Quantitative Chemical Analysis using DVDs and Conventional Computer Optical Disk Drives

In optical indicator-based sensing, it is critical to have an inexpensive and portable optical reader that can be operated as a handheld or remotely activated device. With such a reader and an array of indicator films, one can analyze drinking water and air during an overseas trip, water and air near an industrial plant, or water in a swimming pool in a backyard. For these and many other applications, a universal optical reader is very attractive. To eliminate the need to develop and manufacture at a low cost a dedicated optical measurement system, we have developed a new approach for quantitative chem/bio sensing using conventional optical disk drives. We extract analog signals from an optical disk drive and use these signals for quantitative detection of optical changes of sensing films deposited on conventional CD or DVD optical disks.