Waveguide and assay

Abstract

A fluidic waveguide comprising a container and a fluid that fills said container, wherein said fluid has a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the wall of said container and wherein said fluid can act as a waveguide for electromagnetic radiation when contacted therewith is disclosed. A corresponding fluidic lightguide along with devices that function as composite waveguides and lightguides are described. Assays utilizing this waveguide for biochemical, chemical, and other kinds of analyses are also disclosed.

1 - 87 . (canceled)  
     
     
         88 . A method of determining an analyte in a sample comprising contacting said analyte with a waveguide; contacting said waveguide with electromagnetic radiation; and detecting a signal wherein said signal indicates the presence of said analyte in said sample, 
 wherein said waveguide comprises a container having walls forming a cavity, each wall having an inner and an outer surface and a fluid that fills said cavity, wherein said fluid has a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the inner surface of said walls of said container forming said cavity and wherein said fluid acts as a waveguide when contacted with excitatory electromagnetic radiation; further comprising a probe or reporter in the cavity of the container, wherein said probe or reporter is attached to the inner surface of a wall of the container;    thereby determining said analyte in said sample.    
     
     
         89 . A method of determining an analyte in a sample comprising contacting said analyte with a waveguide; contacting said waveguide with electromagnetic radiation; and detecting a signal, wherein said signal indicates the presence of said analyte in said sample; 
 wherein said waveguide comprises a container having walls forming a cavity each wall having an inner and an outer surface and a fluid that fills said cavity, wherein said fluid has a refractive index less than or equal to the refractive index of the walls of said container, wherein the outer surface of the walls of said container is covered by an external medium, wherein the walls of said container have a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said external medium, and wherein said fluid and the walls of said container function together as a waveguide when contacted with excitatory electromagnetic radiation wherein said probe is in solution in the fluid that fills said cavity;    thereby determining said analyte in said sample.    
     
     
         90 . A method of determining an analyte in a sample comprising contacting said analyte with a waveguide; contacting said waveguide with electromagnetic radiation; and detecting a signal wherein said signal indicates the presence of said analyte in said sample; 
 wherein said waveguide comprises a container and a fluid that fills said container, wherein said fluid has a refractive index less than or equal to the refractive index of the walls of said container, wherein the outer surface of the walls of said container is covered by an external medium, wherein the walls of said container have a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said external medium and wherein said fluid and the walls of said container function together as a waveguide when contacted with excitatory electromagnetic radiation; and further comprising a reporter molecule;    thereby determining said analyte in said sample.    
     
     
         91 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein the interior surface of said container is covered by an optical coating element; said fluid has a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said optical coating element; and said fluid acts as a waveguide when contacted with electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         92 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein said optical coating element is thicker than one wavelength of said electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         93 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is a laser.  
     
     
         94 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is a white light source.  
     
     
         95 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said analyte in said sample.  
     
     
         96 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein said detecting a signal comprises detecting electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         97 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein said signal is produced by a fluorescent molecule.  
     
     
         98 . The method of any of claims  88 - 90  wherein said analyte comprises a reporter molecule that generates a signal when said probe is contacted with said analyte, contacting said waveguide with electromagnetic radiation and detecting a fluorescent signal, thereby determining said analyte.  
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 98  wherein said optical coating element is thicker than one wavelength of said electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 98  wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is a laser.  
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 98  wherein the source of electromagnetic radiation is a white light source.  
     
     
         102 . The method of  claim 98  wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said analyte in said sample.  
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 98  wherein said detecting a signal comprises detecting electromagnetic radiation.  
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 98  wherein said signal is produced by a fluorescent molecule.