Plasmonic biosensor for detection of hemoglobin concentration in human blood: Design considerations

Abstract

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for the detection of hemoglobin concentration in human blood is proposed. Previous experimental results describing variation of refractive index of human blood with hemoglobin concentration at different wavelengths are considered for theoretical calculations. The angular interrogation method along with silica substrate and gold layer is considered. The sensor's performance is closely analyzed in terms of well-defined performance parameters: sensitivity, accuracy, resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio, in order to achieve reliable and accurate hemoglobin detection. The influence of operating wavelength on the performance of sensor scheme is critically investigated. Performance comparison for two different substrates is carried out. The results are explained in terms of light coupling and plasmon resonance condition. The proposed biosensor has the potential to provide high sensitivity, accuracy, and large operating range of hemoglobin detection, along with much higher resolution compared with existing methods, thereby opening an easy and reliable window for biomedical applications.