Optical instrument comprising multi-notch beam splitter
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical instrument comprising:
- an excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges;
a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the plurality of reaction regions simultaneously illuminated by the excitation light source so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range;
a beam splitter disposed to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions, and disposed along an emission beam path, wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the different excitation wavelength ranges is reflected and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges of the emission beams is transmitted; and
a detector to detect the emission beams of the emission wavelength ranges.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An instrument is provided that can monitor nucleic acid sequence amplification reactions, for example, PCR amplification of DNA and DNA fragments. The instrument includes a multi-notch filter disposed along one or both of an excitation beam path and an emission beam path. Methods are also provided for monitoring nucleic acid sequence amplifications using an instrument that includes a multi-notch filter disposed along a beam path.
132 Citations
53 Claims
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1. An optical instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges; a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the plurality of reaction regions simultaneously illuminated by the excitation light source so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions, and disposed along an emission beam path, wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the different excitation wavelength ranges is reflected and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges of the emission beams is transmitted; and a detector to detect the emission beams of the emission wavelength ranges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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generating excitation beams from an excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges; directing the excitation beams to an excitation filter to produce filtered excitation beams; directing the filtered excitation beams to a beam splitter; simultaneously illuminating a plurality of reaction regions with light from the excitation light source, the plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound; causing the at least one respective sample from two or more reaction regions of the plurality of reaction regions to emit an emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; simultaneously directing the emission beams from the two or more reaction regions toward the beam splitter and toward a detector; simultaneously detecting the two or more of the emission beams; wherein the beam splitter reflects the different excitation wavelength ranges and transmits the emission wavelength ranges, or wherein the beam splitter transmits the different excitation wavelength ranges and reflects the emission wavelength ranges. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method comprising:
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generating excitation beams from a light source configured to provide a plurality of different excitation wavelengths; directing the excitation beams to an excitation filter to form filtered excitation beams comprising a selected excitation wavelength selected from two or more excitation wavelengths; directing the filtered excitation beams to a beam splitter; directing light from the light source to simultaneously illuminate a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample comprising a plurality of different compounds; for at least two of the compounds; causing the samples of at least two reaction regions to emit emission beams comprising selected emission wavelength ranges; simultaneously directing light from the at least two reaction regions toward the beam splitter and toward a detector; transmitting the filtered excitation beams and reflecting the emission beams, or reflecting the filtered excitation beams and transmitting the emission beams; detecting the emission beams with the detector. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An optical instrument configured to detect emission beams from a plurality of reaction regions including at least one respective sample having a fluorescent compound, the plurality of reaction regions configured to be simultaneously illuminated by an excitation light source, the instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different source wavelength ranges; a detector configured to detect emission beams from a plurality of reaction regions, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed along an emission beam path and configured to receive the emission beams from a plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions; and an excitation filter disposed along the excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the beam splitter, the excitation filter comprising a multiple bandpass filter configured to transmit light within the plurality of different source wavelength ranges; wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the source wavelength ranges is reflected and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges is transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An optical instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different source wavelength ranges; a region configured to include a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the excitation light source configured to simultaneously illuminate the plurality of reaction regions so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed along an emission beam path and configured to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions; and a detector configured to detect the emission beams; wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the source wavelength ranges is reflected and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges is transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An optical instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different source wavelength ranges; a block configured to hold a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the excitation light source configured to simultaneously illuminate the plurality of reaction regions so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed along an emission beam path and configured to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions; an excitation filter disposed along the excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the beam splitter, the excitation filter comprising a multiple bandpass filter and configured to transmit light within the plurality of different source wavelength ranges; and a detector configured to detect the emission beams; wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the source wavelength ranges is reflected and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges is transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An optical instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges; a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the plurality of reaction regions simultaneously illuminated by the excitation light source so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions, and disposed along an emission beam path, wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the different excitation wavelength ranges is transmitted and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges of the emission beams is reflected; and a detector to detect the emission beams of the emission wavelength ranges.
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52. An optical instrument configured to detect emission beams from a plurality of reaction regions including at least one respective sample having a fluorescent compound, the plurality of reaction regions configured to be simultaneously illuminated by an excitation light source, the instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different source wavelength ranges; a detector configured to detect emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed along an emission beam path and configured to receive the emission beams from a plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions; and an excitation filter disposed along the excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the beam splitter, the excitation filter comprising a multiple bandpass filter configured to transmit light within the plurality of different source wavelength ranges; wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the source wavelength ranges is transmitted and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges is reflected.
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53. An optical instrument comprising:
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an excitation light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the excitation light source configured to provide a plurality of different source wavelength ranges; a region configured to include a plurality of reaction regions comprising at least one respective sample including a fluorescent compound, the excitation light source configured to simultaneously illuminate the plurality of reaction regions configured to be simultaneously illuminated by the excitation light source so as to produce a plurality of emission beams, each emission beam comprising an emission wavelength range; a beam splitter disposed along an emission beam path and configured to receive the emission beams from the plurality of reaction regions, the beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the plurality of reaction regions; and a detector configured to detect the emission beams; wherein the beam splitter has an optical performance characterized in that light at wavelengths within each of the source wavelength ranges is transmitted and light at wavelengths within each of the emission wavelength ranges is reflected.
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Specification