Method and apparatus for employing a tunable microfluidic device for optical switching, filtering and assaying of biological samples
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tunable device comprising:
- at least one input waveguide;
at least one cavity waveguide in communication with the at least one input waveguide;
at least one output waveguide in communication with the at least one cavity waveguide; and
at least one channel disposed through a center of the at least one cavity waveguide for carrying at least one fluid.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a tunable microfluidic device comprises at least one optical resonant cavity having a microfluidic channel disposed through a center thereof. At least one fluid is manipulated within the channel to change or “tune” an optical characteristic of the optical resonant cavity. In further embodiments, the tunable microfluidic device is incorporated into systems for assaying biological and/or chemical samples and for optical switching and/or filtering.
123 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A tunable device comprising:
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at least one input waveguide;
at least one cavity waveguide in communication with the at least one input waveguide;
at least one output waveguide in communication with the at least one cavity waveguide; and
at least one channel disposed through a center of the at least one cavity waveguide for carrying at least one fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for tunable optical switching, comprising the steps of:
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providing a signal to an input waveguide;
providing a plurality of cavity waveguides along said input waveguide, wherein each of said cavity waveguides has a channel disposed through a center of said cavity waveguide;
providing at least one output waveguide in communication with said plurality of cavity waveguides; and
passing at least one fluid through at least one of said channels to effect switching of said signal from said input waveguide to at least one output waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for assaying samples, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a signal to an input waveguide;
providing at least one cavity waveguide along said input waveguide, wherein each of said at least one cavity waveguides has a channel disposed through a center of said cavity waveguide;
providing at least one output waveguide in communication with said at least one cavity waveguide; and
passing at least one fluid through at least one of said channels to effect a change in the resonant properties of the at least one cavity waveguide, wherein the at least one fluid contains said sample. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for assaying samples, the system comprising:
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an interface section, for introducing the samples into the system; and
a detection section, for analyzing one or more elements within the samples. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. Apparatus for interfacing a macrofluidic input source with a microfluidic system, comprising:
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a reservoir for containing at least one input sample, wherein the reservoir has an aperture;
a re-circulation channel in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving said at least one input sample from the reservoir;
a detector positioned proximate to the re-circulation channel for separating at least one element out of the at least one input sample contained in the recirculation channel; and
an interface channel in fluid communication with the re-circulation channel, for delivering at least one separated element to said microfluidic system.
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48. Apparatus for sorting at least one element in a fluid-based sample, comprising:
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at least one input channel;
two or more output channels coupled to the at least one input channel at a channel interface;
one or more electrodes positioned proximate to the channel interface for urging said at least one element into one of the two or more output channels.
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Specification