An Automated Platform for Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Sensors

This article presents the design of an automated platform to quickly, efficiently, and accurately manipulate the components required for a typical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing instrument. In traditional SPR platforms, such parts are at prearranged and fixed positions. The proposed solution enables individual and group component movements by adjusting the alignment and positioning to ensure either the proper excitation and detection of the SPR. The platform's mechanical chassis is constructed with an aluminum V-slot profile and trapezoidal thread spindles and nuts to guide the components' displacement. An L-shaped frame specially designed for this purpose holds all the parts. Besides mechanical chassis, microcontrollers, motors, distance sensors, temperature sensors, and a touch-screen compose the automated platform components. The use of the so-called PPBIO biochip operating in the angular interrogation mode (AIM) demonstrates the platform's functioning. The obtained experimental results agree with the ones acquired with a similar but manually adjusted test platform.