Fiber optic direct-sensing bioprobe using a phase-tracking approach
AssigneeDuan-Jun Chen
InventorDuan-Jun Chen
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Abstract
A fiber optic bioprobe in which an immobilized biolayer, such as an antigen or antibody, acts as a sensing etalon of a Fabry-Perot interferometer. The bioprobe is used in a system in which a shift in the spectral dispersion pattern, caused by reflected out-of-phase beams, is used to determine a concentration of a substance in a sample solution.
Claims21
A method of determining the concentration of a substance in a sample solution, using a fiber optic probe having a reagent at its distal end to which the substance bonds, the method comprising steps of:
- a) immersing the distal end of the fiber optic probe into the sample solution;
- b) optically coupling a light source with a proximal end of the fiber optic probe;
- c) detecting a first light beam, and a second light beam, reflected at the distal end of the fiber optic probe;
- d) detecting an interference pattern formed by the first and second light beams at a first time;
- e) detecting an interference pattern formed by the first and second light beams at a second time;
- and
- f) determining whether the substance is present in the sample solution based on whether a shift occurs in the interference patterns.
A system for detecting the concentration of a substance in a sample solution, the system comprising:
- a) a light source for providing a light beam;
- b) a fiber optic probe including a fiber optic section having a proximal end for receiving an incident light beam and a distal end tip, and a reagent layer immobilized on the distal end tip, the fiber optic probe for producing at least a first reflected beam and a second reflected beam from the incident light beam;
- c) a detector for detecting an interference pattern formed by the first and second reflected beams;
- d) a coupler for optically coupling the light source with the fiber optic probe and for optically coupling the fiber optic probe with the detector;
- and
- e) a processor for determining a phase associated with an interference pattern detected by the detector at a first time and for determining a phase associated with an interference pattern detected by the detector at a second time and for determining the concentration of the substance based on a shift in the phases associated with the interference patterns detected by the detector at the first and second times.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.