Fluorescence detecting device with integrated circuit and photodiode, and detection method

• US 6,995,386 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Emoto, Fumiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAM, STEPHEN K
• Application Number:
  US10/962,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.1, 250/461.1, 250/461.2, 250/372, 250/373, 250/226, 250/458.1, 356/311, 356/317, 356/318, 356/410, 356/411, 356/417, 422 8206- 8208
• US Class Current: 250/576
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• 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 21/6454 using an integrated detector array

Abstract

A fluorescence detecting device is configured so that a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate includes a photodiode and a signal detecting circuit for detecting charges obtained as a result of photoelectric conversion by the photodiode, and a fluorescence reaction vessel where a fluorescence reaction occurs is arranged above the foregoing photodiode. Furthermore, in the device, an excitation-light-entry preventing layer is provided at one or more of a surface portion of the photodiode and a position between the photodiode and the fluorescence reaction vessel.

Claims

1. A fluorescence detecting device comprising:

a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate including a plurality of photodiodes and a signal detecting circuit for detecting charges obtained as a result of photoelectric conversion by the plurality of photodiodes; and

a fluorescence reaction vessel where a fluorescence reaction occurs, the fluorescence reaction vessel being formed on the plurality of the photodiodes, with a plurality of photodiodes provided per one fluorescence reaction vessel;

wherein the fluorescence reaction in the one fluorescence reaction vessel generates fluorescence that enters the plurality of photodiodes and is subjected to the photoelectric conversion, and

wherein an excitation-light-entry preventing layer is formed at either or both of a surface portion of the plurality of photodiodes and a position between the plurality of photodiodes and the fluorescence reaction vessel;

wherein the photodiodes include a high concentration first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and a low-concentration first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer that are laminated in the stated order from a surface side of the photodiodes, wherein

when a reverse bias is applied, a part of the high-concentration first-conductivity- type semiconductor layer is not depleted, and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is depleted, and

the high-concentration first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer constitutes the excitation-light-entry preventing layer.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the excitation-light-entry preventing layer is a light absorbing layer that absorbs an excitation light, and is arranged between the photodiodes and the fluorescence reaction vessel.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the excitation-light-entry preventing layer is a light interference layer that reflects an excitation light, and is arranged between the photodiodes and the fluorescence reaction vessel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the excitation-light-entry preventing layer is a gas layer, and is arranged between the photodiodes and the fluorescence reaction vessel, and

an excitation light is set so as to be incident in a direction such that the excitation light is reflected totally at an interface between the gas layer and a bottom face of die fluorescence reaction vessel.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a single-strand DNA is fixed on an internal bottom face of the fluorescence reaction vessel.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one selected from an antibody and an antigen is fixed on an internal bottom face of the fluorescence reaction vessel.

7. A fluorescence detecting method employing the fluorescence detecting device according to claim 1, the method comprising:

causing excitation light to enter the fluorescence reaction vessel; and

detecting a fluorescence generated as a result of the entry of the excitation light by means of the photodiodes.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein signal charges generated in the plurality of photodiodes arc accumulated, and the accumulated charge is measured to detect fluorescence.