Ambient light assisted spectroscopy

A spectrometer system comprising:

• a light source that processes ambient light to emit light for probing;
• a sensor;
• a collimating element configured to collimate said light from said light source to provide collimated light;
• a sample holder having a first and second at least partially mirrored surfaces arranged to contain a fluid sample, wherein said collimated light from said light source is directed through said sample holder, and
• a plasmonic filter positioned after said collimating element and before said sensor, wherein said plasmonic filter comprises dielectric and metallic regions configured to differentially transmit selected wavelengths of said collimated light received from said collimating element to said sensor.

A device for detecting a target substance in a solution, comprising:

• a light source that processes and filters the ambient light to emit substantially monochromatic light;
• a container configured to contain a solution that contains one or more types of target substances, said solution having a refractive index different from a refractive index of said one or more types of target substances;
• a substantially planar diffraction element optically coupled to the light source to receive the light originating from the light source, the diffraction element having a top surface and a bottom surface and having one or more of openings that are empty or filled with a dielectric to generate plasmon waves upon receipt of the light from the light source, the top surface of the diffraction element being configured to be in contact with the solution in the container and configured to be chemically treated to attach surface-immobilized receptors thereon that will bind said one or more types of target substances in the solution so that a change in refractive index occurs in the vicinity of said top surface when the target substance binds to said top surface;
• a two-dimensional image sensor disposed under the diffraction element to detect a diffraction pattern projected onto the image sensor by the light from the light source that has interacted with the diffraction element, the image sensor having a plurality of pixels to detect the diffraction pattern;
• and
• a processor connected to the two dimensional image sensor to process signals outputted from the sensor for determining the presence or absence of the target substance on the diffraction element,
• wherein the diffraction element and the image sensor are configured and arranged such that, upon receipt of the light from the light source, the plasmon waves are generated on the diffraction element so as to generate the diffraction pattern that includes a plurality of distinct diffraction spots or lines on the image sensor, properties of which are dependent on the refractive index in the vicinity of the top surface of the diffraction element.

A device for detecting an analyte, comprising:

• a light source that processes and filters the ambient light to emit substantially monochromatic light;
• a two-dimensional diffraction element that interacts with the filtered monochromatic light from the ambient light source, the diffraction element having one or more of features that can generate plasmon waves upon receipt of the light from the light source, at least some of the features being configured to contact the analyte;
• and
• a two-dimensional image sensor facing the diffraction element to receive diffracted light from the diffraction element so as to detect a diffraction pattern projected thereto and to measure a two-dimensional spatial change in the diffraction pattern that occurs as a result of the analyte contacting the feature of the diffraction element.

A spectrometer system comprising:

• a sample container containing a sample to be analyzed;
• a reference container containing no substance therein or a reference for the sample;
• a light source that processes ambient light to emit probing light towards the sample container and the reference container;
• a sensor detecting light from the light source that has interacted with the sample in the sample container and detecting light from the light source that has interacted with the reference container, the sensor outputting a detection signal and a reference signal respectively representing characteristics of the light that has interacted with sample and characteristics of the light that has interacted with the reference container;
• and
• a processor receiving the detection signal and the reference signal from the sensor, the processor processing the detection signal with the reference signal so as to compensate for fluctuations of said ambient light.