APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ANALYSING FLUORESCENT PARTICLES

• US 20150053872A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChemoMetec A/S
• Original Assignee: ChemoMetec A/S
• Inventors: Skinderso, Mette Elena, Ravn, Frans Ejner, Glensbjerg, Martin, Kjaerulff, Sren, Sorensen, Helle Frobose
• Granted Patent: US 9,903,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6478 Special lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0631 Homogeneising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0905 Dividing and/or superposing multiple light beams
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0961 Lens arrays lens arrays per se G02B3/0006

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus to detect fluorescence from a sample is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a sample plane onto which the sample is arranged, an excitation light unit including at least a light source to illuminate the sample, and a detection unit comprising at least a detector having at least 100,000 active detection elements to detect a fluorescence signal from the sample.

Claims

1. An apparatus to illuminate a sample, said apparatus comprising:

a sample plane having an illumination region onto which the sample is arranged;

an excitation unit having a light source to generate an excitation light; and

a lens unit, having a plurality of lenses or lens elements arranged in a two dimension arrangement, to receive the excitation light and generate an illumination light that is directed towards the illumination region;

wherein the lens unit produces a homogeneous illumination light to be projected on the illumination region of the sample plane with a high illumination efficiency.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens unit is a micro lens array.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is selected from a dispersive light source, an emitting diode, a laser diode and a laser.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes an emittance element having an emittance area of greater than 0.5 mm², or greater than 1.0 mm².

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation unit comprises of a plurality of light sources.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collimating unit to receive the excitation light and generate a collimated excitation light.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the collimating unit includes an array of lenses.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses or lens elements comprises at least 4 lenses.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein dimension of the plurality of lens or lens elements is in the range from 0.5 to 3 mm.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens unit comprises a first lens array in opposite orientation with a second lens array.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pattern of the two dimension arrangement is similar to the shape of beam of the excitation light.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wavelength separation unit to receive the illumination light and to define a wavelength band and polarity of the illumination light.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a focusing unit to focus the illumination light onto the illumination region of the sample plane.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the units are arranged on the optical axis of a photoluminescent imaging system.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the units are arranged substantially off the optical axis of a photoluminescent imaging system.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination efficiency is higher than 75%.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the homogeneity of the illumination, defined by illumination variation in the imaged region of the sample material is less than 0.50.

18. A photoluminescent imaging system for analysing particles in a sample, said system comprising:

a sample plane having an illumination region onto which the sample is arranged;

an excitation unit having a light source to generate an excitation light; and

a lens unit, having a plurality of lenses or lens elements arranged in a two dimension arrangement, to receive the excitation light and generate an illumination light that is directed towards the illumination region;

wherein the lens unit produces a homogeneous illumination light to be projected on the illumination region of the sample plane with a high illumination efficiency;

a detection unit comprising at least a first detector to detect signals from the sample;

a focusing means for focusing the signals to the detection means; and

a processor coupled to receive data from the detector(s),

wherein the system further comprises at least two different emission filters capable of filtering signals emitted from the particles toward the detector.

19. A method for illuminating a sample, said method comprising:

arranging a sample on a sample plane having an illumination region;

generating an excitation light using an excitation unit having a light source; and

generating an illumination light, directed towards the illumination region, using a lens unit that comprises a plurality of lenses or lens elements arranged in a two dimension arrangement,

wherein the lens unit produces a homogeneous illumination light to be projected on the illumination region of the sample plane with a high illumination efficiency.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising labelling a particle in the sample with a fluorescent material.