Patent · US Expired

Process and a device for the detection of surface plasmons

US5792667A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
4References
42Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 15, 1995
Grant dateAug 11, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 15, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N27/002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and device for detecting surface plasmons. According to the invention, the surface plasmons are excited by radiation energy in a thin material layer and, on decaying, release heat producing a temperature rise in the material layer. To simplify the detection of the surface plasmons technically and at the same time especially to attain a good lateral and temporal resolution, an electro-thermal sensor allocated to the material layer measures a parameter of the layer in the irradiation region at the same time as the temperature rise and emits a signal corresponding to that parameter. An ultra-thin-film thermometer is, in particular, used to detect the surface plasmons. The process and device are applicable especially to the field of bio and immuno sensory analysis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.