled target EVs or by reporter groups on the labeled target EVs.

Systems, methods, and device can be used to detect target extracellular vesicles (“EVs”). One example of a method includes obtaining a nano-plasmonic array including nanostructures configured to amplify one or more specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, flowing a liquid sample over the nano-plasmonic array, optionally labeling target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array with one or more reporter groups, projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the labeled target EVs captured on the nano-plasmonic array, and capturing an image of the target EVs by receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted, scattered, or reflected by the EVs or by reporter groups on the labeled target EVs.

A method of making an optical fiber-based sensor includes providing an optical fiber, and providing a sensing or protection layer on a surface of the optical fiber by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.

An optical nano-biosensing system and a method thereof are provided. The optical nano-biosensing system includes a nano-plasmonic sensing device, a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter, a signal acquisition and processing device, and an intelligent electronic device. The nano-plasmonic sensing device further includes a light-source control circuit, a sample receiver, a light detector, and a signal-amplifying circuit. The sample receiver receives a sample. The light-source control circuit generates an incident light from a light source to be projected onto the sample receiver. The light detector detects an emergent light from the sample receiver to generate a detection signal. The signal-amplifying circuit converts the detection signal to generate an amplified signal. The high-resolution analog-to-digital converter digitizes the amplified signal to generate a digital signal. The signal calculator of the signal acquisition and processing device operates the digital signal to generate calculated information.