Chemical detection device having multiple flow channels

Abstract

The described embodiments may provide a chemical detection circuit that may comprise a plurality of first output circuits at a first side and a plurality of second output circuits at a second side of the chemical detection circuit. The chemical detection circuit may further comprise a plurality of tiles of pixels each placed between respective pairs of first and second output circuits. Each tile may include four quadrants of pixels. Each quadrant may have columns with designated first columns interleaved with second columns. Each first column may be coupled to a respective first output circuit in first and second quadrants, and to a respective second output circuit in third and fourth quadrants. Each second column may be coupled to a respective second output circuit in first and second quadrants, and to a respective first output circuit in third and fourth quadrants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chemical detection circuit, comprising:
 a plurality of first output circuits at a first side of the chemical detection circuit;   a plurality of second output circuits at a second side of the chemical detection circuit, the second side being opposite to the first side; and   a plurality of tiles of pixels each placed between a respective first output circuit and a respective second output circuit, each tile comprising:
 four quadrants of pixels, each quadrant comprising:
 a plurality of first columns; and 
 a plurality of second columns interleaved with the plurality of first columns, each first column and second column having a plurality of pixels formed in rows, 
 wherein each first column in first and second quadrants is coupled to the respective first output circuit, and each second column in first and second quadrants is coupled to the respective second output circuit, 
 wherein each first column in third and fourth quadrants is coupled to the respective second output circuit, and each second column in third and fourth quadrants is coupled to the respective first output circuit. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein each pixel includes an ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET). 
     
     
         3 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tiles are lined up in two slices in parallel, each tile from a first slice and a corresponding tile from a second slice form a respective pair of tiles, each pair of tiles are placed between a respective first output circuit and a respective second output circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 3 , wherein each pair of tiles share current sources for driving data signal lines that pass through the columns. 
     
     
         5 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 4 , wherein the current sources are sandwiched between each pair of tiles. 
     
     
         6 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 4 , wherein the data signal lines passing through columns of each pair of tiles are swizzled between each pair of tiles. 
     
     
         7 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first columns and the plurality of second columns are interleaved by groups, each group includes n columns, the number n matches the number of output pins for each first or second output circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The chemical detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein each first and second output circuits comprises a respective analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to generate digital outputs. 
     
     
         9 . A chemical detection system, comprising:
 a mother board having at least one central processing unit;   an output device coupled to the mother board; and   a chemical detection reader board coupled to the mother board, the chemical detection reader board having a chemical detection circuit comprising:
 a plurality of first output circuits at a first side of the chemical detection circuit; 
 a plurality of second output circuits at a second side of the chemical detection circuit, the second side being opposite to the first side; and 
 a plurality of tiles of pixels each placed between a respective first output circuit and a respective second output circuit, each tile comprising:
 four quadrants of pixels, each quadrant comprising:
 a plurality of first columns; and 
 a plurality of second columns interleaved with the plurality of first columns, each first column and second column having a plurality of pixels formed in rows, 
 wherein each first column in first and second quadrants is coupled to the respective first output circuit, and each second column in first and second quadrants is coupled to the respective second output circuit, 
 wherein each first column in third and fourth quadrants is coupled to the respective second output circuit, and each second column in third and fourth quadrants is coupled to the respective first output circuit. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The chemical detection system of  claim 9 , wherein each pixel includes an ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET). 
     
     
         11 . The chemical detection system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tiles are lined up in two slices in parallel, each tile from a first slice and a corresponding tile from a second slice form a respective pair of tiles, each pair of tiles are placed between a respective first output circuit and a respective second output circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The chemical detection system of  claim 10 , wherein each pair of tiles share current sources for driving data signal lines that pass through the columns. 
     
     
         13 . The chemical detection system of  claim 12 , wherein the current sources are sandwiched between each pair of tiles. 
     
     
         14 . The chemical detection system of  claim 10 , wherein the data signal lines passing through columns of each pair of tiles are swizzled between each pair of tiles. 
     
     
         15 . The chemical detection system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first columns and the plurality of second columns are interleaved by groups, each group includes n columns, the number n matches the number of output pins for each first or second output circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The chemical detection system of  claim 9 , wherein each first and second output circuits comprises a respective analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to generate digital outputs. 
     
     
         17 . The chemical detection system of  claim 9 , wherein the chemical detection reader board includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to convert analog signals from the first and second output circuits. 
     
     
         18 . A method to read out data from a chemical detection circuit, comprising:
 selecting a first quadrant of a tile to read out data;   selecting one group of first columns and one group of second columns;   reading out data of the group of first columns from a first set of output pins located at a first side of the chemical detection circuit;   reading out data of the group of second columns from a second set of output pins located at a second side of the chemical detection circuit; and   repeating selection and data readouts for next groups of first columns and second columns till all remaining columns of the first quadrant are read out.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 incrementing a row count by one;   repeating selection and data readouts for next row of the first quadrant; and   after finishing all rows of the first quadrant, continuing selection and data readouts in groups of first columns and second columns in other quadrants.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein for second quadrant, data of first columns is read out from a respective set of output pins located at the first side of the chemical detection circuit, and data of second columns is read out from a respective set of output pins located at the second side of the chemical detection circuit. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein for third and fourth quadrants, data of first columns is read out from respective sets of output pins located at the second side of the chemical detection circuit, and data of second columns is read out from a respective sets of output pins located at the first side of the chemical detection circuit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 after finishing a row in the first quadrant, incrementing the row count by one for the first quadrant;   continuing selection and data readouts in groups of first columns and second columns for a row in each of the other quadrants in turn, incrementing the row count by one for each quadrant when finished;   repeating selection and data readouts for next row in each of the quadrants until all of the rows in each of the quadrants are read out.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein for second quadrant, data of first columns is read out from a respective set of output pins located at the first side of the chemical detection circuit, and data of second columns is read out from a respective set of output pins located at the second side of the chemical detection circuit. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein for third and fourth quadrants, data of first columns is read out from respective sets of output pins located at the second side of the chemical detection circuit, and data of second columns is read out from a respective sets of output pins located at the first side of the chemical detection circuit. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data being read out are analog signals. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a respective group of the first columns and a respective group of the second columns form a data channel, the chemical detection circuit bases its internal clock signals on external channel increment/decrement signals. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data being read out are digital signals, the digital signals are converted from analog signals by the chemical detection circuit.