Radiation carrier and use thereof in an optical sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12031899-B2
Application number	US-202017102388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A radiation carrier for carrying at least a radiation beam has, on a surface thereof, at least one excitation grating, for directing at least an excitation radiation beam directionally out of the radiation carrier, thereby illuminating a region of interest; and at least one structure for redirecting emission radiation emanating from the region of interest. Further a sensor is provided comprising at least one such radiation carrier and at least one detector, the structure being adapted for redirecting radiation from the region of interest into the at least one detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor comprising:
at least one waveguide comprising:
a surface;
at least one excitation grating on the surface of the waveguide, positioned and adapted to couple an excitation radiation beam directionally out of the waveguide, thereby illuminating a region of interest; and
first and second emission gratings on the surface of the waveguide adjacent to and surrounding the at least one excitation grating, the first and second emission gratings positioned and adapted for redirecting emission radiation emanating from the region of interest, wherein the waveguide is adapted for carrying at least a radiation beam; and

at least one detector,
wherein the first and second emission gratings are positioned and adapted for redirecting the emission radiation from the region of interest into the at least one detector.

2. A microfluidic device comprising a sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate being transparent for at least the radiation beam wherein the region of interest is defined.

3. The microfluidic device according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate is furthermore transparent for the redirected emission radiation.

4. The microfluidic device according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate further comprises a microfluidic channel.

5. The microfluidic device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one detector is a detector array, and wherein the microfluidic channel is interlayered between the waveguide and the detector array.

6. The microfluidic device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a microfluidic chip comprising at least one microfluidic channel,
wherein the at least one excitation grating is positioned and adapted to couple an excitation radiation signal directionally out of the waveguide thereby illuminating a pre-defined volume of the microfluidic channel, and the first and second emission gratings, positioned and adapted to redirect emission radiation originating from the pre-defined volume; and
a readout device, adapted to be operatively coupled with the microfluidic chip, wherein the readout device comprises at least one detector for detecting the redirected emission radiation originating from the pre-defined volume, when the microfluidic chip and the readout device are operatively coupled.

7. The microfluidic device according to claim 6 , wherein the readout device comprises a slot for receiving the microfluidic chip.

8. A diagnostic device comprising a sensor according to claim 1 , and an output unit for providing an output of the sensor on which a diagnosis can be based.

9. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second emission gratings are adapted to couple the emission radiation to another waveguide.

10. The sensor according to claim 9 , wherein the another waveguide is positioned in the plane of the first waveguide or angled thereto.

Assignees

• Imec Vzw

Inventors

• Vercruysse Dries

Classifications

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title

• G01N21/6428

  Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53) · CPC title

• G01N15/1484

  microstructural devices · CPC title

• G02B6/124

  Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings · CPC title

• G01N15/1434

  Optical arrangements · CPC title