Optical waveguide assay unit and method of improving assay sensitivity using same

• US 5,369,717 A
• Filed: 10/05/1992
• Issued: 11/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laboratoires Serono SA
• Original Assignee: Applied Research Systems ARS Holding NV (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Attridge, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US07/930,690
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 385/31, 385/147, 385/12, 385/27, 385/38, 385/14, 385/129, 385/130, 385/131, 385/132, 422/100, 422/102, 422/103, 422/104, 422/112, 422/115, 436/164, 436/165, 436/169, 436/170, 436/172, 436/805, 356/244, 356/256, 606/1, 606/2, 606/10, 606/13, 250/227.11, 250/227.14, 250/277.25, 250/458.1, 250/459.1
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6465 Angular discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/804 Radioisotope, e.g. radioimmunoassay

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of reducing scattering of light emerging from an optical edge of an optical waveguide. According to the invention, the optical edge is maintained in intimate contact with an index matching substance which itself also forms or intimately contacts a further optical component. The invention also relates to a disposable holder suitable for use in the method.

Claims

1. An optical assay unit comprising a disposable holder, said holder comprising an optical component adapted to form the first stage of an optical detector train, a fluorescence capillary fill device FCFD mounted in said holder, said FCFD comprising a planar optical waveguide with an optical edge, and an index-matching substance intimately contacting said optical edge and said optical component.

2. An optical assay unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical component comprises a lens or an optical fiat.

3. An optical assay unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 comprising more than one FCFD and more than one optical component.

4. An optical assay unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the index-matching substance is a liquid, a gel or a solid and is a precursor for a substantially transparent solid capable of being pliably moulded to the surface of the optical edge before setting or otherwise solidifying, said index-matching substance having a refractive index of between 1.35 and 1.65 after setting.

7. An optical assay unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the index-matching substance is a liquid, a gel or a solid and is a precursor for a substantially transparent solid capable of being pliably moulded to the surface of the optical edge before setting or otherwise solidfying, said index-matching substance having a refractive index of between 1.35 and 1.65 after setting.

8. An optical assay unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the index-matching substance is a liquid, a gel or a solid and is a precursor for a substantially transparent solid capable of being pliably moulded to the surface of the optical edge before setting or otherwise solidfying, said index-matching substance having a refractive index of between 1.35 and 1.65 after setting.

5. A method of reducing scattering of light emerging from an optical edge of an optical waveguide comprising maintaining said optical edge in intimate contact with an index-matching substance which intimately contacts a further optical component and wherein the optical waveguide forms part of a fluorescence capillary fill device, FCFD, positioned in a disposable holder comprising said optical component, said FCFD comprising an optical waveguide with an optical edge.

6. A kit for use in an optical assay comprising (a) one or more fluorescence capillary fill device(s), FCFD(s), each said FCFD comprising an optical waveguide with an optical edge (b) an index-matching substance and (c) a disposable holder adapted to receive said FCFD(s) and comprising one or more optical component(s) adapted to form the first stage of an optical detector train.