Abstract: The present invention provides a method of determining the amount of an optical probe species binding to or releasing from an optical sensor surface characterized in that the determination comprises the steps of: a) determining, at one single wavelength or at more than one wavelength, a physical measurand (xi) that is related to the absorptivity of said probe, b) correlating the value of the measurand to the amount of said optical probe species binding to or releasing from said surface, respectively, wherein the physical measurand (xi) of step a) is a physical measurand in which the contribution from the refractive index is substantially zero. The present invention further provides different uses of a peak width as well as a computer program product and reagent kits for the disclosed methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of determining the amount of an optical probe species binding to or releasing from an optical sensor surface characterized in that the determination comprises the steps of determining at least one physical measurand (x1i) that is related to the refractive index of said probe at one single wavelength or at more than one wavelength, and further comprises determining at least one physical measurand (x2j) that is related to the absorptivity of said probe at one single wavelength or at more than one wavelength, and further correlating the values of said measurands to the amount of said optical probe species binding to or releasing from said surface, respectively. There is also provided methods for calibration of an optical sensor as well as reagent kits and a computer program product.

Abstract: The present invention describes optical discs on which polymer molecules can be analyzed. There is a method for determining a plurality of characteristics of a target molecule, the target molecule being localized on an optical substrate comprising pits and lands, comprising the steps of: (i) carrying out a series of reactions to interrogate different defined characteristics of the target molecule, wherein each of the reactions occurs in a distinct pit; (ii) treating the optical substrate to modify either those pits where a reaction has occurred, or alternatively, those pits where a reaction has not occurred, to alter the reflective characteristics of the pits; and (iii) measuring reflectivity within the pits, to thereby determine different characteristics of the target.

Abstract: A device for detection of one or several fluorescent species, said species being contained in a medium, said medium being contained in a conduit, said device comprising a means of exciting the fluorescent species by light, said medium and conduit making up a structure that is transparent to the exciting and the emitted fluorescent light, and said device comprising one or several such structures, may be improved by letting at least part of the emitted fluorescent light be guided away from the illumination zone by total internal reflection (TIR) in said structure and collected from one end of said structure.

Abstract: In a method of assaying for an analyte in a fluid sample, the presence of the analyte is detected by determining the resulting change in refractive index at a solid optical surface in contact with the sample, which change is caused by the analyte involving or influencing the binding or release of a refractive index enhancing species to or from, respectively, the optical surface, the refractive index of the refractive index enhancing species varying with wavelength. According to the invention, the determination comprises determining the variation with wavelength of the resulting change of refractive index, caused by the variation of refractive index with wavelength of the refractive index enhancing species, for a number of discrete wavelengths or for a continuous range of wavelengths. This variation is representative of the amount of analyte.

Abstract: A method of assaying for an analyte in a fluid sample comprises detecting the presence of the analyte by determining the resulting change in refractive index at a solid optical surface in contact with the sample, which change is caused by the analyte involving or influencing the binding or release of a refractive index-enhancing species to or from, respectively, the optical surface. Determination is performed with light having a wavelength at or near the maximum of the negative derivative of the absorptivity with respect to wavelength of the refractive index-enhancing species to obtain maximum sensitivity.