Sensing systems and methods using a coupling structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702813-B2
Application number	US-201414338390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A sensor system having coupling structures is disclosed. The system includes an input coupling structure, an interaction region, and an output coupling structure. The input coupling structure is configured to receive emitted light at a selected coupling efficiency and may provide filtering of the emitted light for a selected wavelength. The interaction region is coupled to the input coupling structure and configured to interact the light from the input coupling structure with a specimen. The output coupling structure is coupled to the interaction region and configured to provide interacted light from the interaction region to the detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor system having coupling structures, the system comprising:
an input coupling structure configured to receive emitted light at a selected coupling efficiency and to filter the emitted light for a selected wavelength, wherein the input coupling structure includes a plurality of input voids;
an interaction region coupled to the input coupling structure and configured to interact the emitted light from the input coupling structure with a specimen, wherein the interaction region includes a plurality of interaction voids, wherein the interaction voids have a larger diameter than the input voids; and
an output coupling structure coupled to the interaction region and configured to provide interacted light from the interaction region.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input coupling structure has coupling characteristics according to the selected coupling efficiency and the selected wavelength.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the coupling characteristics include periodicity, void diameter, void shape and lattice structure.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the input coupling structure is comprised of a photonic crystal.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein an entry side of the input coupling structure has a width configured to accommodate the emitted light from a light source.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an exit side of the input coupling structure has a width configured to accommodate a width of the interaction region.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input coupling structure is configured to have a tapered profile according to a beam size of the emitted light.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the tapered profile is linear.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the tapered profile is curved.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output coupling structure has coupling characteristics according to the selected coupling efficiency and the selected wavelength.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the coupling characteristics include periodicity, void diameter and lattice structure.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output coupling structure is comprised of a photonic crystal.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output coupling structure has an entry side configured to accommodate a width of the interaction region and an exit side configured to accommodate a detector, the exit side being wider than the entry side.

14. A sensor system having coupling structures, the system comprising:
a sensor having:
a light source configured to emit light including a selected wavelength;
a waveguide having an input coupling structure configured to receive and filter the emitted light according to the selected wavelength, an interaction region configured to interact the light from the input coupling structure with a specimen, and an output coupling structure configured to provide interacted light from the interaction region, wherein the interaction region includes a plurality of interaction voids, the input coupling structure includes a plurality of input voids, and wherein the input voids have a smaller diameter than the interaction voids; and
a detector configured to measure the interacted light from the waveguide; and

a control unit coupled to the sensor and configured to determine properties of the specimen according to the measured light and the emitted light.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the output coupling structure is configured to provide the interacted light with a beam width greater than a width of the interaction region.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the input coupling structure is configured to have coupling characteristics including a selected coupling efficiency.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the input coupling structure has a taper profile and is comprised of a photonic crystal.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input coupling structure has an input patterning with a periodicity different than a periodicity of the interaction region.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Lavchiev Ventsislav
• Grille Thomas
• Hedenig Ursula
• Jakoby Bernhard

Classifications

• G01N21/0303

  Optical path conditioning in cuvettes, e.g. windows; adapted optical elements or systems; path modifying or adjustment (G01N21/031 - G01N21/15 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/27 Primary

  using photo-electric detection (G01N21/31 takes precedence){; circuits for computing concentration (logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J)} · CPC title

• G01N21/7703 Primary

  using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides (using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B) · CPC title

• G01N2201/08

  Optical fibres; light guides · CPC title

• G01N2021/0382

  Frustoconical, tapered cell · CPC title