Patent ID: 7883900

Claim:
A method of ascertaining the presence, absence and/or quantification of a target analyte by enhancing fluorescence emission in a fluorophore-mediated sensing application, comprising: immobilizing a monoclonal antibody with an affinity for a target analyte on a portion of an optical fiber; placing the portion of the optical fiber in a chamber; injecting sample suspected to include target analyte into the chamber; removing unbound molecules from the portion of the optical fiber; probing the portion of the optical fiber with a second monoclonal antibody tagged with a fluorophore in the chamber; exposing the portion of the optical fiber to nanometal particles surrounded by a coating having a predetermined thickness, the coating providing a spacer between the nanometal particles and the fluorophore sufficient to prevent fluorescence quenching, wherein said step of exposing provides the nanometal particles in the chamber in a solution that comprises an organic solvent; sending excitation light into the optical fiber; sensing responsive fluorescence emissions through the optical fiber; and ascertaining the presence, absence and/or quantification of target analyte from the responsive fluorescence emissions.