Optical instrument including excitation source
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An instrument comprising:
- a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
a light emitting diode source configured to direct a plurality of diverging excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions;
a plurality of detectors disposed to receive respective emission beams corresponding to one of the excitation beams, each emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions and having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis;
a lens system disposed to direct the excitation beams into two or more spaced-apart discrete excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis, wherein the discrete excitation beams are separated from one another and each discrete excitation beam irradiates a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete excitation beams;
wherein, during operation, (1) the plurality of discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate respective reaction regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions and (2) the propagation axis of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical axis;
wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation path of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical path.
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Abstract
An optical instrument is provided for simultaneously illuminating two or more spaced-apart reaction regions with an excitation beam generated by a light source. A collimating lens can be disposed along a beam path between the light source and the reaction regions to form bundles of collimated excitation beams, wherein each bundle corresponds to a respective reaction region. Methods of analysis using the optical instrument are also provided.
101 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An instrument comprising:
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a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions; a light emitting diode source configured to direct a plurality of diverging excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions; a plurality of detectors disposed to receive respective emission beams corresponding to one of the excitation beams, each emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions and having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis; a lens system disposed to direct the excitation beams into two or more spaced-apart discrete excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis, wherein the discrete excitation beams are separated from one another and each discrete excitation beam irradiates a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete excitation beams; wherein, during operation, (1) the plurality of discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate respective reaction regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions and (2) the propagation axis of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical axis; wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation path of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An instrument comprising:
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a block configured to receive a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions; a light emitting source comprising at least first light source configured to produce a first excitation beam and a second light source configured to produce a second excitation beam, each excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis a first detector configured to receive a first emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions in response to the first excitation beam and a second detector configured to receive a second emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions in response to the second excitation beam, each emission beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis; and a first lens and a second lens, each lens disposed along a respective one of the propagation paths of the excitation beams between the light emitting source and the block, wherein the lenses are configured to direct the excitation beams into spaced-apart discrete excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation axis, wherein each discrete excitation beam irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions; and wherein, during operation, the discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate the respective ones of the spaced-apart reaction regions and each discrete excitation beam propagation axis is collinear with the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams; wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each excitation beam overlaps a corresponding one of the propagation paths of the emission beams. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An instrument comprising:
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a block configured to receive a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions; a light emitting source comprising at least a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode, the first light emitting diode generating a first diverging excitation beam toward the block and the second light emitting diode generating a second diverging excitation beam toward the block, the second diverging excitation beam being discrete and separate from the first diverging excitation beam; a detector configured to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions, each emission beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis; and first and second lenses, each lens disposed along a respective path between the block and a corresponding one of the light emitting diodes; wherein the lenses are configured to produce from the diverging excitation beams, spaced-apart discrete excitation beams that are directed to respective reaction regions of the plurality of reaction regions, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis; wherein, during operation, (1) the plurality of discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate the respective reaction regions and (2) the propagation axis of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical axis; wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation path of a corresponding one of the emission beams are overlapping. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification