Patent ID: 6943031

Claim:
A method for substantially simultaneously separating and detecting at least one analyte compound, comprising: providing a sample solution containing a plurality of compounds, including at least one analyte compound; providing containment means that is sufficiently transparent to excitation radiation, at least at one location, to permit transmission of excitation radiation effective for generating measurable amounts of surface enhanced Raman scattered radiation, and that is sufficiently transparent to such scattered Raman radiation, at least at said one location, to permit transmission of measurable amounts of such scattered Raman radiation, said containment means containing a metal-doped, surface-enhanced Raman-active sol-gel medium; transporting into said containment means a quantity of said sample solution, with a driving force applied to promote flow, to thereby distribute said sample solution upon said sol-gel medium in sufficiently intimate contact for effecting separation of said at least one analyte compound; substantially concurrently irradiating said medium, and sample solution distributed thereon, with excitation radiation, at least at said one location, to generate surface enhanced Raman scattered radiation; collecting at least a portion of said scattered Raman radiation; and analyzing said collected radiation to determine the essence of the analyte compound in said sample solution.