APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING CHEMILUMINESCENT LIGHT

The apparatus for detecting chemiluminescent light is a component of a luminometer that can be incorporated in a sample analysis system. Such apparatus, also referred to as a fiber optic read-head, includes a fiber optic cable having a light-transmission end that connects to a photon counter of the luminometer. An opposite end portion of the fiber optic cable is divided into a plurality of fiber optic ribbons. Each of the fiber optic ribbons has a light-receiving end. The ribbons are radially arranged such that the light-receiving ends define a cylindrical passageway for accommodation of a sample analysis tube or cuvette. The fiber optic ribbons are maintained in their desired position by a core. The core is housed in an opaque housing that prevents light from coming in or straying out. Thus, any chemiluminescent light emitted from a tube within the core is collected by the light receiving ends of the fiber optic ribbon and transmitted to the light-transmitting end of the fiber optic cable for conversion into electronic data. The read-head can also be used with input light beams that produce fluorescent light, multi-angled light scattering, polarized light and light of predetermined intensity.