Self-referenced, microdegree, optical rotation polarimeter for biomedical applications: an analysis.

We comprehensively analyze the performance of a type of optical rotation (OR) polarimeter, which has been designed from the outset to fit the special requirements of two major applications: general chiral detection during the separation of optical isomers by high-pressure liquid chromatography systems in the pharmaceutical industry, and monitoring of glucose in the interstitial fluid of diabetics by a fully implanted long-term optical sensor. Both very demanding applications call for an OR polarimeter that can be miniaturized while maintaining high resolution and accuracy in the microdegree range in the face of considerable noise from various sources. These two characteristics—miniature size and immunity to noise—set this polarimeter apart from the traditional OR polarimeters currently in use, which are both bulky and very susceptible to noise. The following detailed analysis demonstrates the advantages of this polarimeter and its potential as an analytic and diagnostic tool.