Single photon spectrometer

Abstract

A fiberized single photon sensitive spectrometer on a 32-channel PMT sensor is highly sensitive with broad detection dynamic range. The spectrometer enables accurate and high speed detection, identification and analysis of biological samples labeled with multiple fluorescent markers, such as compositions of multi-color fluorescence signals or radiation emitted by multiple fluorescence dyes. A fiberized optical input of the spectrometer allows an easy and efficient coupling to any measurement system based on fiber collection of the analyzed fluorescence. The spectrometer provides highly accurate DNA sequencing. A 32 channel PMT single photon detector has a detection dynamic range of more than 20 bits and has a frame rate of about 3300 frames per second. The dynamic range of the detector's pixels reaches 10 8 photocounts per second.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for detecting color encoded microparticles comprising the steps of:
 Labeling microparticles with fluorescent dyes;   Suspending said labeled microparticles in a buffer fluid;   Passing said buffer fluid with the labeled microparticles through an optical fiber capillary at a predetermined speed;   Illuminating said labeled microparticles in said optical fiber capillary with laser light to produce fluorescence spectra therefrom;   Illuminating optical fiber with the fluorescence spectra from said labeled microparticles, said optical fiber conveying said fluorescence spectra to a light spectra separator, the output from said light spectra separator being incident upon at least one multichannel photosensor, each photosensor channel having photosensitive pixels adapted receive distinct light spectra from said light spectra separator and to produce current pulses in response to single photons of each different wavelength of said distinct light spectra.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  comprising the step of counting said photons of each different wavelength of said distinct light spectra with the single photon counter of claim  1 .