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US 12,571,726 B2Granted
Systems and methods for analyzing liquids
AssigneeUniversity of South Florida
InventorsAnna Pyayt, Edikan Archibong Ogunnaike, Harry Tuazon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical spectroscopy probe including an optical fiber having a distal tip and a microfluidic filtering chamber attached to the distal tip of the optical fiber, the chamber comprising a microfluidic membrane configured to enable liquid to enter the chamber but prevent particles from entering the chamber. Method for fabrication of same.
Claims18
An optical spectroscopy probe comprising:
- an optical fiber having a distal tip;
- and
- a microfluidic filtering chamber having an inner volume defined by
- (i) sidewalls formed in a substrate of at least one first material, the first material including a semiconductor material,
- and
- (ii) first and second thin-film layers made of at least one second material that includes at least one of silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, hard oxide, and chromium, said first and second thin-film layers forming a top and a bottom of the microfluidic filtering chamber, respectively,
- wherein the sidewalls and the thin-film layers enclose a hollow inner space, of the microfluidic filtering chamber, configured to receive a fluid to be analyzed;
- wherein at least one of the first and second thin-film layers comprises a plurality of pores that allow the fluid to enter the hollow inner space but prevent particles larger than the pores from entering the hollow inner space;
- and
- wherein a facet of the optical fiber is disposed in proximity to a proximal thin-film layer of said first and second thin-film layers while a distal thin-film layer of said first and second thin-film layers is separated from the facet by at least a portion of the inner volume of the chamber.
7 more elements
An optical spectroscopy probe comprising:
- an optical fiber having a distal tip;
- and
- a microfluidic filtering chamber comprising one or more side walls made in a substrate of a first material including a semiconductor material,
- a proximal thin-film layer that is cooperated with the distal tip of the fiber and that is made of a second material, and a distal thin-film layer made of the second material,
- wherein the one or more side walls extend between and are limited in extent by the proximal thin-film layer and the distal thin-film layer, wherein the second material includes at least one of silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, hard oxide, and chromium,
- wherein the proximal thin-film layer, distal thin-film layer, and said one or more side walls define and enclose a hollow inner space of the microfluidic filtering chamber configured to receive a fluid to be analyzed,
- wherein the proximal thin-film layer has an opening in which the distal tip of the optical fiber is received,
- wherein at least one of the proximal thin-film layer, the distal thin-film layer, and the one or more side walls comprises a plurality of pores that allow the fluid to enter the hollow inner space but prevent particles larger than the pores from entering the hollow inner space.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.