Claims
- 1. A light detector for simultaneously sensing fluoresced light from a first number of fluorophores spaced apart from one another, said light detector comprising:
- a two-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel arranged to measure an intensity of light impinging thereon, the number of columns in said detector array exceeding said first number;
- a filter positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said filter selected and arranged to block light of at least one predetermined wavelength from reaching said detector array;
- a lens positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said lens selected and arranged to focus said fluoresced light onto said detector array;
- a transmission grating beam splitter (TGBS) positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said TGBS separating said fluoresced light from said fluorophores into at least 0th order and 1st order light components,
- wherein said 0th order component from each fluorophore is received by at least one first pixel belonging to a corresponding column, and said 1st order light component from said each fluorophore is received by a plurality of second pixels, each of said second pixels having a distance from said at least one first pixel which is indicative of a wavelength of a 1st order light component received by that second pixel.
- 2. The detector of claim 1, wherein said plurality of second pixels receiving said 1st order light component from said each fluorophore also belong to said corresponding column.
- 3. The detector of claim 2, wherein the TGBS is positioned between the lens and the detector array.
- 4. The detector of claim 2, wherein the lens is positioned between the TGBS and the detector array.
- 5. An apparatus for identifying a first number of fluorophores which have migrated along a corresponding number of capillary tubes arranged parallel to one another, said apparatus comprising:
- a light source arranged to emit a light beam having at least one predetermined wavelength in a direction of said fluorophores, said light beam causing said fluorophores to emit a fluoresced light;
- a light detector for simultaneously sensing said fluoresced light, said light detector comprising:
- a two-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel arranged to measure an intensity of light impinging thereon, the number of columns in said detector array exceeding said first number;
- a filter positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said filter selected and arranged to block light of at least one predetermined wavelength from reaching said detector array;
- a lens positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said lens selected and arranged to focus said fluoresced light onto said detector array;
- a transmission grating beam splitter (TGBS) positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said TGBS separating said fluoresced light from said fluorophores into at least 0th order and 1st order light components,
- wherein said 0th order component from each fluorophore is received by at least one first pixel belonging to a corresponding column, and said 1st order light component from said each fluorophore is received by a plurality of second pixels, each of said second pixels having a distance from said at least one first pixel which is indicative of a frequency of a 1st order light component received by that second pixel; and
- computer means connected to said light detector to receive and process information representative of the 0th and 1st order light components received by said pixels.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said plurality of second pixels receiving said 1st order light component from said each fluorophore also belong to said corresponding column.
- 7. An apparatus for identifying a first number of fluorophores which have migrated along a corresponding number of capillary tubes arranged parallel to one another, said apparatus comprising:
- a light source arranged to emit a light beam having at least one predetermined wavelength in a direction of said fluorophores, said light beam causing said fluorophores to emit a fluoresced light;
- a light detector for simultaneously sensing said fluoresced light, said light detector comprising:
- a two-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel arranged to measure an intensity of light impinging thereon, the number of columns in said detector array exceeding said first number;
- a filter positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said filter selected and arranged to block light of at least one predetermined wavelength from reaching said detector array;
- a lens positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said lens selected and arranged to focus said fluoresced light onto said detector array;
- a transmission grating beam splitter (TGBS) positioned between said detector array and said fluorophores, said TGBS separating said fluoresced light from said fluorophores into at least 0th order and 1st order light components,
- wherein at least said 1st order component from each fluorophore is received by a plurality of contiguous pixels in said detector array; and
- computer means connected to said light detector to receive and process information representative of said 1st order light components received by said plurality of contiguous pixels.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said plurality of contiguous pixels receiving said 1st order light component from said each fluorophore belong to the same column within said detector array.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of Provisional Appl. Ser. No. 60/068,527, filed Dec. 22, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (8)