Patent ID: 6955878

Claim:
An apparatus for analyzing samples, each labeled with a different species of fluorophore, using a linear probe array, comprising: a linear probe array of a plurality of spherical particles having a diameter and different respective probes, fixed thereon, said probes being capable of hybridizing to different samples to be analyzed, said particles being arrayed in order in a single straight line in a transparent channel, and said particles being arrayed to form at least a gap between said particles and the channel in cross section; a light source which emits exciting light for irradiating said linear probe array in which said probes hybridize to different samples; a detector which detects fluorescence emitted from the flurophore labeling each of said samples by irradiating said linear probe array with exciting light; and a data processing unit which processes the detected fluorescence to obtain fluorescence intensity by said probe; wherein said channel has a width that is greater than the diameter of said plurality of spherical particles and less than twice the diameter of said plurality of spherical particles.