Temperature control for light-emitting diode stabilization

Abstract

A system is provided that includes a light-emitting diode (LED); a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the LED and capable of measuring an operating temperature and generating an operating temperature signal; and a temperature regulating system capable of receiving the operating temperature signal and regulating the operating temperature based on the operating temperature signal. A method for stabilizing the temperature of an LED is provided. A method is provided that includes providing a system comprising an LED, a reaction region, and a sample in the reaction region; generating excitation beams with the LED; directing excitation beams to the sample; detecting an optical property of the sample to obtain detection data; measuring the operating temperature of the light emitting diode; and adjusting the detection data of an excitation beam characteristic shift related to the operating temperature, when the LED is operated at the operating temperature to generate the excitation beams.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a light-emitting diode (LED);    a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the LED and capable of measuring an operating temperature of the LED and generating an operating temperature signal; and    a temperature regulating system capable of receiving the operating temperature signal and regulating the operating temperature based on the operating temperature signal, and adapted to control excitation of one or more fluorescent dyes.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor and the temperature regulating system comprise a single unit.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulating system includes a heat-transfer device and a control unit capable of controlling the heat-transfer device.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the heat-transfer device includes a fan capable of forming an air current in thermal contact with the LED.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the heat-transfer device includes one or more cooling fins in thermal contact with the LED.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the heat-transfer device includes a heater in thermal contact with the LED.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the heat-transfer device includes a thermoelectric device in thermal contact with the LED.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the heat-transfer device includes a reversible power supply capable of supplying power to the thermoelectric device.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulating system is capable of increasing the operating temperature of the LED.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulating system is capable of decreasing the operating temperature of the LED.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulating system is capable of maintaining the operating temperature to be within an operating temperature range including a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature separated by about 5° C.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature regulating system is capable of maintaining the operating temperature to be within an operating temperature range including a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature separated by about 1° C.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user input device in communication with the temperature regulating system and capable of inputting an operating temperature range including a nominal temperature and an acceptable deviation value rage.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises at least one of a thermistor, a thermocouple, a bandgap semiconductor resistive temperature detector, a platinum resistive temperature detector, or a bi-metallic temperature detector.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises at least one of a thermistor, or a bandgap semiconductor resistive temperature detector.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an error signaling device capable of signaling an alarm when at least one condition of (1) the operating temperature is greater than a maximum temperature, and (2) the operating temperature is less than a minimum temperature, is met.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate contacting the LED.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate has a thermal conductivity of about 0.1 w/cm·k or greater.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of LED's.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate is a multi-layer laminate and at least one layer of the laminate has a thermal conductivity of about 0.1 w/cm·k or greater.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate includes a printed-circuit board.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the LED includes an organic LED.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the LED includes a quantum-dot based light source.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are capable of emitting emissions of different respective wavelength ranges.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises at least one Blue LED and at least one Green LED.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a reaction region, and wherein the LED is capable of generating and directing excitation beams toward the reaction region.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the reaction region comprises a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the reaction region comprises a sample disposed therein, and the sample comprises at least one nucleic acid sequence.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising a detector capable of detecting at least one optical property of the reaction region.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the reaction region includes at least one nucleic acid sequence amplification reaction reagent.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one separation region, and wherein the LED is capable of generating and directing excitation beams toward the at least one separation region.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are capable of emitting different respective wavelength ranges.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one separation region comprises an electrophoresis separation medium.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction region includes at least one fluorescent reporter dye.  
     
