SCANNING OPTICAL DETECTION SYSTEM

摘要

An optical detection system is adapted particularly for detection of biological reactions, especially fluorescent or chemiluminescent reactions. An excitation source illuminates a portion of an object to be examined, the portion preferably comprising one microlocation out of an array of microlocations, through use of an x-y mirror-based scanning system. In operation, a confocal microscopy system is formed in which the excitation radiation is in focus at the surface of the object to be examined, the excitation radiation having a lateral extent less than the diameter of a microlocation and the detection system having a lateral field of view of a diameter the same as or less than the diameter of the excitation region. Reflected excitation radiation may also be used to form an image which can be compared to prestored data specifying the position of the microlocations, whereby alignment information is obtained.