Molecularly Imprinted Waveguide Sensor for Water Contaminant Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting contaminants in water, such as bacteria and endotoxins, are inefficient and often require controlled conditions and additional reagents, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring and detecting inactive or denatured biological agents.
Innovation Solution
An optical sensor with a molecularly imprinted leaky mode waveguide that can detect changes in refractive index by retaining target entities like ribonuclease, allowing for real-time monitoring of water purity without the need for additional reagents or active biological agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior art methods are used to detect bacteria and endotoxins, then detection of specific contaminants is possible, but the methods require controlled conditions and additional reagents, making them inefficient and unsuitable for continuous monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the detection function from complex biological assays to a simplified optical measurement system. By using a waveguide sensor that directly measures refractive index changes caused by contaminant binding to the molecularly imprinted polymer, the system eliminates the need for reagents, controlled conditions, and complex processing steps while maintaining reliable detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The molecularly imprinted polymer layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the sensing element and the selective binding agent. The waveguide structure itself provides the measurement mechanism without requiring external reagents or additional components, enabling the system to monitor contaminants autonomously and continuously
2Adaptability or versatility
If methods detecting live bacteria action are used, then live bacteria can be detected, but the methods are insensitive to endo-toxins, dead bacteria, or broken-down bacteria
Solution Approach 1:
The molecularly imprinted polymer layer is designed to universally bind to a class of molecules (such as ribonuclease) regardless of their biological state. The polymer's binding sites recognize specific molecular structures and functional groups that remain present in denatured or fragmented contaminants, enabling the single sensor to detect live bacteria, dead bacteria, endotoxins, and breakdown products with equal sensitivity
3Reliability
If enzyme detection methods are used, then recent bacterial presence can be indicated, but the enzymes must not be denatured to function, limiting detection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the biological enzymatic detection mechanism with a physical optical measurement system. Instead of relying on enzyme catalysis that requires functional proteins, the system uses refractive index measurement to detect the physical presence of contaminants bound to the polymer, enabling detection of denatured enzymes and proteins that would be invisible to biological assay methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sensor effectively detects a wide range of contaminants, including inactive or denatured biological agents, in real-time, enabling continuous monitoring and improving the efficiency of water purification systems.
Implementation Method 1
An evanescent wave associated with the guided mode extends into a biological sample
Implementation Method 2
monitoring changes in refractive index (or other optical properties) of a biological sample
Implementation Method 3
a sensing layer which is molecularly imprinted such that it will receive and retain target entities to be sensed
Implementation Method 4
the sensing layer receives at least some of the light... when the target entities are received and retained in the sensing layer
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4a~5
AI summary
An optical sensor comprising a waveguide having a sensing layer which is molecularly imprinted such that it will receive and retain target entities to be sensed, the optical sensor further comprising a detection apparatus arranged to detect a change of an optical property of the waveguide which occurs when the target entities are received and retained in the sensing layer.