Microplate reader with intelligent filter slide

1. Microplate reader with a computer for controlling the components of said microplate reader, comprising a light source for emitting light for irradiating samples or transmitting light through samples, and a filter slide situated in the excitation or detection beam path, characterized in that said filter slide comprises an electronic memory for recording and/or retrieving filter-specific data, with said filter-specific data comprising the number and intensity of the light flashes impinging upon a certain filter of said filter slide and/or the intensity and duration of all exposures performed, and that said filter slide comprises a contact point together with the microplate reader for transmitting such filter-specific data from the computer to the electronic memory of the filter slide or for retrieving such filter-specific data with the computer.

2. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the electronic memory of the filter slide is an EEPROM, with the contact point being arranged as a single-wire or two-wire contact.

3. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the electronic memory of the filter slide is an RFID tag, with the contact point being arranged as a radio frequency or light information transmitter/receiver.

4. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the elctronic memory of the filter slide is a RuBee transceiver.

5. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the contact point is arranged for transmitting modulated data.

6. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the filter slide comprises a back-up battery for the electronic memory.

7. Microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that the filter slide is arranged as a filter carriage or filter wheel.

8. Method for detecting filter-specific data in a filter slide of a microplate reader according to claim 1 , characterized in that filter-specific data which comprise the number and intensity of the light flashes impinging upon a specific filter of said filter slide and/or the intensity and duration of all exposures performed are transmitted by the computer via a contact point common to said filter slide and the microplate reader to an electronic memory of said filter slide and/or are retrieved with the computer from said electronic memory.

9. Method according to claim 8 , characterized in that for reading in or reading out the filter-specific data the filter slide is brought to a contact position which deviates from the respective position of use of the filter on the filter slide.

10. Method according to claim 9 , characterized in that the filter slide is arranged as a filter carriage and is subjected to at least one spring contact for reading in or reading out the filter-specific data via the contact point.

11. Method according to claim 8 , characterized in that the reading in or reading out of the filter-specific data occurs in a contactless manner and independent from the current position of the filter slide arranged as a filter carriage via a radio frequency, magnetic or light ray link.

12. A method according to claim 8 , characterized in that the filter-specific data comprise the identification of the at least one filter and are retrieved via a first channel from a memory that cannot be overwritten by the user.

13. Method according to claim 8 , characterized in that the filter-specific data which comprise the number and intensity of the light flashes impinging upon a certain filter of said filter slide and/or the intensity and duration of all performed exposures are retrieved via a second channel which only allows automatic recording and retrieval of filter-specific data.

14. Method according to claim 8 , characterized in that the filter-specific data comprise recorded additional information on at least one filter and are retrieved via a third channel which allows recording and retrieving filter-specific data by the user.