JP5685514B2 - Scattered light detection apparatus and scattered light detection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a scattered light detection apparatus and method for irradiating a measurement object with measurement light and detecting scattered light scattered by the measurement object.

In recent years, various inspections have been performed by irradiating a measurement object with a measurement light and detecting the scattered light scattered by the measurement object. For example, a small droplet of a sample is spotted on a dry analytical element. Colorimetric methods for quantitative analysis of specific chemical components or formed components contained in specimens supplied and electrolyte measurement methods for measuring ion activity of specific ions contained in specimens Yes.

  In the colorimetric measurement method using a colorimetric type dry analytical element, after a sample is spotted on the dry analytical element, the sample is held at a constant temperature in an incubator for a color reaction (dye generation reaction), and then the sample The dry analytical element is irradiated with measurement irradiation light containing a wavelength selected in advance by a combination of a predetermined biochemical substance and a reagent contained in the dry analytical element, and the optical density is measured. The concentration of the biochemical substance is obtained using a calibration curve representing the correspondence between the optical density obtained in advance and the substance concentration of the predetermined biochemical substance. On the other hand, the potential difference measurement method using an electrolyte type dry analytical element is included in a sample spotted on an electrode pair consisting of two pairs of the same kind of dry ion selective electrodes instead of measuring the above optical density. The activity of specific ions is determined by quantitative analysis with potentiometry using a reference solution.

  In any of the above methods, a liquid sample is accommodated in a sample container (such as a blood collection tube) and set in the apparatus, and a dry analytical element necessary for the measurement is mounted on the apparatus, and the dry analytical element is mounted from the mounting position. While being transported to the landing part and the incubator, the specimen is supplied from the mounting position to the spotting part by the spotting nozzle of the spotting mechanism and spotted to the dry analytical element.

  In a device that irradiates the measurement object with measurement light and measures the scattered light generated by the measurement object with a detector and analyzes it, the measurement light is scattered as a result of being mixed as a noise component. There was a problem that it was not possible to accurately detect only light.

  With respect to this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes to measure the scattered light by arranging a detector outside the envelope of non-specific scattered light such as incident light.

  Patent Document 2 discloses that an analyzer that receives and analyzes light emitted from a sample irradiated with light by a detector rotates so that the transmitted light does not enter the optical path of the transmitted light that has passed through the sample. It discloses disclosing that it can be driven.

  In Patent Document 3, of the scattered light generated by irradiating the surface to be measured with the laser light, only the scattered light beam having the scattering angle θ is condensed at a specific position by the objective lens, and is substantially at the same position as the specific position. The scattered light passing through the provided scattering angle limiting diaphragm is received. And it discloses that the scattering angle range in which scattered light can be received is controlled by adjusting the shape of the opening of the scattering angle limiting diaphragm.

  In Patent Document 4, in order to efficiently receive scattered light, a portion near each condensing end of the optical fiber is supported so that its optical axis extends toward the light scattering source, so that the scattered light is transmitted to the fiber. It is disclosed that each fiber can be entered from a direction substantially parallel to the axis. Further, it discloses that an axial condensing component for receiving incident light is provided to prevent the incident light from being reflected and mixed into the scattered light.

Patent Document 5 discloses a method of cutting excitation light using an optical filter.
Capture light output from the light source is collimated by a lens, reflected by a dichroic mirror, and irradiated onto a sample contact surface of a plasmon active substrate through an objective lens. Thereafter, the scattered light is detected by the detector through a trapped light cut filter arranged in front of the detector. Here, by arranging the captured light cut filter in front of the detector, it is possible to prevent the reflected light of the captured light from entering the detector and detect only the Raman scattered light with high accuracy.

JP 2009-244270 A JP 2007-17310 A JP 2006-58224 A JP 2005-536740 A JP 2009-42112 A

  However, when detecting scattered light generated from a measurement object by switching and irradiating the measurement object with a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths, the optical paths of the plurality of types of measurement light are different. It is not easy to realize an apparatus configuration to which the methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 can be applied to all light.

  The method of Patent Document 5 is effective when the wavelength of the measurement light such as fluorescence or Raman scattered light is different from that of the scattered light, but when detecting the scattered light having no wavelength shift. Is not applicable.

  In view of this, the present invention scatters regardless of whether or not there is a wavelength shift between the measurement light and the scattered light when a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths are switched from a plurality of light sources arranged at different positions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a scattered light detection apparatus and a scattered light detection method that can always detect light with high accuracy.

  The scattered light detection apparatus according to the present invention is a scattered light detection apparatus that detects scattered light generated from the measurement object by switching and irradiating the measurement object with a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths. A plurality of light sources disposed at different positions, each of which can irradiate the measurement object supported by the support unit with the plurality of measurement lights, and the plurality of measurement lights; A detector that detects scattered light respectively generated from the measurement object irradiated by the measurement, and a measurement area that does not include an optical path of the measurement light to the measurement object and that can detect the scattered light And a moving mechanism capable of moving the detector in the region.

  In the scattered light detection method according to the present invention, the scattered light generated from the measurement object by respectively irradiating the measurement object with a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths from a plurality of light sources arranged at different positions. A method for detecting scattered light that is measured by a detector, the step of irradiating the measurement object with the measurement light, and a region that does not include an optical path of the measurement light and that is capable of detecting the scattered light. A step of moving the detector for each of the plurality of types of measurement light in a measurement region; and a step of detecting scattered light generated from the measurement object irradiated by the measurement light. It is.

  The “optical path of measurement light” means the optical path of incident light and transmitted light with respect to the measurement object when the measurement light is transmitted through the measurement object, and totally reflects the measurement light by the measurement object. If it is, it means the optical path of incident light and reflected light with respect to the measurement object.

  Further, “the detector can be moved within the measurement region” and “the detector is moved for each of the plurality of types of measurement light” means that the detector can be moved relatively within the measurement region, The detector may be moved, the light source may be moved so that the detector is within the measurement region, or both the light source and the detector may be moved.

  In the scattered light detection apparatus according to the present invention, the support unit includes a support surface that supports the measurement object, and the plurality of light sources pass through the measurement object and are perpendicular to the support surface. Measuring light from a light source that is arranged concentrically around an axis and that can alternately irradiate the plurality of measurement lights to the measurement target portion, and the moving mechanism switches and emits the light. It is preferable to move to a position where scattered light generated from the measurement object is detected.

