Multi-channelled waveguide chemical and biochemical optical sensing device

摘要

A device for the detection of an analyte in a sample which comprises a single-stage optical coupler 4 having an input 6 and a plurality of outputs 8. The device further comprises optical sensing means comprising a plurality of sensors wherein each output of said optical coupler is connected with a separate sensor. The optical sensing means comprises at least two sensors having a reference channel associated with one or more sensing channels. Preferably, the optical coupler is a 1 x N multi-mode interference optical coupler and the optical sensing means comprises two or more interferometers, for example Mach-Zehnder or Young interferometers. The device can be used to detect multiple analytes and multiple samples simultaneously and instantaneously. The device is of use in the detection and identification of various target molecules and molecular interactions in a wide range of fields.