Compact Mode-Locked Laser for Bioanalytic Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrashort pulsed lasers are typically large, expensive, and unsuitable for mobile applications, making them impractical for incorporation into portable instrumentation for imaging, ranging, or bioanalytical uses.
Innovation Solution
A compact, low-cost mode-locked laser system capable of producing sub-100-picosecond pulses at 100 MHz pulse-repetition rates, designed to be integrated into portable instruments for applications such as time-of-flight imaging, genetic sequencing, and optical coherence tomography, utilizing a base plate with a gain medium and saturable-absorber mirror to achieve passive mode locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional mode-locked lasers are used to produce ultrashort optical pulses, then pulse duration and repetition rate requirements are met, but system size and cost become prohibitively large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The laser system is divided into separate functional modules: a compact pulsed laser source module and a separate spectroscopy/detection module. This segmentation allows the laser to be miniaturized while maintaining its ultrashort pulse generation capability, and the modules can be independently optimized and configured based on specific application needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple optical components and functional elements into nested configurations within compact housings. The pulsed laser source is housed in a compact module that can be integrated into larger portable spectroscopy systems, creating a nested structure where smaller functional units are contained within larger system architectures.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional mode-locked lasers are used to produce ultrashort optical pulses, then pulse quality is maintained, but system cost becomes prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cost-effective optical components and gain media that can be replaced or regenerated economically. The system uses readily available laser diodes, standard optical filters, and common fluorescent probes rather than requiring expensive specialized components, making the overall system more affordable while maintaining adequate pulse quality for spectroscopy applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows flexibility in adjusting laser parameters such as pulse duration, repetition rate, and wavelength to match specific application requirements. By optimizing these parameters rather than requiring fixed high-performance specifications, the system can achieve adequate pulse quality at lower cost through standard off-the-shelf components rather than custom-engineered parts.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional mode-locked lasers are used to produce ultrashort optical pulses, then optical performance is sufficient, but portability and integration into portable systems become impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable optical paths within the compact laser module, allowing the system to adapt to different spectroscopy configurations. Optical components such as adjustable mirrors, movable filters, and reconfigurable beam paths enable the miniaturized system to maintain flexible operation comparable to larger conventional systems, enhancing portability without sacrificing optical performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compact laser system enables portable and cost-effective ultrashort pulsed laser technology, suitable for various bioanalytical and imaging applications, providing sufficient optical power for multiple reaction chambers and allowing for the distinction of different fluorophores based on fluorescent emission characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
A mode-locked laser system may be implemented as a compact, low-cost laser capable of producing sub-100-picosecond pulses at ~100 MHz pulse-repetition rates
Implementation Method 2
a saturable-absorber mirror mounted on the base plate and forming a second end mirror for the laser cavity, wherein the mode-locked laser is configured to produce optical pulses by passive mode locking
Implementation Method 3
The optical pulses from the laser may be detected electronically and the signal processed to produce an electronic clock signal that synchronizes and drives data-acquisition electronics of the system
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses (1-110) are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode- locked laser (1-110) can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument for biological or chemical analyses. The pulsed laser may produce sub-100-ps optical pulses at a repetition rate commensurate with electronic data- acquisition rates. The optical pulses may excite samples in reaction chambers of the instrument, and be used to generate a reference clock for operating signal-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the instrument.