Patent ID: 8014577

Claim:
A method for analyzing spots in a micro-array, said method comprising: providing a slide with a micro-array of spots thereon of immobilized capture molecules, a plurality of individuals of at least one type of targeted specimen being specifically captured on said spots of said micro-array by the immobilized capture molecules, said target specimen labeled with fluorescent probes; illuminating at least one of said spots to excite the fluorescent probes into emitting fluorescence signals; collecting light of the fluorescence signals from an illuminated one of the spots; forming an image of the illuminated one of the spots using said collected light; distinguishing individuals of said at least one type of targeted specimen located within said illuminated one of the spots using the light of fluorescence signals from other agents not belonging to the at least one type of targeted specimen; quantifying a total number of the individuals of the targeted specimen within said illuminated one of the spots by individually counting the number of individuals of the distinguished targeted specimen therein; and outputting the total number of the individuals of the targeted specimen for said illuminated one of the spots.