Microtiter plate reader apparatus and dynamic filter storage

A microtiter plate reader apparatus for optically measuring samples, comprising:

• a radiation source configured to form an excitation beam in an excitation channel;
• a detector configured to detect an emission beam in an emission channel;
• a filter configured to be located in one of an excitation position in the excitation channel or in an emission position in the emission channel;
• and
• a filter module, the filter module comprising:
• a first filter storage comprising a first set of filter storage positions, at least one position of the first set of filter storage positions configured to be the excitation position, the excitation position overlapping at least partially an excitation channel of the microtiter plate reader apparatus;
• a second filter storage comprising a second set of filter storage positions, at least one position of the second set of filter storage positions configured to be the emission position, the emission position overlapping at least partially the emission channel of the microtiter plate reader apparatus;
• and
• a filter transfer mechanism comprising a motor, a shaft and a filter slide, the motor configured to run the shaft to cause the filter slide to move, the filter transfer mechanism configured to move the filter between one or more of the excitation position, the emission position, a position in the first set of filter storage positions and a position in the second set of filter storage positions.

A method for optically measuring samples, comprising:

• providing a first set of filter storage positions in a first filter storage of a filter module, at least one position of the first set of filter storage positions configured to be an excitation position overlapping at least partially an excitation channel of an microtiter plate reader apparatus;
• providing a second set of filter storage positions in a second filter storage of the filter module, the second filter storage being disposed adjacent to the first filter storage, at least one position of the second set of filter storage positions configured to be an emission position overlapping at least partially an emission channel of the microtiter plate reader apparatus;
• moving a filter between one of the first set of filter storage positions and the excitation position using a filter transfer mechanism of the filter module;
• moving the filter between one of the second set of filter storage positions and the emission position using the filter transfer mechanism of the filter module;
• forming an excitation beam in an excitation channel using a radiation source;
• filtering the excitation beam in the excitation channel using the filter as an excitation filter located in the excitation position;
• filtering an emission beam in an emission channel using the filter as an emission filter located in the emission position;
• and
• detecting the emission beam in the emission channel using a detector.