Moving analytes and photosensors
First Claim
1. A method of using optical cavities;
- the method comprising;
while a set of two or more analytes within an optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements;
operating the optical cavity to provide output light;
the output light having a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement; and
operating the photosensing elements to photosense the output light, the photosensing elements providing sensing results in response to the output light, the sensing results depending on the position/time varying intensity function; and
using the sensing results to obtain information about at least one of the analytes.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
While two or more analytes within an optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements, the cavity provides output light that has a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement. The output light is photosensed to obtain sensing results that depend on the position/time varying intensity function. The sensing results are used to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. The relative movement can, for example, be caused by moving analytes within channels within the cavity, such as by causing flow of a medium that carries the analytes through the channels. Or the analytes can be in wells of a biochip, with the cavity defined by reflective slides on opposite surfaces of the biochip, and the slides and biochip can be caused to move together relative to the array.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of using optical cavities;
- the method comprising;
while a set of two or more analytes within an optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements; operating the optical cavity to provide output light;
the output light having a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement; andoperating the photosensing elements to photosense the output light, the photosensing elements providing sensing results in response to the output light, the sensing results depending on the position/time varying intensity function; and using the sensing results to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- the method comprising;
-
10. A system comprising:
-
an optical cavity component that includes an optical cavity in which two or more analytes are present;
the optical cavity being operable to provide output light;an array of photosensing elements; an analyte/array relative movement component that causes relative movement between the analytes in the optical cavity and the array of photosensing elements;
the output light of the optical cavity having a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement;a photosensing component that photosenses the output light to obtain sensing results that depend on the varying intensity function; and an information obtaining component that uses the sensing results to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of obtaining information about analytes using an optical cavity that is operable to provide output light in one or more modes, output light in each mode having an intensity function within a respective photon energy subrange;
- the method comprising;
while a set of two or more analytes within the optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements; operating the optical cavity to provide output light;
each analyte following a respective path relative to the array during the relative movement and having an optical characteristic that affects the output light of the cavity along its path;
in response, the output light having a position/time varying intensity function that depends both on the optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement; andphotosensing the output light along the paths of the analytes with the photosensing elements, the act of photosensing comprising; at each of two or more positions along the paths, photosensing in the respective photon energy subranges of respective ones of the modes to obtain sensing results that depend on the position/time varying intensity function; and using the sensing results to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- the method comprising;
Specification