Patent ID: 7217573

Claim:
A method of inspecting a coupled state of hybridized target DNA on a DNA chip that includes a plurality of DNA probe cells having a DNA probe to which fluorescently labeled target DNA may hybridize, ones of the DNA probe cells being of a microscopic dimensional size D, where DNA probes are arranged on the DNA chip in a predetermined array, comprising: after sample exposure/coupling, simultaneously irradiating a plurality of the DNA probe cells of said DNA chip with a corresponding plurality of branched laser multi-spot excitation lights through an objective lens so as to generate fluorescent lights from any fluorescently labeled target DNA hybridized to ones of the DNA probes of the plurality of DNA probe cells; separating said generated fluorescent lights from said plurality of branched laser multi-spot excitation lights into separate fluorescent lights along separate optical paths; and detecting said separate fluorescent lights simultaneously with a plurality of sensors, with each sensor corresponding to each of said DNA probe cells irradiated, so as to catalog positions and intensities of detected fluorescent lights which are representative of a coupled state of the hybridized target DNA on said DNA chip.