  The “support surface” may be a plane that supports the measurement object. For example, when the opening of the support part is provided in a region where the measurement object is irradiated with the measurement light, the end of the measurement object For example, only a part of the measurement object may be supported.

  In the above case, it is preferable that the moving mechanism includes a detector support member that can rotate about the shaft as a rotation axis, and rotates the detector by rotating the detector support member. Further, in this case, a plurality of the detectors may be provided, and the plurality of detectors may be arranged concentrically around the axis on the detector support member.

  In the scattered light detection apparatus according to the present invention, the moving mechanism moves the detector to a position closest to a region where the incident light and the measurement object intersect, within a range in which the detector can be moved. It is preferable to detect the scattered light.

  In the scattered light detection apparatus according to the present invention, the measurement region includes incident light irradiated on the measurement object from the light source, and a reflection surface on which the irradiated incident light is a surface of the measurement object. A region excluding an incident surface region including reflected reflected light is preferable.

  The “incident surface” is defined based on the light beam on the optical axis of the measurement light or the light beam at the peak position of the relative light intensity distribution. Further, the incident surface region means a region having a thickness of the predetermined width around the incident surface when the measurement light is light having a predetermined width.

  Further, in the above case, the moving mechanism in the scattered light detection apparatus according to the present invention moves the detector to a position farthest from the incident surface region within a range in which the detector can be moved, and the scattered light. It is preferable to detect this.

  According to the scattered light detection apparatus and the scattered light detection method according to the present invention as described above, the measurement light is irradiated onto the measurement object, and the region that does not include the optical path of the measurement light and can detect the scattered light. Scattered light having no wavelength shift with respect to the measurement light by moving the detector for each of the plurality of types of measurement light and detecting scattered light generated from the measurement object irradiated with the measurement light. Even when a plurality of types of measurement light are switched and irradiated, scattered light can be detected with high accuracy in a measurement region where measurement light does not always enter.

The partial cross section front view which shows schematic structure of the scattered light detection apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention The top view of the principal part mechanism except the spotting mechanism in the element conveyance position of the scattered light detection apparatus of FIG. Sectional front view of the conveyance path portion of the dry analytical element of the scattered light detection apparatus of FIG. The figure explaining the measurement area | region of the scattered light in one Embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part mechanism of the measurement part of the scattered light detection apparatus of FIG. Schematic showing the arrangement of the light sources and detectors of the measuring section of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a biochemical analyzer (scattered light detector) to which the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a schematic configuration of the biochemical analyzer according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of a main part mechanism excluding a spotting mechanism at an element transport position of the biochemical analyzer of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view showing the main part of the transport path portion of the dry analytical element including the spotting part of the biochemical analyzer of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a measurement in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the arrangement of light sources and detectors in the measurement unit of FIG.

  The overall configuration of the biochemical analyzer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6. The measurement mechanism of the biochemical analyzer 1 includes a sample tray 2, a spotting unit 3, a first incubator 4, a second incubator 5, a spotting mechanism 6, an element transport mechanism 7, a transfer mechanism 8, and a chip discarding unit. 9. An element discarding mechanism 10 and a control unit (not shown) for controlling various mechanisms are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the sample tray 2 has a circular shape, a specimen container 11 containing a specimen, and an element cartridge 13 containing unused dry analysis elements 12 (colorimetric type dry analysis element and electrolyte type dry analysis element). The consumables (nozzle tip 14, diluent container 15, mixing cup 16 and reference liquid container 17) are mounted. The sample container 11 is mounted via a sample adapter 18, and a large number of nozzle chips 14 are stored and mounted in a chip rack 19.

  The spotting unit 3 is arranged on an extension of the center line of the sample tray 2 and is used for spotting a specimen such as plasma, whole blood, serum, urine, etc. on the transported dry analytical element 12. 6, the sample is applied to the colorimetric dry analysis element 12 and the sample and the reference liquid are applied to the electrolyte type dry analysis element 12. Subsequent to the spotting unit 3, a chip discarding unit 9 in which the nozzle tip 14 is discarded is arranged.

  The first incubator 4 has a circular shape and is disposed at an extended position of the chip discarding unit 9. The first incubator 4 accommodates a colorimetric type dry analytical element 12 and keeps the temperature constant for a predetermined time to perform colorimetric measurement. The second incubator 5 (see FIG. 2) is disposed at an adjacent position on the side of the spotting portion 3, accommodates the electrolyte-type dry analysis element 12, maintains a constant temperature for a predetermined time, and performs a potential difference measurement.

  The element transport mechanism 7 (see FIG. 3), which is not shown in detail, is disposed inside the sample tray 2 and connects the center of the sample tray 2 and the center of the first incubator 4 to the spotted portion. 3 and an element transport for transporting the dry analytical element 12 from the sample tray 2 to the spotting section 3 and further to the first incubator 4 along a linear element transport path R (FIG. 2) passing through the chip discarding section 9 and the chip discarding section 9. A member 71 (conveying bar) is provided. The element conveying member 71 is slidably supported by a guide rod 38, and is reciprocated by a drive mechanism (not shown). The tip end portion is inserted into the guide hole 34a of the vertical plate 34, and slides in the guide hole 34a.

  The transfer mechanism 8 is also installed as the spotting unit 3, and transfers the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 from the spotting unit 3 to the second incubator 5 in a direction orthogonal to the element transport path R.

  The spotting mechanism 6 is disposed in the upper part, and a spotting nozzle 45 that moves up and down moves on the same straight line as the above-described element transporting path R, spotting the specimen and the reference liquid, and diluting and mixing the specimen with the diluent. . The spotting nozzle 45 has a nozzle tip 14 attached to the tip, and sucks and discharges a sample, a reference liquid, and the like in the nozzle tip 14, and is provided with a syringe means (not shown) for performing the suction and discharge. The nozzle tip 14 is removed by the tip discarding unit 9 and discarded.

  The element discarding mechanism 10 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the first incubator 4 and pushes the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 after measurement to the center of the first incubator 4 to drop and discard. The element transport mechanism 7 can also be discarded. Further, the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 after being measured by the second incubator 5 is discarded into the disposal hole 69 by the transfer mechanism 8.

