Apparatus for imaging biochemical samples on substrates

Claim 3

An imaging apparatus of an optical scanner type for measuring biochemical samples on substrates, the apparatus being a multipurpose optical scanner to operate in a measurement mode selected from phosphor image plate reading, fluorescence reading or colored plate sample reading; the apparatus comprising: a sample support plate supporting a sample, a measurement head being movable to scan the sample, a light source being a remote light source equipped with an optical guiding means for guiding light from the light source to the measurement head; said measurement head having a detector being connected to detection electronics with a computer interface, and an objective lens being adapted for focusing stimulating light from the light source on to the sample and for collecting light emitted from the sample into the detector, which emitted light is caused by the stimulating light; wherein in the imaging apparatus said measurement head comprises a holder for an interchangeable optical part, the holder having mechanical attachments and optical paths for the interchangeable optical part, in the holder of said measurement head is placed one interchangeable optical part, said interchangeable optical part comprising corresponding mechanical attachments and optical paths for the mechanical attachments and the optical paths of the holder, a specific combination of optical components to determine the imaging apparatus for operating a specific measurement mode, and said apparatus having means for storing interchangeable optical parts.

Claim 4

An imaging apparatus of an optical scanner type for measuring biochemical samples on substrates, the apparatus being a multipurpose optical scanner to operate in a measurement mode selected from phosphor image plate reading, fluorescence reading or colored plate sample reading; the apparatus comprising: a sample support plate supporting a sample, a measurement head being movable to scan the sample, a light source being a remote light source equipped with an optical guiding means for guiding light from the light source to the measurement head; said measurement head having a detector being connected to detection electronics with a computer interface, and an objective lens being adapted for focusing stimulating light from the light source on to the sample and for collecting light emitted from the sample into the detector, which emitted light is caused by the stimulating light; wherein in the imaging apparatus said measurement head comprises a holder for an interchangeable optical part, the holder having mechanical attachments and optical paths for the interchangeable optical part, in the holder of said measurement head is placed one interchangeable optical part, said interchangeable optical part comprising corresponding mechanical attachments and optical paths for the mechanical attachments and the optical paths of the holder, a specific combination of optical components to determine the imaging apparatus for operating a specific measurement mode, and said apparatus having means for storing interchangeable optical parts.

Claim 5

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 where said remote light source is a laser.

Claim 6

An imaging apparatus of claim 3 where said laser of the remote light source is a continuous wave laser.

Claim 7

An imaging apparatus of claim 4 where said continuous wave laser of the remote light source is equipped with an optical chopper.

Claim 8

An imaging apparatus of claim 3 where said laser of the remote light source is of pulsed type.

Claim 9

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 comprising said measurement head and at least two mutually interchangeable parts which are filter cubes.

Claim 10

An imaging apparatus of claim 7 where said set of filter cubes includes at least two different cubes.

Claim 11

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 wherein the remote light source is a short arc discharge lamp, which is a continuous wave lamp or a pulsed lamp.

Claim 12

An imaging apparatus of claim 9 where said continuous wave short arc discharge lamp of the remote light source is equipped with an optical chopper.

Claim 13

An imaging apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an optical input includes a reference photodiode.

Claim 14

An imaging apparatus of claim 9 where said objective lens is a single aspheric lens.

Claim 15

An imaging apparatus of claim 12 where said aspheric lens is coated with an anti-reflection coating optimized at the stimulation wavelength of the phosphor image plates.

Claim 16

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 wherein one of said interchangeable optical parts is a filter cube for fluorescence reading, said filter cube comprising an excitation filter, a dichroic mirror which reflects at least excitation light, and an emission filter.

Claim 17

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for the sample support comprises an one-dimensional translator located under the sample support plate and a second translator for moving said measurement head orthogonal to the sample support direction.

Claim 18

An imaging apparatus of the optical scanner type for measuring biochemical samples on substrates, the apparatus being a multipurpose optical scanner to operate in a measurement mode selected from phosphor image plate reading, fluorescence reading or colored plate sample reading, and the apparatus comprising: a sample support plate supporting a sample, a measurement head being movable to scan the sample, a first light source being a remote light source equipped with an optical guiding means for guiding light from the first light source to the measurement head, the measurement head having a detector being connected to detection electronics with a computer interface, wherein in the imaging apparatus said measurement head comprises a fixed light source, an objecting lens being adapted for focusing stimulating light from the first light source on to the second light source onto the sample and for collecting light emitted from the sample into the detector, which emitted light is caused by the stimulating light; a holder for an interchangeable optical part, the holder having mechanical attachments and optical paths for the interchangeable optical part, in the holder of said measurement head is placed one interchangeable optical part, said interchangeable optical part comprising corresponding mechanical attachments and optical paths for the mechanical attachments and the optical paths of the holder, a specific combination of optical components to determine the imaging apparatus for operating a specific measurement mode, and said apparatus having means for storing interchangeable optical parts.

Claim 19

An imaging apparatus of the optical scanner type for measuring biochemical samples on substrates, the apparatus being a multipurpose optical scanner to operate in a measurement mode selected from phosphor image plate reading, fluorescence reading or colored plate sample reading, and the apparatus comprising: a sample support plate supporting a sample, a measurement head being movable to scan the sample, a first light source being a remote light source equipped with an optical guiding means for guiding light from the first light source to the measurement head, the measurement head having a detector being connected to detection electronics with a computer interface, wherein in the imaging apparatus said measurement head comprises a fixed light source, an objecting lens being adapted for focusing stimulating light from the first light source on to the second light source onto the sample and for collecting light emitted from the sample into the detector, which emitted light is caused by the stimulating light; a holder for an interchangeable optical part, the holder having mechanical attachments and optical paths for the interchangeable optical part, in the holder of said measurement head is placed one interchangeable optical part, said interchangeable optical part comprising corresponding mechanical attachments and optical paths for the mechanical attachments and the optical paths of the holder, a specific combination of optical components to determine the imaging apparatus for operating a specific measurement mode, and said apparatus having means for storing interchangeable optical parts.

Claim 20

An imaging apparatus of claim 16 wherein the said second light source is a semiconductor laser.

Claim 21

An imaging apparatus of claim 17 where said second light source of said measurement head is a frequency doubled or tripled semiconductor laser.

Claim 22

An imaging apparatus of claim 16 wherein one of said interchangeable optical parts is a filter cube for phosphor image plate reading, said filter cube comprising a dichroic mirror which reflects stimulating light from the second light source and transmits a subsequent emission from the plate, and an emission filter which absorbs scattered stimulation light and is transmissive for emission from the plate.

Claim 23

An imaging apparatus of claim 16 wherein one of said interchangeable optical parts is a filter cube for near infrared fluorescence reading, said filter cube comprising a dichroic mirror which reflects exciting light from the second light source and transmits a subsequent emission from the plate, and an emission filter which absorbs scattered stimulation light and is transmissive for emission from the plate.

Claim 24

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 or 16, wherein the optical guiding means for the light source is an optical fiber.

Claim 25

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 or 16, wherein said means for storing interchangeable optical parts is a rotatable carousel outside the measuring head or a slide unit outside the measuring head.

Claim 26

An imaging apparatus of claim 2 further comprising means for providing relative movement between said measuring head and the sample on the sample support and comprising an x-y-table located under the sample support plate.

Claim 27

An imaging apparatus of claim 21 where one of said interchangeable optical parts is a filter cube for colored plate reading, said filter cube comprising a filter which selects a needed wavelength for probing absorptive properties of the sample, and a beamsplitter mirror which partially reflects probing light from the light source and partially transmits reflected and scattered probing light from the sample plate.