A light excitation and collection device for a micro-fluidic system, comprising:
- a light source configured to generate excitation light;
- a plurality of excitation waveguides, wherein each excitation waveguide of the plurality of excitation waveguides is associated with a flow channel of a plurality of flow channels of the micro-fluidic system, and wherein the plurality of excitation waveguides are arranged in an excitation waveguide plane and the plurality of flow channels are arranged in a flow channel plane, the excitation waveguide plane and the flow channel plane being parallel;
- wherein each excitation waveguide of the plurality of excitation waveguides is configured to receive the excitation light from the light source, to guide the excitation light in the excitation waveguide plane, and at an output of the excitation waveguide to redirect the excitation light towards the flow channel associated with the excitation waveguide, such that the excitation light is elastically scattered by a sample in the flow channel forming forward scattered light and side scattered light;
- at least one forward scattered light collection point associated with each of the plurality of excitation waveguides, at which forward scattered light collection point at least part of the forward scattered light is collected;
- at least one side scattered light collection point associated with each of the plurality of excitation waveguides, at which side scattered light collection point at least part of the side scattered light is collected,
- wherein the forward scattered light collected at the forward scattered light collection point for all excitation waveguides of the plurality of excitation waveguides is detected by a first plurality of light sensitive areas and the side scattered light collected at the side scattered light collection point for all excitation waveguides of the plurality of excitation waveguides is detected by a second plurality of light sensitive areas, the first plurality of light sensitive areas and the second plurality of light sensitive areas form different groups of light sensitive areas;
- the first plurality of light sensitive areas and the second plurality of light sensitive areas, wherein at least one of the first plurality of light sensitive areas and the second plurality of light sensitive areas are arranged in a detector array;
- and
- a plurality of collection waveguides, wherein each collection waveguide of the plurality of collection waveguides is associated with a flow channel of the plurality of flow channels of the micro-fluidic system, and wherein the plurality of collection waveguides are arranged in a collection waveguide plane being parallel to the flow channel plane,
- wherein each collection waveguide of the plurality of collection waveguides is configured to receive light collected at at least one of the forward scattered light collection point or the side scattered light collection point, to guide the collected light in the collection waveguide plane, and at an output of the collection waveguide direct the light towards the detector array, and
- wherein the forward scattered light collection point comprises a forward scattered collection grating coupler, and wherein the forward scattered collection grating coupler is arranged to redirect the forward scattered light such that the forward scattered light is guided in the collection waveguide plane in a direction towards the detector array, and wherein the side scattered light collection point comprises a side scattered collection grating coupler, and wherein the side scattered collection grating coupler is arranged to redirect the side scattered light such that the side scattered light is guided in the collection waveguide plane in a direction towards the detector array.