WO2007058449A1

WO2007058449A1 - Photosensitive type analyzing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2007058449A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/004755
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jae Yong Ryu; Ji Hoon Lee; Young Teck Kim; Sang Hyun Ryu
Original assignee: Jae Yong Ryu; Ji Hoon Lee; Young Teck Kim; Sang Hyun Ryu
Priority date: 2005-11-15
Filing date: 2006-11-13
Publication date: 2007-05-24
Also published as: KR100715698B1

Abstract

A photosensitive type analysis apparatus simultaneously drops the same reagent onto a batch of samples, such as chemical and biological samples including blood, contained in a photosensitive tray through a dispenser having a plurality of nozzles, and measures intensity and color of light emitted by the chemical reaction of the samples and the reagent, thereby analyzing the samples in a qualitative or quantitative way. The photosensitive type analysis apparatus includes an injector (3) injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container (15) into a dispenser (5), the dispenser (5) having a plurality of nozzle pins (19) arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector (3) into a plurality of tray holes (17) of a photosensitive tray (7) at the same time, the photosensitive tray (7) having a transparent bottom (16) and the plurality of tray holes (17) for holding a plurality of samples (21), a transferring means (9) transferring the photosensitive tray (7) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the dispenser (5), and a photodetecting means (11) installed below the photosensitive tray (7) so as to detect light emitted when the reagent reacts with the samples (21) in the plurality of tray holes (17). Thereby, two or more reagents sequentially react with the plurality of samples held in the tray holes of the photosensitive tray by means of two or more sets of reagent containers, injectors, and dispensers, and the light emitted by the chemical reaction is detected and analyzed using a computer in real time, and the results are displayed through a monitor, so that the samples can be analyzed rapidly, precisely and conveniently.

Description

PHOTOSENSITIVE TYPE ANALYZING APPARATUS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, and more particularly, to a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, which simultaneously drops the same reagent onto a batch of samples, such as chemical or biological samples, contained in a photosensitive tray through a dispenser having a plurality of nozzles, and measures the intensity and color of light emitted by the chemical reaction of the samples and the reagent, thereby enabling analysis of the samples in either a qualitative or quantitative way. Background Art

[2] Recently, environmental problems such as avian influenza (also known as bird flu) or mad cow disease have acted as factors directly harmful to a human body. Hence, various techniques based on analytical chemistry for determining such harmful components have been proposed. Analytical chemistry is the science and technology of analyzing substances, and is generally divided into inorganic analysis and organic analysis according to the kind of substance to be analyzed. Further, analytical chemistry is divided into chemical analysis and physical analysis according to the analytical method, as well as into qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis according to the analytical purpose.

[3] Here, qualitative analysis is the determination of constituent elements and compounds that are present in a substance, identifies the constituent elements and compounds using the specific reactivity and physical properties of the constituent elements and compounds, and includes dry methods, wet methods, flame photometric analysis, bead reaction, chromatography, and spectroscopic analysis. Quantitative analysis is the determination of the amount by weight of each element or compound present, is divided into instrumental analysis, performed using physicochemical mechanical instruments, and chemical analysis, determining the amount of components using chemical reaction, and includes polarography, light absorption analysis, mass analysis, emission spectrochemical analysis, and gas chromatography.

[4] In particular, recently, demand for the quantitative analysis of samples has shown a sharply rising tendency. The case of analyzing samples such as environmental samples, blood, and body fluids in batches of several tens to several hundreds of samples occurs frequently.

[5] Up to now, an ion-selective electrode has been widely used in order to qualitatively/ quantitatively analyze several tens or hundreds of samples in a short time. Recently, various sensors have been used. A representative example of such an ion-selective electrode includes an ion-selective membrane electrode, which has excellent ion selectivity. Analysis based on the ion-selective membrane electrode is advantageous in terms of production and costs compared to other analysis methods.

[6] Further, there has been proposed analysis using an optical sensor membrane sensing principle in which a reagent is dropped onto the ion-selective membrane, and a change in the quantity of ions produced at that time is measured as a change in absorptivity. As illustrated in FIG. 1, this analysis is designed such that the absorptivity difference resulting from the chromatic change 120 of a sensing membrane 130, occurring when cations or anions are exchanged between a sample solution 110 applied to the sensing membrane 130 and the sensing membrane 130, is measured using a spectroscope 140, and thereby the samples are analyzed.