  In addition, a blood filtration unit (not shown) that separates plasma from blood is installed in the vicinity of the sample tray 2.

  The mechanism of each part will be specifically described below. First, the sample tray 2 has a disk-shaped rotating disk 21 that is rotationally driven in the forward direction and the reverse direction, and a disk-shaped non-rotating part 22 at the center.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating disk 21 is adjacent to five sample mounting portions 23 of A to E that hold a sample container 11 such as a blood collection tube containing each sample via a sample adapter 18. The five element mounting portions 24 for holding the element cartridges 13 accommodated in a stacked state of the unused dry analysis elements 12 that normally require a plurality of types corresponding to the measurement items of each specimen, and a number of nozzles Two chip mounting portions 25 that hold a chip rack 19 that stores the chips 14 side by side in the holding holes, a diluent mounting portion 26 that holds three diluent containers 15 that store the diluent, a diluent and a sample, And a cup mounting portion 27 for holding a mixing cup 16 (a molded product in which a large number of cup-shaped recesses are arranged) are arranged in an arc shape.

  Further, the non-rotating part 22 is provided with a cylindrical reference liquid mounting part 28 for holding the reference liquid container 17 containing the reference liquid in the movement range of the spotting nozzle 45 on the extension of the element transport path R, The reference liquid mounting section 28 is provided with an evaporation prevention lid 35 (FIG. 1) that opens and closes the opening of the reference liquid container 17.

  The evaporation prevention lid 35 is held by a swing member 37 pivotally supported by the non-rotating portion 22 at the lower end, and is biased in the closing direction. The upper end locking portion 37a of the swinging member 37 can be in contact with the lower end corner portion 42a of the moving frame 42 of the spotting mechanism 6, and the swinging member 37 is moved in the opening direction by the moving frame 42 that has moved close when the reference liquid is sucked. The evaporation prevention lid 35 opens the reference liquid container 17 so that the reference liquid can be sucked by the spotting nozzle 45. In other states, the evaporation prevention lid 35 closes the opening of the reference liquid container 17 to prevent the reference liquid from evaporating and prevents a decrease in measurement accuracy due to a change in concentration.

  The rotating disk 21 has an outer peripheral portion supported by a support roller 31 and a central portion rotatably held on a support shaft (not shown). Further, a timing belt (not shown) is wound around the outer periphery of the rotary disk 21 and is driven to rotate in the forward direction or the reverse direction by a drive motor. The non-rotating part 22 is non-rotatably attached to the support shaft.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the element cartridges 13 are usually stacked with a plurality of unused dry analytical elements 12 stacked from above. When loaded in the element mounting portion 24, the lower end portion is held on the bottom wall 24a of the element mounting portion 24, and the dry analytical element 12 at the lowermost end portion is positioned at the same height as the element transport surface. An opening 13a through which only one dry analytical element 12 can pass is formed on the front side, and an opening 13b through which the element transport member 71 can be inserted is formed on the rear side.

  In addition, a window portion 13 c is provided on the bottom surface of the element cartridge 13, and a bottom wall 24 a of the element mounting portion 24 is provided on the bottom wall 24 a so that the element information given to the lower surface of the dry analytical element 12 can be read from below the element cartridge 13. Are formed respectively.

  A reader 33 that reads element information based on a dot array pattern (not shown) of the dry analysis element 12 is installed below the sample tray 2. In the reader 33, the rotating disk 21 is rotated by the operation of the sample tray 2 from the element transport position shown in FIG. 3, and the sample container 11 (sample mounting portion 23) is a spotting nozzle as shown in FIG. When the element cartridge 13 (element mounting portion 24) containing the dry analytical element 12 used for the measurement of the sample is moved to the suction position on the movement path (element transport path R) of 45, the position is below the position where the element cartridge 13 is moved. is set up. That is, in the illustrated case, the reader 33 is installed at the rotation position of the element mounting unit 24 with a phase angle that is shifted from the element transport path R by the phase pitch between the sample mounting unit 23 and the element mounting unit 24. In FIG. 3, the rotary disk 21 is partially cut away to show the reader 33, and in FIG. 3, the reader 33 is shown below the element mounting portion 24 in the element transport path R for convenience.

  The reader 33 is composed of a CCD camera corresponding to the dot recording method. The reading of the element information of the dry analysis element 12 by the reader 33 is performed prior to the sample suction from the corresponding sample container 11 and the transport of the dry analysis element 12. Then, the reagent type information, reagent lot information, etc. can be obtained from the 6-digit or 4-digit number obtained by reading the element information given to the dry analytical element 12, and from the recording pattern, etc. The direction can be recognized. Thereby, a set failure can be detected and a warning can be issued.

  The sample adapter 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the sample container 11 is inserted from above. The sample adapter 18 includes an identification unit (not shown), and information such as the type of sample (processing information) and the type (size) of the sample container 11 is set. The identification sensor 30 (FIG. 2) provided reads the identification, and determines whether or not the sample is diluted, whether or not the plasma is filtered, and calculates the amount of liquid level fluctuation associated with the size of the sample container 11. Processing control is performed accordingly. For the specimen container 11 that requires plasma filtration, the specimen container 11 is inserted into the adapter 18 and a holder equipped with a filtration filter is mounted via a spacer (both not shown).

  The spotting unit 3 and the transfer mechanism 8 include a support base 61 that is long between the sample tray 2 and the first incubator 4 in a direction perpendicular to the element transport path R, and a sliding frame 62 is movable on the support base 61. is set up. A first element presser 63 and a second element presser 64 in which spot wearing openings 63a (FIG. 3) are formed are attached to the sliding frame 62 so as to be movable integrally with each other. The first element presser 63 (the same applies to the second element presser 64) has a recess 63b on the bottom surface facing the support base 61 through which the dry analysis element 12 passes along the element transport path R. The sliding frame 62 is guided at one end by the guide bar 65, the pin 66 is engaged with the long groove 62a at the other end, and the drive gear 67 of the drive motor 68 is engaged with the rack gear 62b. Is done. The support base 61 is provided with a second incubator 5 and a disposal hole 69.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the first element presser 63 is positioned at the spotting portion 3, the colorimetric type dry analytical element 12 after the spotting is pushed out by the element transport mechanism and the first incubator 4. It is transferred to. On the other hand, when spotting is performed on the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12, the sliding frame 62 is moved, and the dry analytical element 12 after spotting is held on the support base 61 while being held by the first element presser 63. It is transferred to the second incubator 5 so as to slide, and a potential difference measurement is performed. At that time, the second element presser 64 moves to the spotting unit 3 (spotting position), and then the specimen is spotted on the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 and then transported to the first incubator 4. Can be transported. When the measurement in the second incubator 5 is completed, the sliding frame 62 is further moved, and the dry analytical element 12 after the measurement is transferred to the disposal hole 69 to be dropped and discarded.

