This animation shows the potential for using optical microcavities as sensors in medical diagnostics.

Virus particles in a fluid pass though the sensor. When a particle is detected an optical field is activated to trap it so that it can be studied over a period of time and identified. This information is passed to a computer for ‘lab on a chip’ medical diagnostics.

Part of research carried out by Aurélien Trichet and Jason Smith, Department of Materials, University of Oxford.

Credit: scientific visualization and animation by Karl G. Nyman