Confocal imaging methods and apparatus

摘要

The invention provides imaging apparatus and methods useful for obtaining a high resolution image of a sample at rapid scan rates. A rectangular detector array having a horizontal dimension that is longer than the vertical dimension can be used along with imaging optics positioned to direct a rectangular image of a portion of a sample to the rectangular detector array. A scanning device can be configured to scan the sample in a scan-axis dimension, wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array and the shorter of the two rectangular dimensions for the image are in the scan-axis dimension, and wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array is short enough to achieve confocality in a single axis.

主权项

1. A method of detecting features of a microarray, comprising
(a) directing a radiation line to a microarray to simultaneously excite a plurality of fluorescent features in a rectangular or oblong area of the microarray, wherein the radiation line has vertical and horizontal dimensions, the vertical dimension for the radiation line being the shorter dimension, thereby producing simultaneous emission radiation from the plurality of fluorescent features; (b) detecting the simultaneous emission radiation with a rectangular detector array, wherein the rectangular detector array comprises a plurality of pixel elements in a horizontal dimension and a plurality of pixel elements in a vertical dimension, wherein the horizontal dimension for the rectangular detector array is longer than the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array, wherein the ratio of the vertical dimension for the radiation line to the quotient of the vertical dimension for the detector array divided by the magnification of the imaging optics is in the range of 0.1 to 10, and wherein the simultaneous emission is detected at a Rayleigh resolution in the range of 0.2 micrometer to 10 micrometers; and (c) scanning the radiation line across the microarray in a scan-axis dimension, wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array is in the scan-axis dimension, thereby repeating (a) and (b).