Systems and methods using photonic structure substrates
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Publication Number
US-12730072-B1
Publication Date
2026-09-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
A photonic structure on a substrate, when illuminated with one of multiple predetermined illumination conditions, may transform the illumination light beam(s) to provide optical excitation to a predetermined subset of locations on a substrate. Signals collected from different subsets of locations on the substrate may be processed to yield a high-resolution optical readout.
Core Innovation
A photonic-structure engineered substrate is configured to immobilize analytes at a plurality of predetermined locations in or on a surface of the substrate. The photonic structure transforms one or more illumination light beams impinging thereon to provide excitation to a subset of the plurality of predetermined locations, in which excitation is defined with respect to an excitation intensity threshold.
At a first illumination condition, a first subset of the predetermined locations is provided with a first range of excitation intensities that is higher than the predetermined excitation intensity threshold, while a remainder of the plurality of predetermined locations excluding the first subset is provided with a second range of excitation intensities that is lower than the predetermined excitation intensity threshold. At a second illumination condition, a second subset of the predetermined locations is provided with the first range of excitation intensities, and the remainder excluding the second subset is provided with the second range of excitation intensities.
The first illumination condition differs from the second illumination condition, and the first subset differs from the second subset. The photonic structure includes implementations such as layered structure and nanostructured photonic components, including nanopillar array, nanowell array, planar waveguide, optical antenna array, nanoantenna array, reflective underlayer, diffraction grating, waveguide, and photonic crystal.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes one independent claim (clm-00001). It specifies a substrate with immobilized analytes at predetermined locations and a photonic structure that performs illumination-dependent selective excitation of different subsets across different illumination conditions, with excitation intensity ranges split by a predetermined excitation intensity threshold.
Illumination-conditioned excitation subset selection using a photonic structure
A substrate having a plurality of predetermined locations configured to immobilize analytes, and a photonic structure configured to transform one or more illumination light beams under an illumination condition to provide excitation to a subset of the plurality of predetermined locations.
Excitation intensity threshold splitting between excited subset and remainder
At a first illumination condition, the first subset is provided with a first range of excitation intensities higher than a predetermined excitation intensity threshold, while a remainder excluding the first subset is provided with a second range of excitation intensities lower than the predetermined excitation intensity threshold; at a second illumination condition, a second subset is provided with the first range and a remainder excluding the second subset is provided with the second range.
Different illumination conditions yield different excited subsets
The first illumination condition differs from the second illumination condition, and the first subset differs from the second subset.
Illumination beam characteristics driving subset excitation
The photonic structure transforms illumination light beams having predetermined characteristics such that the photonic structure provides excitation to a subset of the predetermined locations based on the specified illumination light beam characteristics, including spatial, angular or spectral distribution of any of said predetermined characteristics.
Layered and nanostructured photonic components for the excitation function
The photonic structure includes one or more layered and nanostructured photonic components selected from layered structure, nanopillar array, nanowell array, planar waveguide, optical antenna array, nanoantenna array, reflective underlayer, diffraction grating, waveguide, and photonic crystal.
Planar waveguide propagation of guided wave or surface plasmon wave
A planar waveguide is configured to propagate a guided wave or a surface plasmon wave to predetermined locations.
Sub-micrometer analyte binding site dimension
Each predefined analyte binding site is sized to be smaller than 10 micrometers in its longest dimension.
Constrained nearest-neighbor center-to-center spacing within subsets
For nearest-neighbor predetermined locations in both a first and a second subset, center-to-center distance ranges are specified among 125–500 nm, 150–400 nm, 175–300 nm, or 200–250 nm.
Across the independent claim and the related dependent refinements shown, the coverage centers on a photonic structure that transforms illumination to selectively excite different subsets of analyte-immobilizing locations under different illumination conditions, with excitation intensity separated by a predetermined threshold, and supported by specified illumination-beam characteristics, enumerated photonic-structure component types, and additional spatial/size constraints.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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