Apparatus for illuminating a sample and use of apparatus for illuminating a sample

Abstract

The present application relates to a device for irradiating a sample and to the use of a device for irradiating a sample. The invention relates to a device (1) for irradiating a sample using optical radiation, comprising: a sample container accommodation (2) for a sample container having at least two chambers, wherein in the state in which the sample container is positioned on the device (1), each chamber of the sample container is assigned or can be assigned a separate irradiation region (3) of the device (1), so that the device (1) has as many separate irradiation regions (3) as there are chambers of the sample container; and control electronics (4), characterized in that the irradiation regions (3) each comprise at least four irradiation units (5), wherein the emission spectrum ranges of the at least four irradiation units (5) differ.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for irradiating samples using electromagnetic radiation, particularly optical radiation. The apparatus includes a sample container housing for a sample container having at least two chambers, wherein, when the sample container is positioned on the apparatus, each chamber (also referred to as an orifice) of the sample container is assigned or can be assigned a separate irradiation area of ​​the apparatus, such that the apparatus has at least two separate irradiation areas. For example, the sample container housing can be designed as a microplate housing. The apparatus also includes control electronics. Apparatus of this type can also be referred to as an illuminator.

[0002] Devices of the types described above are known and are used to treat samples using electromagnetic radiation within specific spectral ranges, such as biological and / or chemical samples, in particular. In the life sciences, various methods and techniques exist for inducing targeted changes or effects in samples using photosensitive molecules (e.g., optogenetics, photopharmacology).

[0003] In order to release radiation doses in a controlled manner, such as preferably optical radiation doses (also known as light doses), specialized equipment of the type described above is required. In chemical and / or biological experiments, such as in cell culture work, microplates are often used as sample containers, particularly so-called 24-well and 96-well plates, in which cell samples are stored.

[0004] There are currently several solutions for sample irradiation that can process each well or the sample contained therein individually and irradiate it using at least one wavelength.

[0005] However, it has been shown that the previously known devices for irradiating samples are insufficient for more complex experimental methods.

[0006] Therefore, the task is to improve the usability of the aforementioned types of devices.

[0007] According to the present invention, this task is accomplished by means of an apparatus having the following features.

[0008] In particular, according to the present invention, to solve this task, an apparatus of the type described above is proposed, characterized in that the irradiation region comprises at least four irradiation units, wherein the at least four irradiation units have different emission spectral ranges. The advantage of this is that samples can be processed using at least four different spectral ranges, which is impossible in existing apparatuses. Therefore, more complex experiments can be designed, for example, by targeting and influencing chemical reactions and / or cell activity through excitation with radiation of a specific wavelength. Thus, for example, optogenetic proteins, which may be formed by introducing the expression of exogenous genes into target cells, can be modified by means of electromagnetic radiation.

[0009] For example, electromagnetic radiation can be optical radiation, encompassing the range of ultraviolet (UV), visible light (VIS), and infrared (IR) radiation. Visible light is preferred. Therefore, in the case of light within the visible light spectrum, irradiation can be achieved by irradiation units that emit light of different colors. The number of irradiated areas can be matched to the number of chambers in the sample container to be irradiated.

[0010] The term spectral range can refer to a specific range of frequencies and / or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. A spectral range may have a single peak point (also called a peak) and a gradually decreasing edge region from that peak point. Therefore, a spectral range can be defined by its peak point, for example, by the wavelength and / or frequency present at that peak point. It can be specified that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the spectral range is in the range of 10 nm to 40 nm. It can be specified that the different spectral ranges of at least four irradiation units in the irradiation area may or may not overlap. In particular, the spectral ranges of at least four irradiation units in the irradiation area can be distinguished by different peak points (e.g., by different wavelengths of the peak point).

[0011] Advantageous design options for the solutions according to the present invention are described below. These design options can be combined with the features described above to further develop the present invention.

[0012] According to an advantageous design, the irradiation intensity and / or duration of each irradiation unit can be individually controlled via control electronics. Since the response to irradiation is dose-dependent, where the radiation dose depends on parameters of irradiation intensity and duration, precise control of these parameters is crucial.

[0013] According to another advantageous design, the irradiation intensity and / or duration of each irradiation zone can be controlled independently of at least one other irradiation zone by controlling electronic equipment. Therefore, samples contained in separate chambers of a sample container can be processed in different ways. Consequently, more complex experiments can be conducted more easily based on this device, as different irradiations can be applied to multiple irradiation zones simultaneously.

[0014] To better handle more complex experimental procedures using this device, a process protocol can be executed via control electronics to control, particularly automatically, the irradiation intensity and / or duration of the irradiated sample by means of irradiation area control. In this case, the process protocol can control which irradiation units within the irradiation area are activated for a specific duration. Preferably, the control electronics includes a memory for storing the process protocol. For example, the activation of individual irradiation units within the irradiation area can be controlled sequentially via the process protocol, preferably wherein only one irradiation unit is always activated within each irradiation area.

[0015] It has been demonstrated that the control electronics of known devices for irradiating samples with electromagnetic radiation are unsuitable for controlling multiple irradiation units in each irradiation region. Therefore, the control electronics of existing devices for sample irradiation known in the art are particularly limited in their scalability and are thus unsuitable for controlling four or more irradiation units with different spectral ranges in each irradiation region. Therefore, it is advantageous to provide new control schemes that make it easier to control multiple irradiation units in each irradiation region. To better achieve this, the control electronics can be designed such that each irradiation unit is controllable or controlled via two switching devices of the control electronics. In particular, the two switching devices must allow current to flow to activate the corresponding irradiation unit.

[0016] According to an advantageous improvement, a first type of first switching device can be designed as a switch, and / or a second type of second switching device can be designed as a current sink. The first type of switching device assigned to the irradiation unit can be connected to the anode side of the irradiation unit. The second type of switching device assigned to the irradiation unit can be connected to the cathode side of the irradiation unit. Preferably, the current sink can include at least one transistor, such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The first type of switching device and the second type of switching device can control whether current flows through the associated irradiation unit. The first type of switching device has at least two switching positions or exactly two switching positions, wherein the first switching position corresponds to an open position that does not allow current flow, and the second switching position corresponds to a closed position that allows current flow. Furthermore, the second type of switching device also allows setting a specific current intensity, i.e., a particularly desired current intensity. The second type of switching device can be a microelectronic circuit. For example, the second type of switching device can be a current sink comprising transistors, operational amplifiers, and measuring resistors. Furthermore, the second type of switching device can be an integrated circuit.

[0017] According to one design, each irradiation unit may include at least one light-emitting diode (LED). LEDs are advantageous because they typically consume very little power and have a long lifespan. Particularly for the device according to the invention, they have the advantage of low heat generation. This is advantageous because unwanted heat generation can damage the sample. LEDs differ significantly from other light sources in terms of spectral range. LEDs are highly flexible and can be manufactured in different spectral ranges (e.g., color temperatures). A spectral range may have only one peak point (peak). Therefore, stray radiation with undesired wavelengths outside the desired wavelength range can be better avoided, thus preventing the sample from being irradiated in a way that could negatively affect experimental results.

[0018] According to an advantageous improvement, the control electronics may include at least one LED driver. Preferably, the control electronics may include at least one matrix LED driver. Compared to other LED control methods, LED drivers, especially matrix LED drivers, offer the advantage of a significantly reduced number of required connections. Therefore, fewer contacts and conductor lines are needed, reducing wiring workload. This also saves installation space and helps keep heat generation low. Particularly in devices used for irradiating samples, it is generally desirable to keep the installation space as small as possible. This type of device is typically used in laboratories and / or incubators, where space is limited. Therefore, increasing space requirements should be avoided as much as possible compared to the known devices described above. This can be better achieved by using LED drivers or matrix LED drivers. Furthermore, the matrix structure allows for simple scalability, enabling the use of more than four irradiation units in each irradiation area.

[0019] According to an advantageous improvement, the control electronics may include at least one multiplexer and / or an operator capable of multiplexing operations, such that multiple switching devices and / or illumination units can be sequentially activated via the multiplexer and / or multiplexing operations. Therefore, for example, it may be necessary to combine the aforementioned LED driver with a multiplexer, thus the control electronics includes both components.

[0020] According to one design scheme, the control electronics can be designed and / or configured such that a maximum of two illumination units can be activated simultaneously in an illumination area. Preferably, only one illumination unit can be activated in each illumination area at any given time. A multiplexer is an electronic component that combines multiple input signals into a single output signal. Therefore, a multiplexer can have multiple switching positions, wherein current can flow between the input and output terminals only when the circuit is closed. Thus, a multiplexer can take over the task of one or more switches and / or current sinks.

