Wide-area-sample based reader design for diagnostic detection of bio-particles

Abstract

The present invention provides a wide-area sample-based reader design which serves as a diagnostic detection device for bio-particles.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A reader for detecting fluorescence measurements, the reader comprising:
 a light-tight enclosure;   a slide-in slot arranged within the light-tight enclosure and configured to receive a vertical flow cartridge comprising a cavity loaded with a volume of a sample and defining a cavity size;   a wide-area photodetector:
 arranged within the light-tight enclosure above the slide-in slot; 
 defining a detection area encompassing the cavity and exceeding the cavity size; and 
 configured to receive a fluorescent signal emitted from the volume of the sample, loaded within the cavity, and output an electrical signal proportional the fluorescent signal; 
   an array of excitation LEDs arranged about the wide-area photodetector and configured to apply a uniform excitation intensity throughout the cavity to uniformly illuminate the volume of the sample loaded within the cavity;   an optical emission filter:
 arranged between the wide-area photodetector and the cavity; and 
 configured to attenuate wavelengths outside of an emission wavelength range; 
   a low-noise amplifier coupled to the wide-area photodetector and configured to amplify the electrical signal output by the wide-area photodetector; and   an analog integrator coupled to the low-noise amplifier and configured to reduce noise in the electrical signal.   
     
     
         2 . The reader of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens arranged below the emission filter and configured to pass the fluorescent signal from the sample to the wide-area photodetector. 
     
     
         3 . The reader of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to regulate an excitation wavelength of one or more LED of the array of excitation LEDs. 
     
     
         4 . The reader of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to collect temperature measurements of the detector when the array of excitation LEDs uniformly illuminates the at least one cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The reader of  claim 1 , wherein the reader further comprises a processor and a computer readable medium comprising a non-transitory memory encoded with instructions to be executed by the processor configured to one or both of a) extract one or more signal sample from a series of collected signal samples and calculate a bio-particle count, and b) compensate for temperature drift based on the temperature measurements. 
     
     
         6 . The reader of  claim 1 , wherein the reader further comprises an analog to digital converter that converts an analog output of the analog integrator into digital domain. 
     
     
         7 . The reader of  claim 6 , wherein the reader further comprises a post processor that collects a series of signal samples from the analog to digital converter over a time duration.