Embossed polymer leaky waveguide devices for spectroscopic analysis

Abstract

A combination of UV embossing, hot embossing and laminating techniques have been exploited during the fabrication of grating-coupled waveguiding devices in which the flow channel materials and geometry are designed for the effective support of light condenser modes through a sample solution. Used in conjunction with LED sources, these devices have been employed as optical platforms to obtain fluorescence emission and molecular absorption spectra in aqueous media for μTAS (micro total analytical system) applications.