JP2011137778A - Spectrophotometer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact spectrophotometer capable of reconciling a pumping function for sending a sample having a small flow rate into a flow cell by drawing a flexible tube through, with a function capable of measuring a plurality of samples. <P>SOLUTION: In this spectrophotometer, light having a specific wavelength is transmitted through a cell for storing a sample, and a quantity of light having a wavelength absorbed into the sample or transmitted therethrough is detected, while keeping the wavelength constant or changing it, to thereby measure a component of the sample or the component amount included in the sample. The spectrophotometer includes a motor, and a motor control part for controlling rotation of the motor, and has a constitution provided with a receiving part enabling another shaft to be mounted thereon or dismounted therefrom, on the end of a rotating shaft of the motor, wherein units including the cell can be mounted on the receiving part or dismounted therefrom. The units include a unit including the pumping function for sending the sample having the small flow rate into the flow cell by drawing the flexible tube through, and a unit including a turret for rotating the plurality of samples. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention allows light of a specific wavelength to pass through a sample in a flow cell, detects a light amount of a wavelength that is absorbed or transmitted by the sample while changing a certain wavelength or wavelength, specifies a component of the sample, Relates to a spectrophotometer for measuring the amount of components contained in.

  As a method of flowing a liquid sample into the flow cell of the spectrophotometer, an inlet and an outlet of the liquid sample are provided in the flow cell, a flexible tube is connected to each, and one flexible tube is squeezed with a rotating rotor, and the liquid sample is There is known a structure of a pump for flowing the gas (for example, see Patent Document 1). On the other hand, when using a spectrophotometer for the purpose of sample quality control, it is necessary to quickly detect only the target substance of the sample and use it so that the measurement operation can be completed with a single preparation of multiple samples. Therefore, a spectrophotometer having a configuration in which a plurality of cells containing a sample can be installed is considered (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  Among the spectrophotometers, a small spectrophotometer that is used for quality control and has a size that is easy to carry, the liquid sample that flows through the flow cell may be a small flow rate, so the flexible tube as described above was used. A configuration using a simple pump is suitable, but on the other hand, a function for measuring a plurality of samples at once is also required.

JP-A-1-91039 JP-A-5-172830

  The present invention provides a small spectrophotometer capable of satisfying both a pump function for flowing a small flow rate sample to a flow cell by squeezing a flexible tube and a function capable of measuring a plurality of samples. Objective.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the embodiment of the present invention transmits light of a specific wavelength to a cell that stores a sample, and detects the light amount of the wavelength absorbed or transmitted by the sample while the wavelength is constant or changed. Thus, a spectrophotometer for measuring the component of the sample and the amount of the component contained in the sample, comprising a motor and a motor control unit for controlling the rotation of the motor, at the end of the rotation shaft of the motor. A receiving portion that allows the shaft to be attached and detached is provided, and the unit including the cell can be attached and detached at the receiving portion. The unit includes a unit having a pump function for flowing a small flow rate sample to the flow cell by squeezing a flexible tube, and a unit provided in a turret that rotates a plurality of samples.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small spectrophotometer that has both a pump function for flowing a small flow rate sample to the flow cell by squeezing a flexible tube and a function capable of measuring a plurality of samples. .

It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the basic composition of a spectrophotometer. It is a top view which shows the structure of a part of spectrophotometer. It is a side view which shows the structure of a part of spectrophotometer. It is a top view which shows the structure of a part of spectrophotometer. It is a side view which shows the structure of a part of spectrophotometer. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the connection part of a motor shaft and a turret shaft. It is a side view when a roller unit is attached to a motor shaft.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a basic configuration of a spectrophotometer. The light indicated by the arrow emitted from the light source 1 is split by the spectroscope 2 to take out a specific wavelength, and passes through the cell 6 installed in the sample chamber 3. A sample 4 is stored in the cell 6. The sample 4 is a liquid sample or a sample mixed in the liquid. The light transmitted through the sample 4 is detected by a detector 5 which is a light detection means. At this time, the wavelength of the light that is absorbed or reflected by the sample 4 can be known by changing the wavelength of the light incident on the cell 6 by the spectroscope 2. In the case of absorption, for example, the user can know the components of the sample by creating and displaying an absorption spectrum with the wavelength on the horizontal axis and the light intensity on the vertical axis using an arithmetic unit (not shown).

