JPH09166548A - Luminosity meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify and miniaturize the whole constitution easily by providing a luminous reagent storage part and a micro light quantity detector in proximity to each other and using a cooling mechanism for luminous reagent as cooling mechanism for the micro light quantity detector, too. SOLUTION: When a cooling plate 33 is cooled by a cooling mechanism, since luminous reagent containers 21, 23 in a storage part 19 are placed on a horizontal part 33H of the cooling plate 33, reagent in the containers 21, 23 can be cooled to a desired low temperature by heat conduction so as to be able to prevent the degradation of the reagent. Since the horizontal part 33H of the cooling plate 33 constitutes the top part of a heat insulating case 31 with a micro light quantity detector 29 enclosed therein, the interior of the heat insulating case 31 is cooled, and as a result, the micro light quantity detector 29 is cooled. The dark current of the micro light quantity detector 29 is thereby suppressed to reduce noise, and detection with higher accuracy can be performed. Since the reagent storage part 19 and the micro light quantity detector 29 can be thus cooled simultaneously by one cooling mechanism, the whole constitution can be simplified and miniaturized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a luminometer for measuring a bioluminescence phenomenon or a chemiluminescence phenomenon, and more particularly to a cooling mechanism for a luminescent reagent and a cooling mechanism for a photomultiplier tube for measuring a small amount of light. Luminometer in common.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a conventional luminometer, there is one having a structure as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-452020 (hereinafter simply referred to as a prior art example).

A conventional luminometer has a structure not provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling reagents and the like, and a reagent cooling mechanism and a photomultiplier tube cooling mechanism are separately provided even if a cooling mechanism is provided. Generally there is. It should be noted that the above-mentioned prior art only suggests cooling of the photomultiplier tube.

[0004]

In a luminometer having a structure without a cooling mechanism, the reagent may rise to room temperature during long-time measurement. in this case,
The reagent is severely deteriorated, and the remaining portion of the reagent cannot be reused in many cases. Therefore, it is a big problem when the reagent is expensive.

In the luminometer, in the constitution in which the cooling mechanism for the reagent and the cooling mechanism for the photomultiplier tube are individually provided, the above-mentioned problems can be solved, but the cooling mechanism is provided separately. Is complicated, there is a problem in downsizing, and power consumption for cooling is increased.

[0006]

The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and the invention according to claim 1 places the luminescent reagent storage portion and the low light amount detector in close proximity to each other. The cooling mechanism for the luminescent reagent and the cooling mechanism for the weak light amount detector are also provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an arrangement area for the low light amount detector is provided in a lower area of the storage portion for the luminescent reagent, and a partition member for partitioning the arrangement area and the storage portion is connected to the cooler. It is a structure that will be.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 schematically showing, a luminometer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a housing 3 in which various devices are installed, and surely shields light from the outside. It is equipped with a dark room 5 that can be used. In addition,
Although the housing 3 and the dark room 5 are illustrated as being separated from each other, they are integrally provided on a base (not shown).

The dark chamber section 5 is provided with a box-shaped casing 9 in which a test tube 7 (see FIG. 2) can be detachably and replaceably housed, and a lid member 11 is provided on the casing 9 so as to be openable and closable. In this dark room portion 5, when the casing 9 is closed by the lid member 11 after the test tube 7 is stored, light from the outside does not enter the inside. The inner surfaces of the casing 9 and the lid member 11 are preferably black.

In the housing 3, a computer (not shown) for controlling various devices is installed. The housing 3 is provided with a switch portion 13 such as a panel switch for setting various equipment and operating instructions, and an appropriate display portion 15 such as a liquid crystal display portion for displaying the above setting and operating instructions. It is provided. Further, a printer unit 17 for printing and outputting the measurement result, setting state, etc.
Is provided.

Further, the housing 3 is provided with a storage portion 19 capable of storing a luminescent reagent. More specifically,
In this example, the luminescent reagent is a luminescent base (eg, aequorin, luminol, luciferin / luciferase, A
MPPD) and cytolytic agents (eg detergents)
Therefore, the storage portion 19 has a second container 21 containing a luminescent base and a second container 21 containing a cell lysing agent.
The container 23 is housed in a detachable and replaceable manner.

First and second lids 25 and 27 can be opened and closed in the storage unit 19 so that the first and second containers 21 and 23 can be easily attached to and detached from the storage unit 19. The switch portion 13 is provided on the lid 25.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first and second
In the lower region of the storage unit 19 in which the containers 21 and 23 are stored, a photomultiplier tube for detecting weak luminescence due to a bioluminescence phenomenon or a chemiluminescence phenomenon after the luminescence reagent is put into the test solution in the test tube 7 An area for arranging the low light amount detector 29 is provided.

More specifically, the low light amount detector 29 is
In order to cool the low light amount detector 29, the storage portion 19
The light receiving surface 29F of the low light amount detector 29 is disposed inside the heat insulating case 31 provided on the lower side of the casing 9.
It is provided so as to approach the inside of the test tube 7 by advancing inside.

