Inventors:
William J. H. Bender - Lancaster PA
Raymond E. Dessy - Blacksburg VA
Assignee:
The Center for Innovative Technology - Herndon VA
International Classification:
G01N 2155
Abstract:
An optical fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor includes both a metal layer and an overlay or underlay material on its surface. Existing fiber based SPR devices are inherently incapable of monitoring aqueous systems which have a refractive index ranging between 1. 33 and 1. 35, and existing prism based SPR sensors have proved too cumbersome for online chemical and biochemical analyses. Inclusion of the overlay or underlay material on the SPR sensor allows monitoring media with a refractive index from 1. 00 to the 1. 39 barrier and above. Hence, the SPR sensor allows monitoring important biochemical and chemical aqueous processes where the media typically have a refractive index between 1. 33 and 1. 35. In operation, samples are simply applied to the sensing region of the SPR sensor where the metal layer and overlay or underlay materials are coated, introducing a polarized beam of light into the optical fiber, and detecting surface plasmon resonance. The optical fiber can be positioned in a flow cell for on line operations where media are simply moved past the sensing region of the SPR sensor or can be part of a dip stick which is used for batch processes.