  When the colorimetric type dry analytical element 12 is transported, the second element presser 64 is moved to the spotting section 3 and only when the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 is transported. You may make it move 63 to the spotting part 3. FIG.

  The imaging member 33 reads other information in addition to reading the dot arrangement pattern. For this purpose, an additional light source (not shown) is installed. As this additional light source, a light source having a specific wavelength, such as an infrared light source or a deterioration detection light source, is installed according to the detection mode. The spot information and other readings by the information reader will be described later.

  The spotting mechanism 6 (FIG. 1) includes a moving frame 42 held on a horizontal guide rail 41 of a fixed frame 40 so as to be movable in the lateral direction, and two spotting nozzles that can be moved up and down on the moving frame 42. 45 is installed. A vertical guide rail 43 is fixed to the center of the moving frame 42, and two nozzle fixing bases 44 are slidably held on both sides of the vertical guide rail 43. An upper end portion of the spotting nozzle 45 is fixed to the lower portion of the nozzle fixing base 44, and a shaft-like member extending upward is inserted into the drive transmission member 47. A fitting force of the nozzle tip 14 is obtained by a compression spring interposed between the nozzle fixing base 44 and the drive transmission member 47. The nozzle fixing base 44 can move up and down integrally with the drive transmission member 47, and is driven relative to the nozzle fixing base 44 by compression of a compression spring when the nozzle tip 14 is fitted to the tip of the spotting nozzle 45. The transmission member 47 can move downward. The drive transmission member 47 is fixed to a belt 50 stretched around upper and lower pulleys 49 and moves up and down in accordance with the travel of the belt 50 by a motor (not shown). A balance weight 51 is attached to the outer portion of the belt 50 to prevent the descent nozzle 45 from moving down when not driven.

  The moving frame 42 is driven in the horizontal direction by a belt drive mechanism (not shown), and the horizontal movement and the vertical movement are controlled so that the two nozzle fixing bases 44 independently move up and down. Moves horizontally and moves up and down independently. For example, one spotting nozzle 45 is for a specimen, and the other spotting nozzle 45 is for a diluting liquid and a reference liquid.

  Both the spotting nozzles 45 are formed in a rod shape, an air passage extending in the axial direction is provided inside, and a pipette nozzle tip 14 is fitted in a sealed state at the lower end. Each spotting nozzle 45 is connected to an air tube connected to a syringe pump (not shown) and supplied with suction / discharge pressure. Further, the liquid level of the sample or the like can be detected based on the change in the suction pressure.

  The chip discarding unit 9 is provided so as to intersect the transport path R in the vertical direction, and includes an upper member 81 and a lower member 82. The support base 61 in the chip discarding unit 9 is formed with a drop port 83 that is opened in an elliptical shape. The upper member 81 is fixed to the upper surface of the support base 61, an engagement notch 84 is provided immediately above the drop opening 83, and the lower member 82 is cylindrical so as to surround the lower side of the drop opening 83 on the lower face of the support base 61. The nozzle tip 14 that is formed and falls is guided.

  Then, the spotting nozzle 45 to which the nozzle tip 14 is mounted is moved down in the upper member 81 and then moved in the lateral direction, and the upper end of the nozzle tip 14 is engaged with the engagement notch 84. The nozzle tip 14 is extracted by moving the landing nozzle 45 upward, and the detached nozzle tip 14 is dropped and discarded through the drop port 83.

  The first incubator 4 that performs the colorimetric measurement includes an annular rotating member 87 on the outer peripheral portion, and the rotating member 87 rotates with an inclined rotating cylinder 88 fixed to an inner peripheral lower portion supported by a lower bearing 89. It is free. An upper member 90 is disposed on an upper portion of the rotating member 87 so as to be integrally rotatable. The upper surface of the upper member 90 is flat, and a plurality of (13 in the case of FIG. 1) concave portions are formed on the upper surface of the rotating member 87 at predetermined intervals on the circumference, and a slit-like space is formed between the members 87 and 90. An element chamber 91 is formed, and the height of the bottom surface of the element chamber 91 is the same as the height of the transfer surface. Further, the inner hole of the inclined rotating cylinder 88 is formed in the disposal hole 92 of the dry analytical element 12 after the measurement, and the dry analytical element 12 in the element chamber 91 is moved to the center side as it is and dropped and discarded.

  The upper member 90 is provided with a heating means (not shown), and the temperature of the dry analytical element 12 in the element chamber 91 is kept constant at a predetermined temperature. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper member 90 is provided with a pressing member 93 corresponding to the element chamber 91 to press the mount of the dry analysis element 12 from above to prevent the sample from evaporating. A heat retaining cover 94 is disposed on the upper surface of the upper member 90, while the first incubator 4 is entirely covered with a light shielding cover 95. Further, an opening 91a for photometry is formed at the center of the bottom surface of each element chamber 91 of the rotating member 87, and the dry analytical element 12 by the measuring unit 96 disposed below the long hole shown in FIG. The concentration of scattered light is measured. The first incubator 4 is rotationally driven by a belt mechanism (not shown) and is driven to reciprocate.

  Here, the concept of the measurement region of the scattered light will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a measurement region. In FIG. 4, the optical path of the measurement light is included in the xz plane, and the reflection surface RP that reflects the measurement light on the surface of the measurement object (in this embodiment, the dry analysis element 12) is included in the xy plane. An outline of an optical path is shown by an xyz coordinate system. In FIG. 4, the optical paths CA and CA ′ of the measurement light emitted from the light source LA and the optical paths CB and CB ′ of the measurement light emitted from the light source LB are shown for explanation, and the light of the measurement light emitted from the light source LA. The ray on the axis is denoted by la.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the measurement light emitted from the light source LA is incident as incident light on the lower surface (reflective surface) RP of the dry analytical element 12 and is reflected on the lower surface (reflective surface) RP of the dry analytical element 12. Proceed as reflected light. Then, the scattered light spreads in each direction from the irradiation area A irradiated with the incident light on the reflection surface RP.

