Wide-field plasmonic thermal microscopy for uniform temperature modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plasmonic heating techniques using metallic nanoparticles suffer from poor space precision and uniformity in temperature regulation, often leading to bulk heating and overheating due to random nanoparticle distribution and nanocavities.
Innovation Solution
The use of wide-field plasmonic thermal microscopy (W-PTM) with a gold-coated substrate and plasmonic scattering microscopy for rapid and uniform temperature modulation, allowing precise control of temperature within a selected heating space through incident light adjustment, achieving a temperature range of 33-80°C with high spatial resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If metallic nanoparticles are used for plasmonic heating, then rapid temperature regulation is achieved, but space precision of heating deteriorates due to random distribution of nanoparticles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the random distribution problem by using a continuous metallic layer instead of discrete nanoparticles. The metallic layer provides a uniform heating surface without the spatial randomness inherent in nanoparticle distributions, thereby achieving both rapid temperature regulation and precise spatial control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a controlled metallic layer structure that provides uniform heating in the desired region while maintaining the ability to selectively heat specific areas through optical focusing. The metallic layer's continuous structure ensures consistent local heating properties throughout the coating area.
2Temperature
If metallic nanoparticles are positioned tightly to create nanocavities, then localized heating is enhanced, but excessive heat is generated leading to overheating on the target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the nanocavity structure that causes excessive heat concentration. By using a continuous metallic layer instead of tightly packed nanoparticles, the patent eliminates the nanocavity effect while maintaining useful localized heating through optical focusing, thereby preventing overheating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameter from discrete nanoparticle packing to continuous metallic layer. This parameter change fundamentally alters the heat distribution pattern, eliminating the extreme heat concentration of nanocavities while preserving controlled localized heating capability.
3Temperature
If classical heating sources are used for temperature control, then heating can be applied, but the process is time-consuming and nonuniform over the target surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces classical mechanical heating sources with optical heating through plasmonic resonance. This substitution enables rapid heating without the time delays inherent in thermal conduction from conventional sources, while the continuous metallic layer ensures uniform heat distribution across the target surface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
W-PTM provides nondestructive, local temperature regulation with concurrent fluorescence imaging, enabling precise monitoring of thermal dynamics and cellular activities, such as TRPV1 ion channel activation, with controlled temperature uniformity and high spatial resolution.
Implementation Method 1
The second surface is coated with a metallic layer that is configured to create surface plasmon resonance when incident light is introduced toward the second surface at a suitable incident angle
Implementation Method 2
These nanometer-sized heaters are capable of harvesting light due to the internal decay of hot carriers, facilitating many practical applications, such as photothermal therapy
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are methods of modulating temperature in detection fields and producing analyte imaging data. In some embodiments, the methods include introducing an incident light toward a second surface of a substrate to induce a plasmonic wave proximal to a first surface of the substrate such that a temperature in a selected heating space within the detection field is substantially uniformly changed to a selected temperature. Additional methods as well as related systems and computer readable media are also provided.