Instrument for monitoring polymerase chain reaction of DNA
First Claim
1. An instrument comprising:
- a plurality of spaced-apart vials;
a light source adapted to direct an excitation beam along an excitation beam path simultaneously toward each of the plurality of vials;
a beam splitter disposed along the excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of vials;
a lens disposed along the excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of vials; and
a detector disposed along an emission beam path and arranged to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of vials and through the lens;
wherein the lens and the beam splitter are disposed along an emission beam path between the plurality of vials and the detector, and the beam splitter is arranged to split apart the excitation beam path and the emission beam path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having vials of reaction ingredients. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials. An emission beam from the reaction ingredients can be passed by the beam splitter to a detector from which a processor can compute DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters can be provided which emits reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor can select an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time can be automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the detector and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters can be associated with a selected dye, and can be replaceable for different dyes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An instrument comprising:
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a plurality of spaced-apart vials;
a light source adapted to direct an excitation beam along an excitation beam path simultaneously toward each of the plurality of vials;
a beam splitter disposed along the excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of vials;
a lens disposed along the excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of vials; and
a detector disposed along an emission beam path and arranged to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of vials and through the lens;
wherein the lens and the beam splitter are disposed along an emission beam path between the plurality of vials and the detector, and the beam splitter is arranged to split apart the excitation beam path and the emission beam path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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directing an excitation beam along an excitation beam path toward each of a plurality of vials, simultaneously;
splitting the excitation beam into light that is reflected and light that is passed;
directing light that is reflected from the beam splitter through a lens disposed along the excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of vials, and simultaneously into each of the plurality of vials, to cause the plurality of vials to emit emission beams;
directing the emission beams from the plurality of vials through the beam splitter and to a detector; and
detecting the emission beams emitted from the plurality of vials. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification