A micro-well plate for imaging of fluorescent, chemiluminescent, bioluminescent,and colorimetric assays

摘要

A specimen containment system is disclosed which optimizes the optical properties of the specimen holders (wells) for imaging in order to enhance the relevant signal, relative to background. A family of well plates all have the inherent properties of: i) minimizing reflections from an excitation source into an imaging detector; ii) minimizing the concentration of excitation into intense and localized sources (lensing); and iii) allowing an epi-illuminating excitation beam to penetrate both central and lateral wells effectively. The well plates are made of a material that has or is treated to have minimal inherent fluorescence and minimal reflection properties. The well chambers are constructed to be depth-wise asymmetric (for example, sloping well surfaces) and to have cross-sectional irregularity. The bottom walls of the wells may also be formed with a ridge or made transparent so as to minimize reflections of incident light therefrom.