Abstract: A system and method for marking a moving surface of a fiber optic cable is provided. The system includes a supply of the fiber optic cable, a laser generating device configured to generate a laser beam that forms markings by interacting with the material of the moving surface of the fiber optic cable. The system includes a movement device moving the fiber optic cable through the system at a speed of at least 50 m per minute. The system includes a laser directing device located in the path of the laser beam and configured to change the path of the laser beam to direct the laser beam to a plurality of discrete locations on the moving surface to form a series of marks on the moving surface. The moving surface includes a plurality of tracking indicia to allow the position of the moving surface to be determined.

Abstract: A system and method for marking a moving surface of a fiber optic cable is provided. The system includes a supply of the fiber optic cable, a laser generating device configured to generate a laser beam that forms markings by interacting with the material of the moving surface of the fiber optic cable. The system includes a movement device moving the fiber optic cable through the system at a speed of at least 50 m per minute. The system includes a laser directing device located in the path of the laser beam and configured to change the path of the laser beam to direct the laser beam to a plurality of discrete locations on the moving surface to form a series of marks on the moving surface. The moving surface includes a plurality of tracking indicia to allow the position of the moving surface to be determined.

Abstract: A microfluidic device is described herein which comprises a micron-sized deep flow channel and a sensor. The micron-sized deep flow channel is configured such that a sample solution and a reference solution flow side-by-side to one another in a single sensing region of the sensor. The single sensing region is divided into a detection region and a reference region which are contiguous to one another and which are respectively interfaced with the sample solution and the reference solution that flow side-by-side to one another in a longitudinal direction within the micron-sized deep flow channel.

Abstract: A system and method are described herein for self-referencing a sensor that is used to detect a biomolecular binding event and/or kinetics which occur in a sample solution flowing along side a reference solution in a micron-sized deep flow channel.

Abstract: A functional assay detection system for membrane bound proteins. The system comprises a biological array including a porous substrate having a plurality of membranes adhered thereto and a first side and a second side, a fluorescent labeling reagent configured to couple to the membrane bound proteins, a pulsed light assembly configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent, and a time-delayed imaging device configured to capture emitted fluorescence of the fluorescent labeling reagent. The pulsed light assembly is configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent from at least one of the first side and the second side of the porous substrate, and the fluorescent labeling reagent comprises a fluorophore that has an emission lifetime that is in the range of microseconds.

Abstract: The present invention includes several methods for modifying the current processes of manufacturing optical sensing microplates that use continuous waveguide films to reduce/eliminate crosstalk between the biosensors that are incorporated within wells. The methods include (1) physically deteriorating/removing the waveguide film between individual biosensors; (2) chemically depositing highly absorbing materials within the waveguide film between individual biosensors; (3) patterning disordered (scattering) regions between the diffraction gratings that define individual biosensors; (4) using a specific mask and depositing individual patches of waveguide film, where each patch defines at least one biosensor. Each of these methods and several other methods described herein prevent the propagation of light between individual sensing regions, thereby eliminating optical crosstalk between the biosensors. The present invention also includes the resulting microplate.

Abstract: A method for using a double resonance effect within a grating-coupled waveguide (GCW) sensor, as generated from a light beam with a given span of wavelengths or angles, is provided. The method can be used for label-independent detection of biological and chemical agents, to interrogate biological-binding events or chemical reactions within a sensing region at increased sensitivity, and with decreased sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Also described is an optical interrogation system incorporating the method.

Abstract: A functional assay detection system for membrane bound proteins. The system comprises a biological array including a porous substrate having a plurality of membranes adhered thereto and a first side and a second side, a fluorescent labeling reagent configured to couple to the membrane bound proteins, a pulsed light assembly configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent, and a time-delayed imaging device configured to capture emitted fluorescence of the fluorescent labeling reagent. The pulsed light assembly is configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent from at least one of the first side and the second side of the porous substrate, and the fluorescent labeling reagent comprises a fluorophore that has an emission lifetime that is in the range of microseconds.

Abstract: A method for using a double resonance effect within a grating-coupled waveguide (GCW) sensor, as generated from a light beam with a given span of wavelengths or angles, is provided. The method can be used for label-independent detection of biological and chemical agents, to interrogate biological-binding events or chemical reactions within a sensing region at increased sensitivity, and with decreased sensitivity to environmental perturbations. Also described is an optical interrogation system incorporating the method.

