At-home blood phenylalanine measuring device for phenylketonuria and applications thereof

1. A handheld Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) device for detecting phenylalanine (Phe) in a sample collected from a subject, the device comprising:

a laser generator configured to produce a laser beam;

a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (NAAO) substrate configured to receive the sample collected from the subject; wherein the laser beam reaches the sample on the NAAO substrate and is reflected or deflected to produce a light signal; and

a light sensor configured to receive the light signal reflected or deflected from the sample;

wherein the device is handheld and detects the Phe in the sample;

wherein the NAAO substrate comprises a multilayered nanoporous aluminum layer.

2. The handheld SERS device according to claim 1 further comprising a beam splitter locates between the laser generator and the NAAO substrate.

3. The handheld SERS device according to claim 2 further comprising a bandpass filter located between the beam splitter and the light sensor;

wherein the bandpass filter selectively permits the light signal having certain wavelengths to pass through.

4. The handheld SERS device according to claim 3 , wherein the beam splitter permits the passing of the laser beam produced by the laser generator on one of its two sides, and is configured to reflect at least a portion of the light signal reflected or deflected by the sample on the NAAO substrate on the other of its two sides.

5. The handheld SERS device according to claim 3 , wherein the certain wavelengths are selected for determining the Phe in the sample.

6. The handheld SERS device according to claim 5 , wherein the light sensor is configured to receive the light signal passes through the bandpass filter.

7. The handheld SERS device according to claim 2 further comprising a test strip holder; wherein the test strip holder is configured to receive a test strip comprising the NAAO substrate.

8. The handheld SERS device according to claim 7 further comprising a focusing lens; wherein the focusing lens is disposed between the test strip holder and the beam splitter.

9. The handheld SERS device according to claim 7 , wherein the NAAO substrate is a gold layered NAAO substrate; wherein a gold layer is disposed on top of the NAAO substrate via a method of air-water-oil interfacial self-assembly.

10. The handheld SERS device according to claim 9 , wherein the NAAO substrate gold layer comprises gold nanoparticles.

11. The handheld SERS device according to claim 10 , wherein the gold nanoparticles are nanorods.

12. The handheld SERS device according to claim 10 , wherein the multilayered nanoporous aluminum layer comprises an ordered nanoporous alumina layer grown on top of an aluminum substrate.

13. The handheld SERS device according to claim 1 , wherein the NAAO substrate has a high surface to volume ratio.