University of Minnesota

Mark A Sanders

Martin Blumenfeld

Joseph J Talghader

Scott Andrew Nelson

Steven Arthur Lewis

Jesse R Grenz

Kraig Anderson

A system and method using an electronic light detector array, e.g., a CCD or a CMOS-based detector array, is used to acquire a visual image of a biological sample that includes biological material associated with a biological material holding structure (e.g., a DNA spot array on a DNA chip, protein bands in a 2-D gel, etc.). For example, fluorescence from a biological sample may be detected.

Imaging of biological samples using electronic light detector

An image detection apparatus comprises a light source and a holding apparatus adapted to hold a substrate on which a biological sample may be mounted. Light from the light source impinges on the biological sample and causes light that is representative of the sample to be emitted from the sample. A light detector is positioned in the path of the emitted light and is scanned across the emitted light. The emitted light may be focused on the light detector with an optical assembly. The emitted light may be generated by chromophores on probes in the biological sample.

Scanning of biological samples

A device for detecting the pattern of polynucleic acid hybridization to a surface, the device includes (a) a positioning device for receiving a nucleic acid chip and keeping the chip in a sampling position, the nucleic acid chip being an object with a flat sample surface and an opposed surface that is joined to the sample surface by a thickness, with the sample surface having sequences of nucleic acids immobilized thereto, with each sequence being immobilized to a particular chip address. And, (b) an electronic light detector array, the detector array comprising detector pixels, the detector pixels being sensors located at particular detector pixel addresses, wherein the sampling position places the sample surface of the chip at a well-defined position relative to the electronic light detector array so that light leaving a chip address is substantially directed onto at least one detector pixel with an address that is correlated to the chip address.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Mark A Sanders