Detection of HER2 breast cancer biomarker using the opto-fluidic ring resonator biosensor

Protein biomarkers have recently been heavily researched in their roles in the detection, quantification, and monitoring of aggressive types of breast cancer. In this work, we describe a novel, label-free approach for detecting the HER2 extra-cellular domain breast cancer biomarker in human serum samples using the opto-fluidic ring resonator (OFRR). The OFRR incorporates microfluidics and optical ring resonator sensing technology to achieve rapid label-free detection in a small and low-cost platform. In this study, HER2 proteins were spiked in serum at varying concentrations. Results show that the OFRR is able to detect HER2 at medically relevant concentrations in serum ranging from 13 to 100 ng/mL in 30 min. Our work will lead to a device that can be used as a tool for monitoring disease progression in a low-cost sensing setup. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.