Single mode (SM) fiber optical reader system and method for interrogating resonant waveguide-grating sensor(s)
First Claim
1. An optical reader system, comprising:
- a light source;
a light detector; and
a launch/receive system which includes;
a single mode optical fiber;
a lens; and
an optical isolator, 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 said optical isolator, 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 polarized by said optical isolator before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with a biosensor, wherein said biosensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said optical isolator, said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector, and wherein said biosensor is physically separated from said launch/receive system.
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Accused Products
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.
32 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optical reader 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; and an optical isolator, 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 said optical isolator, 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 polarized by said optical isolator before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with a biosensor, wherein said biosensor reflects the light beam such that the reflected light beam passes through said optical isolator, said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector, and wherein said biosensor is physically separated from said launch/receive system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for interrogating a biosensor, said method comprising the steps of:
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using a launch/receive system which has a single mode optical fiber incorporated therein to interrogate the biosensor and does not have multimode optical fibers incorporated therein to interrogate the biosensor, wherein said launch/receive system includes; the single mode optical fiber; a lens; and an optical isolator, wherein said single mode optical fiber is interfaced with a light source and a light detector, wherein said single mode optical fiber is physically separated from said lens and said lens is physically separated from said optical isolator, 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 polarized by said optical isolator 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 optical isolator, said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector, and wherein said biosensor is located within a microplate that is physically separated from said launch/receive system; and moving said microplate and said biosensor relative to said fiber launch/receive system which enables the emitted light beam to be scanned across different areas on said biosensor while interrogating said biosensor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An interrogation system comprising:
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a light source; a light detector; and a single fiber launch/receive system which includes; a single mode optical fiber; a lens; and an optical isolator, 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 said optical isolator, wherein said single mode optical fiber emits a sensor input beam that was generated by said light source such that the emitted sensor input beam is focused by said lens and polarized by said optical isolator before interfacing at a substantially normal incidence with a biosensor, wherein said biosensor outputs a sensor output beam such that the sensor output beam passes through said optical isolator, said lens and said single mode optical fiber and is received by said light detector, wherein said biosensor is located within a microplate that is physically separated from said launch/receive system, and wherein said microplate and said biosensor are moved relative to said single fiber launch/receive system which enables the sensor input beam to be scanned across different areas on said biosensor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification