Optical Analysis System Stray Light Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flow cytometry faces limitations due to sequential measurement of particles, leading to short analysis time per particle and high stray light interference from excessive illumination, which hampers detection of weakly fluorescent particles, while scanning cytometry is limited by the analysis area and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An optical analysis system that delivers a liquid sample through an optically clear flow cell, where each particle is illuminated individually with focused light sources, and light is detected using a confocal system to minimize stray light and enhance sensitivity, allowing for rapid and accurate analysis of multiple particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flow cytometry uses sequential measurement of particles with focused illumination, then analysis speed increases, but stray light interference increases and detection sensitivity for weakly fluorescent particles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the illumination into multiple focused beams that scan across the sample stream, illuminating particles sequentially rather than simultaneously. This segmentation allows high analysis speed while minimizing stray light because only one beam is active at a time, eliminating the harmful interference that occurs with simultaneous illumination of multiple particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs continuous scanning of focused illumination beams across the sample stream, maintaining constant analysis capability without interruption. The focused beams continuously scan through the flow cell, ensuring uninterrupted detection of particles while keeping stray light minimal through sequential rather than simultaneous illumination.
2Area of stationary object
If flow cytometry illuminates particles with large field of view to ensure uniform illumination, then illumination coverage improves, but stray light increases and detection sensitivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large field of view illumination, the patent segments the illumination into multiple small focused beams that scan across the sample. Each beam provides concentrated illumination on a small area, minimizing stray light while collectively covering the entire sample stream through continuous scanning motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static large-field illumination to dynamic scanning of focused beams. The illumination system moves focus points across the sample stream, providing comprehensive coverage through motion rather than through a large fixed field of view, thereby eliminating stray light associated with broad illumination areas.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If scanning cytometry is used to reduce stray light, then detection sensitivity improves, but analysis area is limited and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the advantages of flow cytometry (high throughput) with scanning cytometry (low stray light) by using multiple focused illumination beams that simultaneously scan across the sample stream. This multi-functional approach enables high analysis area coverage while maintaining low stray light interference, eliminating the trade-off present in conventional scanning cytometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges sequential scanning with parallel processing by using multiple focused beams that scan simultaneously across different regions of the sample stream. This combination achieves both low stray light (through sequential scanning of each beam) and high analysis area (through parallel coverage of multiple regions), resolving the limitation of conventional scanning systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, sensitive, and accurate analysis of a large number of particles by illuminating and detecting each particle individually, reducing stray light interference and increasing the number of particles that can be analyzed without increasing costs or analysis time.
Implementation Method 1
The cells are typically illuminated by one or more focused lasers that illuminate only one cell at a time
Implementation Method 2
fluorescent labels selectively attached to certain cells to further identify cells. Where fluorescent labels are used, multiple fluorescent labels may be used simultaneously, where each label can be distinguished by the spectral characteristics (color) of the light emitted or fluoresced by that label
Data Source
AI summary
An optical analysis apparatus, including: a sample delivery system from which a liquid sample may be delivered in operation; a flow cell defining a channel through which, in operation, the delivered liquid sample may flow at a controllable rate, the channel including an optical analysis region; an illumination source focused on a portion of the optical analysis region that, in operation, illuminates a single particle at a time in a stream of the sample wider than the single particle; a detector that, in operation, detects light resulting from the illumination of the sample and outputting a signal representative of the detected light; and an analysis system receiving the representative signal.