Optical reader system and method that uses non-coherent illumination and angular filtering to interrogate a label independent biosensor

• US 20060182382A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Gollier, Jacques, Shedd, Gordon M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7743 the reagent-coated grating coupling light in or out of the waveguide

Abstract

An optical reader system and method are described herein that directs a non-coherent light towards a biosensor, collects the non-coherent light which is reflected (or transmitted) from (or through) the biosensor, and then angularly filters the collected non-coherent light to obtain a narrow spectral response which can be analyzed to determine if a biological substance is located on the biosensor or if a biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

Claims

1. An optical reader system, comprising:

a launch system that directs a non-coherent light towards a biosensor; and

a receive system that collects the non-coherent light from the biosensor and angularly filters the collected non-coherent light such that the angularly filtered non-coherent light can be detected and analyzed to determine if a biological substance is present on the biosensor or if a biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

2. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein:

said launch system includes a free beam propagating non-punctual light source and a collimating lens which are used to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor; and

said receive system includes a beamsplitter which focuses and directs the non-coherent light that was collected from the biosensor to a filtering slit/pin hole which angularly filters the focused non-coherent light such that the angularly filtered non-coherent light can be detected by a light detector and then analyzed to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

3. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein said free beam propagating non-punctual light source is a filament or an arc of a lamp.

4. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein:

said launch system includes a light source, a multimode fiber and a collimating lens all of which are used to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor; and

said receive system includes a single mode fiber that collects the non-coherent light reflected from the biosensor via the collimating lens and angularly filters the collected non-coherent light such that the angularly filtered non-coherent light can be detected and analyzed to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular event took place on the biosensor

5. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein said multimode fiber is a step index multimode fiber.

6. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein said launch system further includes a mode scrambler which reduces noise in the non-coherent light that is directed towards the biosensor

7. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein said light source is a spatially extended light source which is used to reduce mode competition in the multimode fiber.

8. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein said launch system and said receive system interrogates the biosensor with the non-coherent light at or substantially close to normal incidence.

9. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein the angularly filtered non-coherent light that is detected by the light detector is analyzed by measuring both backward and forward propagating modes of a resonance wavelength and then averaging both of those modes to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

10. The optical reader system of claim 4, wherein said non-coherent light that is directed towards the biosensor has a beam divergence that is less than 50 mRd.

11. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein:

said launch system includes a light source, a multimode fiber and a collimating lens all of which are used to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor; and

said receive system includes a single mode fiber that collects the non-coherent light transmitted through the biosensor via another collimating lens and angularly filters the collected non-coherent light such that the angularly filtered non-coherent light can be detected and analyzed to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

12. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein said biosensor is a resonant waveguide grating (RWG) sensor which has a plastic substrate.

13. The optical reader system of claim 1, wherein said biosensor is incorporated within a well of a microplate.

14. A method for interrogating a biosensor, said method comprising the steps of:

directing a non-coherent light towards a biosensor;

collecting the non-coherent light from the biosensor;

angularly filtering and the collected non-coherent light;

detecting the angularly filtered non-coherent light; and

analyzing the detected non-coherent light to determine if a biological substance is present on the biosensor or if a biomolecular binding event took place on the biosensor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said directing step further includes using a free beam propagating non-punctual light source and a collimating lens to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor;

said collecting step further includes using the collimating lens and a beamsplitter to collect the non-coherent light from the biosensor;

said angularly filtering step further includes using a filtering slit/pin hole to angularly filter the collected non-coherent light;

said detecting step further includes using a light detector to detect the angularly filtered non-coherent light; and

said analyzing step further includes using a processor to analyze the detected non-coherent light to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular binding event took place on the biosensor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said directing step further includes using a light source, a multimode fiber and a collimating lens to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor;

said collecting step further includes using a single mode fiber and the collimating lens to collect the non-coherent light reflected from the biosensor;

said angularly filtering step further includes using the single mode fiber to angularly filter the collected non-coherent light;

said detecting step further includes using a light detector to detect the angularly filtered non-coherent light; and

said analyzing step further includes using a processor to analyze the detected non-coherent light to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular binding event took place on the biosensor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said directing step further includes using a light source, a multimode fiber and a collimating lens to direct the non-coherent light towards the biosensor;

said collecting step further includes using a single mode fiber and another collimating lens to collect the non-coherent light transmitted through the biosensor;

said angularly filtering step further includes using the single mode fiber to angularly filter the collected non-coherent light;

said detecting step further includes using a light detector to detect the angularly filtered non-coherent light; and

said analyzing step further includes using a processor to analyze the detected non-coherent light to determine if the biological substance is present on the biosensor or if the biomolecular binding event took place on the biosensor.

18. An optical reader system, comprising:

a launch system including a light source, a multimode fiber and a collimating lens all of which are used to direct a non-coherent light towards a biosensor; and

a receive system including a single mode fiber that collects the non-coherent light reflected from the biosensor via the collimating lens and angularly filters the collected non-coherent light such that the angularly filtered non-coherent light can be detected and analyzed to determine if a biological substance is present on the biosensor or if a biomolecular event took place on the biosensor.

19. The optical reader system of claim 18, wherein said launch system further includes a mode scrambler which reduces noise in the non-coherent light that is directed towards the biosensor

20. The optical reader system of claim 18, wherein said light source is a spatially extended light source which is used to reduce mode competition in the multimode fiber.

21. The optical reader system of claim 18, wherein said launch system and said receive system interrogates the biosensor with the non-coherent light at or substantially close to normal incidence.