Fiber optic sensor with encoded microspheres
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorsDavid R. Walt, Karri Lynn Michael
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microsphere-based analytic chemistry system is disclosed in which microspheres carrying different chemical functionalities may be mixed together while the ability is retained to identify the functionality on each bead using an optically interrogatable encoding scheme. An optical fiber bundle sensor is also disclosed in which the separate microspheres may be optically coupled to discrete fibers or groups of fibers within the bundle. The functionalies are encoded on the separate microspheres using fluorescent dyes and then affixed to wells etched in the end of the bundle. Thus, a single sensor may carry thousands of chemistries. Only those microspheres exhibiting reactions then need to be decoded to identify the corresponding functionality.
Claims58
A chemical analysis method, comprising
- preparing separate subpopulations of beads, each subpopulation carrying chemical functionalities that change optical signatures of the beads in the presence of targeted analytes;
- encoding optical signature of the beads in each subpopulation with a description of the chemical functionalities carried by that subpopulation;
- combining the subpopulations to produce a system;
- applying the system;
- detecting changes in the optical signatures indicative of a presence of the targeted analytes;
- and
- decoding optical signature of the beads to identify the chemical functionalities.
An analytic chemistry sensor, comprising:
- a bundle of optical fibers;
- a population of beads carrying chemical functionalities at a distal end of the fiber optic bundle, light from individual bead being coupled into separate or groups of separate fibers of the bundle for transmission to the proximal end of the bundle.
A method for constructing and using an analytic chemistry sensor, comprising:
- forming wells at terminal ends of optical fibers within a bundle;
- distributing beads carrying chemical functionalities within the wells;
- and
- monitoring a status of the chemical functionalities from a proximal end of the bundle.
A composition comprising a plurality of optical fibers in an optical fiber array and a population of microspheres, wherein said optical fibers have wells at a first terminal end of said fibers and a plurality of said wells contain at least one microsphere.
A composition comprising:
- a) a substrate;
- b) a population of microspheres comprising separate subpopulations, each subpopulation comprising:
- i) a chemical functionality for testing for interaction with a target analyte;
- and
- ii) an encoding optical signature that can be used to identify said chemical functionality;
- wherein said microspheres are distributed on said substrate.
A method of determining the presence of a target analyte in a sample comprising:
- a) contacting said sample with a composition comprising:
- i) a substrate;
- ii) a population of microspheres comprising separate subpopulations, each subpopulation comprising:
- 1) a chemical functionality for testing for interaction with a target analyte;
- and
- 2) an encoding optical signature that can be used to identify said chemical functionality;
- wherein said microspheres are distributed on said substrate;
- and
- b) determining the presence or absence of the target analyte.
A method according to 43 wherein said fluorescent dye is entrapped within said microspheres.
A method of making a composition comprising:
- a) forming wells at a terminal end of an optical fiber array;
- and
- b) distributing microspheres within said wells, wherein said microspheres comprise separate subpopulations, each subpopulation comprising:
- i) a chemical functionality for testing for interaction with a target analyte;
- and
- ii) an encoding optical signature that can be used to identify said chemical functionality.
A sensor comprising:
- a) an array of optical fibers;
- b) a population of microspheres comprising separate subpopulations, each subpopulation comprising:
- i) a chemical functionality for testing for interaction with a target analyte;
- and
- ii) an encoding optical signature that can be used to identify said chemical functionality;
- wherein said microspheres are distributed on a first terminal end of said array;
- and
- c) a light source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.