Digital analyte detection system
First Claim
1. A system for detecting the presence of a small number of analyte particles within a sample, said sample being divided into a multiplicity of distinct pixel regions where light emitted in each of said pixel regions is related to the amount of analyte in each of said pixel regions, comprising:
- a plurality of pixel regions dimensioned such that the number of said analyte particles included within each of said pixel regions is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variation in optical responses emitted by said analyte particles;
means for measuring aggregate fluorescent energy from each of said pixel regions relative to an ambient noise threshold, wherein the aggregate fluorescent energy from each pixel region is proportional to said optical responses of analyte particles included therein; and
data processing means for receiving said measurements and, based on said measurements, counting the number of analyte particles within each of said pixel regions in order to determine the number of said analyte particles within said sample.
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Abstract
A system and method for digitally detecting the presence of analyte particles within a sample. Each analyte particle is disposed to emit an optical response upon illumination in a known manner. The digital analyte detection system includes optical apparatus for illuminating a multiplicity of distinct pixel regions within the sample so as to induce each of the analyte particles included therein to emit at least one optical response. The pixel regions are dimensioned such that the number of analyte particles included within each region is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variability of the optical responses. The digital detection system further includes apparatus for measuring the emitted signal emitted from each pixel region. A data processing network receives the measurements of the emitted signals and, based on the measurements, counts the number of analyte particles within each pixel region so as to determine the number of analyte particles within the sample.
178 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for detecting the presence of a small number of analyte particles within a sample, said sample being divided into a multiplicity of distinct pixel regions where light emitted in each of said pixel regions is related to the amount of analyte in each of said pixel regions, comprising:
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a plurality of pixel regions dimensioned such that the number of said analyte particles included within each of said pixel regions is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variation in optical responses emitted by said analyte particles; means for measuring aggregate fluorescent energy from each of said pixel regions relative to an ambient noise threshold, wherein the aggregate fluorescent energy from each pixel region is proportional to said optical responses of analyte particles included therein; and data processing means for receiving said measurements and, based on said measurements, counting the number of analyte particles within each of said pixel regions in order to determine the number of said analyte particles within said sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for digitally detecting the presence of analyte particles within a sample in which each analyte particle is disposed to emit an optical response upon being illuminated in a predetermined manner, wherein the number of said analyte particles is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variability in said optical responses, comprising:
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means for illuminating said sample in order to induce said analyte particles to emit said optical responses; means for collecting aggregate fluorescent energy comprised of said optical responses; and means for measuring said collected aggregate fluorescent energy and for comparing said measured aggregate fluorescent energy with a detection threshold in order to count the number of analyte particles within said sample. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for detecting the presence of a small number of analyte particles within a sample, said sample being divided into a multiplicity of distinct pixel regions where light emitted in each of said pixel regions is related to the amount of analyte in each of said pixel regions, comprising the steps of:
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dimensioning each of said pixel regions such that the number of said analyte particles included within each of said pixel regions is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variation in optical responses emitted by said analyte particles; measuring aggregate fluorescent energy from each of said pixel regions relative to an ambient noise threshold, wherein the aggregate fluorescent energy from each pixel region is proportional to said optical responses of analyte particles included therein; and counting, based on said measurements, the number of analyte particles within each of said pixel regions in order to determine the number of said analyte particles within said sample. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for digitally detecting the presence of molecular analyte particles within a sample in which each analyte particle is disposed to emit an optical response upon being illuminated in a predetermined manner, wherein the concentration of said analyte particles is less than a maximum detection threshold proportional to variability in said optical responses, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating said sample in order to induce said analyte particles to emit said optical responses; collecting an aggregate fluorescent energy comprised of said optical responses; and measuring said collected aggregate fluorescent energy and comparing said measured aggregate fluorescent energy with a detection threshold in order to count the number of analyte particles within said sample. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of locating and counting discrete entities within a chemical sample comprising the steps of:
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storing an array of measurement values indicating presence and absence of said entities in each of a corresponding array of pixel regions of said sample; sorting said measurement values in accordance with said indicated presence of said entities; selecting a pixel region corresponding to a first of said measurement values as a nucleus of a first pixel cluster; and grouping pixel regions associated with said sorted measurement values into said first pixel cluster wherein said first pixel cluster meets predefined size criteria and signifies the presence of at least one of said entities. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification