SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PRODUCT FOR GENERATING PATTERNED ILLUMINATION

• US 20080020938A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,803,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/7
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/12 for screening libraries
• 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 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging

Abstract

An embodiment of a method for generating an interference pattern at a probe array is described that comprises directing light at a first waveguide and second waveguide, wherein the first and second waveguides are positioned adjacent to each other and the output from the first and second waveguides produce an interference pattern; and directing the interference pattern at the probe array.

Claims

1. A method for generating an interference pattern at a probe array, comprising:

directing light at a first waveguide and second waveguide, wherein the first and second waveguides are positioned adjacent to each other and the output from the first and second waveguides produce an interference pattern; and

directing the interference pattern at the probe array.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the probe array has a biopolymer affixed to the surface of a support selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, amino acids, proteins, peptides, hormones, oligosaccharides, lipids, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, phospholipids, inverted nucleotides, peptide nucleic acids, and Meta-DNA.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the probe array is a nucleic acid or protein probe array.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising imaging the probe array using a detector.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising imaging the probe array using a detector comprising a CCD, EM CCD, EB CCD, CMOS, APS, or PMT.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising processing the detected image using a computer system.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the waveguides are optical fibers or rectangular waveguides.

8. A method for generating an interference pattern to interrogate a surface of a support comprising:

directing light at a first waveguide;

directing light at a second waveguide;

wherein the first and second waveguides are positioned in an operative relationship so as to produce an interference pattern;

directing the interference pattern at a surface of a support; and

detecting signals from the surface of the support.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the probe array has a biopolymer affixed to the surface of a support selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, amino acids, proteins, peptides, hormones, oligosaccharides, lipids, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, phospholipids, inverted nucleotides, peptide nucleic acids, and Meta-DNA.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the detector comprises a CCD, EMCCD, EB CCD, CMOS, APS, or PMT.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the waveguides are optical fibers or rectangular waveguides.

20. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the probe array is a nucleic acid or protein probe array.

12. As system to image the surface of a support comprising:

a source of excitation light;

a first waveguide capable of receiving light from the excitation light and transmitting the light out an exit port;

a second waveguide capable of receiving light from an excitation light and producing an interference pattern when proximately positioned near the first waveguide, the second waveguide is capable of transmitting the light out an exit port;

a support having probes on a surface of a support facing the exit ports of the first and second waveguides;

a detector capable of receiving reflected signals from the surface of the support; and

a processor for analyzing the detected signals.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the probe array has a biopolymer affixed to the surface of a support selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, amino acids, proteins, peptides, hormones, oligosaccharides, lipids, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, phospholipids, inverted nucleotides, peptide nucleic acids, and Meta-DNA.

14. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the probe array is a nucleic acid or protein probe array.

15. A system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising imaging the probe array using a detector.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 further comprising imaging the probe array using a detector comprising a CCD, EMCCD, EB CCD, CMOS, APS, or PMT.

17. A system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising processing the detected image using a computer system.

18. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the waveguides are optical fibers or rectangular waveguides.

19. A system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:

a dispersion cone in an operative relationship with the exit port of the first waveguide for dispersing the exit light from the first waveguide; and

a dispersion cone in an operative relationship with the exit port of the second waveguide for dispersing the exit light from the first waveguide.