Single mode (SM) fiber optical reader system and method for interrogating resonant waveguide-grating sensor(s)
First Claim
1. A optical reader system, suitable for use with a biosensor when placed in an operative position relative to the optical reader system, said system comprising:
- a light source;
a light detector resonance shift detection system; and
a launch/receive system which includes;
a single mode optical fiber; and
a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with said light source and said light detector resonance shift detection system, wherein said single mode optical fiber is physically separated from said lens and said lens is physically separated from a biosensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused by said lens before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with the a biosensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said a biosensor, when placed in the operative position, reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector resonance shift detection system.
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Abstract
An optical reader system is described herein which has a single mode (SM) optical fiber launch/receive system that uses one or more SM optical fibers to interrogate a biosensor and does not use multimode (MM) optical fibers to interrogate the biosensor. The use of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system effectively reduces angular sensitivity, reduces unwanted system reflections, improves overall angular tolerance, and improves resonant peak reflectivity and resonant peak width. Two specific embodiments of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system are described herein which include: (1) a dual fiber collimator launch/receive system; and (2) a single fiber launch/receive system that interrogates the biosensor at a normal incidence.
35 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A optical reader system, suitable for use with a biosensor when placed in an operative position relative to the optical reader system, said system comprising:
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a light source; a light detector resonance shift detection system; and a launch/receive system which includes; a single mode optical fiber; and a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with said light source and said light detector resonance shift detection system, wherein said single mode optical fiber is physically separated from said lens and said lens is physically separated from a biosensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused by said lens before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with the a biosensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said a biosensor, when placed in the operative position, reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 46, 47, 48)
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9. A method for interrogating a biosensor, said method comprising the steps step of:
using a launch/receive system which has a single mode optical fiber incorporated therein to interrogate the biosensor and does not have a multimode optical fiber incorporated therein to interrogate the biosensor, wherein said launch/receive system includes; a single mode optical fiber; and a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with said a light source and said light detector a resonance shift detection system, wherein said single mode optical fiber is physically separated from said lens and said lens is physically separated from a biosensor, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused by said lens before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with the biosensor, wherein said biosensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical reader system suitable for use with a sensor when placed in an operative position relative to the optical reader system, said system comprising:
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a light source; a resonance shift detection system; and a launch/receive system including; a single mode optical fiber; and a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with said light source and said resonance shift detection system, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused by said lens and interfaces at a substantially normal incidence with a sensor when placed in the operative position, wherein a sensor, when placed in the operative position, reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 49, 50)
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23. A method for interrogating a sensor, said method comprising:
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providing a launch/receive system which comprises; a single mode optical fiber to interrogate the sensor a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with a light source and a resonance shift detection system and passing a light beam from the light source into the launch/receive system, wherein the light beam emitted from said single mode optical fiber is focused by said lens to a substantially normal incidence with the sensor, wherein said sensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An optical reader system suitable for use with a sensor when placed in an operative position relative to the optical reader system, said system comprising:
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a light source; a resonance shift detection system; and a launch/receive system including; a single mode optical fiber interfaced with said light source and said resonance shift detection system, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused and interfaces at a substantially normal incidence with a sensor when placed in the operative position, wherein a sensor, when placed in the operative position, reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said single mode optical fiber and is received by said resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 51, 52)
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34. A method for interrogating a sensor, said method comprising:
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providing a launch/receive system which comprises a single mode optical fiber incorporated therein to interrogate the sensor, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with a light source and a resonance shift detection system and passing a light beam from the light source into the launch/receive system, wherein the light beam emitted from said single mode optical fiber is focused to a substantially normal incidence with the sensor, wherein said sensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said single mode optical fiber and is received by said resonance shift detection system. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An optical reader system suitable for use with a sensor when placed in an operative position relative to the optical reader system, said system comprising:
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a light source; a light detector; and a launch/receive system which includes; a single mode optical fiber; a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with said light source and said light detector, wherein said single mode optical fiber is physically separated from said lens and said lens is physically separated from a sensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a light beam generated by said light source such that the emitted light beam is focused by said lens before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with a sensor when placed in the operative position, wherein a sensor, when placed in the operative position, reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector; and an optical isolator positioned between and physically separated from said lens and a sensor when placed in the operative position, wherein said optical isolator includes a circular polarizer which rejects Fresnel reflections and parasitic reflections that are created during interrogation of a sensor when placed in the operative position. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for interrogating a sensor, said method comprising:
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providing a launch/receive system which comprises; a single mode optical fiber to interrogate the sensor; a lens, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with a light source and a light detector; and an optical isolator comprising a circular polarizer which rejects Fresnel reflections and parasitic reflections that are created during interrogation of said sensor, wherein the optical isolator is positioned between and physically separated from said lens and said sensor and passing a light beam from the light source into the launch/receive system, wherein the light beam emitted from said single mode optical fiber is focused by said lens to a substantially normal incidence with the sensor, wherein said sensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification