Automatic sequencer has a light source to excite fluorescence in marked nucleic acid chain molecules, with focusing and wavelength filter units and a shifting table for detection of large numbers for analysis in parallel

摘要

An automatic sequencer, for the sequence analysis of a population of immobilized nucleic acid chain molecules on a flat surface, has an optical system for the detection of separate molecule fluorescent signals. An automatic sequencer, for the sequence analysis of a population of immobilized nucleic acid chain molecules on a flat surface, has an optical system for the detection of separate molecule fluorescent signals. Electromagnetic beams from a light source (101) excite the fluorescence coupled to modified molecules, and the emitted fluorescence is focused (102) and collected. A filter (105) selects the wavelengths for the electromagnetic excitation and the emitted fluorescence for the detector (116). A table mechanism (108) shifts the reaction surfaces during scanning, and changes them during cycle steps. The apparatus is contained within a housing, together with the analysis system. A control sets the cycles in the reaction surfaces, the operation of the optical system, the movements of the reaction surfaces, and the working of the analysis unit.