WO2013035407A1

WO2013035407A1 - Particle detection device

Info

Publication number: WO2013035407A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/065351
Authority: WO
Inventors: 永留　誠一; 友規加茂; 藤田　英明; 藤岡　一志; 大樹奥野
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2011-09-09
Filing date: 2012-06-15
Publication date: 2013-03-14
Also published as: JP2013068597A; JP5134147B1

Abstract

The particle detection device detects particles of biological origin. The particle detection device is provided with: a collecting unit (20) that collects particles on a collecting substrate (71); a fluorescence-detecting unit (30) that irradiates excitation light on the particles collected on the collection substrate (71) and receives the fluorescence emitted from the particles; a cleaning unit (50) that removes particles from the collecting substrate (71); and a moving mechanism (60) that moves the collecting substrate (71) between a collecting/heating position for collecting particles on the collecting substrate (71) using the collecting unit (20), a detection position for receiving fluorescence using the fluorescence detecting unit (30), and a refreshing position for removing the particles from the collecting substrate (71) using the cleaning unit (50). Said configuration provides a particle detection device for performing particle detection at low cost.

Description

Particle detector

The present invention generally relates to a particle detection apparatus, and more particularly to a particle detection apparatus that detects biologically derived particles.

Regarding a conventional particle detection device, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-357532 discloses a measurement device for suspended particulate matter for the purpose of simultaneously measuring suspended particulate matter concentration and pollen concentration in the atmosphere. (Patent Document 1).

The measuring apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 irradiates the suspended particulate matter collection unit that collects suspended particulate matter in the sample gas on the filter paper, and the suspended particulate matter on the filter paper is irradiated with β-rays, Detecting suspended particulate matter by detecting the amount of permeation, and detecting the amount of pollen by irradiating pollen contained in suspended particulate matter with ultraviolet light and detecting the intensity of the generated fluorescence A pollen detector. Filter paper that collects suspended particulate matter is transported between the suspended particulate matter collection unit, suspended particulate matter detector, and pollen detector using a filter paper supply mechanism that combines a roller and a motor. The

JP 2002-357532 A

As disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document, there is known an apparatus that detects the amount of particles by irradiating particles in the air with ultraviolet rays and receiving fluorescence emission from the particles. In such a particle detection device, a collecting member for collecting particles, such as a substrate, is used. When such a collecting member is replaced with a new collecting member for each measurement, particles are collected. There is a problem that the cost for detection becomes high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide a particle detection apparatus that performs particle detection at a low cost.

The particle detection device according to the present invention is a particle detection device that detects biologically derived particles. The particle detector includes a collection unit that collects particles on a collection member, a fluorescence detection unit that irradiates excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection member and receives fluorescence emitted from the particles, and A cleaning unit for removing particles from the collecting member, a first position for collecting the particles on the collecting member by the collecting unit, a second position for receiving fluorescence by the fluorescence detecting unit, and cleaning. And a moving mechanism unit that moves between the third position where the particles are removed from the collection member by the unit.

According to the particle detection apparatus configured as described above, the cleaning unit that removes the particles from the collection member is provided, and the collection member is moved between the first position, the second position, and the third position by the moving mechanism unit. Thus, particles can be detected by repeatedly using the collecting member. Thereby, the particle | grain detection apparatus which implements particle | grain detection at low cost is realizable.

Also preferably, the cleaning unit has a cleaning tool fixedly supported at the third position. As the collection member moves to the third position by the moving mechanism unit, the particles are removed from the collection member by the cleaning tool.

According to the particle detection device configured as described above, a moving mechanism unit for moving the cleaning tool is not necessary, and the particle detection device can be configured easily and at low cost.

Preferably, the particle detection device further includes a housing that houses the collection unit, the fluorescence detection unit, and the cleaning unit, and a fan that exhausts air from the inside of the housing. More preferably, when the particles are removed by the cleaning unit, the fan is driven to collect the particles removed from the collection member from the inside of the housing.

According to the particle detector configured in this way, particles removed from the collecting member by the cleaning unit do not stay inside the casing, and therefore particle detection can be repeatedly performed.

Also preferably, air is introduced toward the collecting member by driving the fan when collecting the particles by the collecting unit.

According to the particle detection device configured as described above, the particle detection device is combined with the fan that is driven when the particles are removed by the cleaning unit and the fan that is driven when the particles are collected by the collection unit. It can be configured simply and at low cost.

Preferably, the particle detector further includes a heating unit that heats the particles collected by the collecting member. When the fan is driven, the collecting member that is heated to high temperature by the heating unit is cooled.

According to the particle detection device configured in this way, the particle detection device can be simplified and reduced by combining the fan that is driven when the particles are removed by the cleaning unit and the fan that is driven when the collection substrate is cooled. Cost can be configured.

Also preferably, the cleaning unit has a cleaning tool for removing particles from the collecting member. The particle detector further includes a cleaning tool initialization member that removes particles attached to the cleaning tool as the particles are removed by the cleaning unit.

According to the particle detection apparatus configured as described above, the particle detection can be repeatedly performed by more reliably removing the particles from the collection member by the cleaning tool.

Also preferably, the cleaning tool is fixedly supported at the third position. The cleaning tool initialization member is moved together with the collection member by the moving mechanism.

According to the particle detection apparatus configured as described above, a moving mechanism unit for moving the cleaning tool initialization member is not necessary, so that the particle detection apparatus can be configured simply and at low cost.

Also preferably, when the collection member is positioned at the second position, the cleaning tool initialization member is disposed between the collection member and the cleaning tool.

According to the particle detector configured in this way, particles can be removed from the collection member using the cleaning tool from which particles have been removed by the cleaning tool initialization member.

Preferably, the particle detection device further includes a housing that houses the collection unit, the fluorescence detection unit, and the cleaning unit, and a fan that exhausts air from the inside of the housing. When the particles are removed by the cleaning unit and when the particles are removed by the cleaning tool initialization member, the fan is driven to collect the particles removed from the collecting member and the cleaning tool from the inside of the housing.

According to the particle detection device configured as described above, the particle detection device is used by combining the fan that is driven when the particles are removed by the cleaning unit and the fan that is driven when the particles are removed by the cleaning tool initialization member. Can be configured simply and at low cost.

Preferably, the particle detection apparatus further includes a particle capturing unit that has adhesiveness and captures suspended particles generated when particles are removed by the cleaning unit. According to the particle detector configured in this way, particles removed from the collecting member by the cleaning unit do not stay inside the casing, and therefore particle detection can be repeatedly performed.

Preferably, the particle detection apparatus further includes a drive control unit that controls driving of the moving mechanism unit. The drive control unit moves the collection member to the third position when the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit is larger than a predetermined threshold.

According to the particle detection device configured in this way, it is determined whether it is necessary to remove particles from the collection member on the basis of the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit. Thereby, the frequency which removes particle | grains from a collection member by a cleaning part can be suppressed.

Preferably, the particle detection apparatus further includes a drive control unit that controls driving of the moving mechanism unit. The drive control unit moves the collection member from which particles have been removed by the cleaning unit at the third position to the second position, and when the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit is greater than a predetermined threshold, The collecting member is again moved to the third position.

According to the particle detection apparatus configured in this way, it is determined whether the particles are sufficiently removed from the collection member in the previous process, based on the amount of light received detected by the fluorescence detection unit. If it is determined, the collecting member is moved again to the third position. Thereby, it can prevent that a collection member is moved to the position of a next process, with the removal of the particle | grains by a cleaning part being inadequate.

Preferably, the fluorescence detection unit includes a light receiving element that receives fluorescence emitted from the particles and generates a current signal corresponding to the amount of received light. The threshold value is set to a value equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of light received by the light receiving element where the current signal generated during light reception is saturated. According to the particle detector configured in this way, the particles can be removed from the collection member by the cleaning unit before the light receiving element causes saturation of the current signal.