  The detector S preferably detects only scattered light scattered by the irradiation area A. Therefore, when the scattered light is measured, if the detector is positioned in the optical path CA of the incident light where the measurement light is incident on the measurement object or the optical path CA ′ of the reflected light reflected by the measurement object, the measurement light and Since both scattered light is detected and the measurement light is detected as noise, measurement cannot be performed with high accuracy.

  For this reason, it is preferable to perform the scattered light measurement in a region excluding the optical path CA of the incident light incident on the measurement object or the optical path CA ′ of the reflected light reflected by the measurement object. Further, the measurement light may show any light intensity distribution as long as it has a light intensity distribution for irradiating the measurement object intensively.

  When the scattered light detection device includes a plurality of light sources LA and LB that irradiate a plurality of different types of measurement light, when the measurement light is emitted from the light source LA, the optical path of the measurement light When the scattered light is detected in the region excluding the optical path CA of the incident light and the optical path CA ′ of the reflected light, and the measurement light is emitted from the light source LB, the optical path of the incident light that is the optical path of the measurement light It is preferable to detect scattered light in a region excluding CB and the optical path CB ′ of reflected light. For this reason, when detecting scattered light of a measurement object by switching measurement light having a plurality of different wavelengths, detectors are arranged at positions not included in the optical path of all scattered light. It is conceivable to perform detection. However, in the scattered light detection device provided with a large number of types of light sources, there is a possibility that the detector is included anywhere in the optical path of the measurement light, regardless of where the detector is disposed. In addition, it is not easy to realize an apparatus configuration in which the methods of Patent Documents 1 to 4 are applied to all measurement lights.

  In the present invention, in view of the above circumstances, when the scattered light measurement is performed using the light source LA, the detector S is provided in a region that does not include the light path CA of the incident light of the measurement light and the optical path CA ′ of the reflected light. When the scattered light is measured by moving and the scattered light measurement is performed using the light source LB, the region B does not include the optical path CB including the optical path CB of the incident light and the optical path CB ′ of the reflected light. The detector S is moved into the measurement region, and the scattered light is measured. Even if a light source is further provided in addition to the light sources LA and LB, the detector S is moved to a measurement region that does not include the optical path of the measurement light in response to irradiation of the measurement light and scattered light. Detection is performed.

  According to the above method, even when measuring different types of measurement light by switching and irradiating the scattered light, measurement of the scattered light is always performed within the measurement region that does not include the optical path of the measurement light. It can be carried out. For this reason, even when different types of measurement light are radiated from a large number of light sources, it is possible to suitably avoid detection of measurement light as noise, and scattered light can be accurately detected with a high S / N ratio. Can be detected. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a number of detectors corresponding to the number of light sources, it is possible to detect scattered light for a plurality of light sources efficiently with a small number of detectors.

  Further, in the region B that does not include the optical path of the measurement light, it is more preferable that the scattered light is detected at a position as close as possible to the irradiation region A where the incident light and the reflection surface RP intersect in the movable range of the detector. . Since the scattered light that is the measurement target is scattered by the irradiation region A, the ratio of the scattered light that is the measurement target to the noise can be further increased by detecting the scattered light in the vicinity of the irradiation region A, and the higher SN This is because the scattered light can be accurately measured by the ratio. Further, it is preferable to detect the scattered light in the irradiation region A at a position as close as possible to the intersection of the optical axis of the measurement light and the reflection surface RP, or the intersection of the peak of the light intensity distribution of the measurement light and the reflection surface RP. . In the vicinity of the intersection of the optical axis of the measurement light or the peak of the light intensity distribution of the measurement light and the reflection surface RP, a portion of the irradiation region A that is particularly strong in the relative light intensity distribution of the measurement light is concentrated and irradiated. Since it is an area | region, the ratio of the scattered light which is a measuring object is still higher, and it can measure a scattered light more suitably.

When calculating the optical path of the measurement light, if the measurement light has a light intensity distribution with a widened base, the calculation is based on the main part of the measurement light whose relative light intensity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. To do. For example, in the case of laser light, the part where the relative light intensity is 1 / e ² or more is the main part of the measurement light, and in the case of LED light, the part where the predetermined value is 1/10 or more is the measurement light. The optical path can be calculated as the main part of

  The detector S may be moved through an arbitrary path by an arbitrary moving mechanism as long as it can move into the region B not including the optical path. For example, the detector may be moved by fixing the detector to a slide section that can reciprocate horizontally in a predetermined section and driving the slide section to move in parallel. Further, the detector may be moved by fixing the detector to the rotating member and rotationally driving the rotating member. Further, the arrangement and driving mechanism of the detector may be arbitrarily configured as long as the detector can be moved to the measurement region. Further, if the detector can be relatively moved into the measurement region, the detector may be moved, or the light source may be moved so that the detector is included in the measurement region. Both of them may be moved.

  Any kind of detector can be used depending on the application of the apparatus. For example, a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a position detector (PSD) may be used.

  Further, a plurality of detectors may be provided according to the purpose and application of the apparatus, or only one detector may be provided. When only one detector is provided, it is not necessary to make wiring and control complicated, so the device can be manufactured at a low cost with a simple structure. When a plurality of detectors are provided, a plurality of detectors can be detected. By detecting the scattered light using the vessel at the same time, the scattered light can be detected with higher accuracy even when the scattered light is weak.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the measurement region is further divided into incident light that is irradiated from the light source to the measurement object, and reflected light that is reflected by the reflecting surface that is the surface of the measurement object. A region excluding the incident surface region E is included. As shown in FIG. 4, the surface includes an incident light beam la on the optical axis that is incident on the reflection surface RP, which is a surface on which the measurement object is disposed, and a reflection light beam la ′ that is reflected from the reflection surface RP. Is the incident surface EP. When the measurement light is light having a predetermined width W, the incident surface region E is a region having a thickness corresponding to the predetermined width W with the incident surface EP as the center. In FIG. 4, since the incident light beam la is included in the XZ plane, the incident surface EP is a plane parallel to the XZ plane, and the incident surface region E is a region having a thickness W in the y direction centering on the incident surface EP. is there. In the present embodiment, a region B1 obtained by further removing the incident surface region E from the region B not including the optical path of the measurement light is set as a measurement region.

