Solid-state pseudo-collimation stack and optical measurement system including the same

Abstract

This specification describes solid-state pseudo-collimation stacks and systems comprising them. It also describes methods for narrow-beam formation of electromagnetic radiation for the measurement of fluid samples. Solid-state pseudo-collimation stacks typically comprise multiple layers of electromagnetic radiation blocking and absorbing components that selectively allow nearly parallel electromagnetic beams to pass through.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Optical measurement systems for evaluating liquid sample parameters typically incorporate the use of an electromagnetic (EM) source and a conversion mechanism for evaluating the response of electromagnetic (EM) radiation to the presence of a liquid sample. In such systems, it is often necessary to convert a diffuse, distributed, or wide-angle EM radiation source into a focused beam or a collimated beam. By focusing or collimating the EM radiation, a more targeted application of the radiation to the liquid sample for further reception and analysis becomes possible.

[0002] Liquid samples for this type of application are usually placed in a container that preferentially allows EM radiation to pass through the liquid for measurement. Such containers include those that contain an array of multiple wells. One of the challenges for measurements in this type of system is that the individual wells holding the liquid samples generally tend to be small, with diameters ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm. If the cross-sectional diameter of the EM beam passing through this liquid container is too large, a portion of the beam will scatter, be distorted by the surface shape of the liquid sample, or be reflected by the container components, thereby sufficiently interfering with the measurement results. Therefore, it is advantageous to focus or collimate the EM beam into a thin column before the EM beam passes through the liquid sample.

[0003] Conventional methods for achieving this focusing or collimation involve either using a statically mounted lens array (where each lens is essentially aligned with the sample, even when multiple samples are being measured) or using a single-lens system (where one or more samples can be robotically aligned with a single focused or collimated beam). Lenses with sufficient precision to form a beam for measuring small volumes of liquid samples are expensive to manufacture, and the cost can be orders of magnitude higher. This is especially true for solid-state systems for measuring multiple samples, which may require hundreds of individual collimation or focusing sources that are very close to each other.

[0004] Therefore, in optical measurement systems for liquids, there is a need for solid-state methods to collimate, narrow, or otherwise focus EM radiation without using lenses. Such systems dramatically reduce end-user costs and eliminate the need for unreliable moving components. [Overview of the project]

[0005] In one embodiment, a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack is described for forming a narrow beam of electromagnetic radiation intended for measurement of a fluid sample, the stack comprising multiple layers of electromagnetic radiation blocking and absorbing components that selectively allow substantially parallel electromagnetic beams to pass through.

[0006] In another embodiment, a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack further comprising a detection system is described.

[0007] In another embodiment, a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack for measuring liquid samples is described, configured to measure samples contained in a microplate.

[0008] These and other embodiments become clear by tracing the modes for carrying out the invention, which was achieved by the inventors' discovery of a novel solid-state pseudo-collimation stack. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This shows a cross-section of a pseudo-collimation stack illustrating electromagnetic reflection, absorption, and the resulting narrow beam formation. [Figure 2] This is a disassembled view of a pseudo-collimation stack. [Figure 3] This shows a pseudo-collimation stack aligned to the detection unit and microplate. [Figure 4] This is a cross-section of a pseudo-collimation stack, which combines a detection unit with a sample-containing container that holds a liquid sample. [Figure 5] This shows a cross-sectional view of the components within the coupling assembly that surround the sample container to be placed inside the sample holding component. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein. While many specific details are included for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that variations and modifications of the following details are also within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the following embodiments of the invention are shown without loss of generality and without limiting the claimed invention.

[0011] In aspects of this specification, an apparatus is described that includes a combination of both an electromagnetic shielding layer and an electromagnetic absorbing layer, which functions to progressively truncate an electromagnetic (EM) beam into a pseudo-collimated form by selectively removing emissions that do not precisely coincide with a desired central axis.

[0012] In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to measure the EM properties of a liquid sample in a scientific microplate. In these embodiments, the apparatus uses one or more EM detectors in combination with a pseudo-collimation device to measure different parameters specific to the liquid sample's reaction to applied EM radiation. These parameters may relate, for example, to optical density, fluorescence, emission, or other EM reactions to higher frequency EM waveforms such as X-rays or gamma rays.

