Optical Analysis Chip with Bypass Passage for Impurity Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical measurement methods for liquid samples, particularly those using total reflection systems, face challenges in accurately detecting substances with high sensitivity and precision due to the adsorption of impurities on the substrate, which complicates the measurement process and requires complex pretreatment and time-consuming baseline adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A chip for optical analysis is designed with a substrate and passage structure that includes a sample introduction section, an observation section, and an adsorption region, where a bypass passage allows the sample to reach the observation section later than the adsorption region, enabling the use of a reference sample prepared directly from the liquid sample, and materials like antibodies, antigens, or oligonucleotides are immobilized for selective detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a reference sample is prepared by removing the substance to be measured from the real sample, then measurement precision is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase due to complex pretreatment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The chip is divided into a measurement region with immobilized probe molecules and a reference region without immobilized substances. This segmentation allows simultaneous measurement of both sample types without complex pretreatment, achieving high precision while simplifying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference region is prepared in advance on the chip substrate, eliminating the need for separate reference sample preparation. The reference region is pre-configured to receive and measure reference samples directly, reducing operational complexity and time consumption.
2Measurement precision
If impurities in liquid samples are eliminated before measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reference region acts as an intermediary that measures the effect of impurities separately. By comparing the measurement region (with probe molecules) against the reference region (without immobilized substances), the system automatically compensates for impurity effects without requiring separate purification steps.
3Measurement precision
If a bypass passage is designed to allow reference sample to reach the observation section later, then measurement precision is improved through better reference comparison, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement region and reference region are merged into a single integrated chip structure with shared fluidic pathways. The bypass passage is seamlessly integrated into the existing channel network, allowing reference samples to reach the observation section at optimized times without adding significant device complexity.
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 approach allows for high-sensitivity and high-precision measurement of substances in liquid samples with minimal noise from impurity adsorption, enabling accurate detection of low-concentration substances without the need for separate reference sample preparation and reducing measurement time.
Implementation Method 1
an adsorption region for adsorbing a substance to be measured
Implementation Method 2
methods using a total reflection optical system are available by which binding of a molecule and an immobilized substance having molecular selectivity can be directly observed
Implementation Method 3
These methods are known as methods in which an excited evanescent wave is used as a probe light
Implementation Method 4
Most commonly used method among the total reflection-type optical systems is Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) measurement method
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a chip for optical analysis. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical sensor handling a liquid sample, which is a chip for analysis that can be used for selectively measuring a biologically-relevant substance or a chemical substance such as an environmental pollutant or a health affecting substance in a liquid to be measured. The chip for optical analysis of the present invention is characterized in that (1) an adsorption region (filter region) is provided between a sample introduction section and the observation section in a passage of the chip for analysis, (2) a bypass passage is provided in the passage (main passage) of the chip for analysis, and a time lag is generated between samples passed through the main passage and passed through a bypass passage, and (3) a measurement region and a reference region are provided in the observation section of the chip for analysis. In the present invention, the aspects (1) to (3) can be achieved individually or two or more thereof can be combined.