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: This document describes an optical sensor unit and a procedure for the specific detection and identification of biomolecules at high sensitivity in real fluids and tissue homogenates. High detection limits are reached by the combination of i) label-free integrated optical detection of molecular interactions, ii) the use of specific bioconstituents for sensitive detection and iii) planar optical transducer surfaces appropriately engineered for suppression of non-specific binding, internal referencing and calibration. Applications include the detection of prion proteins and identification of those biomolecules which non-covalently interact with surface immobilized prion proteins and are intrinsically involved in the cause of prion related disease.

Abstract: A light beam (6) is applied to a waveguide (3) in order to measure properties of the beam (6), e.g. the wavelength. According to the invention, the waveguide (3) has locally and/or time-varying resonances, e.g. by suitably designed grid couplers (4, 5). A light signal (7) is thus generated in the waveguide (3) as a direct measurement of the property to be measured and can be further processed by suitable means or evaluated. It is thus possible, for example, advantageously to produce a simple and inexpensive spectrometer.