Patent ID: 8879065

Claim:
A localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing system, comprising: a light source configured to transmit light; an optical fiber having a metallic dot array on an end face of the optical fiber, the optical fiber having a core surrounded by cladding, the core extending from the end face, the dot array having an affinity for at least one substance, wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the light source such that the light passes through the core and is guided by the core and the cladding to the end face, and wherein the metallic dot array is positioned over the core such that the light guided by the core and the cladding strikes the dot array, the dot array further having surface plasmons which resonate when illuminated by the light; a spectrometer configured to receive the light from the optical fiber and to measure an absorption peak of the light; and control logic configured to detect whether the substance is present based on the measured absorption peak.