US 2009/0021728 A1Published application

Multi-Channel Optical Measurement Instrument

AssigneeGen-Probe Incorporated

InventorsRobert E. Heinz, Haitao Li

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Abstract

A receptacle having a plurality of interconnected chambers arranged to permit multiple process steps or processes to be performed independently or simultaneously. The receptacles are manufactured to separate liquid from dried reagents and to maintain the stability of the dried reagents. An immiscible liquid, such as an oil, is included to control loading of process materials, facilitate mixing and reconstitution of dried reagents, limit evaporation, control heating of reaction materials, concentrate solid support materials to prevent clogging of fluid connections, provide minimum volumes for fluid transfers, and to prevent process materials from sticking to chamber surfaces. The receptacles can be adapted for use in systems having a processing instrument that includes an actuator system for selectively moving fluid substances between chambers and a detector. The actuator system can be arranged to concentrate an analyte present in a sample. The detector can be used to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of the receptacle.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A detector for detecting an optical signal that may be indicative of the presence, amount, or state of one or more analytes in a sample, where the detector comprises:

one or more excitation channels, each adapted to direct an excitation signal of a prescribed excitation optical characteristic toward the sample, each excitation channel comprising:
a light emitting element adapted to emit excitation light and excitation optical elements defining an excitation optical path having an excitation optic axis and constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation optical characteristic toward the sample;
one or more emission channels, each adapted to receive an emission signal from the sample, each emission channel comprising:
emission optical elements defining an emission optical path having an emission optic axis and constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light emitted by the sample having a prescribed emission optical characteristic and a light-detecting element and associated circuitry adapted to detect light transmitted by the emission optical elements and to convert the detected light to an electronic signal indicative of at least one of the presence and strength of the detected light,
wherein the light-emitting and light detecting elements are operably connected to a single circuit board;
and
one or more optic elements constructed and arranged to receive an excitation signal from each excitation channel and direct at least a portion of each excitation signal at a prescribed location and to receive emission signals emitted from the sample at the prescribed location and to direct at least a portion of the received emission signals into each emission channel,
provided that the detector does not include a reflective element for redirecting all light impinging on the reflective element in a direction different from an incidence direction of the impinging light, and
further provided that the detector does not include a light characteristic separating element for redirecting a portion of the light impinging on the separating element having a first light characteristic in a direction different from an incidence direction of the impinging light and for transmitting a portion of the light impinging on the separating element having a second light characteristic.

6 more elements

A detector for detecting an optical signal from a sample that may be indicative of the presence, amount, or state of one or more analytes in the sample, the detector comprising:

one or more excitation channels, each adapted to direct an excitation signal of a prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample, and each excitation channel comprising:
a light emitting element adapted to emit excitation light;
and
excitation optical elements defining an excitation optical path having an excitation optic axis, the excitation optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample;
one or more emission channels, each adapted to receive an emission signal from the sample and detect an emission signal having a prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths, and each emission channel comprising:
emission optical elements defining an emission optical path having an emission optic axis, the emission optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light emitted by the sample having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths;
and
a light-detecting element adapted to detect light transmitted by the emission optical elements and to convert the detected light to an electronic signal indicative of at least one of the presence and strength of the detected light,
wherein the excitation and emission optic axes are parallel to one another throughout their extents;
and
an optic lens constructed and arranged with respect to the excitation and emission channels to (1) direct excitation light transmitted by each excitation channel and impinging on a different portion of the optic lens at a prescribed location and (2) receive emission signals emitted by the sample at the prescribed location and to direct at least a portion of the received emission signals into each emission channel.

8 more elements

A detector for detecting optical emissions of two or more different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths from a sample, wherein emissions of two or more different wavelengths may be indicative of the presence, amount, or state of two or more analytes of interest in the sample, and wherein the emissions are detected without moving components of the detector with respect to the sample, the detector comprising:

two or more excitation channels fixed with respect to the sample and each other, wherein each excitation channel is adapted to direct an excitation signal of a different prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample and each excitation channel comprises:
a light emitting element adapted to emit excitation light;
and
excitation optical elements defining an excitation optical path having an excitation optic axis, the excitation optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample;
and
two or more emission channels fixed with respect to the sample, the excitation channels, and each other, wherein each emission channel is adapted to receive and detect an emission signal of a different prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths from the sample and each emission channel comprises:
emission optical elements defining an emission optical path having an emission optic axis, the emission optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light emitted by the sample having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths;
and
a light-detecting element adapted to detect light transmitted by the emission optical elements and to convert the detected light to an electronic signal indicative of at least one of the presence and strength of the detected light,
whereby the detector is adapted to direct light having a unique excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths at the sample with each of the excitation channels and detect light having a unique emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths emitted from the sample with each of the emission channels without moving the excitation channels or the emission channels with respect to the sample or each other.

7 more elements

A method for detecting an optical signal that may be indicative of the presence, amount, or state of one or more analytes in a sample, wherein the method comprises:

generating a first excitation signal and transmitting a portion of the first excitation signal having a first excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths along a first excitation path;
focusing the first excitation signal at the sample with a first portion of an optic lens;
and
directing a portion of a signal emitted by the sample, if any, into a first emission path using a second portion of the optic lens, transmitting light having a first emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths along the first emission path, and detecting light having the first emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths;
wherein the first excitation path and the first emission path are parallel to each other throughout their extents.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/143,593Filed 20 Jun 2008
Priority: 21 Jun 2007
Published: 22 Jan 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification59 codes

B01F 31/00
Mixers with shaking, oscillating, or vibrating mechanisms
B01F 23/59
Mixing liquids with solids: mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
B01F 31/31
Comprising a receptacle to only a part of which the shaking, oscillating, or vibrating movement is imparted: using receptacles with deformable…
B01F 31/65
Mixers with shaking, oscillating, or vibrating mechanisms: the materials to be mixed being directly submitted to a pulsating movement, e.g. by…