Preferably, the particle detection apparatus further includes a drive control unit that controls driving of the moving mechanism unit. The drive control unit is configured to remove the particles attached to the cleaning tool by the cleaning tool initialization member when the number of times the cleaning unit removes the particles from the collection member exceeds a predetermined threshold number. Move. Further preferably, the moving mechanism section includes the collection member between the first position, the second position, the third position, and a fourth position where particles attached to the cleaning tool are removed by the cleaning tool initialization member. Move with. The drive control unit moves the collection member to the fourth position when the number of times particles are removed from the collection member by the cleaning unit exceeds a predetermined threshold number.

According to the particle detector configured in this way, it is determined whether or not the particles attached to the cleaning tool need to be removed based on the number of times the particles are removed from the collecting member by the cleaning unit. Thereby, the frequency which removes the particles adhering to the cleaning tool by the cleaning tool initialization member can be suppressed.

Preferably, the particle detection apparatus further includes a drive control unit that controls driving of the moving mechanism unit. The drive control unit is configured to remove the particles attached to the cleaning tool by the cleaning tool initialization member when the cumulative amount of light received detected by the fluorescence detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold amount. Move. Further preferably, the moving mechanism section includes the collection member between the first position, the second position, the third position, and a fourth position where particles attached to the cleaning tool are removed by the cleaning tool initialization member. Move with. The drive control unit moves the collection member to the fourth position when the total amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold amount.

According to the particle detector configured in this way, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to remove particles adhering to the cleaning tool, based on the total amount of light received detected by the fluorescence detector. Thereby, the frequency which removes the particles adhering to the cleaning tool by the cleaning tool initialization member can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a particle detection apparatus that performs particle detection at low cost.

It is a graph which shows the change of the fluorescence intensity of the biological particle before and behind a heating, and the change of the fluorescence intensity of the dust before and after a heating. It is a figure which shows the collection process which detects biological-origin particle | grains. It is a figure which shows the fluorescence measurement process (before a heating) which detects biological-origin particle | grains. It is a figure which shows the heating process which detects biological-origin particle | grains. It is a figure which shows the fluorescence measurement process (after a heating) which detects biological-origin particle | grains. It is a figure which shows the refresh process which detects the particle | grains derived from a living body. It is a graph which shows the relationship between increase amount (DELTA) F of the fluorescence intensity before and behind heating, and the particle | grain density | concentration of biological origin. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is another perspective view which shows the external appearance of the particle | grain detection apparatus in FIG. It is a disassembled assembly figure which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the particle | grain detection apparatus in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state where a fan is removed from the particle detection device in FIG. 9. It is a perspective view which shows the rotation base which comprises a moving mechanism part. It is a disassembled assembly figure which shows the rotation base in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus at the time of a collection process and a heating process. It is sectional drawing which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus at the time of a fluorescence measurement process (before a heating, after a heating). It is sectional drawing which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus at the time of a refresh process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of a particle | grain detection apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows a motion of the collection board | substrate at the time of a refresh process and a brush cleaning arm. It is another sectional view showing movement of a collection board at the time of a refresh process, and a brush cleaning arm. It is another sectional drawing which shows the movement of the collection board | substrate at the time of a refresh process, and a brush cleaning arm. It is a figure which shows the height relationship of a brush, a brush cleaning arm, and a collection board | substrate. It is a top view which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a side view which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus contained in a particle | grain detection apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is another sectional drawing which shows the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of the flow of operation | movement of the particle | grain detection apparatus in Embodiment 5 of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
[Detection principle of biological particles]
The particle detection device in the present embodiment is a device for detecting particles derived from organisms such as pollen, microorganisms, and mold. First, the principle of detecting biological particles using the particle detection apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a graph showing changes in fluorescence intensity of biological particles before and after heating and changes in fluorescence intensity of dust before and after heating.

When biological particles floating in the air are irradiated with ultraviolet light or blue light, the biological particles emit fluorescence. However, particles that emit fluorescence, such as chemical fiber dust (hereinafter also referred to as dust), are suspended in the air. If only fluorescence is detected, it may be from biological particles. It is not distinguished whether it is from.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, when heat treatment is performed on biologically derived particles and dust, and changes in fluorescence intensity (fluorescence amount) before and after heating are measured, the fluorescence intensity emitted from the dust is reduced by the heat treatment. While it does not change, the fluorescence intensity emitted from biological particles increases with heat treatment. In the particle detection apparatus according to the present embodiment, the fluorescence intensity before and after heating is measured for particles in which biological particles and dust are mixed, and the difference is obtained to specify the amount of biological particles. .

FIG. 2 to FIG. 6 are diagrams showing a process for detecting biological particles. Referring to FIG. 2, first, particles are collected on a collection substrate 510 (collection step).

In this step, the collection substrate 510 is disposed opposite to the electrostatic needle 530, and a potential difference is generated between the collection substrate 510 and the electrostatic needle 530. When air is introduced toward the collection substrate 510 by driving the fan 500, the particles 600 suspended in the air are charged around the electrostatic needle 530. The charged particles 600 are adsorbed on the surface of the collection substrate 510 by electrostatic force. The particles 600 collected on the collection substrate 510 include biological particles 600A and dust 600B such as chemical fiber dust.

Referring to FIG. 3, next, the intensity of the fluorescence emitted from the particle 600 before heating is measured (fluorescence measurement step (before heating)). In this step, excitation light is irradiated toward the particles 600 collected on the collection substrate 510 from the light emitting element 550 such as a semiconductor laser, and the fluorescence emitted from the particles 600 is received by the light receiving element 565 through the lens 560. To do.

Referring to FIG. 4, next, the particles 600 collected on the collection substrate 510 are heated using a heater 520. After the heating, the collection substrate 510 is cooled (heating process).

Referring to FIG. 5, next, the intensity of the fluorescence emitted from the heated particle 600 is measured (fluorescence measurement step (after heating)). As already described, the fluorescence intensity emitted from the dust 600B is not changed by the heat treatment, whereas the fluorescence intensity emitted from the biological particle 600A is increased by the heat treatment. For this reason, in this step, a fluorescence intensity having a value larger than the fluorescence intensity measured in the fluorescence measurement step (before heating) in FIG. 3 is measured.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the fluorescence intensity increase ΔF before and after heating and the concentration of biological particles. With reference to FIG. 7, the increase amount ΔF1 of the fluorescence intensity is calculated from the difference between the fluorescence intensity before heating and the fluorescence intensity after heating. Based on the relationship between the fluorescence intensity increase amount ΔF prepared in advance and the biological particle concentration N, the biological particle concentration N1 corresponding to the calculated increase amount ΔF1 is specified. The correspondence relationship between the increase amount ΔF and the biological particle concentration N is experimentally determined in advance.

Referring to FIG. 6, next, the particles 600 that have finished detecting the biological particles are removed from the collection substrate 510 (refresh process).

[Overall structure of particle detector]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is another perspective view showing the appearance of the particle detector in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing the particle detector in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the particle detector in FIG.

With reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11, the particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment includes a cabinet 11 as a housing, a fan 16, a collection unit 20, a fluorescence detection unit 30, and a cleaning unit 50. Have.

The cabinet 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and houses the collection unit 20, the fluorescence detection unit 30, and the cleaning unit 50. In the present embodiment, the cabinet 11 includes an upper cabinet 12 as a first casing and a lower cabinet 14 as a second casing. The lower cabinet 14 has a box shape opening in one direction. The upper cabinet 12 has a flat plate shape that closes the opening of the lower cabinet 14. As an example, the cabinet 11 has a size of 60 mm × 50 mm (length and width of the upper cabinet 12) × 30 mm (height).

The cabinet 11 has a side surface 11m and a side surface 11n. The side surface 11m and the side surface 11n are disposed to face each other. The side surface 11m is formed in the upper cabinet 12, and the side surface 11n is formed in the lower cabinet 14.

The cabinet 11 is integrally formed with a collecting cylinder 15 as a cylindrical member. The collection cylinder 15 opens to the side surface 11m and extends in a cylindrical shape from the side surface 11m to the side surface 11n. The collection cylinder 15 is provided so as to surround an electrostatic needle 22 described later. The collection cylinder 15 guides air containing particles toward the collection substrate 71 positioned facing the electrostatic needle 22.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the fan is removed from the particle detection apparatus in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 12, fan 16 can be driven to rotate in the normal direction and the reverse direction. By driving the fan 16 in the forward rotation direction, the air inside the cabinet 11 is discharged to the outside of the cabinet 11 through the fan 16. By driving the fan 16 in the reverse direction, the air outside the cabinet 11 is introduced into the cabinet 11 through the fan 16.

