Patent ID: 7956989

Claim:
A surface plasmon assisted microscope ( 10 ) system capable of detecting single molecules, the microscope system comprising: a light translucent material ( 16 ); a metal layer ( 18 ) disposed on the light translucent material ( 16 ), wherein the thickness of the metal layer ( 18 ) is 50 nM or less, wherein the metal layer ( 18 ) is gold, silver, aluminum or copper or combinations thereof; a medium ( 15 ) disposed on the metal layer ( 18 ), the medium ( 15 ) comprising one or more fluorophores capable of binding a target analyte; a microscope positioned to observe the emission from the one or more fluorophores in the medium; an excitation source capable of exciting the one or more fluorophores, the excitation source positioned to strike the light translucent material ( 16 ) at a first angle; and a light detector ( 38 ) that detects emitted light ( 20 ) generated by excited fluorophores at a second angle, wherein light ( 20 ) emitted by the one or more fluorophores at the surface plasmon angle ( 22 ) is detected through the microscope ( 10 ), wherein the light detector ( 38 ) and the excitation source are located on opposite sides of the metal layer ( 18 ), such that single molecules may be detected without significantly degrading fluorophore emissions.