Zhou Tian, Fang Guocheng, Wang Ziyihui, Qiao Zhen, Nie Ningyuan, Fu Bowen, Tseng Po-Hao, Sun Xiyu, Chen Yu-Cheng
School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
School of Precision Instrument and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Anal Chem. 2025 Mar 18;97(10):5605-5611. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06172. Epub 2025 Mar 5.
Digital microfluidics represents an emerging versatile platform that offers numerous advantages in biomolecule detection. However, conventional probes often lack high-intensity and high-sensitivity signals, making it challenging for precise and automatic analysis. Recently, optical microresonators stand as a prominent high-sensitivity detection in the biological field. Here we introduce whispering gallery mode (WGM) microlasers into the microwell array, forming a digital lasing detection system. The lasing signal makes it highly sensitive, which amplifies the subtle changes via the strong interactions of light and matter. The microfluidic droplet technique further allowed microlasers with uniform laser thresholds and high-throughput fabrication. We utilized this tool for the analysis of exosomes derived from tumor spheroids. We believe that this digital optofluidic system could serve as a promising tool in diverse biomolecule assays and various biomedical applications.
数字微流控是一个新兴的多功能平台，在生物分子检测方面具有诸多优势。然而，传统探针往往缺乏高强度和高灵敏度信号，这使得精确和自动分析具有挑战性。最近，光学微谐振器成为生物领域中一种突出的高灵敏度检测手段。在此，我们将回音壁模式（WGM）微激光器引入微孔阵列，形成一个数字激光检测系统。激光信号使其具有高灵敏度，通过光与物质的强相互作用放大细微变化。微流控液滴技术进一步实现了具有均匀激光阈值和高通量制造的微激光器。我们利用该工具分析肿瘤球衍生的外泌体。我们相信，这种数字光流体系统可成为各种生物分子检测和多种生物医学应用中有前景的工具。
