Abstract: The invention relates to a biosensor for the diagnosis of plant diseases, which is suitable for recognising plant diseases, as well as its use in the course of this process, as well as a sensor platform as a component of a biosensor for the diagnosis of plant diseases, whereby the biosensor as an analytical measuring unit consists of the sensor platform according to the invention, which may be modified and on which immobilised biochemical recognition elements are immobilised, whilst in close contact with an appropriate transducer arrangement. The said biochemical recognition elements are structures which are specific for the plant pathogens to be evaluated, and therefore allow individual detection of these plant pathogens to be carried out in the course of the diagnostic process according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention is related to a one- or two-dimensional arrangement of flow cells, as part of an array of sample compartments, with at least one in- and outlet for each sample compartment, formed by a base plate and a body, with an arrangement of spatial recesses corresponding to the (geometrical) arrangement of the sample compartments, combined with said base plate. The arrangement allows for supplying to or removing from the sample compartments, which can be arranged at a high quantity on a small base area, even very small amounts of samples or reagents.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical detection device for chemical analyses, comprising at least one light source, at least one photoelectric detection unit and at least one measuring cell, one or more optical paths coupled to the at least one measuring cell being formed between the light source(s) and the photoelectric detection unit(s). In the course of the miniaturization of such detection devices in arrays for the simultaneous detection of a plurality of analytes, according to the prior art edge-emitting semiconductor lasers that had been separated and applied to a substrate were used. Instead of the latter, the invention provides for surface-emitting semiconductor lasers to be used as light sources, which have the advantage of comparatively simple manufacture and of requiring substantially less space. The process of separating the lasers from the mother substrate and affixing them to a foreign substrate, which was necessary hitherto, is eliminated in the detection device according to the invention.

Abstract: An optical sensing unit is provided which comprises at least one sample measurement cell, at least one excitation light source acting upon the or each measurement cell to provide one or more sensor fields defining an array of measurement fields, a photoelectric detector array for detecting the intensity of light emitted from the or each measurement cell in response to excitation light, and means for directing light emitted from each measurement field to a respective portion of the photoelectric detector array. The sensing unit may be used in combination with multiplexed waveguide arrays or multiplexed planar cappillary chromatography or electrophoresis chips.

Abstract: The invention is related to a variable embodiment of a sensor platform based on a planar thin-film waveguide for the determination of one or more luminescences from one or more measurement areas on said sensor platform, comprising an optical film waveguide of different layers (“stratified waveguide”) with a first optically transparent layer (a) on a second optically transparent layer (b) of lower refractive index than layer (a) and at least one grating structure for the incoupling of excitation light to the measurement areas or outcoupling of luminescence light from the measurement areas. The invention is also related to an optical system for luminescence determination and to an analytical system, comprising a sensor platform according to the invention, an optical system according to the invention, and supply means for contacting one or more samples with the measurement areas on the sensor platform.

Abstract: The invention relates to a planar ATR and evanescently exited luminescence optical sensor platform, consisting of a transducer and a recognition layer, wherein changes in the effective refractive index of the recognition layer are converted into a measurable variable in accordance with the integrated-optical light pointer principle. The invention relates also to the use of the method and to the method itself using the sensor platform, for example in label-free biosensory analysis.

Abstract: A device has a planar optical waveguide, including a transparent carrier (40) and a wave-guiding layer (41), wherein the waveguide at least has a diffractive element (42) for coupling excitation radiation into the wave-guiding layer. Located on the wave-guiding layer is a further, tightly sealing layer (43) made from a material which, at least at the support surface, is transparent both to the excitation radiation and to the evanescently excited radiation at least to the penetration depth of the evanescent field, and which, for an analysis sample, has, at least in a partial region of the guided excitation radiation, a cavity (45) which is open to the upper side or a cavity (6) which is closed to the upper side and connected by means of an inlet channel (2) and an outlet channel (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor platform based on at least two planar, separate, inorganic dielectric waveguiding regions on a common substrate and to a method for the parallel evanescent excitation and detection of the luminescence of identical or different analytes. The invention relates also to a modified sensor platform that consists of the sensor platform having the planar, separate, inorganic dielectric waveguiding regions and one or more organic phases immobilised thereon. A further subject of the invention is the use of the sensor platform or of the modified sensor platform in a luminescence detection method for quantitative affinity sensing and for the selective quantitative determination of luminescent constituents of optically opaque solutions.

Abstract: A device comprising a planar optical waveguide, consisting of a transparent carrier (40) and a wave-guiding layer (41), wherein the waveguide at least has a diffractive element (42) for coupling excitation radiation into the wave-guiding layer, and there is located on the wave-guiding layer a further, tightly sealing layer (43) made from a material which, at least at the support surface, is transparent both to the excitation radiation and to the evanescently excited radiation at least to the penetration depth of the evanescent field, and which, for an analysis sample, has, at least in a partial region of the guided excitation radiation, a cavity (45) which is open to the upper side or a cavity (6) which is closed to the upper side and connected by means of an inflow channel (2) and an outflow channel (3), the depth of the cavity corresponding at least to the penetration depth of the evanescent field, and wherein the diffractive element (42) is fully covered by the material of the layer (43) at least in the co

Abstract: An integrated-optical luminescence sensor having an excitation light beam with a first optical axis (kein), a planar waveguide (1), a sample interacting with the evanescent field thereof, and a detection beam path, with a second optical axis, that comes from the waveguide, and/or a coupling-out grating (7) for coupling out the portion of luminescence light guided in the waveguide, wherein the luminescence light to be detected is physically separate from the excitation light.

Abstract: A device comprising a planar optical waveguide, consisting of a transparent carrier (40) and a wave-guiding layer (41), wherein the waveguide at least has a diffractive element (42) for coupling excitation radiation into the wave-guiding layer, and there is located on the wave-guiding layer a further, tightly sealing layer (43) made from a material which, at least at the support surface, is transparent both to the excitation radiation and to the evanescently excited radiation at least to the penetration depth of the evanescent field, and which, for an analysis sample, has, at least in a partial region of the guided excitation radiation, a cavity (45) which is open to the upper side or a cavity (6) which is closed to the upper side and connected by means of an inflow channel (2) and an outflow channel (3), the depth of the cavity corresponding at least to the penetration depth of the evanescent field, and wherein the diffractive element (42) is fully covered by the material of the layer (43) at least in the co

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor platform based on at least two planar, separate, inorganic dielectric waveguiding regions on a common substrate and to a method for the parallel evanescent excitation and detection of the luminescence of identical or different analytes. The invention relates also to a modified sensor platform that consists of the sensor platform having the planar, separate, inorganic dielectric waveguiding regions and one or more organic phases immobilised thereon. A further subject of the invention is the use of the sensor platform or of the modified sensor platform in a luminescence detection method for quantitative affinity sensing and for the selective quantitative determination of luminescent constituents of optically opaque solutions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for determing lumnescence with a planar dielectric optical sensor platform which consists of a transparent substrate to which a thin transparent waveguiding layer is applied, which sensor platform is provided with a coupling grating for the input-coupling of the excitation light and the refractive index of the substrate is lower than the refractive index of the waveguiding layer, by briging a liquid sample as superstrate into contact with the layer, and measuring the luminescence produced by substances having luminescence properties in the sample, or by substances having luminescence properties immobilized on the layer, optoelectronically. The invention also relates to the use of the process in quantitative affinity sensing and to the use thereof for the quantitative determination of luminescent constituents in optically turbid solutions, and to sensor platform for carrying out the process.