[7] At this time, the analysis using the optical sensor 140 such as the spectroscope, is almost immune to external electrical influence, unlike electrochemical sensors such as an ion-selective electrode, does not require a separate device for measuring a potential difference, and makes possible both remote control and on-the-spot measurement. However, the analysis using the optical sensor 140 limits the number of types of sample solution 110 causing the chromatic change 120 of the sensing membrane 130 to one only, and cannot be used to analyze various samples at one time because the absorptivity change is measured using one optical sensor. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, capable of qualitatively/quantitatively analyzing a plurality of samples in a rapid and precise manner by allowing the samples to simultaneously react with the same reagent, simultaneously detecting light emitted at that time, and converting the detected results into digital data in real time. Technical Solution

[9] In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, which includes an injector injecting a reagent transferred from a reagent container into a dispenser, the dispenser having a plurality of nozzle pins arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector into a plurality of tray holes of a photosensitive tray at the same time, the photosensitive tray having a transparent bottom and the plurality of tray holes for holding a plurality of samples, a transferring means transferring the photosensitive tray in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the dispenser, and a photodetecting means installed below the photosensitive tray so as to detect light emitted when the reagent reacts with the samples in the plurality of tray holes. The transferring means includes sliding beds guiding the photosensitive tray, a rotating motor, a driving pulley coupled to the rotating motor, a pivot shaft installed coaxially with the rotating motor, a rotating shaft having a driven pulley and inserted into an arcuate guide slot at one end thereof, a transmission belt wound around the driving pulley and the driven pulley and transmitting the rotational force of the rotating motor to the rotating shaft, a spring supported to the rotating shaft at one end thereof and fitted around the pivot shaft, and a hooking nut supporting the other end of the spring.

[10] According to another aspect of the present invention, the photodetecting means includes a plurality of photodetecting sensors that are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the photosensitive tray so as to correspond to the nozzle pins in a one-to-one manner, and a supporting block that supports the photodetecting sensors.

[11] According to another aspect of the present invention, the photosensitive type analysis apparatus further includes an analog/digital (A/D) converter module that amplifies an analog signal detected by the photodetecting sensors, and converts the amplified analog signal into a digital signal.

[12] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, which includes an injector injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container into a dispenser, the dispenser having a plurality of nozzle pins arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector into a plurality of tray holes of a photosensitive tray at the same time, the photosensitive tray having a transparent bottom and the plurality of tray holes for holding a plurality of samples, a transferring means for transferring the photosensitive tray in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the dispenser, at least one reflector disposed below the photosensitive tray and reflecting light emitted in the tray holes onto a camera, and a photodetecting means having the camera photographing the light reflected by the reflector and a sheathing case enclosing the reflector and the camera. The reflector corresponds to the nozzle pins, and is oriented toward the camera by being rotated to the left or right.

[13] According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflector includes a plurality of reflectors that correspond to respective nozzle pins.

[14] According to another aspect of the present invention, the injector includes a cylinder connected to the reagent container and the dispenser through first and second check valves, respectively, mounted in opposite directions, a plunger reciprocating in the cylinder, a ball screw prevented from rotating by means of a protruding pin inserted in an anti-rotation slot, and converting rotational force from a driving motor into reciprocating motion of the plunger, and the driving motor rotating a male thread rod of the ball screw.

[15] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photosensitive type analysis apparatus, which includes an injector injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container into a dispenser, the dispenser having a plurality of nozzle pins arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector into a plurality of tray holes of a photosensitive tray at the same time, the photosensitive tray having a transparent bottom and the plurality of tray holes for holding a plurality of samples, a transferring means for transferring the photosensitive tray in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the dispenser, a photodetecting means installed below the photosensitive tray so as to detect light emitted when the reagent reacts with the samples in the plurality of tray holes, and a heating means installed upstream of the dispenser so as to heat the bottom of the photosensitive tray transferred by the transferring means.

[16] According to another aspect of the present invention, the heating means includes a heating duct having a plurality of branched tubes, a heater mounted to an external air inlet of the heating duct, and a fan mounted to an inlet of a blowing tube connected to the heater.

[17] According to another aspect of the present invention, the heating means includes a heating element having heating wires mounted therein, and a heater mounted to one side of the heating element so as to heat the heating wires.

Advantageous Effects

[18] As described above, according to the photosensitive type analysis apparatus of the present invention, two or more reagents sequentially react with the plurality of samples held in the tray holes of the photosensitive tray by means of two or more sets of reagent containers, injectors, and dispensers, and the light emitted at the time of the chemical reaction is detected and analyzed using a computer in real time, and the results thereof are displayed through a monitor, so that the samples can be analyzed rapidly, precisely and conveniently. Brief Description of the Drawings

[19] The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[20] FIG. 1 is a view elucidating a conventional analysis method using an analyzing plate;

[21] FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a photosensitive type analysis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [22] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial sectional perspective view illustrating the injector of

FIG. 2;

[23] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the installed state of the dispenser and the photosensitive tray of FIG. 2;

[24] FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view illustrating the transferring means of FIGS. 2 and 4;

[25] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a photosensitive type analysis apparatus to which a reflector is applied in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[26] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 6, wherein the photodetecting means and the photosensitive tray of FIG. 6 are installed;

[27] FIG. 8 is a partial front view illustrating a heating means installed between sliding beds;

[28] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the heating means of FIG. 8;

[29] FIG. 10 is a partial front view illustrating another heating means installed between sliding beds; and

[30] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the heating means of FIG. 10.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[31] Hereinafter, a photosensitive type analysis apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[32] As illustrated by reference numeral 1 in FIG. 2, the photosensitive type analysis apparatus of the present invention includes an injector 3 supplying a reagent, a dispenser 5 dropping a predetermined amount of reagent, a photosensitive tray 7 holding the reagent, a transferring means 9 transferring the photosensitive tray 7, and a photodetecting means 11 detecting light emitted by chemical reaction of the reagent and a sample in the photosensitive tray 7.

[33] First, the injector 3 functions to draw the reagent 20 stored in a reagent container

15, and discharge the charged reagent into the dispenser 5 at a preset amount. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the injector 3 includes a cylinder 31 installed on a base 2 so as to charge the drawn reagent, a plunger 33 drawing or discharging the reagent into or from the cylinder 31, a ball screw 35 reciprocating the plunger 33, and a driving motor 37 driving the ball screw 35.

[34] Among them, the cylinder 31 is made of a cylindrical steel pipe, and is mounted with a pair of first and second check valves 42 and 41 that are connected with the dispenser 5 and the reagent container 15 respectively in the front thereof. To this end, inlet and outlet pipes 51 and 52, to which the first and second check valves 41 and 42 are coupled respectively, protrude in the front of the cylinder 31. Therefore, the first and second check valves 41 and 42 are mounted to the inlet and outlet pipes 51 and 52, respectively, in opposite operating directions. More specifically, the first, inflow-sided check valve 41 connected to the reagent container 15 is designed such that a first check ball 53 is moved toward an inlet of the first, inflow-sided check valve 41, into which a first connecting pipe 57 is fitted by means of a first compression spring 55, whereas the second, outflow-sided check valve 42 connected to the dispenser 5 is designed such that a second check ball 54 is moved toward an inlet of the second, outflow-side check valve 42 that is fitted into the outlet pipe 52 of the cylinder 31 by means of a second compression spring 56. The outlets of the first and second check valves 41 and 42 are fitted into the inlet pipe 51 of the cylinder 31 and a second connecting pipe 58 connected to the dispenser 5, respectively.

[35] The plunger 33, which is inserted into and reciprocates in the cylinder 31, draws the reagent 20 from the reagent container 15 through the first check valve 41 when moving backward, and injects the reagent charged in the cylinder 31 into the dispenser 5 through the second check valve 42 when moving forward. Accordingly, the plunger 33 has at least one sealing ring 59 mounted around the front outer circumference thereof, the sealing ring 59 maintaining a sealed state between the outer circumference of the plunger 33 and the inner circumference of the cylinder 31.

[36] Further, a construction for reciprocating the plunger 33 is coupled to the rear of the plunger 33, and can employ one of various mechanical mechanisms. In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a transferring means using the ball screw 35 is employed. As illustrated, the transferring means includes the ball screw 35, which is directly connected to the plunger 33, a casing 40 and a supporting cover 67, which surround the ball screw 35, and the driving motor 37, which rotates a male thread rod 47 of the ball screw 35 through a transmission belt 69.

[37] Here, the ball screw 35 is also composed of the male threaded rod 47 rotated by the driving motor 37, and a female thread block 48 into which the male threaded rod 47 is inserted. The male thread rod 47 is formed with a spiral groove 61 on the front outer circumference thereof, like that of an ordinary ball screw. The female thread block 48 is formed with a spiral groove 62 corresponding to the spiral groove 61 of the male thread rod 47 on an inner circumference thereof. A plurality of sliding balls 63 are interposed between the spiral groove 61 and the spiral groove 62. The male thread rod 47 is also coupled with a driven pulley 71 on a rear end thereof. One end of the transmission belt 69 is wound on the driven pulley 71, and the other end of the transmission belt 69 is wound on a driving pulley 72 coupled to a rotational shaft 38 of the driving motor 37. Thereby, the driving motor37 rotates the male thread rod 47 via the transmission belt 69.

[38] Furthermore, the male thread rod 47 of the ball screw 35 is rotatably inserted in a through-hole of the supporting cover 67 at an intermediate portion thereof. Here, although not illustrated, a bushing or a bearing is mounted between the male thread rod

47 and the supporting cover 67, thereby axially and rotatably supporting the male thread rod 47. A front end of the supporting cover 67 is inserted in the rear end of the casing 40, and a rear end thereof is screwed to a vertical wall of the base 2. To this end, the rear end 68 of the supporting cover 67 has the shape of a quadrilateral plate, four corners of which are provided with threaded holes 68a.

[39] The female thread block 48, to which the male thread rod 47 is rotatably mounted, is screwed to the rear end of the plunger 33 in the casing 40. Further, the female thread block 48 has a pin 45 protruding in a radial direction at the rear end thereof. The protruding pin 45 is inserted into an anti-rotation slot 43 that is cut out in an axial direction at the rear end of the casing 40. Thus, because the protruding pin 45 restrains the female thread block 48 from being rotated by the slot 43, the female thread block

48 moves backwards when the male thread rod 47 rotates the plunger 33 coupled to the front end thereof in a clockwise direction, while it moves forwards when rotated in a counterclockwise direction. (Here, the direction in which the male thread rod 47 rotates to move the plunger 33 backwards is referred to as the clockwise rotating direction, whereas the direction in which the male thread rod 47 rotates to move the plunger 33 forwards is referred to as the counterclockwise rotating direction.)

[40] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the dispenser 5, to which the reagent is supplied from the injector 3 through the second check valve 42, is a pipe fixed above the photosensitive tray 7 in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the photosensitive tray 7, and is connected with the second check valve 42 through the second connecting pipe 58. According to the type of supplied reagent, the number of dispensers 5 is determined. In this embodiment, two dispensers 5 are provided, as in the drawings. Further, the dispenser 5 has a plurality of nozzle pins 19 arranged in a longitudinal direction on an outer circumference thereof so as to correspond in a one- to-one manner to a plurality of tray holes 17. Each nozzle pin 19 extends from the outer circumference of the dispenser 5 to just above the corresponding tray hole 17.

[41] The photosensitive tray 7, which contains at least one sample 21 reacting with the reagent dropped from the dispenser 5, includes the plurality of tray holes 17 that are filled with the sample 21 of a liquid or solid phase, and has a matrix array. Further, the bottom plate 16 of the photosensitive tray 7 is made of a transparent material such as glass, so that light emittedby the chemical reaction of the reagent and the sample 21 in the tray holes 17 can be transmitted through the bottom plate 16.

[42] The transferring means 9, which is adapted to convey the photosensitive tray 7 in cooperation with the injection of the injector 3, can be implemented using any constru ction in which the photosensitive tray 7 can be gradually moved by one unit, where "unit" is a length defined as the distance between two neighboring tray holes 17. In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 5, the transferring means 9 employs a construction using a pair of sliding beds 73, at least one rotating motor 74, at least one transferring roller 75, and at least one transmission belt 78. In other words, the transferring means 9 of this embodiment includes the rotating motor 74, the transferring roller 75 rotated by the rotational driving force of the rotating motor 74, which is transmitted through the transmission belt 78, a spring 79 biasing the transferring roller 75, and the paired sliding beds 73 guiding the photosensitive tray 7, which is moved in close contact with the transferring roller 75.

[43] Here, the sliding beds 73 are arranged in parallel on opposite sides of the photosensitive tray 7 and slidably support the photosensitive tray 7. The rotating motor 74 is coaxially disposed below a pivot shaft 83, around which the spring 79 is fitted, and has a rotating shaft coupled with a driving pulley 85. The transmission belt 78 is wound around the driving pulley 85 at one end thereof, and around a driven pulley 86 fitted around a roller rotating shaft 87 at the other end thereof. The roller rotating shaft 87, which is rotated by the transmission belt 78, is coupled with the transferring roller 75 at an upper end thereof, and is inserted into a guide slot 88 at a lower end thereof. At this time, the guide slot 88 is curved in the shape of an arc, the center of which is the rotating shaft of the rotating motor 74. Further, the roller rotating shaft 87 is rotatably supported in the supporting hole 90 of a bracket 89 attached to the pivot shaft 83 at an intermediate portion thereof. The pivot shaft 83, which is adapted to bias the transferring roller 75 by means of the spring 79, is pivotably supported on an upper surface of one of the sliding beds 73 by means of a sliding bushing 80, and is provided with the torsion spring 79. Accordingly, the torsion spring 79 is supported to a hooking nut 81 at one end thereof, and is slidably or relatively rotatably supported to the roller rotating shaft 87 at the other end thereof. In FIG. 5, the undescribed reference numeral 82 indicates a bearing or a bushing, which is in rotatable contact with the roller rotating shaft 87 and the spring 79.

[44] The photodetecting means 11, which is installed below the photosensitive tray 7 in order to detect the light emitted when the reagent reacts with the sample 21 in each tray hole 17, includes a supporting block 25 that is disposed between the sliding beds 73 in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the photosensitive tray 7, and a plurality of photodetecting sensors 23 that are arranged on the supporting block 25 in a row so as to correspond in a one-to-one manner to the nozzle pins 19. Each photodetecting sensor 23 is connected with an A/D converter module 13 through a signal cable 91.

[45] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the A/D converter module 13 includes two amplifiers 92 and 93, and an A/D converter 95, and is connected to a computer 96. Thus, the A/D converter module 13 amplifies an analog signal detected by the photodetecting sensors 23, converts the amplified analog signal into a digital signal, and displays the results analyzed by the computer 96 through a monitor for the computer 96.

[46] At this time, the photosensitive type analysis apparatus 1 of the present invention may employ the construction illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 as an alternative 211 to the photodetecting means 11. As illustrated, the photodetecting means 211 includes a plurality of reflectors 222, a camera 223, and a sheathing case 225 enclosing the reflectors and the camera. As in FIG. 7, the sheathing case 225 serves as a reflector barrel, which has an "L" shape when viewed in a cross section, and through which light reflected by the reflectors 222 passes. Thus, the sheathing case 225 is provided with an incident light slit 227, which is adjacent to the tray holes 17 of the photosensitive tray 7, and through which the light emitted in the tray holes 17 passes.

[47] Further, the reflectors 222 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the photosensitive tray 7 at an inclination angle of 45 degrees so as to reflect the light incident through the incident light slit 227. At this time, the reflectors 222 may be constructed as a single piece, or in multiple pieces so as to correspond in a one-to-one manner to the nozzle pins 19 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In the case of the multi-piece product in one-to-one correspondence with the nozzle pins 19, each reflector 222 can be installed to be oriented toward the camera 223 at a predetermined angle by left- and right-hand rotation. Therefore, the camera 223 photographs the light reflected by each reflector 222, converts the photographed light into image data, and sends the image data to the computer 96 so as to be displayed on the monitor for the computer 96.

[48] According to another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, and again in FIGS. 10 and 11, the photosensitive type analysis apparatus 1 can include a heating means 301 or 401. As illustrated in FIG. 8 or 10, the heating means 301 or 401 is installed between a pair of parallel sliding beds 73, and heats the bottom of the photosensitive tray 7 to a proper temperature, for instance, about 36.5 ?C, thereby accelerating the activity of the sample contained in the photosensitive tray 7.

[49] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the heating means 301 basically includes a heating duct 303 having a plurality of branched tubes 309, a heater 305 mounted to an external air inlet of the heating duct 303, and a fan 307 blowing external air toward the branched tubes 309 of the heating duct 303. Here, the heating duct 303 has the plurality of branched tubes 309 branching off from the inlet thereof in order to heat the bottom of the wide photosensitive tray 7. Each branched tube 309 is provided with a plurality of injection holes 311 on the outer circumference thereof. Further, the heater 305 is mounted to the inlet of the heating duct 303 connected with a blowing tube 313, and heats the external air blown by the fan 307. To this end, the heater 305 is installed coaxially with the blowing tube 313, and is provided with an on-off switch 319 for controlling the temperature at the upper portion of a main body 317 thereof. The fan 307 is mounted to an inlet of the blowing tube 313 so as to be rotated by a driving motor 321, and draws the external air into the blowing tube 313.

[50] As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the heating means 401 is structurally simpler than the heating means 301. Like the heating means 301, the heating means 401 includes a heating element 403 that is installed between the sliding beds 73 and directly heats the photosensitive tray 7, and a heater 405 that is connected to one side of the heating element 403. Here, the heating element 403 has a sheath 407 that can be made of, for instance, a rubber pack, and radiates heat by heating a thermal medium in which heating wires 409 are uniformly held inside the sheath 407. The main body 411 of the heater 405, which is mounted to one side of the sheath 407, is provided with an on-off switch 413, which turns on and off the heater and controls temperature, on an upper portion thereof.

[51] Now, the operation of the above-described photosensitive type analysis apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[52] Before a reagent is injected, the photosensitive tray 7 is placed on the sliding beds

73, and then is pushed beyond the transferring roller 75. At this time, the transferring roller 75 is pushed back and presses the torsion spring 79, thereby being in close contact with a sidewall of the photosensitive tray 7.

[53] Then, when the driving motor 37 is driven, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotational force of the driving motor 37 is transmitted to the transmission belt 69. Thus, the transmission belt 69 rotates the ball screw 35 of the injector 3, and thereby the male thread rod 47 of the ball screw 35 rotates in a clockwise direction. At this time, the female thread block 48 coupled with the male thread rod 47 is not rotated by the protruding pin 45 that is provided on the outer circumference thereof, but is inserted in the anti-rotation slot 43, thereby moving backwards by means of the rotation of the male thread rod 47.

[54] Thus, the plunger 33, which is screwed to the female thread block 48, moves backwards in the direction of the arrow B of FIG. 2, so that negative pressure is generated in the cylinder 31. Due to the negative pressure in the cylinder 31, the first check ball 53 of the first check valve 41 compresses the first compression spring 55, and moves backwards to open the first check valve 41. At the same time, the reagent 20 stored in the reagent container 15 is drawn into the cylinder 31. At this time, the rotating motor 74 of the transferring means 9 is driven to rotate the transferring roller 75, so that the tray holes 17 in the first row of the photosensitive tray 7 transferred by the transferring roller 75 are precisely positioned just below the nozzle pins 19 of the dispenser 5. [55] In contrast, when the driving motor 37 is driven in reverse, the female thread block

48 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction. Thereby, the plunger 33 moves forwards in the direction of the arrow F through the female thread block 48, and thus the reagent charged in the cylinder 31 is injected into the dispenser 5 through the second check valve 42. Then, the reagent is discharged from the cylinder 31 at a predetermined pressure. Due to this discharged pressure, the second check ball 54 is pushed while compressing the second compression spring 56, so that the second check valve 42 is opened. Meanwhile, the first check valve 41 is closed by the first check ball 53 pressed toward the inlet of the first check valve 41 by means of the discharged pressure. The reagent injected into the dispenser 5 is dropped into the tray holes 17, which are precisely positioned below the nozzle pins 19, through the nozzle pins 19, thereby reacting with the samples 21 contained in the tray holes 17. In this case, the samples 21, which are different from each other are placed in respective tray holes 17 of the photosensitive tray 7, and react with the reagent. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of dispensers 5, injectors 3, and reagent containers 15 may be installed, and two or more types of reagents may be dropped to and react with each sample 21. Further, the reagent can be variously supplied from the injector 3 to the dispenser 5. For example, after a large quantity of reagent has been charged in the injector 3, the charged reagent is injected to the dispenser 5 several times. Alternatively, after a small quantity of reagent has been charged into the injector 3, the entire quantity of charged reagent is injected into the dispenser 5 at one time.

[56] When the reagent is dropped once, the transferring roller 75 of the transferring means 9 is rotated again to transfer the photosensitive tray 7 by one unit of length. Here, "one unit of length" refers to the shortest distance between two tray holes 17, i.e. the distance between the centers of two tray holes 17. Subsequently, the reagent is dropped from the dispenser 5 into the tray holes 17 in the second row, and light is emitted by the chemical reaction in (transmitted through?) the first row tray holes 17. The light is detected by the photodetecting sensors 23 installed below the photosensitive tray 7. The detected signal is amplified by the amplifiers 92 and 93, and is converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 95. The converted digital signal is sent to the computer 96, and the sent signal is displayed as analysis data through the monitor after completion of its operation.

[57] In the case where the reflectors 222 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 are used, the light emitted by the chemical reaction of the reagent and the samples in the tray holes 17 is detected and analyzed as well. In this case, the light emitted in the tray holes 17 is refracted at an angle of 90 degrees by means of the reflectors 222, and then is photographed by the camera 223. The photographed image is sent to the computer 96, and is displayed as the analysis data. At this time, when the reflectors 222 are made into a one-piece reflector, the sheathing case 225 is prolonged to secure sufficient focal length for the camera 223. However, when the reflectors 222 are installed so as to correspond to respective tray holes 17, each reflector 222 is oriented left and right towards the camera 223, and thus the focal length of the camera 223 can be reduced.

[58] Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11, when installed between the sliding beds 73 upstream of the dispenser 5, the heating means 301 or 401 heats the bottom of the photosensitive tray 7 to a proper temperature before the reagent is dropped from the dispenser 5, so that the activity of various samples held in the tray holes 17 of the photosensitive tray 7 can be increased in advance. To this end, the heating means 301 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 is turned on by the on-off switch 319, and thus the driving motor 321 is driven. Thereby, the fan 307 is rotated to draw external air through the blowing tube 313. Then, when the on-off switch 319 is set to a predetermined temperature, the coil 315 of the heater 305 radiates heat to heat the drawn external air to the proper temperature. The heated external air branches off to the branched tubes 309, and then is injected through the injection holes 311, thereby uniformly heating the bottom of the photosensitive tray 7. Similarly, in the case of the heating means 401, when the on-off switch 413 is turned on, the heater 405 is operated. Thereby, the heating wires 409 radiate heat, thus directly heat the bottom of the photosensitive tray 7 through the heating element 403.

[59] While this process is repeated, the reagent dropped from the dispenser 5 continues to react on the various samples 21 held in the photosensitive tray 7. At this time, the emitted light is detected by the photodetecting sensors 23, and then is analyzed, so that the various reactions can be analyzed precisely and rapidly.

[60] In the drawings and specification, typical preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and are not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. Industrial Applicability

[61] The present invention can be widely applied to a photosensitive type analyzing field capable of performing rapid, precise and convenient analysis by allowing various samples to react with two or more reagents, producing the light, and detecting and displaying the emitted light.

Claims

[1] A photosensitive type analysis apparatus, comprising: an injector (3) injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container (15) into a dispenser (5); the dispenser (5) having a plurality of nozzle pins (19) arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector (3) to a plurality of tray holes (17) of a photosensitive tray (7) at the same time; the photosensitive tray (7) having a transparent bottom (16) and the plurality of tray holes (17) for holding a plurality of samples (21); a transferring means (9) transferring the photosensitive tray (7) in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the dispenser (5); and a photodetecting means (11) installed below the photosensitive tray (7) so as to detect light emitted when the reagent reacts with the samples (21) in the plurality of tray holes (17), wherein the transferring means (9) includes sliding beds (73) guiding the photosensitive tray (7), a rotating motor (74), a driving pulley (85) coupled to the rotating motor (74), a pivot shaft (83) installed coaxially with the rotating motor (74), a rotating shaft (87) having a driven pulley (86) and inserted in an arcuate guide slot (88) at one end thereof, a transmission belt (78) wound around the driving pulley (85) and the driven pulley (86) and transmitting rotational force of the rotating motor (74) to the rotating shaft (87), a spring (79) supported to the rotating shaft (87) at one end thereof and fitted around the pivot shaft (83), and a hooking nut (81) supporting the other end of the spring (79).

[2] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the photodetecting means (11) includes a plurality of photodetecting sensors (23) that are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a transfer direction of the photosensitive tray (7) so as to correspond to the nozzle pins 19 in a one-to-one manner, and a supporting block (25) that supports the photodetecting sensors (23).

[3] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising an analog/digital (AfD) converter module (13) that amplifies an analog signal detected by the photodetecting sensors (23), and converts the amplified analog signal into a digital signal.

[4] A photosensitive type analysis apparatus, comprising: an injector (3) injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container (15) into a dispenser (5); the dispenser (5) having a plurality of nozzle pins (19) arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector (3) into a plurality of tray holes (17) of a photosensitive tray (7) at the same time; the photosensitive tray (7) having a transparent bottom (16) and the plurality of tray holes (17) for holding a plurality of samples (21); a transferring means (9) transferring the photosensitive tray (7) in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the dispenser (5); at least one reflector (222) disposed below the photosensitive tray (7) and reflecting light emitted in the tray holes (17) onto a camera (223); and a photodetecting means having the camera (223) photographing the light reflected by the reflector (222) and a sheathing case (225) enclosing the reflector (222) and the camera (223), wherein the reflector (222) corresponds to the nozzle pins (19) and is oriented toward the camera (223) by rotation left or right.

[5] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the reflector (222) includes a plurality of reflectors corresponding to respective nozzle pins (19).

[6] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 4, wherein the injector (3) includes: a cylinder (31) connected to the reagent container (15) and the dispenser (5) through first and second check valves (41 and 42), respectively, mounted in opposite directions; a plunger (33) reciprocating in the cylinder (31); a ball screw (35) prevented from rotating by means of a protruding pin (45) inserted in an anti-rotation slot (43), and converting rotational force from a driving motor (37) into reciprocating motion of the plunger (33); and the driving motor (37) rotating a male thread rod (47) of the ball screw (35).

[7] A photosensitive type analysis apparatus, comprising: an injector (3) injecting a reagent charged from a reagent container (15) into a d ispenser (5); the dispenser (5) having a plurality of nozzle pins (19) arranged in a row so as to dispense the reagent injected from the injector (3) to a plurality of tray holes (17) of a photosensitive tray (7) at the same time; the photosensitive tray (7) having a transparent bottom (16) and the plurality of tray holes (17) for holding a plurality of samples (21); a transferring means (9) transferring the photosensitive tray (7) in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the dispenser (5); a photodetecting means (11) installed below the photosensitive tray (7) so as to detect light emitted when the reagent reacts with the samples (21) in the plurality of tray holes (17); and a heating means (301 or 401) installed upstream of the dispenser (5) so as to heat a bottom of the photosensitive tray (7) transferred by the transferring means (9). [8] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the heating means (301) includes: a heating duct (303) having a plurality of branched tubes (309); a heater (305) mounted to an external air inlet of the heating duct (303); and a fan (307) mounted to an inlet of a blowing tube (313) connected to the heater

(305). [9] The photosensitive type analysis apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the heating means (401) includes: a heating element (403) having heating wires (419) mounted therein; and a heater (405) mounted to one side of the heating element (403) so as to heat the heating wires (409).