| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080292236 | Silicon photonic wire waveguide biosensor - Methods and devices relating to a sensor for use in detecting and monitoring molecular interactions. A silicon waveguide sensing element is provided along with a layer of silicon. A silicon oxide layer is also provided between the waveguide element and the layer of silicon. The sensing element is adjacent to an aqueous solution in which the molecular interactions are occurring. A light beam travelling in the silicon waveguide creates an evanescent optical field on the surface of the sensing element adjacent to the boundary between the sensing element and the aqueous medium. Molecular interactions occurring on this surface affect the intensity or the phase of the light beam travelling through the waveguide by changing the effective refractive index of the medium. By measuring the effect on the intensity, phase, or speed of the light beam, the molecular interactions can be detected and monitored in real time. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20100110443 | PLANAR WAVEGUIDE WAVELENGTH DISPERSIVE DEVICES WITH MULTIPLE WAVEGUIDE INPUT APERTURE - A spectrometer has a multi-input aperture for admitting an input wavefront and an array of multiple waveguide structures terminating at the multi-input aperture. The input wavefront is incident on each of the waveguide structures, which provide a dispersive function for the input wavefront. Interferometers are formed by elements of the waveguide structures. The interferometers have different optical path length differences (OPDs). The interferometers provide a wavelength responsive output for spatially extended light sources. The output of the interferometers is detected with a detector array. The spectrometer has an improved etendue, and in some embodiments very high resolution. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100165351 | SILICON PHOTONIC WAVEGUIDE BIOSENSOR CONFIGURATIONS - Methods and devices relating to sensors and sensor blocks for use in detecting and monitoring molecular interactions. A silicon waveguide sensing element is provided along with a layer of silicon. A silicon oxide layer is also provided between the waveguide element and the layer of silicon. The sensing element is adjacent to an aqueous solution in which the molecular interactions are occurring. A light beam travelling in the silicon waveguide creates an evanescent optical field on the surface of the sensing element adjacent to the boundary between the sensing element and the aqueous medium. Molecular interactions occurring on this surface affect the intensity or the phase of the light beam travelling through the waveguide by changing the effective refractive index of the medium. By measuring the effect on the intensity, phase, or speed of the light beam, the molecular interactions can be detected and monitored in real time. Various configurations using this sensor technology is also disclosed. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100290037 | PRISM COUPLED SILICON ON INSULATOR SENSOR - Methods and devices related to a sensor element for use in the detection and monitoring of molecular interactions. The sensor element uses a silicon-on-insulator wafer optically coupled to a silicon prism. The wafer has a thin silicon film top layer, a silicon substrate layer, and a buried silicon dioxide layer sandwiched between the silicon film and substrate layers. The wafer is coupled to the prism on the wafer's substrate side while the interactions to be monitored are placed on the wafer's silicon film side. An incident beam is directed at the prism and the incident angle is adjusted until the beam optically couples to the silicon film's optical waveguide mode. When this occurs, a decrease in the intensity of the reflected beam can be detected. The molecular interactions affect the phase velocity or wave vector of the propagating mode. Similarly, instead of measuring the incident angle at which optical coupling occurs, the phase of the reflected beam may be measured. | 11-18-2010 |
