Universal detector for biological and chemical separations or assays using plastic microfluidic devices
US6809828B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 24, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/41
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An on-chip interferometric backscatter detector (OCIBD) makes use of plastic substrates in which a rectangular sample channel is formed. While any plastic material can be used to form the channel substrate, the substrate is most preferably formed from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). An incident laser beam reflects off of the sample channel walls and through the sample in the channel, thereby generating backscattered reflections that create interference fringe patterns. The fringe patterns are detected by a photodetector and used to determine various properties of the sample. To provide the best results, the laser beam diameter should be no smaller than the channel width so that the entire channel will be illuminated by the beam, and preferably should be slightly, e.g., 5%, larger. This will insure that the laser light reflected off of the walls of the channel will generate the desired interference fringe patterns, despite the less than optimum rectangular geometry of the channel walls. A reference channel can be provided to improve the accuracy of the measurements made with the detector. One notable application of the invention is the analysis of binding experiments on biochemical fun…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.