Optical detector for a particle sorting system

Abstract

An optical system for acquiring fast spectra from spatially channel arrays includes a light source for producing a light beam that passes through the microfluidic chip or the channel to be monitored, one or more lenses or optical fibers for capturing the light from the light source after interaction with the particles or chemicals in the microfluidic channels, and one or more detectors. The detectors, which may include light amplifying elements, detect each light signal and transducer the light signal into an electronic signal. The electronic signals, each representing the intensity of an optical signal, pass from each detector to an electronic data acquisition system for analysis. The light amplifying element or elements may comprise an array of phototubes, a multianode phototube, or a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.

1 . An optical detection system for observing a microfluidic system that contains an array of channels for conveying particles or molecules, comprising:
 a light source for producing a light beam;   a set of beam shaping optics for focusing the light beam;   an array of pinholes, each pinhole matched to and associated with a microfluidic channel in said array of channels in the microfluidic system;   at least one columnated detector ribbon for one of optical extinction, forward scatter and side scatter produced after the light beam passes through one of said channels via one of said pinholes; and   a high numerical aperture fluorescence detector receiving optical signals produced by a particle in any of said array of channels when the particle intersects said light beam.   
     
     
         2 . A system for shaping a single incident beam into an array of smaller beams at controlled separation using a reflective beam splitter, comprising:
 a uniform array of reflective grooves; and   a positioner for presenting the array of reflective grooves to an incident beam at a selected angle.   
     
     
         3 . An optical detection system for interrogating a microfluidic system including an array of microfluidic channels that transport particles, comprising:
 a light source for producing a light beam;   a set of beam shaping optics including a reflective beam splitter for splitting the light beam into a plurality of subsidiary light beams;   an array of pinholes matched to an array of microfluidic channels in the microfluidic system, wherein the beam shaping optics direct each of said plurality of subsidiary light beams through one of said pinholes.   
     
     
         4 . An optical detection system for observing microfluidic systems that contain channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:
 a light source for producing a light beam;   a set of beam shaping optics for focusing the light beam;   an array of pinholes matched to the microfluidic channels, wherein said set of beam shaping optics passes the light beam through said array of pinholes;   at least one columnated detector ribbon; and   a high numerical aperture fluorescence detector for simultaneous interrogation of a plurality of channels in the microfluidic system and simultaneous detection of three fluorescence wavelength bands.   
     
     
         5 . An optical detection system for observing microfluidic systems that contain channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:
 a light source for producing a light beam;   a set of beam shaping optics for focusing the light beam;   a pinhole in communication with a channel of the microfluidic system; and   a high numerical aperture fluorescence detector for simultaneous interrogation of a plurality of channels in the microfluidic system and using an image intensifier as an optical amplification element.   
     
     
         6 . An optical detection system for observing microfluidic systems that contain channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:
 one or more lasers illuminating an array of spatially extended spots through a mask that is only open at the spots;   a first high numerical aperture lens positioned to capture light from the entire spatially extended array of spots at once;   a spectral separation element for receiving and bending light from the first lens;   a second high numerical aperture lens for capturing light bent by the spectral separation element and imaging the captured light onto a second pinhole array;   an image intensifier behind the second pinhole array for detecting and amplifying light passing through the pinhole array; and   an array of photodiode detectors for capturing and transducing light from the image intensifier.   
     
     
         7 . The detector of  claim 6 , further comprising an electronic data acquisition system coupled to the photodiode detectors to acquire an electronic output from the photodiode detectors. 
     
     
         8 . The detector of  claim 6 , further comprising a laser band blocking filter disposed between the array of spots and the image intensifier. 
     
     
         9 . The detector of  claim 6 , wherein the detector is capable of amplifying low intensity optical spectra having a duration of less than one millisecond from the spatially extended plurality of spots and transducing the spectra into electronic signals. 
     
     
         10 . An optical system, comprising:
 a light source for producing a light beam that passes through an object to be monitored,   a lens for capturing the light from the light source; and   a detector, including a light amplifying element, for detecting a light signal and transducing the light signal to an electronic signal   
     
     
         11 . The optical system of  claim 10 , wherein the light amplifying element comprises an array of phototubes. 
     
     
         12 . The optical system of  claim 10 , wherein the light amplifying element comprises a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.