Scanning apparatus and methods for detecting chemical and biological analytes

1. A scanning detection apparatus, comprising:

(a) a scan actuator comprising a linear actuator and a mount for a removable vessel, wherein the mount comprises a mechanical fastener that is configured to engage a complementary mechanical fastener on the removable vessel, and wherein the linear actuator is configured to translate the mount thereby sliding the removable vessel while the mechanical fastener engages the complementary mechanical fastener on the removable vessel;

(b) a detection apparatus comprising a reference surface that forms a structural loop with a detector, and an objective configured to direct an optical signal from the removable vessel to the detector; and

(c) a preload configured to urge the removable vessel to contact the reference surface, wherein the linear actuator is configured to slide the removable vessel along the reference surface while the preload urges the removable vessel to contact the reference surface,

wherein the reference surface is parallel to an xy plane of a Cartesian coordinate system,

wherein the linear actuator is configured to move the mechanical fastener along the x dimension, thereby sliding the removable vessel along the x dimension, and

wherein the mechanical fastener comprises a post, wherein the post runs lengthwise along the y dimension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mount comprises a second post that runs lengthwise along the y dimension, wherein the post and the second post are separated by a distance l along the x dimension, and wherein the distance l along the x dimension is greater than the length of the reference surface along the x dimension.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the post comprises a pin that protrudes from the post lengthwise along the z dimension and, wherein the second post comprises a pin that protrudes from the post lengthwise along the z dimension.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the removable vessel is engaged with the mount, wherein the removable vessel comprises a hole that is engaged with the pin of the post, and wherein the removable vessel comprises a second hole that is engaged with the pin of the second post.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mount comprises a rack, and wherein the linear actuator comprises a motor driven pinion that is configured to engage the rack, thereby translating the mount.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the scan actuator further comprising a y actuator that is configured to displace the mount along the y dimension, thereby displacing the vessel along the y dimension.

7. A method of scanning the removable vessel of the scanning apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

(i) engaging the removable vessel with the mount by engaging the mechanical fastener on the mount with the complementary mechanical fastener on the removable vessel, wherein the removable vessel comprises a lumen and a wall, and wherein the lumen comprises analytes;

(ii) activating the scan actuator to slide the engaged removable vessel along the reference surface of the detection apparatus, wherein the reference surface contacts at most a portion of the wall during the sliding; and

(iii) detecting the analytes at different locations along the engaged removable vessel using the detector, wherein the engaged removable vessel is urged to the reference surface by the preload during the detecting.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the mechanical fastener further comprises a second post, wherein the post and the second post run lengthwise along the y dimension, and wherein the post and the second post are separated by a distance l along the x dimension.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the removable vessel comprises a slot that is engaged with the post and further comprises a second slot that is engaged with the second post, and wherein the vessel comprises a detection zone that is located between the slot and the second slot along the x dimension.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the distance l along the x dimension is greater than the length of the reference surface along the x dimension.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the post comprises a pin that protrudes from the post lengthwise along the z dimension and, wherein the second post comprises a pin that protrudes from the post lengthwise along the z dimension.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the removable vessel comprises a hole that is engaged with the pin of the post and wherein the vessel comprises a second hole that is engaged with the pin of the second post.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the scan actuator further comprises a y actuator, the method further comprising:

(iv) activating the scan actuator to slide the engaged removable vessel along the reference surface of the detection apparatus, wherein the scan actuator slides the engaged removable vessel along the y dimension of the xy plane; and

(v) repeating (ii) and (iii), wherein the activating of the scan actuator slides the engaged removable vessel along the reference surface for a path that is parallel to the x dimension.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detecting of the analytes comprises transmitting optical signals from a field of view at each of the different locations along the removable vessel to the detector while the vessel is urged to the reference surface by the preload.

15. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, after (iii), removing the removable vessel from the mount by disengaging the mechanical fastener from the complementary mechanical fastener.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, after removing the removable vessel, engaging a second removable vessel with the mount, whereby the mechanical fastener is engaged with a complementary mechanical fastener on the second vessel, wherein the second vessel comprises a lumen and a wall, wherein the lumen comprises analytes.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising repeating (ii) and (iii) using the second removable vessel in place of the vessel.

18. A method of detecting analytes in the removable vessel of the scanning apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

(i) engaging the removable vessel with the mount by engaging the mechanical fastener on the mount with the complementary mechanical fastener on the removable vessel, wherein the removable vessel comprises a lumen and a wall, wherein the lumen comprises analytes;

(ii) examining a first subset of analytes in the engaged removable vessel while applying the preload to a first portion of the wall, wherein the preload positions the first subset of analytes to occupy an xy plane in a detection zone, wherein the preload is not applied to a second portion of the vessel;

(iii) activating the scan actuator to translate the engaged removable vessel to position a second subset of the analytes in the xy plane of the detection zone; and

(iv) examining the second subset of the analytes in the engaged removable vessel while applying the preload to a second portion of the removable vessel, wherein the preload positions the second subset of the analytes to occupy the xy plane of the detection zone, wherein the preload is not applied to the first portion of the removable vessel, thereby scanning the removable vessel.