Integrated-optical chemical and biochemical sensor
US6483096B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 5, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/7743
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The integrated-optical chemical and/or biochemical sensor comprises a resonant waveguide structure (1). A chemical and/or biochemical substance (2) to be sensed can be deposited on a surface of the waveguide structure (1). Incident light (31) is coupled into the waveguide structure (1) by a grating structure (G), making use of a first set of degrees of freedom. The incoupled light (32) interacts with the substance (2), which emits fluorescent light (42). Fluorescent light (42) is coupled out by the same grating structure (G), making use of a second set of degrees of freedom which differs from the first set of degrees of freedom in at least one degree of freedom. For example, the incident light (31) is coupled in using a first diffraction order mg,ex=1, and the emitted (42) light is coupled out using a second, different diffraction order mg,em=2. By this measure, the emitted outcoupled light (43) is clearly separated from exciting light (33) which is reflected and/or coupled out using the first diffraction order mg,ex=1. Such a clear separation increases the signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.