  For example, when the measurement light shows an intensity distribution with a widened bottom where the light intensity gradually decreases at the peripheral portion, the peripheral portion of the measurement light (the bottom portion of the light intensity distribution) is included in the reflection surface RP. The light may be reflected or scattered by a portion other than the measurement target (non-measurement target region), and the light reflected or scattered by the non-measurement target region may be detected by the detector S as noise. There is. In the detection of scattered light using the dry analytical element 12 in the present embodiment, the scattered light generated from the region of the dry analytical element 12 where the specimen is developed on the reagent layer provided in the dry analytical element 12 is detected. In addition, reflected light or scattered light in other regions becomes noise. In order to reduce reflected light or scattered light (noise) generated by such a non-measurement target region, a region obtained by further removing the incident surface region E from the region B not including the optical path of the measurement light described above is set as a measurement region. It is effective. This is because the incident surface region E includes many regions through which the peripheral portion of the measurement light passes, and thus the measurement light reflected or scattered by the non-measurement target region as described above easily enters as noise.

  In addition, depending on the material and the surface shape, the scattered light scattered by the measurement object may be different from the region where the scattered light scattered in the non-measurement target region spreads. In such a case, the scattered light is measured in a region where the scattered light scattered by the measurement object spreads while maintaining measurable light intensity and is not included in the incident surface region E. By doing so, the ratio of the scattered light (noise) scattered in the non-measurement target region to the scattered light scattered by the measurement target can be reduced. This is because the measurement is performed at a position relatively distant from the region where the scattered light scattered in the non-measurement target region spreads with respect to the region where the scattered light scattered by the measurement object spreads. In addition, as a region where the scattered light scattered by the measurement object spreads, for example, a region spreading in a hemisphere from the reflection surface RP with the irradiation region A as the center is conceivable.

  Moreover, it is preferable to detect scattered light at a position as far as possible from the incident surface region E in the region B1 described above. In this case, since it becomes difficult to detect the noise included in the incident surface region E by measuring the scattered light at a position away from the incident surface region E, the measurement object is irradiated from the irradiation region A irradiated with the measuring light. The ratio of noise to certain scattered light can be reduced, and the scattered light can be measured with higher accuracy at a higher SN ratio.

  The configuration of the measurement unit 96 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the measurement unit 96 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the measurement unit 96 has an elongated hole shown in FIG. 2 and an opening 91 a on the lower surface (support surface) of the element chamber 91 on which the dry analysis element 12 is placed. A plurality of light sources L 1, L 2, L 3,..., L 8 made of LEDs or the like that allow measurement light having different wavelengths to enter the lower surface, and the lower side where these light sources are arranged concentrically around the rotation axis F. A conical tube-shaped light source support 111 having a narrow diameter, detectors S1 and S2 for receiving scattered light generated from the dry analysis element 12, and the detectors S1 and S2 across the rotation axis F A detector support member 112 having a disk-shaped detector arrangement portion 112a that is supported in opposition, and a drive gear attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the detector support member 112 are driven by a rotation drive mechanism (not shown). Due to the light source And a moving mechanism for rotating movement detector. Note that the axis F is orthogonal to the lower surface of the element chamber 91 and is located at a position passing through the region where the sample of the dry analysis element 12 is spotted.

  The light sources opposed to the rotation axis F are light sources that irradiate measurement light having the same wavelength, and are used in pairs according to each measurement item. For example, in the case of the measurement item I1, the light sources L1 and L5 simultaneously irradiate measurement light onto the lower surface RP of the dry analytical element 12 that is the measurement object. In addition, the pair of light sources that irradiate the measurement light is fixed so that the same region becomes the irradiation region at substantially the same angle with respect to the reflection surface RP that is the lower surface of the measurement object. In this way, since the pair of light sources are provided symmetrically with respect to the axis F, the optical paths of the pair of light sources (incident light 11 of the light source L1, reflected light 15 'of the light source L5, and incident light of the light source L1). l1 ′ and the reflected light l5) of the light source L5 are in opposite directions but substantially coincide with each other, and the incident surface area E by the pair of light sources L1 and L5 is also substantially the same area.

  In the present embodiment, for each measurement light, the scattered light is detected by rotating the detector to the measurement area that is an area excluding the optical path of the measurement light and the incident surface area corresponding to the measurement light. Further, the scattered light is detected by moving the detector to a position farthest from the incident surface region E in the movable range of the detector. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, when the measurement light is emitted from the light sources L1 and L5, the optical paths of the light sources L1 and L5 and the regions other than the incident surface region E corresponding to the measurement light of the light sources L1 and L5, respectively. In a certain measurement region, detection is performed by moving the detectors S1 and S2 to a position farthest from the incident surface region E. Similarly, when measuring light is emitted from the light sources L2 and L6, Then, detection is performed by moving the detectors S1 and S2 to the positions indicated by the thick lines in FIG. 6 farthest from the incident surface region E by the light sources L2 and L6.

  Specifically, prior to the scattered light detection process, for each measurement light, the optical path and the incident surface area E can be calculated from the position of the pair of light sources used and the incident angle with respect to the reflecting surface, and the scattered light can be detected suitably. Among the scattered light detectable regions, measurement regions not including these are calculated. Then, for each calculated measurement region, the position farthest from the incident surface region E within the movable range of the detector is determined as the measurement position. Then, according to the measurement item, the light source to be used and the determined measurement position are associated with each other and stored as detector determination information in a memory provided in the control unit of the biochemical analyzer 1. When the measurement item is determined, the control unit detects the measurement light by moving the detector to the corresponding measurement position according to the type of measurement light based on the detector movement information. Each light source uses an LED light source, and its optical path is calculated based on 1/10 of the relative light intensity distribution. The detectors S1 and S2 use S1880 made by Hamamatsu Photonics, which is a two-dimensional position detector (two-dimensional PSD). It is assumed that a region in the vicinity of the irradiation region A is set based on test data measured in advance as the scattered light detectable region.

