Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes
AssigneeLife Technologies Corporation
InventorsJonathan Rothberg, Todd Rearick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus relating to FET arrays including large FET arrays for monitoring chemical and/or biological reactions such as nucleic acid sequencing-by-synthesis reactions. Some methods provided herein relate to improving signal (and also signal to noise ratio) from released hydrogen ions during nucleic acid sequencing reactions.
Claims20
A system for chemical analysis comprising:
- an array of pixels having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the pixels having a reaction area and a chemically sensitive sensor configured to provide an analog output indicative of the reactions sensed within the reaction area for the pixel;
- a selection circuit arranged to select at least one of the rows;
- a plurality of column circuits, each column circuit configured to receive the analog output from a selected row during a sampling period;
- an analog to digital conversion circuit associated with each of the column circuits and configured to receive the analog output from the column circuits that were received by the column circuits during the sampling period and to sample them at a second rate that is greater than the first rate, such that a series of samples is made for each of the analog outputs at the second rate for a second sampling period that corresponds to the sampling period;
- and
- an estimation device that receives that series of samples and determines an estimated pixel value from the series of samples during the sampling period.
The system of claim 4 further comprising a condensing device that takes the predetermined number of frames within the predetermined time period and reduces them to a reduced number of frames for the predetermined time period.
A system having an array, comprising:
- a plurality of chemical sensors configured to detect a quantity of a substance;
- a selection circuit arranged to select a subset of the chemical sensors for a time period during which the subset of chemical sensors will provide an output signal, wherein the time period is shorter than an amount of time required for the output signal from the chemical sensors to settle and reach their final value from detecting the quantity of the substance;
- a plurality of output circuits configured to receive the output signals from the subsets of the chemical sensors during the time period;
- a sampling circuit configured to take a plurality of samples from each of the output signals during the time period;
- and
- an estimator that receives the plurality of samples and generates an estimated value for each of the sensors during the time period.
A method of determining pixel values comprising:
- providing an array of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
- Selecting at least one row pixels to be read out of the array;
- outputting pixel data for the selected rows onto buses for the columns at a first rate;
- and converting pixel data from the column busses at a second rate that is multiple times the first rate such that an oversampled pixel data set is made for each pixel readout.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.