A chemical sensor, including a porous optical waveguide. The loss or index of refraction, or both, of the porous waveguide is affected by the presence of one or more chemicals of interest.

Disclosed is a method of preparing a biosensor that involves providing a substrate including a surface having a topographical pattern formed at one or more sites on or in the surface, coating the substrate with a solution including hydrogel particles, wherein the hydrogel particles self-assemble on the surface to mask the surface except at the one or more sites, and binding one or more capture molecules to the one or more sites to form the biosensor. Systems that include the biosensor, as well as methods of using the biosensor, are also disclosed.

A method and system for measuring a sample property (X) by means of photonic circuit (10). The photonic circuit (10) comprises at least two photonic sensors (11, 12) configured to modulate the light according to respective output signals (S1,S2) with periodically recurring signal values (V1, V2). The photonic sensors (11, 12) comprise a low range sensor (11) with a relatively low range or high sensitivity for measuring a change (X) of the sample property (X) and a high range sensor (12) with a relatively high range or low sensitivity to measure the change (X) of the sample property (X). The sample property (X) is calculated by combining the output signals (S1, S2) of the sensors (11, 12). Particularly, the second output signal (S2) of the high range sensor (12) is used to distinguish between recurring signal values (V1) in the first output signal (S1) of the low range sensor (11).

The present document describes a method for the detection of off-flavor maple syrup made from buddy maple sap or maple sap contaminated with buddy maple sap, or off-flavor maple sap. The method involves the measurement of a spectrophotometric property of a nanoparticle reactive with a buddy maple sample having a size of from about 1 nm to about 250 nm contacting a maple syrup or maple sap sample. A change in the spectrophotometric property is associated with an off-flavor maple syrup or maple sap sample, and no change in the spectrophotometric property is associated with a good flavor maple syrup or maple sap sample.

Disclosed are a biochip capable of detecting and analyzing multivalent bindings between target protein and binding mediator from monovalent bindings and a method for manufacturing the same. A biochip according to an embodiment comprises: a hydrogel functional layer on which a binding mediator is formed and of which physical properties are changed by a reaction between target protein to be introduced and the binding mediator; and a transducer configured to deliver a displacement signal corresponding to a change in the physical properties of the hydrogel functional layer to an analysis instrument, wherein the reaction is multivalent bindings between the target protein and the binding mediator, and de-swelling occurs in at least a portion of the hydrogel functional layer by the multivalent bindings.

A chemical sensor, including a porous optical waveguide. The loss or index of refraction, or both, of the porous waveguide is affected by the presence of one or more chemicals of interest.

According to various embodiments, there is provided a sensor arrangement including a filter configured to provide an output signal having an output wavelength, the output wavelength having a dependence on a temperature of the filter; a temperature module configured to change the temperature of the filter; a controller circuit configured to control the temperature module for changing the temperature of the filter until the output wavelength increases with decreasing temperature; and a determination circuit configured to determine a dew point of an environment surrounding the sensor arrangement, based on a minimum value of the output wavelength and the dependence.

Disclosed are a biochip capable of detecting and analyzing multivalent bindings between target protein and binding mediator from monovalent bindings and a method for manufacturing the same. A biochip according to an embodiment comprises: a hydrogel functional layer on which a binding mediator is formed and of which physical properties are changed by a reaction between target protein to be introduced and the binding mediator; and a transducer configured to deliver a displacement signal corresponding to a change in the physical properties of the hydrogel functional layer to an analysis instrument, wherein the reaction is multivalent bindings between the target protein and the binding mediator, and de-swelling occurs in at least a portion of the hydrogel functional layer by the multivalent bindings.

An optical sensing platform with an array of sensors, a laser or broadband light source and an optical detector that utilizes surface plasmon resonance based transduction and optical detection is provided. The sensor structure of the platform has a low index support layer, a high contrast grating, a low index spacer and a thin metal film with a target recognition element. The surface plasmon resonance based sensor uses surface plasmon waves to detect changes on the surface of the sensor when a target interacts with the target recognition element. The binding of the target with a recognition element receptor will induce changes in the refractive index of the metal layer, which changes the resonance wavelength of the plasmon wave on the sensor surface, which is used to measure or observe the reaction.

A sensing apparatus includes a light source to transmit a light beam, an input switch, a first sensing element, a second sensing element, and a detector. The input switch receives the light beam and includes a phase change material having a first state and a second state. The first sensing element receives the light beam from the input switch when the phase change material is in the first state and produces a first change in the light beam in response to a presence of a first analyte. The second sensing element receives the light beam from the input switch when the phase change material is in the second state and produces a second change in the light beam in response to a presence of a second analyte. The detector detects the first change and/or the second change in the light beam.