Patent ID: 7529438

Claim:
An article of manufacture comprising: a channel component including: first and second wall parts and a connecting part that are integrally formed; the first and second wall parts each having a respective first region connected to the connecting part and a respective second region disposed away from the connecting part; first and second inward surfaces on the first and second wall parts, respectively; the inward surfaces facing each other and being separated by a channel region; first and second outward surfaces on the first and second wall parts, respectively; each outward surface facing away from the channel region; the inward and outward surfaces all being approximately parallel, each with at least a portion that has optical quality; each of the first and second wall parts being light transmissive between the portions of its respective inward and outward surfaces that have optical quality; a base surface on the connecting part, the base surface meeting and extending between the first and second inward surfaces; and one or more light interface surfaces, each light interface surface being on one of the first and second wall parts and not being parallel to any of the inward and outward surfaces; each of a set of at least one of the light interface surfaces having at least a portion that has optical quality; and a covering component connected over the respective second regions of the first and second wall parts and having a lower surface that meets and extends between the first and second inward surfaces; along a length of the channel region, the first and second inward surfaces, the base surface, and the covering component's lower surface bounding the channel region; the channel component and covering component being structured to operate as a fluidic waveguide with fluid in the length of the channel region and with incident light received through at least one of the set of light interface surfaces.