Method and apparatus for chemical imaging in a microfluidic circuit

A method for determining a change in an attribute of a substance provided through a first one of a plurality of input channels within a microfluidic circuit, the method comprising:

• illuminating the substance with a first plurality of photons provided through a second one of said plurality of input channels so as to internally illuminate a portion of said microfluidic circuit containing said substance, wherein said first plurality of photons interact with the substance while an attribute of the substance changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
• collecting said second plurality of photons;
• receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons having one or more predetermined wavelengths;
• and determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of the substance, to thereby determine a change in the attribute of the substance.

A system comprising:

• a microfluidic circuit having a plurality of input channels integral thereto, wherein a first substance is provided through a first one of said plurality of input channels and a second substance is provided through a second one of said plurality of input channels;
• a first photon source for providing a first plurality of photons through a third one of said plurality of input channels so as to internally illuminate a portion of said microfluidic circuit containing a mixture of said first and said second substances, wherein said first plurality of photons interact with said mixture while an attribute of at least one of said first and said second substances changes to thereby produce a second plurality of photons;
• an optical lens for collecting said second plurality of photons;
• a filter for receiving the collected photons and providing therefrom filtered photons having one or more predetermined wavelengths;
• and
• a processor for determining an aspect of the filtered photons wherein the aspect of the filtered photons is a function of the attribute of at least one of said first and said second substances, to thereby determine a change in said attribute.