"Spot and hop": internal referencing for surface plasmon resonance imaging using a three-dimensional microfluidic flow cell array.

We have developed a novel referencing technique for surface plasmon resonance imaging systems referred to as "spot and hop." The technique enables internal referencing for individual flow cells in a parallel processing microfluidic network. Internal referencing provides the ability to correct for nonspecific binding and instrument drift, significantly improving data quality at each region of interest. The performance of a 48-flow-cell device was demonstrated through a series of studies, including "rise and fall" time, ligand preconcentration, ligand immobilization, analyte binding, and regeneration tests. Interfacing parallel processing fluidics with imaging systems will significantly expand the throughput and applications of array-based optical biosensors while retaining high data quality.