Nezih Pala

Abstract

Cortisol, a steroid hormone is a known biomarker for various diseases and plays a significant role in the regulation of numerous physiological processes such as blood pressure, glucose levels, carbohydrate metabolism, and in maintenance of homeostasis of the cardiovascular, immune, renal and endocrine system. A major variation in the secretion range of the hormone has been related to the sustained and prolonged exposure to environmental triggers such as stress. Hence, cortisol is considered as the major stress hormone and therefore its quantification leads to stress bio-marking. The state-of-the-art cortisol detection techniques are mostly limited to the conventional laboratory-based techniques such as chromatography, radioimmunoassay, electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, surface plasmon resonance, quartz crystal microbalance and piezoelectric immunosensor. These laboratory techniques are not only expensive, laborious and time-consuming, but also they often require complex systems, assay formation complexity, large sample volume, and time-consuming incubation and separation steps, which limit its application to point-of-care (POC) application. Although several electrochemical immunosensing platforms have been developed recently for POC cortisol detection, they often require complex synthesis and fabrication steps involving the immobilizing matrix of high surface functionality, high biomolecule loading and small resistance to electron transport.FIU inventors have developed a simple label-free, fast and cost-effective sensing absorbance based optical detection technique for cortisol sensing using UV LEDs. The technology can be used in a variety of low-power electronics for wearable applications. The technology allows the incorporation of microfluidic systems into the optical sensor for enhanced POC applications. The optical sensor system can also be integrated with an appropriate specimen holder and peripheral electronics to be used with mobile electronic devices.

Benefit

Fast and Cost-effectiveLabel free.Portable (Point of Care applications)

Market Application

Monitor cortisol level for personal health monitoring and diagnosis with POC detection

Abstract

Scintillators are materials that exhibit luminescence when excited by ionizing radiation– such as X-rays and gamma rays. In other words, high energy rays are changed to visible light. Doped glass scintillators are favored over other scintillators because of their good mechanical, chemical, thermal, and absorbance properties. The issue that arises when considering doped glass scintillators is that the dopants need to be stable in their less stable, luminant, oxidation states. This shortcoming requires manufacturers to use additional reducing agents or reducing environments during the fabrication process. FIU inventors have invented alternative methods of fabricating doped glass scintillators. A stereolithography process is used, which is a three-dimensional printing technique that uses layering, and binding using visible light. Stereolithography allows for the doping to be carried out before the green body composite formation so that homogeneity of the dopant is improved. Vacuum sintering also assists with keeping the dopants in their luminescence-producing oxidation state, decreasing the need for additional reducing agents.

Benefit

· The need for additional reducing agents or reducing environments is reduced significantly · The dopant is stable in its luminescent oxidation state

Market Application

· Use for detection of ionizing radiation · Useful in the electrical power industry as spectral converters for solar cells · Use in medical imaging devices for diagnostics