Light Guide Unit Angular Constraint for Biomarker Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable imaging-based testing systems for biological samples face challenges in accurately measuring biomarker presence due to overlap of excitation and emission light from multiple reaction chambers, leading to interference and reduced resolution.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a light guide unit with an optical filter and fiber-optic cables that constrain angular spreading and block excitation light, allowing only emission light to reach the imaging detector, ensuring accurate measurement of biomarker intensity by using a light guide unit with a defined angular acceptance range and optical coatings or Bragg filters to separate excitation and emission wavelengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple reaction chambers are used to test multiple biomarkers, then the testing capability and productivity are improved, but light overlap and interference between chambers worsen, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the light detection function by providing separate light guides for each reaction chamber. Each light guide is optically coupled to its corresponding reaction chamber, allowing independent collection of emission light from each chamber without cross-interference, thus maintaining measurement precision while enabling multi-marker testing
Solution Approach 2:
Light guides act as intermediary elements between the reaction chambers and the detector. These light guides selectively transmit emission light from specific reaction chambers to the detector, preventing direct light overlap and interference between multiple chambers while maintaining high productivity
2Volume of moving object
If the system is made portable and compact, then the device size and weight are reduced, but the complexity of managing light interference and maintaining detection accuracy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into integrated components. The light guides serve both as light collection elements and as spatial separators, while the detector array simultaneously detects emission from multiple reaction chambers. This integration reduces the need for additional complex interference management components in portable systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges reaction chambers and light guides in specific spatial configurations (e.g., side-by-side chambers with corresponding light guides). This spatial dimensionality allows compact packaging while maintaining optical isolation between chambers, reducing the complexity of light management in portable devices
3Illumination intensity
If the angular acceptance range of the light guide is increased to collect more emission light, then the signal intensity is improved, but the angular spreading of light increases, causing overlap between adjacent chambers
Solution Approach 1:
Each light guide is designed with specific local optical properties (numerical aperture, acceptance angle) optimized for its corresponding reaction chamber. This local optimization allows each light guide to collect sufficient emission light from its specific chamber while maintaining angular constraints that prevent cross-chamber interference, achieving both high signal intensity and resolution
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
This configuration enhances the resolution and accuracy of biomarker detection by preventing light overlap and contamination from excitation light, enabling precise measurement of biomarker concentrations in portable and compact imaging systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical filter located between the reaction chamber and the imaging detector; where the light guide unit defines an angular light acceptance range and is configured to constrain angular spreading of light entering the first end of the light guide unit; and the optical filter is configured to block light having the excitation wavelength that is emitted within the angular light acceptance range while passing light within at least a portion of the emission band
Implementation Method 2
a fluorescent compound usable to react with the sample, where the fluorescent compound is excitable by light with a wavelength that falls within an excitation band and the fluorescent compound emits light with a wavelength in an emission band in response to being excited
Implementation Method 3
the light guide unit defines an angular light acceptance range and is configured to constrain angular spreading of light entering the first end of the light guide unit
Data Source
AI summary
A portable imaging apparatus and system. A sample processing device has a reaction chamber configured to receive a sample and react the sample with a fluorescent compound that emits a specified wavelength of light when excited by light within an excitation band. An illumination source can be positioned to illuminate the reaction chamber when the sample processing device is positioned for imaging. A light guide can be positioned to face the reaction chamber and transfer the emitted light to an imaging detector. The light guide has a filter that blocks the wavelength of light from the illumination source and passes the fluorescent emitted light. The light guide unit defines an angular light acceptance range and is configured to constrain angular spreading of light.