Multi-mode light detection system

• US 6,825,921 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Molecular Devices
• Original Assignee: Molecular Devices
• Inventors: Owicki, John C., Modlin, Douglas N., French, Todd E., Petersen, Jon F., Bechtel, Lorne E., Wright, Carl L., Ruiz, Jeanne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/710,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.22, 250/205, 250/227.23, 250/227.24, 250/227.11, 250/227.14, 250/227.21, 356/244, 356/246, 356/73, 385/12, 385/13, 385/115, 385/117, 385/118
• US Class Current: 356/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6476 Front end, i.e. backscatter, geometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6445 Measuring fluorescence polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for combining multiple modes and methods of optical detection, postprocessing, and/or feedback loops in bioanalytical measurements. The methods may include (1) positioning a composition at an examination site in a multi-mode instrument; (2) detecting light transmitted form the composition using the multi-mode instrument in a first optical measurement mode; (3) detecting light transmitted from the composition using the multi-mode instrument in a second optical measurement mode, the second mode being different than the first mode; and (4) computing a quantity related to a property of the composition using the light detected in at least one of the optical measurement modes. These steps may be performed on one or more samples, simultaneously and/or sequentially. The quantity may relate to photoluminescence, chemiluminescence, absorption, and/or scattering, among others.

Claims

1. A method of performing optical analysis on a plurality of compositions, comprising:

positioning the plurality of compositions automatically at an examination site in a multi-mode instrument, the compositions being disposed in a two-dimensional array;

detecting light transmitted from the compositions using the multi-mode instrument in a first optical measurement mode;

detecting light transmitted from one or more of the compositions using the multi-mode instrument in a second optical measurement mode, where the second mode is different than the first mode; and

computing a first quantity related to a property of at least one of the compositions using the light detected in at least one of the optical measurement modes.

2. The method of claim 1, where the multi-mode instrument is capable of detecting light in at least two optical measurement modes selected from the group consisting of absorption, luminescence, and scattering.

3. The method of claim 1, where the steps of detecting light using the first and second optical modes are performed sequentially on at least one of the one or more compositions.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically switching the multi-mode instrument from the first optical measurement mode to the second optical measurement mode.

5. The method of claim 1, where the steps of detecting light using the first and second optical modes are performed simultaneously on at least one of the one or more compositions.

6. The method of claim 1, where the step of detecting light using the first mode is performed simultaneously on the plurality of compositions for optical analysis of the plurality of compositions.

7. The method of claim 1, where the step of detecting light using the first mode is performed successively on the plurality of compositions for optical analysis of the plurality of compositions.

8. The method of claim 1, where the step of detecting light using the second mode is performed after the step of detecting light using the first mode.

9. The method of claim 1, the first quantity being computed using the light detected in the first optical measurement mode, further comprising:

computing a second quantity using the light detected in the second optical measurement mode; and

assessing the presence or effects of a potential source of error on the first quantity using the second quantity.

10. The method of claim 9, where the first optical measurement mode is luminescence, and where the second optical measurement mode is selected from the group consisting of absorption and scattering.

11. The method of claim 1, where the first optical measurement mode is luminescence.

12. The method of claim 11, where the second optical measurement mode is scattering.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising assessing the presence or effects of turbidity on the first quantity using the light detected in the second optical measurement mode.

14. The method of claim 11, where the second optical measurement mode is absorption.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising assessing the presence or effects of color quenching and/or a contaminant on the first quantity using the light detected in the second optical measurement mode.

16. The method of claim 1, where the first quantity is selected from the group consisting of absorbance, chemiluminescence intensity, photoluminescence intensity, photoluminescence energy transfer, photoluminescence lifetime, and photoluminescence polarization.

17. The method of claim 1, where the property of the at least one composition is the presence or activity of a component of the at least one composition.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting light transmitted from at least one of the compositions using the multi-mode instrument in a third optical measurement mode, where the third mode is different than the first and second modes.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining to perform the step of detecting light using the second mode based on an outcome of the step of detecting light using the first mode.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the step of detecting light using the first mode based on an outcome of the step of detecting light using the second mode.

21. The method of claim 1, where the two-dimensional array is defined by a microplate.

22. The method of claim 1, where the two-dimensional array is defined by a biochip.

23. A method of performing optical analysis on a plurality of compositions, comprising:

positioning the plurality of compositions automatically at an examination site in a multi-mode instrument, the compositions being disposed in a two-dimensional array;

detecting light transmitted from the compositions using the multi-mode instrument in a first optical measurement mode;

computing a first quantity related to a property of one or more of the compositions using the light detected in the first optical measurement mode;

comparing the quantity to a preselectable criterion; and

if the quantity matches the preselectable criterion, detecting light transmitted from the one or more compositions using the multi-mode instrument in a second optical measurement mode, where the second mode is different than the first mode.

24. The method of claim 23, where the preselectable criterion is a set of acceptable values for the first quantity, so that light transmitted from the one or more compositions is detected using the second mode if the first quantity is an acceptable value.

25. The method of claim 23, where the preselectable criterion is a set of unacceptable values for the first quantity, so that light transmitted from the one or more compositions is detected using the second mode if the first quantity is an unacceptable value.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

computing a second quantity related to a property of the one or more compositions using the light detected in the second optical measurement mode; and

assessing the presence or effects of a potential source of error on the first quantity using the second quantity.

27. A system for performing optical analysis on a plurality of compositions, comprising:

a multi-mode instrument configured to detect light automatically from the plurality of compositions in a first optical measurement mode and from one or more of the compositions in a second optical measurement mode, where the first mode is different than the second mode, and where the plurality of compositions are disposed in a two-dimensional array; and

a processor that uses measurements from more than one optical measurement mode to compute a quantity relating to a characteristic of the one or more compositions.

28. The system of claim 27, where the multi-mode instrument indudes a light source, a detector, an examination site, and an optical relay structure positioned to transmit light from the light source to a composition at the examination site, and from the composition to the detector.