Distributed fiber optic sensors formed by covering the fibers with tubing are provided. The tubing including responsive materials formulated or configured to, responsive to exposure to one of a target chemical species and a target radiation particle, change a relative size and generate a localized effect on or in the optical fiber.

Distributed fiber optic chemical and radiation sensors formed by coating the fibers with certain types of response materials are provided. For distributed chemical sensors, the coatings are reactive with the targets; the heat absorbed or released during a reaction will cause a local temperature change on the fiber. For distributed radiation sensors, coating a fiber with a scintillator enhances sensitivity toward thermal neutrons, for example, by injecting light into the fiber. The luminescent components in these materials are taken from conjugated polymeric and oligomeric dyes, metal organic frameworks with sorbed dyes, and two-photon-absorbing semiconductors. The compositions may exhibit strong gamma rejection. Other scintillators combining luminescent materials with neutron converters are available. With a multiple-layer coating, it may be possible to identify the presence of both neutrons and gamma rays, for example. Coatings may be applied during manufacture or in the field.

A point of use analyte detection and quantification system for chemical applications is provided. Related methods are also provided.

An optical waveguide interferometer cartridge system and related methods are provided. The optical waveguide interferometer cartridge system includes a cartridge housing comprising an interferometric chip and a flow cell wafer as well as an alignment means for aligning the cartridge system within the interferometric system.

A point of care analyte detection and quantification system for healthcare application is provided. Related methods are also provided.

A point of use analyte detection and quantification system for animal health applications is provided. Related methods are also provided.

An apparatus adapted to perform spectrometric measurements, said apparatus comprising a tunable laser light source adapted to generate a laser light with an excitation wavelength supplied to an optical sensor which produces a sample specific response light signal; an optical reference filter adapted to measure laser light with the excitation wavelength fed back as a reference signal to provide wavelength calibration of the tunable laser light source; at least one optical measurement filter adapted to measure the sample specific response light signal produced by the optical sensor, wherein the optical reference filter and the at least one optical measurement filter are thermally coupled to maintain a constant wavelength relationship between the filter characteristics of the optical filters.

The method presented uses thermally emissive materials for the extraction of heat through the use of electromagnetic waveguides, wherein the emissive material comprises materials which emit electromagnetic radiation due to thermal excitation, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is coupled to electromagnetic waveguides; a receiver adapted to receive the electromagnetic radiation for utilization, wherein the extracted electromagnetic radiation may propagate arbitrary distances inside the waveguides before the need for processing, for example, to maximize the temperature differential between the emissive material and that of the receiver; and the exchange of the chemical composition of some portion of the environment the apparatus is housed in. The thermal energy extraction apparatus described herein has the purpose of removing heat from a source for conversion to other forms of energy such as electricity and for thermal management applications. Wherein for heat management, the benefit of waveguides would constitute reduced interference with electronics through electromagnetic coupling.

A planar waveguide device (PWD) for interacting with a fluid (FLD) is disclosed, the planar waveguide device (PWD) comprising a waveguide layer (WGL) for supporting optical confinement, a coupling arrangement (CPA) for in-coupling and out-coupling of light into and from the waveguide layer (WGL), a fluid zone (FZN) for accommodating the fluid (FLD), a filter layer (FTL) arranged between the fluid zone (FZN) and the waveguide layer (WGL) in an interaction region (IAR) of the waveguide layer (WGL),
wherein the filter layer (FTL) comprises filter openings (FOP) arranged to allow the fluid (FLD) to interact with an evanescent field of light guided by the waveguide layer (WGL),
wherein the filter openings (FOP) are adapted to prevent particles (PAR) larger than a predefined size from interacting with said evanescent field,
wherein the filter openings (FOP) are arranged as line openings having their longitudinal direction in parallel with the direction of propagation (DOP) of light guided by the waveguide layer (WGL).

Presented herein are methods, systems, and apparatus for single analyte detection or multiplexed analyte detection based on amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay (“alpha”) technology, but using hollow polymer fiber optics doped with ‘acceptor bead’ dye (e.g., thioxene, anthracene, rubrene, and/or lanthanide chelates) or ‘donor bead’ dye (e.g., phthalocyanine) that carry a signal generated by the dopant via singlet oxygen channeling.