The fan 16 is attached to the side surface 11n of the cabinet 11. An opening 120 is formed at the position of the cabinet 11 to which the fan 16 is attached. The opening 120 includes a range facing the collection cylinder 15 (a range indicated by a two-dot chain line 122 in FIG. 12) and a range facing a brush 51 described later (a range indicated by a two-dot chain line 121 in FIG. 12). So that it is open. The opening 120 is continuously formed in a range facing the collecting cylinder 15 and a range facing the brush 51.

With such a configuration, the fan 16 is used for both the collection process, the cooling during the heating process, and the refresh process. Thereby, size reduction and cost reduction of the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be achieved.

8 to 11, the collection unit 20 performs the collection process described with reference to FIG. 2, and collects particles contained in the air on the collection substrate 71. The collection unit 20 includes a high voltage power source 21 as a power source unit and an electrostatic needle 22 as a discharge electrode.

The collection substrate 71 is provided as a collection member that collects particles obtained by mixing biological particles and dust such as chemical fiber dust. The collection substrate 71 is formed from a glass plate. A conductive transparent film is formed on the surface of the glass plate that adsorbs the particles. The collection substrate 71 is not limited to a glass plate, and may be formed of ceramic or metal. The film is not limited to a transparent film, and for example, a metal film may be formed on the surface of the collection substrate 71 formed of ceramic or the like. Moreover, when the collection board | substrate 71 is formed from a metal, it is not necessary to form a film in the surface.

The high-voltage power supply 21 is provided as a power supply unit for generating a potential difference between the collection substrate 71 and the electrostatic needle 22.

The electrostatic needle 22 extends from the high-voltage power source 21 and penetrates through the collecting cylinder 15 to reach the inside of the collecting cylinder 15. During the collection step, the collection substrate 71 is disposed to face the electrostatic needle 22. In the present embodiment, the electrostatic needle 22 is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high voltage power source 21. The film formed on the collection substrate 71 is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the high-voltage power source 21.

When the electrostatic needle 22 is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high-voltage power source 21, the coating formed on the collection substrate 71 may be connected to the ground potential, or the electrostatic needle 22 may be connected to the high-voltage power source. The film formed on the collection substrate 71 may be electrically connected to the positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply 21.

When the fan 16 is driven in the forward rotation direction during the collection process, the air inside the cabinet 11 is exhausted, and at the same time, the air outside the cabinet 11 passes through the collection tube 15 toward the collection substrate 71. be introduced. At this time, when a potential difference is generated between the electrostatic needle 22 and the collection substrate 71 by the high-voltage power source 21, particles in the air are charged to the positive electrode around the electrostatic needle 22. The particles charged in the positive electrode move to the collection substrate 71 by electrostatic force and are collected by the collection substrate 71 by being adsorbed by the conductive film.

As described above, in the particle detection apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, particles are collected on the collection substrate 71 by electrostatic collection using electrostatic force. In this case, the particles can be reliably held on the collection substrate 71 when the particles are detected, and the particles can be easily removed from the collection substrate 71 after the particles are detected.

In addition, by using the needle-like electrostatic needle 22 as the discharge electrode, the charged particles are formed on the surface of the collection substrate 71 facing the electrostatic needle 22 and correspond to an irradiation area of the light emitting element described later. It can be adsorbed in a narrow area. Thereby, the adsorbed microorganisms can be efficiently detected in the fluorescence measurement step.

The fluorescence detection unit 30 executes the fluorescence measurement process (before and after heating) described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5. The fluorescence detection unit 30 includes an excitation light source unit 31 and a light receiving unit 41. The excitation light source unit 31 irradiates excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71. The light receiving unit 41 receives fluorescence emitted from the particles as the excitation light is irradiated.

The excitation light source unit 31 includes a light emitting element 32 as a light source, an excitation unit frame 33, a condenser lens 34, and a lens holder 35. The light receiving unit 41 includes a noise shield 42, an amplifier circuit 43, a light receiving element 44, a light receiving unit frame 45, a Fresnel lens 46, and a lens holder 47. As the light emitting element 32, a semiconductor laser or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element is used. The light emitted from the light emitting element 32 may have a wavelength in either the ultraviolet or visible region as long as it excites biological particles to emit fluorescence. As the light receiving element 44, a photodiode or an image sensor is used.

The cleaning unit 50 performs the refresh process described with reference to FIG. 6 and removes particles from the collection substrate 71. The cleaning unit 50 includes a brush 51 as a cleaning tool, a brush fixing unit 52 and a brush presser 53 as base portions. The cleaning unit 50 is fixedly supported with respect to the high voltage power source 21. During the refresh process, the cleaning unit 50 is stationary.

The brush 51 is formed from a fiber assembly. The brush 51 is formed from a conductive fiber assembly. The brush 51 is made of, for example, carbon fiber. The wire diameter of the fiber aggregate forming the brush 51 is preferably not less than φ0.05 mm and not more than φ0.2 mm.

The brush 51 has a free end 51p and a support end 51q disposed at the end opposite to the free end 51p (see FIG. 11). The support end 51q is supported by the brush fixing portion 52 and the brush presser 53. The brush 51 is provided so as to hang down from the support end 51q toward the free end 51p. The brush 51 is fixedly supported at a refresh position 93 to be described later. The collection substrate 71 moves in a state where the free end 51p of the brush 51 is in contact with the surface of the collection substrate 71, whereby the particles are removed from the collection substrate 71.

In the present embodiment, the brush 51 is used as a collection tool for removing particles from the collection substrate 71. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a flat plate-like shape that contacts the surface of the collection substrate 71. It may be a wiper or a nozzle that blows air toward the surface of the collection substrate 71.

The particle detector 10 further includes a heater 76 as a heating unit and a moving mechanism unit 60.

The heater 76 performs the heating process described with reference to FIG. 4 and heats the particles collected on the collection substrate 71.

The moving mechanism unit 60 mounts the collection substrate 71 and moves the collection substrate 71 between the collection process, the fluorescence measurement process (before and after heating), the refresh process, and the heating process. The moving mechanism unit 60 includes a motor holder 61, a rotation motor 62 as a drive unit that can be driven to rotate, a motor presser 63, and a rotation base 64 as an arm unit.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a rotation base constituting the moving mechanism unit. FIG. 14 is an exploded view showing the rotating base in FIG. 13. In FIG. 13, the rotation base 64 viewed from the back side (side surface 11n side of the cabinet 11) is shown, and in FIG. 14, the rotation base 64 viewed from the front side (side surface 11m side of the cabinet 11) is shown. Yes.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 13, and 14, the output shaft of the rotary motor 62 is connected to the rotary base 64. As the rotation motor 62 is driven, the rotation base 64 rotates (forward rotation, reverse rotation) about the rotation center axis 66 drawn as a virtual line in FIG.

The rotation base 64 is made of a resin material. The rotation base 64 includes a central portion 67, a substrate support portion 68, a brush cleaning arm 81 as a cleaning tool initialization member, and a sensing target portion 82 as constituent parts thereof.

The central portion 67 is connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor 62. The center portion 67 is supported by the cabinet 11 so as to be rotatable about the rotation center axis 66. The substrate support portion 68 extends from the center portion 67 in the radial direction of the rotation center shaft 66, and the collection substrate 71 is mounted at the tip thereof. The substrate support portion 68 has a frame shape at a position where the collection substrate 71 is mounted. The brush cleaning arm 81 and the sensing target portion 82 will be described in detail later.

