Claims
- 1-47. (canceled)
- 48. A cassette for use with an imaging apparatus, said cassette comprising:
an optical element comprising a reflective surface to allow formation thereon of a specimen array, the optical element being configured to direct a polarized light beam from a light source to the reflective surface, such that a reflection of the polarized light beam at the reflective surface generates an evanescent field in the vicinity of the specimen array; and a mount or frame coupled to the optical element and having a locating portion engageable with a mating locating element of a two-dimensional array detector adapted for providing an image based on spatially distributed polarization changes in the light beam.
- 49. The cassette of claim 48, wherein the optical element includes a prism.
- 50. The cassette of claim 49, wherein the optical element includes a transparent slide operably coupled to the prism.
- 51. The cassette of claim 48, wherein the cassette and the light source are configured for a single reflection of the light beam at the reflective surface.
- 52. The cassette of claim 48, wherein the mount or frame is operable to locate at least a selected portion of the specimen array in the evanescent field.
- 53. The cassette of claim 48, wherein the reflective surface comprises the upper surface of a transparent slide, the slide having a lower surface, the lower surface comprising at least one grating and the upper surface including an array of receptors thereon.
- 54. The cassette of claim 53, wherein the at least one grating comprises a first grating positioned to intercept the polarized light beam from the light source and a second grating positioned to intercept the light beam after it has reflected from the upper surface.
- 55. The cassette of claim 53, wherein the at least one grating comprises an electrically alterable grating.
- 56. The cassette of claim 53, wherein the at least one grating comprises a Bragg grating.
- 57. The cassette of claim 53, wherein the at least one grating comprises an electrically alterable hologram.
- 58. The cassette of claim 48, further comprising a flow cell secured to the reflective surface, the flow cell including an inlet port and an outlet port for flowing analyte across the specimen array.
- 59. A cassette for use with an imaging apparatus, said cassette comprising:
an optical element including a prism and a slide having a reflective surface to allow formation thereon of a specimen array, the optical element being configured to direct a polarized light beam from a light source to the reflective surface, such that a reflection of the polarized light beam at the reflective surface generates an evanescent field in the vicinity of the specimen array; and a mount or frame coupled to the optical element and having a locating portion engageable with a mating locating element of a two-dimensional array detector adapted for providing an image based on spatially distributed polarization changes in the light beam, the mount or frame being operable to locate at least a selected portion of the specimen array in the evanescent field.
- 60. The cassette of claim 59, wherein the cassette and the light source are configured for a single reflection of the light beam at the reflective surface.
- 61. A cassette for use with an imaging apparatus, said cassette comprising:
an optical element comprising a reflective surface to allow formation thereon of a specimen array, said optical element being configured to direct a polarized light beam from a light source to the reflective surface, such that a reflection of the polarized light beam at the reflective surface generates an evanescent field in the vicinity of the specimen array; and a mount or frame coupled to the optical element and having a locating portion engageable with a mating locating element of a processing assembly
- 62. The cassette of claim 61, wherein the processing assembly includes a two-dimensional array detector adapted for providing an image based on spatially distributed polarization changes in the light beam.
- 63. The cassette of claim 61, wherein the processing assembly includes the light source.
- 64. The cassette of claim 61, wherein the mount or frame is operable to locate at least a selected portion of the specimen array in the evanescent field.
- 65. The cassette of claim 61, wherein the reflective surface comprises the upper surface of a slide, the slide having a lower surface, the lower surface comprising at least one grating and the upper surface including an array of receptors thereon.
- 66. The cassette of claim 65, wherein the at least one grating comprises a first grating positioned to intercept the polarized light beam from the light source and a second grating positioned to intercept the light beam after it has reflected from the upper surface.
- 67. The cassette of claim 65, wherein the at least one grating comprises an electrically alterable grating.
- 68. The cassette of claim 65, wherein the at least one grating comprises a Bragg grating.
- 69. The cassette of claim 65, wherein the at least one grating comprises an electrically alterable hologram.
- 70. The cassette of claim 61, further comprising a flow cell secured to the reflective surface, the flow cell including an inlet port and an outlet port for flowing analyte across the specimen array.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/838,700 filed on Apr. 19, 2001, and is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/614,503 filed on Jul. 11, 2000, the content of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10046620 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Child |
10841988 |
May 2004 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09838700 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10046620 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09614503 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
Child |
10046620 |
Jan 2002 |
US |