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US 9,285,318 B2Granted
Optical instrument including excitation source
AssigneeApplied Biosystems, LLC
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.
Claims25
An instrument comprising:
- a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- a light emitting diode source configured to direct a plurality of diverging excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions;
- a plurality of detectors disposed to receive respective emission beams corresponding to one of the excitation beams, each emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions and having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis;
- a lens system disposed to direct the excitation beams into two or more spaced-apart discrete excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis, wherein the discrete excitation beams are separated from one another and each discrete excitation beam irradiates a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete excitation beams;
- wherein, during operation, (1) the plurality of discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate respective reaction regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions and (2) the propagation axis of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical axis;
- wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation path of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical path.
3 more elements
An instrument comprising:
- a block configured to receive a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- a light emitting source comprising at least first light source configured to produce a first excitation beam and a second light source configured to produce a second excitation beam, each excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis
- a first detector configured to receive a first emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions in response to the first excitation beam and a second detector configured to receive a second emission beam emitted from the plurality of reaction regions in response to the second excitation beam, each emission beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis;
- and
- a first lens and a second lens, each lens disposed along a respective one of the propagation paths of the excitation beams between the light emitting source and the block, wherein the lenses are configured to direct the excitation beams into spaced-apart discrete excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the lens system, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation axis, wherein each discrete excitation beam irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- and
- wherein, during operation, the discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate the respective ones of the spaced-apart reaction regions and each discrete excitation beam propagation axis is collinear with the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams;
- wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each excitation beam overlaps a corresponding one of the propagation paths of the emission beams.
5 more elements
An instrument comprising:
- a block configured to receive a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;
- a light emitting source comprising at least a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode, the first light emitting diode generating a first diverging excitation beam toward the block and the second light emitting diode generating a second diverging excitation beam toward the block, the second diverging excitation beam being discrete and separate from the first diverging excitation beam;
- a detector configured to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions, each emission beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis;
- and
- first and second lenses, each lens disposed along a respective path between the block and a corresponding one of the light emitting diodes;
- wherein the lenses are configured to produce from the diverging excitation beams, spaced-apart discrete excitation beams that are directed to respective reaction regions of the plurality of reaction regions, each discrete excitation beam having a propagation path disposed along a propagation axis;
- wherein, during operation, (1) the plurality of discrete excitation beams simultaneously illuminate the respective reaction regions and (2) the propagation axis of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation axis of a corresponding one of the emission beams are directed along a common optical axis;
- wherein, during operation, the propagation path of each discrete excitation beam and the propagation path of a corresponding one of the emission beams are overlapping.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.