The first and second containers 2 in the storage section 19
A cooling mechanism is provided to cool both the light sources 1 and 23 and the low light amount detector 29. That is, a cooling plate 33 as a partition member is provided between the storage portion 19 and the heat insulating case 31.
Is provided. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cooling plate 33 is formed in an L shape having a horizontal portion 33H and a vertical portion 33V. The horizontal portion 33H serves as the bottom of the storage portion 19 and the ceiling of the heat insulating case 31, and a Peltier element 35 as a cooler is attached to the back surface of the vertical portion 33V. A heat radiation fan 37 is provided at the rear of the Peltier element 35.

A pump in which a fluid pump (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4) is housed in the housing 3 in order to supply the reagent in the first and second containers 21 and 23 to the test tube 7. A chamber 39 is provided. The fluid pump includes a first fluid pump for supplying the reagent in the first container 21 to the test tube 7, and a second fluid pump for supplying the reagent in the second container 23 to the test tube 7. It will be. The first and second fluid pumps have the same structure.

In the above-described structure, when the test tube 7 containing the test liquid such as milk is stored in the casing 9, and then the casing 9 is closed by the lid member 11, the test tube corresponding portion provided in the lid member 11 is provided. 11A is located above the test tube 7, and each discharge part 11B is located in the upper opening of the test tube 7. Then, the inside of the casing 9 is shielded from the outside and is in a dark state.

After the casing 9 is closed by the lid member 11 as described above, when the first and second pumps (not shown) are driven, the reagents in the first and second containers 21 and 23 are moved by the pipes 41. The liquid is sucked, and is vigorously jetted into the test tube 7 from each of the discharge ports 11B provided in the test tube corresponding portion 11A of the lid member 11, and is agitated with the test solution in the test tube 7.

When a reagent is supplied into the test tube 7 as described above and reacted with, for example, live bacteria in milk as a test solution, a bioluminescence phenomenon occurs and a weak light emission occurs. By detecting this faint light emission with a weak light amount detector 29 such as a photomultiplier tube, it is possible to know the amount of viable bacteria in milk as a test solution, for example.

By the way, in the luminometer 1 according to this embodiment, when the cooling plate 33 is cooled by the Peltier element 35 in the cooling mechanism, the first and second containers 21 and 23 in the accommodating portion 19 are positioned horizontally with respect to the cooling plate 33. Since it is placed on the portion 33H, the reagents in the first and second containers 21 and 23 can be cooled to a desired low temperature by heat conduction, and for example, the reagents rise to near room temperature and deteriorate. It is possible to prevent this.

When the cooling plate 33 is cooled as described above, since the horizontal portion 33H of the cooling plate 33 constitutes the ceiling of the heat insulating case 31 accommodating the low light amount detector 29, the inside of the heat insulating case 31 is cooled, The low light amount detector 29 is cooled. Therefore, the dark current of the low light amount detector 29 is suppressed, noise is reduced, and detection with higher accuracy becomes possible.

As described above, since the reagent storage portion 19 and the storage portion for the low light amount detector 29 can be simultaneously cooled by one cooling mechanism, the overall structure can be simplified and made compact. It is possible.

Further, when the reagent in the frozen state is stored in the storage portion 19 and returned to a desired temperature for use, the low light amount detector 29 can be cooled by utilizing the low temperature of the reagent, and the low light amount can be obtained. The detector 29 can be cooled efficiently.

[0024]

As can be understood from the above description, in the invention described in claim 1, the luminescent reagent storage portion and the low light amount detector are provided in close proximity to each other, and the luminescent reagent cooling mechanism and the low light amount detecting mechanism are provided. Since the cooling mechanism of the light amount detector is also provided, the cooling of the luminescence reagent and the cooling of the weak light amount detector can be performed simultaneously by one cooling mechanism, and the overall structure is simplified and compact. This can be easily achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an arrangement area for the low light amount detector is provided in a lower area of the storage portion for the luminescence reagent, and a partition member for partitioning the arrangement area and the storage portion is connected to the cooler. As a result, it is possible to cool the storage portion for the luminescent reagent and the storage portion for the low light amount detector at the same time, and it is possible to easily achieve simplification and compactness of the overall configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic external explanatory view of a luminometer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which the lid of the luminometer according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective explanatory view showing the main part of the luminometer according to the embodiment of the present invention from the front side.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective explanatory view showing the main part of the luminometer of the embodiment of the present invention from the back side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Luminometer 3 Housing 5 Dark room 7 Test tube 9 Casing 11 Lid member 19 Storage 21 First container 23 Second container 25 Lid 29 Low intensity detector 31 Insulation case 33 Cooling plate 35 Peltier element 39 Pump chamber

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A luminometer, wherein a luminescent reagent storage portion and a low light amount detector are provided in close proximity to each other, and the luminescent reagent cooling mechanism and the low light amount detector cooling mechanism are also provided. 2. A low-light-quantity detector placement region is provided in a lower region of the luminescent reagent storage unit, and a partitioning member for partitioning the placement region and the storage unit is connected to a cooler. Luminometer to do.