Abstract: An evanescent-field sensor system and method of using the system to detect either liquid- or airborne biological pathogens, chemical agents, and other harmful or toxic species is provided. The sensor system involves 1) an evanescent-field sensor having a substrate surface with at least a partial bio- or chemo-responsive layer, which forms a part of a serially renewable sensing region; 2) an optical interrogation apparatus for monitoring the bio- or chemo-responsive layer; and 3) an air-fluid delivery system. The optical interrogation apparatus has a light source, an optical delivery system, and a detection instrument or device. The air-fluid delivery system includes either macro or micro-fluidic passages designed to convey biological or chemical analytes to a sensing region.

Abstract: An optical interrogation system and a GCW sensor are described herein that are used to determine whether a biological substance (e.g., cell, molecule, protein, drug) is located in a sensing region of the GCW sensor. The optical interrogation system includes a light source, a polarization modulator and a detection system. The light source outputs a polarized light beam and the polarization modulator modulates the polarized light beam and outputs a polarization-modulated light beam. The GCW sensor receives and converts the polarization-modulated light beam into an amplitude modulated light beam that is directed towards the detection system. The detection system receives the amplitude modulated light beam and demodulates the received amplitude modulated light beam by responding to signals at a modulation frequency of the polarization-modulated light beam and ignoring noise affecting the signals outside the modulation frequency to detect a resonant condition (e.g., resonant angle, resonant wavelength).

Abstract: An optical interrogation system and method are described herein that can interrogate a two-dimensional (2D) array of optical sensors (e.g., grating coupled waveguide sensors) located in a 2D specimen plate (e.g., microplate).

Abstract: Optical interrogation systems and methods are described herein that are capable of measuring the angles (or changes in the angles) at which light reflects, transmits, scatters, or is emitted from an array of sensors or specimens that are distributed over a large area 2-dimensional array.

Abstract: A system and method are described herein for self-referencing a sensor that is used to detect a biomolecular binding event and/or kinetics which occur in a sample solution flowing along side a reference solution in a micron-sized deep flow channel.

Abstract: An interrogation system and method are described herein which use a single-fiber launch/receive system for interrogating a biosensor (optical sensor) to detect the occurrence of a bio-chemical interaction (e.g., biological binding of ligands with analytes). In one embodiment, the single-fiber launch/receive system utilizes a multimode fiber to help interrogate the biosensor. In another embodiment, the single-fiber launch/receive system utilizes a downjacketed singlemode fiber to help interrogate the biosensor.

Abstract: A grating-coupled waveguide (GCW) and a method are described herein that can be used to detect the presence of a biological substance (e.g., cell, drug, chemical compound) in a sensing region of the GCW. The GCW includes a substrate, a diffraction grating and a waveguide film that has a higher index of refraction than the substrate which has an index of refraction?1.5. The relatively low-index substrate effectively increases the sensitivity of the GCW by causing the waveguide mode to shift towards a biological substance located in a sensing region above the waveguide film, thereby increasing the field strength of the mode's evanescent tail in this region. In one embodiment, an array of the GCWs are incorporated within the wells of a microplate.

Abstract: A method for screening fiber polarization mode dispersion using a polarization optical time domain reflectometer. A pulse radiation is emitted into the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain a POTDR trace. The POTDR trace is then analyzed to compare the variation of signals along the length of the fiber, the variation in signals relating to the level of PMD along the length of the fiber. Because high levels of PMD correspond to localized levels of low variability, by setting the variability of signal threshold sufficiently low, fibers having unacceptably high localized PMD can be identified and removed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber optic module containing one or more optical fibers having an attenuator formed in the output end of the fibers to filter out unwanted higher order modes. The optical fibers are typically gain fibers or dispersion compensating fibers, and the attenuator consists of a coil, or a series of bends, of sufficient number and bend radius that higher order modes are reduced below a desired level.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a dispersion compensating optical waveguide, and an optical pump that pumps the dispersion compensating optical waveguide with light. The light from the pump provides suitable selective gain to a fundamental mode of the dispersion compensating optical waveguide that multi-path interference is substantially reduced. A method of reducing multi-path interference comprises pumping a dispersion compensating optical waveguide with light to provide suitable selective gain to a fundamental mode of the dispersion compensating optical waveguide so that MPI from said dispersion compensating optical waveguide is significantly reduced.

Abstract: An evanescent-field sensor system and method of using the system to detect either liquid- or airborne biological pathogens, chemical agents, and other harmful or toxic species is provided. The sensor system involves 1) an evanescent-field sensor having a substrate surface with at least a partial bio- or chemo-responsive layer, which forms a part of a serially renewable sensing region; 2) an optical interrogation apparatus for monitoring the bio- or chemo-responsive layer; and 3) an air-fluid delivery system. The optical interrogation apparatus has a light source, an optical delivery system, and a detection instrument or device. The air-fluid delivery system includes either macro or micro-fluidic passages designed to convey biological or chemical analytes to a sensing region.