US6538735B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for producing and measuring light and for determining the amounts of analytes in microplate wells
Assignee: Revvity Health Sciences Inc
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Filing: 2000-02-25
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Granted: 2003-03-25
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Expires: 2020-02-25
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for measuring light in samples using a high intensity light source, is presented. The system utilizes bifurcated fiber bundles to transmit light at the excitation and emission wavelength bands. It also uses a band-pass filter for eliminating extraneous light, including that which corresponds to the excitation wavelength range, while permitting the emitted light to pass to a detector for quantitation. The system employs a shutter to shield the detector while the laser light source is activated, and a controller to intermittently activate the laser light and close the shutter. The apparatus preferably includes lenses for better illumination and read out conditions. The apparatus is employed in Luminescence Oxygen Channeling Immunoassays. The method has high sensitivity, accuracy and precision, and the apparatus is highly compact. Accordingly, the analyzer can perform assays in nanoliter to microliter sample volumes in standard microplates having at least 96, 384 or 1536 wells.
Inventors
- 👤 Juerg Duebendorfer
- 👤 Donald Jones
- 👤 Kenneth Neumann
- 👤 Chang Jin Wang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 22:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/645; G01N21/6452; G01N21/6428; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/06; G01N2201/064; G01N2201/0648
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 64
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A photochemical method for measuring light emitted by a liquid subjected to an excitation light said liquid contained in a vessel, said method comprising: (a) producing an excitation light having a first wavelength band, for a pre-determined time period; (b) transmitting said excitation light into said liquid through a fiber bundle; (c) said liquid producing, in a photochemical response to said excitation light, an emitted light having a second wavelength band, said second wavelength band being shorter than and separated from said first wavelength band; (d) passing said emitted light to a detector through a fiber bundle surrounding and coaxial with the fiber bundle of (a); (e) detecting said emitted light for a predetermined period of time after producing of said excitation light ceases; (f) determining the amount of light received by said detector, said amount being indicative of the amount of said emitted light produced by said liquid; and, (g) shielding said detector from said excitation light when said excitation light is being produced.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A photochemical method for measuring light emitted by a liquid subjected to an excitation light said liquid contained in a vessel, said method comprising: (a) producing an excitation light having a first wavelength band, for a pre-determined time period; (b) transmitting said excitation light into said liquid through a fiber bundle; (c) said liquid producing, in a photochemical response to said excitation light, an emitted light having a second wavelength band, said second wavelength band being shorter than and separated from said first wavelength band; (d) passing said emitted light to a detector through a fiber bundle surrounding and coaxial with the fiber bundle of (a); (e) detecting said emitted light for a predetermined period of time after producing of said excitation light ceases; (f) determining the amount of light received by said detector, said amount being indicative of the amount of said emitted light produced by said liquid; and, (g) shielding said detector from said excitation light when said excitation light is being produced.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of passing said emitted light through a filter to exclude at least the light at said first wavelength band, before step (d).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the emitted light passing through the filter has wavelengths in the range from about 500 nanometers to about 650 nanometers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the emitted light passing through the filter has wavelengths in the range from about 520 nanometers to about 620 nanometers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light has an intensity in the range from about 1 milliWatt to about 1 Watt.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light has an intensity in the range from about 30 milliWatts to 200 milliWatts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light has an intensity of about 100 milli Watts.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light is produced by a laser diode, a gas laser, a solid state laser, a light emitting diode or a white light lamp.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light is produced by a laser diode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light is produced by a flash lamp.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light is produced by a white light lamp.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said excitation light is produced by a Xenon flash lamp.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said first wavelength band has a first median wavelength and said second wavelength band has a second median wavelength and wherein said first median wavelength is longer than said second median wavelength.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first wavelength band is in a range from about 670 nanometers and 690 nanometers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating steps (a) through (g) a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined time for the same liquid in the same vessel and determining a composite amount of light received by said detector.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said fiber bundles comprise a bifurcated fiber bundle having a common end facing said liquid, a first fiber bundle in the center of said bundle for transmitting said excitation light, and a second fiber bundle surrounding and coaxial with said first fiber bundle for passing said emitted light.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the ratio of the excitation fiber bundles to the emission fiber bundles is in the range from about 0.01 to about 0.1.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the ratio of the excitation fiber bundles to the emission fiber bundles is in the range from about 0.02 to about 0.06.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said emitted light is produced by chemiluminescence.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said emitted light is produced by an interaction between donor and acceptor particles in said liquid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said donor and acceptor particles are for conducting luminescence oxygen channeling immunoassays.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of shielding is carried out by using a shutter.