[0021] According to one design, the irradiation area may include at least six, preferably eight, irradiation units, each of which can emit radiation within a different spectral range. Therefore, greater flexibility and versatility can be achieved when conducting experiments using samples.

[0022] According to one design, the sample container can be designed to house a microplate. In this case, for example, the microplate can be at least a 24-well plate and / or a 96-well plate and / or a 384-well plate and / or a 1536-well plate. With the microplate positioned on the device, each well can be assigned an irradiation area separate from other irradiation areas. Therefore, it can be better ensured that each well is treated only with specific radiation.

[0023] According to an advantageous improvement, the number of illumination units connected to the second type of switching device can be twice the number connected to the first type of switching device. Therefore, the wiring workload in the architecture of the control electronics equipment can be significantly reduced.

[0024] Furthermore, according to an advantageous design scheme, the circuitry for controlling the electronic device can be constructed according to the following pattern: the number of irradiation units in each irradiation area = the number of first-type switching devices × (multiplied by) the number of second-type switching devices. Therefore, a particularly efficient design scheme can be achieved. In particular, this calculation can be limited to integers.

[0025] According to another advantageous design, the control electronics can use six switching devices to control each illumination area. Specifically, four of these switching devices can be designed as type one switching devices, while two can be designed as type two switching devices. Therefore, compared to previously known control schemes, the wiring workload in the design of the control electronics can be further reduced.

[0026] In order to achieve as many switching states as possible with as few switching devices as possible, the control electronics can be designed such that each first type of switching device is connected to two illumination units, and each second type of switching device is connected to four illumination units.

[0027] To achieve optimal irradiation of the chamber, the irradiation units in the irradiation area can be arranged such that at least two irradiation units always have the same orientation. This allows for the most uniform possible irradiation of sub-regions within the irradiation area. The term "orientation" can refer to the arrangement on the carrier, such as, in particular, on a circuit board. Therefore, the two irradiation units can always be arranged at the same angle.

[0028] According to one design, the control electronics may include at least one microcontroller unit (MCU) by means of which a switching device can be controlled. Preferably, the microcontroller may be connected to at least one LED driver via a data line (e.g., a serial data line) and / or a clock line (e.g., a serial clock line). This further reduces wiring effort. The microcontroller may include one or more processor cores (CPU), integrated working memory (RAM), and program memory (e.g., flash memory or ROM). According to one design, the term "microcontroller" may be specifically understood as a single-board computer, such as a Raspberry Pi.

[0029] According to one design scheme, at least two illumination areas can be assigned to one LED driver, particularly a matrix LED driver. Specifically, four first-type switching devices, preferably designed as switches, can be connected to the first and second illumination areas respectively, wherein the first illumination area is connected to two second-type switching devices, and the second illumination area is connected to two second-type switching devices separate from the first two second-type switching devices. Therefore, the wiring workload can be further reduced.

[0030] According to one design, the control electronics may include at least four, particularly at least six, and preferably at least twelve LED drivers, such as a matrix LED driver. The LED drivers can be controlled via a single microcontroller, wherein data lines and / or clock lines are provided between the microcontroller and the first LED driver, and additional data lines and / or additional clock lines are provided between the first LED driver and the next LED driver. Preferably, these can be serial data lines and / or serial clock lines. In particular, in each case, data lines and / or clock lines can be provided between adjacent LED drivers. Therefore, wiring work can be further reduced.

[0031] To achieve a compact design that saves as much space as possible, the control electronics and the irradiation area can be designed on a common circuit board. However, it may be advantageous if, apart from the microcontroller, the control electronics and the irradiation area are designed on a common circuit board, while the microcontroller is designed on a separate microcontroller board. This allows for a particularly sustainable design, because in the event of a microcontroller failure, it is not necessary to completely replace the complex circuit board; instead, only the new microcontroller board needs to be replaced. Therefore, this saves resources and significantly reduces maintenance costs.

[0032] According to another design, the illumination area can be connected to at least one multiplexer. Specifically, the illumination area can be connected to at least two multiplexers. Preferably, the first multiplexer can be connected to a first second-type switching device of the LED driver, while the second multiplexer can be connected to a second second-type switching device of the LED driver. Therefore, the wiring workload can be further reduced.

[0033] According to one design, a microcontroller controlling an electronic device can be connected to at least one multiplexer via at least one data line and / or at least one clock line. Therefore, the microcontroller can control the multiplexer.

[0034] The present invention also relates to the use of the apparatus as described herein and / or claimed for irradiating samples, particularly chemical and / or biological samples.

[0035] The invention will now be described in more detail based on several embodiments, but the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Further embodiments are derived by combining features of one or more claims with each other and / or with one or more features of the embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0036] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a first control scheme according to the invention with a single matrix LED driver is shown, wherein the diagram relates to an illumination area. The illumination area comprises eight illumination units. These points indicate that the first type of switching device and the second type of switching device (SW1-SWX and CS1-CSX) of the matrix LED driver are scalable so that more than one illumination area or more than eight illumination units per illumination area can be controlled by means of a single matrix LED driver.

[0037] Figure 2 It shows having, as Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a control scheme according to the invention for a matrix LED driver, where multiple illumination zones are controlled by means of multiple matrix LED drivers. In this embodiment, one matrix LED driver controls two illumination zones. Each illumination zone comprises eight illumination units. As shown by the points in the diagram, this architecture can also be extended by additional (particularly of the same type) matrix LED drivers (not shown here) and additional (particularly of the same type) illumination zones (also not shown here).

[0038] Figure 3A schematic diagram of a second control scheme according to the invention, comprising one LED driver and two multiplexers, is shown, wherein the diagram relates to an illumination area. The illumination area comprises eight illumination units. Accordingly, the dots indicate that the number of second-type switching devices (CS1-CSX) of the LED driver and the number of multiplexers with first-type switching elements can be expanded so that more than one illumination area or more than eight illumination units per illumination area can be controlled by means of the control scheme. Each multiplexer has at least four inputs and one output.

[0039] Figure 4 It shows an LED driver (similar to) Figure 3 The diagram shows a control scheme according to the invention (as shown), where multiple illumination areas are controlled by means of multiple LED drivers and multiple multiplexers, wherein in this embodiment, a single LED driver and a single multiplexer are used to control two illumination areas. Therefore, with Figure 3 The implementation variant differs, with each multiplexer here having at least eight inputs and one output. Each illumination zone comprises eight illumination units. As these points indicate, the architecture can also be extended by additional (particularly of the same type) LED drivers (not shown here) as well as (particularly of the same type) multiplexers and additional (particularly of the same type) illumination zones (again not shown here).

[0040] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a third control scheme according to the invention, having an LED driver but no multiplexer, is shown, wherein the diagram relates to an illumination area. The illumination area comprises eight illumination units. Accordingly, these dots indicate that the switching devices (CS1-CSX) of the LED driver can be expanded so that more than one illumination area or more than eight illumination units per illumination area can be controlled by means of a single LED driver.

[0041] Figure 6 It shows an LED driver but no multiplexer (such as...) Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a control scheme according to the invention, where multiple illumination zones are controlled by means of multiple LED drivers but without a multiplexer. In this embodiment, one LED driver is required to control one illumination zone. Each illumination zone comprises eight illumination units. As these points indicate, this architecture can also be extended by additional (particularly of the same type) LED drivers (not shown here) and additional (particularly of the same type) illumination zones (also not shown here).

[0042] Figure 7A schematic diagram of an apparatus according to the invention with multiple irradiation zones arranged in rows and columns is shown. Thus, when the sample container is placed on the sample container housing, each irradiation zone can be positioned below the chamber of the sample container.

[0043] exist Figures 1-7 The image shows several embodiments of the device 1 according to the invention, which is used to irradiate a sample using electromagnetic radiation. This type of device 1 is also referred to as an illuminator.

[0044] The device 1 includes a sample container receiving section 2 for accommodating a sample container having at least two chambers, wherein, when the sample container is positioned on the device 1, each chamber of the sample container is assigned to, or can be assigned to, a separate irradiation area 3 of the device 1. In other words, each irradiation area 3 is always located exactly below a chamber, such that when the device 1 is used, preferably only the chamber located above the irradiation area is irradiated by the irradiation area 3 located below the chamber.

[0045] Here, device 1 is adapted to a sample container designed as a microplate, the sample container having multiple wells as chambers. The number of irradiation areas 3 corresponds to the number of wells to be irradiated, such that device 1 is specifically designed to irradiate a specific number of wells. Examples of this include 24-well plates, 96-well plates, 384-well plates, and / or 1536-well plates.

