Portable biomarker reader
AssigneeCom Dev Ltd.
InventorAlan Scott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable imaging apparatus and system. A sample processing device has a reaction chamber configured to receive a sample and react the sample with a fluorescent compound that emits a specified wavelength of light when excited by light within an excitation band. An illumination source can be positioned to illuminate the reaction chamber when the sample processing device is positioned for imaging. A light guide can be positioned to face the reaction chamber and transfer the emitted light to an imaging detector. The light guide has a filter that blocks the wavelength of light from the illumination source and passes the fluorescent emitted light. The light guide unit defines an angular light acceptance range and is configured to constrain angular spreading of light.
Claims22
An imaging system comprising:
- a sample processing device comprising at least one reaction chamber configured to receive a sample and a fluorescent compound usable to react with the sample, wherein the fluorescent compound is excitable by light with a wavelength that falls within an excitation band and the fluorescent compound emits light with a wavelength in an emission band in response to being excited;
- an illumination source optically coupled to the sample processing device, the illumination source operable to emit excitation light having an excitation wavelength that falls within the excitation band, wherein the illumination source and the sample processing device are arranged to direct at least a portion of the excitation light to the reaction chamber;
- an imaging detector operable to measure the intensity of received light;
- and
- a light guide unit having a first end optically coupled to the reaction chamber, a second end optically coupled to the imaging detector, and an optical filter located between the reaction chamber and the imaging detector;
- wherein
- the light guide unit defines an angular light acceptance range and is configured to constrain angular spreading of light entering the first end of the light guide unit;
- and
- the optical filter is configured to block light having the excitation wavelength that is emitted within the angular light acceptance range while passing light within at least a portion of the emission band.
A portable imaging apparatus usable with a sample processing device that has a reaction chamber configured to receive a sample and a fluorescent compound usable to react with the sample, wherein the fluorescent compound is excitable by light with a wavelength that falls within an excitation band and the fluorescent compound emits light with a wavelength in an emission band in response to being excited, the portable imaging apparatus comprising:
- an imaging detector operable to detect an intensity of light incident on an input side of the imaging detector;
- an illumination source operable to emit excitation light having an excitation wavelength that falls within the excitation band;
- and
- a light guide unit extending from a first end to a second end that is optically coupled to the input side of the imaging detector, the light guide unit defining an angular light acceptance range and being configured to constrain angular spreading of light entering the first end of the light guide unit;
- wherein
- the light guide unit includes an optical filter configured to block light having the excitation wavelength that is emitted within the angular light acceptance range while passing light within at least a portion of the emission band;
- and
- the portable imaging apparatus is arranged to receive the sample processing device with the first end of the light guide unit optically coupled to the reaction chamber and the illumination source positioned to direct at least a portion of the excitation light to the reaction chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.