Bioanalytical instrumentation using a light source subsystem

• US 9,063,007 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumencor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lumencor, Inc.
• Inventors: Jaffe, Claudia B., Jaffe, Steven M., Jones, Michieal L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, MELANIE YU
• Application Number:
  US12/938,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6469 Cavity, e.g. ellipsoid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4788 Diffraction for sizing particles G01N15/0205
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/51 inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule G01N21/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/53 within a flowing fluid, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06193 Secundary in-situ sources, e.g. fluorescent particles

Abstract

The invention relates to a light source for irradiating molecules present in a detection volume with one or more selected wavelengths of light and directing the fluorescence, absorbance, transmittance, scattering onto one or more detectors. Molecular interactions with the light allow for the identification and quantitation of participating chemical moieties in reactions utilizing physical or chemical tags, most typically fluorescent and chromophore labels. The invention can also use the light source to separately and simultaneously irradiate a plurality of capillaries or other flow confining structures with one or more selected wavelengths of light and separately and simultaneously detect fluorescence produced within the capillaries or other flow confining structures. In various embodiments, the flow confining structures can allow separation or transportation of molecules and include capillary, micro bore and milli bore flow systems. The capillaries are used to separate molecules that are chemically tagged with appropriate fluorescent or chromophore groups.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a bioanalytical tool, wherein the bioanalytical tool is a bioanalytical tool selected from the group consisting of;

microarray scanners;

microtiter plate readers;

DNA sequencers;

PCR instruments;

Q-PCR instruments;

microscopes;

flow cytometry instruments;

lab-on-a-chip devices;

diagnostic medical devices; and

therapeutic medical devices;

a lamp which includes,

an excitation source which provides optical excitation energy,

a light pipe for use in generating luminescence, wherein the light pipe includes a luminescent material which absorbs the optical excitation energy from the excitation source and, in response generates and emits luminescence at a plurality of wavelengths, and

an optical filter associated with the light pipe, wherein the optical filter selects which selected wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths of luminescence produced by the light pipe are provided to the bioanalytical tool; and

a fiber optic device connecting the lamp to the bioanalytical tool, wherein the fiber optic device transmits the selected wavelengths of luminescence from the lamp to the bioanalytical tool.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical excitation energy has a shorter wavelength than the luminescence.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the luminescence comprises green light.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the optical excitation energy comprises UV light.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the excitation source comprises an LED light source.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the luminescent material comprises a rare earth doped crystalline material.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a driver circuit which modulates the excitation source at a modulation rate of at least one MHz in order to modulate the luminescence emitted by the light pipe.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the excitation source comprises a plurality of LEDs; and

the system further comprises a square wave generator connected to a transistor amplifier circuit which drives the plurality of LEDs thereby modulating the luminescence emitted by the light pipe at rates exceeding one megahertz.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the excitation source comprises a plurality of LEDs; and

wherein feedback of the selected wavelengths of light produced by the light pipe is used to drive a voltage applied to the plurality of LEDs to provide selected wavelengths of light produced by the light pipe at constant power.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the luminescent material comprises a rod comprising a rare earth element doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystalline material.

11. A system comprising:

a bioanalytical tool, wherein the bioanalytical tool is a bioanalytical tool selected from the group consisting of;

microarray scanners;

microtiter plate readers;

DNA sequencers;

PCR instruments;

Q-PCR instruments;

microscopes;

flow cytometry instruments;

lab-on-a-chip devices;

diagnostic medical devices; and

therapeutic medical devices;

a lamp which includes,

a plurality of LEDs which provides optical excitation energy,

a square wave generator connected to a transistor amplifier circuit which drives the plurality of LEDs thereby modulating optical excitation energy emitted by the plurality of LEDs at rates exceeding one megahertz

a light pipe for use in generating luminescence, wherein the light pipe includes a luminescent material which absorbs the optical excitation energy from the excitation source and, in response generates and emits luminescence at a plurality of wavelengths, and

an optical filter associated with the light pipe, wherein the optical filter selects which selected wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths of luminescence produced by the light pipe are provided to the bioanalytical tool; and

a fiber optic device connecting the lamp to the bioanalytical tool, wherein the fiber optic device transmits the selected wavelengths of luminescence from the lamp to the bioanalytical tool.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the optical excitation energy has a shorter wavelength than the luminescence.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the luminescence comprises green light.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the optical excitation energy comprises UV light.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the luminescent material comprises a rare earth doped element crystalline material.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the light pipe comprises a rod comprising a rare earth element doped yttrium aluminum gamet (YAG) crystalline luminescent material.

17. A system comprising:

a bioanalytical tool, wherein the bioanalytical tool is a bioanalytical tool selected from the group consisting of;

microarray scanners;

microtiter plate readers;

DNA sequencers;

PCR instruments;

Q-PCR instruments;

microscopes;

flow cytometry instruments;

lab-on-a-chip devices;

diagnostic medical devices; and

therapeutic medical devices;

a lamp which includes,

a plurality of LEDs which provides optical excitation energy,

a square wave generator connected to a transistor amplifier circuit which drives the plurality of LEDs thereby modulating optical excitation energy emitted by the plurality of LEDs at rates exceeding one megahertz

a rod comprising a rare earth element doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystalline luminescent material which absorbs the optical excitation energy from the excitation source and, in response generates and emits luminescence at a plurality of wavelengths, and

an optical filter associated with the light pipe, wherein the optical filter selects which selected wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths of luminescence produced by the rod are provided to the bioanalytical tool; and

a fiber optic device connecting the lamp to the bioanalytical tool, wherein the fiber optic device transmits the selected wavelengths of luminescence from the lamp to the bioanalytical tool.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical excitation energy has a shorter wavelength than the luminescence.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the luminescence comprises green light.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical excitation energy comprises UV light.