[0046] Each irradiation region 3 of device 1 has at least four irradiation units 5. Each of the at least four irradiation units 5 emits radiation in a different spectral range. Figures 1-7 In the illustrated embodiment, each irradiation region 3 even has at least eight irradiation units 5, wherein the emission spectral range of each of the at least eight irradiation units 5 is different. Here, the irradiation unit 5 is designed as a light-emitting diode.

[0047] The device 1 also includes a control electronics 4. This device allows for the individual and / or independent control of the irradiation intensity and / or duration of each irradiation unit 5, separate from and / or independent of the other irradiation units 5. Furthermore, using the control electronics 4, the irradiation intensity and / or duration of each irradiation area 3 can be controlled independently of the other irradiation areas 3.

[0048] The control electronics 4 may have a memory in which a process protocol can be stored. The process protocol is used to control the irradiation intensity and / or irradiation duration of irradiation through the irradiation area 3 to one or more holes.

[0049] exist Figures 1-4In the implementation variant, the control electronics 4 is designed such that each irradiation unit 5 is controllable or controlled by two switching devices 6, 7 (SW1-SW8 (extendable to SW1-SWN), CS1-CS4 (extendable to CS1-CSN)) of the control electronics 4. In particular, the two switching devices 6, 7 (i.e., SW1-SW8, CS1-CS4) must allow current to flow to activate the corresponding irradiation unit 5.

[0050] exist Figures 5-6 In the implementation variant, only the second type of switch device 7 is installed, therefore the wiring workload here is significantly higher than that of the previous version. Figures 1-4 Two implementation variations. Therefore, Figures 5-6 The implementation variant does not have the ability to be passed Figures 1-4 The special architecture of the implementation variant control scheme realizes all the advantages. Therefore, the two need to be distinguished below.

[0051] according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The implementation variant is based on the use of matrix LED driver 9. Multiplexing operation can be achieved by controlling the electronic device 4, so that multiple switching devices 6, 7 (i.e., SW1-SW4, CS1-CS4) and / or illumination units 5 can be activated sequentially via multiplexing operation.

[0052] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The control scheme for the implementation of the variant specifies that the first type of first switching device 6 connected to the anode side is designed as switches SW1-SW4 (expandable to SW1-SWN). The second type of second switching device 7 connected to the cathode side is designed as current collectors CS1-CS4 (expandable to CS1-CSN).

[0053] For integers, the circuit of the control electronic device 4 is expanded according to the following pattern: the number of illumination units 5 (LEDs) in each illumination area 3 = the number of first type of switching devices 6 (SW) × the number of second type of switching devices 7 (CS).

[0054] Here, the number of irradiation units 5 connected to the second type of switching device 7 is twice the number of irradiation units 5 connected to the first type of switching device 6.

[0055] The control electronics 4 uses six switching devices 6 and 7 (SW1-SW4 (expandable to SW1-SWN), CS1-CS4 (expandable to CS1-CSN)) to control each irradiation area 3. Four of the six switching devices are designed as first-type switching devices 6 (SW1-SW4), and two are designed as second-type switching devices 7 (CS1-CS4). The control electronics 4 is designed such that each first-type switching device 6 (SW1-SW4) is connected to two irradiation units 5, and each second-type switching device 7 (CS1-CS4) is connected to four irradiation units 5.

[0056] Here, at least two illumination areas 3 are assigned to a matrix LED driver 9. Four first-type switching devices 6 (i.e., SW1-SW4), designed as four switches, are connected to the first and second illumination areas 3. The first illumination area 3 is connected to two second-type switching devices 7 (i.e., CS1-CS4), while the second illumination area 3 is connected to two second-type switching devices 7 (i.e., CS1-CS4) separate from the first two second-type switching devices. Here, the second-type switching devices 7 (i.e., CS1-CS4) are designed as current sinks.

[0057] The number of matrix LED drivers 9 controlling the electronic device 4 is half the number of illumination areas 3 in the device 1. Preferably, it can typically be configured such that one matrix LED driver 9 controls eight illumination areas 3. Particularly preferably, it can typically be specified that one matrix LED driver 9 controls sixteen illumination areas 3.

