Fluorescence reader

Inventors

Lindstrom, Tomas • Mendel-Hartvig, Ib • OEHMAN OVE, null • Öhman, Ove • Backlund, Johan • Vilhelmsson, Kennet

Assignees

Crimson International Assets LLC

Abstract

A fluorescence reader for an optical assay arrangement includes a polymeric sample substrate having a reaction site-surface and a substrate surface. A light source is arranged to illuminate the reaction site-surface through the substrate surface, and a detector device is arranged to detect fluorescent light emitted from the reaction site-surface and transmitted through the substrate surface, the substrate surface provided, for example, as a light-collecting body to allow fluorescent light rays exceeding a critical emission angle for total internal reflection to escape the substrate and enter the body.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a fluorescence reader and a sample substrate with a reaction site-surface and a substrate surface opposed to the reaction site-surface. Fluorophores disposed on the reaction site-surface emit fluorescent light that is transmitted through the substrate surface to a detector device, and a light source injects exciting light rays into the substrate surface to generate the emitted fluorescent light for detection.

A core problem addressed is loss of emitted fluorescent light transmission caused by total internal reflection within the sample substrate. The substrate surface is provided with a total-internal-reflection-suppressing means located in an optical path of the emitted fluorescent light, arranged to release emitted fluorescent light trapped within the sample substrate and increase transmission through the substrate surface for detection.

The total-internal-reflection-suppressing means is implemented using optical couplers such as a surface relief structured exit-section having a faceted surface designed to diffract or refract emitted fluorescent light out of the substrate. Other implementations include optically wetting contact arrangements, such as a light-collecting body positioned in optically wetting contact with the exterior of the substrate surface with no air layer, and an optically wetting layer in sufficient physical contact with the substrate surface and having a refractive index higher than the substrate and lower than a lens device.

Further refinements address alignment and collection of the emitted light, including incidence-angle-controlling means and different geometrical planes. Optional spectral filtering and polarization filtering may be provided, while the optical arrangement may include spectral and polarization filtering and plane-separated excitation/emission geometries to support detection by the detector device.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides three independent fluorescence-related claims and one independent method claim. Across these independent claims, the main inventive features include suppressing total internal reflection in an optical path of emitted fluorescent light and extracting transmitted fluorescence using either a faceted surface-relief exit-section, an optically wetting light-collecting body in no-air-layer contact, or an optically wetting layer with refractive-index relationships to a lens device.

Across the independent claims, the claim coverage centers on fluorescence readers that inject exciting light rays into a substrate surface and detect fluorescent light transmitted through the substrate surface, while using total-internal-reflection-suppressing means to release or collect trapped emitted fluorescent light. The independent claim implementations differ in how total internal reflection is suppressed: a faceted surface relief exit-section, a light-collecting body in optically wetting no-air-layer contact, or an optically wetting layer with refractive-index relationships attached to a lens device. The independent method claim similarly anchors the approach in machining a faceted surface relief exit-section as the total-internal-reflection-suppressing means.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications