Waveguide grating structure and optical measurement arrangement

• US 20040247229A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artificial Sensing Instruments ASI AG
• Original Assignee: Artificial Sensing Instruments ASI AG
• Inventors: Tiefenthaler, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6463 Optics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7743 the reagent-coated grating coupling light in or out of the waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12107 Grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/124 Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

The present invention describes (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structures consisting of at least one (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure unit or at least one (bio)chemo-functional sensor location with beam guidance permitting light beam separation, as well as detection methods for parallel analysis which are marking-free or based on marking.

Claims

1. An optical sensor for the detection of substances in a sample or a matrix of samples, comprising the following components:

a broadband light source for producing an incident light beam

a (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure with (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure units arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array-like manner or with (bio)chemo-functional sensor locations arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array-like manner,

A scanning element arranged in a beam path of a light field emitted by the (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure or coupled out from the (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure or emitted by and coupled out from the (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure

A detector device comprising a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array of detectors.

2. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the array of detectors is a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array of position-sensitive detectors.

3. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the array of detectors is a one dimensional or two dimensional pixel array detector.

4. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the (bio)chemofunctional waveguide grating structure comprises at least one (bio-)chemofunctional reference pad.

5. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein between the (bio-)chemofunctional waveguide grating structure and the detector device a lens system or an array of lens systems is arranged.

6. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the scanning element comprises a monochromator.

7. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the scanning element comprises a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer

8. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the scanning element comprises a grating.

9. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein a liquid holder or a sample accommodating device is affixed onto the (bio)chemofunctional waveguide grating structure.

10. The optical sensor of claim 9, wherein the liquid holder or a sample accommodating device comprises at least one well or at least one flow-through cuvette or at least one capillary cuvette or at least one lab-on-chip.

11. The optical sensor of claim 1, wherein the (bio)chemofunctional waveguide grating structure is inserted into a liquid holder or a sample accommodating device.

12. The optical sensor of claim 11, wherein the liquid holder or a sample accommodating device comprises at least one well or at least one flow-through cuvette or at least one capillary cuvette or at least one lab-on-chip.

13. A method of detecting substances in a sample or a matrix of samples comprising the steps of

illuminating, by broadband light, a (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure with (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure units arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array-like manner or with (bio)chemo-functional sensor locations arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array-like manner, and thereby exciting the grating structure to give off emitted light

selecting, from said emitted light, a selected light proportion of a particular wavelength or of a particular wavelength range

measuring, by means of a detector device comprising a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array of detectors, a light distribution as a function of the wavelength of said selected light proportion or a light intensity at a particular wavelength of said selected light proportion.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the (bio)chemo-functional waveguide grating structure is illuminated from a fixed angle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said light intensity or light intensity distribution is detected in a locally resolved manner.