Array optics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506865-B2
Application number	US-201313953942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

An instrument is disclosed with a lens system including an objective lens system. The objective lens system is disposed between a light source and the plurality of reaction regions. The objective lens system includes a field lens array, and a pupil plane, wherein the pupil plane and the light source are located on opposite sides of the field lens array. The field lens array is disposed between the light source and the plurality of reaction regions, the field lens array including a plurality of field lens array elements, wherein the radius of the curvature, the thickness and the position of the center of the curvature of any one field lens array element in the field lens array is variable and is disposed in a light beam path between the light source and the reaction regions such that any one of the field lens array elements is capable of imaging a pupil stop located between the light source and the field lens array to a pupil located on the pupil plane, wherein an array of pupils located on the pupil plane is generated by the field lens array.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An instrument comprising:
a block with a plurality of spaced apart reaction regions;
a light source emitting light comprising at least one excitation frequency;
an objective lens system disposed between the light source and the plurality of reaction regions, said objective lens system comprising a field lens array and a pupil plane, wherein said pupil plane and said light source are located on opposite sides of the field lens array and said field lens array is disposed between said light source and said plurality of reaction regions, said field lens array comprising a plurality of field lens array elements arranged as a unitary component, each field lens array element having a radius of curvature, a thickness and a position of the center of the curvature that are different for each lens array element, each field lens array element comprises a constant lateral width, and any one of said field lens array elements is capable of imaging a pupil stop located between said light source and said field lens array to a pupil located on said pupil plane, wherein an array of pupils located on the pupil plane is generated by the field lens array, with the proviso that said instrument does not include a field lens; and
a detector disposed to receive emission light beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions;
wherein said objective lens system is further disposed between said plurality of reaction regions and said detector, and wherein said instrument additionally comprises an emission light objective between said field lens array and said detector such that the reaction regions are imaged onto the detector.

2. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

3. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said objective lens system comprises said field lens array and additionally a pupil lens array disposed between said field lens array and said plurality of reaction regions which comprises a plurality of pupil lenses, wherein said field lens array comprises a field plane, and said pupil lens array images a field point located on said field plane to a field point on a second field plane located at said reaction regions.

4. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said pupil plane coincides with said reaction regions.

5. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said instrument additionally comprises an excitation light objective disposed between said light source and said field lens array.

6. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said instrument additionally comprises a heating lid for providing heat to the top end of said reaction regions, said heating lid comprising openings aligned with the reaction regions, and wherein said objective lens system is disposed between said light source and said reaction regions such that light transmitted through said objective lens system is focused onto the side of the heating lid proximal to the reaction regions.

7. A method of illuminating a plurality of spaced apart regions with excitation light beams, comprising:
providing an instrument according to claim 1 ;
generating an excitation light beam with the light source;
passing the excitation light beam through the objective lens system, wherein any bundle of excitation light focused on the field plane of said field lens array is separated into at least two light beams;
directing said at least two light beams onto a field plane of said reaction regions by passing them through said pupil lens array, thereby irradiating said samples comprised in said reaction regions; and
passing emission light beams from said reaction regions through said objective lens system to said detector.

8. The instrument of claim 1 , wherein said unitary component is a monolith.

Assignees

• Roche Molecular Systems Inc

Inventors

• Furlan Alan
• Wietzorrek Joachim

Classifications

• G01N2021/6478

  Special lenses · CPC title

• G02B3/0006

  Arrays (G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/6456

  Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging · CPC title

• G02B21/0096

  with photometer devices (photometers per se G01J) · CPC title

• G01N21/6454 Primary

  using an integrated detector array · CPC title