Patent ID: 7317533
Filing Date: 2008-01-08
Classification: B82Y,G01N

Abstract:
1. An optical sensor for selectively measuring a metal ion concentration in a sample of interest, comprising: a substrate having an interior surface and an exterior surface; an optical housing coupled to said substrate and having a sensing surface that forms the interface between said optical sensor and the sample of interest; a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) layer in contact with said sensing surface; a self assembled monolayer (SAM) in contact with said SPR layer for selectively binding metal ions; a photodetector array coupled to said interior surface of said substrate and enclosed in said optical housing; and a light source coupled to said interior surface of said substrate adjacent said photodetector array, said light source enclosed in said optical housing and spatially arranged inside said optical housing to emit light in the direction of said sensing surface, wherein a portion of said light is internally reflected off said sensing surface as a function of the concentration of metal ions bound to said SAM layer, said portion of said light being internally reflected to said photodetector array to determine the intensity thereof.