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of a partial configuration of the spectrophotometer. A turret used for measuring a plurality of samples in one preparation is installed. The disc-shaped turret 8 is provided with a plurality of holding portions 7, and a plurality of cells 6 containing the sample 4 are fixed by the holding portions 7. One of the cells 6 is placed at a position where the light from the spectroscope 2 is transmitted and detected by the detector 5. In the figure, since six cells 6 are installed in the turret 8, the components of the sample 4 are measured while the turret rotates and stops every one-sixth rotation around the turret shaft 13. . According to such a structure, since a plurality of samples are prepared and the components of the plurality of samples can be known by one measurement operation, efficient spectroscopic analysis is possible.

  FIG. 3 is a side view of a part of the configuration of the spectrophotometer shown in FIG. A motor 9 is installed below the spectrophotometer, and rotation is controlled by the motor control unit 10. A receiving portion is formed at the end of the motor shaft 12 of the motor 9 and is connected to the end of the turret shaft 13 provided at the center of the turret. The structure of the receiving portion can transmit the rotation of the motor shaft 12 to the turret shaft 13 by fitting the uneven shape as shown in the figure, for example. A plate 11 is provided between the motor 9 and the turret 8 so that the cell 6 does not fall into the spectrophotometer even if the cell 6 falls off the holding part 7 and falls.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration of a part of the spectrophotometer, and shows a configuration of a pump mechanism that measures components while flowing a liquid sample through a flow cell when the sample is a liquid. An inlet side pipe 15 and an outlet side pipe 16 are connected to the flow cell 14 in order to flow a liquid sample through the flow cell 14 through which light passes. The outlet side pipe 16 is a flexible tube, and tension is applied so as to contact the roller 17 around the outer periphery of the roller unit 18 having a plurality of rollers 17. When the roller unit 18 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing, the crushed portion of the outlet side pipe 16 that contacts the roller 17 moves in the counterclockwise direction, so that the liquid sample inside the outlet side pipe 16 is counterclockwise. A pump function for flowing in the clockwise direction can be provided.

  FIG. 5 is a side view showing a part of the configuration of the spectrophotometer, and the configuration shown in FIG. 4 is viewed from the side. A roller unit shaft 19 is provided at the center of the roller unit 18, and an end portion of the roller unit shaft 19 is connected to a receiving portion formed at an end portion of the motor shaft 12 of the motor 9. It is transmitted to the shaft 19.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a connecting portion between the motor shaft 12 and the turret shaft 13. The same applies to the roller unit shaft 19 instead of the turret shaft 13. As shown in FIG. 6A, the motor shaft 12 is provided with a groove portion 12a so that the end portion of the corresponding turret shaft 13 is fitted. Since this may cause shaft misalignment during rotation, the motor shaft 12 is provided with a female screw 12b, and the screw 20 is passed through a hole formed in the center of the turret shaft 13, as shown in FIG. 6 (b). The shafts are fixed by tightening the male screw 20. With this structure, the user can easily replace the turret 8 and the roller unit 18 simply by turning the male screw 20, so that both the analysis of a plurality of cells and the analysis using a flow cell can be performed with a single spectrophotometer. Can be implemented.

  FIG. 7 is a side view when the roller unit 18 shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the motor shaft 12. The flow cell 14 must actually be fixed in order to transmit light. Therefore, the support frame 21 for fixing the flow cell 14 to the plate 11 provided on the upper part of the motor 9 is fixed with screws 22 or the like. When the upper surface portion 22a of the support frame 21 interferes with the roller unit shaft 19, a hole through which the roller unit shaft 19 passes is opened in the upper surface portion 22a of the support frame 21, and the roller unit shaft 19 and the motor shaft 12 are connected. It can be so.

