Claims
- 1. A system for optical analysis of biological samples placed in test sample cards having at least one test sample well, comprising, in combination,
- a transmittance optics station comprising a light source and a detector for conducting a transmittance measurement through said test sample well;
- a fluorescence optics station comprising a fluorescence light source and a detector for detecting fluorescence from said test sample well in response to excitation by said fluorescence light source; and
- a test sample card transport system automatically moving said test sample cards from an incubation station for said test sample cards to at least one of said transmittance optics station and said fluorescence optics station, said one of said transmittance optics station and fluorescence station performing said optical analysis of said test sample cards.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said light source in said transmittance station and said test sample card transport station cooperate to rapidly illuminate said test sample card well in a plurality of brief illuminations at a plurality of different positions as said test sample card is moved past said transmittance station, thereby increasing the likelihood of detection of a bubble or debris in said well.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one test sample well is subject to optical analysis by both of said fluorescence and transmittance stations.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said fluorescence and transmittance stations are installed within an automatic sample testing machine and wherein both of said fluorescence and transmittance stations are fixedly mounted within said automatic sample testing machine, with said test sample card moved past said stations by said test sample card transport station.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said test sample card comprises a card having a plurality of wells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, and wherein said transmittance and fluorescence optics stations each comprise an optical system for illuminating a plurality of wells in each of said columns of wells simultaneously as said test sample card is moved past said transmittance station and said fluorescence station.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/604,472, filed Feb. 21, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,375.
US Referenced Citations (31)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
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DEX |
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Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
604472 |
Feb 1996 |
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