Fluidic systems and methods for analyses

Abstract

Fluidic systems and methods for analyses are provided. In some embodiments, systems and methods for improved measurement of absorbance/transmission through fluidic systems are described. Specifically, in one set of embodiments, optical elements are fabricated on one side of a transparent fluidic device opposite a series of fluidic channels. The optical elements may guide incident light passing through the device such that most of the light is dispersed away from specific areas of the device, such as intervening portions between the fluidic channels. By decreasing the amount of light incident upon these intervening portions, the amount of noise in the detection signal can be decreased when using certain optical detection systems.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for determining the presence of one or more analytes in a sample fluid, the method comprising:
 performing a multiplex assay on said sample fluid, wherein the multiplex assay comprises:   an article supporting solid-phase assays, said article comprising a rigid planar substrate and comprising two or more different liquid containment regions, each liquid containment region comprising at least one analysis region that can be interrogated optically, each analysis region having one or more binding partners associated with a surface of the substrate, wherein said binding partners bind said one or more analytes present in said sample in the liquid containment region; and   an optical device configured to supply collimated light to illuminate an analysis region of the two or more liquid containment regions and detect light from the illuminated analysis region, wherein the supplied collimated light and the detected light from the illuminated analysis region travel along a common path.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each different liquid containment region is a chamber having a depth measured perpendicular to a surface of the rigid planar substrate and a cross-sectional dimension substantially parallel to the surface of the rigid planar substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber is integral to a surface of the rigid planar substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber comprises a separate structure connected to the rigid planar substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the separate structure is connected to the rigid planar substrate through an adhesive and/or van der Waals forces. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the adhesive is an acrylic or silicone based adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber is covered. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the chamber is uncovered. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the collimated light is supplied by directing light from a light source through a collimating lens. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the optical device further comprises a focusing lens to focus the light that illuminates the analysis region. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the detected light is detected using a camera or an image sensor; and/or   the detected light is photoluminescence, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, and/or electrochemiluminescence.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the detected light is detected from one or more analysis regions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the optical device comprises a light source and an optical detector, and wherein the rigid planar substrate is positioned between the light source and the optical detector such that a first side of the substrate faces the detector and a second side of the substrate faces the light source and is exposed to light. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising a positioning system configured to position the optical detector over an analysis region. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rigid planar substrate is a glass, quartz, silicon, polyethylene, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, poly(dimethylsiloxane), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or cyclo-olefin copolymer substrate. 
     
     
         17 . A method for determining the presence of one or more analytes in a sample fluid, the method comprising:
 performing a multiplex assay on said sample fluid, wherein the multiplex assay comprises:   (i) an article supporting solid-phase assays, said article comprising a rigid planar substrate and comprising two or more different liquid containment regions, each liquid containment region comprising at least one analysis region that can be interrogated optically, each analysis region having one or more binding partners associated with a surface of the substrate, wherein said binding partners bind said one or more analytes present in said sample in the liquid containment region; and   (ii) an optical device configured to supply collimated light to illuminate an analysis region of the two or more liquid containment regions and detect light from the illuminated analysis region, wherein the supplied collimated light and the detected light from the illuminated analysis region travel along a common path,   wherein each different liquid containment region is a chamber having a depth measured perpendicular to a surface of the rigid planar substrate and a cross-sectional dimension substantially parallel to the surface of the rigid planar substrate, and   wherein the rigid planar substrate is composed of glass, quartz, or silicon.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the following conditions are met:
 a) the optical device further comprises a focusing lens to focus the light that illuminates the analysis region; and/or   b) the collimated light is supplied by directing light from a light source through a collimating lens.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the chamber is uncovered. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein
 the detected light is detected using a camera or an image sensor; and/or   the detected light is photoluminescence, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, and/or electrochemiluminescence.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the optical device comprises a light source and an optical detector, and wherein the rigid planar substrate is positioned between the light source and the optical detector such that a first side of the substrate faces the detector and a second side of the substrate faces the light source and is exposed to light.