High-efficiency oblique illumination system for fluorescence excitation and detection
OwnerAndrew A. Pappinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are a method and associated apparatus for efficiently exciting and detecting fluorescence. In a disclosed preferred embodiment, excitation lamp modules with multiple solid-state light sources shone at different oblique angles, such that multiple-beams converge in a single plane, are combined with appropriate emission filters that block the excitation light wavelengths while passing the emission wavelengths. A multitude of such modules are combined on a slider that can be accurately positioned in front of an observation point, such as a microscope's objective lens, external to the microscope, via a novel magnetic detent system, allowing for the rapid switching between the analysis of different fluorophores.
Claims19
A device for fluorescence excitation and detection comprising:
- a moveable chassis having at least two electromagnetic energy emitter modules mounted thereupon, said modules positioned outside of the field of view to a specimen with respect to a point of observation, for providing said excitation directly to said specimen by at least one of said modules along lines not parallel to the line between said point of observation and said specimen;
- and
- at least two elements mounted thereupon said chassis, such that at least one of the elements can be positioned inside said field of view to said specimen, providing filtration to detect a signal emitted from said specimen in response to said excitation;
- and
- devoid of a dichroic mirror located in said field of view to a specimen with respect to a point of observation;
- wherein at least one of said electromagnetic energy emitter modules is concomitantly triggered to illuminate said specimen by the position of said at least one of the elements providing filtration.
A device for fluorescence excitation and detection comprising:
- a movable chassis upon which at least two different emission filters are mounted such that any one of said at least two different emission filters can be positioned inside the field of view of a specimen with respect to a point of observation to detect fluorescence, by moving said chassis;
- and
- at least two electromagnetic excitation sources, at least one of which, appropriate to the emission filter placed into said field of view by moving said chassis, is concomitantly triggered to illuminate said specimen;
- and
- said at least two electromagnetic excitation sources provide appropriate illumination to said specimen, directly, from outside of said field of view;
- and
- devoid of a dichroic mirror located inside said field of view of a specimen with respect to a point of observation.
A device for rapid analysis of multiple fluorophores possessing distinct excitation and emission spectra via an optical system, such as a microscope, wherein all components of the device reside outside the optical system, said device comprising:
- a moveable chassis with at least one detent;
- and
- an element not located on said moveable chassis to engage and index said detent with respect to the optical path between the point of observation and a specimen;
- and
- mating structures located on said chassis to receive and removably attach and align at least two distinct fluorescence analysis modules with respect to said detent;
- and
- fluorescence analysis modules comprising:
- excitation sources formulated to emit light related to the excitation spectrum of a particular fluorophore;
- and
- filters formulated to transmit the spectrum of light emitted by the excitation sources;
- and
- filters formulated to analyze the spectrum of light emitted by said fluorophore;
- and
- structures to removably attach and align the modules to said chassis via said mating structures;
- and
- means to energize a particular module when said module is aligned to said optical path;
- and
- compact heat-dissipating enclosures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.