Optical alignment in capillary detection using capillary wall scatter
AssigneeAclara Biosciences, Inc.
InventorsKevin Maher, Torleif Ove Bjornson
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Abstract
The present invention provides for methods and apparatus for locating a capillary channel that is disposed within a lab chip. The method provides for scanning the channel with a light source, monitoring the resulting light at the edges of the lab chip, and interpreting this information whereby the light detected at the edges of the lab chip can be used as a means for characterizing the location of the side walls of the channel within the lab chip. The apparatus provides for a carriage system to which a light source and the lab chip are attached. It also provides for one or more scatter detectors directed towards the edges of the chip and connected to a computer processor for purposes of analysis.
Claims8
A method for determining the location of a sloped side wall of a microchannel disposed in a light transmitting substrate, said method comprising:
- scanning a portion of said substrate with a light source in a direction that is angled with respect to the direction of channel flow, said portion including said side wall of said microchannel;
- monitoring the relative movement between said substrate and said light source during said scanning while measuring light emanating from at least one edge of said substrate;
- correlating said emanating light to the relative positions between said light source and said substrate during said scanning, and
- determining the location of said side wall within said substrate from said correlating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.