IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,472,026
Granted Patent B2
US 8,472,026 · App. 12/820,144 · Granted Jun 25, 2013

Compact surface plasmon resonance apparatus and method

Inventor: Chian Chiu Li (San Jose, CA)
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,472,026
App. No.
12/820,144
Granted
Jun 25, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A miniaturized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is introduced for on-chip applications. The sensor's sensing surface is arranged in between a light source and detector. The structure facilitates building a SPR device on a chip. In one embodiment, a prism and light source are placed on top of a detector chip. In another embodiment, a self-mixing interferometer is incorporated to enable highly sensitive phase measurement. Other embodiments include SPR systems with integrated optical power monitors or on-chip microfluidic SPR systems.

Claims (33)

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

1) an optical body adapted in operation for mounting a measurement area comprising a material which is capable of supporting plasmonic phenomenon;

2) a light source for providing a first beam, said first beam arranged for generating said plasmonic phenomenon in said measurement area and producing a second beam;

3) said apparatus arranged such that said plasmonic phenomenon affects said second beam; and

4) a detector for measuring said second beam, said detector arranged such that said detector is positioned in substantial proximity to a plane which said measurement area overlaps, said apparatus arranged such that said plane is in between said light source and said detector or said plane overlaps said detector.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the following items are integrated together: said light source, said optical body, and said detector.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said detector includes a detector array.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first beam is split into a plurality of beam portions for performing a plurality of measurements, said beam portions being spaced apart.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including differential means for performing differential measurements.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including interference means for performing measurements using interference and phase difference.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including fluidic means for transporting a sample under test by fluidic media.

8. An optical apparatus comprising:

1) an optical body adapted in operation for mounting a measurement area comprising a material which is capable of supporting plasmonic phenomenon;

2) a light source for providing a first beam, said first beam being collimated, said first beam arranged for generating said plasmonic phenomenon in said measurement area and producing a second beam;

3) said apparatus arranged such that said plasmonic phenomenon affects said second beam; and

4) a detector for measuring said second beam, said apparatus arranged such that said detector and said optical body are integrated and said detector is positioned within a 20 millimeter distance to a plane which said measurement area overlaps.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said light source and said optical body are integrated.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said detector includes a detector array.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first beam is split into a plurality of beam portions for performing a plurality of measurements, said beam portions being spaced apart.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further including differential means for performing differential measurements.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further including interference means for performing measurements using interference method.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further including fluidic means for transporting a sample under test by fluidic media.

15. An optical apparatus comprising:

1) an optical body adapted in operation for mounting a measurement area comprising a material which is capable of supporting plasmonic phenomenon;

2) a light source for providing a first beam with radiation capable of generating said plasmonic phenomenon;

3) interference means for splitting said first beam by wavefront division, producing a first and a second beam portion, and mixing said first and second beam portions for generating interference;

4) said apparatus arranged such that said plasmonic phenomenon affects at least one of said first and second beam portions; and

5) a detector for measuring said interference.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein at least two of the following items are integrated together: said light source, said optical body, and said detector.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said detector includes a detector array.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said interference means is arranged such that the beam width of at least one of said first and second beam portions is smaller than its wavelength.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15 , further including differential means for performing differential measurements.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15 , further including fluidic means for transporting a sample under test by fluidic media.

Continuity (1)
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