Nanoscale optical sensors based on surface plasmon resonance

The development of nanodevices, including nanosensors that are highly sensitive and selective (give low false positives, low false negatives) have the potential to provide a major improvement over current technologies for disease understanding, treatment, and monitoring. Nanoscale sensors consume less sample volume than conventional instruments because their inherently small size scale in comparison to standard macroscale devices permits straightforward integration with microfluidic devices. Additionally, nanoscale systems often exhibit behavior that is markedly different from their macroscale counterparts, thereby providing alternative pathways for obtaining new information.