Optical disc analysis system including related methods for biological and medical imaging

An assay method comprising the steps of:

• depositing a test sample at a predetermined location on an optical disc assembly;
• spinning the optical disc assembly in an optical disc drive;
• directing an incident beam onto the optical disc assembly;
• detecting a return beam formed as a result of the incident beam interacting with the test sample;
• and
• processing the detected return beam to acquire information about an investigational feature associated with the test sample.

An assay method comprising the steps of:

• depositing a test sample at a predetermined location on an optical disc assembly;
• spinning the optical disc assembly in an optical disc drive;
• directing an incident beam onto the optical disc assembly;
• detecting a transmitted beam formed as a result of the incident beam interacting with the test sample and continuing through said disc assembly;
• and
• processing the detected transmitted beam to acquire information about an investigational feature associated with the test sample.

A method comprising steps of:

• acquiring a plurality of analog signals from an optical disc assembly using one or more photo detectors;
• summing a first subset of the plurality of analog signals to produce a sum signal;
• combining a second subset of the plurality of analog signals to produce a tracking error signal;
• obtaining information used to operate an optical disc drive from the tracking error signal;
• and
• converting the sum signal to a digitized signal.

A method comprising the steps of:

• adapting a portion of a signal processing system to operate as an analog-to-digital converter;
• acquiring a plurality of analog signals from a photo detector circuit of an optical disc drive, the plurality of analog signals including information therein that is indicative of investigational features on an optical disc assembly;
• converting said analog signals into a digitized signal with said signal processing system;
• and
• characterizing said investigational features based on said digitized signal.

A signal characteristic of information about an investigational feature located in an optical disc assembly, said signal generated by a process comprising the steps of:

• depositing a test sample at a predetermined location on an optical disc assembly;
• spinning the optical disc assembly in an optical disc drive;
• directing an incident beam onto the optical disc assembly;
• detecting a return beam formed as a result of the incident beam interacting with the test sample;
• and
• processing the detected return beam to acquire information about an investigational feature associated with the test sample.

A signal generated by a process comprising the steps of:

• adapting a portion of a signal processing system to operate as an analog-to-digital converter;
• acquiring a plurality of analog signals from a photo detector circuit of an optical disc drive, wherein the plurality of analog signals includes information therein that is indicative of investigational features on an optical disc assembly;
• converting said analog signals into a digitized signal with said signal processing system;
• and
• characterizing said investigational features based on said digitized signal.

A method of detecting a signal within an optical disc system comprising the steps of:

• generating an incident beam of known wavelength;
• directing said beam onto an optical disc containing an investigational feature;
• and
• receiving a return beam formed as a result of the incident beam interacting with the investigational feature.

A method of imaging an investigational feature comprising the steps of:

• depositing an investigational feature at a predetermined location on an optical disc assembly;
• spinning the optical disc assembly in an optical disc drive;
• directing an incident beam onto the optical disc assembly;
• detecting a return beam formed as a result of the incident beam interacting with the investigational feature;
• processing the detected return beam to acquire information about an investigational feature;
• and
• imaging said investigational feature based on said information.

An optical analysis disc for detection of a signal element, comprising:

• a substrate layer;
• an operational layer associated with said substrate layer, said operational layer having operational information encoded therein;
• and
• a signal element positioned relative to said operational layer, said signal element and said operational layer having optical or magnetic characteristics selected to provide a predetermined contrast therebetween to thereby provide a return signal indicative of distinctions between information associated with said operation layer and characteristics of said signal element.

An optical analysis disc for use in imaging a biological or medical investigational feature, comprising:

• a substrate;
• an operational layer associated with said substrate, said operational layer having encoded operational features positioned relative to each other at a specified track pitch;
• and
• an investigational feature positioned relative to said operational layer, said investigational feature selected to be larger in size than a corresponding operational feature and at least as large in size as one-half of said track pitch to thereby provide at least one scan of said investigational feature as an incident beam tracks along said operational features.