System and method for a pulsed light source used in fluorescence detection

• US 20060289786A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stratagene California
• Original Assignee: Stratagene California
• Inventors: Choi, Howard Y., Reid, Taylor A., Taylor, Roger H.
• Application Number:
  US11/416,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/458.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4242 Modulated light, e.g. for synchronizing source and detector circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for a pulsed light source used in detecting fluorescence from a plurality of samples of biological material discretely, continuously or intermittently during thermal cycling of DNA to accomplish a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An apparatus for sampling at least one sample of a biological material comprises a light source that emits a pulsed excitation light that interacts with the sample and a detector sensitive to fluorescence emitted from the sample. A method of sampling at least one sample to detect fluorescence comprises generating a pulsed excitation light with a pulsed light source; directing the pulsed excitation light into the sample; illuminating a sample with the pulsed excitation light to generate an emission light; and detecting the optical characteristics of the emission light.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sampling at least one sample of a biological material comprising:

at least one light source that emits an excitation light at defined intervals, wherein the excitation light interacts with the at least one sample; and

a detector sensitive to fluorescence emitted from the at least one sample.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the excitation light is pulsed to minimize scattering from an optical module into another optical module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a signal from the detector at a pulse frequency of the light source is amplified.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an optical module that houses the at least one light source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a tungsten halogen bulb.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a laser.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an analog circuit to control a pulsing of the light source.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a digital circuit to control a pulsing of the light source.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises a charge-coupled device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises a photodiode.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises a photomultiplier.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises an avalanche photodiode.

14. A system for detecting fluorescence from at least one sample comprising:

at least one pulsed light source for generating a pulsed excitation light; and

at least one detector sensitive to a fluorescence emitted from at least one sample.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising an optical module that houses at least one pulsed light source.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the pulsed light source is on while an optical module is over a row of samples and off at other times.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the pulsed light source is on while an optical module is detecting fluorescence from a sample and off at other times.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising an analog circuit to control a pulsing of the pulsed light source.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a digital circuit to control a pulsing of the pulsed light source.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a circuitry to amplify signals at a specific frequency.

21. A method of sampling at least one sample to detect fluorescence comprising:

generating a pulsed excitation light with a pulsed light source;

directing the pulsed excitation light into the sample;

illuminating the sample with the pulsed excitation light to generate an emission light; and

detecting the optical characteristics of the emission light.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising moving an optical module housing a pulsed light source over the sample.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising activating the pulsed light source while an optical module is over a row of the at least one samples and de-activating the pulsed light source at other times.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising activating the pulsed light source while an optical module is over a sample and de-activating the pulsed light source at other times.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising amplifying the detection of the emission light at a pulse frequency of the light source.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising controlling a pulsing of the pulsed light source by an analog circuit.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising controlling a pulsing of the pulsed light source by a digital circuit.