Molecular Devices Corporation

Piramoon Technologies, Inc.

Mds Analytical Technologies

Robert Giebeler

Roger A Kaye

David G Ogle

Dean G Hafeman

Gillian M Humphries

Steven McNerney

Thomas J Smith

Roger Kaye

Dean Hafeman

A method and apparatus for determining the fluorescence, luminescence, or absorption of a sample is provided. The sample may either be contained within a cuvette or within one or more sample wells within a multi-assay plate. A combination of a broadband source, a monochromator, and a series of optical filters are used to tune the excitation wavelength to a predetermined value within a relatively wide wavelength band. A similar optical configuration is used to tune the detection wavelength. An optical scanning head assembly is used that includes mirrored optics for coupling the excitation source to the sample and the emitted light to the detector. An elliptical focussing mirror is used to magnify and focus the light projected from an optical fiber coupled to the source subassembly onto the sample. A portion of the source light is reflected by a beamsplitter onto a reference detector used to monitor the output of the source. The light from the elliptical mirror passes through an aperture in a second elliptical mirror prior to impinging upon the sample. The light emitted by the sample within the sample well is reflected by the second elliptical mirror and imaged onto the entrance aperture of an optical fiber coupled to the detector subassembly. The optical axes of both mirrors are slightly offset from the sample well normal. The mirror offset minimizes the amount of light reflected from the meniscus of the sample or the bottom surface of the sample well that enters the detection subassembly.

Optical system for a scanning fluorometer

A method and apparatus for determining the fluorescence, luminescence, or absorption of a sample is provided. The sample may either be contained within a cuvette or within one or more sample wells within a multi-assay plate. A combination of a broadband source, a monochromator, and a series of optical filters are used to tune the excitation wavelength to a predetermined value within a relatively wide wavelength band. A similar optical configuration is used to tune the detection wavelength. In one aspect, multiple optical fibers are coupled to the excitation source subassembly, thus allowing the system to be quickly converted from one optical configuration to another. In another aspect, the excitation light and the detected sample emissions pass to and from an optical head assembly via a pair of optical fibers. The optical head assembly is scanned across one axis of the sample multi-assy plate. The multi-assay plate is mounted to a carriage assembly that scans the plate along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

Scanning fluorometer

A method and apparatus for determining the fluorescence, luminescence, or absorption of a sample is provided. The sample may either be contained within a cuvette or within one or more sample wells within a multi-assay plate. A combination of a broadband source, a monochromator, and a series of optical filters are used to tune the excitation wavelength to a predetermined value within a relatively wide wavelength band. A similar optical configuration is used to tune the detection wavelength. In one aspect, multiple optical fibers are coupled to the excitation source subassembly, thus allowing the system to be quickly converted from one optical configuration to another. For example, the source can be used to illuminate either the top or the bottom of a sample well within a multi-assay plate or to illuminate a single cuvette cell. Similarly, multiple optical fibers are coupled to the detector subassembly. In another aspect, the excitation light and the detected sample emissions pass to and from an optical head assembly via a pair of optical fibers. The optical head assembly is scanned across one axis of the sample multi-assay plate. The multi-assay plate is mounted to a carriage assembly that scans the plate along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. In another aspect, an optical scanning head assembly is used that includes mirrored optics for coupling the excitation source to the sample and the emitted light to the detector.

A method and apparatus for determining the fluorescence, luminescence, or absorption of a sample is provided. The sample may either be contained within a cuvette or within one or more sample wells within a multi-assay plate. A combination of a broadband source, monochromator, and a series of optical filters are used to tune the excitation wavelength to a predetermined value within a relatively wide wavelength band. A similar configuration is used to tune the detection wavelength. In one aspect, multiple optical filters are coupled to the excitation source subassembly, thus allowing the system to be quickly converted from one optical configuration to another. In another aspect, the excitation light and the detected sample emissions pass to and from an optical head assembly via a pair of optical fibers. In another aspect, an optical scanning head assembly is used that includes mirrored optics for coupling the excitation source to the sample and the emitted light to the detector. In another aspect, time tags are recorded for samples contained within a multi-assay plate to monitor compositional time dependent properties or to ensure the accurate comparison of individual samples.

Optimization systems in a scanning fluorometer

In a centrifuge having a central stator with a peripheral rotor, an improved suspension for the rotor is disclosed. The central stator is provided with a bore coaxial to the axis of rotation of the rotor. The rotor of the centrifuge motor has a quill shaft support member extending into and rotating within the coaxial bore of the stator. A quill shaft attaches at the bottom of the quill shaft support member and extends upward above the rotor of the centrifuge motor to support a fastening hub for the centrifuge rotor. The rotor of the centrifuge is detached from the rotor of the centrifuge motor so as to define a spatial interval between the supported spinning rotor and the rotor of the motor driving the centrifuge. The centrifuge rotor attaches at the hub and depends downward from the hub with the spatial interval being defined between the rotor of the motor and the rotor of the centrifuge. It is noted that the center of gravity of the attached centrifuge rotor is well below the hub so that support of the rotor is inherently stable. In the preferred embodiment, heat transfer shielding material is placed over the rotor of the motor. Operation is quite and smooth with the inevitable rotor imbalances being absorbed by quill shaft flexure.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Robert Giebeler