University of Washington

Timothy M Chinowsky

Sinclair S Yee

Clement E Furlong

Peter C Kauffman

Michael S Grow

Scott D Soelberg

Jared Tritz

Alexei N Naimushin

This specification discloses various improvements in the field of SPR sensing systems. One improvement relates to a portable SPR sensing system, e.g., a system contained within a suitcase that can be hand-carried to a monitoring site. Another improvement relates to a portable, cartridge-based SPR sensing system. In this system, selected portions of the system's electrical and fluidics systems are allocated between a base unit and a removable/disposable cartridge. Other improvements relate to methods or protocols for operating an SPR sensing system. Such methods provide for the elimination of false positives and increased sensitivity, e.g., by using secondary antibodies with specificity for different target epitopes and by sensor element redundancy. In addition, protocols are provided for the detection of small molecules. Such protocols may employ a competition type assay where the presence of the analyte inhibits the binding of antibodies to surface immobilized analyte, or a displacement assay, where antibodies bound to the analyte on the sensor surface are displaced by free analyte.

Portable and cartridge-based surface plasmon resonance sensing systems

A surface plasmon resonance imaging system () and method is provided. The system () includes a light source () comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) array that is positioned at the focal point of a collimating lens (). The light source () and collimating lens () are used to illuminate the substrate surface () at a range of angles dependent upon which one or more LEDs are lit. The substrate surface () receives light from the collimated lens () at a selected incident angle, which can be varied by selective illumination of one or more of the LEDs in the LED array. The system () further includes a detector () that is positioned such that it is capable of detecting an image reflected from the substrate surface ().

Surface plasmon resonance imaging system and method

SPR sensors and multisensors having capillary geometry. Sensors have a capillary substrate in which at least a portion of the inside surface of the capillary is provided with an SPR-sensing area. Samples for analysis are introduced into the capillary cavity. SPR is measured by radially illuminated the capillary SPR-sensing area with light having a TM-polarized component. Light reflected from the SPR-sensing area exiting radially from the capillary is detected at selected angles to obtain reflectivity as a function of incidence angle to determine RI of the sample in the vicinity of the SPR-sensing area. The capillary geometry is readily adaptable to simultaneous measurement of several optical properties of a given sample in addition to SPR by radial and/or axial illumination of the sample. Multisensors with capillary geometry which simultaneously measure SPR and bulk RI are provided. Multisensors which combine SPR measurements with fluorescence or chemiluminescence, Raman scattering, or absorption measurements are also provided.

Capillary surface plasmon resonance sensors and multisensors

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Timothy M Chinowsky