Integrated devices and systems for free-space optical coupling

• US 10,487,356 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Bioscience of California Incorporated (L'Oreal SA)
• Original Assignee: Pacific Bioscience of California Incorporated (L'Oreal SA)
• Inventors: Lundquist, Paul, McDonald, Mark, Rulison, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fisher, Brittany I
• Application Number:
  US15/072,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20160273034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6874 involving nucleic acid arrays, e.g. sequencing by hybridisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

Optical delivery devices and integrated analytical systems comprising the optical delivery devices are provided. The optical delivery devices include optical inputs, optical outputs, and integrated optical waveguides that are configured for coupling of optical energy to a target waveguide device through free space. The integrated analytical systems include the optical delivery devices in combination with the target waveguide device. The devices and systems are useful in the analysis of highly multiplexed optical reactions in large numbers at high densities, including biochemical reactions, such as nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The devices provide for the efficient coupling of optical excitation energy from an optical source to the optical reactions. Optical signals emitted from the reactions can thus be measured with high sensitivity and discrimination. The devices and systems are well suited for miniaturization and high throughput.

Claims

1. An analytical system comprising:

an integrated optical delivery device; and

an integrated target waveguide device;

wherein the integrated optical delivery device comprises;

a plurality of optical inputs;

a plurality of optical outputs; and

a plurality of optical output waveguides disposed on a substrate;

wherein at least one optical output waveguide is optically connected to at least one optical input and at least one optical output;

wherein at least one optical output is configured for optical coupling to the integrated target waveguide device through free space at a distance of at least 1 mm;

wherein at least one optical output has a numerical aperture of no more than 0.1; and

wherein the integrated target waveguide device is a multiplexed DNA sequencing device comprising at least 100 reaction regions.

2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an alignment device.

3. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises an alignment feature.

4. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises a grating coupler optically connected to an integrated waveguide.

5. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of optical sources.

6. The analytical system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of optical sources is a plurality of lasers.

7. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of intervening optical elements between the integrated optical delivery device and the integrated target waveguide device.

8. The analytical system of claim 7, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises a grating coupler optically connected to an integrated waveguide, wherein the grating coupler has a numerical aperture lower than the numerical aperture of the optical output of the optical delivery device.

9. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a surface area per footprint of at least 144 μ

m².

10. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a surface area per footprint of at most 250,000 μ

m².

11. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a surface area per footprint of from 144 μ

m² to 250,000 μ

m².

12. The analytical system of claim 11, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate the footprint on the integrated target waveguide device at a distance of from 1 mm to 100 mm.

13. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a power of at least 1 mW.

14. The analytical system of claim 13, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate the footprint on the integrated target waveguide device at a distance of from 1 mm to 100 mm.

15. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device further comprises a splitting element optically connected to one optical input through an optical input waveguide and to a plurality of optical outputs through a plurality of optical output waveguides.

16. The analytical system of claim 15, wherein the integrated optical delivery device comprises at least four optical outputs and optical output waveguides.

17. The analytical system of claim 15, wherein the integrated optical delivery device comprises a plurality of splitting elements, each splitting element optically connected to one of a plurality of optical inputs through one of a plurality of optical input waveguides and to a plurality of optical outputs through a plurality of optical output waveguides.

18. The analytical system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical output waveguides is a tap waveguide.

19. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the integrated optical delivery device delivers visible light to the integrated target waveguide device.

20. The analytical system of claim 19, wherein the visible light has a wavelength in the range from about 500 nm to about 600 nm.

21. An analytical system comprising:

an integrated optical delivery device; and

an integrated target waveguide device;

wherein the integrated optical delivery device comprises;

an optical input;

a plurality of optical outputs; and

a plurality of optical output waveguides disposed on a substrate;

wherein at least one optical output waveguide is optically connected to the optical input and at least one optical output;

wherein at least one optical output is configured for optical coupling to the integrated target waveguide device through free space at a distance of at least 1 mm;

wherein at least one optical output has a numerical aperture of no more than 0.1; and

wherein the integrated target waveguide device is a multiplexed DNA sequencing device comprising at least 100 reaction regions.

22. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the system further comprises an alignment device.

23. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises an alignment feature.

24. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises a grating coupler optically connected to an integrated waveguide.

25. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the system further comprises an intervening optical element between the integrated optical delivery device and the integrated target waveguide device.

26. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated target waveguide device comprises a grating coupler optically connected to an integrated waveguide, wherein the grating coupler has a numerical aperture lower than the numerical aperture of the optical output of the optical delivery device.

27. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a surface area per footprint of from 144 μ

m² to 250,000 μ

m².

28. The analytical system of claim 27, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate the footprint on the integrated target waveguide device at a distance of from 1 mm to 100 mm.

29. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate a footprint on the integrated target waveguide device with a power of at least 1 mW.

30. The analytical system of claim 29, wherein the integrated optical delivery device is configured to illuminate the footprint on the integrated target waveguide device at a distance of from 1 mm to 100 mm.

31. The analytical system of claim 21, wherein the integrated optical delivery device further comprises a splitting element optically connected to the optical input through an optical input waveguide and to a plurality of optical outputs through a plurality of optical output waveguides.

32. The analytical system of claim 31, wherein the integrated optical delivery device comprises at least four optical outputs and optical output waveguides.