Self-referencing sensor for chemical detection
AssigneeNicoya Lifesciences Inc.
InventorsRyan Cameron Denomme, John Alexander Gordon Dick, Sarah Ann Leblanc
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Abstract
Provided herein is a sensing apparatus comprising, at least one LSPR light source, at least one detector, and at least one sensor for LSPR detection of a target chemical. The sensor comprises a substantially transparent, porous membrane having nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of its pores, the nanoparticles being functionalized with one or more capture molecules. There is further provided a self-referencing sensor for distinguishing non-specific signals from analyte binding signals. The self-referencing sensor comprising one or more nanoparticles having at least two distinct LSPR signals.
Claims19
An LSPR apparatus comprising:
- at least one self-referencing sensor for detection of an analyte binding signal and simultaneous detection of non-specific signals comprising one or more types of nanoparticles, wherein the one or more types of nanoparticles are configured to simultaneously emit at least two distinct LSPR signals comprising a first LSPR analyte signal and at least a second LSPR reference signal, wherein at least one nanoparticle type of the one or more types of nanoparticles includes a capture molecule to bind to an analyte resulting in the first LSPR analyte signal;
- a light source;
- a detector for simultaneous detection of the first LSPR analyte signal and the second LSPR reference signal in response to light from the light source interacting with the at least one self-referencing sensor;
- and
- a signal processor in operative communication with the detector to receive the first LSPR analyte signal and the second LSPR reference signal, calculate a difference in a resulting optical spectrum change between the first LSPR analyte signal and the second LSPR reference signal to distinguish the first LSPR analyte signal from non-specific signals comprising the second LSPR reference signal, and to select an output based on the difference in the resulting optical spectrum change between the first LSPR analyte signal and the second LSPR reference signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.