Device for use in the detection of binding affinities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006866-B2
Application number	US-201314372707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2013
Priority date	Jan 17, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A device for use in the detection of binding affinities comprises a planar waveguide ( 2 ) arranged on a substrate ( 3 ), and an optical coupler ( 4 ) for coupling coherent light ( 1 ) of a predetermined wavelength into the planar waveguide. The coherent light propagates through the planar waveguide ( 2 ) with an evanescent field ( 6 ) propagating along an outer surface ( 5 ) of the planar waveguide. The outer surface ( 5 ) of the planar waveguide comprises binding sites ( 7 ) thereon capable of binding target samples ( 8 ) to the binding sites ( 7 ) such that light of the evanescent field ( 6 ) is scattered by target samples ( 8 ) bound to the binding sites ( 7 ). The binding sites ( 7 ) are arranged along a plurality of predetermined lines ( 9 ) which are arranged such that the scattered light constructively interferes at a predetermined detection location with a difference in optical path length which is an integer multiple of the predetermined wavelength.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for use in the detection of binding affinities, the device comprising a planar waveguide arranged on a substrate and having an optical coupler for coupling coherent light of a predetermined wavelength into the planar waveguide such that the coherent light propagates through the planar waveguide with an evanescent field of the coherent light propagating along an outer surface of the planar waveguide,
wherein the outer surface of the planar waveguide includes binding sites capable of binding target samples to the binding sites such that the coherent light of the evanescent field is scattered by target samples bound to the binding sites,
wherein the binding sites are arranged along a plurality of predetermined lines, the plurality of predetermined lines being arranged such that the coherent light that is scattered by the target samples bound to the binding sites interferes at a predetermined detection location with a difference in optical path length that is an integer multiple of the predetermined wavelength of the coherent light.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between adjacent predetermined lines decreases in the direction of propagation of the coherent light associated with the evanescent field.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predetermined lines on which the binding sites are arranged comprises curved lines, the curvature of the lines being such that the coherent light of the evanescent field scattered by the target samples bound to the binding sites interferes at a predetermined detection point as a detection location.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predetermined lines are arranged on the outer surface of the planar waveguide in a manner such that their locations are geometrically defined by the equation

x
j

=

λ
⁢

⁢

N
⁡

(

A
0

+
j

)

-

n
s
2

⁡

(

N
2

-

n
s
2

)

⁢

(

y
j
2

+

f
2

)

+

(

n
s

⁢
λ

)

2

⁢

(

A
0

+
j

)

2

N
2

-

n
s
2

wherein:
λ is the vacuum wavelength of the propagating light,
N is the effective refractive index of the guided mode in the planar waveguide and depends on the thickness and the refractive index (n w ) of the planar waveguide, the refractive index (n s ) of the substrate, the refractive index (n med ) of a medium on the outer surface of the planar waveguide and the polarization of the guided mode,
n s is the refractive index of the substrate,
f is the thickness of the substrate,
A 0 is an integer which is chosen to be close to the product of the refractive index n s and the thickness f of the substrate divided by the wavelength λ, and
j is a running integer that indicates the index of the respective line.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the binding sites comprise capture molecules attached to the surface of the planar waveguide along the plurality of predetermined lines only, the capture molecules being capable of binding the target samples.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the binding sites comprise capture molecules capable of binding the target samples, the capture molecules capable of binding the target samples being arranged along the plurality of predetermined lines by dispensing capture molecules capable of binding the target samples onto the outer surface of the planar waveguide and by deactivating those capture molecules which are not arranged along the plurality of predetermined lines.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide has a refractive index (n w ) that is substantially higher than the refractive index (n s ) of the substrate and that is also substantially higher than the refractive index (n med ) of the medium on the outer surface of the planar waveguide, such that for a predetermined wavelength of the coherent light the evanescent field has a penetration depth in the range of 50 nm to 200 nm.

8. A device according to claim 1 , the device comprising a further optical coupler for coupling out the coherent light that has propagated through the planar waveguide, wherein both the optical coupler for coupling the coherent light into the planar waveguide as well as the further optical coupler for coupling out the coherent light that has propagated through the planar waveguide comprise an optical grating for coherently coupling the coherent light into and out of the planar waveg

Assignees

• Hoffmann La Roche

Inventors

• Fattinger Christof

Classifications

• G01N21/552 Primary

  Attenuated total reflection · CPC title

• G01N21/75 Primary

  Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated (systems in which material is burnt in a flame or plasma G01N21/72, G01N21/73) · CPC title

• G01N33/54373

  involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings · CPC title

• G01N21/7743

  the reagent-coated grating coupling light in or out of the waveguide · CPC title