Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a probe carrier comprising: a substrate comprising with holes through a thickness of the substrate and a transparent window across an opening of each of the holes, wherein the transparent window closes the opening, wherein one or more locations on the transparent window are configured to have probes attached thereto, wherein interaction between the probes and an analyte generates a signal； an optical system comprising a plurality of collimators； a sensor configured to detect the signal； wherein the collimators can essentially prevent light from passing if a deviation of a propagation direction of the light from an optical axis of the collimators is greater than a threshold. Because the probe carrier is separate and independent from the microarray, the probe carrier may be assembled with a pre-existing microarray prior to its use, and be detached from the microarray and disposed after its use.本文公開這樣的裝置，其包括：探針載體，其包括：襯底，該襯底包括通過襯底厚度的多個孔和跨這些孔中的每個的開口的透明視窗，其中該透明視窗關閉開口，其中透明視窗上的一個或多個位點配置成具有附連於此的探針，其中探針與分析物之間的相互作用生成信號；光學系統，其包括多個准直儀；感測器，其配置成檢測信號；其中如果光的傳播方向與准直儀的光軸的偏離大於閾值，准直儀可以基本上防止光經過。因為探針載體與微陣列分離並且獨立於它，探針載體可在它使用之前與已有的微陣列組裝，並且在它使用後從微陣列脫離。
