IMAGING SYSTEM WITH A CYLINDRICAL LENS ARRAY

• US 20020030894A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl-Leiss-Stiftung Trading AS Carl Zeiss
• Original Assignee: Carl-Leiss-Stiftung Trading AS Carl Zeiss
• Inventors: Fattinger, Christof, Volcker, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 6,473,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/024 Modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0068 arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays

Abstract

The invention relates to an imaging system for optical automatic analysers, especially fluorescence readers. On the sample side, the imaging system contains a cylindrical lens array and a prism array, which is arranged upstream of the cylindrical lens array. The prismatic effect of the prisms of the prism array lies in the direction of the cylinder axes of the cylindrical lenses. Together with a telescopic imaging system, the inventive imaging system creates a number of parallel cylindrical focussing volumes between the cylindrical lens array and a detector array, these focussing volumes being slanted towards the optical axis of the telescopic system in relation to the vertical. The arrangement enables the detection of fluorescence with a large aperture in one direction, and at the same time enables depth selective analysis of the fluorescence signal, especially the discrimination of the fluorescent radiation originating from the solution above.

Claims

1. Imaging system with an array (6) of cylindrical lenses (6a, 6b, 6c) and a prism array (7) combined with, or arranged before, the array of cylindrical lenses, wherein the prismatic effect of the prisms (7a, 7b, 7c) is in the direction of the cylinder axes of the cylindrical lenses (6a, 6b, 6c).

2. Imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a telescopic imaging system is provided, the long-focus lens (8) of which overlaps several cylindrical lenses (6a, 6b, 6c).

3. Imaging system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a detector array (10) is provided.

4. Imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the detector array (10) is arranged behind the exit-side focal plane (F2) of the telescope lens (11) remote from the cylindrical lens array (6).

5. Imaging system according to one of claims 2-4, wherein the apertures of the cylindrical lenses (6a, 6b, 6c) are imaged on the detector array (10) by the telescopic imaging system (8, 11).

6. Imaging system according to one of claims 1-5, wherein the cylindrical lens array (6) and/or the prism array (7) are strip-shaped.

7. Imaging system according to one of claims 1-6, wherein a vertical illuminator (12) is provided.

8. Automatic analyzer with an optical imaging system according to one of claims 3-7, wherein an evaluation computer (16) is provided for the evaluation of the light signals detected with the detector array (10).

9. Imaging system of modular construction, consisting of

a first constructional unit (1) with an array of cylindrical lenses and a prism array combined with, or arranged before, the array of cylindrical lenses, the prismatic effect of the prisms (7a, 7b, 7c) being in the direction of the cylinder axes of the cylindrical lenses (6a, 6b, 6c),

a second constructional unit with a long-focus optics (8), the free usable opening diameter of which overlaps the diameter of the cylindrical lens array (6),

a third constructional unit (4) with a short-focus optics (11), which together with the long-focus optics (8) of the second constructional unit forms an afocal system, and

a fourth constructional unit (3) without imaging optics, arranged between the second constructional unit (2) and the third constructional unit (4).

10. Imaging system of modular construction according to claim 9, wherein two further constructional units (31, 33) are provided, of which the one has an array (32) with rotationally symmetrical individual lenses (32a-32c) for interchange with the first constructional unit (1), and the second additional constructional unit (33) has a field lens (34) and is interchangeable with the fourth constructional unit.