A Highly Integrated and Diminutive Fluorescence Detector for Point-of-Care Testing: Dual Negative Feedback Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Drive and Photoelectric Processing Circuits Design and Implementation

Abstract

As an important detection tool in biochemistry, fluorescence detection has wide applications. Quantitative detection can be achieved by detecting fluorescence signals excited by excitation light at a specific wavelength range. Therefore, the key to fluorescence detection is the stable control of the excitation light and the accurate acquisition of weak photoelectric signals. Moreover, to improve portability and instantaneity, devices are developing in miniaturization and integration. As the core of such devices, fluorescence detectors should also have these features. Under this circumstance, we designed a highly integrated and diminutive fluorescence detector and focused on its excitation light driving and photoelectric signal processing. A current–light dual negative feedback light-emitting diode (LED) driving circuit was proposed to obtain constant current and luminance. In addition, a silicon photodiode (PD) was used to receive and convert the fluorescence signal to an electric signal. Then, amplifying, filtering, and analog-to-digital (A/D) converting were applied to make the detection of weak fluorescence signals possible. The test results showed that the designed circuit has wonderful performance, and the detector shows good linearity (R2 = 0.9967) and sensitivity (LOD = 0.077 nM) in the detection of fluorescein sodium solution. Finally, a real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) of Legionella pneumophila was carried out on a homemade platform equipped with this detector, indicating that the detector met the requirements of real-time PCR detection.