Apparatus for optically screening biological sample surfaces, e.g. in drug screening or diagnostic tests, comprises exciting fluorescence simultaneously in multiple samples with evanescent electromagnetic field using split beam

摘要

An apparatus for optically screening biological sample surfaces in a 2-dimensional array by excitation with an evanescent electromagnetic field and measurement of the fluorescence, the incident light beam is multiply divided using radiation splitters; individual samples are simultaneously optically excited by the evanescent components of the partial beams, by multiple total reflection of the divided beams within a glass plate of defined thickness and low absorption; the excited partial beams are coupled together via a transparent rod prism optically coupled to the plate; and the fluorescence from all of the individual samples is simultaneously evaluated quantitatively.