Imaging platform for nanoparticle detection applied to SPR biomolecular interaction analysis

A method for collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra of an object in a flow, comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing the object into a fluid, the object having a metal film that is capable of exhibiting surface plasmon resonance (SPR);
• (b) introducing the fluid containing the object into a flow imaging system;
• (c) illuminating the object using a light source;
• (d) collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra corresponding to SPR localized with the object, such that the surface enhanced Raman spectra collected does not include wavelengths of light corresponding to the light source.

A method for collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra data corresponding to interactions between a first type of molecule and a second type of molecule, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a plurality of objects including a metal film capable of exhibiting surface plasmon resonance (SPR);
• (b) functionalizing each object in the plurality of objects by attaching at least one molecule of the first type to the object, wherein the first type of molecule is selected because said first type of molecule preferentially interacts with the second type of molecule;
• (c) introducing the objects that have been functionalized into a fluid;
• (d) introducing a plurality of molecules of the second type into the fluid, such that an association phase is initiated;
• (e) introducing the fluid containing the objects that have been functionalized and the plurality of molecules of the second type into a flow imaging instrument capable of collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra data;
• and
• (f) using the flow imaging instrument to collect surface enhanced Raman spectra data from individual objects passing through the flow imaging instrument, such that the collected surface enhanced Raman spectra data does not include wavelengths of light used to illuminate the individual objects.

A method for collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra of an object in flow, where the object has a metal film capable of exhibiting surface plasmon resonance (SPR), comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing the object into a fluid;
• (b) introducing the fluid containing the object into a flow imaging system;
• and
• (c) collecting surface enhanced Raman spectra corresponding to SPR localized with the object, wherein the surface enhanced Raman spectra comprises at least one type of data selected from the group consisting essentially of:
• (i) infrared absorbance spectral data;
• and
• (ii) surface enhanced fluorescence data.

A method for collecting surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra of an object in flow, where the object has a metal film capable of exhibiting SPR, comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing the object into a fluid;
• (b) introducing the fluid containing the object into a flow imaging system;
• and
• (c) collecting spectral SPR data corresponding to the object, the spectral SPR data including at least one of:
• (i) an angular spectrum corresponding to the object, where the angular spectrum includes a resonance dip associated with SPR;
• and
• (ii) a wavelength spectrum corresponding to the object, where the wavelength spectrum includes an absorbance dip associated with SPR.

A method for collecting surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra of an object, in a flow, comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing the object into a fluid, the object having a metal film that is capable of exhibiting SPR;
• (b) introducing the fluid containing the object into a flow;
• and
• (c) collecting spectral SPR data corresponding to the object as the object is carried in the fluid by the flow, the spectral SPR data including at least one of:
• (i) an angular spectrum corresponding to the object, where the angular spectrum includes a resonance dip associated with SPR;
• and
• (ii) a wavelength spectrum corresponding to the object, where the wavelength spectrum includes an absorbance dip associated with SPR.