Luminescence detection workstation

Abstract

A luminescence detecting apparatus and method for analyzing luminescent samples is disclosed. Luminescent samples are placed in a plurality of sample wells in a tray, and the tray is placed in a visible-light impervious chamber containing a charge coupled device camera. The samples may be injected in the wells, and the samples may be injected with buffers and reagents, by an injector. In the chamber, light from the luminescent samples pass through a collimator, a Fresnel field lens, a filter, and a camera lens, whereupon a focused image is created by the optics on the charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The use of a Fresnel field lens, in combination with a collimator and filter, reduces crosstalk between samples below the level attainable by the prior art. Preferred embodiments of the luminescence detecting apparatus and method disclosed include central processing control of all operations, multiple wavelength filter wheel, and robot handling of samples and reagents. Preferred embodiments of processing software integrated with the invention include elements for mechanical alignment, outlier shaving, edge detection and masking, manipulation of multiple integration times to expand the dynamic range, crosstalk correction, dark subtraction interpolation and drift correction, multi-component analysis applications specifically tailored for luminescence, and uniformity correction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A luminometer for analyzing a plurality of luminescent samples, comprising: 
 a visible light-impervious chamber containing: 
 a charge coupled device (CCD) camera;  
 a shuttle for supporting a plate comprising a plurality of wells, each said well for containing a single one of said plurality of luminescent samples;  
 a collimator, positioned between said sample tray and said CCD camera;  
 a Fresnel lens, positioned between said collimator and said CCD camera; and  
 a camera lens positioned between said Fresnel lens and said CCD camera.  
   
     
     
         2 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of luminescent samples is one of a bioluminescent material or a chemiluminescent material.  
     
     
         3 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a central processing unit for controlling the analysis of said plurality of luminescent samples.  
     
     
         4 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , further comprising an injector for placing liquid reagents in said plurality of luminescent samples in said plurality of wells.  
     
     
         5 . The luminometer of  claim 4 , wherein said injector places a reagent required for luminescence in said plurality of wells.  
     
     
         6 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a robot.  
     
     
         7 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , wherein said chamber is temperature controlled.  
     
     
         8 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter, located between said Fresnel lens and said CCD camera.  
     
     
         9 . The luminometer of  claim 8 , wherein said filter includes filter elements of varying wavelength.  
     
     
         10 . The luminometer of  claim 1 , further comprising a defogger which prevents condensation on said Fresnel lens.  
     
     
         11 . A method for analyzing a plurality of luminescent samples in a luminometer, comprising the steps of: 
 placing said plurality of luminescent samples in a respective plurality of sample wells in a tray;    placing said tray in a visible light-impervious chamber containing a charge coupled device camera;    positioning a collimator between said tray and said CCD camera;    positioning a Fresnel lens between said collimator and said CCD camera; and    positioning a camera lens between said Fresnel lens and said CCD camera.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , additionally comprising the step of positioning a filter between said Fresnel lens and said camera lens.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said filter includes filter elements of varying wavelength.