Optical detector for a particle sorting system

1. An optical detection system for observing microfluidic systems that contain channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:

one or more lasers illuminating an array of spatially extended spots through a mask that is only open at the spots to form a first pinhole array;

a first high numerical aperture lens positioned to capture light from the entire spatially extended array of spots at once;

a spectral separation element for receiving and bending light from the first lens;

a second high numerical aperture lens for capturing light bent by the spectral separation element and imaging the captured light onto a second pinhole array;

an image intensifier behind the second pinhole array for detecting and amplifying light passing through the second pinhole array; and

an array of photodiode detectors for capturing and transducing light from the image intensifier.

2. The detector of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic data acquisition system coupled to the photodiode detectors to acquire an electronic output from the photodiode detectors.

3. The detector of claim 1 , further comprising a laser band blocking filter disposed between the array of spots and the image intensifier.

4. The detector of claim 1 , wherein the detector is capable of amplifying low intensity optical spectra having a duration of less than one millisecond from the spatially extended plurality of spots and transducing the spectra into electronic signals.

5. An optical system, comprising:

a light source for producing a light beam that passes through an object to be monitored;

a first high numerical aperture lens for capturing the light from the light source;

a dispersive element for receiving and bending light from the first lens;

a second high numerical aperture lens for capturing light bent by the dispersive element; and

a detector, including a light amplifying element, for detecting a light signal from the second lens and transducing the light signal to an electronic signal.

6. The optical system of claim 5 , wherein the light amplifying element comprises an array of phototubes.

7. The optical system of claim 5 , wherein the light amplifying element comprises a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.

8. An optical detection system for observing a microfluidic system that contains microfluidic channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:

one or more lasers illuminating an array of spatially extended spots through a mask that is only open at the spots to form a first pinhole array, each spot matched to and associated with a microfluidic channel in the microfluidic system;

a first high numerical aperture lens positioned to capture light from the entire spatially extended array of spots after the light interacts with a particle in any of the microfluidic channels when the particle intersects the light;

a spectral separation element for receiving and bending light from the first lens;

a second high numerical aperture lens for capturing light bent by the spectral separation element and imaging the captured light onto a second pinhole array;

an image intensifier behind the second pinhole array for detecting and amplifying light passing through the second pinhole array; and

an array of photodiode detectors for capturing and transducing light from the image intensifier.

9. The optical detection system of claim 8 , wherein the array of photodiode detectors is positioned to sample optical spectra emitted from an associated microfluidic channel.

10. The optical detection system of claim 8 , wherein each optical fiber in the array of photodiode detectors is positioned at a peak emission location of one fluorophore.

11. The optical detection system of claim 8 , wherein the dispersive element is a littrow grating.

12. The optical detection system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a narrow bandpass filter positioned before or after the array of photodiode detectors to reduce noise in the signal generated by the detectors.

13. The optical detection system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more lasers illuminate each spot in the array of spots at a 45-degree angle relative to a microfluidic channel associated with the spot.

14. An optical detection system for observing a microfluidic system that contains microfluidic channels that convey particles or molecules, comprising:

one or more lasers illuminating an optical mask blocking most incident light and illuminating a small detection region in a microfluidic channel;

a first high numerical aperture lens positioned to capture light from the detection region;

a dispersive element for receiving and bending light from the first lens;

a second high numerical aperture lens for capturing light bent by the spectral separation element and imaging the captured light onto an image plane; and

an array of photodiode detectors for capturing and transducing light from the image plane.

15. The optical detection system of claim 14 , wherein the optical mask is an array of spatially extended spots.

16. The optical detection system of claim 14 , wherein the dispersive element is a littrow grating.

17. The optical detection system of claim 14 , further comprising:

an image intensifier positioned behind the image plane for detecting and amplifying light passing through the image plane.