Optical devices with fluidic systems
AssigneeNanostream, Inc.
InventorsStephen D. O'Connor, Eugene Dantsker, Christoph D. Karp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fluidic systems, including microfluidic systems, are used to manipulate light by light-fluid interaction so as to affect reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the beam. One or more fluids may be provided to a channel or chamber and exposed to an incident beam, and the proportion of at least one of a plurality of fluids may be varied. Light may interact with a discrete fluid plug subject to movement within a channel. One or more flexible members may be employed, such as to provide a variable lens. Fluidic optical devices may be used in applications including optical switching, optical filtering, or optical processing. Multiplexed fluidic optical systems are further provided.
Claims36
A microfluidic optical system comprising:
- a light source;
- a light receiver;
- a microfluidic device for altering, by light-fluid interaction, the nature of a light beam emitted by the light source, the device having a window that is substantially transmissive of a desired light spectrum and containing a plurality of fluids behind the window, the window being disposed in an optical path between the light source and the light receiver to permit light-fluid interaction;
- means for repeatedly manipulating the proportion of at least one of the plurality of fluids optically disposed between the light source and light receiver, wherein the manipulation affects reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the light beam by at least one of the plurality of fluids;
- and
- a mixer for substantially mixing at least two of the plurality of fluids, wherein the light beam interacts with the resulting mixture.
A microfluidic optical system comprising:
- a light source;
- a light receiver;
- a microfluidic device for altering, by light-fluid interaction, the nature of a light beam emitted by the light source, the device having a window that is substantially transmissive of a desired light spectrum and containing a plurality of fluids behind the window, the window being disposed in an optical path between the light source and the light receiver to permit light-fluid interaction;
- and
- means for repeatedly manipulating the proportion of at least one of the plurality of fluids optically disposed between the light source and light receiver, wherein the manipulation affects reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the light beam by at least one of the plurality of fluids;
- wherein the plurality of fluids includes a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid, and
- wherein the manipulation means includes a deformable flexible member in fluid communication with the first fluid plug.
A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first light source and a first light receiver;
- providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid;
- and
- manipulating the first fluid plug to selectively enable light emitted from the first light source to be received by the first light receiver;
- wherein manipulation of the first fluid plug is performed by deforming a flexible member in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel.
A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first light source and a first light receiver;
- providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid;
- providing a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid;
- and
- supplying an electric potential to at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes to induce an electrokinetic or electrophoretic pressure gradient within the microfluidic channel to manipulate the first fluid plug to selectively enable light emitted from the first light source to be received by the first light receiver.
A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a light source and a light receiver;
- providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a fluid;
- providing a deformable member in fluid communication with the channel, and
- deforming the deformable member to displace at least a portion of the fluid contained in the microfluidic channel to selectively enable light emitted from the light source to be received by the light receiver;
- wherein the fluid is substantially absorptive of at least a portion of the spectrum to be emitted from the light source, and the deformable member is substantially reflective of at least a portion of the spectrum to be emitted from the light source.
A method for altering the nature of a light beam, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an enclosed microfluidic device having a chamber bounded by a deformable flexible membrane, the chamber containing fluid;
- supplying a light beam to the microfluidic device in the direction of the flexible membrane;
- and
- manipulating the pressure within the chamber, thereby deforming the flexible membrane and changing the amount of fluid present in the chamber;
- wherein the flexible membrane is substantially reflective of a desired light spectrum and at least a portion of the light beam interacts with the membrane.
An optical processing system comprising:
- an input light source;
- an input coupler for receiving light from the input light source;
- an output coupler for providing light to an output device;
- a microfluidic optical device for manipulating light, the microfluidic optical device comprising a plurality of substantially planar device layers including a stencil layer having a microfluidic channel defined through the entire thickness of the stencil layer, the microfluidic optical device further being optically coupled between the input coupler and the output coupler;
- an output device for receiving a beam from the output coupler;
- a controller;
- a power supply;
- and
- a sensor, wherein the controller receives a feedback signal from the sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.