Bioanalytical instrumentation using a light source subsystem

• US 20070281322A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumencor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lumencor, Inc.
• Inventors: Jaffe, Steven, Jaffe, Claudia, Jones, Michieal
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6469 Cavity, e.g. ellipsoid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4788 Diffraction for sizing particles G01N15/0205
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/51 inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule G01N21/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/53 within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06193 Secundary in-situ sources, e.g. fluorescent particles

Abstract

The invention relates to a light source for irradiating molecules present in a detection volume with one or more selected wavelengths of light and directing the fluorescence, absorbance, transmittance, scattering onto one or more detectors. Molecular interactions with the light allow for the identification and quantitation of participating chemical moieties in reactions utilizing physical or chemical tags, most typically fluorescent and chromophore labels. The invention can also use the light source to separately and simultaneously irradiate a plurality of capillaries or other flow confining structures with one or more selected wavelengths of light and separately and simultaneously detect fluorescence produced within the capillaries or other flow confining structures. In various embodiments, the flow confining structures can allow separation or transportation of molecules and include capillary, micro bore and milli bore flow systems. The capillaries are used to separate molecules that are chemically tagged with appropriate fluorescent or chromophore groups.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing one or more analyte comprising:

(a) directing luminescence from of one or more wavelength from a light pipe including one or more luminescent material onto the one or more analyte; and

(b) directing light emitted from the one or more analyte onto one or more light detector to analyze the one or more analyte.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) detecting the presence of the one or more analyte; and

(d) identifying a characteristic of the one or more analyte based on the light emitted from the one or more analyte.

3. An apparatus for analyzing one or more analyte comprising:

(a) relay optics for directing luminescence of one or more wavelengths from one or more light pipes including one or more luminescent material onto one or more analyte;

(b) relay optics for directing emitted light from the one or more analyte onto one or more light detector; and

(c) one or more detector for detecting the presence of the one or more analyte.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more analyte undergoes an electrochemical reaction prior to, during or after the luminescence.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising the step of identifying a characteristic of the one or more analyte based on the detection of the light emitted from the one or more analyte.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for directing one or more flow of the one or more analyte into one or more detection volume, wherein the luminescence is directed onto the one or more detection volume and the light emitted by the one or more analyte is emitted from the one or more detection volume.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the luminescence is simultaneously and separately directed to the one or more detection volume.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for separating the one or more analyte in the one or more flow while directing the one or more flow into the one or more detection volume.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the separation of the one or more analyte is temporal with respect to the duration of time of the one or more flow and the one or more analyte is detected at one or more elapsed time.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising identifying the one or more analyte based on detecting one or more of the characteristics selected from the group consisting of emitted light wavelength, difference in emitted light wavelength, emitted light intensity, difference in emitted light intensity, direction of emitted light, difference in direction of emitted light, temperature, temperature change, potential, potential change, number of molecules, change in number of molecules, time elapsed and change in elapsed time.

11. A system for identifying one or more analyte comprising:

(a) directing the flow of the one or more analyte into one or more detection volume;

(b) directing luminescence of one or more wavelengths from one or more light pipe including one or more luminescence material through relay optics onto the one or more analyte;

(c) directing emitted light from the one or more analyte in the detection volume through relay optics onto one or more light detector;

(d) detecting the emitted light of the one or more analyte using one or more light detector; and

(e) identifying a characteristic of the one or more analyte based on the light emitted from the one or more analyte.

12. The identification system of claim 11, wherein the one or more analyte present in the detection volume undergoes a reaction selected from the group consisting of a heterogeneous reaction and a homogeneous reaction.

13. The identification system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the analyte present in the detection volume is contained in the detection volume.

14. The luminescence system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the analyte present in the detection volume is attached to one or more surface of the detection volume.

15. The luminescence system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the analyte present in the detection volume is photo-sensitive.

16. The luminescence system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the analyte present in the detection volume is thermo-sensitive.

17. The luminescence system of claim 11, wherein the detection allows the analyte to be quantitatively analyzed.

18. The luminescence system of claim 11, where in step (b) the relay optics reflect luminescence that has passed over the one or more analyte back into the relay optics.

19. The luminescence system of claim 11, where in step (b) one or more light pipes are connected in series.

20. The luminescence system of claim 11, where in step (b) one or more light pipes are connected in parallel.

21. The identification system of claim 11, wherein the detection volume can be selected from the group consisting of a well, micro-cuvete, a micro-titer plate, a micro-array chip, a capillary, a tube, a pore, a sensor and a fluidic chip.

22. The identification system of claim 11, wherein the emitted light can be detected based on one or more properties of the light emitted selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, phosphorescence, absorbance, transmittance, scattering and luminescence.

23. The identification system of claim 11, wherein the luminescence is generated at least in part by a light pipe comprising:

(a) a luminescent material, wherein one or more components of the luminescent material is selected from the group consisting of;

activated glass, plastic, single inorganic crystal, multiple inorganic crystals and a confined liquid;

(b) an activator, wherein the activator is selected from the group consisting of organic compounds doped with rare earths metal atoms, organic compounds doped with transition metal atoms, organic compounds doped with donor-acceptor pairs, organic compounds, inorganic compounds doped with rare earths metal atoms, inorganic compounds doped with transition metal atoms, inorganic compounds doped with donor-acceptor pairs, and inorganic compounds; and

(c) a source for exciting the activator.