US 11,987,840 B2
Systems and methods for assessing of biological samples
Kevin Maher, Grass Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to Life Technologis Corporation, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 27, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/234,287.
Application 16/234,287 is a continuation of application No. 14/385,766, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2013/031890, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/774,499, filed on Mar. 7, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/723,710, filed on Nov. 7, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/723,759, filed on Nov. 7, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/659,029, filed on Jun. 13, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/612,087, filed on Mar. 16, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/612,005, filed on Mar. 16, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2019/0241934 A1, Aug. 8, 2019
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/686 (2018.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 7/00 (2006.01); G02B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/686 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50857 (2013.01); B01L 7/52 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0636 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0654 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0893 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0896 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining the number of target nucleotide molecules in a sample using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), the system comprising:
an article comprising at least 20,000 separate reaction sites distributed over an active area of 13 millimeters by 13 millimeters or greater;
a carrier configured to house the article;
an excitation optical system comprising a light source configured to simultaneously illuminate the at least 20,000 separate reaction sites;
an optical sensor comprising a predetermined number of pixels, wherein the predetermined number of pixels is at least 60 times the number of reaction sites, and wherein the optical sensor provides an image of at least five pixels across a diameter of each reaction site; and
an emission optical system configured to have a magnification of at most 0.33, wherein the emission optical system is configured to include a lens having a focal length such that a working distance from the carrier is less than or equal to 60 millimeters, wherein the lens and the optical sensor are configured to produce images of the at least 20,000 separate sites that meet an intensity calculation accuracy, wherein the intensity calculation accuracy is selected based on dynamic range, a signal-to-noise ratio equal to a square root of a dynamic range, and diffraction.