Optical substance analyzer
First Claim
1. A device, comprising an optical waveguide having a first grating, wherein:
- at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte;
a plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide form the first grating;
at least some of the grooves are covered by the functional layer;
when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide;
the first grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; and
the binding shifts the center wavelength.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable waveguide sensor having one or more gratings. In one embodiment, the sensor has a waveguide, wherein a plurality of grooves imprinted onto the waveguide form a Bragg grating. The surface of the grooves has a functional layer adapted to bind a substance of interest, e.g., a biological pathogen. When the pathogen binds to the functional layer, the binding shifts the spectral reflection band corresponding to the Bragg grating such that a probe light previously reflected by the grating now passes through the grating, thereby indicating the presence of the pathogen. In another embodiment, the sensor has a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), one arm of which has a resonator formed by two Bragg gratings. The surface of the resonator between the gratings has a functional layer whereas the Bragg gratings themselves do not have such a layer.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A device, comprising an optical waveguide having a first grating, wherein:
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at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte; a plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide form the first grating; at least some of the grooves are covered by the functional layer; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; the first grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; and the binding shifts the center wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for detecting an analyte, comprising:
- transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; and
measuring the transmitted light using a photo-detector, wherein;at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind the analyte; a plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide form the first grating; and at least some of the grooves are covered by the functional layer; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; the first grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; and the binding shifts the center wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; and
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18. A device, comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) having two arms, wherein:
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one arm has an optical resonator; and a section of the resonator has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte, wherein the optical characteristics of the resonator change, when the analyte binds to the functional layer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A device, comprising an optical waveguide having a first grating, wherein:
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at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; the device further comprises one or more other optical waveguides, each having a grating, wherein; each grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; and at least two gratings have different reflection bands; and the device further comprises an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) having an input port and two or more output ports coupled to the two or more optical waveguides, wherein, for each optical waveguide, the AWG is adapted to route light having a corresponding center wavelength from the input port to the output port coupled to said optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method for detecting an analyte, comprising:
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transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; measuring the transmitted light using a photo-detector, wherein; at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind the analyte; and when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; transmitting light through one or more other optical waveguides, each having a grating; measuring the transmitted light using a plurality of photo-detectors, wherein; each grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; and at least two gratings have different reflection bands; and routing light via an arrayed waveauide grating (AWG) having an input port and two or more output ports coupled to the two or more optical waveguides, wherein, for each optical waveguide, the AWG is adapted to route light having a corresponding center wavelength from the input port to the output port coupled to said optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A device, comprising an optical waveguide having a first grating, wherein:
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at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; and the device comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) having two arms, wherein one arm includes the optical waveguide, wherein; the optical waveguide has a second grating; and the first and second gratings form an optical resonator. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A method for detecting an analyte, comprising:
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transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; and measuring the transmitted light using a photo-detector, wherein; at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind the analyte; the optical waveguide is a part of one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI); the optical waveguide has a second grating; the first and second gratings form an optical resonator; and when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A device, comprising an optical waveguide having a first grating, wherein:
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at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; and the device further comprises one or more other optical waveguides, each having a grating, wherein; each grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; at least two gratings have different reflection bands; and at least two optical waveguides have different functional layers adapted to bind different analytes.
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33. A method for detecting an analyte, comprising:
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transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; measuring the transmitted light using a photo-detector, wherein; at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind the analyte; and when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; transmitting light through one or more other optical waveguides, each having a grating; and measuring the transmitted light using a plurality of photo-detectors, wherein; each grating has an optical reflection band characterized by a center wavelength; at least two gratings have different reflection bands; and at least two optical waveguides have different functional layers adapted to bind different analytes.
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34. A device, comprising:
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an optical waveguide having a first grating; and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) having two arms, wherein; at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind an analyte; a plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide form the first grating; at least some of the grooves are covered by the functional layer; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguide; and one arm includes the optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method for detecting an analyte, comprising:
transmitting light through an optical waveguide having a first grating; and
measuring the transmitted light using a photo-detector, wherein;at least a portion of the waveguide has a functional layer adapted to bind the analyte; a plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide form the first grating; and at least some of the grooves are covered by the functional layer; when the analyte binds to the functional layer, the binding changes optical characteristics of the waveguides; and the optical waveguide is a part of one arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
Specification