OPTICAL INSTRUMENT INCLUDING EXCITATION SOURCE

• US 20130034859A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: OLDHAM, Mark F., BOEGE, Steven J., YOUNG, Eugene F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6.12
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/54 using thermoelectric means, e.g. Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/677 the fans being used for discharging
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0286 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0638 Refractive parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/1211 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence

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.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. An instrument comprising:

a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;

a light emitting diode source configured to generate a diverging area flood light directing excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions;

a detector disposed to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions; and

a lens system disposed along a path of the diverging area flood light between the light emitting diode source and the plurality of reaction regions and spaced apart from the plurality of reaction regions, wherein the lens system is configured to collimate excitation beams from the diverging area flood light into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating to irradiate a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions, and each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced apart discrete bundles.

63. The instrument of claim 62, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises a plurality of sample wells.

64. The instrument of claim 62, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises two or more wells of a multi-well microtiter plate.

65. The instrument of claim 62, wherein the collimating lens system is disposed between the plurality of reaction regions and the detector.

66. The instrument of claim 62, wherein the detector is an array detector comprising a charge-coupled device (CCD), a charge injection device (CID), a plurality of CMOS pixels, a plurality of photodiodes, or a plurality of photomultipliers.

67. The instrument of claim 66, wherein the detector array comprises at least a first detector and a second detector, the plurality of reaction regions comprises at least first reaction region and a second reaction, the instrument comprises a first lens disposed along a first emission path between the first reaction region and a the first detector, and the instrument comprises a second lens disposed along a second emission path between the second reaction region and a the second detector.

68. The instrument of claim 67, further comprising a plurality of dichroic filters, wherein each dichroic filter is configured to reflect emission light from emission beams.

69. An instrument comprising:

a block configured to receive a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;

a light emitting source comprising at least first light source and a second light source, the light emitting source configured to generate a diverging area flood light directing excitation beams toward the block;

a detector configured to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions; and

a lens system spaced apart from the block and disposed along a path of the diverging area flood light between the light emitting source and the block, wherein the lens system is capable of collimating excitation beams from the diverging area flood light into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, wherein each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions.

70. The instrument of claim 69, wherein the first light source comprises a first light emitting diode and the second light source comprises a second light emitting diode.

71. The instrument of claim 69, wherein the first light source is characterized by a first range of wavelengths and a second light source is characterized by a second range of wavelengths that is different from the first range of wavelengths.

72. The instrument of claim 69, further comprising a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions located adjacent the block, wherein and each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced apart discrete bundles.

73. The instrument of claim 72, wherein the detector is an array detector comprising a charge-coupled device (CCD), charge injection device (CID), a plurality of CMOS pixels, a plurality of photodiodes, or a plurality of photomultipliers.

74. The instrument of claim 73, wherein the detector array comprises at least a first detector and a second detector, the plurality of reaction regions comprises at least first reaction region and a second reaction, the instrument comprises a first lens disposed along a first emission path between the first reaction region and a the first detector, and the instrument comprises a second lens disposed along a second emission path between the second reaction region and a the second detector.

75. The instrument of claim 74, further comprising a plurality of dichroic filters, wherein each dichroic filter is configured to reflect emission light from emission beams.

76. The instrument of claim 69, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises a plurality of sample wells.

77. The instrument of claim 69, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises two or more wells of a multi-well microtiter plate.

78. An instrument comprising:

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 beam toward the block and the second light emitting diode generating a second diverging beam toward the block;

a detector configured to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions; and

two or more lenses disposed along respective paths between the block and a corresponding one of the light emitting diodes;

wherein the lenses are configured to direct light from the diverging beams into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of excitation beams in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the system.

79. The instrument of claim 78, further comprising a mask disposed between the two or more lenses, the mask comprising an optically opaque material and configured to transmit at least some light from each light emitting diode.

80. The instrument of claim 78, wherein the mask is configured to remove some light from the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of excitation beams.

81. The instrument of claim 78, wherein the optical axis is an optical axis of at least one of the lenses.

82. The instrument of claim 78, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises a plurality of sample wells.

83. The instrument of claim 78, wherein the plurality of reaction regions comprises two or more wells of a multi-well microtiter plate.

84. The instrument of claim 78, wherein the detector is an array detector comprising a charge-coupled device (CCD), a charge injection device (CID), a plurality of CMOS pixels, a plurality of photodiodes, or a plurality of photomultipliers.

85. The instrument of claim 84, wherein the detector array comprises at least a first detector and a second detector, the plurality of reaction regions comprises at least first reaction region and a second reaction, the instrument comprises a first lens disposed along a first emission path between the first reaction region and a the first detector, and the instrument comprises a second lens disposed along a second emission path between the second reaction region and a the second detector.

86. The instrument of claim 85, further comprising a plurality of dichroic filters, wherein each dichroic filter is configured to reflect emission light from emission beams.

87. A method of illuminating a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions with excitation beams, the method comprising:

providing an instrument comprising a light emitting diode source, a collimating lens system, and a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions, at least one of the reaction regions comprising a target nucleic acid sequence;

generating a diverging area flood light with the light emitting diode source;

passing the diverging area flood light through the collimating lens system to form two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions;

directing each of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of the collimated excitation beams into a respective one of the regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles; and

passing each emission beam from the spaced-apart reaction regions through a lens and onto a detector.

88. The method of claim 87, further comprising reflecting each emission beam off of a dichroic filter