Diffraction grating-based encoded particle

• US 7,106,513 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Inventors: Putnam, Martin A., Moon, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavarias, Arnel C.
• Application Number:
  US10/661,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 359/2, 359/566, 359/569, 359/558, 359/571, 359/5, 359/72, 356/72, 356/73.1, 385/12, 385/128, 385/37, 250/559.04, 250/559.11, 250/559.4, 250/227.14, 250/227.29, 250/566, 250/568, 235/473, 435/4, 435/6, 435/228.7, 436/518, 436/524, 436/525, 436/526, 436/527, 436/528, 436/531
• US Class Current: 359/569
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0056 Raised or sunken areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06234 miniature-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/0629 Holographic, diffractive or retroreflective recording
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1094 the record carrier being at least partially of the hologram type
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip

Abstract

An encoded particle 8 includes a particle substrate 10; at least a portion of the substrate having at least one diffraction grating disposed therein, the grating having a resultant refractive index variation at a grating location, the grating being embedded within a substantially single material of the substrate; and the grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating in free space, the output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from the grating when illuminated by the incident light signal.

Claims

1. An encoded particle, comprising:

a particle substrate;

at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location, said refractive index variation comprising a plurality of refractive index pitches superimposed at said grating location; and

said grating providing an output optical signal indicative of a code when illuminated by an incident light signal propagating from outside said substrate, said output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from said grating when illuminated by said incident light signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate is made of a material selected from the group:

glass, silica, plastic, rubber, and polymer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises at least a predetermined number of bits, said number being:

3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 30, 40, 50, or 100.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a plurality of states.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a corresponding spatial location and each bit in said code having a value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the spatial location of each bit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the magnitude of refractive index variation of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits, each bit having a corresponding spatial location and each bit in said code having a binary value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the spatial location of each bit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the presence or absence of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident light signal comprises a substantially single wavelength.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident light signal comprises a plurality of wavelengths or a single wavelength scanned over a predetermined wavelength range.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, and each bit in said code having a value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at a wavelength corresponding to each bit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the magnitude of refractive index variation of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits, and each bit in said code having a binary value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the wavelength corresponding to each bit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the presence or absence of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a length that is less than a predetermined value, said value being about 30, 65, 80, 125, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 microns.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a diameter that is less than a predetermined value, said value being about 30, 65, 80, 125, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 microns.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a reflective coating disposed thereon.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a coating disposed on at least a portion of said substrate, at least a portion of said coating being made of a material that allows sufficient amount of said incident light signal to pass through said material to allow detection of said code.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a coating material disposed on at least a portion of said substrate, said coating comprising a polymer.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a magnetic or electric charge polarization.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has geometry having holes therein or protruding sections therein.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has an end cross sectional geometry selected from the group:

circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, clam-shell, D-shaped, and polygon.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has a side view geometry selected from the group:

circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, clam-shell, D-shaped, and polygon.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has a 3-D shape selected from the group:

a cylinder, a sphere, a cube, and a pyramid.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said substrate has a plurality of grating regions.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said grating region has a refractive index that is greater than that of said non-grating region.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said grating region has a refractive index that is not greater than that of said non-grating region.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident light signal is incident on said substrate along a longitudinal grating axis of said grating.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident light signal is incident on said substrate at an angle to a longitudinal grating axis of said grating.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said grating is a thin grating or a blazed grating.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of said gratings.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of said gratings each at different locations within said substrate.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incident light signal comprises laser light.

35. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate is photosensitive at least at said grating location.

36. A method of reading an encoded particle, comprising:

obtaining a substrate, at least a portion of said substrate being made of a substantially single material and having at least one diffraction grating embedded therein, said grating having a resultant refractive index variation within said single material at a grating location, said refractive index variation comprising a plurality of refractive index pitches superimposed at said grating location;

illuminating said substrate with an incident light signal propagating from outside said substrate, said substrate providing an output optical signal indicative of a code, said output optical signal being a result of passive, non-resonant scattering from said grating when illuminated by said incident light signal; and

reading said output optical signal and detecting said code therefrom.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate is made of a material selected from the group:

glass, silica, plastic, rubber, and polymer.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said code comprises at least a predetermined number of bits, said number being:

3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 30, 40, 50, or 100.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a plurality of states.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a corresponding spatial location and each bit in said code having a value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the spatial location of each bit.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the magnitude of refractive index variation of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits, each bit having a corresponding spatial location and each bit in said code having a binary value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the spatial location of each bit.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the presence or absence of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein said incident light signal comprises a substantially single wavelength.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein said incident light signal comprises a plurality of wavelengths or a single wavelength scanned over a predetermined wavelength range.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said code comprises a plurality of bits, and each bit in said code having a value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at a wavelength corresponding to each bit.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the magnitude of refractive index variation of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein said code comprises a plurality of digital bits, and each bit in said code having a binary value related to the intensity of said output optical signal at the wavelength corresponding to each bit.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the value of each bit corresponds to the presence or absence of a corresponding refractive index pitch in said grating.

51. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a length that is less than a predetermined value, said value being about 30, 65, 80, 125, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 microns.

52. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a diameter that is less than a predetermined value, said value being about 30, 65, 80, 125, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 microns.

53. The method at claim 36, wherein said substrate has a reflective coating disposed thereon.

54. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a coating disposed on at least a portion of said substrate, at least a portion of said coating being made of a material that allows sufficient amount of said incident light signal to pass through said material to allow detection of said code.

55. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a coating material disposed on at least a portion of said substrate, said coating comprising a polymer.

56. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a magnetic or electric charge polarization.

57. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has geometry having holes therein or protruding sections therein.

58. The method of claim 36, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has an end cross sectional geometry selected from the group:

circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, clam-shell, D-shaped, arid polygon.

59. The method of claim 36, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has a side view geometry selected from the group:

circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, clam-shell, D-shaped, and polygon.

60. The method of claim 36, wherein at least a portion of said substrate has a 3-D shape selected from the group:

a cylinder, a sphere, a cube, and a pyramid.

61. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said substrate has a plurality of grating regions.

62. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said grating region has a refractive index that is greater than that of said non-grating region.

63. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate has a grating region where said grating is located and a non-grating region where said grating is not located;

and wherein said grating region has a refractive index that is not greater than that of said non-grating region.

64. The method of claim 36, wherein said incident light signal is incident on said substrate along a longitudinal grating axis of said grating.

65. The method of claim 36, wherein said incident light signal is incident on said substrate at an angle to a longitudinal grating axis of said grating.

66. The method of claim 36, wherein said grating is a thin grating or a blazed grating.

67. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of said gratings.

68. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of said gratings each at different locations within said substrate.

69. The method of claim 36, wherein said incident light signal comprises laser light.

70. The method of claim 36, wherein said substrate is photosensitive at least at said grating location.