abstract
- © 2015 SPIE.Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a wave phenomenon occurring at a metal-dielectric interface. A SPR-based biosensor operates by monitoring changes in the refractive index close to the interface that are produced in response to the interaction between the analyte and the receptors immobilized on the metal's surface. The performance of these sensors depends on many parameters, including channel geometry, material properties and parameters related to chemical interaction between the analyte and immobilized receptors. This paper presents an integrated model that predicts the sensitivity of an SPR-based sensing platform under the Kretschmann configuration. The model uses the analytical solution of the differential equations that describe the analyte-bioreceptor interaction to correlate changes in analyte concentration to changes in refractive index at the sensing surface. These results are then connected with COMSOL simulations that relate changes in refractive index to changes in the SPR reflectivity curves. The resultant relations are integrated and the model is evaluated under different scenarios. This model will aid in the optimization of assay parameters prior to experimentation for maximum sensitivity; saving both time and expensive chemical reagents during the experimental phase.