Fiber optic apparatus for detecting molecular species by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
First Claim
1. In apparatus for detecting one or more molecular species in a liquid medium by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, the combination comprising:
- at least one optical fiber having a light transmissive core and having a coating of metal on at least a portion thereof, said coating being sufficiently thin to transmit light, said metal being one which enhances emission of Raman signals by substances adsorbed on the surface of the coating when probe light is scattered by said substances,light source means for directing said probe light into said optical fiber, anddetector means for detecting Raman signals in light which is emitted from said optical fiber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Optrode apparatus for detecting constituents of a fluid medium includes an optical fiber (13, 13a to 13e) having a metal coating (22, 22a to 22e) on at least a portion of a light transmissive core (17, 17a to 17d). The metal is one, such as silver, gold or copper, which enhances emission of Raman signal frequencies by molecules adsorbed on the surface of the coating when monochromatic probe light of a different frequency is scattered by such molecules and the metal coating is sufficiently thin to transmit light between the absorbed molecules and the core of the fiber. Probe light is directed into one end of the fiber and a detector (16, 16d, 16e) analyzes light emitted from the fiber for Raman frequencies that identify one or more particular molecular species. In one form, the optrode (13e) may function as a working electrode of an electrochemical cell (53) while also serving to detect the products of oxidation or reduction reactions which occur at the electrode surface.
69 Citations
23 Claims
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1. In apparatus for detecting one or more molecular species in a liquid medium by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, the combination comprising:
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at least one optical fiber having a light transmissive core and having a coating of metal on at least a portion thereof, said coating being sufficiently thin to transmit light, said metal being one which enhances emission of Raman signals by substances adsorbed on the surface of the coating when probe light is scattered by said substances, light source means for directing said probe light into said optical fiber, and detector means for detecting Raman signals in light which is emitted from said optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for detecting one or more substances in a fluid medium comprising:
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an optical fiber having a light transmissive core with first and second opposite ends, a coating of metal on said core at least in the vicinity of said first end thereof, said coating being sufficiently thin to transmit light between said core and substances adsorbed on the surface of said coating, said metal being one which enhances Raman signal emission by said substances in response to probe light, a monochromatic probe light source, detector means for detecting specific frequencies of light, and means for directing probe light from said source into said second end of said optical fiber and for directing light which is emitted from said optical fiber to said detector means.
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- 18. An optical fiber probe for use in detecting one or more constituents of a fluid, comprising an optical fiber having a light transmissive core and a metallic coating on at least a portion of said core, the metal of said coating being one which enhances emission of Raman signal light by substances adsorbed on the surface of the coating and the metal coating being sufficiently thin to transmit light between said core and said adsorbed substances.
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23. Apparatus for detecting one or more molecular species in the electrolytic liquid of an electrochemical cell while functioning as an electrode of said cell, comprising:
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at least one optical fiber having a light transmissive core and having a metal coating extending along at least a portion of the side surface of said core, said coating being sufficiently thin to enable light transmission between said core and the outer surface of said coating and the metal of said coating being one which enhances emission of Raman signal frequencies by molecules adsorbed on said coating surface, means for directing probe light into an end of said optical fiber, means for detecting Raman signals which are emitted from said optical fiber, and a contact layer of electrically conductive material on a portion of said optical fiber, said layer being in contact with said metal coating and being thicker than said metal coating enabling connection of an electrical conductor of said cell to said thin metal coating.
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Specification