Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array
Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical tool with great potential for point-of-care diagnostics. However, integrating SERS with microfluidic chips poses challenges, including low signal uniformity, low light collection efficiency, and high sensitivity to optical m...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000741 |
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| author | Sara Abbasi Qing Liu Dries Rosseel Hugo Thienpont Heidi Ottevaere |
| author_facet | Sara Abbasi Qing Liu Dries Rosseel Hugo Thienpont Heidi Ottevaere |
| author_sort | Sara Abbasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical tool with great potential for point-of-care diagnostics. However, integrating SERS with microfluidic chips poses challenges, including low signal uniformity, low light collection efficiency, and high sensitivity to optical misalignment due to the precise focusing required within microfluidic channels. This study aims to overcome these limitations by integrating a high-optical-quality Microlens Array (MLA) into a SERS-embedded platform chip. The MLA focuses light into distinct excitation points, enabling parallel Raman scattering collection and improving overall collection efficiency while reducing sensitivity to alignment issues. Integrating the MLA into the SERS platform resulted in a rise in power density from 40 W/cm2 to 700 W/cm2, leading to a fivefold improvement in the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of the collected Raman signal intensity. The MLA's multiplexing capability enabled the simultaneous excitation and detection of multiple analyte regions, providing high signal collection in a single run. These findings highlight the MLA-integrated SERS platform as a scalable, high-sensitivity platform for point-of-care diagnostics, real-time analysis, and high-throughput sensing, addressing critical challenges in light delivery and optical alignment demonstrated low sensitivity to misalignments in the x, y, and z axes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-779fa59af0ca4560924e88bba03e0a28 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-1804 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-779fa59af0ca4560924e88bba03e0a282025-08-20T02:07:40ZengElsevierSensing and Bio-Sensing Research2214-18042025-06-014810080810.1016/j.sbsr.2025.100808Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens arraySara Abbasi0Qing Liu1Dries Rosseel2Hugo Thienpont3Heidi Ottevaere4Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Corresponding author.Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Flanders Make@VUB - BP&M, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, BelgiumVrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Flanders Make@VUB - BP&M, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, BelgiumVrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Flanders Make@VUB - BP&M, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, BelgiumVrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Brussels Photonics, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Flanders Make@VUB - BP&M, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, BelgiumSurface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical tool with great potential for point-of-care diagnostics. However, integrating SERS with microfluidic chips poses challenges, including low signal uniformity, low light collection efficiency, and high sensitivity to optical misalignment due to the precise focusing required within microfluidic channels. This study aims to overcome these limitations by integrating a high-optical-quality Microlens Array (MLA) into a SERS-embedded platform chip. The MLA focuses light into distinct excitation points, enabling parallel Raman scattering collection and improving overall collection efficiency while reducing sensitivity to alignment issues. Integrating the MLA into the SERS platform resulted in a rise in power density from 40 W/cm2 to 700 W/cm2, leading to a fivefold improvement in the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of the collected Raman signal intensity. The MLA's multiplexing capability enabled the simultaneous excitation and detection of multiple analyte regions, providing high signal collection in a single run. These findings highlight the MLA-integrated SERS platform as a scalable, high-sensitivity platform for point-of-care diagnostics, real-time analysis, and high-throughput sensing, addressing critical challenges in light delivery and optical alignment demonstrated low sensitivity to misalignments in the x, y, and z axes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000741Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopyMicrolens arrayMicrofluidic chipMultiplexingPoint-of-care diagnosticsImproving SERS |
| spellingShingle | Sara Abbasi Qing Liu Dries Rosseel Hugo Thienpont Heidi Ottevaere Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Microlens array Microfluidic chip Multiplexing Point-of-care diagnostics Improving SERS |
| title | Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array |
| title_full | Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array |
| title_fullStr | Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array |
| title_short | Enabling rapid parallel SERS detection with integrated microlens array |
| title_sort | enabling rapid parallel sers detection with integrated microlens array |
| topic | Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Microlens array Microfluidic chip Multiplexing Point-of-care diagnostics Improving SERS |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000741 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saraabbasi enablingrapidparallelsersdetectionwithintegratedmicrolensarray AT qingliu enablingrapidparallelsersdetectionwithintegratedmicrolensarray AT driesrosseel enablingrapidparallelsersdetectionwithintegratedmicrolensarray AT hugothienpont enablingrapidparallelsersdetectionwithintegratedmicrolensarray AT heidiottevaere enablingrapidparallelsersdetectionwithintegratedmicrolensarray |