Patent ID: 7351538

Claim:
A detection system for analyzing a polymer having three or more distinct fluorophores, each fluorophore having an excitation wavelength and a corresponding emission bandwidth, the detection system comprising: at least three different emitters that together create an excitation signal configured to excite each of the at least three fluorophores such that each fluorophore emits a distinct emission signal within its respective emission bandwidth and each distinct emission signal has an emission maximum separated by at least 60 nm from any other of the emission maximums; a polymer excitation zone that accepts the polymer, the polymer excitation zone being illuminated by the excitation signal of the at least three different emitters; a detector constructed and arranged to distinctly detect the emission signal from each of the at least three fluorophores; and a polychroic mirror adapted to prevent excitation signals emitted from the at least three different emitters from reaching the detector.