Patent ID: 6544800
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B01J,G01J,G01N,G02B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for detecting the presence of a chemical species in a solution comprising:preparing a sensor device comprising a crystalline colloidal array of charged particles polymerized in a hydrogel that undergoes a volume change in response to said chemical species, wherein the polymerized crystalline colloidal array comprises a molecular recognition component capable of detecting the chemical species, said crystalline colloidal array having a lattice spacing that changes when said volume of said hydrogel changes, thereby causing the diffracted wavelength of the crystalline colloidal array to change; measuring the diffracted wavelength of said crystalline colloidal array polymerized in said hydrogel; contacting said polymerized crystalline colloidal array with said solution; measuring the diffracted wavelength of said crystalline colloidal array following exposure to said solution; and comparing the change in diffracted wavelength measurements to determine the presence of said chemical species, wherein said change in diffracted wavelength is caused by the contact of the chemical species with the molecular recognition component and wherein the change in diffracted wavelength correlates with the presence of the chemical species.