ANALYTE MICRODETECTOR AND METHODS FOR USE

摘要

This invention includes arrays for detecting nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules for use in studies in the fields of genomics, proteomics, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, physiology, metabolics and biochemistry. Systems are provided for rapid, high throughput screening of molecules using microlenses and electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation passes through a labeled sample on a substrate and detection signals arising from an interaction of that electromagnetic radiation and a labeled sample are focused using microlenses, thereby decreasing the effects of parasite light. By reducing parasite light, the number of false positive results can be decreased , and the size of a sample can be decreased accordingly. Decreasing the size of a sample needed for detection can permit increases in the numbers of samples detected per array. Signal to noise ratio can be increased in other embodiments by providing reflective layers on arrays, thereby permitting multiple interactions between incident electromagnetic radiation and a sample.