US 2006/0039643 A1Published application

Misalignment compensating optical sensor and method

AssigneeResearch International, Inc.

InventorElric Saaski

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Abstract

A misalignment compensating optical sensor (222), that is operable to receive excitation light (30) having a range of input propagation angles ω. The sensor (222) has a variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface (227) and a sensing waveguide (228). The shape of the reflective surface (227) is selected to maximize the amount of the excitation light (30) it reflects into the sensing waveguide (227) despite misalignment errors between the sensor (222) and the source (58) of excitation light (30). The sensor may also have a lens portion (160) for focusing the excitation light (30) onto the reflective surface (227), and/or a lens portion (174) for collimating the output of signal recovery light (32) from the waveguide (228). An iterative method may be used for designing any particular lens portion (160, 174).

Claims25

Dependent claims

An optical sensor operable to receive an excitation light from a light source, wherein said sensor comprises an internally reflecting shape and a sensing waveguide;

wherein said sensing waveguide comprises an input end;
wherein said internally reflecting shape and at least said input end of said sensing waveguide are arranged with respect to each other to have a common optical axis;
wherein said internally reflecting shape is operable to receive an input of excitation light rays having a range of input propagation angles ω with respect to a Y-axis that is at right angles with respect to said common optical axis;
wherein said internally reflecting shape comprises a variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface that is operable to receive at least some of said input of excitation light rays and to produce an output of reflected excitation light rays from said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface that are reflected into said input end of said sensing waveguide over a corresponding range of reflected propagation angles θ0i relative to said common optical axis;
wherein said reflected propagation angle θ0i changes as a function of said input propagation angle ω;
wherein at least a portion of said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface has a shape, relative to a position of said light source and relative to said common optical axis, that is described in a polar coordinate system as:
r
⁡
(
ω
)
=
R
90
⁢
°
⁡
[
1
-
cos
⁡
(
θ
90
⁢
°
)
1
-
sin
⁡
(
ω
-
θ
0
⁢
i
)
]
P
;
and wherein said sensing waveguide is operable to produce an output of signal recovery light in response to said output of reflected excitation light rays from said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface, when said sensing waveguide is exposed to a sensed target analyte.

41 more elements

An optical sensor operable to receive an excitation light from a light source, wherein said sensor comprises an internally reflecting shape and a sensing waveguide;

wherein said sensing waveguide comprises an input end;
wherein said internally reflecting shape and at least said input end of said sensing waveguide are arranged with respect to each other to have a common optical plane of symmetry;
wherein said internally reflecting shape is operable to receive an input of excitation light rays having a range of input propagation angles ω with respect to a Y-axis that is at right angles with respect to said common optical plane;
wherein said internally reflecting shape comprises a variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface that is operable to receive at least some of said input of excitation light rays and to produce an output of reflected excitation light rays from said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface that are reflected into said input end of said sensing waveguide over a corresponding range of reflected propagation angles θ0i relative to said common optical plane of symmetry;
wherein said reflected propagation angle θ0i changes as a function of said input propagation angle ω;
wherein at least a portion of said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface has a shape, relative to a position of said light source and relative to said common optical plane of symmetry, that is described in a polar coordinate system as:
r
⁡
(
ω
)
=
R
90
⁢
°
⁡
[
1
-
cos
⁡
(
θ
90
⁢
°
)
1
-
sin
⁡
(
ω
-
θ
0
⁢
i
)
]
P
;
and wherein said sensing waveguide is operable to produce an output of signal recovery light in response to said output of reflected excitation light rays from said variable reflected propagation angle θ0i reflective surface, when said sensing waveguide is exposed to a sensed target analyte.

41 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.