Patent ID: 7978326

Claim:
A sequencing system comprising: a carrier comprising a channel-defining member; a plurality of labeled molecules separated on the carrier, each labeled molecule being labeled with a respective marker that is responsive to radiation and that emits emission light indicative of the presence of at least one sample component; at least one irradiation source for emitting radiation and disposed for irradiating the plurality of labeled molecules within a detection zone to thereby excite the markers responsive to the radiation and to cause the markers to emit emission light; a detecting and imaging system configured to detect and image the labeled molecules separated on the carrier, the detecting and imaging system having an output, wherein the detecting and imaging system comprises a detector array disposed for collecting the emission light produced by the markers and for producing charges corresponding to the emission light; a system coupled to the detector array for effecting time delay integration of charges on the detector array corresponding to the emission light by accumulating the charges before reading the charges at the output of the detector array, the system effecting time delay integration by moving, relative to one another, the detector array and the detection zone such that the detector array tracks emission light emitted from the markers; and fragment analysis software configured to determine a sequence of each labeled molecule based on the output from the detecting and imaging system.