     
         35 . A system comprising: 
 a reaction region;    a light-emitting diode (LED) capable of generating and directing excitation beams toward the reaction region;    a temperature sensor in thermal contact with the LED and capable of measuring an operating temperature of the LED and generating an operating temperature signal;    a detector adapted to detect emission signals from the reaction region and capable of generating detection data; and    a data adjustment unit capable of receiving the operating temperature signal and the detection data, and adapted to adjust the detection data for an excitation beam characteristic shift related to the operating temperature, to form shifted detection data.    
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the data adjustment unit comprises a memory adapted to store at least two operating temperatures and at least one respective excitation beam characteristic shift for each operating temperature.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises at least one of a thermistor, a thermocouple, a bandgap semiconductor resistive temperature detector, a platinum resistive temperature detector, or a bi-metallic temperature detector.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are capable of emitting different respective wavelength ranges.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the data adjustment unit comprises a memory adapted to store at least two operating temperatures, and at least one respective excitation beam characteristic shift for each operating temperature, and wherein the at least one respective excitation beam characteristic shift comprises at least one respective excitation beam characteristic shift for each different wavelength range.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises at least one blue LED and at least one green LED.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising at least one separation region, and wherein the LED is capable of generating and directing excitation beams toward the at least one separation region.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of LEDs disposed adjacent one another and each LED has a respective operating temperature and a respective excitation beam characteristic shift.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of LEDs stacked along a path for directing excitation beams towards the reaction region, and each LED has a respective operating temperature and a respective excitation beam characteristic shift.  
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising a temperature regulating system capable of receiving the operating temperature signal and regulating the operating temperature based on the operating temperature signal.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  35 , wherein the excitation beam characteristic comprises a spectrum of the generated excitation beams.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  35 , wherein the excitation beam characteristic comprises an intensity of the generated excitation beams.  
     
     
         47 . A method for illuminating a reaction region with excitation beams, the method comprising: 
 providing a system comprising an LED, a reaction region, and a sample in the reaction region;    generating excitation beams with the LED;    directing excitation beams at the sample;    measuring an operating temperature of the LED; and    regulating the operating temperature by at least one of transferring heat from the LED and transferring heat to the LED, based on the operating temperature.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said regulating the operating temperature includes maintaining the operating temperature to be within an operating temperature range including a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature separated by about 5° C.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said regulating the operating temperature includes maintaining the operating temperature to be within an operating temperature range including a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature separated by about 1° C.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said regulating the operating temperature occurs prior in time to said generating the excitation beams.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said regulating the operating temperature comprises setting the operating temperature to be greater than an ambient environment temperature.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the sample includes reagents necessary to perform a nucleic acid sequence amplification reaction.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are capable of emitting different respective wavelength ranges.  
     
     
         54 . A method for illuminating a reaction region with excitation beams, the method comprising: 
 providing a system comprising an LED, a reaction region, and a sample in the reaction region;    generating excitation beams with the LED;    directing excitation beams to the sample;    detecting an optical property of the sample to obtain detection data;    measuring the operating temperature of the light emitting diode to determine a measured temperature; and    adjusting the detection data of an excitation beam characteristic shift related to the measured temperature.    
     
     
         55 . The method of  54 , wherein the excitation beam characteristic comprises a spectrum of the generated excitation beams.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  54 , wherein the excitation beam characteristic comprises an intensity of the generated excitation beams.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the sample includes reagents necessary to perform a nucleic acid sequence amplification reaction.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes that are capable of emitting different respective wavelength ranges.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , adjusting the detection data comprises picking the excitation beam characteristic shift based on the position of an activated LED from the plurality of LEDs.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the LED comprise a plurality of LEDs disposed adjacent to one another and each LED has a respective operating temperature and a respective excitation beam characteristic shift.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the LED's comprise inner LEDs and outer LEDs, and the method comprises making a greater adjustment of excitation beam characteristic shift for one or more of the inner LEDs compared to the adjustment for one or more of the outer LED's.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein adjusting the detection data comprises retrieving from a memory source a respective excitation beam characteristic shift.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the LED comprises a plurality of LEDs stacked in along a path for directing excitation beams towards the reaction region and each LED has a respective operating temperature and a respective excitation beam characteristic shift.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising profiling the plurality of LEDs to obtain a calculated operating temperature based on a position of each LED in the plurality of LEDs.  
     
     
         65 . A method for maintaining emission intensity and spectral stability of an LED, the method comprising: 
 providing a system comprising an LED;    generating excitation beams with the LED;    measuring an operating temperature of the LED; and    regulating the operating temperature by at least one of transferring heat from the LED and transferring heat to the LED, based on the operating temperature, to maintain emssion intensity and spectral stability of the LED.    
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the regulating the operating temperature comprises retrieving from a memory source adjustment data corresponding to a desired operating temperature or temperature range at which emission intensity and spectral stability of the LED are maintained.