Patent US5061076A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5061076A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Time-resolved fluorometer
Assignee: Enzo Diagnostics Inc
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Filing: 1989-01-31
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Granted: 1991-10-29
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Expires: 2009-01-31
Abstract
Abstract A time-resolved fluorometer, having a light tight enclosure, for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample. Within the light tight enclosure are a pulsed dye laser that produces a pulsed light beam for sample excitation, a light tight sample excitation station through which samples, treated with a reagent composition, are passed into the path of the pulsed light excitation beam to produce a delayed fluorescence emission, a fused silica lens system through which the delayed fluorescence emission passes and an assembly which selectively amplifies, counts and characterizes the resulting emissions. The operation and coordination of the time resolved fluorometer are under computerized control as are the readings reported. Significant improvements relate to the fused silica lens systems and interference filters, cooling of the emission measurement apparatus and particularly the improved performance resulting from the combination of these aspects.
Inventors
- 👤 Ian Hurley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:05
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/6408; G01J; G01J5/00; G01J5/02; G01J5/06; G01J5/061; G01J2005/062; G01J3/00; G01J3/02; G01J3/0286; G01N21/6428; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N35/00; G01N35/00029; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S436/00; Y10S436/805
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A time-resolved fluorometer for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample, which fluorometer comprises a light tight enclosure having therein: means for emitting a beam of excitation light; a light tight sample excitation station for a sample which has been reacted with a reagent composition excitable by said excitation light to produce a delayed fluorescence in the presence of said analyte, which excitation station comprises a light tight sample enclosure provided with an excitation beam inlet and a delayed fluorescence outlet; a fused silica lens system for delivering said excitation beam to said sample in said sample enclosure; sample handling means capable of positioning the so-reacted sample in the path of said excitation beam within said sample enclosure; means for measuring delayed fluorescence emitted from the so-reacted sample; a fused silica lens system for delivering the delayed flurescence emitted from the sample to said delayed fluorescence measuring means; and controller means to control the sequence and coordination of said fluorometer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A time-resolved fluorometer for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample, which fluorometer comprises a light tight enclosure having therein: means for emitting a beam of excitation light; a light tight sample excitation station for a sample which has been reacted with a reagent composition excitable by said excitation light to produce a delayed fluorescence in the presence of said analyte, which excitation station comprises a light tight sample enclosure provided with an excitation beam inlet and a delayed fluorescence outlet; a fused silica lens system for delivering said excitation beam to said sample in said sample enclosure; sample handling means capable of positioning the so-reacted sample in the path of said excitation beam within said sample enclosure; means for measuring delayed fluorescence emitted from the so-reacted sample; a fused silica lens system for delivering the delayed flurescence emitted from the sample to said delayed fluorescence measuring means; and controller means to control the sequence and coordination of said fluorometer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said means for emitting a beam of excitation light comprises a pulsed dye laser.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 2 which further comprises means for monitoring laser pulse output level.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 2 wherein said controller comprises a pulse-producing clock which controls laser pulse rate and delay timings.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said fused silica lens system for excitation beam delivery comprises an interference filter of metal on a fused silica base.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 5 wherein the interference filter passes 405 nm incident light and reflects incident light having a wavelength of at least 565 nm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein the sample excitation station has therein a front reflecting surface parabolic mirror having an opening in the center thereof, which mirror is perpendicular to and centered on the excitation beam axis such that excitation beam light passes through the center thereof and emission light is reflected to the emission beam outlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said measuring means comprises a photomultiplier operating in a photon-couting mode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said fused silica lens system for delayed fluorescence emission comprises a fused silica convergent lens.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said fused silica lens system for delayed fluorescence emission further comprises a fused silica interference filter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 2 wherein said fused silica lens system for delayed fluorescence emission comprises a fused silica convergent lens associated with the outlet of said sample excitation station and an interference filter formed on a fused silica substrate and associated with said means for measuring delayed fluorescence.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
91 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 9 wherein the means for measuring delayed fluorescence comprises a photomultiplier that receives emission beam pulses from the delayed fluorescence outlet, a preamplifier that receives and amplifies electric pulses from the photomultiplier, a discriminator that receives pulses from the preamplifier and selectively passes only pulses of at least a predetermined voltage and an event counter that receives and counts pulses from the discriminator, and wherein the coordination of and reporting by the means for measuring delayed fluorescence is controlled by the controller of the time-resolved fluorometer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 2 wherein said time-resolved fluorometer comprises a thermoelectrically cooled photomultiplier.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 wherein said photomultiplier is cooled to -40° C. during operation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 which further comprises a thermostat and temperature controller.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 which further comprises means for monitoring laser pulse output level.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 11 wherein said controller comprises a pulse-producing clock which controls laser pulse rate and delay timing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 11 wherein said fused silica lens system for excitation beam delivery comprises an interference filter of metal on a fused silica base.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 18 wherein the interference filter passes 405 nm incident light and reflects incident light having a wavelength of at least 565 nm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 1 wherein said fused silica delayed fluorescence delivery lens system comprises a first and a second filter wherein said first filter prevents scattered incident radiation or direct fluorescence from reaching said second filter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 11 wherein said measuring means comprises a photomultiplier operating in a photon-counting mode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 wherein said controller comprises a pulse-producing clock which controls laser pulse rate and delay timings.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 wherein said fused silica lens system for excitation beam delivery comprises an interference filter of metal on a fused silica base.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 23 wherein the interference filter passes incident light of about 405 nm and reflects incident light having a wavelength of at least about 565 nm.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 wherein said measuring means comprises a photomultiplier operating in a photon-counting mode.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 13 wherein said fused silica lens system for delayed fluorescence emission further comprises a fused silica interference filter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
91 words
The time-resolved fluorometer of claim 26 wherein the means for measuring delayed fluorescence comprises a photomultiplier that receives emission beam pulses from the delayed fluorescence outlet, a preamplifier that receives and amplifies electric pulses from the photomultiplier, a discriminator that receives pulses from the preamplifier and selectively passes only pulses of at least a predetermined voltage and an event counter that receives and counts pulses from the discriminator, and wherein the coordination of and reporting by the means for measuring delayed fluorescence is controlled by the controller of the time-resolved fluorometer.
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