University of Missouri

Cherian Joseph Mathai

Shubhra Gangopadhyay

Keshab Gangopadhyay

Sheila Ann Grant

Aaron Wood

Sangho Bok

Sagnik Basuray

Biyan Chen

Samiullah Pathan

Syed Barizuddin

The invention broadly relates techniques for imaging and medical diagnosis and, more particularly, to the fabrication of flexible plasmonic gratings and the use thereof in detection of biomarkers. A first aspect of the invention provides for techniques for the fabrication of novel, flexible plasmonic gratings that can be inexpensively fabricated onto fiber optic cables, flexible films and substrates with non-uniform surfaces to enhance the imaging resolution. A second aspect of the invention provides for an ultra&#xac;high sensitivity (single molecule counting) biomarker detection platform useable for medical diagnosis based on a fluorescent sandwich ELISA assay performed on a plasmonic grating platform incorporated with a fluorescence detection unit.

Detection of biomarkers using plasmonic gratings

Provided are nanograting structures and methods of fabrication thereof that allow for stable, robust gratings and nanostructure embedded gratings that enhance electromagnetic field, fluorescence, and photothermal coupling through surface plasmon or, photonic resonance. The gratings produced exhibit long term stability of the grating structure and improved shelf life without degradation of the properties such as fluorescence enhancement. Embodiments of the invention build nanograting structures layer-by-layer to optimize structural and optical properties and to enhance durability.

Fabrication of multilayer nanograting structures

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MO, United States of America

Cherian Joseph Mathai