Patent ID: 11892402
Assignee: WYATT TECHNOLOGY, LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus comprising:
a multiwell plate comprising at least one vessel to contain a suspended liquid sample, wherein the at least one vessel comprises a transparent bottom surface;
a primary optical fiber bundle comprising a probe end and a system end, wherein the primary optical fiber bundle comprises:
at least one illumination fiber optically coupled to an excitation radiation source on the system end of the primary optical fiber bundle and positioned to illuminate the suspended liquid sample on the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle, and
a plurality of collection fibers positioned, on the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle, to collect radiation from the liquid sample illuminated by the at least one illumination fiber and optically coupled, on the system end of the primary optical fiber bundle, to at least one detector,
wherein a chosen quantity of the at least one illumination fiber maximizes a light gathering efficiency of the plurality of collection fibers and a detection signal to noise ratio of the plurality of collection fibers;

a translation device coupled to the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle,
wherein the translation device is to provide relative motion between the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle and the transparent bottom surface;
wherein the plurality of collection fibers are arranged concentrically about the at least one illumination fiber on the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle;

wherein the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle is positioned at an angle to the bottom surface of the at least one vessel of the multiwell plate and in the absence of additional light gathering optics between the primary optical fiber bundle and the bottom surface;
wherein the translation device is to move the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle along x-, y-, and z-axes with respect to the transparent bottom surface;
wherein the multiwell plate is stationary and the translation device is to move the probe end of the primary optical fiber bundle relative to the multiwell plate; and
wherein non-beam passing surfaces of the vessel absorb light at wavelengths of the excitation radiation source.