Systems and methods for assessing biological samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025305041-A1
Application number	US-202519235155-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 11, 2025
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An instrument for biological analysis includes a base, an excitation source, an optical sensor, an excitation optical system, and an emission optical system. The base is configured to receive a sample holder comprising a plurality of biological samples. The optical sensor is configured to receive emissions from the biological samples in response to the excitation source. The instrument may additionally include a sensor lens enclosed by a lens case and a focusing mechanism including a gear that engages the lens case, the focusing mechanism being accessible outside the enclosure for adjusting a focus. The instrument may further include a sensor aperture dispose along an emission optical path and a blocking structure disposed to cooperate with the sensor aperture such that none of the reflected radiation from an illuminated surface near the sample holder is received by the optical sensor that does not also reflect off another surface of the instrument.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An instrument for biological analysis, comprising:
an excitation source; an optical sensor configured to receive emissions from at least one biological sample in response to the excitation source; an excitation optical system disposed along an excitation optical path; an emission optical system disposed along an emission optical path; a sensor lens configured to direct emissions from at least some of the biological sample onto the optical sensor; a cover disposed in the excitation path, the cover having an illuminated surface which, when illuminated by the excitation light, produces reflected radiation comprising radiation from the excitation source that is reflected by the illuminated surface; and a radiation shield, wherein: the radiation shield comprises a sensor aperture disposed along the emission optical path and a blocking structure configured to cooperate with the sensor aperture such that, of the radiation which is reflected by the illuminated surface, only that which is subsequently reflected by another surface of the instrument is received by the optical sensor.

17 . An instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the cover is disposed to be above the sample.

18 . An instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the cover is configured to prevent condensation above the sample.

19 . An instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the cover is a heated cover.

20 . An instrument according to any preceding claim, further comprising a beamsplitter disposed along both the excitation optical path and along the emission optical path.

21 . The instrument according to claim 20 , further comprising:
a base configured to receive a sample holder comprising a plurality of spatially separated reaction regions for processing a plurality of biological samples, wherein: the excitation optical path is between the excitation source and the sample holder; the emission optical path is between the sample holder and the optical sensor; the emission optical system is configured to direct the emissions from the biological samples to the optical sensor; the illuminated surface is disposed along the excitation optical path between the beamsplitter and the base; and the sensor aperture is disposed between the beamsplitter and the sensor lens, wherein the base optionally comprises a thermal controller the thermal controller optionally being configured to control a temperature of at least one of the base, the sample holder, or the separated biological samples, or the thermal controller comprises a thermal cycler configured to perform a PCR assay.

22 . The instrument according to claim 21 , wherein the cover is disposed adjacent the base, the cover including a plurality of apertures configured to correspond to the plurality of reaction regions, the illuminated area optionally comprising the area defined by all the apertures of the cover corresponding to the plurality of reaction regions.

23 . The instrument according to claim 21 , wherein:
the excitation optical system comprises a sample lens configured to direct the excitation beams toward the base; the sample lens comprises a field lens configured to extend over the plurality of spatially separated regions; and the sample lens provides a telecentric optical system for a least one of the sample holder, the spatially separated reaction regions, or the optical sensor.

24 . The instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the excitation source is configured to provide a plurality of excitation beams to illuminate the at least one biological sample, at least some of the emissions optionally comprising a fluorescent emission from at least one biological sample in response to at least one of plurality of the excitation beams.

25 . The instrument according to claim 24 , wherein the excitation source is configured to produce a first excitation beam characterized by a first wavelength and a second excitation beam characterized by a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength, wherein the first excitation beam and the second excitation beam are optionally temporally separated and/or spatially separated.

26 . The instrument according to claim 23 , wherein the plurality of excitation beams comprises a first excitation beam that comprises a first wavelength range over which an intensity, power, or energy of the first excitation beam is above a first predetermined value, and a second excitation beam that comprises a second wavelength range over which an intensity, power, or energy of the second excitation beam is above a second predetermined value, the first wavelength being at least one of
(1) a central wavelength of the first wavelength range or (2) a wavelength of maximum electromagnetic intensity, power, or energy over the first wavelength range, and
the second wavelength being at least one of
(1) a central wavelength of the second wavelength range or
(2) a wavelength of maximum electromagnetic intensity, power, or energy over the second wavelength range.

27 . The instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the excitation source comprises a plurality of individual excitation sources, the plurality of individual excitation sources optionally forming a two-dimensional array of individual excitation sources.

28 . The instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the optical sensor comprises an array sensor.

29 . The instrument according to claim 28 , wherein the array sensor comprises at least one of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor or a charge-coupled device sensor.

30 . The instrument according to claim 28 , wherein the optical sensor comprises at least two array sensors.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Chen Mingsong
• Lau Soo Yong
• Boo Kuan Moon
• Aguanno Mauro
• Yeo Huei Steven
• Toh Tiong Han
• Teo Wei Fuh

Classifications

• G01N2021/6463

  Optics · CPC title

• B01L2300/18

  Means for temperature control · CPC title

• B01L2300/168

  Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings · CPC title

• B01L2300/0829

  Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates · CPC title

• B01L2300/0654

  Lenses; Optical fibres · CPC title