Fluidic systems, including microfluidic systems, are used to manipulate light by light-fluid interaction so as to affect reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the beam. One or more fluids may be provided to a channel or chamber and exposed to an incident beam, and
Fluidic systems, including microfluidic systems, are used to manipulate light by light-fluid interaction so as to affect reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the beam. One or more fluids may be provided to a channel or chamber and exposed to an incident beam, and the proportion of at least one of a plurality of fluids may be varied. Light may interact with a discrete fluid plug subject to movement within a channel. One or more flexible members may be employed, such as to provide a variable lens. Fluidic optical devices may be used in applications including optical switching, optical filtering, or optical processing. Multiplexed fluidic optical systems are further provided.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A microfluidic optical system comprising: a light source; a light receiver; a microfluidic device for altering, by light-fluid interaction, the nature of a light beam emitted by the light source, the device having a window that is substantially transmissive of a desired lig
What is claimed is: 1. A microfluidic optical system comprising: a light source; a light receiver; a microfluidic device for altering, by light-fluid interaction, the nature of a light beam emitted by the light source, the device having a window that is substantially transmissive of a desired light spectrum and containing a plurality of fluids behind the window, the window being disposed in an optical path between the light source and the light receiver to permit light-fluid interaction; means for repeatedly manipulating the proportion of at least one of the plurality of fluids optically disposed between the light source and light receiver, wherein the manipulation affects reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the light beam by at least one of the plurality of fluids; and a mixer for substantially mixing at least two of the plurality of fluids, wherein the light beam interacts with the resulting mixture. 2. A microfluidic optical system comprising: a light source; a light receiver; a microfluidic device for altering, by light-fluid interaction, the nature of a light beam emitted by the light source, the device having a window that is substantially transmissive of a desired light spectrum and containing a plurality of fluids behind the window, the window being disposed in an optical path between the light source and the light receiver to permit light-fluid interaction; and means for repeatedly manipulating the proportion of at least one of the plurality of fluids optically disposed between the light source and light receiver, wherein the manipulation affects reflection, refraction, absorption, optical filtering, or scattering of the light beam by at least one of the plurality of fluids; wherein the plurality of fluids includes a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid, and wherein the manipulation means includes a deformable flexible member in fluid communication with the first fluid plug. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the flexible member is deformed by means selected from the group consisting of: piezoelectric actuation, magnetic actuation, pneumatic actuation, thermoelectric actuation, and mechanical actuation. 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are both liquids. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of fluids contains dissolved or suspended particles. 6. A variable optical filter including the optical system of claim 1. 7. An optical switching device including the optical system of claim 2. 8. A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first light source and a first light receiver; providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid; and manipulating the first fluid plug to selectively enable light emitted from the first light source to be received by the first light receiver; wherein manipulation of the first fluid plug is performed by deforming a flexible member in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel. 9. A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first light source and a first light receiver; providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a first fluid and a second fluid, the fluids being substantially immiscible and defining a discrete plug of the first fluid; providing a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid; and supplying an electric potential to at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes to induce an electrokinetic or electrophoretic pressure gradient within the microfluidic channel to manipulate the first fluid plug to selectively enable light emitted from the first light source to be received by the first light receiver. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein a fluid reservoir having a greater cross-sectional area than the microfluidic channel is in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel, and the flexible member is positioned adjacent to the reservoir. 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the flexible member defines a surface of the microfluidic channel. 12. A method for performing optical switching, the method comprising the steps of: providing a light source and a light receiver; providing an enclosed microfluidic channel containing a fluid; providing a deformable member in fluid communication with the channel, and deforming the deformable member to displace at least a portion of the fluid contained in the microfluidic channel to selectively enable light emitted from the light source to be received by the light receiver; wherein the fluid is substantially absorptive of at least a portion of the spectrum to be emitted from the light source, and the deformable member is substantially reflective of at least a portion of the spectrum to be emitted from the light source. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the deformable member is deformed by piezoelectric actuation or magnetic actuation. 14. An optical switching device utilizing the method of claim 12. 15. A method for altering the nature of a light beam, the method comprising the steps of: providing an enclosed microfluidic device having a chamber bounded by a deformable flexible membrane, the chamber containing fluid; supplying a light beam to the microfluidic device in the direction of the flexible membrane; and manipulating the pressure within the chamber, thereby deforming the flexible membrane and changing the amount of fluid present in the chamber; wherein the flexible membrane is substantially reflective of a desired light spectrum and at least a portion of the light beam interacts with the membrane. 16. The system of claim 1 wherein the mixer is disposed within a fluidic mixing device. 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the fluidic mixing device includes a microfluidic channel. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the fluidic mixing device includes a substantially planar stencil layer, the microfluidic channel being defined through the entire thickness of the stencil layer. 19. The system of claim 16 wherein the mixer is adapted to laminate a first fluid of the plurality of fluids in a first fluidic layer in contact with a second fluid of the plurality of fluids in a second fluidic layer. 20. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source has an associated first fiber optic conduit and the light receiver has an associated second fiber optic conduit. 21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fluidic inputs for supplying the plurality of fluids to the microfluidic device. 22. The system of claim 1 wherein the manipulating means includes a flow control device that permits the flow rate of at least one fluid of the plurality of fluids to be varied. 23. The system of claim 1 wherein the manipulating means includes at least one pump. 24. The system of claim 1 wherein the microfluidic device comprises a flow-through cell through which the plurality of fluids flow substantially continuously. 25. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fluids includes at least three fluids. 26. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fluids are all liquids. 27. The system of claim 2 wherein the flexible member comprises a polymeric material. 28. The system of claim 2 wherein the microfluidic device comprises a plurality of substantially planar device layers including a stencil layer having a microfluidic channel defined through the entire thickness of the stencil layer. 29. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the plurality of fluids contains dissolved or suspended particles. 30. An optical processing system comprising: an input light source; an input coupler for receiving light from the input light source; an output coupler for providing light to an output device; a microfluidic optical device for manipulating light, the microfluidic optical device comprising a plurality of substantially planar device layers including a stencil layer having a microfluidic channel defined through the entire thickness of the stencil layer, the microfluidic optical device further being optically coupled between the input coupler and the output coupler; an output device for receiving a beam from the output coupler; a controller; a power supply; and a sensor, wherein the controller receives a feedback signal from the sensor. 31. An optical switching device including the optical system of claim 30. 32. The system of claim 30 wherein the sensor comprises at least one sensor. 33. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one sensor is disposed in sensory communication with the microfluidic optical device. 34. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one sensor is disposed in sensory communication with any of the input coupler and the output coupler. 35. The system of claim 32 wherein at least one sensor is disposed in sensory communication with any of the input light source and the output device. 36. The system of claim 30 wherein the input source provides a monochromatic beam.
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