EP0266881A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for multiple optical assaying
Assignee: Astromed Ltd
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Filing: 1987-09-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-09-23
Abstract
Abstract A method of and apparatus for multiple assaying in which at least two components of a sample mixture are labelled by respective markers of fluorescent materials having differing peak absorption and/or emission characteristics. In one example, the sample mixture having differentially marked target components is illuminated through a scanning head (11) coupled by fibre optics (14, 16, 26, 28) to an illuminating means (18) and multiple detecting means (22, 24), filters (20, 30, 32) being incorporated in the optical system to match the response of the respective detectors to the different absorption and/or emission characteristics of the markers.
Inventors
- 👤 Craig Douglas Mackay
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 16:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/645; G01N21/6452; G01N21/6428; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N33/543; G01N33/54366; G01N33/569; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/28; G01J3/2803; G01J3/44; G01J3/4406; G01N2021/6417; G01N2021/6421; G01N2021/6484; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/04; G01N2201/0446
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
Apparatus for use in a multiple assay, comprising means for directing a beam of light on to a sample mixture having at least two target components labelled by markers in the form of differing fluorescent materials, and an optical detecting system which receives a beam of fluorescent light emitted by the sample, divides the beam into two or more parts of differing wavelength ranges respectively covering the wavelengths of the fluorescent emissions of the differing markers, and focusses the individual parts of the beam on to a multiple detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
Apparatus for use in a multiple assay, comprising means for directing a beam of light on to a sample mixture having at least two target components labelled by markers in the form of differing fluorescent materials, and an optical detecting system which receives a beam of fluorescent light emitted by the sample, divides the beam into two or more parts of differing wavelength ranges respectively covering the wavelengths of the fluorescent emissions of the differing markers, and focusses the individual parts of the beam on to a multiple detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including a source for producing illuminating light over a wavelength range covering the wavelengths which cause the markers to fluoresce.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a plurality of sample mixtures each having marked target components are carried by a multi-well tray and the tray wells are scanned by relative movement in two coordinate directions between the tray and an optical scanner coupled to the illuminating means and a plurality of detecting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the illuminating means and the detecting means are coupled to a scanning head through fibre optic bundles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the coupling means for each of the plurality of detecting means includes a selection filter for matching the response of a given detecting means to the peak fluorescent emission of one of the markers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detecting means comprise a plurality of photomultipliers and means are provided for digitising the outputs thereof for computerised processing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detecting means is a slow scan CCD based imaging system.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
51 words
A method of multiple assaying wherein at least two components of a sample mixture are labelled by respective markers constituted by differing fluorescent materials of differing peak absorption and/or peak emission wavelengths, the mixture is caused to fluoresce, and the fluorescent emissions of the respective markers are optically detected and distinguished.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
51 words
A method of multiple assaying wherein at least two components of a sample mixture are labelled by respective markers constituted by differing fluorescent materials of differing peak absorption and/or peak emission wavelengths, the mixture is caused to fluoresce, and the fluorescent emissions of the respective markers are optically detected and distinguished.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein the system is optimised to match the means for optical detection with respect to the absorption and/or emission characteristic spectrum of the markers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method according to claim 8 or 9, when applied to cell death studies by differentially marking live and dead cells in the sample mixture, or when applied to determination of cell type ratios by differentially marking monoclonals specific to the different cell types, or when applied to doing impurity assays by differentially marking monoclonal antibodies in the product, or when applied to low temperature fluorescence of proteins and analogous complex molecules.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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