Multi-channel optical measurement instrument

摘要

A receptacle having a plurality of interconnected chambers arranged to permit multiple process steps or processes to be performed independently or simultaneously. The receptacles are manufactured to separate liquid from dried reagents and to maintain the stability of the dried reagents. An immiscible liquid, such as an oil, is included to control loading of process materials, facilitate mixing and reconstitution of dried reagents, limit evaporation, control heating of reaction materials, concentrate solid support materials to prevent clogging of fluid connections, provide minimum volumes for fluid transfers, and to prevent process materials from sticking to chamber surfaces. The receptacles can be adapted for use in systems having a processing instrument that includes an actuator system for selectively moving fluid substances between chambers and a detector. The actuator system can be arranged to concentrate an analyte present in a sample. The detector can be used to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of the receptacle.

主权项

1. A detector for detecting optical emissions of two or more different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths from a sample, wherein emissions of two or more different wavelengths are indicative of the presence, amount, or state of two or more analytes of interest in the sample, the detector comprising:
two or more excitation channels fixed with respect to the sample and each other, wherein each excitation channel is adapted to direct an excitation signal of a different prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample and each excitation channel comprises:
a light emitting element adapted to emit excitation light; andexcitation optical elements defining an excitation optical path having an excitation optic axis, the excitation optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element having the prescribed excitation wavelength or range of excitation wavelengths toward the sample; two or more emission channels fixed with respect to the sample, the excitation channels, and each other, wherein each emission channel is adapted to receive and detect an emission signal of a different prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths from the sample and each emission channel comprises:
emission optical elements defining an emission optical path having an emission optic axis, the emission optical elements being constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of any light emitted by the sample having the prescribed emission wavelength or range of emission wavelengths; anda light-detecting element adapted to detect light transmitted by the emission optical elements and to convert the detected light to an electronic signal indicative of at least one of the presence and strength of the detected light; a housing, wherein each excitation channel is disposed within a different excitation conduit within the housing and each emission channel is disposed within a different emission conduit within the housing, and wherein the excitation optic axes of the excitation channels and the emission optic axes of the emission channels are parallel to one another throughout their extents; a solid, undivided optic lens constructed and arranged with respect to the excitation channels and the emission channels to (1) direct excitation light transmitted by each excitation channel and impinging on a different portion of the optic lens at a prescribed location and (2) receive emission signals emitted by contents of the sample and to direct at least a portion of the received emission signals into each of the emission channels, wherein the optic lens is positioned with respect to the excitation and emission channels so that the light emitting element and excitation optical elements of each excitation channel and the emission optical elements and the light-detecting element of each emission channel are disposed on one side of the optic lens, and wherein the detector includes no optic element on an opposite side of the optic lens between the optic lens and the sample; and signal discriminating circuitry comprising:
excitation modulation circuitry constructed and arranged to modulate the excitation signal of each excitation channel at a predefined excitation frequency, wherein the excitation frequencies of at least two of the excitation channels are different; anddetection circuitry constructed and arranged to identify that portion of the detected light that is substantially at the excitation frequency.