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US 2014/0231675 A1Published application
Evaluation Circuit for an Optoelectronic Detector and Method for Recording Fluorescence Events
AssigneeCarl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
InventorsGunter Möhler, Dietmar Schmidt, Oliver Holub, Robert Hauschild
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Abstract
An improved evaluation circuit which allows high sensitivity in an economical manner. For this purpose, a shift register having at least one data input, a clock input, a plurality of register stages and at least one data output is provided, wherein the output of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the data input of the shift register. With a shift register, fluorescent light and scattered light can be temporally distinguished in an economical manner.
Claims16
1:
- An evaluation circuit for evaluating the electric signals of an optoelectronic detector, comprising:
- an analog-to-digital converter comprising:
- an input configured to connect to an output of the detector;
- an output configured to output a digital value;
- a shift register comprising:
- at least one data input;
- a clock input;
- a plurality of register stages;
- and
- at least one data output;
- wherein the output of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the data input of the shift register.
8 more elements
2:
- The evaluation circuit according to claim 1;
- wherein the output of the analog-to-digital converter is also connected to the clock input of the shift register.
3:
- The evaluation circuit according to claim 1, comprising:
- a clock generator with a predefined or predefinable clock frequency which is connected to the clock input of the shift register.
4:
- The evaluation circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a delay circuit with variably adjustable time delay, the delay circuit comprising:
- an input configured to receive a signal indicating a light pulse;
- and
- an output configured to output the signal after a selected delay as a delayed signal;
- wherein the output of the delay circuit is connected to the data input of the shift register such that, by outputting the delayed signal, a marking value is presented at the data input in addition to or instead of the digital value.
3 more elements
5:
- The evaluation circuit according to claim 4, further comprising:
- a readout circuit comprising:
- an input configured to receive a trigger signal;
- at least one data input which is connected to the data output of the shift register;
- and
- at least one sum output;
- wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out the register stages when the trigger signal is present;
- wherein the readout circuit is also configured to:
- sum digital values stored before the marking value;
- and/or
- sum digital values stored after the marking value;
- and
- wherein the readout circuit is further configured to output the summed values to the sum output.
10 more elements
6:
- The evaluation circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:
- at least one additional shift register;
- and
- a switching circuit which, for a plurality of consecutive light pulses, is configured to alternately connect the shift registers to the analog-to-digital converter.
1 more element
7:
- A microscope comprising:
- a light source configured for pulsed operation;
- at least one of:
- a pulse generator configured to control the light source to emit light pulses;
- and
- a pulse monitor configured to monitor the generated light pulses;
- an optoelectronic detector;
- and
- an evaluation circuit according to claim 1;
- wherein the input of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the output of the detector or is configured to be connected to the output of the detector by means of a switch.
7 more elements
8:
- The microscope according to claim 7;
- wherein the evaluation circuit comprises:
- a delay circuit with variably adjustable time delay, the delay circuit comprising:
- an input configured to receive a signal indicating a light pulse;
- and
- an output configured to output the signal after a presently selected delay as a delayed signal;
- wherein the output of the delay circuit is connected to the data input of the shift register such that, by outputting the delayed signal, a marking value is presented at the data input in addition to or instead of the digital value;
- and
- wherein the signal input of the delay circuit is connected to the pulse generator or to the pulse monitor.
6 more elements
9:
- The microscope according to claim 8;
- wherein the delay circuit has a delay corresponding to a duration of the light pulses.
10:
- The microscope according to claim 8, further comprising:
- operating means for setting the delay of the delay circuit.
11:
- The microscope according to claim 8;
- wherein the evaluation circuit comprises:
- a readout circuit comprising:
- an input configured to receive a trigger signal;
- at least one data input which is connected to the data output of the shift register;
- and
- at least one sum output;
- wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out the register stages when the trigger signal is present;
- wherein the readout circuit is also configured to:
- sum digital values stored before the marking value;
- and/or
- sum digital values stored after the marking value;
- and
- wherein the readout circuit is further configured to output the summed values to the sum output;
- wherein the evaluation circuit is connected via a data bus to a control unit configured to transmit detected fluorescence events;
- and
- wherein the readout circuit is arranged in front of the data bus.
14 more elements
12:
- A microscope comprising:
- a light source configured for pulsed operation;
- at least one of:
- a pulse generator configured to control the light source to emit light pulses;
- and
- a pulse monitor configured to monitor the emitted light pulses;
- an optoelectronic detector;
- and
- a delay circuit with variably adjustable time delay, the delay circuit comprising:
- an input configured to receive a signal indicating a light pulse;
- and
- an output configured to output the signal after a presently selected delay as a delayed signal;
- a deactivation circuit configured to occasionally, at least partially, deactivate the optoelectronic detector;
- wherein the deactivation circuit is connected to the output of the delay circuit such that the optoelectronic detector is deactivated by outputting the delayed signal.
11 more elements
13:
- A method for recording fluorescence events by means of an optoelectronic detector, comprising:
- radiating light pulses onto a sample by means of a light source;
- capturing light from the sample by means of the optoelectronic detector;
- converting the captured light into an electric signal and
- feeding the electric signal to an analog-to-digital converter to generate a digital value;
- outputting the digital value from the analog-to-digital converter;
- storing the outputted digital value in an input stage of a shift register.
4 more elements
14:
- The method according to claim 13;
- wherein contents of the shift register are shifted by one stage at the occurrence of a non-zero digital value.
15:
- The method according to claim 13;
- wherein the contents of the shift register are shifted by one stage repeatedly after a predefined time.
16:
- The method according to claim 13, further comprising:
- summing digital values which are stored in the shift register before a marking value;
- and/or
- summing digital values which are stored in the shift register after a marking value.
1 more element