Patent ID: 7148017
Filing Date: 2006-12-12
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system for detecting an analyte, the system comprising: a light source; a resonant structure and an underlying substrate positioned under said structure to form a gap therebetween, said structure has an immobilized binding partner that binds to said analyte on a surface of said resonant structure, wherein said structure resonates under ambient conditions at a frequency based on the mass of said analyte; and a photodetector responsive to light reflected by said resonant structure and light reflected by said substrate, wherein a first portion of said light is reflected by said surface of said resonant structure and a second portion of said light passes through said resonant structure and said gap and is reflected by said underlying substrate, wherein said photodetector provides an output corresponding to a resonant frequency shift of said structure, said shift corresponding to a change in said mass of said analyte.