Waveguide-based optical scanning systems

• US 10,551,318 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LDIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: LDIP, LLC
• Inventors: Duer, Reuven
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US15/353,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20170067829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7709 Distributed reagent, e.g. over length of guide
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7733 Reservoir, liquid reagent
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7793 Sensor comprising plural indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0332 with temperature control control of temperature G05D23/00; cryostats F17C3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/553 and using surface plasmons fluorescence excitation G01N21/648; enhanced Raman G01N21/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6454 using an integrated detector array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence
• 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 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings

Abstract

A scanning sensor system, methods of use and kits for detecting a biologically active analyte are provided. The scanning senor system includes a light source, a detector, a substrate comprising a plurality of waveguides and a plurality of optical sensing sites in optical communication with one or more waveguide of the substrate, and at least one adapter configured to couple with the substrate and provide optical communication between the light source, the waveguides of the substrate, and the detector.

Claims

1. A chip for detecting a biologically active analyte, comprising:

a substrate wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of excitation waveguides, and a plurality of collection waveguides, the excitation waveguides and collection waveguides crossing to form a two-dimensional array of intersection regions where an excitation waveguide and a collection waveguide cross and provide optical communication with the intersection region at each crossing;

an array of optical fibers connected to the collection waveguides to couple the collection waveguides to a detector; and

an array of optical fibers connected to the excitation waveguides to couple the excitation waveguides to a light source; and

a plurality of optical sensing sites each in optical communication with an intersection region.

2. The chip of claim 1, wherein one of the optical sensing sites comprises a sensor and a reference sample material.

3. The chip of claim 1, wherein a first light wave in an excitation waveguide is transduced by a sensor of an optical sensing site in optical communication with the excitation wave guide resulting in a second light wave in a collection waveguide.

4. The chip of claim 3, wherein the sensor supports an immunoassay.

5. The chip of claim 4, wherein the immunoassay supported on the sensor is a fluorescent immunoassay.

6. The chip of claim 3, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a fluorescence well, an absorption cell, an interferometric sensor, a diffractive sensor and surface plasmon resonance sensor.

7. The chip of claim 1, wherein the biologically active analyte is selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid, a protein, an antigen, an antibody, a lipid, a polysaccharide, a glycoprotein, a cell, a tissue, a microorganism, a gas, a chemical agent and a pollutant.

8. The chip of claim 1, wherein the crossing of the excitation waveguides and collection waveguides is substantially perpendicular.

9. The chip of claim 1, wherein the excitation waveguides are single-mode and the collection waveguides are multi-mode.

10. The chip of claim 1, wherein the excitation waveguides and the collection waveguides support single-mode in a first vertical dimension and multi-mode in a second lateral dimension.

11. The chip of claim 1, wherein the excitation waveguides and the collection waveguides are multi-mode.

12. The chip of claim 1, wherein the excitation waveguides and the collection waveguides are single-mode.

13. The chip of claim 1, wherein the excitation waveguide comprises a plurality of branches for drawing a fraction of the light from a first light wave traveling in the excitation waveguide.

14. The chip of claim 1, wherein the collection waveguide comprises a plurality of funnels for collecting light from the sensing sites and coupling it to the collection waveguide.

15. The chip of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing sites comprise the surface of the substrate above the intersection region of the excitation waveguides and the collection waveguides.

16. The chip of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing sites comprise biochemical interaction sites.

17. The chip of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing sites comprise optical transducers.

18. The chip of claim 17, wherein the optical transducers comprise wells comprising fluorescent compounds or luminescent compounds, wherein light waves guided by the excitation waveguides excite the fluorescent compounds or luminescent compounds in the wells in the presence of a biologically active analyte, and the collection waveguides collect and guide light emitted from the fluorescent compounds or the luminescent compounds in the wells to the detector.

19. The chip of claim 1, wherein the number of optical sensing sites is greater than 10.

20. The chip of claim 1, wherein the density of optical sensing sites is greater than 100 per cm².

21. The chip of claim 1, wherein the chip is in thermal communication with a thermal transfer element.

22. The chip of claim 21, wherein the thermal transfer element is a thermoelectric cooler.

23. The chip of claim 1, wherein each optical sensing site comprises a thermal transfer element in thermal communication with the optical sensing site.

24. The chip of claim 23, wherein the thermal transfer element comprises a thin-film heater.

25. The chip of claim 23, wherein each optical sensing site further comprises a thermistor in thermal communication with the optical sensing site.

26. The chip of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises one or more microchannels and one or more reservoirs in fluid communication with one or more optical sensing sites.

27. The chip of claim 1, wherein the chip further comprises a fluidics layer coupled to the substrate and comprises one or more microchannels and one or more reservoirs in fluid communication with one or more optical sensing sites.

28. The chip of claim 1, wherein the optical sensing sites comprise a sensor, and wherein a measurable change in a first light wave results when the sensor discriminates or interacts with a sample comprising the biologically active analyte.