Patent ID: 7498164
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: B01L,C12Q,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An optical instrument comprising: an excitation light source that provides a plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges; at least one reaction region retaining at least one respective sample comprising a plurality of different dyes, each dye having a different respective excitation wavelength range relative to the other dyes of the plurality, the plurality of different dyes being capable of emitting emission beams of different respective wavelength ranges along an emission beam path, wherein the different excitation wavelength ranges provided by the excitation light source correspond to the different respective excitation wavelength ranges of the plurality of different dyes; a multi-notch beam splitter disposed along an excitation beam path between the excitation light source and the at least one reaction region, and disposed along the emission beam path, wherein the multi-notch beam splitter is configured to reflect one of (1) the plurality of different excitation wavelength ranges provided by the excitation light source and (2) the plurality of emission beams of different respective wavelength ranges, and to the pass the other of (1) and (2); a detector arranged along the emission beam path to detect the emission beams of the different respective wavelength ranges and generate a data signal corresponding to the emission beams; a processing device, operatively connected to the detector, the processing device adjusting exposure conditions of the detector to maintain the data signal within a predetermined operating range; and a controller for controlling the temperature of a sample in the at least one reaction region.