Optical Sensor Light Guide Plate Bypasses Low Transmittance Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biosensors face challenges in detecting objects, such as microbes, when the culture medium in the culture vessel has low optical transmittance, leading to reduced detection accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A detection device comprising a placement substrate, a light guide plate with a light-transmitting property, an optical sensor with photodetection elements, and a light source that emits light to the side surface of the light guide plate, allowing light to be transmitted through the light guide plate and reach the optical sensor regardless of the placement substrate's optical transmittance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If light is emitted from above the culture vessel through the culture medium to the photosensor, then the detection device can be结构简单, but detection accuracy deteriorates when the culture medium has low optical transmittance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the light emission direction from vertical (top-down through the culture medium) to horizontal (along the side surface of the light guide plate). This dimensional change allows light to bypass the culture medium's optical limitations and directly illuminate the placement substrate where objects are detected, thereby maintaining detection accuracy even when the culture medium has low optical transmittance.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate serves as an intermediary component that receives light from the light source and guides it along the side surface to the placement substrate. This intermediary structure enables efficient light transmission without requiring the light to pass through the culture medium, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and detection accuracy.
2Device complexity
If light passes through the culture medium and culture vessel to reach the photosensor, then the detection device can use a simple optical path, but light transmission is blocked when the culture medium has low optical transmittance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a vertical optical path (top-down through the culture medium) to a horizontal optical path (along the side surface). This dimensional change eliminates the need for light to traverse the culture medium, ensuring reliable light transmission regardless of the medium's optical properties while maintaining a relatively simple optical path structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate acts as an intermediary that ensures reliable light transmission from the light source to the placement substrate. By guiding light along its side surface, the light guide plate provides a consistent and reliable optical pathway that does not depend on the culture medium's transmittance properties.
3Device complexity
If the light source is positioned above the culture vessel, then the device structure is simple, but detection accuracy decreases when the culture medium absorbs light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the light source from a vertical arrangement (above the culture vessel) to a horizontal arrangement (adjacent to the light guide plate's side surface). This dimensional repositioning allows light to illuminate the placement substrate directly without being absorbed by the culture medium, thereby maintaining high detection accuracy while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide plate serves as an intermediary that decouples the light source positioning from the detection area. It receives light from the light source and efficiently guides it to the placement substrate, ensuring accurate object detection regardless of light absorption properties of the culture medium, while maintaining simple device architecture.
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 detection device improves the accuracy of detecting objects by ensuring that light reflected by the object passes through the light guide plate and is detected by the optical sensor, even if the placement substrate has low optical transmittance.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide plate 2... having a light-transmitting property... configured to emit light to a side surface of the light guide plate
Implementation Method 2
an optical sensor 81... including a plurality of photodetection elements 813 arranged in a planar configuration
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect, a detection device includes: a placement substrate capable of having an object to be detected placed thereon; a light guide plate that is disposed on one side in a first direction of the placement substrate so as to overlap the placement substrate and has a light-transmitting property; an optical sensor that is disposed on one side in the first direction of the light guide plate so as to overlap the light guide plate and includes a plurality of photodetection elements arranged in a planar configuration; and a light source that is disposed adjacent to the light guide plate in a second direction intersecting the first direction and is configured to emit light to a side surface of the light guide plate.