Surface plasmon resonance sensor for the simultaneous measurement of a plurality of samples in fluid form

US6373577B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Graffinity Pharmaceutical Design GmbH · DE
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Bräuer · Schlöben, DE
• Norbert Danz · Jena, DE
• Kristina Schmidt · Heidelberg, DE
• Dirk Vetter · Heidelberg, DE
• Ralf Waldhausl · Jena, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 20, 2000
• Grant date: Apr 16, 2002
• Expiry date: Jul 20, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N21/553
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a surface plasmon resonance sensor for the simultaneous measurement of a plurality of samples present in fluid form. The aim of the invention is to provide such a sensor which can be arranged into a defined array and where the surface plasmon resonance sensors can be produced using technology which is simpler and more economical than those produced according to the prior art. To this end several strip-like optical wave guides (2) are arranged on a planar support (1) at a defined distance to each other in such a way that their front faces (21, 22) are flush with opposite sides (11, 12) of the planar support (1). Each strip-like optical wave guide (2) in a section which is to be brought into contact with the fluid samples has at least one thin metal layer (3) which permits the excitation of surface plasmons. Means (14) are provided for which separate the measurement zones of the individual thin metal layers (3) from each other in such a way that each of the optical wave guides (2) can be assigned to only one sample.