Method and apparatus for the quantitative analysis of a liquid sample with surface enhanced spectroscopy

A device for testing a liquid biological sample for the presence or concentration of an analyte comprising:

• (a) a matrix having electrically conductive particles that are incorporated in the matrix or that are disposed on a surface thereof, wherein the matrix is permeable to the liquid biological sample;
• (b) means for generating radiation and directing the radiation to be incident on matrix so that radiation is emitted from the electrically conductive particles;
• and
• (c) means for detecting radiation that is emitted from the metal particles.

A method of testing a liquid biological sample for the presence or concentration of an analyte that comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the sample to electrically conductive particles to cause analytes present in the sample to be associated with the particles;
• (b) irradiating the particles with radiation to cause Raman scattering to occur in the presence of the analyte;
• and
• (c) detecting Raman-scattered radiation from the emitted analyte in response to the irradiation.

A method of testing a liquid biological sample for the presence or concentration of an analyte that comprises the steps of:

• (a) contacting the sample to electrically conductive particles to cause analytes present in the sample to be associated with the particles;
• (b) irradiating the particles with radiation having a wavelength such that infrared radiation absorption occurs in the presence of the analyte;
• and
• (c) detecting radiation emitted from the particles in response to the irradiation.