Fluorescence sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017007163-A1
Application number	US-201615270415-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 20, 2016
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light guide unit of a fluorescence sensor is disclosed, which includes at least an optical-waveguide film in which one or more optical waveguides are formed. Each of these films includes a plurality of optical channels that output excitation light (E) or input fluorescence (F). All the optical channels are covered with a fluorescence unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fluorescence sensor comprising:
a fluorescence unit that generates fluorescence in an amount correlating with concentration of analytes by receiving excitation light; a measurement optical system that emits the excitation light and detects the fluorescence from the fluorescence unit; a sensor body in which the measurement optical system is embedded; a light guide unit that is optically connected to the sensor body and bi-directionally guides light between the measurement optical system and the fluorescence unit; wherein the light guide unit includes at least an optical-waveguide film on which one or more optical waveguides are formed; the optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of optical channels that output the excitation light or input the fluorescence; and each of the plurality of optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit.

2 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit includes the optical-waveguide film on which the optical waveguides are formed;
an exposure space formed on the optical-waveguide film and used to expose end surfaces of the optical waveguides to an outside; and each of the plurality of optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit inserted in the exposure space.

3 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 2 , wherein a number of second channels that are the optical channels through which the fluorescence is input is larger than a number of first channels that are the optical channels through which the excitation light is output.

4 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the number of the first channels is one and the number of the second channels is two or more.

5 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the two or more second channels are at different distances from the first channel.

6 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 3 , wherein end surfaces of the second channels are perpendicular to an end surface of the first channel.

7 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit includes a film-layered unit in which two or more optical-waveguide films are layered and the one or more optical waveguides are formed on the two or more optical-waveguide films;
an exposure space used to expose the end surfaces of the optical waveguides to an outside is formed on the film-layered unit; and each of the optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit inserted in the exposure space.

8 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide unit includes a first optical-waveguide film and a second optical-waveguide film, the optical waveguide including a plurality of end units formed on each of the first optical-waveguide film and the second optical-waveguide film;
the first optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of first mirrors placed on the end units and configured to reflect the excitation light passing along the optical waveguide to the optical channels; the second optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of second mirrors placed on the end units and configured to reflect the fluorescence from the optical channels to the optical waveguide; and each of the optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit held between the first optical-waveguide film and the second optical-waveguide film.

9 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 8 , wherein positions of the first mirror and the second mirror facing each other are deviated from each other in a range in which relative positional difference or angular difference between the first mirror and the second mirror does not exceed a threshold.

10 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 8 , wherein the light guide unit includes an optical filter existing between the first mirror and the second mirror facing each other and having filter characteristics of allowing the fluorescence in a relatively large amount to pass through the optical filter and allowing the excitation light in a relatively small amount to pass through the optical filter.

11 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence unit includes fluorescent hydrogel.

12 . A fluorescence sensor comprising:
a fluorescence unit that generates fluorescence in an amount correlating with concentration of analytes by receiving excitation light; a measurement optical system that emits the excitation light and detects the fluorescence from the fluorescence unit; a sensor body in which the measurement optical system is embedded; a light guide unit that is optically connected to the sensor body and bi-directionally guides light between the measurement optical system and the fluorescence unit, the light guide unit including at least an optical-waveguide film on which one or more optical waveguides are formed, the optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of optical channels that output the excitation light or input the fluorescence and wherein each of the plurality of optical channels are covered with the fluorescence unit; and a puncture needle having a needle tip, the puncture needle fixed on a surface of the body of sensor.

13 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 12 , comprising:
a disk-shaped measurement chip installed on the sensor body, and wherein the puncture needle is fixed to a surface of the disk-shaped measurement chip.

14 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the needle tip is configured to be inserted into a living body, which allows installation of the fluorescence sensor on the living body without another device.

15 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the light guide unit includes the optical-waveguide film on which the optical waveguides are formed;
an exposure space formed on the optical-waveguide film and used to expose end surfaces of the optical waveguides to an outside; and each of the plurality of optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit inserted in the exposure space.

16 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 15 , wherein a number of second channels that are the optical channels through which the fluorescence is input is larger than a number of first channels that are the optical channels through which the excitation light is output.

17 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 16 , wherein the number of the first channels is one and the number of the second channels is two or more.

18 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the light guide unit includes a film-layered unit in which two or more optical-waveguide films are layered and the one or more optical waveguides are formed on the two or more optical-waveguide films;
an exposure space used to expose the end surfaces of the optical waveguides to an outside is formed on the film-layered unit; and each of the optical channels is covered with the fluorescence unit inserted in the exposure space.

19 . The fluorescence sensor according to claim 12 , wherein the light guide unit includes a first optical-waveguide film and a second optical-waveguide film, the optical waveguide including a plurality of end units formed on each of the first optical-waveguide film and the second optical-waveguide film;
the first optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of first mirrors placed on the end units and configured to reflect the excitation light passing along the optical waveguide to the optical channels; the second optical-waveguide film includes a plurality of second mirrors placed on the

Assignees

• Terumo Corp

Inventors

• Takahashi Masayuki
• Sato Hiroya
• Arita Eiji

Classifications

• A61B5/1459 Primary

  invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter · CPC title

• G01N2021/6484

  Optical fibres · CPC title

• G01N2021/7786

  Fluorescence · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title

• G01N21/6486

  Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells (G01N21/6428 takes precedence) · CPC title