Apparatus and associated methods
AssigneeNokia Corporation
InventorsPiers Andrew, Jani Kivioja, Hongwei Li, Marc Bailey, Richard White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the second end comprising a nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that the nanoparticle is capable of being in close proximity to an analyte to allow for detection of said analyte.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the second end comprising a nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that the nanoparticle is capable of being in close proximity to an analyte to allow for detection of said analyte, wherein:
- the apparatus further comprises a radiation source capable of emitting radiation, the first end of the nanowire waveguide attached to the radiation source to direct radiation generated by the radiation source to the second end of the nanowire waveguide,
- the radiation source is a substrate capable of emitting radiation, and
- the nanoparticle is configured to support surface plasmons, and the radiation emitted by the substrate is configured to excite a localised surface plasmon resonance at the interface between the nanoparticle and the analyte, and wherein the substrate and nanowire waveguide together form a p-n junction of a light-emitting diode.
A method for producing an apparatus to allow for detection of an analyte, the method comprising:
- providing a radiation-emitting substrate;
- providing a nanoparticle on the surface of the radiation-emitting substrate;
- and
- growing a nanowire waveguide on the surface of the radiation emitting substrate using a vapour-liquid-solid mechanism in which the nanoparticle acts as a catalyst to produce an apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the first end attached to the radiation-emitting substrate, the second end comprising a nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that the nanoparticle is capable of being in close proximity to the analyte to allow for detection of said analyte.
An apparatus comprising a means for guiding radiation at a nanoscale with first and second ends, the second end comprising a means for attenuating radiation, the means for guiding radiation at a nanoscale configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the means for attenuating radiation, the apparatus configured such that the means for attenuating radiation is capable of being in close proximity to an analyte to allow for detection of said analyte, wherein:
- the first end of the means for guiding radiation is attached to a radiation source comprising a substrate capable of emitting the radiation, and
- the means for attenuating radiation comprises a nanoparticle configured to support surface plasmons, the radiation emitted by the substrate being configured to excite a localised surface plasmon resonance at the interface between the nanoparticle and the analyte, and wherein the substrate and the means for guiding radiation together form a p-n junction of a light-emitting diode.
A computer program for sensing the presence of an analyte, the computer program comprising computer code to detect the attenuation of radiation by a nanoparticle based on radiation which is transmitted by an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the second end comprising the nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that when the nanoparticle is in close proximity to the analyte, it causes attenuation of the radiation.
A computer program for producing an apparatus to allow for detection of an analyte, the computer program comprising computer code to control the growth of a nanowire waveguide on the surface of a radiation emitting substrate using a vapourliquid-solid mechanism in which a nanoparticle acts as a catalyst to produce an apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the first end attached to the radiation-emitting substrate, the second end comprising the nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that the nanoparticle is capable of being in close proximity to the analyte to allow for detection of said analyte.
The use of an apparatus to allow for detection of an analyte, the use comprising:
- providing an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a nanowire waveguide with first and second ends, the second end comprising a nanoparticle, the nanowire waveguide configured to transmit radiation from the first end to the second end to illuminate the nanoparticle, the apparatus configured such that the nanoparticle is capable of being in close proximity to an analyte to allow for detection of said analyte;
- and
- instructing exposure of the apparatus to the analyte to allow for detection of the analyte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.