Multi-channel optical measurement instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086342-B2
Application number	US-201615283855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 21, 2007
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A receptacle having a plurality of interconnected chambers arranged to permit multiple process steps or processes to be performed independently or simultaneously. The receptacles are manufactured to separate liquid from dried reagents and to maintain the stability of the dried reagents. An immiscible liquid, such as an oil, is included to control loading of process materials, facilitate mixing and reconstitution of dried reagents, limit evaporation, control heating of reaction materials, concentrate solid support materials to prevent clogging of fluid connections, provide minimum volumes for fluid transfers, and to prevent process materials from sticking to chamber surfaces. The receptacles can be adapted for use in systems having a processing instrument that includes an actuator system for selectively moving fluid substances between chambers and a detector. The actuator system can be arranged to concentrate an analyte present in a sample. The detector can be used to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of the receptacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A detector for detecting optical emissions of two or more different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths from a sample, wherein emissions of two or more different wavelengths are indicative of the presence, amount, or state of two or more analytes of interest in the sample, the detector comprising:
two or more excitation channels fixed with respect to the sample and each other, wherein each excitation channel is adapted to direct an excitation signal of a different prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample and each excitation channel comprises:
a light emitting element adapted to emit excitation light; and
excitation optical elements defining an excitation optical path having an excitation optic axis, the excitation optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample;

two or more emission channels fixed with respect to the sample, the excitation channels, and each other, wherein each emission channel is adapted to receive and detect an emission signal of a different prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths from the sample and each emission channel comprises:
emission optical elements defining an emission optical path having an emission optic axis, the emission optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light emitted by the sample having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths; and
a light-detecting element adapted to detect light transmitted by the emission optical elements and to convert the detected light to an electronic signal indicative of at least one of the presence and strength of the detected light;

a housing, wherein each excitation channel is disposed within a different excitation conduit within the housing and each emission channel is disposed within a different emission conduit within the housing, and wherein the excitation optic axes of the excitation channels and the emission optic axes of the emission channels are parallel to one another throughout their extents; and
a solid, undivided optic lens constructed and arranged with respect to the excitation channels and the emission channels to (1) direct excitation light transmitted by each excitation channel and impinging on a different portion of the optic lens at a prescribed location and (2) receive emission signals emitted by contents of the sample and to direct at least a portion of the received emission signals into each of the emission channels, wherein the optic lens is positioned with respect to the excitation and emission channels so that the light emitting element and excitation optical elements of each excitation channel and the emission optical elements and the light-detecting element of each emission channel are disposed on one side of the optic lens, and wherein the detector includes no optic element on an opposite side of the optic lens between the optic lens and the sample.

2. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the excitation optical elements are constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward a container within which the sample is processed, and the emission optical elements are constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths emitted by the sample from within the container, and whereby the detector is adapted to direct light having a unique excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths at the container with each of the excitation channels and detect light having a unique emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths emitted from the container with each of the emission channels without moving the excitation channels or the emission channels with respect to the container or each other.

3. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting element comprises a light-emitting diode.

4. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the excitation optical elements of each excitation channel comprise a lens and an excitation filter constructed and arranged to transmit only light having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths.

5. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light-detecting element comprises a photodiode.

6. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the emission optical elements of each emission channel comprise a lens and an emission filter constructed and arranged to transmit only light having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths.

7. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting elements of the excitation channels and the light detecting elements of the emission channels are mounted on the same plane.

8. The detector of claim 1 , comprising two excitation channels and two emission channels and wherein the excitation conduits of the excitation channels and emission conduits of the emission channels are arranged within the housing in a circular pattern, with the excitation and emission conduits being spaced by approximately 90°.

9. The detector of claim 1 , further comprising a base including at least one printed circuit board, the housing being mounted to the base and the light emitting elements of the excitation channels and the light detecting elements of the emission channels being operatively connected to the printed circuit board.

10. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the excitation optical elements and the emission optical elements do not include optic fibers.

11. The detector of claim 1 , whereby the detector is adapted to direct light having a unique excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths at the sample with each of the excitation channels and detect light having a unique emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths emitted from the sample with each of the emission channels without moving the excitation channels or the emission channels with respect to the sample or each other.

12. The detector of claim 1 , wherein
the detector does not include a reflective element for redirecting all light impinging on the reflective element in a direction different from an incidence direction of the impinging light, and
the detector does not include a light characteristic separating element for redirecting a portion of the light impinging on the separating element having a first light characteristic in a direction different from an incidence direction of the impinging light and for transmitting a portion of the light impinging on the separating element having a second light characteristic.

13. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a front housing including a portion defining an interior lens chamber that contains the optic lens and an upper barrel having a generally cylindrical shape;
a rear housing located beneath the front housing and wherein the excitation and emission conduits consist of four, parallel light conduits extending from one end of the rear housing to an opposite end of the rear housing; and
a front housing cover disc disposed between the front housing and the rear housing and including four circular light openings, each circular light opening being aligned with one of the light conduits of the rear housing.

14. A method for detecting optical signals indicative of the presence, amount, or state of two or more analytes in a sample, wherein the method comprises:
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Assignees

• Gen Probe Inc

Inventors

• Heinz Robert E
• Li Haitao

Classifications

• B01L2300/0816

  Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions · CPC title

• B01L3/502761

  specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads or physically stretching molecules · CPC title

• B01L2300/1805

  Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks · CPC title

• G01N21/645

  Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title