Universal multidetection system for microplates

• US 10,072,982 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biotek Instruments, Inc. (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimenkov, Oleg, Amouretti, Xavier, Kontorovich, Michael, Norris, Ben, Sears, Richard N., Venditti, Jr., Dan J., Many, Christopher, Anderson, Bill, Knight, Ben, Piette, James, Piette, Ross, Tobey, Joe, Ferris, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Stock, Jr., Gordon J
• Application Number:
  US15/390,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20170108438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0224 using polarising or depolarising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0235 using means for replacing an element by another, for replacing a filter or a grating
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/027 Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0294 Multi-channel spectroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/443 Emission spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6463 Optics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence

Abstract

An apparatus for optically analyzing a sample may include an imaging subsystem that images the sample, one or more analyzing subsystems that analyze the sample, a temperature control subsystem that controls a temperature of the atmosphere within the apparatus, a gas control subsystem that controls a composition of the atmosphere within the apparatus, and a control module that controls the various subsystems of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A device for analyzing one or more samples, the device comprising:

a receptacle support configured to support a microplate comprising a microplate well configured to hold a sample;

an incubation chamber configured to incubate the sample;

an imaging subsystem configured to image the sample on a cell level from below the sample, wherein the imaging subsystem is disposed substantially below the incubation chamber;

a non-imaging analyzing subsystem configured to analyze the sample on a well level, the non-imaging analyzing subsystem configured to provide at least one of a first measurement modality to measure an absorbance of the sample, a second measurement modality to measure fluorescence of the sample, and a third measurement modality to measure chemiluminescence of the sample;

a positioning subsystem configured to position the receptacle support for the non-imaging analyzing subsystem to analyze the sample and the imaging subsystem to image the sample; and

a temperature control subsystem configured to control temperature of an atmosphere around the sample to be different from a temperature of an atmosphere outside the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the positioning subsystem is common to both the imaging subsystem and the non-imaging analyzing subsystem.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that forms an exterior of the device and that encloses the non-imaging analyzing subsystem, the imaging subsystem, the incubation chamber, and the positioning subsystem.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-imaging analyzing subsystem is configured to provide the first measurement modality, the second measurement modality, and the third measurement modality.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein (i) one of the imaging subsystem and the non-imaging analyzing subsystem and (ii) the receptacle support share a commonly controlled atmospheric composition.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging subsystem, the non-imaging analyzing subsystem, and the receptacle support share a commonly controlled atmospheric composition.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises an objective to image the sample.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises a plurality of objectives mounted on a turret, the plurality of objectives mounted on the turret to be selectable to selectively image the sample.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises an imaging light source, and

wherein the non-imaging analyzing subsystem comprises at least one analyzing light source separate from the imaging light source.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor configured to control operations of the non-imaging analyzing subsystem and the imaging subsystem.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input to control the operations of the non-imaging analyzing subsystem and the imaging subsystem.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-analyzing subsystem comprises a monochromator, the monochromator having a tunable wavelength for tuning a measurement wavelength of the at least one of the first measurement modality, the second measurement modality, and the third measurement modality.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the at least one of the first measurement modality, the second measurement modality, and the third measurement modality is continuously tunable.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gas control subsystem configured to control a composition of the atmosphere around the sample to be different from a composition of the atmosphere outside the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the composition of the atmosphere around the sample and the temperature of the atmosphere around the sample are conducive to cell viability.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a processor configured to control operations of the non-imaging analyzing subsystem, the imaging subsystem, the positioning subsystem, the temperature control subsystem, and the gas control subsystem.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input to control the operations of the non-imaging analyzing subsystem, the imaging subsystem, the positioning subsystem, the temperature control subsystem, and the gas control subsystem.

18. A device for analyzing one or more samples, the device comprising:

a receptacle support configured to support a microplate comprising a microplate well configured to hold a sample;

an incubation chamber configured to incubate the sample;

an imaging subsystem configured to image the sample on a cell level from below the sample, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises an objective to image the sample and the imaging subsystem is disposed substantially below the incubation chamber;

a non-imaging analyzing subsystem configured to analyze the sample on a well level, the non-imaging analyzing subsystem configured to provide at least one of a first measurement modality to measure an absorbance of the sample, a second measurement modality to measure fluorescence of the sample, and a third measurement modality to measure chemiluminescence of the sample;

a positioning subsystem configured to position the receptacle support for the non-imaging analyzing subsystem to analyze the sample and the imaging subsystem to image the sample;

a temperature control subsystem configured to control temperature of an atmosphere around the sample to be different from a temperature of an atmosphere outside the device;

a gas control subsystem configured to control a composition of the atmosphere around the sample to be different from a composition of the atmosphere outside the device;

wherein the non-imaging analyzing subsystem comprises a monochromator, the monochromator having a tunable wavelength for tuning a measurement wavelength of the at least one of the first measurement modality, the second measurement modality, and the third measurement modality.