Detection Method

• US 20030168587A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artificial Sensing Instruments ASI AG
• Original Assignee: Artificial Sensing Instruments ASI AG
• Inventors: Tiefenthaler, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 6,818,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/281
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7746 the waveguide coupled to a cavity resonator
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/164 Laser desorption/ionisation, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] sample holders H01J49/0418

Abstract

The described systematics for detecting a substance or substances in a sample or in a matrix of samples, by way of the combination of detection methods on the one hand based on direct detection with integrated optical (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structures and on the other hand based on a mass-spectrometric detection effected by way of a desorption process, permit an increase of the detection security and/or detection sensitivity.

Claims

1. A method for the detection of a substance or of substances in a sample or in a matrix of samples, characterised in that

(a) the substance to be detected or the substances to be detected is separated from the sample or matrix of samples with an integrated optical (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor-chip plate based on at least one (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structure unit or (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor location, or with an integrated optical (bio)chemo-sensitive micro-array based on at least one (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structure unit or (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor location, or with an integrated optical (bio)chemo-sensitive lab-on-chip based on at least one (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structure unit or (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor location,

(b) a detection of the substance or the substances is effected during or after the separation with the help of a light wave which has an evanescent field and which at least partly is guided in the waveguide structure

(c) a detection of the substance or the substances or of substance parts on selected (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structure units or on selected (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor locations is effected by desorption and ionisation of the substance or the substances or of substance parts with the help of a mass spectrometer.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the (bio)chemo-sensitive layer at least partly covers the waveguide grating structure unit or the sensor location of a waveguide grating.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the (bio)chemo-sensitive layer covers a diffracting part of a waveguide grating structure unit.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the (bio)chemo-sensitive layer covers a non-diffracting part of a waveguide grating structure unit.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the waveguide grating or the waveguide grating structure unit contains a uni-diffractive waveguide grating.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the waveguide grating or the waveguide grating structure unit contains a multi-diffractive waveguide grating.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that a waveguide grating structure unit consists of two waveguide gratings lying next to one another, both waveguide gratings belong to the same waveguide grating structure unit and the non-diffracting distance between the two waveguide gratings is part of the waveguide grating structure unit.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the waveguide grating structure unit consists of two part-waveguide grating structures lying next to one another and the non-diffracting distance between the two part-waveguide grating structures is part of the waveguide grating structure.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the waveguide grating or the waveguide grating structure contains a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array of sensor locations.

10. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate is a micro-plate.

11. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate or the micro-array or the lab-on-chip comprises a glass substrate.

12. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate or the micro-array or the lab-on-chip comprises a polymer substrate.

13. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate or the micro-array or the lab-on-chip comprises a removable sample accommodating device or sample holder device.

14. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate or the micro-array or the lab-on-chip comprises a sample accommodating device or a sample holding device of glass.

15. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor chip plate or the micro-array or the lab-on-chip comprises a sample accommodating device or a sample holder device of polymer.

16. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the desorption and ionisation is effected by shooting with a pulsed laser.

17. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that a (bio)chemo-sensitive waveguide grating structure unit with accumulated analyte or a (bio)chemo-sensitive sensor location of a waveguide grating with accumulated analyte is provided with a MALDI matrix.

18. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the desorption and ionisation is effected via a MALDI step.

19. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the mass spectrometer is a time-of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer or a quadrupole mass spectrometer.