A heater 76 is bonded to the back surface of the collection substrate 71. The heater 76 moves together with the collection substrate 71 when the rotation base 64 rotates. A plurality of

wirings

111, 112, and 113 including a power supply line of the heater 76 and a signal line of a sensor built in the heater 76 are connected to the heater 76. The

wirings

111, 112, and 113 are drawn out of the cabinet 11 through the flexible substrate 96.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the particle detection apparatus during the collection process and the heating process. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the particle detector in the fluorescence measurement process (before and after heating). FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the particle detection apparatus during the refresh process. 15 to 17, a cross section of the particle detection device viewed from the side surface 11n side of the cabinet 11 is shown.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, in particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment, collection substrate 71 is a collection / heating position as the first position shown in FIG. 15 during the collection step and the heating step. And moved to a detection position 92 as the second position shown in FIG. 16 during the fluorescence measurement process (before and after heating), and the refresh position as the third position shown in FIG. 17 during the refresh process. 93. The collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are arranged away from each other.

Note that the refresh position 93 in FIG. 17 is shown as a representative example. In practice, the surface of the collection substrate 71 is brought into contact with the brush 51 while moving the collection substrate 71 during the refresh process. In order to remove particles from the collection substrate 71, the movement range of the collection substrate 71 while the collection substrate 71 and the brush 51 are in contact corresponds to the refresh position 93.

The collection substrate 71 is held in the same plane while moving between the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93. The collection substrate 71 is held in the same plane orthogonal to the rotation center axis 66 while moving between the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93.

That is, the particle detection apparatus 10 in the present embodiment moves the collection substrate 71 between the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 while holding the collection substrate 71 in the same plane. Is provided. In the present embodiment, since the collection substrate 71 is moved in the same plane, the positioning accuracy of the collection substrate 71 at each of the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 can be improved. . Further, since the collection substrate 71 does not move in the axial direction of the rotation center shaft 66, the overall height of the particle detection device 10 can be kept low.

The collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are arranged side by side on the circumference. The collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are arranged side by side on the circumference around the rotation center axis 66. In the movement direction of the collection substrate 71, the collection / heating position 91 is disposed between the detection position 92 and the refresh position 93. In other words, the refresh position 93 is arranged on the opposite side of the detection position 92 when viewed from the collection / heating position 91 in the moving direction of the collection substrate 71. In the moving direction of the collection substrate 71, the detection position 92, the collection / heating position 91, and the refresh position 93 are arranged in the order mentioned.

The movement distance of the collection substrate 71 between the detection position 92 and the refresh position 93 is greater than the movement distance of the collection substrate 71 between the collection / heating position 91 and the refresh position 93. The range of movement of the collection substrate 71 between the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 is 180 ° or less around the rotation center axis 66.

Subsequently, the operation of the particle detection apparatus 10 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a flow of operations of the particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In the following description, in FIGS. 15 to 17, clockwise rotation around the rotation center axis 66 is referred to as normal rotation direction, and counterclockwise rotation around the rotation center axis 66 is referred to as reverse direction. That's it.

15 and 18, first, the collection substrate 71 is positioned at the collection / heating position 91, and the collection process is performed (S101). At this time, air is introduced into the cabinet 11 by driving the fan 16 in the forward direction, and a potential difference is generated between the electrostatic needle 22 and the collection substrate 71 by the high voltage power source 21, The particles are collected on the surface of the collection substrate 71.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 18, next, by driving the rotation motor 62, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the forward rotation direction, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the collection / heating position 91 to the detection position 92. (S102). Next, the excitation light source unit 31 emits excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71, and the light receiving unit 41 receives fluorescence emitted from the particles as the excitation light is irradiated. Thereby, the fluorescence intensity before the heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 is measured (S103).

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 18, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the reverse direction by driving the rotation motor 62, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the detection position 92 to the collection / heating position 91 ( S104). Next, by energizing the heater 76, the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 are heated (S105). Next, energization to the heater 76 is stopped, and the collection substrate 71 is cooled (S106). At this time, by driving the fan 16 in the reverse direction, air is introduced into the cabinet 11 and cooling of the collection substrate 71 is promoted.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 18, next, by driving the rotation motor 62, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the forward rotation direction, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the collection / heating position 91 to the detection position 92. (S107). Next, the excitation light source unit 31 emits excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71, and the light receiving unit 41 receives fluorescence emitted from the particles as the excitation light is irradiated. Thereby, the fluorescence intensity after the heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 is measured (S108).

17 and 18, next, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the reverse direction by driving the rotation motor 62, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the detection position 92 to the refresh position 93. The surface of the collection substrate 71 is brought into contact with the brush 51 by rotating the rotation base 64 in the reverse direction at the refresh position 93 and further rotating in the forward direction. Thereby, particles are removed from the collection substrate 71 (S109).

During the refresh process, the fan 16 is driven in the forward direction to discharge particles that are removed from the collection substrate 71 and scatter in the air to the outside of the cabinet 11 through the opening 120. In order to collect particles discharged to the outside of the cabinet 11 through the opening 120, it is preferable to provide a filter between the opening 120 and the fan 16.

At this time, since the collection substrate 71 approaches the refresh position 93 shown in FIG. 17 from the collection / heating position 91 shown in FIG. 15, the range in which the collection substrate 71 and the collection cylinder 15 overlap becomes smaller. The opening area of the collection tube 15 that is an air inlet is increased. Thereby, particles can be efficiently recovered outside the cabinet 11. On the other hand, since the opening area of the collection cylinder 15 is reduced by being shielded by the collection substrate 71 during the collection process, the air introduction loss can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, since the refresh process is performed by moving the collection substrate 71 while the cleaning unit 50 is stationary, it is not necessary to separately provide a moving mechanism unit for performing the refresh process. For this reason, size reduction and cost reduction of the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be achieved.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 18, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the normal rotation direction by driving the rotation motor 62, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91 (S110). . By repeating the above steps S101 to S110, the detection of the particles derived from living organisms is carried out continuously.

The structure of the particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention described above will be described together. The particle detection apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a particle detection apparatus that detects biologically derived particles. The particle detection device 10 irradiates excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the collection unit 20 that collects the particles on the collection substrate 71 as a collection member, and emits the particles from the particles. The fluorescence detection unit 30 that receives received fluorescence, the collection / heating position 91 as a first position for collecting particles on the collection substrate 71 by the collection unit 20, and the second position for receiving fluorescence by the fluorescence detection unit 30 And a cleaning unit 50 for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 at a refresh position 93 as a third position apart from the detection position 92.

Separately, the particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment is a particle detection device that detects biological particles. The particle detection device 10 irradiates excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the collection unit 20 that collects the particles on the collection substrate 71 as a collection member, and emits the particles from the particles. The fluorescence detection unit 30 that receives the fluorescence that is received, the cleaning unit 50 that removes the particles from the collection substrate 71, and the collection substrate 71 as the first position where the collection unit 20 collects the particles on the collection substrate 71 A collection / heating position 91, a detection position 92 as a second position for receiving fluorescence by the fluorescence detection unit 30, and a refresh position 93 as a third position for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 by the cleaning unit 50. And a moving mechanism unit 60 that moves between the two.

Furthermore, the particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment is a particle detection device that detects biological particles. The particle detection device 10 irradiates excitation light toward the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the collection unit 20 that collects the particles on the collection substrate 71 as a collection member, and emits the particles from the particles. A fluorescence detection unit 30 that receives the generated fluorescence and a cleaning unit 50 that removes particles from the collection substrate 71. The collection substrate 71 rotates and moves in the normal rotation direction and the reverse direction, whereby the collection / heating position 91 as a first position for collecting particles on the collection substrate 71 by the collection unit 20, and the fluorescence detection unit It moves between a detection position 92 as a second position for receiving fluorescence by 30 and a refresh position 93 as a third position for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 by the cleaning unit 50.

In the present embodiment, by providing the cleaning unit 50 for removing particles from the collection substrate 71, the collection substrate 71 can be repeatedly used to detect biologically derived particles. For this reason, compared with the case where the collection board | substrate 71 is replaced | exchanged for every detection, the expense concerning particle detection can be made low-cost.

