US 12,000,785 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for detecting photoluminescent light emitted from a sample

AssigneeImec Vzw

InventorsFinub James Shirley, Pol Van Dorpe

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Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for detecting photoluminescent light emitted from a sample, said apparatus (200; 300) comprising at least one light source (210; 310, 318), which is configured to emit light of a first and a second wavelength towards a sample comprising photoluminescent particles, wherein said first wavelength is an excitation wavelength for inducing photoluminescent light from said photoluminescent particles, and wherein said second wavelength is longer than said first wavelength and for gathering background noise information from said sample. The apparatus further comprises a photo-detector (206) for detecting light incident on the photo-detector (206); and an interference filter (204; 304) arranged on the photo-detector (206), wherein the interference filter (204; 304) is configured to selectively collect and transmit light towards the photo-detector (206) based on an angle of incidence of the light towards the interference filter (204; 304), wherein the interference filter (204; 304) is configured to selectively transmit supercritical angle light from the sample towards the photo-detector (206) and suppress undercritical angle light from the sample.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for detecting photoluminescent light emitted from a sample, said apparatus comprising:

at least one light source, which is configured to emit light of a first and a second wavelength towards a sample comprising photoluminescent particles, wherein said first wavelength is a wavelength for inducing photoluminescent light from said photoluminescent particles and inducing scattering from the sample, and wherein said second wavelength is longer than said first wavelength and for inducing scattering from the sample and gathering background noise information from said sample,
a receiver for receiving a sample holder, wherein the receiver is configured to define a relation between a sample in the sample holder and the interference filter, wherein said receiver is configured to define the relation between an interface in said sample holder and said interference filter;
a photo-detector for detecting light incident on the photo-detector;
and
an interference filter arranged on the photo-detector, wherein the interference filter is configured to selectively collect and transmit light towards the photo-detector based on an angle of incidence of the light towards the interference filter,
wherein said interference filter is configured to selectively transmit supercritical angle light emitted from photoluminescent particles at said interface towards the photo-detector and further configured to suppress undercritical angle light emitted from photoluminescent particles at said interface, wherein supercritical angle light is emitted at angles above a critical angle and undercritical angle light is emitted at angles below the critical angle, and wherein the critical angle is based on a relation of refractive indices of a solution in which the particles are arranged and a material of a sample holder.

3 more elements

A method for detecting photoluminescent light emitted from a sample, comprising:

a) providing a sample comprising photoluminescent particles, said photoluminescent particles having an excitation wavelength corresponding to a first wavelength;
b) emitting light of said first wavelength towards said sample comprising photoluminescent particles, thereby inducing photoluminescent light from said photoluminescent particles and inducing scattering from the sample;
c) emitting light of a second wavelength towards the sample comprising photoluminescent particles, said second wavelength being selected to induce scattering from the sample and so as not to excite said photoluminescent particles,
d) detecting incident light corresponding to scattered light from the sample on a photo-detector during said emitting of light of the second wavelength;
and
e) detecting incident light corresponding to scattered light from the sample and photoluminescent light from the sample on the photodetector during said emitting of light of the first wavelength,
wherein the scattered light and the photoluminescent light emitted from the sample passes an interference filter before reaching the photodetector, the interference filter being configured to selectively collect and transmit light towards the photo-detector-based on an angle of incidence of the light towards the interference filter,
wherein said interference filter is configured to selectively transmit supercritical angle light emitted from photoluminescent particles at said interface towards the photo-detector and further configured to suppress undercritical angle light emitted from photoluminescent particles at said interface, wherein supercritical angle light is emitted at angles above a critical angle and undercritical angle light is emitted at angles below the critical angle, and wherein the critical angle is based on a relation of refractive indices of a solution in which the particles are arranged and a material of a sample holder.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/428,607Filed 14 Feb 2020
Priority: EP 191608575 Mar 2019
Published: US 2022/0113254 A114 Apr 2022
Granted: 4 Jun 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01N 21/51
Within a body or fluid: inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule
G01N 21/6454
Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates: using an integrated detector array
G01N 21/49
Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection: within a body or fluid
G01N 21/648
Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters: using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence