JPS6244216B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Recently, various automatic biochemical analyzers that automatically analyze the content of biochemical substances in blood or their activity values by two-wavelength spectrometry have been commercially available. Most methods for obtaining wavelengths use interference filters. Using an interference filter generally makes it easy to create an optical system for each inspection item, but as the number of inspection items increases, the number of optical elements increases proportionally, making it difficult to integrate the optical system all at once, which also causes inconvenience. Not a few.

Although it is possible to use a spectrometer to improve these drawbacks, there are still many points that need to be improved regarding optical systems that use interference filters. The present invention aims to improve the optical system of a two-wavelength multi-item automatic analyzer using interference filters, which are conventionally available on the market. The inspection items are grouped together and processed by a common optical element, and the energy is reduced by using a semi-transparent mirror that is used as a combining or separating element for two wavelengths of light, which is often seen in conventional models. The objective is to provide an optical system with a good signal-to-noise ratio.

In the present invention, various types of small filters are arranged on one surface, and the image of the filter is projected onto the surface on which the sample is arranged in the same arrangement pattern as the filter arrangement so that the arrangement pattern of the filter matches the arrangement pattern of the filter. The present invention provides a two-wavelength analyzer in which two kinds of the above-mentioned filter arrangements are prepared and images of these two kinds of filter arrangements are optically switched and alternately formed on a sample arrangement surface. be. When performing multi-item two-wavelength spectroscopic measurements on one specimen, that one specimen is dispensed into a number of sample cells and set on the sample placement surface. The above-mentioned filter image is formed on this sample arrangement, but since the filter arrangement pattern and the sample arrangement pattern are matched, one sample cell has a certain wavelength transmitted through one filter. of light will be incident.

When images of the two types of filter arrangements are alternately formed on the sample surface in this way, the wavelength of the light incident on each sample cell is alternately switched. Therefore, if a set of two wavelengths for one inspection item is configured by the transmitted light of one filter on one filter arrangement and the transmitted light of the filter at the corresponding position of another filter arrangement, multiple inspection items can be performed. Two wavelength measurements can be performed simultaneously, and the individual filters and sample cells can be small. The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples.

In FIG. 1, light from a light source 1 is reflected by a mirror 2,
3 and 2', 3' from two directions, and lenses 4 and 4' create two mutually equivalent and parallel beams of light. After the interference filter group 5 of the set λ and the interference filter group 5' of the set λ' are inserted into these two parallel light beams, the plane mirrors 7 and 7' are respectively inserted by the lenses 6 and 6'. An image of the light source is formed on the chopper mirror 8 through the mirror 8. From the chopper mirror, both light beams pass through a completely common optical path, and images of the interference filter groups 5 and 5' are alternately formed on the sample arrangement surface 12 by the lens 9. At this time, the distance from the interference filter groups 5, 5' to the lens 9 and the distance from the lens 9 to the sample surface are each 2 of the focal length f of the lens 9.
If the chopper mirror is placed at the focal point of the lens 9, the chief ray of the light beam incident on each sample will be parallel to the optical axis, that is, perpendicular to the sample surface, and the image magnification will be 1 and both filter groups will be A statue will be attached. The arrangement patterns of the filters in the filter groups 5 and 5' are the same as described above,
The arrangement pattern of the sample cells 14 on the sample arrangement surface 12 is also the same as the arrangement of the filter group, and the pattern of the image of the filter group on the sample arrangement surface 12 and the arrangement of each sample cell 14 match. FIG. 1A shows an example of the arrangement pattern of the sample cells 14, but the arrangement is not limited to such a circumferential arrangement, and
It goes without saying that they may be placed over the entirety of 2.
A photometric element 13 is arranged behind each sample cell 14, and multiple items are measured simultaneously.

Generally, in biochemical analysis, the amount of sample is very small and the volume of the cell itself must be small.As an example, if we consider a flow cell with a cross section of 2φ and an optical path length of 10mm, it is possible to form an image at a magnification of 1 as described above. In this case, the required size of each filter should be at least 2φ, and it can be seen that even considering the margin, it can be extremely small compared to the conventional filter. This also brings about the unprecedented advantage of being able to collectively treat sets of filters required for each inspection item with a common optical element. 10 and 11 are plane mirrors simply for changing the optical path, and are not necessarily necessary.

Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of a lens system for forming an image of an interference filter on a sample surface, and although the optical system from the chopper mirror 8 onwards is different from the above-mentioned embodiment, it is essentially the same as the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. The same is true. The embodiment of FIG. 2 includes the lens 9 and mirror 10 of the embodiment of FIG.
11 is eliminated, and the distance from the filter group 5, 5' to the focal point of the chopper mirror 8 and the distance from the chopper mirror to the sample surface 12 are made equal. In this case, considering the narrow light beam that passes through any filter on the filter group 5, 5', the optical path before and after it is symmetrical with respect to the surface of the chopper mirror 8, so the light beam passes through the arbitrary filter alternately on the sample surface 12. It will pass through the sample corresponding to . In this case, a shadow image of the filter group is projected onto the sample surface 12 due to the shadow image created by illuminating the filter group with a parallel light beam. In this case, since the principal rays in the light beams incident on each sample cell 14 are no longer parallel to each other, the field lens 15 is placed in front of the sample placement surface 12 with the focal point on the chopper mirror 8, and each sample is The chief rays entering the cell are parallel to each other on the sample placement surface 1.
It is set perpendicular to 2. With this configuration, the optical system from the chopper mirror 8 onward becomes more compact than in the example shown in FIG.

The filter-type two-wavelength analyzer of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and images of a large number of filters arranged on one surface are formed on a large number of samples having the same arrangement pattern as the filter arrangement, so each filter is small. Since this is often inserted into the light beam of one projection optical system, measurements at various wavelengths can be performed in parallel with a single device, and each sample requires a minute amount, making it possible to perform compact and highly efficient multi-item analysis. The device will be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan views showing optical systems of apparatuses according to different embodiments of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Light source, 5, 5'... Filter group having the same arrangement pattern, 8... Chopper mirror, 9... Imaging lens, 12... Sample placement surface, 14... Sample cell,
13... Photometric element, 15... Field lens.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The light from one light source is divided into two beams, and these two beams are guided onto the same optical path via a chopper mirror. Filter groups are inserted independently into the two light beams, images of these two filter groups are alternately formed on the same plane in the portion where the two light beams are guided onto the same optical path, and the images are formed on this image plane. Arrange the sample in the same arrangement pattern as the filter arrangement of the above filter group, and make sure that these sample arrangement patterns and each filter arrangement pattern of the images of both filter groups formed thereon match and overlap, and A two-wavelength analysis characterized in that each filter in the two filter groups is set so that the transmitted light wavelengths of two types of filters located at mutually corresponding positions are two wavelengths in one item of two-wavelength measurement. Device.