EP0341928A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Improvements relating to surface plasmon resonance sensors
Assignee: GE Healthcare Ltd
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Filing: 1989-05-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-05-05
Abstract
Abstract A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for biochemical and similar testing on large area samples such as the gel (10) of an electrophoresis apparatus (13). The gel is sandwiched between a pair of plates (11, 12). Plate (11) is of transparent material and, sandwiched between itself and the gel is a metal layer comprising a mosaic (21) of silver dots. Light from a source (14) is directed via a reflector (16) and undergoes total internal reflection at the interface between plate (11) and metal layer (21). The reflected light is passed via reflector (17) to a light detector (15). The equipment is arranged so that SPR occurs at the metal layer, which resonance is critically dependent upon the refractive index of the gel (10). The structure comprising the light source 14 and detector 15, together with reflectors 16 and 17 is caused to scan across the gel surface to enable a two-dimensional representation of the changes in refractive index across the gel to be built up. This enables the progress of sequencing to be monitored.
Inventors
- 👤 Martin Francis Finlan
- 👤 Michael Anthony Warburton Brady
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 12:47
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N33/543; G01N33/54366; G01N33/54373; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/55; G01N21/552; G01N21/553; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/447; G01N27/44704; G01N27/44717; G01N27/44721
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, a block of transparent material against one surface of which is positioned a thin film of metal and against which film is positioned a medium to be tested in such a way that the metal film lies between the medium and the transparent block, means for directing the electromagnetic radiation from the source into the transparent block in such a way that the radiation is subject to total internal reflection at said one surface of the block, scanning means for scanning the radiation beam incident on said surface across said surface in order to obtain a two-dimensional representation of the variation of refractive index across said medium, and a radiation detector for monitoring the intensity of the radiation which is totally internally reflected.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, a block of transparent material against one surface of which is positioned a thin film of metal and against which film is positioned a medium to be tested in such a way that the metal film lies between the medium and the transparent block, means for directing the electromagnetic radiation from the source into the transparent block in such a way that the radiation is subject to total internal reflection at said one surface of the block, scanning means for scanning the radiation beam incident on said surface across said surface in order to obtain a two-dimensional representation of the variation of refractive index across said medium, and a radiation detector for monitoring the intensity of the radiation which is totally internally reflected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a membrane of dielectric material is positioned against said one surface of said block of transparent material and said metal film is applied to that surface of the membrane remote from the block so that the membrane is interposed between the block and the metal film, and wherein the refractive index of the block is higher than that of the membrane such that total internal reflection takes place at the interface between the block and the membrane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A sensor claimed in Claim 1 wherein said metal film is applied directly to said one surface of the block.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said metal film is comprised of a plurality of discontinuous areas of metal film.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A sensor as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said metal film takes the form of a two-dimensional mosaic of metal film dots.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said medium is an electrophoresis medium forming part of an electrophoresis apparatus for the sequencing of macromolecules.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said medium comprises two components of a biological, biochemical or chemical interaction, wherein a first component is attached to the metal film, and a second component takes the form of a sample to be analysed which is brought into contact with the first component.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
A sensor as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first component is attached to the metal film in the form of a plurality of isolated areas of the component and wherein said scanning means is operable to scan said radiation beam across said isolated areas so that the interaction between the second component and the first in each area can be monitored in sequence.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the radiation is totally internally reflected at a point on said surface, and wherein said scanning means is operable to two-dimensionally raster scan said point across the surface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the incident radiation has a wedge shape, resulting in a line of incidence at said surface, and wherein said scanning means is operable to one-dimensionally scan said time of incidence in a direction orthogonal to its length to thus cover said surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a first structure comprising said radiation source, radiation directing means and radiation detector is moveably mounted with respect to a second structure comprising said transparent block, metal film and medium, and wherein said scanning means is operable to effect scanning movement of said first structure with respect to said second structure so as to scan the radiation beam across said one surface of the transparent block.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A sensor as claimed in claim 11 wherein the medium against that surface of the block of transparent material through which said electromagnetic radiation enters the block is a liquid medium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A sensor claimed in claim 12 wherein said liquid medium has a refractive index equal to that of said block.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sensor as claimed in either one of claims 12 or 13 wherein said means for directing the electromagnetic radiation is positioned within said liquid medium.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sensor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said scanning means comprises moveable mirror means for scanning the radiation across said one surface of the transparent block.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
110 words
A sensor as claimed in claim 14 wherein said scanning means comprises two moveable mirrors: a first mirror which is moveable to scan the radiation over said one surface in a first direction; a second mirror which is moveable to scan the radiation over said one surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first; and wherein drive means are provided for each mirror, said drive means being controlled by control means which are operable to step rotate said second mirror by a small amount each time said first mirror has scanned once across the surface in the first direction so that the surface is raster scanned by the radiation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A sensor as claimed in either one of claims 15 or 16 further comprising means for relating the movement of said mirrors with the output from said radiation detector to enable a two-dimensional representation of the medium to be generated.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
Sequencing apparatus comprising means for analysing a sample containing fragments by electrophoresis, and detector means for detecting the pattern of fragments distributed within the electrophoresis medium, said detector means comprising a detector which utilises the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance to monitor the pattern of fragments by virtue of the change in refractive index which occurs in those parts of the electrophoresis medium in which fragments are present.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
68 words
Sequencing apparatus comprising means for analysing a sample containing fragments by electrophoresis, and detector means for detecting the pattern of fragments distributed within the electrophoresis medium, said detector means comprising a detector which utilises the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance to monitor the pattern of fragments by virtue of the change in refractive index which occurs in those parts of the electrophoresis medium in which fragments are present.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
Sequencing apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the detector means is moveable with respect to the electrophoresis medium, and means are provided for scanning the detector means over the medium.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
Sequencing apparatus as claimed in either one of claims 18 or 19 wherein the electrophoresis medium is a gel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
113 words
Sequencing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 20 wherein said detector means comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation, a block of transparent material facing one surface of which is positioned a thin film of metal and against which film is positioned the electrophoresis medium in such a way that the metal film lies between the gel and the glass block, means for directing the electromagnetic radiation from the source into the transparent block in such a way that the radiation is subject to total internal reflection at said one surface of the block, and a radiation detector for monitoring the intensity of the radiation which is totally internally reflected.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of sequencing comprising subjecting a sample containing fragments to electrophoresis to thereby distribute the fragments along the electrophoresis medium according to their size and/or charge and detecting, using the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance, the pattern of distribution of the fragments within the medium by virtue of the change in refractive index which occurs in those parts of the medium in which fragments are present.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of sequencing comprising subjecting a sample containing fragments to electrophoresis to thereby distribute the fragments along the electrophoresis medium according to their size and/or charge and detecting, using the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance, the pattern of distribution of the fragments within the medium by virtue of the change in refractive index which occurs in those parts of the medium in which fragments are present.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein detecting is carried out by scanning a detector means across the medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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