Patent ID: 7387891

Claim:
An instrument comprising: a block with a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions; a light emitting diode source adapted to generate a diverging area flood light directing excitation beams toward the plurality of reaction regions; a detector disposed to receive emission beams emitted from the plurality of reaction regions; and a collimating lens system disposed along a path of the diverging area flood light between the light emitting diode source and the plurality of reaction regions, disposed between the plurality of reaction regions and the detector, and spaced apart from the plurality of reaction regions, wherein the collimating lens system is capable of collimating excitation beams from the diverging area flood light into two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles of collimated excitation beams parallel to an optical axis of the collimating lens system, wherein the discrete bundles are separated from one another and each discrete bundle exits the collimating lens system before irradiating a respective one of the plurality of reaction regions, and each discrete bundle irradiates a respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions separate from the reaction regions irradiated by the other discrete bundles of the two or more spaced-apart discrete bundles.