Refractometric Dissolution Imaging in 1D and 2D with Nanoimprinted Distributed Feedback Dye Laser Sensors

For refratometric monitoring of dissolution, mixing, and biological processes high sensitivity and frame rate are beneficial. Here, we present high frame rate imaging refractometry with nanoimprinted, low detection limit, low-cost distributed feedback (DFB) dye laser sensors [1]. The omission of moving parts allows us to achieve a very high frame rate of up to 12 Hz and to improve the robustness of the imaging system. Monitoring in one spatial dimension of the dissolution of sucrose, salt, and bovine serum albumin in water is demonstrated and characteristic dissolution patterns are found. In addition, we present 2D imaging refractometry with a unique multi-resonance DFB laser structure [2,3]. References [1] C. Vannahme et al., “Nanoimprinted distributed feedback lasers comprising TiO2 thin films: Design guidelines for high performance sensing,” Laser Photonics Rev. (2013) [2] C. Vannahme et al., European patent application no. 14167484.6 (May 8, 2014). [3] C. Vannahme et al., “High frame rate multi-resonance imaging refractometry with distributed feedback dye laser sensor,” LSA, (in press)