Lens and associatable flow cell

Abstract

Improvements in a biosensor of the type having reservoirs or wells for analyzing a biological liquid are disclosed. A biosensor ( 190 ) includes a waveguide ( 164 ) placed between a plurality of members such as plates ( 100, 186 ), at least one of the members ( 100 ) being formed to define the walls ( 132, 134, 136 ) of the reservoirs where the liquid is biologically analyzed. The walls of the reservoirs are made of an inert, opaque material such as a metal. Although the biosensor may include a gasket ( 162 ), the gasket is associated with the members and waveguide in such a way (e.g. by recessing the gasket into a channel formed into a metal plate) so that the gasket does not form any significant portion of the reservoir wall. Waveguides of varying composition (e.g. plastic, quartz or glass) may be associated with the members to form the biosensor. The metal plate of the biosensor has input and output ports for infusing, draining, or oscillating the liquid to be analyzed in the reaction reservoir. Also disclosed is a sled-shaped waveguide associated with a rear lens to couple light out of the waveguide to serve as a quality control measure thus insuring that the biosensor is properly placed and that the light is working.

1. An improvement in a biosensor of the type for use in an apparatus for analyzing a biological liquid, the biosensor comprising:
 a waveguide having at least one planar surface, said waveguide associated, in liquid tight attachment, with  
 a first member, said first member, in conjunction with the waveguide, defining walls of reservoirs for containing the biological liquid while, a planar surface of the waveguide defines a floor of said reservoirs, the floor being associated in part with capture molecules, the improvement comprising reservoir walls formed of an inert, opaque material.  
 
     
     
       2. The improvement of  claim 1  wherein said inert, opaque material is metal. 
     
     
       3. The improvement of  claim 1  wherein the entire first member is made of metal. 
     
     
       4. The improvement of  claim 1  wherein said first member has ports for oscillating liquid into and out of a reservoir. 
     
     
       5. The improvement of  claim 1 , wherein the biosensor further comprises a gasket positioned to cushion the attachment of the first member to the waveguide. 
     
     
       6. The improvement of  claim 5 , wherein the gasket is a laminate of elastic material and a synthetic resin polymer material. 
     
     
       7. The improvement of  claim 1  wherein the waveguide is made of an optical material selected from the group of optical materials consisting of plastic, quartz, and glass. 
     
     
       8. The improvement of  claim 7  wherein the waveguide is flat and is associated with a rear lens for reading light passing through the waveguide to monitor coupling efficiency and beam quality. 
     
     
       9. The improvement of  claim 1  wherein the biosensor further includes a second member, the waveguide being sandwiched between said first member and said second member. 
     
     
       10. The improvement of  claim 9  wherein the biosensor further includes a registration plate. 
     
     
       11. The improvement of  claim 10  placed in an assay apparatus wherein the biosensor further includes a third member, the third member having a means for connecting the biosensor to the assay apparatus. 
     
     
       12. The improvement of  claim 7  wherein the waveguide is flat, and is associated with a grating for coupling light into the waveguide. 
     
     
       13. A waveguide comprising:
 a front ramp with associated lens end for receiving light,  
 a rear ramp with associated lens for transmitting light out of said waveguide,  
 a planar portion having first and second parallel planar surfaces for transmitting light from the front ramp to the rear ramp so as to transmit light received at the lens associated with the front ramp through the lens associated with the rear ramp, and  
 wherein the waveguide is made from an optical plastic, and the front ramp is angled away from the planar portion's plane at a mean angle of from about 15° to 32°.  
 
     
     
       14. A biosensor of the type for use in an apparatus for analyzing a biological liquid, the biosensor comprising:
 a waveguide having at least one planar surface and being optically associated with a rear lens oriented for reading light passing through the waveguide, to monitor coupling efficiency and beam quality, said waveguide further associated in liquid tight attachment with  
 a first member, said first member, in conjunction with the waveguide, defining metal walls of a plurality of reservoirs for containing the biological liquid while a planar surface of the waveguide defines a nonmetal floor of said plurality of reservoirs, the floor being associated in part with capture molecules,  
 a gasket positioned to cushion the attachment of the first member to the waveguide, and  
 a second member, the waveguide being sandwiched between the first and second members.  
 
     
     
       15. The biosensor of  claim 14  wherein said first member has ports for infusing and draining liquid into and out of a reservoir. 
     
     
       16. An improvement in an apparatus for analyzing a biological liquid, said apparatus being of the type having:
 a light source;  
 a biosensor comprising: 
 a waveguide having at least one planar surface, and being further associated in liquid tight attachment with  
 a first member, said first member, in conjunction with the waveguide, defining at least one reservoir for containing the biological liquid, the planar surface being associated in part with capture molecules, and  
 an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with said reservoir for infusing and draining said biological liquid into and out of said reservoir so as to allow the biological liquid to contact said capture molecules; and  
 
 a light detector for detecting the light emitted through said planar surface;  
 the improvement comprising orienting said biosensor in such a way that the planar surface is generally horizontal and level with a surface upon which the apparatus sits and so that the planar surface forms a ceiling to said reservoir.  
 
     
     
       17. An improvement in a biosensor of the type for use in an apparatus for analyzing a biological liquid, the biosensor comprising:
   a waveguide having at least one planar surface, said waveguide associated, in liquid tight attachment with        a first member, said first member, in conjunction with the waveguide, defining walls of at least one reservoir for containing the biological liquid while, a planar surface of the waveguide defines a surface of said reservoirs, the surface being associated in part with capture molecules, the improvement comprising reservoir walls formed of an inert, opaque material.      
     
     
       18. A biosensor of the type for use in an apparatus for analyzing a biological liquid, the biosensor comprising:
   a waveguide having at least one planar surface and being optically associated with a rear lens oriented for reading light passing through the waveguide, to monitor coupling efficiency and beam quality, said waveguide further associated in liquid tight attachment with        a first member, said first member, in conjunction with the waveguide, defining metal walls of at least one reservoir for containing the biological liquid while a planar surface of the waveguide defines a nonmetal surface of said at least one reservoir, the surface being associated in part with capture molecules,        a gasket positioned to cushion the attachment of the first member to the waveguide, and        a second member, the waveguide being sandwiched between the first and second members.