Arrangement for detecting fluorescent light from a plurality of sample points

#The invention relates to an arrangement for detecting fluorescent light from a plurality of specimen points, in particular from microgene spots or microbiospots, the specimen points being arranged on a slide, having at least one light source for simultaneously illuminating the specimen points with excitation light, and having detection means, comprising detection elements, for simultaneously detecting the fluorescent light from the individual specimen points.

#Such arrangements are used, for example, for investigations in molecular biology or gene technology. The specimen to be investigated is mounted for this purpose on a slide and brought into contact with a fluorescing label. The substances present in the specimen and having an affinity with the label bind the label and can therefore be excited to emit fluorescent light. Conclusions on the composition of the specimen can therefore be drawn by detecting the fluorescent light emitted by a specimen.

#European Patent Application EP 0 947 823 A2 describes a device for detecting a fluorescent dye in specimens, the individual specimen points being arranged on a slide. This slide is designed in the form of an optical conductor. Light is launched into the slide in order to excite the fluorescent dye at the individual specimen points. The fluorescent dye is then excited by the evanescent field formed at the interface between the slide and the specimen points. The known device can be used to detect simultaneously the fluorescent light from a series of specimen points, for which purpose, for example, a linear photodiode array, or else a CCD row is used as detection device. In addition to statistical investigations, in the case of which there is no need to assign the detected fluorescent radiation to a specific specimen point, the device described in EP 0 947 823 A2 also permits simultaneous individual investigations of a multiplicity of specimen points in the case of which the fluorescent light from each individual specimen point is detected with the capability of assignment. For this purpose, it is proposed to use a lens system with the aid of which the emitted fluorescent radiation of the individual specimen points can be focussed onto the device for detecting the fluorescent radiation.

#Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention are explained below with the aid of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the figures, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows the top view of a slide with specimen points,

#FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of a detection means over the slide illustrated in FIG. 1,

#Specimen points 2 are arranged in an array on the slide 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. The specimen points 2 are microspots whose diameters are approximately 10 to 100 μm.

#The individual specimen points are brought into contact with a fluorescing label such that they emit fluorescent light in the case of illumination with corresponding excitation light.

#A plurality of specimen points—here, all the specimen points 2 arranged on the slide 1—are illuminated simultaneously with excitation light with the aid of the arrangement according to the invention for detecting fluorescent light. The detection of the fluorescent light from the individual specimen points 2 is also performed simultaneously with the aid of the arrangement according to the invention, the detection means used therefor comprising a dedicated detection element for each specimen point.