  The disposal mechanism 10 includes a disposal bar 101 that moves forward and backward in the element chamber 91 in the center direction from the outer peripheral side. The disposal bar 101 is fixed to a belt 102 whose rear end travels in a horizontal direction, and the measured dry analytical element 12 is pushed out from the element chamber 91 in accordance with the traveling of the belt 102 driven by the drive motor 103 and discarded. To do. A recovery box for recovering the dry analytical element 12 after measurement is disposed below the disposal hole 92.

  Further, in the second incubator 5 for measuring the ion activity, the first element presser 63 of the sliding frame 62 serves as an upper member, and one element chamber is provided between the upper surface of the measurement main body 97 by the concave portion at the bottom. Is formed. The second incubator 5 is provided with a heating means (not shown), and a temperature measuring portion of the dry analytical element 12 for measuring the ion activity is isothermally heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, three pairs of potential measurement probes 98 for measuring the ion activity are provided on the side portion of the measurement main body 97 so as to come into contact with the ion selective electrode of the dry analytical element 12.

  A plasma filtration unit (not shown) is inserted through a holder (not shown) having a filter made of glass fiber inserted into the specimen container 11 (collecting blood vessel) held in the sample tray 2 and attached to the upper end opening. Plasma is separated and sucked from blood, and the filtered plasma is held in the cup at the upper end of the holder.

  The operation of the biochemical analyzer 1 as described above, setting of measurement conditions, and the like are performed by input from an operation panel 55 (not shown) installed in the housing 20 (not shown). The operation panel 55 (interface) performs various instruction operations by pressing with a fingertip such as a display screen, a start key, a stop key, a specimen key, a consumable key, a manual key, an emergency key, a calibration key, a numeric keypad, and a print key. Operation keys are provided. The operation panel 55 is connected to a control unit (not shown), and measurement calculation processing based on a control program registered therein is set, automatic measurement operation, manual measurement operation, emergency measurement operation, calibration operation, and printing operation. Are selected and executed, and the analysis result (component concentration) is calculated based on the measurement information based on the analysis information corresponding to the element information. Then, in order to output and record the measurement results, these data are printed by the printer 57 in order to confirm the set values.

  Next, the overall operation of the biochemical analyzer 1 will be described. First, before performing the analysis, in each of the mounting portions 23 to 28 of the sample tray 2, a specimen container 11 containing each specimen, an element cartridge 13 loaded with a dry analytical element 12, a chip rack 19 containing a nozzle chip 14, The mixing cup 16, the diluent container 15 and the reference liquid container 17 are mounted to prepare for measurement.

  Thereafter, the analysis process is started. First, in the case of a specimen that requires plasma filtration, the whole blood in the specimen container 11 is filtered by a blood filtration unit to obtain a plasma component. Next, the element cartridge 13 of the sample to be measured by rotating the rotating disk 21 is stopped at the element take-out position corresponding to the spotting unit 3, and the dry analysis element 12 is taken out from the element cartridge 13 by the element transport mechanism and is spotted. 3 to transport. Note that the analysis information given to the dry analysis element 12 is read before being transported to the spotting unit 3, and the subsequent operation is controlled.

  When the measurement item is colorimetric measurement, the dry analytical element 12 is transported in a state where the element presser 64 is positioned at the spotting portion, and then the sample tray 2 is rotated to rotate the spotting nozzle 45. The nozzle tip 14 of the tip rack 19 is moved downward and attached to the spotting nozzle 45. Subsequently, the specimen container 11 is moved, the spotting nozzle 45 is lowered, the specimen is sucked into the nozzle tip 14, the spotting nozzle 45 is moved to the spotting part 3, and the specimen is spotted on the dry analytical element 12. . Next, after the element chamber 91 is rotated and held at a constant temperature for a predetermined time, the inserted dry analysis element 12 is sequentially moved to a measurement position by the photometry unit 96, and the reflection optical density of the dry analysis element 12 is measured. .

  When the light sources L1 and L5 corresponding to the measurement light having the wavelength corresponding to the measurement item are determined, the control unit drives the moving mechanism based on the detector movement information, so that the detector arrangement unit 112a is rotationally driven. The detectors S1 and S2 are moved to the measurement position. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the measurement light is simultaneously irradiated from the light sources L1 and L5, and the scattered light generated from the irradiation region A is detected by the detectors S1 and S2.

  After the measurement is completed, the measured dry analytical element 12 is pushed out to the center side and discarded. The measurement result is output, and the used nozzle tip 14 is removed from the spotting nozzle 45 by the tip discarding unit 9 and dropped downward and discarded, and the processing is completed. During the colorimetric measurement, in the second incubator 5, as described above, the lower block 71 is raised and the upper block 63 is preheated.

  Next, when the inspection item is a dilution request, for example, when the blood concentration is too high to perform an accurate inspection, the dry analytical element 12 is transported to the spotting position, and then the nozzle tip 14 is moved. The nozzle is attached to the spotting nozzle 45, and the spotting nozzle 45 is lowered to suck the sample into the nozzle tip 14. After the aspirated specimen is dispensed from the nozzle tip 14 into the mixing cup 16, the used nozzle tip 14 is removed. Next, a new nozzle tip 14 is attached to the spotting nozzle 45, and the diluent is sucked from the diluent container 15 into the nozzle tip 14. The sucked diluted liquid is discharged from the nozzle tip 14 to the mixing cup 16. Then, the nozzle tip 14 is inserted into the mixing cup 16 and agitation is performed by repeating suction and discharge. After agitation, the diluted specimen is sucked into the nozzle tip 14, the spotting nozzle 45 is moved to the spotting section 3, and the specimen is spotted on the dry analytical element 12. Thereafter, similarly, constant temperature holding, photometry, element discarding, result output and chip discarding are performed, and the process is terminated.

  Next, in the case of measuring the ion activity, the upper block 63 is moved to the spotting unit 3 as described above, and the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 is transported to the spotting position. The nozzle tip 14 is attached to the nozzle 45 and the specimen is aspirated. Next, the nozzle tip 14 is attached to the other spotting nozzle 45 and the reference liquid is sucked from the reference liquid container 17. Next, the specimen is spotted on one liquid supply hole of the dry analytical element 12 by one spotting nozzle 45, and the reference liquid is spotted on the other liquid supply hole of the dry analytical element 12 by the other spotting nozzle 45. To wear.

