US 7,411,671 B2 · Technique for analyzing biological compounds in a non-destructive mode

Abstract

A medium is analyzed for the search for an odorous biological molecule characteristic of a specific substance in an environment to be studied comprising the steps of: exposing a component containing at least one olfactory biological receptor, capable of selectively attaching the type of odorous molecule sought, to an atmosphere taken from the environment to be studied; irradiating that component by means of an incident laser radiation having a wavelength chosen in the ultraviolet close to the absorption wavelength for the olfactory receptor, to cause the excitation of a resonance Raman scattering in the irradiated component; and analyzing the Raman spectrum obtained to determine whether or not it corresponds to the Raman spectrum of the olfactory receptor having attached an odorous molecule of the type sought in the atmosphere sampled, so as to identify any presence of the specific substance mentioned in the environment to be studied.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for analysing a medium in searching for an odorous biological molecule characteristic of a specific substance in an environment to be studied, comprising the following steps:

exposing a component containing at least one olfactory biological receptor capable of selectively attaching the type of odorous molecule sought to an atmosphere sampled from the environment to be studied,
irradiating the component with an incident laser radiation the wavelength of which is chosen in the ultraviolet close to the olfactory receptor's absorption wavelength to cause the excitation of resonance Raman scattering in the component irradiated and
analysing the Raman spectrum obtained to determine whether or not it corresponds to the Raman spectrum of the olfactory receptor having attached an odorous molecule of the type sought in the atmosphere sampled so as to identify the possible presence of the said substance in the environment to be studied.

Apparatus for detecting the presence of certain substances capable of producing odorous molecules in an environment to be studied, comprising:

an analysis cell to accommodate at least one olfactory biological receptor in a quasi-punctual zone thereof,
a device for presenting a sample taken from the atmosphere of the environment to be studied to said receptor in the cell,
a UV laser source to irradiate said receptor in the cell with an incident beam of coherent light having a wavelength in the ultraviolet sufficiently close to the absorption wavelength of the olfactory receptor in question so as to excite resonance Raman scattering in that receptor,
the cell further including means for collecting the light emitted by the olfactory receptor in response to the irradiation by said incident beam in a solid angle greater than 10% of the space surrounding the quasi-punctual zone to concentrate it in a second quasi-punctual zone which is spatially separate from the receptor and located away from the axis of the incident laser beam,
a spectrum analysis device for analysing radiation light concentrated in the second quasi-punctual zone at wavelengths close to that of the incident beam to detect the resonance Raman scattering spectrum and
means for processing the Raman spectrum obtained, which can hold reference data relating to the Raman scattering spectra for that olfactory biological receptor when it is combined with an odorous molecule of the type sought, to determine whether the sample taken contains such an odorous molecule indicative of a specific substance in the environment to be studied.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Technique for analyzing biological compounds in a non-destructive mode

Life of this patent

Technique for analyzing biological compounds in a non-destructive mode

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23