[0013] The names of the components shown in Figures 1-5 are as follows: JPEG2026515881000002.jpg187159

[0014] Referring to Figure 1, a cross-section of a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100 is shown in association with one or more EM radiation sources (or emitters, e.g., multiple emitters) 200. The solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100 includes a first electromagnetic absorptive layer 101 designed to radially collect incident emission and reflection; a first electromagnetic reflection / selection layer 102 designed to selectively allow incident light waves within a specific angular range to pass through; a spacing layer 103 (second electromagnetic absorptive layer) designed to radially collect incident emission and reflection and also function as a spacing element between the first reflection / selection layer 102 and the second reflection / selection layer 104; a second electromagnetic reflection / selection layer 104 designed to selectively allow the passage of previously selected light waves within a further specific angular range; and a mechanical clamp layer 105 (e.g., top layer) designed to fix all components in the stack together and allow for component alignment. In some cases, the first electromagnetic absorbing layer (101) is called the absorbing beam emitter isolation layer. Examples of materials include plastics (101 and 103) and metals (e.g., stainless steel) (102, 104, and 105).

[0015] In another embodiment, the first electromagnetic reflection / selection layer (102) comprises a digitally adjustable matrix of light-blocking elements that can be electronically and reversibly configured to form pinholes.

[0016] In another embodiment, the second electromagnetic reflection / selection layer (104) comprises a digitally adjustable matrix of light-blocking elements that can be electronically and reversibly configured to form pinholes.

[0017] In another embodiment, a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack substantially does not include one or more focusing lenses. An example of substantially not including a focusing lens is the absence of a focusing lens.

[0018] In another embodiment, both the first electromagnetic reflection and selection layer (102) and the second electromagnetic reflection and selection layer (104) consist of a digitally adjustable matrix of light-blocking elements that can be electronically and reversibly configured to form pinholes.

[0019] In another embodiment, the pinholes in the first electromagnetic reflection / selection layer (102) and the second electromagnetic reflection / selection layer (104) have a diameter of 2 millimeters or less, and the thickness of the selection layers (102, 104) is 500 micrometers or less.

[0020] In other embodiments, the solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100 further comprises cylindrical walls 106 on a spacer layer 103 constructed from a rough EM-absorbing material, such as a 3D-printed surface having an intentionally optically constrained or optically rough texture created using multi-jet fusion or similar techniques. In another embodiment, the walls 106 are constructed to have mechanisms for collecting and absorbing EM radiation, such as cavities with slits cut into them for collecting incident rays, or angled surfaces designed to reflect and collect incident waveforms and / or absorb radiant energy. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may recognize other techniques, such as texture the surface with sandblasting or laser engraving, to create absorption surfaces specific to particular frequencies in the EM spectrum.

[0021] Figure 2 shows an exploded isometric view of an EM solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100 that is mechanically aligned with multiple EM emission sources (emitters) 200 mounted on a printed circuit board. This figure shows an example of the mechanical realization of the component stack cross-section shown in Figure 1, which is arranged to emit multiple pseudo-collimated EM radiation beams. These beams are first confined by an electromagnetically absorptive chamber 114, then pass through an electromagnetically penetrating pinhole 113, and subsequently through a second electromagnetically penetrating pinhole 110. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows a mechanism for assembling and aligning physical components, which includes long side edges 108 and short side edges 107 designed to allow simultaneous positioning of components in stack 100; countersunk holes 109 that allow reception of auto-aligning fasteners for fixing and aligning the stack components; elongated holes 111 for relative alignment of components in stack 100; side grooves 112 that allow components in the stack to be fixed to a mechanism including a housing or case and aligned; and holes 115 in the circuit board designed to interface the board to the bonding housing or case and align it.

