Raptor: A Portable Biosensor Upgraded for Reliability and Sensitivity; Conference paper

摘要

The RAPTOR is a commercial, portable (5.6 kg) automated fiber optic biosensor able to detect up to four biological threat agents simultaneously. It performs rapid (5 to 13 minute) fluorescent sandwich immunoassays on the surface of four short polystyrene optical probes. The optical waveguide can be reused up to forty times, or until a positive result is obtained, reducing the logistical burden for field operations. The newest version of the RAPTOR uses the proven reliability of peristaltic pumps for its fluidics, which has greatly increased its mean time to failure. On the biochemical side, the use of Alexa Fluor 647 to label tracer antibodies and immobilization of biotinylated capture antibodies on avidincoated waveguides have improved signal generation by a factor of 5. In combination with improved optics, the new RAPTOR has improved limits of detection by a log order. Recently, we demonstrated the capability of the device to test for eight targets by combining multiple antibodies on each waveguide. These improvements make the RAPTOR ready for use wherever rapid on- site biodetection is required.