US 12,031,916 B2
Optical systems and methods for biological analysis
Mingsong Chen, Singapore (SG); Mauro Aguanno, Singapore (SG); Kuan Moon Boo, Singapore (SG); Woon Liang Terence Soh, Singapore (SG); Jacob K. Freudenthal, San Jose, CA (US); and Jeffrey A. Marks, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/962,123.
Application 17/962,123 is a division of application No. 16/797,561, filed on Feb. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,467,092.
Application 16/797,561 is a division of application No. 14/766,725, granted, now 10,591,416, issued on Mar. 17, 2020, previously published as PCT/US2014/018110, filed on Feb. 24, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/768,367, filed on Feb. 22, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0106558 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 21/03 (2006.01); G01N 21/27 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/6486 (2013.01) [G01N 21/0332 (2013.01); G01N 21/274 (2013.01); G01N 21/645 (2013.01); G01N 21/6452 (2013.01); G01N 2201/061 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0624 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0627 (2013.01); G01N 2201/121 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An instrument for biological analysis, comprising:
a sample processing system configured to retain a sample holder comprising one or more sample cells;
an excitation source configured to produce one or more excitation beams;
an excitation optical system configured to direct the one or more excitation beams toward a plurality of samples retained by the sample processing system;
an instrument optical sensor configured to receive emission beams from the one or more sample cells; and
an emission optical system configured to direct one or more emission beams from the sample processing system to the optical sensor;
wherein the excitation source is characterized by a spectral function of output power or intensity of the excitation source verses wavelength of output power or intensity, the spectral function comprising:
a minima wavelength corresponding to a local minima value of the output power or intensity,
a first maxima wavelength corresponding to a first local maxima of output power or intensity, the output power or intensity at the first local maxima being greater than the output power or intensity at any wavelength less than the minima wavelength, and
a second maxima wavelength corresponding to a second local maxima of output power or intensity, the output power or intensity at the second local maxima being greater than the output at any wavelength greater than the minima wavelength,
wherein the minima wavelength has a value that is between the first maxima wavelength and the second maxima wavelength.