Patent ID: 7576863

Claim:
A surface plasmon resonance sensor apparatus having a horizontal metal film orientation comprising: a) input transfer optics generating a light beam along a beam axis; b) an input transfer mirror joined to an output transfer mirror and translatable along an axis of symmetry perpendicular to the beam axis, wherein the input transfer mirror and the output transfer mirror are symmetrically joined about the axis of symmetry; c) the input transfer mirror directing light to a first scanner mirror; d) a first scanner mirror rotatable about an axis and wherein the first scanner mirror directs the beam to a surface which is one of a prism, a metal film surface and a thin film surface; e) a second scanner mirror rotatable about an axis parallel to the first scanner mirror and receiving light reflected from the surface and directing the light to the output transfer mirror, wherein the first scanner mirror and the second scanner mirror are operatively linked and each rotate on an axis perpendicular to the beam axis; and f) detector optics and a detector receiving light from the output transfer mirror; whereby the surface plasmon resonance response of a sample is measured.