Integrated photodetector for heavy metals and biological activity analysis

An apparatus for sensing a number of analytes in solution, comprising:

• a sensor layer including a plurality of different fluorophore-tagged organic molecules, the fluorophore-tagged organic molecules each having one of a plurality of different fluorescence responses to the analytes in solution;
• an excitation light source operable to cause the fluorophores to fluoresce;
• and
• a fluorescence detector positioned adjacent to the sensor layer and operable to detect the different fluorescence responses of each of the fluorophores to determine presence of the analytes when the sensor layer is placed in the solution and said excitation light source causes the fluorophores to fluoresce.

An apparatus for detecting a metal ion in solution, comprising:

• a probe;
• a sensor element connected to the probe and including a region of fluorophore-tagged molecules configured to combine with the metal ion to produce a fluorophore;
• an excitation source connected to the probe and operable to provide excitation light to the sensor element to cause a corresponding fluorescence emission therefrom;
• and
• a detector positioned adjacent the region of fluorophore-tagged molecules;
• wherein the detector is responsive to said fluorescence emission to provide a detection signal corresponding to presence of the metal ion when the probe is placed in the solution and the fluorophore fluoresces in response to said excitation source.

A method, comprising:

• placing a first sensor in contact with a first analyte in solution, said first sensor including a first region of first fluorophore-tagged organic molecules, the first region of first fluorophore-tagged organic molecules associating with the analyte;
• irradiating the first sensor after contact with the solution to generate a first fluorescence response;
• and
• detecting the first fluorescence response corresponding to the presence of the first analyte.

An apparatus for measuring the presence of an analyte in a fluid, comprising:

• a light source adapted to shine an energetic beam of light;
• a surface configured to contact at least one fluorescence-tagged analyte to producing at least one fluorescent signal at, at least one characteristic fluorescent wavelength;
• a photodetector positioned in contact with the opposite side of said surface;
• and
• a microprocessor operationally connected to the light source and to the photodetector;
• wherein exposure of said of said surface to at least one fluorophore-tagged organic molecules in the analyte allows the formation of at least one fluoresenct signal from an organometallic fluorescent compound in contact with said surface;
• wherein the beam of energetic light interacts with the at least one organometallic fluorescent compound to produce fluoresced light;
• wherein a portion of the fluoresced light is received by the photodetector;
• wherein the photodetector sends a photodetector signal to the microprocessor proportional to the fluoresced light received;
• and
• wherein the microprocessor is adapted to calculate a concentration of analyte in layer of fluorophore-tagged organic molecules from the photodetector signal.