  Then, the dry analytical element 12 on which the sample and the reference liquid are spotted is transferred to the second incubator 5 by the movement of the sliding frame 62 together with the upper block 63 from the spotting portion 3, and kept at a constant temperature by raising the lower block 71. Meanwhile, the ion activity is measured by the potential measuring probe 78. After the measurement is completed, the dry analytical element 12 after measurement is transferred to the discard hole 69 by the movement of the sliding frame 62 and discarded. Then, the measurement result is output, both the used nozzle tips 14 are removed from both spotting nozzles 45 and discarded, and the process is terminated.

  According to the above embodiment, even when measuring light and scattered light having no wavelength shift are detected, or when a plurality of types of measurement light are switched and irradiated, the measurement light is always in an area not including the optical path of the measurement light. Scattered light can be measured within a certain measurement region. For this reason, it can avoid suitably that measurement light is detected as noise, only a scattered light can be detected accurately and a high S / N ratio can be maintained. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a number of detectors corresponding to the number of light sources, it is possible to detect scattered light for a plurality of light sources efficiently with a small number of detectors.

  Further, since the measurement region is a region excluding the incident surface region E, noise due to light reflected or scattered by the non-measurement target region can be further suppressed, and a higher SN ratio can be realized.

  Further, the rotating member 87 (support unit) includes a support surface that supports the dry analysis element 12, and a plurality of light sources pass through a portion where the sample of the dry analysis element 12 is spotted and are perpendicular to the support surface. Are arranged concentrically around the axis F, and can alternately irradiate a plurality of measurement lights to the dry analytical element 12, and the light source L1, L2,... Since it moves to the position which detects the scattered light which arises from a measurement object with the measurement light from L8, the distance from a light source to a measurement object becomes constant, and it is preferable because measurement conditions can be equalized.

  In addition, since the moving mechanism includes a detector support member 112 that can rotate about the axis thereof, and the detector support member 112 is rotated to rotate the detector, the measurement light can be measured with a simple configuration. A device that detects scattered light in a region that does not include an optical path can be realized. In addition, since the moving mechanism can have a simple configuration, the apparatus can be manufactured at a low cost with a relatively compact apparatus size. Further, since the detector is rotated about the axis F perpendicular to the support surface through the portion where the sample of the dry analytical element 12 is spotted, the measurement object is used regardless of which measurement light is used. To the respective detectors are substantially the same, which is preferable because the measurement conditions can be made uniform.

  Furthermore, since a plurality of detectors are provided and a plurality of detectors are arranged concentrically around the axis F on the detector support member 112, it is possible to detect scattered light with higher accuracy than in the case of a single detector. . In addition, since a smaller number of detectors than the types of measurement light are provided, cost savings are higher than when a detector is provided for each measurement light.

  In addition, as described above, when a plurality of light sources are divided into groups for each wavelength type and each light source group is switched for each measurement light, a part or all of the optical paths of the light sources used at the same time overlap. Therefore, since the optical path of the measurement light can be made smaller than when the light sources used at the same time have different optical paths, it is easy to secure the measurement area even when there is only a limited space in the apparatus.

  Each embodiment described above shows only one aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, the present invention can be applied to any type of measuring device as long as it is a device that irradiates the measuring object with the measuring light and measures scattered light generated from the measuring object.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Biochemical analyzer 2 Sample tray 3 Spotting part 4 1st incubator 5 2nd incubator 6 Spotting mechanism 12 Dry analytical element (analysis chip)
96 Photometry section 111 Light source support section 112 Detector support member 112a Detector arrangement section A Irradiation area C1, C1 ′, C5, C5 ′, CA, CA ′, CB, CB ′ Optical path E Incident plane area EP Incident plane LA, LB , L1, L2,... L8 Light source RP Reflective surface S, S1, S2 Detector

Claims (5)

A scattered light detection device that detects scattered light generated from the measurement object by switching and irradiating a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths to the measurement object,
A support portion having a support surface for supporting the measurement object ;
A plurality of light sources arranged at different positions capable of irradiating the measurement object supported by the support part with the plurality of measurement lights, respectively;
A detector for detecting scattered light respectively generated from the measurement object irradiated by the plurality of measurement lights;
Wherein a region not including the optical path to the object to be measured of the measuring light, Bei example a movable transfer mechanism said detector said scattered light to a possible region is the measurement region detection,
The plurality of light sources are arranged concentrically around an axis perpendicular to the support surface through the measurement object, and the plurality of light sources can be alternately switched to irradiate the measurement object portion And
The moving mechanism includes a detector support member that can rotate about the axis as a rotation axis, and is generated from the measurement object by measuring light from the light source that is switched and irradiated by rotating the detector support member. The detector is rotated to a position for detecting scattered light,
The measurement region includes an incident surface region including incident light irradiated on the measurement object from the light source and reflected light reflected by the reflection surface that is the surface of the measurement object. A scattered light detection device characterized in that it is an excluded region . Wherein a plurality of detectors, the detector scattered light detecting device of the support member and the plurality of detectors to claim 1, wherein the arranged concentrically around said shaft. The moving mechanism detects the scattered light by moving the detector to a position closest to a region where the incident light and the measurement object intersect in a range in which the detector can be moved. The scattered light detection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The moving mechanism is out of a movable range of the detector, the claim farthest from the incident plane area by moving the detector, characterized in that in order to detect the scattered light 1 or 2. The scattered light detection apparatus according to 2. A scattered light detection method in which scattered light generated from the measurement object is measured by a detector by switching and irradiating the measurement object with a plurality of types of measurement light having different wavelengths from a plurality of light sources arranged at different positions. Because
The plurality of measurement lights are alternately switched to the measurement object from a plurality of light sources arranged concentrically around an axis perpendicular to a support surface that supports the measurement object and passes through the measurement object. irradiating Te,
A step of moving the detector for each of the plurality of types of measurement light in a measurement area that is an area that does not include the optical path of the measurement light and is an area where the scattered light can be detected;
A step of detecting scattered light generated from the measurement object irradiated by the measurement light ,
The moving step is a step of rotating the detector around the axis as a rotation axis to a position where scattered light generated from the measurement object is detected by the measurement light from the light source that is switched and irradiated;
The measurement region includes an incident surface region including incident light irradiated on the measurement object from the light source and reflected light reflected by the reflection surface that is the surface of the measurement object. A method for detecting scattered light, characterized in that the region is an excluded region .

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