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Instrument for monitoring polymerase chain reaction of DNA

  • US 20070238161A1
  • Filed: 05/17/2007
  • Published: 10/11/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1998
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An optical instrument for monitoring a reaction in a reaction apparatus that includes a thermal cycler for holding at least one vial containing ingredients for the reaction, the ingredients including a fluorescent dye that fluoresces proportionately in the presence of a target DNA, the instrument comprising:

  • a light source for emitting a source beam having at least a primary excitation frequency;

    an excitation beam focusing lens disposed to focus the source beam into the ingredients such that the fluorescent dye emits an emission beam having an emission frequency, the emission beam having an intensity representative of a concentration of the target DNA in the ingredients, the excitation beam focusing lens being receptive of and passing the emission beam;

    an emission focusing lens for focusing the emission beam;

    a detector disposed to be receptive of the emission beam from the emission focusing lens such that the emission beam is focused onto the detector, the detector generating primary data signals representative of the emission beam and thereby a corresponding concentration of target DNA in each vial;

    a processor receptive of the primary data signals for computing primary signal data and the corresponding concentration of target DNA; and

    a housing containing the light source, the detector, the excitation beam focusing lens, and a filter module, wherein an excitation beam filter and an emission beam filter are affixed in the filter module and are associated with the fluorescent dye, the excitation beam filter is disposed between the light source and the excitation beam focusing lens, and the emission beam filter is disposed between the emission beam focusing lens and the detector.

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