System for determining the concentration of a substance mixed with a fluorophor, its method of implementation

US6510237B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES · FR

Inventors

• Philippe Peltie · Le Pont-de-Claix, FR
• Dominique David · Le Pont-de-Claix, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 15, 1999
• Grant date: Jan 21, 2003
• Expiry date: Oct 15, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B21/06
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention concerns a system, and its method of implementation, to determine the concentration of a substance mixed with a fluorophor and contained in one or more contacts of a matrix of contacts; it comprises:a microscope (1) associated with a magnifying objective lens (2) and with image acquisition means (4,5) to achieve a microscope image of the fluorescence of one of the contacts of the matrix or part of this contact;illumination means (11, 13) emitting a first beam to enable image acquisition in white light of said contact, and a second beam to excite the fluorophor contained in said contact;deflector means (15) for the second beam to ensure point by point scanning of the contact of the matrix;recording means (6, 7) to record the contact image; andprocessing means (6,7) of this image to quantify the fluorescence of the contact and determine the concentration of the substance.