Integrated Photonic Biosensor Cartridge for Compact Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic tools employing disposable bio-photonic sensor chips are often bulky, inflexible, and expensive, failing to meet the need for label-free, low-cost, and portable solutions for real-time monitoring of multiple disease biomarkers in personalized medicine and pandemic responses.
Innovation Solution
Integrated photonic systems comprising a cartridge with a sensor photonic integrated subcircuit and an interrogator photonic circuit, which includes a light source and waveguides for optical coupling, along with features like ultrasound, thermoelectric heating/cooling, and alignment modules for efficient light alignment and sample analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If free-space optics are used to interrogate disposable bio-photonic sensor chips, then biosensing functionality is achieved, but the system becomes bulky and inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor chip and interrogator photonic circuit into a single integrated photonic system. The sensor chip includes waveguides, resonators, and photodetectors fabricated on the same substrate, eliminating the need for separate free-space optics and reducing overall system volume while maintaining biosensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the photonic circuit is integrated within the sensor chip substrate. The waveguides, resonators, and photodetectors are nested layers within the same chip, allowing the entire interrogator system to be contained within the compact sensor chip footprint.
2Reliability
If free-space optics are used to interrogate disposable bio-photonic sensor chips, then biosensing functionality is achieved, but the system becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple expensive components (sensor chip, light source, waveguides, photodetectors) into a single integrated photonic system. This consolidation reduces the bill of materials cost and eliminates the need for precise alignment mechanisms and housing required by separate free-space optics, thereby reducing overall system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical free-space optical system with an integrated photonic circuit that guides light through waveguides. This substitution eliminates mechanical alignment components, reduces manufacturing complexity, and lowers production costs while maintaining sensing functionality.
3Volume of moving object
If integrated photonic systems are used, then portability and cost-effectiveness are improved, but alignment precision between light paths must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light source, waveguides, and photodetectors into a single integrated photonic circuit on the sensor chip. This integration eliminates the need for external alignment mechanisms between separate components, as all light paths are defined by the fabricated waveguide structures within the chip itself, thereby reducing alignment precision requirements while maintaining portability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are integrated photonics systems (3800) for biosensing including an interrogator photonic circuit (3802) and cartridge (3804) and methods using these systems. The cartridge (3804) comprises a sensor photonic integrated subcircuit. The cartridge (3804) is configured to receive a biological sample. The interrogator photonic circuit (3802) is optically coupled to the cartridge (3804) an comprises: (i) a light source (3806) configured to generate light; and (ii) one or more waveguides configured to carry the light, wherein the light is used to determine a characteristic of the biological sample in the cartridge (3804). A system can have an assembly of a plurality of modular photonic integrated subcircuits. Each subcircuit can be pre-fabricated and can be configured to transfer light to and receive light from another subcircuit based on the first functionality. An output port of a first subset of the subcircuits can be configured to be aligned with an input port of a second subset of the subcircuits. At least one subcircuit can be configured to be removed from the first integrated photonics assembly and connected to a second integrated photonics assembly having a second functionality. The first integrated photonics assembly can be different from the second integrated photonics assembly and the first functionality can be different from the second functionality.