White light scattering in optical biomolecule interaction analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025198998-A1
Application number	US-202318849658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2022
Publication date	Jun 19, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention is directed to a device for the detection of target molecules, comprising
a transparent substrate provided with binding sites on one surface of the substrate, wherein the binding sites are capable of binding at least one target molecule at least one light source means for coupling light provided by the light source into the substrate, wherein at least a part of the light generates an evanescent field of light propagating along the surface provided with the binding sites, wherein the evanescent field of light is diffracted by target molecules bound to the binding sites, thereby creating a plurality of detection signals which are detected by at least one detector characterized in that the detection signals are space-filtered by at least one optical element located in the Fourier plane of the plane of the binding sites.

First claim

1 . Device for the detection of target molecules, comprising
a transparent substrate provided with binding sites on one surface of the substrate, wherein the binding sites are capable of binding at least one target molecule at least one light source means for coupling light provided by the light source into the substrate, wherein at least a part of the light generates an evanescent field of light propagating along the surface provided with the binding sites,
wherein the evanescent field of light is diffracted by target molecules bound to the binding sites, thereby creating a detection signal which is detected by at least one detector
characterized in that the detection signals are space-filtered by at least one optical element located in the Fourier plane of the plane of the binding sites.

2 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the optical elements for space filtering select at least one diffraction order of the detection signal.

3 . Device according to claims 1 characterized in that the binding sites are provided to a plurality of subareas on one surface of the substrate and the detection signals of the binding sites in the subareas are individually focused on the detector using an array of optical elements.

4 . Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the array of optical elements comprises lenses and/or microlenses and/or facetted elements and/or rotating apertures or sliding apertures.

5 . Device according to claim 3 characterized in that different arrays of optical elements with different optical properties are provided wherein the different arrays of optical elements are exchangeable.

6 . Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the arrays of optical elements are provided with at least one aperture plate and/or an aperture plate array.

7 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the light is coupled subsequently to the subareas of the substrate such that light of the evanescent field is diffracted by target molecules bound to binding sites located in the subareas and the detection signals of the subareas are detected subsequently.

8 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the light is coupled simultaneously to the subareas of the substrate such that light of the evanescent field is diffracted by target molecules bound to binding sites located in the subareas and the detection signals of the subareas are detected subsequently.

9 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the at least one light source provides low coherent or non-coherent light and the dispersion of the detection signal generated by the diffraction of low coherent or non-coherent light is reduced by at least 50% by one or more dispersive elements.

10 . Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the dispersive elements are located in the path of light before and/or after the light is diffracted by the target molecules bound to the binding sites.

11 . Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the dispersive elements are gratings and/or coupling gratings and/or prisms and/or volumetric holograms and/or tilted interfaces.

12 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the substrate comprises a planar waveguide and/or a prism.

13 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the binding sites are arranged in a plurality of lines having the same or different pitch.

14 . Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the light provided by the light source is spatio-temporal modulated with a variable mask, a spatial light modulator or a scanner.

Assignees

• Miltenyi Biotec Bv & Co Kg
• Miltenyi Biotech B V & Co Kg

Inventors

• Spiecker Heinrich

Classifications

• G01N2201/0634

  Diffuse illumination · CPC title

• G01N33/54373

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

• G01N2021/752

  Devices comprising reaction zones · CPC title

• G01N21/4788

  Diffraction (for sizing particles G01N15/0205) · CPC title

• B01L2300/168

  Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings · CPC title