Method and apparatus for chemical imaging in a microfluidic circuit
First Claim
1. A system for determining a change in an attribute of a substance, while the substance moves along at least one axis of a channel of a microfluidic circuit, the system comprising:
- a photon source for providing a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
an optical lens for collecting said second plurality of photons;
a filter for receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons;
a photon detector for receiving the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance; and
a processor for determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substance and a position of the substance along said at least one axis, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure generally relates to a system for detecting a change in an attribute of a substance. The system may include a photon source for producing a first of a plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to produce a second plurality of photons. The system may also include a filter for receiving the collected photons and providing filtered photons; a photon detector for receiving the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance; and a processor for detecting an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is the function of the attribute of the substance.
23 Citations
115 Claims
-
1. A system for determining a change in an attribute of a substance, while the substance moves along at least one axis of a channel of a microfluidic circuit, the system comprising:
- a photon source for providing a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
an optical lens for collecting said second plurality of photons;
a filter for receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons;
a photon detector for receiving the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance; and
a processor for determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substance and a position of the substance along said at least one axis, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- a photon source for providing a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
-
25. A method for determining a change in an attribute of a substance while the substance moves along at least one axis of a channel of a microfluidic circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the substance with a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
collecting said second plurality of photons;
receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons;
detecting the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance;
determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substancc and a position of the substance along said at least one axis, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance; and
reporting said change in the attribute of the substance. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- illuminating the substance with a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
-
44. A system for determining a change in an attribute of a substance, the system comprising:
- a photon source;
a microfluidic circuit;
an optical lens;
a filter;
a photon detector; and
a processor, wherein the substance passes through at least a portion of said microfluidic circuit while the attribute of the substance changes, and wherein said photon detector receives photons from the substance wherein an aspect of the received photons is a function of the attribute of the substance, and wherein said processor determines the aspect of the received photons to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
- a photon source;
-
72. A system for determining a change in an attribute of a substance, the system comprising:
- a photon source for providing a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
a microfluidic circuit through at least a portion of which the substance passes while the attribute of the substance changes;
an optical lens for collecting said second plurality of photons;
a filter for receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons;
a photon detector for receiving the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance; and
a processor for determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substance, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
- a photon source for providing a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
-
97. A method for determining a change in an attribute of a substance, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a microfluidic circuit through at least a portion of which the substance passes while the attribute of the substance changes;
illuminating the substance with a first plurality of photons which interact with the substance to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
collecting said second plurality of photons;
receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons;
detecting the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom a spectrum of the substance;
determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substance, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance; and
reporting said change in the attribute of the substance.
- providing a microfluidic circuit through at least a portion of which the substance passes while the attribute of the substance changes;
-
98. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is selected from the group consisting of a physical property, a chemical property, an electrical property, a magnetic property, an optical property, and a biological property.
-
99. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the substance is a single molecule or a group of molecules.
-
100. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is a physical structure.
-
101. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is a physical orientation.
-
102. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is a chemical structure.
-
103. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is a chemical composition.
-
104. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is a chemical state.
-
105. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the attribute is an index of refraction.
-
106. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of a cell, an clement, a compound, a molecule, a reactant, a solvent, a solute, a fluid, and a biological substancc.
-
107. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the first plurality of photons have a wavelength in the infrared wavelength range.
-
108. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the first plurality of photons have a wavelength in the near infrared wavelength range.
-
109. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the first plurality of photons have a wavelength in the visible wavelength range.
-
110. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the first plurality of photons have a wavelength in the ultraviolet wavelength range.
-
111. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the first plurality of photons have a wavelength in the x-ray wavelength range.
-
112. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the aspect of the received photons is selected from the group consisting of a wavelength, a frequency, a phase, a polarization, and an intensity.
-
113. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the interaction of the first plurality of photons with the substance is selected from the group consisting of scattering, emission, reflection, and refraction.
-
114. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the spectrum is selected from the group consisting of a Raman spectrum, a luminescence spectrum, a near infrared spectrum, an infrared spectrum, and an ultraviolet spectrum, and an x ray spectrum.
-
115. The method of claim aim 97 wherein the step of illuminating the substance comprises passing the first plurality of photons through a fluid flow channel of the microfluidic circuit.
Specification