Patent ID: 7602952

Claim:
An optical device or scanner for monitoring fluorescence signals emitted from a surface of a medium, the fluorescent signals varying in intensity across the surface, the optical device or scanner comprising: an adaptive spectral filter including a spatial light modulator that selectively modulates the fluorescent signals, the spatial light modulator modulating the fluorescent signals emitting from at least one spatial location of the surface based upon an intensity of the fluorescent signals emitting from the corresponding spatial location, wherein the optical device or scanner records an image using multiple fluorescence tags that indicate a degree of binding or hybridization of target biomolecules to probes immobilized on the medium which is used in an assay process, and wherein the adaptive spectral filter is controlled to be spectrally matched to a first fluorescent signal spectrum and is then adjusted to be spectrally matched to a second fluorescent signal spectrum that is different from the first fluorescent signal spectrum.