Fiber Optic Biomed Fluorescence Sensing
A variety of chemical diagnostic procedures depend upon fluorescence of various chemistries to create a Stokes shift that must be detected and measured. The Stokes shifted emission is characteristically very low in amplitude, and must be carefully separated spectrally from the excitation wavelength and amplified at high gain.
SMA has developed proprietary software that enables us to optimize the spectral source and the excitation filter passband to the absorption band of the chemistry, and similarly optimize the filter passband for the emission of the chemistry. We have demonstrated the ability to properly predict signal levels and have developed amplification circuits that enable 6-7 orders of magnitude amplification with acceptable signal-to-noise ratio. With our intimate knowledge of LED spectra, we are often able to match an LED to the chemistry excitation band in a way that assures adequate Stokes shifted signal levels. If multiple flourophores are required to be present simultaneously, we have the ability to analyze and optimize the total system of narrow bandpass filters and spectral sources to minimize crosstalk and maximize signal levels.