In the present embodiment, the refreshing process for removing the particles from the collection substrate 71 is performed at the refresh position 93 away from the collection / heating position 91 and the detection position 92. For this reason, the particles removed from the collection substrate 71 are collected again on the collection substrate 71 in the next collection step, or the particles that have entered the detection position 92 from the collection substrate 71 are received by the light emitting element 32 or the light reception. It can be prevented from adhering to the optical system such as the element 44. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the collection / heating position 91 is provided so as to block between the refresh position 93 and the detection position 92, particles removed from the collection substrate 71 enter the detection position 92. Can be effectively prevented. For these reasons, according to the particle detection apparatus 10 in the present embodiment, it is possible to detect biologically derived particles with high accuracy.

Further, in the present embodiment, the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are arranged side by side on the circumference, and the collection substrate 71 is rotated so that the space between these positions is set. Moving. According to such a structure, the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be reduced in size by arrange | positioning the collection part 20, the fluorescence detection part 30, and the cleaning part 50 in a compact space. In the present embodiment, the collection substrate 71 rotates in the normal rotation direction and the reverse direction and moves to the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93. There is also an effect that a plurality of wires and wires for electrostatic collection are not entangled.

The structure of the heater 76 as a heating unit will be described collectively. The particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment has a heater 76 as a heating unit for heating the particles collected on the collection substrate 71. Biologically derived particles are detected from the difference between the fluorescence intensity emitted from the particles before heating and the fluorescence intensity emitted from the heated particles grasped by the fluorescence detection unit 30. When the particles are heated by the heater 76, the collection substrate 71 is moved to the collection / heating position 91 as the first position. The heater 76 is moved together with the collection substrate 71 by the moving mechanism unit 60. The collection substrate 71 heated by the heater 76 is cooled by the air introduced into the cabinet 11 by the fan 16.

In the present embodiment, the heating step of heating the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 is performed at the same position (collection / heating position 91) as the collection step of collecting particles on the collection substrate 71. Thereby, size reduction of the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be achieved. Moreover, the structure of the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be simplified by the structure which mounts the heater 76 in the moving mechanism part 60, and moves it with the collection board | substrate 71. FIG.

[Disposition of component parts of particle detector]
With reference to FIGS. 11 and 15 to 17, in the present embodiment, each component of the collection unit 20, the fluorescence detection unit 30, and the cleaning unit 50 is arranged in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. Is arranged in.

The collecting cylinder 15 and the electrostatic needle 22 are arranged facing the collecting / heating position 91. The high-voltage power supply 21 and the cleaning unit 50 are arranged facing the refresh position 93. The light receiving unit 41 is disposed to face the detection position 92.

The collecting tube 15 and the light receiving unit 41 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. The excitation light source unit 31 is arranged adjacent to the light receiving unit 41 on the side opposite to the collection tube 15 in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. That is, the light receiving unit 41 is disposed between the excitation light source unit 31 and the collection tube 15 in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. The excitation light source unit 31 is disposed on the opposite side of the collection tube 15 with the rotation center shaft 66 interposed therebetween.

The high-voltage power supply 21 is arranged adjacent to the collecting cylinder 15 on the side opposite to the light receiving unit 41 in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. That is, the collection tube 15 is disposed between the high-voltage power supply 21 and the light receiving unit 41 in the circumferential direction around the rotation center shaft 66. The high voltage power source 21 is disposed on the opposite side of the light receiving unit 41 with the rotation center shaft 66 interposed therebetween. The high-voltage power source 21 and the excitation light source unit 31 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66.

When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center shaft 66, the collection tube 15, the light receiving unit 41, and the high-voltage power supply 21 are arranged so as to overlap with the movement range of the collection substrate 71 around the rotation center shaft 66. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center axis 66, the excitation light source unit 31 is arranged so as to be shifted from the moving range of the collection substrate 71 around the axis of the rotation center axis 66.

In the present embodiment, the excitation light source unit 31 is disposed on the opposite side of the collection tube 15 with respect to the light receiving unit 41 in the moving direction of the collection substrate 71. With this configuration, the distance between the collection / heating position 91 and the detection position 92 is prevented from being increased due to the arrangement of the excitation light source unit 31.

When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center shaft 66, the cleaning unit 50 is disposed so as to overlap the high voltage power source 21. More specifically, a brush fixing part 52 constituting the cleaning part 50 is attached to the high voltage power source 21. As shown in FIG. 11, the excitation light source unit 31 and the light receiving unit 41 have a height H1 (length in the axial direction of the rotation center shaft 66) and a height H2, respectively. The high voltage power supply 21 has a height H3. The height H3 is smaller than the height H1 and the height H2, and the height H1 is larger than the height H2 (H3 <H2 <H1).

In the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 50 is provided in a limited space in the cabinet 11 by overlapping the excitation light source unit 31, the light receiving unit 41, and the high voltage power source 21 having the smallest height. Each component of the collection part 20, the fluorescence detection part 30, and the cleaning part 50 is arrange | positioned efficiently.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 50 and the collecting cylinder 15 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction around the rotation center axis 66. With such a configuration, the fan 16 can be shared between the collection process, the cooling during the heating process, and the refresh process.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the particle detector. Referring to FIG. 19, collection tube 15 and moving mechanism unit 60 are provided so as to block between light receiving unit 41 and excitation light source unit 31 and cleaning unit 50.

With such a configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress the particles removed from the collection substrate 71 at the refresh position 93 from entering the detection position 92. Further, there is no need to provide a partition in the cabinet 11 for the purpose of preventing the entry of particles from the refresh position 93 to the detection position 92, and the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are located in the cabinet 11. Are provided in the same space. For this reason, the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 can be reduced in size.

[About brush cleaning structure]
During the refresh process, as the particles are removed from the collection substrate 71 by the cleaning unit 50, the particles adhere to the brush 51 that contacts the surface of the collection substrate 71. The particle detection apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has a brush cleaning arm 81 as a cleaning tool initialization member, and removes particles adhering to the brush 51 by the brush cleaning arm 81.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the brush cleaning arm 81 is provided integrally with the rotating base 64. The brush cleaning arm 81 moves together with the collection substrate 71 when the rotation base 64 rotates. The brush cleaning arm 81 extends in the radial direction of the rotation center shaft 66 from the center portion 67 of the rotation base 64. When the brush cleaning arm 81 rotates while being in contact with the free end 51p of the brush 51, particles adhering to the brush 51 are removed.

The brush cleaning arm 81 is provided at a position shifted from the substrate support 68 in the circumferential direction around the rotation center shaft 66. As shown in FIG. 16, when the collection substrate 71 is moved to the detection position 92, the brush cleaning arm 81 is disposed between the collection substrate 71 and the brush 51.

20 to 22 are cross-sectional views showing the movement of the collection substrate and the brush cleaning arm during the refresh process. FIG. 22 shows the moving end of the collection substrate 71 during the refresh process.

20 to 22, after measuring the fluorescence intensity after heating the particles, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the collection substrate 71 is moved from the detection position 92 toward the refresh position 93.

At this time, first, the brush cleaning arm 81 moves in the reverse direction while contacting the free end 51p of the brush 51, thereby removing particles adhering to the brush 51. At the same time, the fan 16 is driven in the forward direction to collect the particles removed from the brush 51 from the refresh position 93 to the outside of the cabinet 11. Further, the rotating base 64 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the surface of the collection substrate 71 is brought into contact with the brush 51 to remove particles from the collection substrate 71. When the collection substrate 71 moves to the moving end shown in FIG. 22, the rotation base 64 is rotated in the forward rotation direction, and the surface of the collection substrate 71 is brought into contact with the brush 51 again, whereby particles are collected from the collection substrate 71. Remove.

In this embodiment, since the brush cleaning arm 81 is disposed between the collection substrate 71 and the brush 51 when the collection substrate 71 is moved to the detection position 92, the collection substrate 71 and the brush 51 are separated from each other. Before the contact, the brush cleaning arm 81 and the brush 51 come into contact with each other. Thereby, since the collection board | substrate 71 can be cleaned with the brush 51 refreshed by the brush cleaning arm 81, particle | grains can be efficiently removed from the collection board | substrate 71. FIG.

