Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080309918 | INTEGRATED CHEMICAL SEPARATION LIGHT SCATTERING DEVICE - An integrated chemical separation device includes a single device body, a chemical separation unit configured to separate a chemical from a fluid, a Raman sensor substrate comprising one or more surfaces configured to be adsorbed by molecules of the chemical from the fluid, and a Raman scattering spectrometer unit that can emit a laser beam to illuminate the Raman sensor substrate and to detect the chemical from the light scattered from the Raman sensor substrate. The chemical separation unit, the Raman sensor substrate, and the Raman scattering spectrometer unit are held in or mounted to the single device body. | 12-18-2008 |
20090046284 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FOOD SAFETY DETECTION - A method for detecting an ingredient in a food product includes establishing a spectral signature in a Raman spectrum obtained from a chemical substance; allowing a food sample solution obtained from a food product to come to contact with a first nano-scale surface structure in a first sensor, wherein the first sensor comprises a substrate, wherein the nano-scale surface structure comprises a plurality of columns over the substrate or a plurality of holes in the substrate; illuminating the food sample solution and the first nano-scale surface structure on the first sensor by a laser beam; scattering the laser beam by the food sample solution and the first nano-scale surface structure to produce a scattered light; obtaining a first Raman spectrum from the scattered light using a spectral analyzer; and identifying the spectral signature in the first Raman spectrum to determine the existence of the chemical substance in the food product. | 02-19-2009 |
20090066946 | ARRAYS OF NANO STRUCTURES FOR SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SCATTERING - Disclosed herein is a SERS sensing surface device comprising a substrate supporting a plurality of nano structures, an exposed sensing surface upon the nano structures, wherein said surface includes at least one active SERS nano surface and at least one inactive SERS nano surface established in proximity to the active SERS nano. Also disclosed are methods for forming the array device, systems based on the array device, as well as methods for performing SERS with the array device. | 03-12-2009 |
20090086202 | NON-INVASIVE DISEASE DIAGNOSIS USING LIGHT SCATTERING PROBE - A method for non-invasive detection of a disease, a status of illicit-drug use, or smoking status includes transferring a body fluid obtained from a patient to a sensor comprising a nano-scale surface structure to allow the body fluid to come in contact with the nano-scale surface structure, illuminating the body fluid and the nano-scale surface structure by a laser beam, scattering the laser beam by the body fluid and the nano-scale surface structure to produce a scattered light, and analyzing the scattered light using a spectral analyzer to diagnose a disease, the status of illicit-drug use, or smoking status in the patient. | 04-02-2009 |
20100070197 | SPECTRALLY SENSING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES - A sensor-network system for spectrally sensing a chemical or biological substance includes a plurality of probe assemblies that each includes a sensor comprising a nano structured surface, wherein the nano structured surface can adsorb molecules of a sample material captured adjacent to the sensor; a laser configured to emit a laser beam to illuminate the molecules adsorbed to the nano structured surface, and a spectrometer that can obtain spectral data from light scattered by the molecules adsorbed to the nano structured surface. A control center includes a computer storage configured to store spectral signatures each associated with a chemical or biological substance and a spectral analyzer that can determine a spectral signature matching at least one of the spectral signatures stored in the computer storage thereby to identify, in the sample material, the chemical or biological substance associated with the one of the spectral signatures. | 03-18-2010 |
20100085564 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES - A method for detecting an ingredient in a food product or detecting a disease includes allowing a food sample solution obtained from a food product or a body fluid from an individual to come to contact with a nano-scale surface structure in a sensor, wherein the nano-scale surface structure comprises a plurality of columns over a substrate or a plurality of holes in a substrate. The method includes illuminating the food sample solution or the body fluid on the nano-scale surface structure on the sensor by a laser beam; obtaining a Raman spectrum from the scattered light using a spectral analyzer; and identifying the spectral signature in the Raman spectrum to determine the existence of the chemical substance in the food product or identifying a disease in the individual. | 04-08-2010 |
20100110424 | NANO STRUCTURED SENSING DEVICE FOR SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SCATTERING - A sensing device for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) includes a substrate, a plurality of nano structures over the substrate, wherein at least one of the nano structures comprises an active SERS nano surface and an adsorption layer on the active SERS nano surface. | 05-06-2010 |
20100114514 | DETECTING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL IMPURITIES BY NANO-STRUCTURE BASED SPECTRAL SENSING - A method is disclosed for providing quality assurance in an industrial process. The method includes obtaining a manufacturing material from the industrial process, allowing the manufacturing material to contact with a nano-scale surface, which allows the harmful substance to adsorb to the nano-scale surface. The method also includes obtaining a Raman spectrum from the manufacturing material and the nano-scale surface using a spectrometer, searching for, using a spectral analyzer, a spectral signature of a harmful substance in a predetermined spectral region in the Raman spectrum to determine the existence of the harmful substance in the manufacturing material, determining the concentration of the manufacturing material if the spectral signature is found in the Raman spectrum, and rejecting the manufacturing material from the industrial process if the concentration of the manufacturing material is determined to be above a predetermined tolerance level. | 05-06-2010 |
20100296086 | INTEGRATED DEVICE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING CHEMICAL SEPARATION AND LIGHT SCATTERING - An integrated chemical separation device includes a single device body, a chemical separation unit configured to separate a chemical from a fluid, a Raman sensor substrate comprising one or more surfaces configured to be adsorbed by molecules of the chemical from the fluid, and a Raman scattering spectrometer unit that can emit a laser beam to illuminate the Raman sensor substrate and to detect the chemical from the light scattered from the Raman sensor substrate. The chemical separation unit, the Raman sensor substrate, and the Raman scattering spectrometer unit are held in or mounted to the single device body. | 11-25-2010 |
20130017298 | ASSURING FOOD SAFETY USING NANO-STRUCTURE BASED SPECTRAL SENSING - A method for inspecting an edible oil includes obtaining a first Raman spectrum from an edible oil sample, discovering an unhealthy, unsanitary, unsafe, or adulterated content in the edible oil sample in part by the intensity level of the fluorescence background in the first Raman spectrum, introducing the edible oil sample to nano-scale surface structures to allow molecules of the edible oil sample to be adsorbed to the nano-scale surface structures, illuminating the edible oil sample and the nano-scale surface structures by a laser beam, obtaining a second Raman spectrum from light scattered by molecules of the edible oil sample adsorbed to the nano-scale surface structures, and identifying the unhealthy, unsanitary, or unsafe content in the edible oil sample using one or more first spectral signatures in the second Raman spectrum. | 01-17-2013 |