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

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the smaller-and-cheaper dept.

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."

5 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Let me get this straight. by gpn · · Score: 5, Funny

    40 WDs = 40 x WD = WD40 ?

  2. Demultiplexer not demultiplier by coinreturn · · Score: 5, Informative

    The error is in both the article summary and one place in the article. The proper term is "demultiplexer," not "demultiplier." A "demultiplier" is called a "divider."

  3. "Allows"? it's already possible by pimpimpim · · Score: 5, Insightful
    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.

    --
    molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
  4. Coming next week... by Richard_at_work · · Score: 5, Funny

    Poodle-on-a-chip, jackrussell-on-a-chip and the all time favourite alsation-on-a-chip.

  5. Wavelength-accurate cameras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Makes me wonder about using an array of them in a camera in order to record colour images in terms of their actual spectral content instead of approximating down to red, green and blue. Then just run them in reverse (I assume the optical demux can be used in reverse) to re-create the display.

    This would make a convincing display even for those with colour blindness or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrachromattetrachro matic vision.

    As an aside, it has been mentioned that humans with tetrachromatic vision can see through various types of man-made textiles ;-)

    Sadly, human tetrachromatic vision occurs only in females :-(