Photonics: Sensing on the way Published online 01 August 2012
Hollow optical fibers containing light-emitting liquids hold big
promises for biological sensing applications Schematic
illustration of a hollow fiber. The chemiluminescent liquid in
the core (yellow) is guided through the fiber, also with help of
further hole structures (dark blue). Processing biological
samples on a small substrate the size of a computer chip is
becoming a common task for biotechnology applications. Given the
small working area, however, probing samples on the substrate
with light can be difficult. To address this issue, Xia Yu and
co-workers at the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing
Technology have now developed an optical fiber system that is
able to deliver light to microfluidic chips with high
efficiency1. “Our compact optical fibers are designed for use
with high-throughput detection systems,” says Yu. “They are
ideal for use in space-restrictive locations.” A common way of
probing biological samples is by light. In