Biological analysis devices and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237108-B2
Application number	US-202016904784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A biological analysis system can include an excitation module and an emission module. The excitation module can include a collimator element for receiving excitation light from the excitation light source and transmitting collimated excitation light in a first direction, and a plurality of excitation mirrors arrayed along the excitation light path, each excitation mirror disposed at an acute angle relative to the first direction and configured to reflect collimated excitation light along a second direction. The emission module can be positioned to receive excitation light transmitted along the second direction and can include a sample block comprising a plurality of sample receptacles positioned to receive a beam of collimated excitation light, and a plurality of photodetectors configured to receive emission light transmitted from a respective sample receptacle in a direction transverse to the second direction of the excitation light path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A biological analysis system comprising:
an excitation module, comprising:
a collimator element configured to receive excitation light from at least one excitation light source and to transmit collimated excitation light along an excitation light path in a first direction;
a plurality of excitation mirrors arrayed along the excitation light path, wherein each excitation mirror is disposed at an acute angle relative to the first direction and configured to reflect a respective beam of collimated excitation light along a second direction of the excitation light path;
an emission module positioned to receive excitation light transmitted along the second direction of the excitation light path, the emission module comprising:
a sample block comprising a plurality of sample receptacles, each sample receptacle positioned to receive a respective beam of collimated excitation light transmitted along the second direction of the excitation light path; and
a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector configured to receive emission light transmitted in a third direction from a respective sample receptacle, the third direction being transverse to the second direction of the excitation light path; and

a plurality of excitation lenses arrayed such that each excitation lens is positioned in the second direction of the excitation light path and is configured to focus a respective, reflected beam of collimated light into a respective focused beam of excitation light to be received at a respective sample receptacle of the emission module.

2. The biological analysis system of claim 1 , wherein each photodetector is oriented in the third direction toward the respective sample receptacle.

3. The biological analysis system of claim 2 , wherein the third direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction of the excitation light path.

4. The biological analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the emission module additionally comprises a plurality of emission lenses configured to focus emission light transmitted in the third direction onto the plurality of photo detectors.

5. The biological analysis system of claim 4 , wherein the emission module additionally comprises a plurality of emission filters corresponding to the plurality of emission lenses, the plurality of emission filters being positioned downstream of the corresponding plurality of emission lenses and configured to allow emission light to pass through the emission filter and to substantially block stray excitation light.

6. The biological analysis system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of emission filters comprise dual bandpass filters.

7. The biological analysis system of claim 4 , wherein each emission lens comprises a curved lens.

8. The biological analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the emission module further comprises a plurality of emission windows, each emission window associated with a respective sample receptacle and defining an area through which emission light is transmitted to downstream components in the third direction.

9. The biological analysis system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of excitation mirrors is independently adjustable.

10. The biological analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of excitation mirrors are arrayed in a staggered, diagonal pattern formed by a first center point of a first excitation lens being offset vertically and horizontally from a second center point of a second excitation lens, and the acute angle of each excitation mirror in the staggered, diagonal pattern is between 50° and 75° relative to the first direction.

11. A biological analysis system comprising:
an excitation module comprising:
an excitation light source configured to emit excitation light in a first direction;
an excitation mirror selectively movable between a plurality of predefined positions, each predefined position forming an acute angles relative to the first direction and being configured to reflect the excitation light along a second direction; and
a plurality of excitation lenses arrayed such that each excitation lens is positioned in the second direction and is configured to receive a reflected beam of excitation light directed thereto by the excitation mirror positioned in a respective predefined position; and
an emission module comprising:
a plurality of sample receptacles positioned to receive focused beams of reflected excitation light from the corresponding plurality of excitation lenses; and
at least one photodetector configured to receive emission light transmitted in a third direction from the plurality of sample receptacles, the third direction being transverse to the second direction; and
a plurality of emission lenses and a plurality of emission filters configured to focus and filter the emission light onto the at least one photodetector.

12. The biological analysis system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one photodetector comprises a plurality of photodetectors, each photodetector configured to receive emission light from a respective sample receptacle, the emission light having been focused and filtered by respective emission lenses and respective emission filters before being received at each photodetector.

13. The biological analysis system of claim 11 , further comprising a sample loading system configured to removably secure one or more sample containers within corresponding sample receptacles of the plurality of sample receptacles.

14. The biological analysis system of claim 13 , wherein the sample loading system further comprises a closing mechanism configured to exert a closing force on—and to positionally secure—the one or more sample containers within the corresponding sample receptacles.

15. The biological analysis system of claim 11 , wherein the emission light comprises fluorescence radiation from one or more excited fluorescent labels.

16. The biological analysis system of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of emission apertures, wherein each emission aperture is associated with a respective emission lens of the plurality of emission lenses, and wherein each emission aperture is aligned in the third direction and defines an area through which emission light is received from the sample receptacle by the respective emission lens.

17. The biological analysis system of claim 16 , wherein a center point of the emission aperture is aligned with an optical center of the respective emission lens.

18. A biological analysis system, comprising:
at least two excitation light sources emitting different excitation wavelengths;
a collimator element configured to receive excitation light from the at least two excitation light sources and to transmit collimated excitation light along an excitation light path in a first direction;
a plurality of excitation mirrors arrayed in a staggered, diagonal pattern along the excitation light path, wherein each excitation mirror is disposed at an acute angle relative to the first direction and configured to reflect a respective beam of collimated excitation light along a second direction of the excitation light path;
a plurality of excitation lenses positioned in the second direction of the excitation light path and is configured to focus respective, reflected beam of collimated light into corresponding focused beams of excitation light;
a sample block forming a plurality of sample receptacles, wherein the plurality of sample receptacles are positioned to receive the corresponding focused beams of excitation light; and
for each respective sample receptacle, the bio

Assignees

• Life Tech Holdings Pte Limited
• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Chen Ming Song
• Chong Chee Woei
• Loh Wuh Ken
• Foo Wern Yuh
• Boo Kuan Moon
• Leclerc Norbert
• Uhlendorf Kristina
• Koellner Reiner
• Fuchs Torsten
• Breitfelder Stefan

Classifications

• G01N2021/6478

  Special lenses · CPC title

• G01N21/6486

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

• G01N21/6458

  Fluorescence microscopy (fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16) · CPC title

• G01N21/6452 Primary

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

• G01N21/6428 Primary

  Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53) · CPC title