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the light shutter is a mechanical device, an electronic device or a photomultiplier tube-gating device.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the detector is a photomultiplier tube, an avalanche photodiode, a charge coupled device or a silicon photodiode.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the detector is a photomultiplier tube.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the detector is a charge coupled device array.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the excitation light is produced at a stable energy level and at a stable wavelength.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the volume of said liquid is in the range from about 0.01 to microliters about 300 microliters.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the volume of said liquid is in the range from about 1 microliter to about 100 microliters.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said vessel is an opaque microplate well or a single channel of a lab chip containing multiple channels.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said vessel is a white microplate well.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a) through (g) are carried out simultaneously in a plurality of vessels.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 32 wherein steps (a) through (g) are carried out simultaneously in a plurality of vessels of a microplate.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 33 wherein a single detector collects light emitted from a plurality of vessels.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 33 wherein the excitation light from a single source is transmitted to a plurality of vessels.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
134 words
An optical measurement system for producing excitation light and measuring light emitted by a sample by a photochemical reaction in a vessel, said system comprising: a light source, said light source producing light in an excitation wavelength band; a first fiber bundle for transmitting the light to liquid in said vessel; a second fiber bundle for transmitting the light emitted from said well, said light being emitted at an emitted wavelength shorter than and separated from said excitation wavelength; a filter, said filter reducing light at an excitation wavelength band and passing at least a portion of the emitted light; a detector, said detector receiving said emitted light and determining the amount of said emitted light; a shutter; and a controller for closing said shutter whenever said light source is producing said excitation light.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
134 words
An optical measurement system for producing excitation light and measuring light emitted by a sample by a photochemical reaction in a vessel, said system comprising: a light source, said light source producing light in an excitation wavelength band; a first fiber bundle for transmitting the light to liquid in said vessel; a second fiber bundle for transmitting the light emitted from said well, said light being emitted at an emitted wavelength shorter than and separated from said excitation wavelength; a filter, said filter reducing light at an excitation wavelength band and passing at least a portion of the emitted light; a detector, said detector receiving said emitted light and determining the amount of said emitted light; a shutter; and a controller for closing said shutter whenever said light source is producing said excitation light.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle are joined to produce an end section having parallel first fiber bundle fibers and second fiber bundle fibers, in which the second fiber bundle fibers surround and are coaxial with the first fiber bundle fibers.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 37 wherein the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the first fiber bundle to the second fiber bundle is in the range from about 0.01 to about 0.1.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 37 wherein said ratio is in the range from about 0.02 to about 0.06.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source produces light having an intensity in the range from about 1 milliWatt to about 1 Watt.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source produces light having an intensity in the range from about 30 milliWatts to about 200 milliWatts.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source produces light having an intensity about 100 milliWatts.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source is a laser diode, a gas laser, a solid state laser, a light emitting diode or a white light lamp.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source is a laser diode.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source is a flash lamp.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the light source is a Xenon flash lamp.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the detector is a photomultiplier tube, an avalanche photodiode, a charge coupled device or a silicon photodiode.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the detector is a photomultiplier tube.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the excitation wavelength band extends from about 670 nanometers to about 690 nanometers.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the filter passes light in the wavelength band from about 500 nanometers to about 650 nanometers.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the filter passes light in the wavelength band from about 520 nanometers to about 620 nanometers.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the shutter is a mechanical device, an electronic device or a photomultiplier tube-gating device.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the volume of said liquid is in the range from about 1 microliter to about 100 microliters.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 36 wherein said vessel is an opaque well of a microplate or a singlechannel of a lab chip containing multiple channels.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 36 wherein said vessel is a white microplate well.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 36 further comprising a plurality of said first and second fiber bundles for carrying said excited light to a plurality of vessels.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 36 wherein the volume of said liquid is in the range from about 0.01 to about 300 microliters.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 36 further comprising at least one lens between said second fiber bundle and said detector.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 36 further comprising at least one lens between said light source and said first fiber bundle.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 36 further comprising at least one lens between said liquid and said end section.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the excitation time of (a) to the detecting time of (e) is between 0.1 and 0.5.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 61 wherein the ratio of excitation time to detecting time is about 0.3.
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