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G. Palani et al.
the results, and they will be available in a fraction of time. However, this sensor
is still not available to calculate the concentration of the coronavirus in the air by
this time of need. The research is focussed mainly in the developmental methods
to make this possible for instance, the pathogen that spreads in the environment/air,
reduces/removes the aerosols in the air and the RNA is releasing from the viruses it
takes some more time to use this product [44].
While the biosensor is not an alternative to clinical diagnostics, the scientists
see the system potentially operating in crowded environments. For ease of use, the
integrated system will be a portable device that can be used for rapid detection in
public areas, such as train stations and hospitals [45, 46]. To find the virus on time
and accurately, the sensor combines two different effects: optical and thermal.
Because the coronavirus genome is a single RNA strand, the sensor features a false
DNA receptor that matches with the specified RNA sequences of the COVID-19. The
receptors are usually mounted on the sensor’s gold “nanoisland,” which are placed
on a glass substrate. The biosensor is based on an optical process termed as localized
surface plasmon resonance, or LSPR. The nanostructures made of metallic, while
moving, modulate the particular light in a correct wavelength range and form a plasmonic near-field region near the nanostructure [47]. The confined refractive index in
the exciting near-field plasmonic region modifies its position when molecules attach
to the surface [48]. The thermal aspect of the sensor offers secondary confirmation
of detection. To maintain a constant high temperature to eliminate nonspecific bindings, a laser is applied to the sensor during the whole detection process [49]. The
plasmonic photothermal (PPT) effect produces localized heat and raises the ambient
temperature, allowing only the RNA strands of the virus to join with the nanoisland
receptors [50, 51].
To demonstrate the sensor’s accuracy, the researcher tested their sensor’s ability to
detect SARS-CoV, a closely connected virus. In 2003, pandemic broke out the SARSCorona virus, which triggered the SARS pandemic, and its RNA only differs slightly.
From the result, the sensor could differentiate between the exact RNA sequences of
the two different viruses [52, 53].
Our proposed dual-functional plasmonic technology can accurately discriminate
against the viral sequence and perform quantitative detection. Therefore, we hope
that it can be applied to study the transmission of airborne viruses and assess the virus
threat in the air. To achieve this aim, it requires a fully integrated system [54]. This
system will contain several important subunits including the air sampling unit and
these developed biosensors. For ease of use, the integrated system will be a portable
device that can be used for rapid detection in public areas, such as train stations and
hospitals.
We need to further integrate the air sampling unit and biological processing unit
into the final system. These two subunits can facilitate the online fast detection of
airborne virus by collecting the airborne virus and extracting the viral sequence. We
are currently working on these developmental works in parallel [55, 56]. At present,
this new type of optical sensor has demonstrated its practical potential. We hope
that more efforts can participate in the development of similar novel technologies.
Although some of these emerging technologies cannot be put into use in the short
G. Palani et al.
the results, and they will be available in a fraction of time. However, this sensor
is still not available to calculate the concentration of the coronavirus in the air by
this time of need. The research is focussed mainly in the developmental methods
to make this possible for instance, the pathogen that spreads in the environment/air,
reduces/removes the aerosols in the air and the RNA is releasing from the viruses it
takes some more time to use this product [44].
While the biosensor is not an alternative to clinical diagnostics, the scientists
see the system potentially operating in crowded environments. For ease of use, the
integrated system will be a portable device that can be used for rapid detection in
public areas, such as train stations and hospitals [45, 46]. To find the virus on time
and accurately, the sensor combines two different effects: optical and thermal.
Because the coronavirus genome is a single RNA strand, the sensor features a false
DNA receptor that matches with the specified RNA sequences of the COVID-19. The
receptors are usually mounted on the sensor’s gold “nanoisland,” which are placed
on a glass substrate. The biosensor is based on an optical process termed as localized
surface plasmon resonance, or LSPR. The nanostructures made of metallic, while
moving, modulate the particular light in a correct wavelength range and form a plasmonic near-field region near the nanostructure [47]. The confined refractive index in
the exciting near-field plasmonic region modifies its position when molecules attach
to the surface [48]. The thermal aspect of the sensor offers secondary confirmation
of detection. To maintain a constant high temperature to eliminate nonspecific bindings, a laser is applied to the sensor during the whole detection process [49]. The
plasmonic photothermal (PPT) effect produces localized heat and raises the ambient
temperature, allowing only the RNA strands of the virus to join with the nanoisland
receptors [50, 51].
To demonstrate the sensor’s accuracy, the researcher tested their sensor’s ability to
detect SARS-CoV, a closely connected virus. In 2003, pandemic broke out the SARSCorona virus, which triggered the SARS pandemic, and its RNA only differs slightly.
From the result, the sensor could differentiate between the exact RNA sequences of
the two different viruses [52, 53].
Our proposed dual-functional plasmonic technology can accurately discriminate
against the viral sequence and perform quantitative detection. Therefore, we hope
that it can be applied to study the transmission of airborne viruses and assess the virus
threat in the air. To achieve this aim, it requires a fully integrated system [54]. This
system will contain several important subunits including the air sampling unit and
these developed biosensors. For ease of use, the integrated system will be a portable
device that can be used for rapid detection in public areas, such as train stations and
hospitals.
We need to further integrate the air sampling unit and biological processing unit
into the final system. These two subunits can facilitate the online fast detection of
airborne virus by collecting the airborne virus and extracting the viral sequence. We
are currently working on these developmental works in parallel [55, 56]. At present,
this new type of optical sensor has demonstrated its practical potential. We hope
that more efforts can participate in the development of similar novel technologies.
Although some of these emerging technologies cannot be put into use in the short