Design and Analysis of a Single-Core PCF-based SPR Biosensor for Sensitivity Improvement in Skin and Blood Cancer Detection

Cancer detection remains one of the most critical challenges in healthcare, requiring the development of innovative tools for precise early diagnosis and appropriate treatment recommendations. This study presents a single-core photonic crystal fiber-based surface plasmon resonance (PCF-SPR) biosensor, which includes optimized air-hole geometries for probing blood (Jurkat) and skin (Basal) cancer cells. To ensure the stability of the proposed biosensor, gold is incorporated to initiate plasmonic properties, while titanium dioxide is used as a binding layer. The numerical results revealed that this single-core PCF-SPR biosensor could be a promising instrument for the early level free identification of cancer with its improved sensitivity, flexibility and simplicity compared to the existing designs. This suggested biosensor was developed and numerically analyzed utilizing the finite element method (FEM). Two sensor configurations were assessed, where the second model containing rectangular air holes showed significantly improved performance for cancer cells detection. The findings showed exceptional wavelength sensitivities of 6000 nm RIU^-1 for Basal cells and 12,857.14 nm RIU^-1 for Jurkat cells, in addition to elevated amplitude sensitivity and resolution. This enhancement in sensors’ performance can drastically improve label-free diagnostics, thereby facilitating the development of personalized healthcare strategies and improving patient outcomes.