University of Washington

Kyle Johnston

Sinclair S Yee

Ralph C Jorgenson

Scott Karlson

Shuai Shen

The present invention provides SPR sensors in which the sensing element is a planar lightpipe. The sensors of this invention include configurations which employ multiwavelength light incident on the SPR sensing area at a single angle or at a range of angles. Sensors of this invention also include configurations that employ monochromatic light at a range of angles. Many of the configurations of the SPR lightpipe sensors of this invention involve imaging of input light through the lightpipe. In one embodiment, the invention provides a first order SPR sensor system in which the sensing element is a planar lightpipe. Light coupled into the lightpipe reflects off an SPR sensing area positioned on an external surface planar surface of the lightpipe. Multiwavelength light that is coupled into the lightpipe input face at a range of angles propagates through the lightpipe by total internal reflection (TIR), making multiple reflections, and exits in a series of angular bands each containing spectral information (including SPR features)for a small range of incidence angles. A detector or detectors are positioned to measure the reflection spectrum, including any surface plasmon resonance feature, of one or preferably more than one of the angular bands exiting the lightpipe. SPR sensor configurations include those that have multiple sensing channels and those which can be multiplexed. This invention provides SPR sensors with planar lightpipe sensing elements and method of detecting analytes in samples using these sensors. The invention also provides planar lightpipe that have a plurality of SPR sensing layers on a planar surface.

Surface plasmon resonance light pipe sensor

The present invention relates in general to SPR sensors in which the sensing element is a planar lightpipe. More specifically, a planar lightpipe sensor configuration for measurement of SPR at a single angle operation is provided. The lightpipe of this sensor is beveled to facilitate coupling of substantially collimated white light, preferably TM polarized white light, at a selected single angle that excites SPR at the sensing area. Angle of incidence on the SPR sensing area is determined by bevel angle used. This embodiment is a zero order sensor in the sense that it allows measurement for a given analyte at only a single angle of incidence. In this embodiment, however, the lightpipe can have a plurality of SPR sensing area across its width to provide for multichannel sensing. Refractive index sensitivity of this configuration is estimated as 4.times.10.sup.-5 RI units.

Optical lightpipe sensor based on surface plasmon resonance

The present invention provides SPR sensors in which the sensing element is a planar lightpipe. The sensors of this invention include configurations that employ multi-wavelength light (including broad band and white light) incident on the SPR sensing area at a single angle or at a range of angles. Sensors and probes of this invention also include configurations that employ monochromatic light at a range of angles. Many of the configurations of the SPR lightpipes of this invention involve imaging of input light through the folded lightpipe. In one general embodiment, the invention provides a SPR sensor system in which the sensing element is a folded planar lightpipe.

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Bothell, WA, United States of America

Kyle Johnston