Contrast amplifying support for the observation of a sample, production methods thereof and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444485-B2
Application number	US-201415030062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A contrast-amplifying support for the observation of a sample, comprises a transparent substrate carrying at least one absorbing layer whose complex refractive index N1=n1−jk1 and thickness are chosen in such a way that the layer behaves in the guise of antireflection layer when it is illuminated under normal incidence at an illumination wavelength λ through the substrate, the face of the layer opposite to the d substrate being in contact with a transparent so-called ambient medium whose refractive index n3 is less than that of the refractive index n0 of the substrate. Methods for producing a contrast-amplifying support and for observing a sample, or for detecting or assaying at least one chemical or biological species, using such a contrast-amplifying support are provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contrast-amplifying support for the observation of a sample, comprising a transparent substrate carrying at least one absorbing layer having a complex refractive index N 1 =n 1 −jk 1 and a thickness e 1 , wherein j is an imaginary unit and said layer behaves in the guise of antireflection layer when it is illuminated under normal incidence at an illumination wavelength λ through said substrate, the face of said layer opposite to said substrate being in contact with a transparent so-called ambient medium whose refractive index n 3 is less than that of the refractive index n 0 of said substrate, wherein, at said illumination wavelength λ, the refractive index n 0 of the substrate, the real and imaginary parts of the complex refractive index of the layer N 1 =n 1 −jk 1 and the thickness e 1 of the layer satisfy the following conditions:

δ
1

=

(

n
0

/

n
3

-
1

)

2
⁢

⁢

v
1

⁢

κ
1

⁡

[

1
-

e

-

κ
1

K

]

;
and

e
)

k
1

≥
0.001

,

and
⁢

⁢
where
⁢

:

f
)

-

δ
1

=

2
⁢

⁢
π
⁢

⁢

n
0

λ

⁢

e
1

;

-

v
1

=

n
1

n
0

⁢

n
3

;

-

κ
1

=

k
1

n
0

⁢

n
3

;
and

-
K

=

{

[

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Maine

Inventors

• Ausserre Dominique
• Amra Claude
• Zerrad Myriam
• Abou Khachfe Refahi

Classifications

• G01N33/54373

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

• G02B1/11

  Anti-reflection coatings · CPC title

• G02B21/34 Primary

  Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides · CPC title

• G02B27/0012

  Optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms, optimisation routines · CPC title

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title