A comparative study of efficiencies of fibre optic and prism TIRF sensors

A comparative study of the respective performances of total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) prisms and fibre optic sensors in terms of their detection capabilities is presented. Theoretical models based on geometrical considerations described the excitation and collection efficiencies of the two optical systems. The models are shown to be in excellent agreement with the experimental TIRF obtained from the adsorption of albumin onto prism or fibre surfaces. Improvements in system performance, based on optimization of the optical configurations, have been evaluated. The studies demonstrate that, in terms of the requirements of biosensor devices, in which compactness and high efficiencies are paramount, fibre optic systems are superior to prism systems.