EP0335725A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and method for detection of fluorescence or light scatter
Assignee: Syntex USA LLC
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Filing: 1989-03-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-03-30
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method are described for defining a small interrogation volume in a liquid sample suspected of containing an analyte. The apparatus and method utilize a dual optical fibre probe (10) constructed with the ends of the optical fibres (12,14) at the liquid/fibre interface spatially oriented such that the intersection of their longitudinal axes forms an included angle ranging from about 40° to 140°. By appropriate choice of the numerical aperture and core diameter of the optical fibres and the separation distance between the longitudinal axes of the optical fibres at the liquid/fibre interface, a finite interrogation volume of predetermined size and independent of the total liquid sample volume can be defined. The apparatus and method substantially reduce background interference with corresponding increase in assay sensitivity.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard P. Watts
- 👤 Wylie In-Wei Lee
- 👤 John W. Vorpahl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:24
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/85; G01N21/8507; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/49; G01N21/51; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
An optical probe adapted for immersion into a liquid sample for determining an optical event in said liquid sample when said probe is immersed therein comprising a first optical fiber adapted to guide incident light, a second optical fiber adapted to receive and guide light resulting from said incident light, said first and second optical fibers adapted to be optically coupled and define a finite interrogation volume independent of the liquid sample volume, wherein light emanating from said first fiber is projected at an angle relative to said second fiber such that light from said first fiber does not substantially enter said second fiber in the absence of an optical event-causing element in said interrogation volume.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
An optical probe adapted for immersion into a liquid sample for determining an optical event in said liquid sample when said probe is immersed therein comprising a first optical fiber adapted to guide incident light, a second optical fiber adapted to receive and guide light resulting from said incident light, said first and second optical fibers adapted to be optically coupled and define a finite interrogation volume independent of the liquid sample volume, wherein light emanating from said first fiber is projected at an angle relative to said second fiber such that light from said first fiber does not substantially enter said second fiber in the absence of an optical event-causing element in said interrogation volume.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The optical probe of Claim 1 comprising a third optical fiber such that all three optical fibers have a common interrogation volume.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The optical probe of Claim 1 wherein said interrogation volume is less than about 10⁻⁵ cubic centimeters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The optical probe of Claim 1 or 3 wherein said first and second optical fibers have longitudinal axes intersecting with a dihedral angle of between about 40°-140°
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The optical probe of Claim 4 wherein said angle is about 60° ± 5°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The optical probe of Claim 4 wherein the distance between the longitudinal axes of said first and second probes at the exit planes of said fibers is between about 0.05-1.00 millimeter.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
154 words
A method for determining an analyte in a liquid sample suspected of containing said analyte comprising: immersing in said liquid sample a fiber optic probe comprising a first optical fiber, having a first input end and a first output end, and a second optical fiber, having a second input end and a second output end, said first and second optical fibers having predetermined physical and optical properties and said first output end and second input end having a predetermined angular orientation to allow optical coupling of said first and second optical fibers only when analyte is present and to define an interrogation volume independent of the liquid sample volume; coupling said first optical fiber at said first input end with a source of light to irradiate said interrogation volume; and collecting with said second input end of said second optical fiber light from said interrogation volume resulting from said irradiation of said interrogation volume.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
154 words
A method for determining an analyte in a liquid sample suspected of containing said analyte comprising: immersing in said liquid sample a fiber optic probe comprising a first optical fiber, having a first input end and a first output end, and a second optical fiber, having a second input end and a second output end, said first and second optical fibers having predetermined physical and optical properties and said first output end and second input end having a predetermined angular orientation to allow optical coupling of said first and second optical fibers only when analyte is present and to define an interrogation volume independent of the liquid sample volume; coupling said first optical fiber at said first input end with a source of light to irradiate said interrogation volume; and collecting with said second input end of said second optical fiber light from said interrogation volume resulting from said irradiation of said interrogation volume.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of Claim 7 wherein said source of light includes wavelenghths of between 200-1500 nanometers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of Claim 7 or 8 wherein said first and second optical fibers define an interrogation volume of less than about 10⁻⁵ cubic centimeters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
127 words
A fiber optic probe assembly comprising: a first optical fiber having a first end and a first longitudinal axis associated with said first end and a second optical fiber having a second end and a second longitudinal axis associated with said second end, said first and second optical fibers having a core diameter of between about 10 and 200 microns and being spatially oriented such that the distance between the longitudinal axes of said fibers at the first and second ends is between about 0.05 and 1.00 millimeter and the dihedral angle formed by said longitudinal axes is greater than the sum of the arcsines of the numerical apertures of said fibers in air and less than the difference between 180° and said sum of said arcsines.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
127 words
A fiber optic probe assembly comprising: a first optical fiber having a first end and a first longitudinal axis associated with said first end and a second optical fiber having a second end and a second longitudinal axis associated with said second end, said first and second optical fibers having a core diameter of between about 10 and 200 microns and being spatially oriented such that the distance between the longitudinal axes of said fibers at the first and second ends is between about 0.05 and 1.00 millimeter and the dihedral angle formed by said longitudinal axes is greater than the sum of the arcsines of the numerical apertures of said fibers in air and less than the difference between 180° and said sum of said arcsines.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of Claim 10 wherein said numerical aperture of each fiber in air is between about 0.08 and 0.7 and said angle is between about 40 and 140 degrees.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of Claim 10 or 11 wherein said first and second longitudinal axes are substantially coplanar.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of Claim 12 wherein said angle is between about 55 and 65 degrees.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
85 words
A support for a dual fiber optical probe comprising: a first semi-cylindrical portion having a first side face and a first end face, said first side face including first and second intersecting grooves, each adapted to receive the end of an optical fiber, a second semi-cylindrical portion, adapted to mate with said first portion, having a second side face and end face having a third groove therein adapted to expose the end faces of said optical fibers when disposed within said first and second grooves.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
85 words
A support for a dual fiber optical probe comprising: a first semi-cylindrical portion having a first side face and a first end face, said first side face including first and second intersecting grooves, each adapted to receive the end of an optical fiber, a second semi-cylindrical portion, adapted to mate with said first portion, having a second side face and end face having a third groove therein adapted to expose the end faces of said optical fibers when disposed within said first and second grooves.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The support of Claim 14, wherein said second end face has a fourth groove adapted to align with said third groove.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The support of Claim 15, wherein said first and second portions have cooperative alignment means thereon to align said first and second portions when formed into a unitary assembly.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
In an assay for the determination of an analyte in a liquid sample by means of at least two angularly disposed optical fibers, the improvement which comprises defining a finite interrogation volume within said sample by immersing said optical fibers within said liquid sample and optically coupling said optical fibers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
In an assay for the determination of an analyte in a liquid sample by means of at least two angularly disposed optical fibers, the improvement which comprises defining a finite interrogation volume within said sample by immersing said optical fibers within said liquid sample and optically coupling said optical fibers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The improvement of Claim 17 wherein said interrogation volume is less than about 10⁻⁵ cubic centimeters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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