Various animals possess superior sensory abilities compared to humans. Drawing inspiration from the Papilio xuthus butterfly's remarkable vision, scientists have created an imaging sensor that can "see" into the ultraviolet (UV) range, using stacked photodiodes and perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs).
This technology can differentiate between cancer cells and normal cells with 99% accuracy by analyzing biomedical markers' spectral signatures. The research, titled "Bioinspired, vertically stacked, and perovskite nanocrystal-enhanced CMOS imaging sensors for resolving UV spectral signatures," was published in Science Advances.
Butterfly-Inspired Biosensor Reveals Hidden Ultraviolet Secrets
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed an imaging sensor inspired by the visual system of butterflies. Unlike humans, butterflies can perceive multiple regions in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum.
The researchers created a camera that replicates this functionality using novel perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) combined with silicon imaging technology. This camera can detect multiple UV regions, which is challenging for humans due to our inability to see UV light.
Butterflies' ability to detect small variations in the UV spectrum is intriguing. UV light is typically absorbed by most materials, making it difficult to capture. Butterflies, with their compound eyes and multiple photoreceptor classes, excel at perceiving a broad range of colors and details in their environment. They even have fluorescent pigments that convert UV light into visible light for their photoreceptors.
To replicate this UV sensing mechanism, the researchers used a thin layer of PNCs and a tiered array of silicon photodiodes in their imaging sensor. PNCs are excellent at detecting UV and lower wavelengths, absorbing UV photons and re-emitting visible (green) light, which the silicon photodiodes detect. This sensor can be used to map and identify UV signatures, with potential applications in various fields.
That means the bioinspired imaging sensor can differentiate between cancer cells and normal cells with 99% confidence based on the fluorescent properties of cancer-related markers under UV light.
The technology may find applications in surgery by helping surgeons determine the extent of tissue removal during cancer operations, ensuring clear margins. Additionally, the sensor opens new possibilities for studying species capable of UV vision, both on land and underwater, providing insights into their behavior and habitats.
How Do Butterflies See
Butterflies possess a remarkable ability to perceive a multitude of colors, far beyond the visual range of humans. Their color vision varies across species, but most butterflies can distinguish a wide spectrum of colors that includes UV, violet, blue, green, and red, spanning wavelengths from 300 nm to 700 nm.
The diversity in color vision among butterflies is essential for their daily activities, such as finding food, identifying flowers, and recognizing mates.
The secret to butterflies' exceptional color vision lies in their eyes, which house multiple types of photoreceptor cells. These light-sensing cells include UV, violet, blue, green, red, and broadband receptors, enabling them to detect an array of colors with varying wavelengths.
In comparison, the human eye has only three types of photoreceptor cells, granting us trichromatic vision, whereas some butterfly species, like the common bluebottle butterfly, possess as many as 15 types of photoreceptors.
This extensive range of photoreceptor cells in butterflies provides them with a vivid and diverse view of the world, allowing them to perceive a colorful spectrum that goes beyond our human capabilities.
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