The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 2008
Filed:
Jul. 18, 2006
Joseph Lakowicz, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Zygmunt Gryczynski, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Chris Geddes, Baltimore, MD (US);
Joseph Lakowicz, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Zygmunt Gryczynski, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Chris Geddes, Baltimore, MD (US);
University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to optical structures and methods detecting the fluorescence of a molecule using metal-enhanced fluorescence. In particular, the invention describes the use of surface plasmon excitation for excitation of fluorophores near the metal surface and the efficient collection of the emission by coupling into the plasmon resonance and directing towards the detector. More particularly, the present invention makes use of the unique directionality of the plasmon induced fluorescence signal. The present invention is directed to optical structures using metal enhanced fluorescence including: an optical fiber having a conductive external coating; a light emitting diode (LED) having a conical shaped depression with curved sides on a front end surface, the curved sides having a conducting coating on the outer surface with respect to the LED.