Patent ID: 11953441
Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A | IPC A  G

Claim 13:
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the system comprises at least a first optical probe and a second optical probe, wherein
the first optical probe comprises:
a first optical waveguide having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to receive excitation light to be propagated through the first optical waveguide and to be emitted from the first end or the second end into a surrounding medium;
one or more first molecular switches attached to a facet or a sidewall of the second end or a middle region of the optical waveguide, wherein the first molecular switches are configured to change conformation upon binding to a corresponding first target molecule; and
one or more first optical reporters, the first optical reporters attached to a respective molecular switch and configured, when exposed to the excitation light, to produce a first optical signal change upon binding of the respective molecular switch to the corresponding first target molecule in the surrounding medium, wherein the first optical signal is coupled back into the optical waveguide via the second end and propagated through the optical waveguide to be emitted from the first end or the second end; and

the second optical probe comprises:
a second optical waveguide having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to receive excitation light to be propagated through the second optical waveguide and to be emitted from the first end or the second end into a surrounding medium;
one or more second molecular switches attached to a facet or a sidewall of the second end or a middle region of the second optical waveguide, wherein the second molecular switches are configured to change conformation upon binding to a corresponding second target molecule; and

one or more second optical reporters, the second optical reporters attached to a respective molecular switch and configured, when exposed to the excitation light, to produce a second optical signal change upon binding of the respective molecular switch to the corresponding second target molecule in the surrounding medium, wherein the second optical signal is coupled back into the optical waveguide via the second end and propagated through the second optical waveguide to be emitted from the first end or the second end.