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US 7,387,891 B2Granted
Optical instrument including excitation source
AssigneeApplera Corporation
InventorsSteven J. Boege, Mark F. Oldham, Eugene F. Young
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical instrument is provided for simultaneously illuminating two or more spaced-apart reaction regions with an excitation beam generated by a light source. A collimating lens can be disposed along a beam path between the light source and the reaction regions to form bundles of collimated excitation beams, wherein each bundle corresponds to a respective reaction region. Methods of analysis using the optical instrument are also provided.
Claims74
An instrument comprising:
- a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- a light emitting diode source adapted to generate a diverging area flood light directing excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions;
- a detector disposed to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions;
- and
- a collimating lens system disposed along a path of the diverging area flood light between the light emitting diode source and the plurality of reaction regions, disposed between the plurality of reaction regions and the detector, and spaced apart from the plurality of reaction regions, wherein the collimating lens system is capable of collimating excitation beams from the diverging area flood light into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions, and each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles.
2 more elements
An instrument comprising:
- a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- a solid state laser source adapted to generate a diverging area flood light directing excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions;
- a detector disposed to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions;
- and
- a collimating lens system disposed along a pat of the diverging area flood light between the solid state laser source and the plurality of reaction regions, and disposed between the plurality of reaction regions and the detector, wherein the collimating lens system is capable of collimating excitation beams from the diverging area flood light into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions, and each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles.
2 more elements
A method of illuminating a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions with excitation beams, the method comprising:
- providing an instrument comprising a light emitting diode source, a collimating lens system, and a block including the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions, at least one of the reaction regions comprising a sample;
- generating a diverging area flood light with the light emitting diode source;
- passing the diverging area flood light through the collimating lens system to form two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions;
- directing each of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of the collimated excitation beams into a respective one of the regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles;
- and
- passing emission beams from the spaced-apart reaction regions through the collimating lens system.
3 more elements
A method of illuminating a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions with excitation beams, the method comprising:
- providing an instrument comprising a solid state laser source, a collimating lens system, and a block including the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions, at least one of the reaction regions comprising a sample;
- generating a diverging area flood light with the solid state laser source;
- passing the diverging area flood light through the collimating lens system to form two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete handle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions;
- directing each of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams into a respective one of the regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles;
- and
- passing emission beams from the spaced-apart reaction regions through the collimating lens system.
3 more elements
A method of illuminating a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions with excitation beams, the method comprising:
- providing an instrument comprising a laser source, a collimating lens system, and a block including the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions, at least one of the reaction regions comprising a sample;
- generating excitation beams with the laser source;
- passing the excitation beans through the collimating lens system to form two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system;
- focusing each of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams into a the respective ones one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles;
- and
- passing emission beams from the spaced-apart reaction regions through the collimating lens system.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.