Photonic Breakthrough Allows 'Lab-on-a-Chip'

Roland Piquepaille writes "Georgia Tech researchers have shrunk an optical device called wavelength demultiplier (WD) by combining into one crystal three unique properties of photonics crystals. This optical discovery opens the way to sophisticated and cheap bio-sensors mounted on 'lab-on-a-chip' devices -- sensors to run blood tests, detect chemicals in water supplies or for drug testing. Their new WD is less than a millimeter in all dimensions rather than the several centimeters of other currently available WDs. And it should not cost more to produce."

Comments

WD for computing

[gigne]

Interesting...

Now the key components for processing light have been miniturised, it should be possible to use this for the basis of a simple optical computer.
From the sources below:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/03/photonic_c rystals/

The design also eliminates problems of wavelength interference, which means that although the crystal is tiny, it will work at very high resolutions - between 64 and 100 microns.

So... it seems like the photonics are ready. We just need engineers to step up to the challenge.

Fear mongering scapegoats ahoy!

[lisaparratt]

drug testing

The War On Drugs is sooo last century - didn't they get the memo that we're fighting the War On Terror now? They haven't sensationalised it enough - they've got chemical attacks on water supplies in there, but it's too subtle - where's expolsives detection at customs on their list?

Re:Fear mongering scapegoats ahoy!

[Silver Sloth]

Maybe I'm dumb, but I read it as 'testing drugs' - monitoring the changes in the body when certain drugs are used. As someone who is (remotely) involved in Medical Research I feel this is a Good Thing (TM).

Re:Fear mongering scapegoats ahoy!

[andrewman327]

Just wait until TFA makes it to the nightly news. It is the media, after all, that adds all of the spin.

And tonight on NBC10 News at 11, a new discovery that will make it easier to protect the nation's water supplies from terrorist attack. You see, our water supplies are at risk. All a terrorist has to do is come here, 3 miles NW of I-95 exit 37, and add between 1 and 2 quarts of chemicals to this reservoir to endanger millions in the Philadelphia area. They had better do it soon, however, as this new 'Lab on a chip' will be able to detect such quantities when it comes online in 11 months."

"Allows"? it's already possible

[pimpimpim]

There's a whole journal devoted to lab on a chip, bringing this small part of the technique as the only thing needed to make labs on a chip (lab on a chips?) is a bit of an overstatement

As a scientist, this is what I don't really like about scientific journalism. Like the 'New breakthrough in fighting cancer' titles, etc. etc. These are laboratory research developments and will take at least 10 years to evaluate, some of them will end up being impractical before ever being put to use.

I think that scientific journalism should be more than just a PR machine for research labs. Of course they want the message out that they're doing nice stuff, but as it are all just small pieces of advancement, don't bring it as if you just developed a working nuclear fusion reactor ready to connect to the powergrid. Show that you're doing someting nice, what it can do, what the scientific/technical genial idea is that was done to get it, and in what frame we should see it, that should be enough.