대표
청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. An optical sensor, comprising: an optical emitter mounted on a substrate; an optical detector mounted on said substrate adjacent to said optical emitter; a biologically reactive surface located opposite said substrate, optical emitter and optical detector, wherein at least a portion of said biologically reactive surface is exposed to a sample and an optical property of said biologically reactive surface changes upon binding to a target material when the target material is present in the sample, wherein said optical emitter emits l...
What is claimed is: 1. An optical sensor, comprising: an optical emitter mounted on a substrate; an optical detector mounted on said substrate adjacent to said optical emitter; a biologically reactive surface located opposite said substrate, optical emitter and optical detector, wherein at least a portion of said biologically reactive surface is exposed to a sample and an optical property of said biologically reactive surface changes upon binding to a target material when the target material is present in the sample, wherein said optical emitter emits light onto said biologically reactive surface, and said optical detector receives light from said biologically reactive surface and is operable to output a signal that is indicative of whether the target material has bound to said biologically reactive surface; and calibration circuitry interconnected to said optical emitter and optical detector that outputs a signal indicative of whether the target material has bound to said biologically reactive surface. 2. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a transparent window located opposite said substrate, and wherein said biologically reactive surface is located on said transparent window on a side of said transparent window that is opposite said substrate, and wherein said optical emitter emits light that travels through said transparent window, and said optical detector receives light that is reflected from said biologically reactive surface. 3. The optical sensor, as claimed in 1 wherein said optical emitter is comprised of at least one of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, a light emitting diode, and a laser diode. 4. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including a plurality of fluorescently labeled antigens bound to antibody molecules. 5. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said fluorescently labeled antigens are displaced from said antibody molecules when the target material binds to said antibody molecules, thereby reducing the florescence of said biologically reactive surface. 6. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including a plurality of antigens bound to fluorescently labeled antibody molecules. 7. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the target material binds to said fluorescently labeled antibody molecules and displaces the labeled antibody thereby reducing the florescence of said biologically reactive surface when the target material is present. 8. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including reactive material that exhibits a colorimetric change in response to binding with a target material. 9. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said reactive material is selected from the group consisting of: aptamers, ligands, proteins, colorimetric enzyme linked antibodies, and bacteria. 10. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including reactive material that exhibits a decrease in fluorescence in response to binding with a target material. 11. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said reactive material is selected from the group consisting of: fluorescing aptamers, fluorescent linked aptamers, fluorescent linked proteins, fluorescing ligands, fluorescent linked ligands, and bacteria. 12. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including reactive material that exhibits an increase in florescence in response to binding with a target material. 13. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said reactive material is selected from the group consisting of: fluorescently labeled antibodies, fluorescing aptamers, fluorescent linked aptamers, fluorescent linked proteins, fluorescing ligands, fluorescent linked ligands, and bacteria. 14. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biologically reactive surface comprises a membrane including reactive material that exhibits a florescence wavelength shift in response to binding with a target material. 15. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said reactive material is selected from the group consisting of: fluorescing aptamers, fluorescent linked aptamers, fluorescent linked proteins, fluorescing ligands, fluorescent linked ligands, and bacteria. 16. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical detector is comprised of at least one of a photo diode, a charge coupled device, and a PIN photo detector. 17. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical detector comprises a first and a second optical detector, said first optical detector located on said substrate to receive reflected light from a first area of said biologically reactive surface and said second optical detector located on said substrate to receive reflected light from a second area of said biologically reactive surface that is different then said first area. 18. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first area of said biologically reactive surface is not exposed to said sample, and said second area of said biologically reactive surface is exposed to said sample. 19. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first optical detector generates a reference output, and said second optical detector generates a signal output, and said calibration circuitry determines the presence of the target material based on a comparison of said reference and signal outputs. 20. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said calibration circuitry determines the presence of the target material based on a ratio of said reference and signal outputs. 21. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reactive surface comprises a plurality of different reactive materials, each of said reactive materials having an optical property that changes in a unique manner relative to other of said reactive materials when exposed to a target material. 22. The optical sensor, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one optical filter located in an optical path between said optical emitter and said optical detector. 23. A method for determining the presence or absence of a target material in a fluid sample, comprising: providing an optical sensor having an optical emitter, optical detector, and a biologically reactive surface located in an optical path between said optical emitter and optical detector; generating fluorescence in said biologically reactive surface by exciting fluorescent molecules in said biologically reactive surface with said optical emitter; monitoring a fluorescence intensity of said biologically reactive surface with said optical detector; determining if said fluorescence intensity has changed, and providing an indication that said target material is present in the sample when it is determined that said fluorescence intensity has changed, wherein said step of monitoring comprises: receiving fluorescence emissions from a first area of said biologically reactive surface at a first optical detector, said first optical detector generating a first output based on the fluorescence intensity of said fluorescence emissions received at the first optical detector; receiving fluorescence emissions from a second area of said biologically reactive surface at a second optical detector, said second optical detector generating a second output based on the fluorescence intensity of said fluorescence emissions received at the first optical detector; and monitoring a ratio of said first and second outputs. 24. The method, as claimed in claim 23, wherein said step of determining comprises: receiving fluorescence emissions from a first area of said biologically reactive surface at a first optical detector, said first optical detector generating a first output based on the fluorescence intensity of said fluorescence emissions received at the first optical detector; receiving fluorescence emissions from a second area of said biologically reactive surface at a second optical detector, said second optical detector generating a second output based on the fluorescence intensity of said fluorescence emissions received at the first optical detector; multiplying said first output by a scaling factor; subtracting said multiplied first output from said second output to obtain a difference output; amplifying said difference output by a predetermined gain; and monitoring said amplified difference output. 25. The method, as claimed in claim 24, wherein said scaling factor is determined based on nominal first and second outputs so as to provide said multiplied first output that is substantially equal to said nominal second output.