A deep-blue OLED-based biochip for protein microarray fluorescence detection

Integrated biochips exploit a multi-disciplinary approach to produce portable point-of-care medical diagnostic systems that uncouple diagnosis from centralized laboratories. These portable devices are cost effective and have several advantages including broader accessibility to health care worldwide. Fluorescence detection of a disease-specific probe excited by an optical source is one of the most diffused methods for quantitative analysis on biochips. Here we designed and characterized a miniaturized biochip based on a novel deep-blue organic light-emitting diode. The molecular design of the diode was optimized to excite a fluorophore-conjugated antibody and tested on a protein microarray configuration with good sensitivity and specificity. These findings will be instrumental for the development of next generation point-of-care biochips.

► Fluorescence-based point of care diagnosis requires cost effective optical sources.
► A novel deep-blue organic light-emitting diode was optimized for emission at 430 nm.
► The OLED was tested on a protein microarray with good sensitivity and specificity.
► These results will be instrumental for the development of next generation point-of-care biochips.