Fluorescence sensing

• US 20030228682A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Original Assignee: University of Maryland Baltimore County (University of Maryland)
• Inventors: Geddes, Chris D., Lakowicz, Joseph R.
• Application Number:
  US10/426,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20030228682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6408 with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for detecting or measuring the presence of a compound capable of fluorescing in a sample. The Apparatus may contain a metal particle and a compound capable of fluorescing separated by at least one film spacer layer. The thickness of the film enhances the fluorescence of said compound due to the distance of the compound from the metal particle. The method includes spacing the compound at a distance from a metal particle, which provides an enhanced fluorescence intensity of the compound, exposing the compound to radiation and detecting the fluorescent emission. The Apparatus may also be in the form of multiple metal particles in a porous three dimensional matrix. The method also includes flowing the compound through a porous three dimensional matrix comprising multiple metal particles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting or measuring the presence of a compound capable of fluorescing in a sample comprising a metal in the form of a particle or a film, at least one film spacer layer, said compound capable of fluorescing, and a source of irradiation, wherein the metal particle or metal film and the compound are separated by said at least one film spacer layer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal comprises silver or gold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal comprises silver.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal is in the form of a metal film.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises multiple metal particles in the form of islands on a substrate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises multiple metal particles in the form of islands located between two substrates.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal is in the form of a particle selected from the group consisting of a metal colloid particle, a metal-silica composite or a metal particle in a polymeric material.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film spacer layer comprises a polymer film.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the film spacer layer comprises a PVA polymer film.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film spacer layer comprises a layer formed from a fatty acid by a Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said fatty acid is arachidic acid.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film spacer layer comprises silica.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the metal is in the form of a particle embedded in said silica.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compound is an inherent fluorophore.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compound is attached to an extrinsic fluorophore.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said film spacer layer is chosen so as to enhance the fluorescence of said compound due to the distance of said compound from said metal.

18. An apparatus for detecting or measuring the presence of a compound capable of fluorescing in a sample, comprising metal particles, said compound capable of fluorescing, a porous substrate in the form of a three dimensional matrix and a source of irradiation, wherein the metal particles are on the surface of the porous substrate or the metal particles are embedded in the porous substrate.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the porous substrate comprises porous silica or porous glass.

20. The material according to claim 18, wherein the porous substrate comprises the metal particles in a polymer matrix.

21. An apparatus for detecting or measuring the presence of a compound capable of fluorescing in a sample comprising metal particles, said compound capable of fluorescing, and a source of irradiation, wherein the metal particles form a porous three dimensional matrix.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the metal particles comprises metal particles selected from the group consisting of metal colloid particles and metal-silica composite particles.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the multiple metal particles comprise binary linked particles.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix comprises agglomerated metal particles.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix is in the form of a lens.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix is in the form of a corrugated matrix surface.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix filters molecules according to size.

28. A method for detecting the presence of a compound comprising:

spacing the compound at a distance from a metal particle with a film spacer layer;

exposing the compound to radiation; and

detecting the fluorescent emission,

wherein the distance provides an enhanced fluorescence intensity of the compound.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the compound is between two film spacer layers located on two substrates with multiple metal particles in the form of islands on the film spacer layers.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the film spacer layer comprises a spin coated PVA polymer film.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the film spacer layer comprises at least one layer formed from a fatty acid by a Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said fatty acid is arachidic acid.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the film spacer layer comprises silica.

34. A method for detecting the presence of a compound comprising:

flowing said compound through a porous three dimensional matrix comprising multiple metal particles;

exposing the compound to radiation; and

detecting a fluorescent emission,

wherein the metal particles provide an enhanced fluorescence intensity of the compound.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the metal particles comprise metal particles selected from the group consisting of metal colloid particles and metal-silica composite particles.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the multiple metal particles comprise binary linked particles.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix comprises agglomerated metal particles.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix comprises metal particles in a polymer matrix.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the metal particles are on the surface of the porous substrate or the metal particles are embedded in the porous substrate.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the porous three dimensional matrix filters molecules according to size.