Surface enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702821-B2
Application number	US-201314762415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Jan 30, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

According to an example, methods for forming three-dimensional (3-D) nano-particle assemblies may include depositing surface-enhanced spectroscopy (SES) elements onto respective tips of nano-fingers, in which the nano-fingers are arranged in sufficiently close proximities to each other to enable the tips of groups of adjacent ones of the nano-fingers to come into sufficiently close proximities to each other to enable the SES elements on the tips to be bonded together when the nano-fingers are partially collapsed. The methods also include causing the nano-fingers to partially collapse toward adjacent ones of the nano-fingers to cause a plurality of SES elements on respective groups of the nano-fingers to be in relatively close proximities to each other and form respective clusters of SES elements, introducing additional particles that are to attach onto the clusters of SES elements, and causing the clusters of SES elements to detach from the nano-fingers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a surface-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SEFS) apparatus, said method comprising:
depositing first, second and third surface-enhanced spectroscopy (SES) elements onto respective tips of first, second and third nano-fingers, wherein the first, second and third nano-fingers are arranged in sufficiently close proximities to each other to enable the tips of the first, second, and third nano-fingers to come into sufficiently close proximities to each other to enable the first, second and third SES elements on the tips to trap a fluorescence enhancing element when the first, second and third nano-fingers are partially collapsed;
introducing the fluorescence enhancing element between the first, second and third SES elements; and
causing the first, second and third nano-fingers in the group of adjacent nano-fingers to partially collapse toward each other to cause the first, second and third SES elements on the tips of the first, second, and third nano-fingers in the group to come into sufficiently close proximities to each other to trap a fluorescence enhancing element between and in mutual concurrent contact with each of the first, second and third SES elements.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a fluorescent dye.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element is a fluorescent probe molecule that binds with target molecules, said method further comprising:
introducing a solution containing the target molecules onto the fluorescence enhancing element and the first, second, and third, wherein the target molecules bind with the fluorescent probe molecule.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element is a fluorescent probe molecule that binds with target molecules, said method further comprising:
combining the fluorescent probe molecule and the target molecules in a solution, wherein the fluorescent probe molecule binds with the target molecules in the solution; and
wherein introducing the fluorescence enhancing element onto the first, second, and third further comprises introducing the combined fluorescent probe molecule and the target molecules onto the first, second, and third.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a complex formed of non-fluorescent ion indicators that are selectively bound to predetermined metal ions, said method further comprising:
combining the non-fluorescent ion indicators and the predetermined metal ions; and
wherein introducing the fluorescence enhancing element onto the first, second, and third further comprises introducing the non-fluorescent ion indicators or the combination of the non-fluorescent ion indicators and the predetermined metal ions onto the first, second, and third.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming respective layers of metal oxide onto the first, second, and third prior to introducing the fluorescence enhancing element; and
wherein introducing the fluorescence enhancing element further comprises introducing the fluorescence enhancing element onto the metal oxide layers on the first, second, and third.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a fluorescent dye.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element is a fluorescent probe molecule that binds with target molecules, said method further comprising:
introducing a solution containing the target molecules onto the fluorescence enhancing elements and the metal oxide layers, wherein the target molecules bind with the fluorescent probe.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element is a fluorescent probe molecule that binds with target molecules, said method further comprising:
combining the fluorescent probe molecule and the target molecules in a solution, wherein the fluorescent probe molecules are to bind with the target molecules in the solution; and
wherein introducing the fluorescence enhancing element onto the metal oxide layers further comprises introducing the combined fluorescent probe molecule and the target molecules onto the metal oxide layers.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a complex formed of non-fluorescent ion indicators that are selectively bound to predetermined metal ions, said method further comprising:
combining the non-fluorescent ion indicators and the predetermined metal ions; and
wherein introducing the fluorescence enhancing element onto the metal oxide layers further comprises introducing the non-fluorescent ion indicators or the combination of the non-fluorescent ion indicators and the predetermined metal ions onto the metal oxide layers.

11. A surface-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SEFS) apparatus comprising:
a substrate having first, second and third nano-fingers;
first, second and third surface-enhanced spectroscopy (SES) elements supported on first, second and third tips of the first, second and third nano fingers, respectively, wherein the first, second and third nano fingers are partially collapsed onto each other to position the first, second and third SES elements in at least one of contact with and close proximity to each other;
a metal oxide layer formed on each of the first, second and third SES elements; and
a fluorescence enhancing element trapped between and in mutual concurrent contact with each of the first, second and third SES elements as a result of the partial collapse of the first, second and third nano fingers.

12. The SEFS apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a fluorescent dye.

13. The SEFS apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element is a fluorescent probe molecule bound to with target molecules.

14. The SEFS apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the fluorescence enhancing element comprises a complex formed of non-fluorescent ion indicators that are selectively bound to predetermined metal ions.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Zhou Zhang-Lin
• Zhao Lihua
• Barcelo Steven J
• Li Zhiyong

Classifications

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• G01N21/658

  enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons · CPC title

• G01N21/648 Primary

  using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N21/6428

  Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53) · CPC title