EP0254575A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Polymer-coated optical structures
Assignee: Ars Holding 89 Nv Te Willemstad Nederlandse Ant
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Filing: 1987-07-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-07-23
Abstract
Abstract A method of treating the surface of an optical structure which comprises forming on said surface a thin layer of organic polymer using a solvent casting technique. Preferably the process includes the subsequent treatment of the polymer layer with a solution of a specific ligand. Complex formation between the bound ligand and its specific binding partner present in a sample to be analysed alters the optical properties of the diffraction grating surface and the change can form the basis of an assay method.
Inventors
- 👤 Robin Edward Godfrey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N33/543; G01N33/54366; G01N33/54373; G01N33/544; G01N33/551; G01N33/553; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S436/00; Y10S436/805
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
27 words
A method of treating the surface of an optical structure which comprises forming on said surface a thin layer of organic polymer using a solvent casting technique.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
27 words
A method of treating the surface of an optical structure which comprises forming on said surface a thin layer of organic polymer using a solvent casting technique.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of preparing a device for the detection of a ligand which comprises applying to the surface of an optical structure a thin layer of an organic polymer by means of a solvent casting technique and adsorbing on or binding to the said organic polymer, either directly or indirectly, a specific binding partner for the ligand it is desired to detect.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of preparing a device for the detection of a ligand which comprises applying to the surface of an optical structure a thin layer of an organic polymer by means of a solvent casting technique and adsorbing on or binding to the said organic polymer, either directly or indirectly, a specific binding partner for the ligand it is desired to detect.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the specific binding partner is an antigen or an antibody.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the organic polymer is activated prior to being contacted with the said specific binding partner, whereby binding of the specific binding partner to the organic polymer is facilitated.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
86 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the specific binding partner is an antibody, which comprises applying said antibody to at least one discrete region of the organic polymer surface so as to form one or more test regions and applying to at least one other discrete region of the polymer surface, so as to form one or more reference regions, a protein which does not specifically bind any ligand which may be present in the sample to be tested.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
19 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the optical structure is a diffraction grating.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the polymer is cellulose nitrate.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the polymer layer is 5 to l00 nanometers thick.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the surface of the optical structure comprises a metal film.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
l0. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the metal film is capable of supporting surface plasmon resonance.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
12 words
A method as claimed in claim l0 wherein the metal is silver.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of applying a polymer film to the surface of a metallised diffraction grating which comprises the steps of:- i) inserting a metallised polycarbonate diffraction grating into a bath containing the casting liquid, ii) forming a thin film of the desired polymer over the surface of the casting liquid, and iii) either raising the diffraction grating through the casting liquid to engage the film of polymer on the surface of the liquid or allowing the casting liquid to drain out of the bath so that the polymer film on the surface of the liquid drops as the liquid level drops until it engages and spreads over the surface of the diffraction grating, in either case the diffraction grating being located at a small angle to the horizontal to facilitate draining of the casting liquid from the surface of the diffraction grating.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of applying a polymer film to the surface of a metallised diffraction grating which comprises the steps of:- i) inserting a metallised polycarbonate diffraction grating into a bath containing the casting liquid, ii) forming a thin film of the desired polymer over the surface of the casting liquid, and iii) either raising the diffraction grating through the casting liquid to engage the film of polymer on the surface of the liquid or allowing the casting liquid to drain out of the bath so that the polymer film on the surface of the liquid drops as the liquid level drops until it engages and spreads over the surface of the diffraction grating, in either case the diffraction grating being located at a small angle to the horizontal to facilitate draining of the casting liquid from the surface of the diffraction grating.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
A biosensor for detecting a ligand comprising an optical structure bearing a thin layer of an organic polymer, which has been applied to the surface of the optical structure by a solvent casting technique, the said organic polymer having adsorbed thereon or bound thereto, either directly or indirectly, a specific binding partner for the ligand it is desired to detect.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A biosensor for detecting a ligand comprising an optical structure bearing a thin layer of an organic polymer, which has been applied to the surface of the optical structure by a solvent casting technique, the said organic polymer having adsorbed thereon or bound thereto, either directly or indirectly, a specific binding partner for the ligand it is desired to detect.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A biosensor as claimed in claim l3 wherein the optical structure is a diffraction grating.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of detecting a ligand in a sample which comprises contacting said sample with a biosensor as claimed in claim l3 or claim l4 and determining whether, and if desired the extent to which and/or rate at which, an optical characteristic of the biosensor is altered by formation of a complex between the ligand and the specific binding partner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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