Intelligent instrumentation with changeable optical components

A method for optical measurement of samples comprising the steps of:

• reading identification information from each of a group of optical components simultaneously and interchangeable hosted on a rotatable repositionable optical component base, the base rotatable to position each of the hosted optical components in operational alignment with a set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components in making a measurement, the set of optical elements including at least an illumination source and a detector;
• storing the read identification information, and storing a location information of where each optical component component is located on the repositionable optical component base at the time of reading the identification information of each optical component during said reading identification information step;
• selecting and storing information on a measurement mode which is selected for an optical measurement;
• selecting one optical component from said group of optical components on a basis of the stored identification information of the optical components and on a basis of the stored information on the selected measurement mode;
• rotating the repositionable optical component base to reposition, at least partly on the basis of said location information of the selected optical component, the selected optical component in operational alignment with the set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components including the illumination source and the detector;
• transmitting an excitation/emission beam between a sample and a measurement head of an optical instrument by transmitting said beam through the selected one optical component, wherein,
• each optical component comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.

An optical measurement system, comprising:

• a sample holder to hold a sample;
• plural interchangeable optical modules;
• a rotatable base for simultaneously and removably hosting the optical modules and positioning a selected one of the optical modules in a measuring location by rotating the selected optical module to the measuring location;
• a set of optical components operatively connectable to any of the optical modules positioned at the measuring location and, when connected, providing an excitation beam from an illumination source via the connected optical module to the sample located on the sample holder, and an emission beam from sample via the selected optical module to a detector for detecting the emission beam;
• a reader and storage device that determines which of the hosted optical modules is appropriate for a desired optical measurement and controls the rotatable base to position the appropriate optical module in the measuring location so as to place the appropriate optical component into service by connecting the appropriate optical module with the set of optical components, wherein,
• each of the optical modules comprises machine readable identification information concerning operative characteristics of that optical module,
• the reader and storage device is configured i) to read and store the identification information of each hosted optical module including storing location information of where each optical component is located on the rotatable base during the reading of the identification information, ii) upon input of the desired optical measurement, to refer to the stored identification information and and the stored location information to determine the appropriate optical measurement for executing the desired optical measurement, and iii) to control the base to position the appropriate optical module at the measuring location, said reader and storage device further storing the location information of each optical module, wherein,
• each optical module comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.

An optical measurement instrument capable of identifying and selecting connected optical components, comprising:

• an illumination source for forming an excitation beam;
• a detector for detecting an emission beam;
• a repositionable optical component base for simultaneously hosting plural optical components from a group of interchangeable and removable optical components,
• the optical components located in a path of the excitation beam and aligned with the illumination source,
• each optical component with a purpose of at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample and ii) filtering the excitation beam,
• each optical component including an identification information marking serving to identify characteristics of the optical component;
• a reader for reading identification information from the identification information marking of each optical component;
• a storage device connected to the reader to store identification information read by the reader, said storage device storing location information of where each optical component is located on the repositionable optical component base at the time of reading the identification information of each optical component;
• a measurement mode unit with an input for receiving information on a measurement mode selected for a current optical measurement of the sample and with a storage for storing the selected measurement mode;
• and
• an evaluation and selection component connected to the storage to select one of the optical components from said group of optical components for the current optical measurement based on the stored identification information and the selected measurement mode, wherein,
• the evaluation and selection component causes the repositionable optical component base to reposition at least partly on the basis of said location information of a selected optical component in order to align the selected optical component with the illumination source and detector,
• any of the hosted optical components may be, via repositioning of the base, aligned with the illumination source and detector, and
• each optical component comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.

An optical measurement instrument capable of identifying and selecting connected optical components, comprising:

• an illumination source for forming an excitation beam;
• a detector for detecting an emission beam;
• a repositionable optical component base for simultaneously hosting plural optical components from a group of interchangeable and removable optical components,
• the optical components located in a path of the emission beam and aligned with the detector,
• each optical component with a purpose of at least one of i) directing the emission beam received from a sample and ii) filtering the emission beam,
• each optical component including an identification information marking serving to identify characteristics of the optical component;
• a reader for reading identification information from the identification information marking of each optical component;
• a storage device connected to the reader to store identification information read by the reader, said storage device storing a location information of where each optical component is located on the repositionable optical component base at the time of reading the identification information of each optical component;
• a measurement mode unit with an input for receiving information on a measurement mode selected for a current optical measurement of the sample and with a storage for storing the selected measurement mode;
• and
• an evaluation and selection component connected to the storage to select one of the optical components from said group of optical components for the current optical measurement based on the stored identification information and the selected measurement mode, wherein,
• the evaluation and selection component causes the repositionable optical component base to reposition at least partly on the basis of said location information of a selected optical component in order to align the selected optical component with the illumination source and detector, and
• any of the hosted optical components may be, via repositioning of the base, aligned with the illumination source and detector, wherein,
• each optical component comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.

A method for optical measurement of samples comprising the steps of:

• reading identification information from each of a group of optical components simultaneously and interchangeable hosted on a repositionable base, the base repositionable to position each of the hosted optical components in operational alignment with a set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components in making a measurement, the set of optical elements including at least an illumination source and a detector;
• storing the read identification information, including storing a location information of where each optical element is located on the repositionable optical component base at the time of reading the identification information of each optical component,
• selecting and storing information on a measurement mode which is selected for an optical measurement;
• selecting one optical component from said group of optical components on a basis of the stored identification information of the optical components and on a basis of the stored information on the selected measurement mode;
• positioning the base at least partly on the basis of said location information of a selected optical component to position the selected optical component in operational alignment with the set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components including the illumination source and the detector so that the selected optical component is within a path of an excitation beam and aligned with the illumination source;
• transmitting an excitation beam between a sample and a measurement head of an optical instrument by transmitting said beam through, the selected one optical component, wherein,
• each optical component comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.

A method for optical measurement of samples comprising the steps of:

• reading identification information from each of a group of optical components simultaneously and interchangeable hosted on a repositionable optical component base, the base repositionable to position each of the hosted optical components in operational alignment with a set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components in making a measurement, the set of optical elements including at least an illumination source and a detector;
• storing the read identification information, including storing a location information of where each optical component is located on the repositionable optical component base at the time of reading the identification information of each optical component;
• selecting and storing information on a measurement mode which is selected for an optical measurement;
• selecting one optical component from said group of optical components on a basis of the stored identification information of the optical components and on a basis of the stored information on the selected measurement mode;
• positioning the repositionable optical component base at least partly on the basis of said location information of a selected optical component to position the selected optical component in operational alignment with the set of optical elements used by each of the interchangeable optical components including the illumination source and the detector so that the selected optical component is within a path of an emission beam and aligned with the detector;
• transmitting an emission beam between a sample and a measurement head of an optical instrument by transmitting said beam through the selected one optical component, wherein,
• each optical component comprises means configured for at least one of i) directing the excitation beam received from the illumination source into a sample, ii) directing an emission beam received from the sample to a detector, iii) filtering the excitation beam, and iv) filtering the emission beam.