Development of a compact optical system for microarray scanning using a DVD pickup head.

We present a compact optical system using a commercially available DVD pickup head for microarray scanning. Our instrument successfully provides a low-cost, compact, and simple microarray scanning optical system in comparison to conventional ones due to the use of small-sized optical components and the implementation of a simple autofocusing system using an embedded voice coil motor. The performance of this system was validated by using a microarray slide with spots of fluorescent dyes. It was confirmed that our optical head performed satisfactorily and was suitable for practical use in microarray scanners. This result provides evidence of the superiority of our microarray scanning optical system over conventional ones because of its space-saving properties and cost effectiveness.