[0058] according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The implementation variant is based on the use of LED driver 8 in combination with at least one multiplexer 10. By using at least one multiplexer 10, multiple switching devices 6, 7 (i.e., SW1-SW8 (expandable to SW1-SWN), CS1-CS4 (expandable to CS1-CSN)) and / or illumination units 5 can be activated sequentially via the multiplexer. The first type of switching devices and the second type of switching devices 6, 7 (i.e., SW1-SW8, CS1-CS4) can be designed as described above.

[0059] Here, the number of illumination units 5 connected to the second type of switching device 7 is four to eight times that of the first type of switching device 6. In other words, each multiplexer 10 is connected to the second type of switching device 7 of the LED driver 8. Each multiplexer 10 may have at least four first type of switching devices 6 (see...). Figure 3 ) or at least eight Type I switching devices 6 (see Figure 4 ).

[0060] Irradiation area 3 is connected to at least one multiplexer 10. Figure 3 In the middle, the illumination area 3 is connected to two multiplexers 10. Here, the first multiplexer 10 of the two multiplexers is connected to the first second type of switching device 7 (i.e., CS1-CS4 (extendable to CS1-CSN)) of the LED driver 8, while the second multiplexer 10 of the two multiplexers is connected to the second second type of switching device 7 (i.e., CS1-CS4) of the LED driver 8.

[0061] according to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The implementation variant is based on using LED driver 8 instead of multiplexer 10. Accordingly, each LED driver has more switching devices for controlling the illumination unit 5 of the illumination area 3 than the implementation variant using multiplexer 10.

[0062] The control electronics 4 of the device 1 includes at least one microcontroller 11, by means of which the switching devices 6 and 7 (i.e., SW1-SW8, CS1-CS8) can be controlled. For this purpose, the microcontroller 11 is connected to at least one matrix LED driver 9 via at least one data line 12 and at least one clock line 13, or in other implementation variations to at least one LED driver 8.

[0063] The control electronics 4 has multiple LED drivers 8, 9 that can be controlled via a single microcontroller 11. At least one data line 12 and / or at least one clock line 13 are designed between the microcontroller 11 and the first LED drivers 8, 9. At least another data line 12 and / or at least another clock line 13 are designed between the first LED drivers 8, 9 and the next LED drivers 8, 9. In subsequent sections, at least one data line and / or at least one clock line are designed between adjacent LED drivers.

[0064] At least one data line 12 can be a serial data line. At least one clock line 13 can be a serial clock line.

[0065] The control electronics 4 and the irradiation area 3 can be designed on a common circuit board 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the control electronics 4 and the irradiation area 3 are designed on a common circuit board 14, except for the microcontroller 11, wherein the microcontroller 11 is designed on a microcontroller circuit board 15 independent of the common circuit board 14.

[0066] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4In one implementation variant, the microcontroller 11 of the control electronics 4 is connected to at least one multiplexer 10 via at least one data line 12 and / or at least one clock line 13.

[0067] Therefore, the present invention particularly relates to an apparatus 1 for irradiating a sample with optical radiation, the apparatus 1 comprising: a sample container receiving portion 2 for a sample container having at least two chambers, wherein, when the sample container is positioned on the apparatus 1, each chamber of the sample container is assigned or can be assigned a separate irradiation area 3 of the apparatus 1, such that the apparatus 1 has the same number of separate irradiation areas 3 as the number of chambers of the sample container; and control electronics 4, characterized in that each irradiation area 3 comprises at least four irradiation units 5, wherein the at least four irradiation units 5 have different emission spectral ranges from each other. Reference tag list

[0068] 1. Apparatus for irradiating samples 2. Sample container housing 3 Irradiation area 4. Controlling electronic devices 5 Irradiation Units 6. Type 1 switching device 7. Type II Switching Device 8 LED Driver 9-Matrix LED Driver 10-way multiplexer 11 Microcontrollers 12 Data Cables 13 clock lines 14 Circuit Boards 15 Microcontroller circuit boards SW1-SW8 switches CS1-CS8 Current sinks.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for irradiating a sample with electromagnetic radiation, particularly optical radiation, said apparatus (1) comprising: The sample container receiving part (2) is for a sample container having at least two chambers, wherein, in the state where the sample container is positioned on the device (1), each chamber of the sample container is assigned or can be assigned a separate irradiation area (3) of the device (1), such that the device (1) has at least two separate irradiation areas (3); and control electronics (4). Its features are, The irradiation area (3) includes at least four irradiation units (5), wherein the at least four irradiation units (5) have different emission spectral ranges.

2. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) allows for individual control of the irradiation intensity and / or irradiation duration of each irradiation unit (5).

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) enables the control of the irradiation intensity and / or irradiation duration of each irradiation area (3) independently of at least another irradiation area (3).

4. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) can execute process protocols to control the irradiation intensity and / or irradiation duration of the sample irradiated by means of the irradiation area (3).

5. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) is designed such that each irradiation unit (5) is controllable or controlled via two switching devices of the control electronics (4), in particular, the two switching devices must allow current to flow to activate the corresponding irradiation unit (5).

6. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The first type of switching device (6) is designed as a switch (SW1-SW8) and / or the second type of switching device (7) is designed as a current sink (CS1-CS8).

7. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Each irradiation unit (5) includes at least one light-emitting diode.

8. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) includes LED drivers (8, 9), preferably matrix LED drivers.

9. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) includes at least one multiplexer (10) and / or is capable of multiplexing operations, enabling the sequential activation of a plurality of switching devices and / or irradiation units (5) via the multiplexer and / or the multiplexing operations.

10. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) is designed and / or configured such that at most two irradiation units (5) can be activated simultaneously in an irradiation area (3), preferably only one irradiation unit (5) can be activated at any time.

11. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The irradiation area (3) includes at least six irradiation units (5), each of which is capable of emitting radiation in a different spectral range.

12. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The sample container (2) is designed to accommodate a microplate, wherein each well in the microplate is assigned an irradiation area (3) that is separate from other irradiation areas (3) when the microplate is positioned on the device (1).

13. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The number of irradiation units (5) connected to the second type of switching device (7) is twice the number of irradiation units (5) connected to the first type of switching device (6), and / or the circuit of the control electronic device (4) is constructed according to the following pattern: the number of irradiation units (5) in each irradiation area (3) = the number of first type of switching devices (6) × the number of second type of switching devices (7).

14. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) uses six switching devices to control each irradiation area (3), wherein four of the six switching devices are designed as first type switching devices (6), and two of the six switching devices are designed as second type switching devices (7).

15. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) is designed such that each first type of switch device (6) is connected to two irradiation units (5), and each second type of switch device (7) is connected to four irradiation units (5).

16. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The irradiation units (5) of the irradiation area (3) are arranged such that at least two irradiation units (5) always have the same orientation.

17. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) includes at least one microcontroller (11) which can control the switching device. Preferably, the microcontroller (11) is connected to at least one LED driver (8, 9) via at least one data line (12) and / or at least one clock line (13).

18. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least two illumination areas (3) are assigned to an LED driver (8, 9), particularly a matrix LED driver, wherein four first type switching devices (6) are respectively connected to the first illumination area (3) and the second illumination area (3), and wherein the first illumination area (3) is connected to two second type switching devices (7), and the second illumination area (3) is connected to two second type switching devices (7) separate from the two second type switching devices.

19. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) includes at least four, particularly at least six, LED drivers (8, 9), particularly matrix LED drivers, which are controllable via a single microcontroller (11), wherein at least one data line (12) and / or at least one clock line (13) is provided between the microcontroller (11) and the first LED driver (8, 9), and wherein another data line (12) and / or another clock line (13) is provided between the first LED driver (8, 9) and the next LED driver (8, 9).

20. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The control electronics (4) and the irradiation area (3) are designed on a common circuit board (14), preferably wherein, Apart from the microcontroller (11), the control electronics (4) and the irradiation area (3) are designed on a common circuit board (14), while the microcontroller (11) is designed on a microcontroller circuit board (15) independent of the common circuit board (14).

21. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The irradiation area (3) is connected to at least one multiplexer (10), particularly to at least two multiplexers (10), preferably wherein, The first multiplexer (10) of the two multiplexers is connected to the first second type of switching device (7) of the LED driver (8, 9), while the second multiplexer (10) of the two multiplexers is connected to the second second type of switching device (7) of the LED driver (8, 9).

22. The apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The microcontroller (11) of the control electronics (4) is connected to at least one multiplexer (10) via at least one data line (12) and / or at least one clock line (13).

23. Use of the apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims for irradiating samples, particularly chemical and / or biological samples.

Images