Further, the brush cleaning arm 81 is provided integrally with the rotation base 64 on which the collection substrate 71 is mounted. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to separately provide a moving mechanism unit for moving the brush cleaning arm 81, and the particle detector 10 can be reduced in size and cost.

In addition, in the cabinet 11, the particle | grain capture | acquisition part which has adhesiveness may be provided. The particle capturing part is formed from an adhesive sheet, for example. The particle capturing unit is preferably provided between the refresh position 93 or between the refresh position 93 and the collection / heating position 91. According to such a configuration, in addition to collecting particles by driving the fan 16, particles removed from the collection substrate 71 or the brush 51 by the particle capturing unit can be collected.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the height relationship between the brush, the brush cleaning arm, and the collection substrate. Referring to FIG. 23, brush cleaning arm 81 and collection substrate 71 each have a top surface 81a and a top surface 71a that contact free end 51p of brush 51. The height of the free end 51p of the brush 51 with respect to an arbitrary position is set to H6, the height of the top surface 81a of the brush cleaning arm 81 is set to H7, and the height of the top surface 71a of the collection substrate 71 is set to H8. In this case, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship of H6 <H8 <H7.

[Detailed structure of particle detector]
The particle detection apparatus 10 in the present embodiment includes a position sensor 77, a position sensor 78, and a sensing target unit 82 as a position detection unit for detecting the position of the collection substrate 71.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 15, and 16, position sensor 77 and position sensor 78 are sensors that detect the position of collection substrate 71 by detecting the proximity of sensing target portion 82. The position sensor 77 and the position sensor 78 are attached to the inner wall of the cabinet 11. The position sensor 77 and the position sensor 78 are provided in the same plane orthogonal to the rotation center axis 66. When viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center shaft 66, the position sensor 77 is disposed between the collection / heating position 91 and the detection position 92, and the position sensor 78 is composed of the collection / heating position 91 and the refresh position 93. It is arranged between.

Referring to FIG. 13, the sensing target portion 82 is provided integrally with the rotation base 64. The sensing target portion 82 moves together with the collection substrate 71 when the rotation base 64 rotates. The sensing target portion 82 is provided at the tip of a brush cleaning arm 81 extending in the radial direction of the rotation center shaft 66 from the center portion 67 of the rotation base 64.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 15, and 16, when the position sensor 78 detects the proximity of the sensing target unit 82, the control unit (not shown) positions the collection substrate 71 at the collection / heating position 91. Detect that. At this time, the control unit issues a command to the collection unit 20 and the fan 16 so that the collection of particles on the collection substrate 71 is started. Further, the control unit detects that the collection substrate 71 is positioned at the detection position 92 when the position sensor 77 detects the proximity of the sensing target unit 82. At this time, the control unit issues a command to the fluorescence detection unit 30 so that detection of biologically derived particles is started.

By detecting the position of the collection substrate 71 using the position sensor 78 and the position sensor 77, it is possible to improve the position accuracy of the collection substrate 71 in the collection step and the detection step, and to improve the reproducibility of detection of biologically derived particles. it can.

Referring to FIG. 16, the particle detection device 10 in the present embodiment has a protrusion 19 that is disposed at the moving end of the moving mechanism 60 and serves as a restricting member that restricts the movement of the moving mechanism 60. The protruding portion 19 is provided so as to protrude from the inner wall of the cabinet 11. The protruding portion 19 is provided at a position adjacent to the detection position 92. When the collection substrate 71 is moved to the detection position 92, the rotation base 64 is brought into contact with the protruding portion 19, whereby further movement of the rotation base 64 is restricted.

In addition, the particle | grain detection apparatus 10 in this Embodiment may be used as an apparatus single unit for detecting the particle | grains derived from a living body, or an air cleaner, an air conditioner, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, a vacuum cleaner, a refrigerator It may also be incorporated into household appliances such as televisions.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a side view showing the particle detection apparatus in FIG. Compared with the particle detection device 10 in the first embodiment, the particle detection device in the present embodiment basically has the same structure. Hereinafter, the description of overlapping structures will not be repeated.

Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25, in the particle detection apparatus according to the present embodiment, collection / heating position 91, detection position 92, and refresh position 93 are arranged side by side on a straight line. The collection substrate 71 mounted on a moving mechanism unit (not shown) moves between the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 while reciprocating along the direction indicated by the arrow 131. The collection substrate 71 reciprocates in the direction indicated by the arrow 132 at the refresh position 93, whereby the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 are removed.

In the moving direction of the collection substrate 71, the collection / heating position 91 is disposed between the detection position 92 and the refresh position 93. In other words, the refresh position 93 is arranged on the opposite side of the detection position 92 when viewed from the collection / heating position 91 in the moving direction of the collection substrate 71. In the moving direction of the collection substrate 71, the detection position 92, the collection / heating position 91, and the refresh position 93 are arranged in the order mentioned.

In the present embodiment, since the collection / heating position 91, the detection position 92, and the refresh position 93 are arranged in a straight line, the detection position 92 and the refresh position are compared with those in the first embodiment in which they are arranged on the circumference. The position 93 can be further separated. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the particles removed from the collection substrate 71 at the refresh position 93 from entering the detection position 92.

The collection unit 20, the fluorescence detection unit 30 and the cleaning unit 50 are configured so that the detection position 92 is disposed between the collection / heating position 91 and the refresh position 93 in the moving direction of the collection substrate 71. May be.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 26 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device included in the particle detection device. Referring to FIG. 26, the particle detection device in the present embodiment has a control device 200.

The control device 200 performs a signal processing unit 230 for processing a current signal from the light receiving element 44 of the light receiving unit 41, and controls the operation of the particle detection device and processes the detection result based on each current signal. Measurement unit 220.

FIG. 26 shows an example in which the function of the signal processing unit 230 is realized by a hardware configuration that is mainly an electric circuit. However, at least a part of these functions may include a software configuration that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and that is realized by the CPU executing a predetermined program. FIG. 26 illustrates an example in which the configuration of the measurement unit 220 is a software configuration. However, at least a part of these functions may be realized by a hardware configuration such as an electric circuit.

The signal processing unit 230 includes a current-voltage conversion circuit 231 connected to the light receiving element 44 of the fluorescence detection unit 30, and an amplification circuit 232 connected to the current-voltage conversion circuit 231.

The measurement unit 220 includes a control unit 221 and a drive unit 223 for driving the heater 76, the fan 16, and the rotary motor 62 based on a command from the control unit 221.

By irradiating light from the light emitting element 32 to the particles collected on the collection substrate 71, fluorescence from the particles in the irradiation region is received by the light receiving element 44. A current signal corresponding to the amount of light received from the light receiving element 44 is input to the current-voltage conversion circuit 231.

The current-voltage conversion circuit 231 detects the peak current value H representing the fluorescence intensity from the current signal input from the light receiving element 44 and converts it to the voltage value Eh. The voltage value Eh is amplified to a preset amplification factor by the amplifier circuit 232 and output to the measurement unit 220.

The control unit 221 is electrically connected to the light emitting element 32 and the light receiving element 44 of the fluorescence detection unit 30, and controls ON / OFF thereof.

The control unit 221 outputs a control signal that instructs the drive unit 223 to start / stop various operations for particle detection. The drive unit 223 is electrically connected to a mechanism for driving the heater 76, the fan 16 and the rotary motor 62, and drives the heater 76, the fan 16 and the rotary motor 62 according to this control signal, or stops driving. Or Thereby, the operation | movement for required particle | grain detection is performed in a particle | grain detection apparatus.

The control unit 221 includes a detection control unit 211 for performing control to output a particle detection result, and a drive control unit 212 for controlling various operations for particle detection. Hereinafter, how the particle detection device operates through the control of the rotation motor 62 by the drive control unit 212 will be described.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Each step shown in FIG. 27 corresponds to a step having the same name shown in FIG. The same applies to the steps shown in FIGS. 28, 31 and 32 described later.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, after step S108 of measuring the fluorescence intensity after heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71, the drive control unit 212 changes the signal processing unit 230 to the measurement unit 220. Based on the output measurement result, it is determined whether or not the fluorescence amount detected by the fluorescence detection unit 30 is larger than a predetermined threshold (S120).

The light receiving element 44 generates a current signal corresponding to the amount of received light and inputs the current signal to the current-voltage conversion circuit 231, and has a characteristic that the current signal generated when the amount of received light exceeds the upper limit is saturated. In the present embodiment, the threshold value determined in S120 is set to a value equal to or smaller than the received light amount upper limit value.

When the amount of fluorescence is larger than the preset value in S120, the drive control unit 212 drives the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the detection position 92 toward the refresh position 93. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 (S109). Thereby, the particles are removed from the collection substrate 71 by the brush 51 of the cleaning unit 50 at the refresh position 93. After the refresh step, the drive control unit 212 issues a command to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91 (S110). . Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process.

On the other hand, when the fluorescence amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined set value in S120, the drive control unit 212 drives the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the detection position 92 to the collection / heating position 91. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for causing it (S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process, without passing through a refresh process.

In the present embodiment, whether or not it is necessary to grasp the degree of contamination of the collection substrate 71 with reference to the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit 30 in step S108 and to remove particles from the collection substrate 71. Judging. Thereby, the frequency which removes particle | grains from the collection board | substrate 71 can be suppressed, and it can suppress that the brush 51 of the cleaning part 50 is consumed. In the present embodiment, since the threshold value in the step of S120 is set to the upper limit value of the light receiving amount of the light receiving element 44, the collection substrate 71 is moved at a timing before the current signal generated in the light receiving element 44 is saturated. Can be cleaned.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the particle detection apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment also, the configuration of the control device included in the particle detection device described in the third embodiment is the same.

26 and 28, the step of S108 for measuring the fluorescence intensity after heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the step of S109 for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 are executed in order. To do. Thereafter, the drive control unit 212 issues a command to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the detection position 92 (S130).

Next, the excitation light source unit 31 irradiates the collection substrate 71 with excitation light, and the light receiving unit 41 receives fluorescence emitted from the particles along with the excitation light irradiation. Thereby, the fluorescence intensity of the particles remaining on the collection substrate 71 after the refresh process is finished is measured (S131).

Next, the drive control unit 212 determines whether or not the fluorescence amount detected by the fluorescence detection unit 30 is greater than a predetermined threshold based on the measurement result output from the signal processing unit 230 to the measurement unit 220. (S132). Also in the present embodiment, the threshold value is set to a value equal to or less than the upper limit value of the light receiving amount of the light receiving element 44.

When the amount of fluorescence is larger than the preset value in S132, the drive control unit 212 drives the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the detection position 92 toward the refresh position 93. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 (S133). Thereby, the particles are removed from the collection substrate 71 by the brush 51 of the cleaning unit 50 at the refresh position 93. After the refresh step, the drive control unit 212 issues a command to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotary motor 62 to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91 (S110). . Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process.

On the other hand, when the fluorescence amount is equal to or smaller than the predetermined set value in S132, the drive control unit 212 drives the rotary motor 62 so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the detection position 92 to the collection / heating position 91. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for causing it (S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process.

In the present embodiment, the contamination level of the collection substrate 71 is ascertained based on the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit 30 in step S131, whereby particles are collected from the collection substrate 71 in the previous refresh process. Determine whether it has been sufficiently removed. Thereby, it can prevent that the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing the next collection process, with the removal of the particle | grains by the cleaning part 50 being inadequate.

(Embodiment 5)
29 and 30 are sectional views showing a particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In the figure, a cross section of the particle detection device viewed from the side surface 11n side of the cabinet 11 is shown. FIG. 29 shows the moving end of the collection substrate 71 during the refresh process, and FIG. 30 shows the movement end of the collection substrate 71 during the brush cleaning process.

29 and 30, in the particle detection device in the present embodiment, compared to particle detection device 10 in the first embodiment, brush cleaning arm 81 for removing particles adhering to brush 51 is provided. The position provided is different. As shown in FIG. 29, when the collection substrate 71 is moved to the moving end during the refreshing process, the brush cleaning arm 81 has the brush 51 (refresh position 93) and the collection cylinder 15 (collection / heating position 91). ). In the particle detection apparatus having such a configuration, in order to perform the brush cleaning process by the brush cleaning arm 81, the brush cleaning arm 81 moves beyond the moving end during the refresh process, and the brush cleaning arm 81 moves the brush 51. It is necessary to move to a position that passes through (cleaning position 94 shown in FIG. 30).

FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing a flow of operations of the particle detection apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In the present embodiment also, the configuration of the control device included in the particle detection device described in the third embodiment is the same.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 31, in the present embodiment, control unit 221 counts the cumulative number of refresh steps for removing particles from collection substrate 71 and stores this. At this time, the cumulative number of refresh steps is reset to zero when the brush cleaning step by the brush cleaning arm 81 is performed.

The step of S108 for measuring the fluorescence intensity after heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the step of S109 for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 are executed in order. Thereafter, the drive control unit 212 determines whether or not the cumulative number of refresh processes since the previous brush cleaning process is performed is greater than the set number (S140).

In S140, when the cumulative number of refresh steps is larger than a predetermined number of times, the drive control unit 212 rotates the rotary motor so as to move the collection substrate 71 further from the refresh position 93 toward the brush cleaning position 94. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving 62 (S141). Thereby, as the collection substrate 71 moves to the cleaning position 94, the brush cleaning arm 81 comes into contact with the brush 51, whereby the particles attached to the brush 51 are removed. After the brush cleaning process, the drive control unit 212 issues a command to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotation motor 62 to move the collection substrate 71 from the cleaning position 94 to the collection / heating position 91 ( S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process.

On the other hand, in S140, when the cumulative number of refresh steps is equal to or less than a predetermined number of times, the drive control unit 212 rotates the rotary motor so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving 62 (S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process, without passing through the cleaning process of a brush.

In the present embodiment, the degree of contamination of the brush 51 is ascertained based on the cumulative number of refresh steps, and it is determined whether it is necessary to remove particles attached to the brush 51. Thereby, the frequency which removes particle | grains from the brush 51 can be suppressed, and the movement time of the collection board | substrate 71 can be shortened.

FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing a modification of the operation flow of the particle detection apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 26 and FIG. 32, in this modification, the control unit 221 calculates the total amount of fluorescence detected by the fluorescence detection unit 30 in step S103, and stores this. At this time, the total amount of fluorescence is returned to zero when the brush cleaning process by the brush cleaning arm 81 is performed.

The step of S108 for measuring the fluorescence intensity after heating of the particles collected on the collection substrate 71 and the step of S109 for removing particles from the collection substrate 71 are executed in order. Thereafter, the drive control unit 212 determines whether or not the total amount of fluorescence in step S103 after the previous brush cleaning process is performed is larger than the set amount (S146).

When the cumulative amount of fluorescence in S146 is larger than the predetermined set amount, the drive control unit 212 moves the collection substrate 71 further from the refresh position 93 toward the brush cleaning position 94, so that the rotary motor 62 is moved. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving (S141). Thereby, as the collection substrate 71 moves to the cleaning position 94, the brush cleaning arm 81 comes into contact with the brush 51, whereby the particles attached to the brush 51 are removed. After the brush cleaning process, the drive control unit 212 issues a command to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotation motor 62 to move the collection substrate 71 from the cleaning position 94 to the collection / heating position 91 ( S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process.

On the other hand, in S146, when the total amount of fluorescence is equal to or less than a predetermined set amount, the drive control unit 212 moves the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91 so as to move the collection motor 71. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving (S110). Thereby, the collection board | substrate 71 is moved to the collection and heating position 91 for implementing a collection process, without passing through the cleaning process of a brush.

In this modification, the contamination level of the brush 51 is grasped by using the total amount of fluorescence in step S103 as a guideline, and it is determined whether it is necessary to remove particles attached to the brush 51. Thereby, the frequency which removes particle | grains from the brush 51 can be suppressed, and the movement time of the collection board | substrate 71 can be shortened.

(Embodiment 6)
In the particle detection device according to the present embodiment, the movement of the brush cleaning arm 81 during the brush cleaning process shown in FIG. 20 is different from that of the particle detection device 10 according to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the particles adhering to the brush 51 are removed by the rotation base 64 repeatedly rotating in the normal direction and the reverse direction within a range where the brush cleaning arm 81 and the free end 51p of the brush 51 are in contact with each other. To do.

In the particle detection apparatus having such a configuration, when the cumulative number of refresh processes is larger than the predetermined number of times set in step S140 in FIG. 31, the drive control unit 212 sets the brush cleaning arm 81 and the brush 51. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotation motor 62 so that the rotation base 64 repeatedly rotates in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction within a range in contact with the free end 51p. On the other hand, when the cumulative number of the refresh process is equal to or smaller than the predetermined number of times in S140, the drive control unit 212 rotates so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving the motor 62.

As a modification thereof, when the cumulative amount of fluorescence is larger than the predetermined set amount in step S146 in FIG. 32, the drive control unit 212 includes the brush cleaning arm 81 and the free end 51p of the brush 51. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving the rotary motor 62 so that the rotation base 64 repeatedly rotates in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction in the range where the two come into contact with each other. On the other hand, when the cumulative amount of fluorescence is equal to or less than a predetermined set amount in S146, the drive control unit 212 rotates the rotary motor so as to move the collection substrate 71 from the refresh position 93 to the collection / heating position 91. A command is issued to the drive unit 223 for driving 62.

According to the thus configured particle detection apparatus in the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the same effects as those described in the fifth embodiment can be obtained.

The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

This invention is mainly used as an apparatus for detecting particles derived from organisms such as pollen, microorganisms, and mold.

10 particle detector, 11 cabinet, 11m, 11n side, 12 upper cabinet, 14 lower cabinet, 15 collecting cylinder, 16 fan, 19 protruding part, 20 collecting part, 21 high voltage power supply, 22 electrostatic needle, 30 fluorescence detection Part, 31 excitation light source part, 32 light emitting element, 33 excitation part frame, 34 condensing lens, 41 light receiving part, 42 noise shield, 43 amplification circuit, 44 light receiving element, 45 light receiving part frame, 46 Fresnel lens, 50 cleaning part, 51 brush, 51p free end, 51q support end, 52 brush fixing part, 53 brush presser, 60 moving mechanism part, 61 motor holder, 62 rotation motor, 64 rotation base, 66 rotation center axis, 67 center part, 68 substrate support part 71, collection substrate, 71a, 81a top surface, 76 77, 78 position sensor, 81 brush cleaning arm, 82 sensing target, 91 collection / heating position, 92 detection position, 93 refresh position, 94 cleaning position, 96 flexible substrate, 111, 112, 113 wiring, 120 Opening part, 200 control device, 211 detection control part, 212 drive control part, 220 measurement part, 221 control part, 223 drive part, 230 signal processing part, 231 current-voltage conversion circuit.

Claims

A particle detection device for detecting biological particles,
A collection part (20) for collecting particles in the collection member (71);
A fluorescence detection unit (30) for irradiating excitation light toward the particles collected by the collection member (71) and receiving fluorescence emitted from the particles;
A cleaning section (50) for removing particles from the collection member (71);
The collection member (71) has a first position (91) for collecting particles in the collection member (71) by the collection unit (20), and a second position for receiving fluorescence by the fluorescence detection unit (30). A particle detection apparatus comprising: a position (92); and a moving mechanism (60) that moves between a position (92) and a third position (93) for removing particles from the collection member (71) by the cleaning unit (50).
The cleaning part (50) has a cleaning tool (51) fixedly supported at the third position (93),
Particles are removed from the collection member (71) by the cleaning tool (51) as the collection member (71) moves through the third position (93) by the moving mechanism (60). The particle | grain detection apparatus of Claim 1.
A housing (11) that houses the collection unit (20), the fluorescence detection unit (30), and the cleaning unit (50);
The particle detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a fan (16) for discharging air from the inside of the housing (11).
The particles removed from the collecting member (71) are recovered from the inside of the casing (11) by driving the fan (16) when removing the particles by the cleaning unit (50). 4. The particle detector according to 3.
The particle detection device according to claim 3, wherein air is introduced toward the collection member (71) by driving the fan (16) when collecting the particles by the collection unit (20).
A heating unit (76) for heating the particles collected by the collection member (71);
The particle detection device according to claim 3, wherein the fan (16) is driven to cool the collection member (71) that has been heated to a high temperature by the heating unit (76).
The cleaning section (50) has a cleaning tool (51) for removing particles from the collecting member (71), and
The particle detector according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning tool initialization member (81) for removing particles attached to the cleaning tool (51) as the particles are removed by the cleaning unit (50).
The cleaning tool (51) is fixedly supported at the third position (93),
The particle detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning tool initialization member (81) is moved together with the collection member (71) by the moving mechanism section (60).
When the collecting member (71) is positioned at the second position (92), the cleaning tool initialization member (81) is disposed between the collecting member (71) and the cleaning tool (51). The particle detector according to claim 8.
A housing (11) that houses the collection unit (20), the fluorescence detection unit (30), and the cleaning unit (50);
A fan (16) for discharging air from the inside of the housing (11),
When the particles are removed by the cleaning unit (50) and the particles are removed by the cleaning tool initialization member (81), the fan (16) is driven to drive the collecting member (71) and the cleaning tool (51). The particle detection device according to claim 7, wherein the particles removed from are recovered from the inside of the housing (11).
The particle detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a particle capturing unit that has adhesiveness and captures suspended particles generated when particles are removed by the cleaning unit (50).
A drive control unit (212) for controlling the drive of the moving mechanism unit (60);
The drive control unit (212) moves the collection member (71) to the third position (93) when the amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit (30) is larger than a predetermined threshold value. The particle | grain detection apparatus of Claim 1 made to make.
A drive control unit (212) for controlling the drive of the moving mechanism unit (60);
The drive control unit (212) moves the collection member (71) from which particles have been removed by the cleaning unit (50) at the third position (93) to the second position (92) to detect the fluorescence. The particle detection device according to claim 1, wherein when the amount of received light detected by the section (30) is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the collection member (71) is moved again to the third position (93). .
The fluorescence detection unit (30) has a light receiving element (44) that receives fluorescence emitted from particles and generates a current signal according to the amount of received light.
The particle detection device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the threshold value is set to a value equal to or less than an upper limit of received light amount of the light receiving element (44) at which a current signal generated at the time of light reception is saturated.
A drive control unit (212) for controlling the drive of the moving mechanism unit (60);
The drive control unit (212), when the number of times particles are removed from the collection member (71) by the cleaning unit (50) exceeds a predetermined threshold number, the cleaning tool initialization member (81). The particle detector according to claim 7, wherein the collecting member (71) is moved so as to remove particles adhering to the cleaning tool (51).
The moving mechanism (60) includes a collecting member (71), the first position (91), the second position (92), the third position (93), and the cleaning tool initialization member. (81) is moved between the fourth position (94) to remove particles adhering to the cleaning tool (51),
The drive control unit (212) moves the collection member (71) to the first when the number of times the particles are removed from the collection member (71) by the cleaning unit (50) exceeds a predetermined threshold number. 16. The particle detector according to claim 15, wherein the particle detector is moved to four positions (94).
A drive control unit (212) for controlling the drive of the moving mechanism unit (60);
The drive control unit (212) causes the cleaning tool initialization member (81) to perform the cleaning tool when the cumulative amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit (30) exceeds a predetermined threshold amount. The particle detector according to claim 7, wherein the collecting member (71) is moved so as to remove particles adhering to (51).
The moving mechanism (60) includes a collecting member (71), the first position (91), the second position (92), the third position (93), and the cleaning tool initialization member. (81) is moved between the fourth position (94) to remove particles adhering to the cleaning tool (51),
The drive control unit (212) moves the collection member (71) to the fourth position (94) when the total amount of received light detected by the fluorescence detection unit (30) exceeds a predetermined threshold amount. The particle detection device according to claim 17, which is moved to ().