Work

Detecting, quantifying and distinguishing malarial species with surface plasmon microscope

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this work we develop a refractive index-based methodology with a surface plasmon microscope to detect, then quantize and eventually differentiate various malarial species in human whole blood. A nanometric flat metal surface can support surface plasmons. The plasmon propagates along the metal surface with a propagation constant that reveals a direct dependency on a refractive index in the optical near field of the surface. This surface plasmon microscope is a sensitive measurement probe for the refractive index with standard deviation ∼10 −4 on the metal surface. Whole blood samples from patients infected with malaria were evaluated. The quantification of unprocessed whole blood infected with 2000 parasites/µl of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species revealed significant differences in refractive index ∼10 −1 AU. While that with 200 parasites/µl of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species revealed differences in refractive index ∼ 10 −2 AU.

Source: Sensors and Actuators A Physical

DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2025.116780

Authors: Ipsita Chakraborty, Justus Bednar, Andreas Offenhäusser

Institution: Forschungszentrum Jülich

Language: English

Topic: Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750