  As described above, the embodiment of the present invention includes a spectroscope that splits light emitted from a light source into a specific wavelength, and light that detects light transmitted through a cell containing a sample after being split by the spectroscope. A spectrophotometer including a detection unit and generating a spectral spectrum of a sample based on the intensity of light obtained by the light detection unit, a motor for rotating a rotation shaft, and a motor control unit for controlling the rotation of the motor And a receiving portion for connecting to another rotating shaft at one end of the rotating shaft, and the receiving portion is for rotating the sample to the rotating shaft of the turret having a plurality of cells concentrically or the cell. A spectrophotometer having a configuration in which any of the rotation shafts of the roller unit of the pump mechanism can be connected to the pipe connected to the pipe with a roller.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the motor for rotating the turret for measuring a plurality of cells and the motor for driving the pump mechanism for flowing the sample to the flow cell are shared, one unit can be used. Since both types of analysis are possible, it is possible to reduce the size and size of the equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Light source 2 Spectrometer 3 Sample chamber 4 Sample 5 Detector 6 Cell 7 Holding part 8 Turret 9 Motor 10 Motor control part 11 Plate 12 Motor shaft 13 Turret shaft 14 Flow cell 15 Inlet side pipe 16 Outlet side pipe 17 Roller 18 Roller unit 19 Roller unit shaft 20 Male thread 21 Support frame 22 Screw

Claims (8)

By transmitting light of a specific wavelength to the cell that contains the sample, and detecting the amount of light of the wavelength absorbed or transmitted by the sample while changing or changing the wavelength, it is contained in the sample component or the sample. In a spectrophotometer that measures the amount of components,
A motor and a motor control unit that controls rotation of the motor;
A spectrophotometer characterized in that a receiving portion that allows other shafts to be attached / detached is provided at an end of a rotating shaft of the motor, and a unit including the cell is attachable / detachable by the receiving portions.   2. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the unit is connected to a flow cell for flowing the sample, a pipe connected to an inlet of the sample provided in the flow cell, and an outlet of the sample provided in the flow cell. A flexible tube, a roller for flowing the sample into the flow cell by squeezing the flexible tube, and the roller is rotated with respect to the flexible tube and fitted to a receiving portion of a rotating shaft of a motor. A spectrophotometer having a roller-side rotation shaft.   3. The spectrophotometer according to claim 2, wherein the motor control unit controls the sample to continuously flow through the flow cell by continuously rotating the motor.   2. The spectroscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit includes a turret in which a plurality of the cells containing the sample are concentrically arranged, and a turret rotation shaft attached to the center of the turret. Photometer.   5. The spectroscopic method according to claim 4, wherein the motor control unit controls the rotation of the motor so as to repeat the rotation and stop of the turret so that the spectroscopic light passes through the cell. Photometer. A spectroscope that splits the light emitted from the light source into a specific wavelength, and a light detecting means that detects light that has been split by the spectroscope and then passed through a cell containing a sample, and is obtained by the light detecting means. A spectrophotometer that generates a spectral spectrum of the sample based on the intensity of the emitted light;
A motor that rotates the rotating shaft;
A motor control unit for controlling the rotation of the motor,
A receiving portion for connecting to another rotating shaft at one end of the rotating shaft;
The receiving part is either a rotating shaft of a turret having a plurality of concentric cells, or a rotating shaft of a roller unit of a pump mechanism in which a pipe connected to flow the sample through the cells is rolled. A spectrophotometer characterized in that can be connected.   7. The rotation of the motor according to claim 6, wherein the motor control unit rotates and stops the plurality of cells so that the dispersed light is transmitted through the plurality of cells when the rotation shaft of the turret is connected. A spectrophotometer characterized by controlling   7. The spectrophotometer according to claim 6, wherein the motor control unit controls the rotation of the motor so as to continuously rotate when a rotation shaft of a roller unit of the pump mechanism is connected.

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