Sensor platform, apparatus incorporating platform, and process using the platform
First Claim
1. A platform for use in sample analysis comprising an optically transparent substrate having a refractive index (n1), a thin, optically transparent layer, formed on one surface of the substrate, said layer having a refractive index (n2) which is greater than (n1), said platform incorporating therein one or multiple corrugated structures comprising periodic grooves which define one or multiple sensing areas of regions, each for one or multiple capture elements, said grooves being so profiled, dimensioned and oriented that eithera) coherent light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in reduction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing area;
- or b) coherent and linearly polarised light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in almost total extinction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas, wherein the enhanced evanescent field interacts with luminescent material on or in the vicinity of one or more of the sensing areas or regions so as to produce a detectable luminescent signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor platform for use in sample analysis comprises a substrate (30) of refractive index (n1) and a thin, optically transparent layer (32) of refractive index (n2) on the substrate, (n2) is greater than (n1). The platform incorporates one or multiple corrugated structures in the form of periodic grooves (31), (33), which defines one or more sensing areas each for one or more capture elements. The grooves are so profiled, dimensioned and oriented that when coherent light is incident on the platform it is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction order resulting in reduction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby creates an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the or each sensing area. The amplitude of this field at the resonant condition is greater by an order of approximately 100 than the field of prior art platforms so that the luminescence intensity created from samples on the platform is also increased by a factor of 100. Also disclosed is an apparatus incorporating the platform and a method of using the platform.
245 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A platform for use in sample analysis comprising an optically transparent substrate having a refractive index (n1), a thin, optically transparent layer, formed on one surface of the substrate, said layer having a refractive index (n2) which is greater than (n1), said platform incorporating therein one or multiple corrugated structures comprising periodic grooves which define one or multiple sensing areas of regions, each for one or multiple capture elements, said grooves being so profiled, dimensioned and oriented that either
a) coherent light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in reduction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing area; - or
b) coherent and linearly polarised light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in almost total extinction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas, wherein the enhanced evanescent field interacts with luminescent material on or in the vicinity of one or more of the sensing areas or regions so as to produce a detectable luminescent signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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- 10. A platform according to claim 10, including an adhesion promoting layer disposed at the surface of the optically transparent layer in order to enable immobilisation of capture molecules.
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22. A platform comprising an optically transparent substrate having a refractive index (n1), a thin, optically transparent layer, formed on one surface of the substrate, said layer having a refractive index (n2) which is greater than (n1), said platform incorporating in the transparent layer a corrugated structure substantially over the entire platform, or multiple separate corrugated structures arranged on the platform, said structures comprising substantially parallel periodic grooves which are mono- or multi-diffractional which grooves represent one or multiple sensing areas or regions, wherein
(a) the depth of the grooves is in the range of about 30 nm to the thickness of the optically transparent layer, (b) the thickness of the optically transparent layer is in the range of 30 to 1000 nm, (c) the period of the corrugated structure is in the range of 200 to 1000 nm, (d) the ratio of grooves depth to the thickness of the optically transparent layer is in the range of 0.02 to 1, and e) the ratio of grove width to the period of the grooves is in the range of 0.2 to 0.8.
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29. A platform for use in sample analysis comprising an optically transparent substrate having a refractive index (n1), a thin, optically transparent layer, formed on one surface of the substrate, said layer having a refractive index (n2) which is greater than (n1), said platform incorporating therein one or multiple corrugated structures each comprising periodic grooves which define one or multiple sensing areas, wherein for each corrugated structure said grooves are profiled, dimensioned and oriented such that either:
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a) coherent light incident on said corrugated structure is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting n reduction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas;
orb) coherent and linearly polarized light incident on said corrugated structures is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in almost total extinction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas;
wherein the enhanced evanescent field interacts with luminescent material on or in the vicinity of one or more of the sensing areas so as to produce a detectable luminescent signal. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A sample analysis system, comprising:
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a platform having an optically transparent substrate having a refractive index (n1), a thin, optically transparent layer, formed on one surface of the substrate, said layer having a refractive index (n2) which is greater than (n1), said platform incorporating therein one or multiple corrugated structures comprising periodic grooves which define one or multiple sensing areas or regions, each for one or multiple capture elements, said grooves being so profiled, dimensional and oriented that either a) coherent light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in reduction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas;
orb) coherent and linearly polarised light incident on said platform is diffracted into individual beams or diffraction orders which interfere resulting in almost total extinction of the transmitted beam and an anormal high reflection of the incident light thereby generating an enhanced evanescent field at the surface of the one or multiple sensing areas, wherein the enhanced evanescent field interacts with luminescent material on or in the vicinity of one or more of the sensing areas or regions so as to produce a detectable luminescent signal;
a light source configured and arranged to illuminate at least a portion of the platform with coherent or coherent and linearly polarized light; and
a detector configured to detect the luminescent signal.
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Specification