Micro-array scanner for flexible, parallel, and hyperspectral fluorescence detection

We describe a hyperspectral, parallel micro-array scanner for functional genomic research. The light from two laser sources (404 and 532 nm) is split into an arbitrary number of focused spots on biochip using a pair of spatial light modulators and a novel imaging system. A parallel optical scanner, including the hyperspectral detection unit and a high-sensitivity CCD camera, detects the emitted fluorescence and analyzes the emission spectra of all spots simultaneously. By using an xy-scanner, the spectra of an entire array can be read out line-by-line.