Surface plasmon resonance

US6753188B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · GB

Inventors

• Elaine A Perkins · Salisbury, GB
• David James Squirrell · Salisbury, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 3, 2002
• Grant date: Jun 22, 2004
• Expiry date: Jun 3, 2022

Classification

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

Abstract

The surface plasmon resonance apparatus (1) for detecting a soluble and/or particulate analyte comprises a prism sensor (2) providing a metallised sensor surface (3) capable of binding the analyte, and a laser (10) providing a beam (4) for direction at the sensor surface (3). A detector (5) is provided which is capable of detecting light (6), which is internally reflected from the sensor surface (3). Displacement means (7) comprising a vibrator (8) and mirror (9), is operable whereby the excitation beam (4) is displaced over an angular range (A) relative to the sensor surface (3). An analyte sample (15) is disposed on the metallic sensor (3). The detector (5) is used to interpret the light signals (6) internally reflected from the sensor surface (3) so that the sample (15) is analysed. A video camera system (16), which includes a mirror (17), microscope objective (18) and CCD (charge-coupled device) array (19), is used to detect the scattered light emitted from the upper face of the sensor surface (3).