Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A tethered pair fluorescence energy transfer indicator for a chemical sensor, comprising: a tethering rigid spacer group component having a known, determinable length, said spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A tethered pair fluorescence energy transfer indicator for a chemical sensor, comprising: a tethering rigid spacer group component having a known, determinable length, said spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The fluorescence energy transfer indicator according to claim 1, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a polypeptide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The fluorescence energy transfer indicator according to claim 2, wherein said polypeptide has a degree of polymerization of between about 1 and about 12.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fluorescence energy transfer indicator according to claim 1, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a poly-L-proline oligomer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fluorescence energy transfer indicator according to claim 1, wherein said fluorescent energy donor component is sulforhodamine 101.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
202 words
A fiber optic chemical sensor for monitoring a parameter of a species of a fluid, comprising: an optical fiber waveguide having a distal end portion; and a chemical sensor at said distal end portion, said chemical sensor being a tethered pair fluorescence energy transfer indicator including: a tethering rigid spacer group component having known, determinable length, said spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured by the chemical sensor; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
202 words
A fiber optic chemical sensor for monitoring a parameter of a species of a fluid, comprising: an optical fiber waveguide having a distal end portion; and a chemical sensor at said distal end portion, said chemical sensor being a tethered pair fluorescence energy transfer indicator including: a tethering rigid spacer group component having known, determinable length, said spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured by the chemical sensor; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The fiber optic chemical sensor according to claim 6, further including light source means for directing probe radiation into the optical fiber waveguide, and light detector means for sensing radiation from the optical fiber waveguide and detecting parameter changes transmitted through said fluorescence energy transfer indicator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The fiber optic chemical sensor according to claim 6, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a polypeptide having a degree of polymerization of between about 1 and about 12.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The fiber optic chemical sensor according to claim 6, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a poly-L-proline oligomer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The fiber optic chemical sensor according to claim 6, wherein said fluorescent energy donor component is sulforhodamine 101.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
195 words
A method for making a fiber optic chemical sensor for monitoring a parameter species of fluid, comprising: preparing a fluorescence energy transfer indicator that includes: a tethering rigid spacer group component having a known, determinable length, the spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component; and locating said fluorescence energy transfer indicator within or on a portion of an optical fiber waveguide.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
195 words
A method for making a fiber optic chemical sensor for monitoring a parameter species of fluid, comprising: preparing a fluorescence energy transfer indicator that includes: a tethering rigid spacer group component having a known, determinable length, the spacer group component being an oligomer having an imino reactive site at one end thereof, and having a carboxy reactive site at another end thereof; a fluorescent energy donor component bonded to said imino reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said fluorescent energy donor component being insensitive to a species to be measured and being capable of absorbing light of a specific color or wavelength and then re-emitting at a longer wavelength or color different from that absorbed; a colorimetric indicator acceptor component bonded to said carboxy reactive site of the rigid spacer group component, said colorimetric indicator acceptor component undergoes a change in color or color intensity as a function of the species to be measured; and the fluorescent energy donor component has an emission spectrum which overlaps with the absorbance spectrum of the colorimetric indicator acceptor component; and locating said fluorescence energy transfer indicator within or on a portion of an optical fiber waveguide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a polypeptide having a degree of polymerization of between about 1 and about 12.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said tethering rigid spacer group component is a poly-L-proline oligomer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said fluorescent energy donor component is sulforhodamine 101.