Patent ID: 8142723

Claim:
A device, comprising: a filter assembly and an optical assembly, said filter assembly configured to be removably attachable to said optical assembly, said optical assembly and said filter assembly each forming a portion of a laser system laser resonating cavity that includes a gain medium when said filter assembly is attached to said optical assembly, wherein said optical assembly positions the filter assembly to reflect light propagating through the laser resonating cavity when said filter assembly is attached to the optical assembly, said filter assembly comprising an optical structure including a first surface having disposed thereon an array of at least one site, each site containing an assay; and a second surface configured such that said second surface is disposed within the laser resonating cavity and forms a portion of said laser resonating cavity when said filter assembly is attached to said optical assembly, wherein said optical structure is configured to optically interact with said assay to change one or more characteristics of light propagating through said laser resonating cavity and reflecting from said filter assembly based on a reaction that occurs in an assay on said first surface.