JPH018992Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention mainly relates to a constant temperature device used in a photometric device for test liquid in an automatic analyzer.

In order to accurately measure a sample with an automatic biochemical analyzer, a constant temperature device for the test solution is required to keep the reaction conditions of the test solution constant. Conventionally, various types of constant temperature devices using gas, liquid, etc. have been proposed as such constant temperature devices. In a photometric device, the light source requires cooling, and the test liquid is normally controlled at a temperature higher than room temperature, so heating is the main way to maintain the temperature of the test liquid and peripheral equipment of the photoreceptor, but conventional thermostats do not. Separate cooling and heating devices were provided for these devices, making the entire device large and expensive, as well as requiring a lot of energy to operate the constant temperature device, making it inefficient.
It was uneconomical. In addition, in conventional devices, when the light source is cooled by air, measurement data becomes unstable if the air around the light source is forced out by a fan, etc., so the cooling part of the light source and the path of the light beam are sealed. There were problems such as the need for isolation.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve these drawbacks, simplify the structure of the thermostat, achieve miniaturization, and provide a thermostat for a photometer that is economical and capable of accurate photometry.

To achieve this purpose, the constant temperature device of the photometry device of the present invention includes a first constant temperature bath that cools the surroundings of the light source for photometry to a predetermined temperature, and a pump that transfers a heat medium to the first constant temperature bath. , a cooling device that cools the heat medium, a second constant temperature bath that is branched from the flow path of the heat medium to introduce the heat medium and constant temperature of the test liquid to be measured to a predetermined temperature, the first constant temperature bath and the second constant temperature bath. 2
It is characterized by comprising means for controlling cooling or supply of the heat medium so that each constant temperature bath is kept constant at a predetermined temperature.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a photometric device for a constant temperature device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, this photometric device focuses light from a light source 1 using a condenser lens 2, passes this light beam through an optical filter 3, converts it into a predetermined wavelength, and then sends it to a flow cell 4.
The light that passes through the flow cell 4 is received by a light receiving element 5, the output of this light receiving element 5 is amplified by an amplifier 6, and the reaction state of the test liquid in the flow cell 4 is measured from the output of this amplifier 6. That's what I do.
In order to maintain the temperature of this photometric device, a constant temperature chamber 7, which is a first constant temperature chamber through which a cooling fluid is circulated, is provided around the light source 1 to form a lamp house, and a constant temperature chamber 7 through which a cooling fluid is circulated is provided to form a lamp house. The second constant temperature chamber 8, which is the second constant temperature chamber, is connected to the flow cell 4 and the light receiving element 5.
The amplifier 6 is provided in close contact with the portion not used for photometry and almost the entire circumference of the amplifier 6. A pump 1 supplies fluid cooled by a cooling device 9 (for example, cooling water, hereinafter referred to as cooling water) to the fluid inlet 7a of the constant temperature bath 7.
Connect 0. A three-way valve 11 is connected to the fluid outlet 7b of the constant temperature bath 7, one outlet of the three-way valve 11 is connected to the cooling device 9, and the other outlet is connected to the constant temperature bath 8.
It is connected to the fluid inlet 8a of the. A fluid outlet 8b of the thermostatic chamber 8 is connected to a connecting pipe between the three-way valve 11 and the cooling device 9. Further, in order to measure the temperature of the flow cell 4, a temperature sensor 12 is provided at a position adjacent to the flow cell 4, and this temperature sensor 12 is connected to a temperature measurement and comparison device 13. This temperature measurement comparison device 13
compares the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 12 with the set temperature, and outputs this comparison value to the valve opening/closing device 14. This valve opening/closing device 14 is connected to the three-way valve 11, and the switching valve of the three-way valve 11 is controlled according to the comparison value of the temperature measurement and comparison device 13.

Next, the operation of the constant temperature device in this photometric device will be explained.

The cooling water cooled by the cooling device 9 is sent to the constant temperature bath 7 by the pump 10. The cooling water heated by the light source 1 in this constant temperature bath 7 is discharged from the fluid outlet 7b.
If the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 12 is above the set value, the flow is carried out in the direction of arrow A and sent to the cooling device 9, and if the measured temperature is below the set value, it is flowed in the direction of arrow B to keep the temperature constant. It is sent to a cooling device 9 via a tank 8, and the flow cell 4, light receiving element 5, and amplifier 6 are heated to a predetermined temperature. Temperature sensor 12
The set value for the temperature to be detected is not limited to just one point, but has a wide range. The three-way valve 11 is controlled by comparing the set value with the measured temperature. When the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 12 exceeds the set upper limit, it is heated in the direction of arrow A until the temperature falls below the lower limit. Alternatively, when the measured temperature falls below the lower limit value, the warmed cooling water may flow in the direction of arrow B until the measured temperature reaches the upper limit value or higher.

The constant temperature device of the photometric device of the present invention configured as described above uses the same medium for the cooling medium for cooling the light source and the temperature control medium for keeping the flow cell, photodetector, and amplifier at a constant temperature. It is possible to reduce energy consumption, simplify the configuration of the constant temperature device, and thereby reduce the size of the entire photometric device.Furthermore, the photometric device does not need to be of a sealed structure to prevent air from forming on the optical path of the photometric light beam. It is a constant temperature device that has various advantages such as not having a high temperature, and also allows accurate temperature control and accurate photometry using a photometer.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made within the scope of the utility model registration claims. As an example, in the above embodiment, the temperature of the constant temperature bath 8 was controlled by switching the flow path of the cooling water heated by the three-way valve 11.
The present invention is not limited to this, and even if the flow rate of the medium sent to the constant temperature bath 8 is controlled, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, the medium for cooling and heating is not limited to water, but other liquids such as oil may be used, and gas may also be used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Light source, 2... Condensing lens, 3... Optical filter, 4... Flow cell, 5... Light receiving element, 6
...Amplifier, 7, 8...Thermostat, 7a, 8a...
Fluid inlet, 7b, 8b...Fluid outlet, 9...
Cooling device, 10...Pump, 11...Three-way valve, 1
2...Temperature sensor, 13...Temperature comparison device, 14
...Valve opening/closing device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A first constant temperature bath that cools the surroundings of a light source for photometry to a predetermined temperature, a pump that transfers a heat medium to the first constant temperature bath, a cooling device that cools the heat medium, and a cooling device that cools the heat medium. A second constant temperature bath is branched from the flow path to introduce a heat medium to constant temperature the test liquid to be measured at a predetermined temperature, and the first constant temperature bath and the second constant temperature bath are heated so that each of the first constant temperature bath and the second constant temperature bath is constant temperature at a predetermined temperature. 1. A constant temperature device for a photometric device, comprising means for controlling cooling or supply of a medium.