A sensing device able to do concurrent real time detection of different kinds of specimens of living beings, chemical, biomolecule agents, or biological cells and their respective concentrations using optical principles. The sensing system can be produced at a low cost (below $1.00) and in a small size (1 cm.sup.3). The novel sensing system may be of great value to many industries, for example, medical, forensics, and military. The fundamental principles of this novel invention may be implemented in many variations and combinations of techniques.

The present invention relates to a sensor using a tilted fiber grating to detect physical manifestations occurring in a medium. Such physical manifestations induce measurable changes in the optical property of the tilted fiber grating. The sensor comprises a sensing surface which is to be exposed to the medium, an optical pathway and a tilted grating in the optical pathway. The grating is responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the physical manifestation.

Fiber optic sensors include sensor regions in which an optical phase is modulated by an analyte to be detected. A long period fiber grating (LPG) is coupled to a coating that is arranged to selectively interact with the analyte. The resulting phase change is detected based on a transmission spectrum associated with the LPG so that analyte is detected and quantified. A plurality of such sensors is distributed along a fiber to form a sensor array that can be situated to detect analyte at a plurality of discrete regions.

Configurations for in-situ gas detection are provided, and include miniaturized photonic devices, low-optical-loss, guided-wave structures and state-selective adsorption coatings. High quality factor semiconductor resonators have been demonstrated in different configurations, such as micro-disks, micro-rings, micro-toroids, and photonic crystals with the properties of very narrow NIR transmission bands and sensitivity up to 10.sup.9 (change in complex refractive index). The devices are therefore highly sensitive to changes in optical properties to the device parameters and can be tunable to the absorption of the chemical species of interest. Appropriate coatings applied to the device enhance state-specific molecular detection.

The present invention relates to a sensor using a tilted fiber grating to detect physical manifestations occurring in a medium. Such physical manifestations induce measurable changes in the optical property of the tilted fiber grating. The sensor comprises a sensing surface which is to be exposed to the medium, an optical pathway and a tilted grating in the optical pathway. The grating is responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the physical manifestation.

This invention relates to a system and methods including their manufacturing technologies for enhanced sensing capability of one or more bioagents covering from HIV, Pathogens, virus, to cells detection. More particularly, this invention is related to HIV and pathogen diagnosis system and methods which may increase its sensitivity and may reduce the diagnosis time. Furthermore, the diagnosis system and method may be applicable to all early stage patients with various age groups, where early and accuracy in diagnosis, are required.

Systems for analyte detection are disclosed. The system includes absorption channels positioned along a surface of an object. The absorption channels are configured to trap an analyte. The system further includes a sensor embedded in the object and configured to detect the presence of the analyte. The sensor includes a light source configured to transmit light and a detector configured to detect a change in an intensity of light transmitted by the light source. The sensor further includes a cable configured to connect the light source to the detector, wherein the cable comprises detection regions, and wherein the detection regions include a portion of the cable exposed to the analyte in the absorption channel.

The invention relates to an optical waveguide having a Fibre Bragg Grating, which waveguide is provided with a coating having a nanoporous sensor material, the sensor unit further having an optical detection unit for detecting a change in an optical property of the waveguide, wherein the grating is present in the core of the waveguide and the coating at least substantially surrounds the grating. The coating is expandable or shrinkable under the influence of the chemical substance, thereby causing a change in axial strain in the grating when the sensor material is exposed to the chemical substance, which change is detectible by a optical detection unit. The invention further relates to an optical sensor system for measuring a chemical substance, the sensor system having a waveguide according to the invention

The present invention provides for photonic nanoimprinted silk fibroin-based materials and methods for making same, comprising embossing silk fibroin-based films with photonic nanometer scale patterns. In addition, the invention provides for processes by which the silk fibroin-based films can be nanoimprinted at room temperature, by locally decreasing the glass transition temperature of the silk film. Such nanoimprinting process increases high throughput and improves potential for incorporation of silk-based photonics into biomedical and other optical devices.

The invention describes a device allowing the observation of a sample, comprising particles, for example biological particles, by lensless imaging. The sample is disposed against a substrate, the substrate being interposed between a light source and an image sensor. The substrate comprises at least one thin film, extending across a thin film plane, structured so as to form a diffraction grating, designed to confine a part of a light wave emitted by the light source, in a plane parallel to said thin film plane. The device does not comprise magnification optics between the substrate and the image sensor.