Accessories for Raman and Luminescence Spectral Acquisitions
Description:
Overview of Technology
This invention pertains to a series of accessories for Raman and Luminescence spectral acquisitions
Background
Despite Raman and luminescence spectroscopies popular analytical techniques for most biological and physical science and engineering disciplines, current models of Raman techniques suffer sensitivity due to lack of suitable sample handling methods such as glass vials, quartz plate, optical windows, etc. These sample holders usually produce large fluorescence and/or Raman background that complicates the Raman spectral analysis. In addition to usually requiring large sample size and being are very costly.
Description of Technology
The accessories in this technology provide effective solutions to issues of current techniques. The Raman accessories are applicable for enhancing the sensitivity and reducing the sample consumption in luminescence analysis. This is achieved through the metal sample cups which are made directly from pure metal and metal alloy or indirectly by applying metal coating onto a nonmetal solid support.
The metal cups are coated with a thin layer of dielectric material such as glass, alumina or silica. The purpose of these coatings is to prevent physical/chemical interactions between the metal and the sample, which facilitates chemical modification of the solid support surface for applications such as antibody-antigen binding.
Additionally, gold nanoparticles are deposited onto the sample cups, where the methods for physical vapor deposition or deposition of preformed AunNPs onto the coated metal surfaces.
The sample cup holders facilitate the sample cup usage in practical spectroscopic applications. These holders can be made with any material that can hold one or multiple sample cups. The holders can be advantageously made to have the same dimension as the microscope slide. The sample cups can have a fixed or removable cover that have an optically transparent window for photon excitation and collection. This cover prevents solvent evaporation during the signal acquisitions.
Benefits
- Dielectric over‑layer preventing physical/chemical interactions between the metal and the sample
- Less costly than current sample holders
- Smaller sample size than current sample holders
- Enhances sensitivity and reduces the sample consumption in luminescence analysis
Applications
Raman and luminescence spectroscopies are popular analytical techniques that have found applications in essentially every physical and biological science and engineering discipline.
Opportunity
This technology seeks a partner that is willing to help aid the inventors to commercialize these accessories.