Sensing photons from object in channels

Apparatus comprising:

• a fluidic structure with a channel defined therein within which objects travel, the objects being capable of emanating light within a range of photon energies as the objects travel within the channel, the objects emanating light through at least one of emission, scattering, and transmission;
• and
• along the channel, a sensing component;
• the sensing component including:
• a set of cells of a photosensor array;
• and
• a transmission structure positioned so that emanating light from an object traveling within the channel can enter it;
• the transmission structure responding to emanating light that enters it by providing output light;
• the transmission structure being a coating on the set of cells or on a support structure over the set of cells;
• the transmission structure being structured with varying optical thickness so that photon energies of the output light vary as a function of position, the varying optical thickness resulting from at least one of varying thickness and varying index of refraction;
• the transmission structure including at least one of:
• a Fabry-Perot cavity filter;
• a Fabry-Perot etalon;
• paired distributed Bragg reflectors;
• and
• a single distributed Bragg reflector;
• the sensing component being structured so that each of a first line of two or more subrange cells in the set receives a respective part of the output light that is in a respective subrange of the range of photon energies and so that the subranges of at least two subrange cells in the subset are different from each other;
• the sensing component further being structured so that each of a second line of two or more reference cells in the set receives a respective part of the output light that has photon energies throughout the range of photon energies;
• the first and second lines including pairs of cells that are near each other, each pair including a respective subrange cell in the first line and a respective reference cell in the second line.

A method of using a fluidic structure with a channel defined therein within which objects travel, the method comprising:

• causing objects to travel within the channel, each of a set of at least one of the objects emanating light within a range of photon energies as the objects travel within the channel;
• and
• transmitting a portion of the emanating light from the objects in the set to provide output light to a set of cells of a photosensor array, photon energies of the output light varying as a function of position on the photosensor array;
• each of a subset of two or more cells in the set receiving a respective part of the output light that is in a respective subrange of the range of photon energies;
• the respective subranges of at least two cells in the subset being different from each other;
• and
• operating each of the cells in the subset to photosense the respective part of the output light;
• the act of transmitting the portion of the emanating light being performed with a transmission structure that includes at least one of:
• a coating on the set of cells;
• a coating on a support structure over the set of cells;
• a Fabry-Perot cavity filter;
• a Fabry-Perot etalon;
• paired distributed Bragg reflectors;
• and
• a single distributed Bragg reflector.