Detection device for specimens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119915-B2
Application number	US-201514682580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A detection device for specimens includes an image sensor, a light-guiding structure, a carrier, and a light source. The light-guiding structure is disposed on the image sensor, and includes a light-guiding layer and a top layer. The light-guiding layer is disposed on the image sensor. The top layer is disposed on the light-guiding layer. The carrier is disposed on the light-guiding structure. The carrier has a number of wells arranged in an array located over the guiding portions. Each of the wells is configured to receive a specimen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detection device for specimens, comprising:
an image sensor;
a light-guiding structure, disposed on the image sensor, comprising:
a light-guiding layer disposed on the image sensor; and
a top layer disposed on the light-guiding layer;

a carrier, disposed on the light-guiding structure, having a plurality of wells arranged in a second array located over the top layer, wherein each of the wells is configured to receive and hold a specimen solely within the well, and
a light source adjacent to a side surface of the light-guiding layer and configured to emit an excitation beam into the light-guiding layer, wherein a portion of the excitation beam is transmitted from the light source along the light-guiding layer to the plurality of wells and another portion of the excitation beam is transmitted from the light source to the microlenses and is reflected by the microlenses to the plurality of wells,
wherein the top layer includes a plurality of guiding portions, disposed on the light-guiding layer, arranged in a first array, and the wells located over the guiding portions,
wherein the excitation beam is transmitted to the specimens via the top layer,
wherein the carrier comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and the plurality of wells is arranged in contact with the top surface of the carrier and the bottom surface of the carrier is opposite of the top surface, and
wherein the specimens emit induced beams when the specimens are irradiated by the excitation beam, and the detection device is configured so that the induced beams are transmitted from at least one well then through the bottom surface of the carrier and then to the image sensor via the top layer and the light-guiding layer, in sequence.

2. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises:
a sensing layer;
a plurality of filter units, disposed on the sensing layer, arranged in a third array; and
a plurality of microlenses, disposed on the filter units, arranged in a fourth array,
wherein the light-guiding structure is disposed on the microlenses, and the microlenses are configured to reflect the excitation beam toward the wells,
wherein the induced beams are transmitted to the sensing layer via the microlenses and the filter units in sequence.

3. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the image sensor further comprises a cutting layer, disposed between the sensing layer and the microlenses, configured to block the excitation beam passing through to the sensing layer.

4. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each of the microlenses has a greatest height, and the greatest heights of the microlenses gradually increases from an edge area of the detection device to a central area of the detection device so that the microlenses closest to the central area have a largest greatest height and the microlenses closest to the edge area have a smallest greatest height.

5. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top layer further comprises a grid portion, surrounding the guiding portions, disposed on the light-guiding layer, wherein the grid portion is a portion of the top layer that is configured to reflect the excitation beam in the light-guiding layer.

6. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a refractive index of the light-guiding layer is greater than a refractive index of the grid portion.

7. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding structure further comprises a bottom layer disposed on the image sensor, wherein the bottom layer is configured to reflect the excitation beam in the light-guiding layer.

8. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a refractive index of the light-guiding layer is greater than a refractive index of the bottom layer.

9. A detection device for specimens, comprising:
an image sensor comprising a plurality of micro lenses arranged in a first array;
a light-guiding structure, comprising:
a light-guiding layer disposed on the micro lenses; and
a top layer disposed on the light-guiding layer;

a carrier, disposed on the light-guiding structure, having a plurality of wells arranged in a second array located over the top layer, wherein each of the wells is configured to receive and hold a specimen solely within the well, and
a light source adjacent to a side surface of the light-guiding layer and configured to emit an excitation beam into the light-guiding layer, wherein a portion of the excitation beam is transmitted from the light source along the light-guiding layer to the plurality of wells and another portion of the excitation beam is transmitted from the light source to the microlenses and is reflected by the microlenses to the plurality of wells,
wherein the top layer includes a plurality of guiding portions, disposed on the light-guiding layer, arranged in a first array, and the wells located over the guiding portions,
wherein the excitation beam is transmitted to the specimens via the top layer,
wherein the carrier comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and the plurality of wells is arranged in contact with the top surface of the carrier and the bottom surface of the carrier is opposite of the top surface, and
wherein the specimens emit induced beams when the specimens are irradiated by the excitation beam, and the detection device is configured so that the induced beams are transmitted from at least one well then through the bottom surface of the carrier and then to the image sensor via the top layer and the light-guiding layer, in sequence.

10. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the image sensor comprises:
a sensing layer; and
a plurality of filter units, disposed on the sensing layer, arranged in a third array;
wherein the microlenses are disposed on the filter units, and the induced beams are transmitted to the sensing layer via the microlenses and the filter units in sequence.

11. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the top layer comprises a plurality of the first grating portions and a plurality of second grating portions, and each of the first grating portions and each of the second grating portions are arranged alternately.

12. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein heights of the first grating portions relative to the transmitting layer are gradually decreased from an edge area of the light-guiding structure to a central area of the light-guiding structure.

13. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein widths of the first grating portions are gradually decreased from an edge area of the light-guiding structure to a central area of the light-guiding structure.

14. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein intervals between two adjacent first grating portions are gradually increased from an edge area of the light-guiding structure to a central area of the light-guiding structure.

15. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a refractive index of the first grating portions is greater than a refractive index of the second grating portions, and a refractive index of the light-guiding layer is greater than a refractive index of the transmitting layer and the first grating portions.

16. The detection device for specimens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each of the first grating portions has an offset to a nearest well of the wells in a direction perpendicular

Assignees

• Visera Technologies Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tu Zong-Ru
• Hsieh Chin-Chuan
• Wang Wei-Ko

Classifications

• G01N2201/06113

  Coherent sources; lasers · CPC title

• C12Q1/6869

  Methods for sequencing · CPC title

• G01N21/6452

  Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates · CPC title

• G01N21/648 Primary

  using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N21/6486 Primary

  Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells (G01N21/6428 takes precedence) · CPC title