[0022] Figure 3 shows an exploded cross-sectional isometric view of an EM solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100, mechanically connected to multiple emitters 200 mounted on a base layer consisting of a printed circuit board and aligned to multiple EM radiation detection systems 300 mounted on a second printed circuit board, all of which are further aligned to an exemplary sample container 400 (in this case, a commonly used 96-well scientific microplate). Other standard microplates (including, but not limited to, 6-well, 12-well, 24-well, or 384-well polystyrene microplates) can also serve as a reference for emitter-detector alignment. Standard microplates are typically made of polystyrene. While microplates are known in the art, as used herein, microplates may include multi-well plates and / or microtiter plates. Other examples include polycarbonate and glass. The introduction of the EM radiation detection system 300 requires a mechanism for durable alignment of the detection system relative to the stack 100, including mechanical mounting mechanisms such as screw holes 302 and positioning mechanisms such as holes for pins 303. Durable alternative (or further) alignment components include, for example, positioning rails whose outer edges contact position-limiting tabs, set screw positions for stepwise adjustment of relative positions, and / or datum surfaces intended to interface with position-limiting pins. As shown in Figure 3, electronic components (e.g., microprocessors, wireless transceiver modules, real-time clocks, etc.) are those not numbered in Figure 3.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view orthogonal to a single example of the array-type EM emission system shown in FIG. 3 is shown, including a detector 301 durably attached to the detection system 300, and a pseudo-collimated beam 201 generated by a combination of an EM solid-state pseudo-collimation stack 100 mechanically connected to an EM emission source (emitter) 200. In this embodiment, the apparatus is designed such that the detector 301 is arranged to receive the incident EM radiation beam 201 after passing through the liquid sample 401 and measure the parameters of the liquid sample. In this case, it is desirable that the EM beam 201 is narrowed such that the diameter of the light beam does not exceed the size of the detector 301, or that the range of the EM beam exceeds the size of the detector, or is reflected or distorted at the side of the small-volume sample container 403 and diffracted by the sample-air interface 402 (not shown).

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the alignment of the aforementioned components within a coupling assembly 500 surrounding a sample container 506 to be placed within a sample holding component 505. In this example, these components are aligned by a dedicated alignment mechanism 504 and durably attached using a permanent fixture 503. Further, in this example, the upper component 501 of the coupling assembly 500 is separated from the rest of the assembly to allow insertion and removal of the sample container 506, and can then be returned to its original configuration using a dedicated alignment mechanism 502.

[0025] Maintaining the shape of the EM beam 201 during liquid parameter measurement is important for several reasons. First, in order to perform absolute measurements of liquid sample parameters, substantially all of the EM energy emitted by the EM emission system 200 and not absorbed or scattered by the sample 401 should be collected by the EM detection system 300. "Substantially all" means that at least 90, 95, 99, 99.5, and / or 99.9% of the EM energy emitted by the EM emission system 200 and not absorbed or scattered by the sample 401 is collected by the EM detection system 300. Second, EM energy reflected by the container wall 403 or refracted by the liquid-air interface 402 (not shown) can reach adjacent detectors within the array-type system, which can change the measurement results of the parameters being measured in adjacent containers. Therefore, the pseudo-collimation of the EM radiation beam 201 can be said to be an important and novel aspect in the development of solid-state liquid sample parameter measurement systems.

[0026] In another aspect, a solid-state pseudo-collimation stack is described, which stack comprises a. a base layer, and b. one or more electromagnetic emitters (200) at fixed positions on the base layer, and c. a first electromagnetic radiation reflection / selection layer (102) covering the one or more emitters (200), the first electromagnetic radiation reflection / selection layer (102) comprising a material containing one or more electromagnetic transmissive pinholes (113) that are aligned with respect to each emitter so as to form an emitter-pinhole pairing, and d. a spacer layer (103) covering the first selection layer, the spacer layer (103) containing a light-absorbing material or a blackbody material and containing channels that are optically aligned with respect to each emitter-pinhole pairing. e. A second electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (104) configured to cover the spacing layer (103), comprising a material containing an electromagnetically transparent pinhole (110) optically aligned with respect to each channel of the spacing layer, f. The top floor (105), It is equipped with.

[0027] In another embodiment, a pseudo-collimation stack is used for narrow beamforming of electromagnetic radiation for the measurement of a fluid sample.

[0028] In another embodiment, each of the one or more electromagnetic emitters in the stack is operable to emit electromagnetic radiation at one or more wavelengths in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet spectrum.

[0029] In another embodiment, emissions leaving the stack are contained within a narrow angular range by reflection and absorption of light rays outside that range.

[0030] In another embodiment, the emissions leaving the stack are approximately parallel to each other.

