Patent ID: 8597577

Claim:
A system for detecting and measuring biomolecules, comprising: an optoelectronic swept-frequency laser system for providing a coherent, swept-frequency optical input signal; an optical resonator, surface-functionalized to bind to a target biomolecule and wherein resonance behavior of the resonator is adapted to change as a function of the binding of the target biomolecule; an integrated waveguide for coupling the swept-frequency optical input signal to the optical resonator; at least one external waveguide for coupling the swept-frequency optical input signal between the integrated waveguide and the optoelectronic swept-frequency laser system and between the integrated waveguide and a sensor photodetector; a microfluidic cell for containing the optical resonator and delivering the target biomolecule to the optical resonator; a sensor photodetector, for measuring a swept-frequency optical output signal from the optical waveguide, thus detecting changes in the resonance behavior of the resonator; and a signal processing unit for identifying the changes in resonance behavior, thus detecting and measuring biomolecules, wherein the optoelectronic swept-frequency laser system, comprises: a semiconductor laser, wherein the semiconductor laser is adapted to emit a coherent optical signal and a frequency of the coherent optical signal is adjustable, in operation, by an injection current input to the semiconductor laser; and an optoelectronic feedback loop, coupled to the semiconductor laser, for providing, in operation, the injection current input based on the frequency of the coherent optical signal, wherein the optoelectronic feedback circuit comprises an optical portion and an electrical portion and wherein the optical portion comprises a signal divider, an interferometer, and a photodetector and the electrical portion comprises a reference oscillator, an electronic mixer, an integrator circuit and a summation circuit.