Methods and Devices for Reading Microarrays

• US 20060253035A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stern, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of a system for acquiring images of a probe array is described that comprises a first light emitting diode that provides light comprising a first range of wavelengths outside of an excitation spectrum; a second light emitting diode that provides light comprising a second range of wavelengths inside of the excitation spectrum; and a detector that detects one or more wavelengths in the first range of wavelengths, wherein the first range of wavelengths comprise light wavelengths emitted from fluorescent molecules associated with one or more probes of the probe array in response to the second range of wavelengths and wavelengths reflected from one or more reflective elements associated with the probe array.

Claims

1. A system for acquiring images of a probe array, comprising:

a first light emitting diode that provides light comprising a first range of wavelengths outside of an excitation spectrum;

a second light emitting diode that provides light comprising a second range of wavelengths inside of the excitation spectrum; and

a detector that detects one or more wavelengths in the first range of wavelengths, wherein the first range of wavelengths comprise light wavelengths emitted from fluorescent molecules associated with one or more probes of the probe array in response to the second range of wavelengths and wavelengths reflected from one or more reflective elements associated with the probe array.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first range of wavelengths reflected from the one or more reflective elements associated with the probe array are employed for an automatic focusing method.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the reflective elements are in the same plane as the probe array.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the excitation spectrum is a range of wavelengths that evokes emissions from the fluorescent molecules.

5. A system for acquiring images of a probe array, comprising:

a computer, comprising system memory with an instrument control application stored for execution thereon; and

a scanner that executes instructions from the instrument control application, comprising;

(a) a first light emitting diode that provides light comprising a first range of wavelengths outside of an excitation spectrum;

(b) a second light emitting diode that provides light comprising a second range of wavelengths inside of the excitation spectrum; and

(c) a detector that detects one or more wavelengths in the first range of wavelengths, wherein the first range of wavelengths comprise light wavelengths emitted from fluorescent molecules associated with one or more probes of the probe array in response to the second range of wavelengths and wavelengths reflected from one or more reflective elements associated with the probe array.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the computer is remotely located from the scanner.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the computer is embedded in the scanner.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the instrument control application receives a signal from the detector.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the signal correspond to the first range of wavelengths reflected from the one or more reflective elements.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the instrument control application employs the signal for an automatic focusing method.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the signal correspond to the first range of wavelengths emitted from the fluorescent molecules.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the instrument control application produces images data from the signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the image data comprises a .dat or .tif file.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the instructions comprise scanning one or more sub-arrays of the probe array.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein:

an optical power density delivered to the probe array by the second light-emitting diode is greater than 0.1 milliwatts per square millimeter.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein:

an optical power density delivered to the probe array by the second light-emitting diode is greater than 0.3 milliwatts per square millimeter.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein:

an optical power density delivered to the probe array by the second light-emitting diode is greater than 1 milliwatt per square millimeter.

18. The system of claim 5, wherein:

an optical power density delivered to the probe array by the second light-emitting diode is greater than 3 milliwatts per square millimeter.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein:

an optical power density delivered to the probe array by the second light-emitting diode is greater than 10 milliwatts per square millimeter.