Planar waveguide based cartridges and associated methods for detecting target analyte
First Claim
1. A cartridge for processing a sample, comprising:
- a planar waveguide with upper and lower planar surfaces defining an optical axis therebetween, the optical axis being perpendicular to a normal vector of the upper and lower planar surfaces, the upper planar surface having a plurality of capture molecules bound thereto;
a cylindrical lens portion, coupled to the planar waveguide, for focusing and refracting a light beam propagating parallel to, but offset from, the optical axis such that the light beam couples into the planar waveguide and propagates therein along the optical axis at a non-zero, internal propagation angle β
relative to the upper planar surface; and
a sample chamber for positioning the sample in contact with the plurality of capture molecules such that a target analyte of the sample is detectable through (a) an assay involving the target analyte and the capture molecules and (b) evanescent illumination of the assay using the light beam within the planar waveguide;
the cylindrical lens portion having;
(a) a thickness t between the upper planar surface and an apex of the cylindrical lens portion such that the light beam focuses at a distance L in direction parallel to the optical axis from a circle center defined by a curved surface of the cylindrical lens portion, the thickness t being measured along direction parallel to the normal vector,(b) an index of refraction n, and(v) a radius R that, for a diameter D of the light beam, cooperates with the thickness t, the horizontal distance L, and the index of refraction n to produce a range of the internal propagation angle β
that provides uniform evanescent field strength within a detection region of the sample chamber; and
the cylindrical lens portion being configured to receive the light beam such that its center is offset from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion by a distance y, parallel to the normal vector, from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion to the center of the light beam, and the cylindrical lens portion being characterized by the equations
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Abstract
A cartridge for processing a sample includes (a) a planar waveguide with upper and lower planar surfaces defining an optical axis therebetween, wherein the upper planar surface has a plurality of capture molecules bound thereto, (b) a lens portion, coupled to the planar waveguide, for focusing and refracting a light beam propagating parallel to, but offset from, the optical axis such that the light beam couples into the planar waveguide and propagates therein along the optical axis at a non-zero, internal propagation angle β relative to the upper planar surface, and (c) a sample chamber for positioning the sample in contact with the plurality of capture molecules such that a target analyte of the sample is detectable through (i) an assay involving the target analyte and the capture molecules and (ii) evanescent illumination of the assay using the light beam within the planar waveguide.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A cartridge for processing a sample, comprising:
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a planar waveguide with upper and lower planar surfaces defining an optical axis therebetween, the optical axis being perpendicular to a normal vector of the upper and lower planar surfaces, the upper planar surface having a plurality of capture molecules bound thereto; a cylindrical lens portion, coupled to the planar waveguide, for focusing and refracting a light beam propagating parallel to, but offset from, the optical axis such that the light beam couples into the planar waveguide and propagates therein along the optical axis at a non-zero, internal propagation angle β
relative to the upper planar surface; anda sample chamber for positioning the sample in contact with the plurality of capture molecules such that a target analyte of the sample is detectable through (a) an assay involving the target analyte and the capture molecules and (b) evanescent illumination of the assay using the light beam within the planar waveguide; the cylindrical lens portion having; (a) a thickness t between the upper planar surface and an apex of the cylindrical lens portion such that the light beam focuses at a distance L in direction parallel to the optical axis from a circle center defined by a curved surface of the cylindrical lens portion, the thickness t being measured along direction parallel to the normal vector, (b) an index of refraction n, and (v) a radius R that, for a diameter D of the light beam, cooperates with the thickness t, the horizontal distance L, and the index of refraction n to produce a range of the internal propagation angle β
that provides uniform evanescent field strength within a detection region of the sample chamber; andthe cylindrical lens portion being configured to receive the light beam such that its center is offset from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion by a distance y, parallel to the normal vector, from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion to the center of the light beam, and the cylindrical lens portion being characterized by the equations - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for detecting a target analyte in a cartridge, comprising:
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receiving, into a cylindrical lens portion, a light beam propagating parallel to, but offset from, an optical axis for light propagation within a planar waveguide between upper and lower planar surfaces of the planar waveguide, said offset being in direction parallel to normal vector of the lower planar surface, the cylindrical lens portion having an index of refraction n, a radius R, and a thickness t between the upper planar surface and an apex of the cylindrical lens portion along a direction parallel to the normal vector; using the cylindrical lens portion, refracting and focusing the light beam to (a) couple the light beam into the planar waveguide such that the light beam is incident on the upper planar surface of the planar waveguide at a non-zero, internal propagation angle β
relative to the upper planar surface, and (b) focus the light beam at a horizontal distance L from a circle center defined by a curved surface of the cylindrical lens portion; andpropagating the light beam within the planar waveguide at a range of the internal propagation angle β
to evanescently illuminate, with uniform evanescent field strength within a detection region of the sample chamber, a plurality of capture molecules bound to the upper planar surface within a sample chamber such that a target analyte of a sample interacting with the plurality of capture molecules produces a light signal, the range of the internal propagation angle β
being determined by the index of refraction n, the radius R, the thickness t, the diameter D, and the horizontal distance L;wherein the step of receiving includes receiving the light beam such that a center of the light beam is offset by a distance y, parallel to the normal vector, from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion to the center of the light beam, the cylindrical lens portion being characterized by the equations - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification