Patent ID: 8512640

Claim:
An apparatus for imaging one or more selected fluorescence indications from a microfluidic device including an array of closed reaction chambers, the apparatus comprising: a thermal controller thermally coupled to the array of closed reaction chambers of the microfluidic device, the thermal controller adapted to thermally cycle the array of closed reaction chambers; an imaging path coupled to the array of thermally cycling closed reaction chambers in the microfluidic device, the imaging path providing for transmission of one or more fluorescent emission signals derived from one or more samples in the array of closed reaction chambers in the microfluidic device, each of the closed reaction chambers in the array of closed reaction chambers having a chamber size, the chamber size being characterized by an actual spatial dimension normal to the imaging path; an optical lens system coupled to the imaging path, the optical lens system being adapted to transmit the one or more fluorescent signals derived from the one or more samples in the array of closed reaction chambers in the microfluidic device, wherein the optical lens system is adapted to reduce a size of the actual spatial dimension to a reduced size less than the size of the actual spatial dimension; and a multi-pixel detector coupled to the optical lens system and adapted to receive the one or more fluorescent signals transmitted from the optical lens system.