University of Michigan

Heather Clark

Raoul Kopelman

Susan Barker

Martin A Philbert

Stephen J Parus

Eric Monson

Bjorn Thorsrud

Optical fiber sensors and fiberless optical sensors for measuring analytes, and in particular nitric oxide, are described utilizing metals, and more particularly, metal colloids. Proteins (or fragments thereof) with selective binding are immobilized on metal particles. The proteins may be dye-labeled for increased sensitivity.

Optical sensors for the detection of nitric oxide

Optical fiber sensors and fiberless optical sensors for measuring analytes, and in particular nitric oxide, are described utilizing metals, and more particularly, metal colloids. Proteins (or fragments thereof) with selective binding are immobilized on metal particles. The proteins may be dye-labeled for increased sensitivity. Additionally, metals functionally linked to reporter dyes are described in addition to the incorporation of reference compounds for ratiometric measurements.

Fiberless optical sensors (plasticized PVC, acrylamide or gold particles) are described having a size ranging from between approximately 1 micrometer and 1 nanometer in diameter. The sensors comprise ionophores useful for the detection of intracellular analytes.

Optical fiberless sensors

Fiber-optic sensors and fiberless sensors are made for measuring analytes, in particular nitric oxide. The sensors contain a compound specific for the analyte such a nitric oxide-binding compound. Fiber-optic sensors contain the compound immobilized on the tip of the fiber. The tip may be coated with an inert coating such as a metal layer and the compound is immobilized on the coating. Nitric oxide-binding compounds include heme-binding proteins, porphyrin group-containing proteins, heme group-containing proteins, dye-labeled porphyrin group-containing proteins and dye-labeled heme group-containing proteins. In a specific embodiment, dye-labeled cytochrome c&prime; such as fluorescein-labeled cytochrome c&prime; is immobilized on a fiber tip containing a gold colloid layer. The fiberless sensors are small enough to enter a single mammalian cell relatively non-invasively. Embodiments of the sensors include a polymer fiberless sensor containing a nitric oxide-binding compound and a polymer such as polyacrylamide, a sol-gel fiberless sensor containing a nitric oxide-binding compound entrapped in a matrix and a metal fiberless sensor containing a nitric oxide-binding compound immobilized on metal particles such as metal colloids.

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, CT, United States of America

Heather Clark