Optical system and method for reading encoded microbeads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9268983-B2
Application number	US-201314046517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2013
Priority date	Jan 22, 2003
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

Optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads. The microbeads are encoded and provide output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light. The system includes an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals. The output light signals are configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner. The system also includes a reading device that is positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane. The input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner. The system also includes a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals, the output light signals configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner;
a reading device positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane, wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner;
a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads. and
a support substrate configured to receive a plurality of the microbeads that are randomly distributed along the support substrate.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the input light source is configured to automatically move relative to the microbeads in a predetermined manner.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals from the microbeads in which at least some adjacent microbeads have spacings in between each other.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a computer system that includes the processor, the computer system configured to retrieve stored information that is associated with the microbeads based on the corresponding codes determined by the processor.

5. The optical system of claim 4 , wherein the computer system is configured to provide the stored information associated with the microbeads to at least one of a display, printout, storage medium, or database.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the support substrate is configured to orient the microbeads in a predetermined manner for when the microbeads are automatically illuminated and detected.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the codes based upon detected Fourier components from the output light signals.

8. The optical system of claim 7 , wherein information is contained in both a power amplitude and spatial frequency of the Fourier components, the processor configured to analyze the power amplitude and the spatial frequency of the Fourier components.

9. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding codes are determined by determining the presence or absence of predetermined Fourier spatial frequencies.

10. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the output light signals on the Fourier plane form corresponding bar codes or digital images, the respective codes on the microbeads being unintelligible as the corresponding bar code or the corresponding digital image.

11. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising the structurally distinct microbeads.

12. The optical system according to claim 1 , further comprising a computer system that includes the processor, the computer system configured to identify respective substances that are associated with the microbeads based upon the code.

13. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals, the output light signals configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner;
a reading device positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane, wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner, and wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically scan one or more rows of the microbeads: and
a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads.

14. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals, the output light signals configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner;
a reading device positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane, wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner;
a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads; and
a computer system that includes the processor, the computer system configured to correlate the corresponding codes with detected label information that is based on binding affinities of the microbeads.

15. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals, the output light signals configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner;
a reading device positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane, wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner;
a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads; and
a computer system that includes the processor, the computer system configured to identify respective binding agents that are immobilized to the microbeads based on the corresponding codes of the microbeads.

16. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct microbeads thereby providing the output light signals, the output light signals configured to be projected onto the Fourier plane in a readable manner;
a reading device positioned to detect the output light signals from the Fourier plane, wherein the input light source and the reading device are configured to automatically illuminate the microbeads and detect the output light signals in a predetermined manner; and
a processor configured to perform Fourier plane analysis of the output light signals to determine corresponding codes of the microbeads, wherein the processor is configured to identify chemical probes immobilized to the microbeads based upon the corresponding codes.

17. An optical system for reading structurally distinct microbeads, the microbeads being encoded and providing output light signals onto a Fourier plane when illuminated by an incident light, the system comprising:
an input light source configured to illuminate the structurally distinct

Assignees

• Illumina Inc

Inventors

• Moon John A
• Putnam Martin A

Classifications

• G01N15/1468

  with spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• G02B1/005 Primary

  made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials (photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295) · CPC title

• G06E3/005

  using electro-optical or opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06K7/10821 Primary

  further details of bar or optical code scanning devices · CPC title