[0031] In another embodiment, a solid-state system for optical measurement of a fluid sample is described, and this stack is a. The pseudo-collimation stack described herein, b. A sample holding component (505) configured to accept one or more fluid samples, or a container containing one or more fluid samples, c. An optical detection system (300) comprising one or more photoreceptors (301), d. An emitter-detector coupling assembly (500) comprising a rigid frame or a series of interlocking parts or semi-permanently coupled parts, Includes, Each receptor (301) is operable to detect electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the emitters (200), The sample holding component (505) can be configured to optically align or position one or more fluid samples with respect to the radiation of at least one emitter so that the radiation passes through one or more samples. The coupling assembly (500) temporarily or permanently and durablely aligns the pseudo-collimation stack, sample holding component (505), and optical detection system such that at least one emitter emission is optically aligned with at least one sample and that the radiation passes through the sample to at least one receptor.

[0032] In another embodiment, the pseudo-collimation stack is g. Further comprising an absorption layer (101) located between the base layer and the first select layer (102), the absorption layer (101) contains an absorption column for each present emitter, wherein each column is configured to surround the corresponding emitter.

[0033] In another embodiment, the solid-state system has the same number of emitters, a first selective layer pinhole, a spacing layer, a second selective layer pinhole, and a photoreceptor.

[0034] In another embodiment, the number of emitters, first selective layer pinholes, spacing layers, second selective layer pinholes, and photoreceptors is 96. Additional examples include 6, 12, 24, and 284.

[0035] In another embodiment, in a solid-state system, the coupling assembly (500) comprises a single rigid case configured to block interference electromagnetic emission from outside the frame or coupled parts, the case including an opening for one or more samples to be inserted.

[0036] In another embodiment, the opening is covered with a flap.

[0037] In another embodiment, in a solid-state system, the coupling assembly comprises two rigid cases configured to couple and separate from each other such that one or more emitters and one or more photoreceptors are optically aligned when the cases are coupled.

[0038] In another embodiment, in a solid-state system, one case includes a pseudo-collimation stack and another case includes an optical detection system, which, when combined, define a sample holding component (505).

[0039] In another embodiment, in a solid-state system, two cases are joined by a hinge to form a clamshell configuration.

[0040] In another embodiment, a method for optical measurement of a fluid sample by passing collimated electromagnetic (EM) radiation through a well containing the fluid sample is described, and the method is: a. Beamforming EM radiation using a pseudo-collimation stack, b. Directing beam-formed radiation to pass through the fluid sample contained in the well, Includes.

[0041] An example of optical measurement is the measurement of optical density. Such measurements can be useful in conducting immunoassays, measuring microbial growth, and other applications.

[0042] In another embodiment, a method for optical measurement is: c. Detecting radiation after it has passed through the sample using a photoreceptor. It also includes.

[0043] In another embodiment, beamforming is i. Passing electromagnetic radiation from the emitter through the first pinhole, ii. Passing the obtained radiation through the spacing layer, iii. Passing the obtained radiation through a second pinhole, This includes the following steps: The beam-formed radiation is contained within a narrow angular range by the reflection and absorption of light rays outside that range.

[0044] In another embodiment, beamforming is i. Passing electromagnetic radiation from the emitter through the absorbent beam emitter separation layer, ii. Passing the obtained radiation from the emitter to the first pinhole, iii. Passing the obtained radiation through the spacing layer, iv. Passing the obtained radiation through a second pinhole, This includes the following steps: The beam-formed radiation is contained within a narrow angular range by the reflection and absorption of light rays outside that range.

[0045] All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference individually. Considering the above teachings, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention may be carried out in ways other than those specifically described within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A solid-state pseudo-collimation stack, a. Base layer and b. One or more electromagnetic emitters (200) located at fixed positions on the base layer, c. A first electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (102) covering one or more emitters (200), comprising a material containing one or more electromagnetically transparent pinholes (113) aligned with each emitter to form emitter-pinhole pairings, d. A spacing layer (103) covering the first select layer, comprising a light-absorbing material or a blackbody material, and containing a channel optically aligned with respect to each emitter pinhole pairing, e. A second electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (104) configured to cover the spacing layer (103), the second electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (104) comprising a material containing an electromagnetically transparent pinhole (110) optically aligned with respect to each channel of the spacing layer, f. The top layer (105), The solid-state pseudo-collimation stack comprising the above.

