Patent ID: 8722428

Claim:
A detection system, the system comprising: a substrate, wherein the substrate is fabricated of at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass, a cellulosic material and polymeric material; a first and second metalized layer of a multiplicity of metallic structures wherein the first metalized layer is positioned on the substrate, wherein the the first and second metalized layers are separated with a metal oxide layer positioned therebetween, wherein the metal oxide layer has a thickness from about 5 nm to 10 nm and wherein the metallic structures have a geometric shape selected from a triangle, square, sphere, oblong, elliptical, or rectangle,; at least one excitable molecule that is positioned near at least one of the metalized layers of the metallic structures in a range from about 5 nm to 30 nm; a source of electromagnetic energy for providing excitation energy to excite the molecule; and a detector for detecting emissions from the excited molecule and/or the metallic structures.