Optical system for chemical and/or biochemical reactions
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting light, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of reaction vessels, each of the reaction vessels being mounted to a heater block of a thermal cycler, each of the reaction vessels comprising a receptacle portion therein having an interior volume in which a chemical or biochemical reaction may occur and within which volume the light may be produced, each of the reaction vessels having an emitting area through which at least part of the light produced within the interior volumes of the reaction vessels passes to emanate from the reaction vessels, wherein the heater block is controlled to thermally cycle the interior volumes of the reaction vessels;
a masking element having an array of apertures arranged so that there is at least one aperture adjacent each of the emitting areas of the reaction vessels and at least a part of the light produced in the interior volumes of the receptacle portions of the reaction vessels passes therethrough, at least one of the apertures being smaller than the emitting area of the corresponding reaction vessel;
a light detecting device comprising at least one detector and controlling electronics programmed to control the at least one detector so that at least part of the light that is produced in the interior volumes of the receptacle portions of all of the reaction vessels in which light is produced is detected by the light detecting device; and
a plurality of light waveguides comprising at least one light waveguide for each reaction vessel, each of the light waveguides arranged to guide at least a part of the light from a respective aperture of the array of apertures in the masking element to the light detecting device, the light waveguides having first ends mounted to or in at least one of the respective apertures in the masking element, which respective apertures have a size similar to that of the first ends of the respective light waveguides, wherein the controlling electronics of the light detecting device are programmed to control the at least one detector so that the light received from each of the reaction vessels in which light is produced is detected simultaneously by the light detecting device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting spectra in light emanating from chemical or biochemical reactions occurring in at least one reaction vessel (3) of a plurality of reaction vessels is disclosed. Each reaction vessel (3) has a receptacle portion having an emitting area from which light can emanate. The apparatus may include a masking element (5) having an array of apertures (6) through which light from each reaction vessel (3) can escape. A plurality of light waveguides (7) are arranged to guide light from the apertures (6) in the masking element (5) to a light dispersing device (8) for dispersing the light from each waveguide (7) into a dispersed spectrum. A light detecting device (10) detects specific spectra in the dispersed spectra of light substantially simultaneously. In one embodiment, the apertures (6) are substantially smaller in size than the emitting area of the reaction vessel, but in another embodiment, the apertures (6) are substantially similar in size to the emitting area of the reaction vessel and the light waveguides (7) have a diameter that tapers from a first end substantially similar in diameter to the area of the top of the reaction vessel to a second end that is substantially smaller in diameter. In an alternative embodiment, the light waveguides are not used, when light from the small apertures is directed straight at the light dispersing device. In a further alternative embodiment, several light waveguides are provided for each reaction vessel, each waveguide directing light to a different detector for detecting a different specific spectrum.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting light, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of reaction vessels, each of the reaction vessels being mounted to a heater block of a thermal cycler, each of the reaction vessels comprising a receptacle portion therein having an interior volume in which a chemical or biochemical reaction may occur and within which volume the light may be produced, each of the reaction vessels having an emitting area through which at least part of the light produced within the interior volumes of the reaction vessels passes to emanate from the reaction vessels, wherein the heater block is controlled to thermally cycle the interior volumes of the reaction vessels; a masking element having an array of apertures arranged so that there is at least one aperture adjacent each of the emitting areas of the reaction vessels and at least a part of the light produced in the interior volumes of the receptacle portions of the reaction vessels passes therethrough, at least one of the apertures being smaller than the emitting area of the corresponding reaction vessel; a light detecting device comprising at least one detector and controlling electronics programmed to control the at least one detector so that at least part of the light that is produced in the interior volumes of the receptacle portions of all of the reaction vessels in which light is produced is detected by the light detecting device; and a plurality of light waveguides comprising at least one light waveguide for each reaction vessel, each of the light waveguides arranged to guide at least a part of the light from a respective aperture of the array of apertures in the masking element to the light detecting device, the light waveguides having first ends mounted to or in at least one of the respective apertures in the masking element, which respective apertures have a size similar to that of the first ends of the respective light waveguides, wherein the controlling electronics of the light detecting device are programmed to control the at least one detector so that the light received from each of the reaction vessels in which light is produced is detected simultaneously by the light detecting device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for detecting light, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of reaction vessels, each of the reaction vessels being mounted to a heater block of a thermal cycler, each of the reaction vessels comprising a receptacle portion therein having an interior volume which contains a chemical or biochemical reaction of at least one reagent therein and within which interior volume the light is produced and emanates, and each reaction vessel having an emitting area through which at least part of the light produced within the interior volume of the reaction vessel thereof passes to emanate from the receptacle portion thereof, wherein the chemical or biochemical reaction of the reagent within the receptacle portion of at least a first reaction vessel of the reaction vessels may produce light that can emanate through the emitting area of the first reaction vessel, wherein the heater block is controlled to thermally cycle the interior volumes of the reaction vessels; a masking element having an aperture adjacent each of the reaction vessels, the apertures being arranged so that at least a part of the light produced in the interior volumes of the receptacle portions of the reaction vessels passes simultaneously through the apertures; a light dispersing device and a plurality of light waveguides arranged to guide at least part of the light from the apertures in the masking element to the light dispersing device for dispersing the light from each of the light waveguides into a dispersed spectrum, the light waveguides having first ends mounted to or in a respective aperture in the masking element, which respective apertures have a size similar to that of the first ends of the respective light waveguides; and a light detecting device comprising at least one detector and controlling electronics programmed to control the at least one detector, the light detecting device being arranged to receive the dispersed spectra and the controlling electronics of the light detecting device being programmed to control the at least one detector so that the light detecting device simultaneously detects specific spectra of light within the dispersed spectra. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. Apparatus for detecting spectra in light emanating from a plurality of reaction vessels of an array of reaction vessels, each of the reaction vessels being mounted to a heater block of a thermal cycler, each of the reaction vessels comprising a receptacle portion therein in which a reagent is contained and a chemical or biochemical reaction is occurring and from which light is emanating from within the receptacle portion, each of the reaction vessels having an emitting area through which the light emanating from within the receptacle portion thereof emanates from the receptacle portion thereof, wherein at least a part of the light emanating from within the receptacle portions of the reaction vessels passes through the emitting areas of the reaction vessels, wherein the heater block is controlled to thermally cycle the interior volumes of the reaction vessels, the apparatus comprising a plurality of light waveguides comprising at least one light waveguide associated with each of the reaction vessels, the light waveguides being arranged to guide at least part of the light from the emitting areas of the reaction vessels to a light dispersing device for dispersing the light from each of the light waveguides into a dispersed spectrum of light, a light detecting device comprising at least one detector and controlling electronics programmed to control the at least one detector so that the light detecting device simultaneously detects specific spectra in the dispersed spectra of light and at least one excitation arrangement for providing excitation light to the reagent within the receptacle portion of each of the reaction vessels.
Specification