2. The pseudo-collimation stack according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more electromagnetic emitters is operable to emit electromagnetic radiation at one or more wavelengths in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet spectrum.

3. The pseudo-collimation stack according to claim 1, wherein the emission leaving the stack is contained within the narrow angular range by reflection and absorption of light rays outside the narrow angular range.

4. The pseudo-collimation stack according to claim 1, wherein the emissions exiting the stack are substantially parallel to each other.

5. g. An absorption layer (101) located between the base layer and the first select layer (102), and containing an absorption column for each present emitter, wherein each column is configured to surround the corresponding emitter, The pseudo-collimation stack according to claim 1, further comprising the following:

6. The pseudo-collimation stack according to claim 1, wherein the pinholes in the first electromagnetic reflection / selection layer and the second electromagnetic reflection / selection layer have a diameter of 2 millimeters or less, and the thickness of the selection layer is 500 micrometers or less.

7. A solid-state system for optical measurement of fluid samples, a. A pseudo-collimation stack, i. Base layer and, ii. One or more electromagnetic emitters (200) located at fixed positions on the base layer, iii. A first electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (102) covering one or more emitters (200), comprising a material containing one or more electromagnetically transparent pinholes (113) aligned with each emitter to form emitter-pinhole pairings, iv. A spacing layer (103) covering the first selected layer, comprising a light-absorbing material or a blackbody material, and containing a channel optically aligned with respect to each emitter pinhole pairing, v. A second electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (104) configured to cover the spacing layer (103), the second electromagnetic radiation reflection and selection layer (104) comprising a material containing an electromagnetically transparent pinhole (110) optically aligned with respect to each channel of the spacing layer, vi. The top floor (105), The pseudo-collimation stack comprises, b. A sample holding component (505) configured to accept one or more fluid samples, or a container containing one or more fluid samples, c. An optical detection system (300) comprising one or more photoreceptors (301), d. An emitter-detector coupling assembly (500) comprising a rigid frame or a series of interlocking parts or semi-permanently coupled parts, Includes, Each receptor (301) is operable to detect the electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the emitters (200), The sample holding component (505) can be configured to optically align or position the one or more fluid samples with respect to the radiation of at least one emitter so that the radiation passes through the one or more samples. The coupling assembly (500) temporarily or permanently and durablely aligns the pseudo-collimation stack, the sample holding component (505), and the optical detection system such that at least one emission from the emitter is optically aligned with at least one sample and the radiation reaches at least one of the receptors through the sample. The aforementioned solid-state system.

8. The aforementioned pseudo-collimation stack, vii. An absorption layer (101) located between the base layer and the first select layer (102), and containing an absorption column for each present emitter, wherein each column is configured to surround the corresponding emitter, The solid-state system according to claim 8, further comprising:

9. The solid-state system according to claim 8, wherein the same number of emitters, a first selective layer pinhole, a spacing layer, a second selective layer pinhole, and a photoreceptor are present.

10. The solid-state system according to claim 8, wherein the pinholes in the first electromagnetic reflection / selection layer and the second electromagnetic reflection / selection layer have a diameter of 2 millimeters or less, and the thickness of the selection layer is 500 micrometers or less.

11. The solid-state system according to claim 8, wherein the coupling assembly (500) comprises a single rigid case configured to block interference electromagnetic emission from outside the frame or coupled parts, the case comprising an opening for one or more samples to be inserted.

12. The solid-state system according to claim 8, wherein the coupling assembly comprises two rigid cases, the two rigid cases configured to couple and separate from each other such that when the cases are coupled, one or more emitters and one or more photoreceptors are optically aligned.

13. The solid-state system according to claim 13, wherein one case comprises the pseudo-collimation stack and another case comprises the optical detection system, and when they are combined they define the sample holding component (505).

14. A method for optically measuring a fluid sample by passing collimated electromagnetic (EM) radiation through a well containing the fluid sample, a. Beamforming EM radiation using a pseudo-collimation stack, b. Directing the beam-formed radiation to pass through the fluid sample contained in the well, The method, including the method described above.

15. c. Detecting the radiation after it has passed through the sample using a photoreceptor. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

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