Implantable chemical sensor with rugged optical coupler
First Claim
1. A chemical sensor for detecting or measuring a parameter of interest in a sample fluid, comprising:
- a) a housing chemically resistant to the sample fluid;
b) a sensor element substantially within the housing, the sensor element having an optically transparent body with a first surface exposed from the housing for receiving a sample responsive to the parameter of interest in the sample fluid and for receiving a first signal from the sensing layer in response to optical stimulation thereof;
c) wherein the sensor element comprises a light emitter on a second surface of the body, optically coupled to the first surface for providing said optical stimulation;
d) wherein the sensor element comprises a first detector on a third surface of the body, optically coupled to the first surface for detecting said first signal; and
e) wherein of the first, second and third surfaces of the body, two surfaces are opposed and a remaining surface couples the opposed surfaces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for determining a property of an analyte using a sensing layer whose optical response changes with the analyte. The apparatus includes a housing with an optically transparent window for receiving the sensing layer. The window passes optical stimulation to the sensing layer and the optical response from the sensing layer. A stimulating light emitter is coupled to a first face of an optical body monolithically coupled to the window and a light detector is coupled to a second face of the optical body for receiving the response. The optical response changes as the concentration of the analyte changes. Reference molecules included in the sensing layer can provide a calibration signal to a second light detector mounted on a third face of the optical body. The first, second and third faces of the optical body are different and not coplanar.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A chemical sensor for detecting or measuring a parameter of interest in a sample fluid, comprising:
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a) a housing chemically resistant to the sample fluid;
b) a sensor element substantially within the housing, the sensor element having an optically transparent body with a first surface exposed from the housing for receiving a sample responsive to the parameter of interest in the sample fluid and for receiving a first signal from the sensing layer in response to optical stimulation thereof;
c) wherein the sensor element comprises a light emitter on a second surface of the body, optically coupled to the first surface for providing said optical stimulation;
d) wherein the sensor element comprises a first detector on a third surface of the body, optically coupled to the first surface for detecting said first signal; and
e) wherein of the first, second and third surfaces of the body, two surfaces are opposed and a remaining surface couples the opposed surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining a property of an analyte using a sensing layer exposed to the analyte whose response to optical stimulation changes in the presence of the analyte, comprising:
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providing the sensing layer exposed to the analyte on an optically transparent surface of a monolithic optical body in a housing;
passing optical stimulation to the sensing layer from a light emitter coupled to a first face of the monolithic optical body; and
passing an optical response from the sensing layer to a first light detector coupled to a second face of the monolithic optical body different than the first face, and wherein the first and second faces are not substantially coplanar. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for determining a property of an analyte using a sensing layer exposed to the analyte whose optical response to optical stimulation changes in the presence of the analyte, comprising:
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a housing;
a first optically transparent window in the housing for receiving the sensing layer, wherein the window passes the optical stimulation to the sensing layer and the optical response from the sensing layer;
a first optical body monolithically coupled to the first window for passing light to and from the sensing layer through the first window;
a first light emitter coupled to a first face of the first optical body for providing the optical stimulation;
a first light detector coupled to a second face of the first optical body different than the first face for receiving a first component of the optical response; and
a second light detector coupled to a third face of the first optical body different than the first and second face, for receiving a second component of the optical response. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification