Multiparametric Guided-Mode Resonance Biosensor Monitoring Bulk and Surface-Film Variations

A guided-mode resonance (GMR) sensor with multiple resonant modes is used to measure the collection of biomolecules on the sensor surface and the index of refraction of the sensor environment (bulk). The number of sensor variables that can be monitored (biolayer index of refraction, biolayer thickness, and bulk, or background, index of refraction) is determined by the number of supported resonant modes that are sensitive to changes in these variable values. The sensor we use has a grating and homogeneous layer, both of which are made of silicon nitride (Si3N4), on a quartz substrate. In this work, we simulate the sensor reflection response as a biolayer grows on the sensor surface at thicknesses from 0 to 20 nm and biolayer indices of refraction from 1.334 to 1.43 RIU; simultaneously, we vary the bulk index of refraction from 1.334 to 1.43 RIU. In the specified span of sensor variable values, the resonance wavelength shifts for 2023 permutations of the biolayer index of refraction, biolayer thickness, and bulk index of refraction are calculated and accurately inverted. Inversion is the process of taking resonant wavelength shifts, for resonant modes of a sensor, as input, and finding a quantitative variation of sensor variables as output. Analysis of the spectral data is performed programmatically with MATLAB. Using experimentally measured resonant wavelength shifts, changes in the values of biolayer index of refraction, biolayer thickness, and bulk index of refraction are determined. In a model experiment, we deposit Concanavalin A (Con A) on our sensor and subsequently deposit yeast, which preferentially bonds to Con A. A unique contribution of our work is that biolayer index and biolayer thickness are simultaneously determined.