JPH0612946U - Flow cell for fluorescence detector - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In a flow cell 210 which is made of a transparent member and is formed in a hollow cylinder shape and through which a sample passes, at least one of the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 of the hollow cylinder has a shape. A flow cell for a fluorescence detector, which is formed in a truncated cone shape or a truncated pyramid shape. [Effect] Since the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 of the flow cell 210 have a truncated cone shape or a truncated pyramid shape, the excitation light L incident perpendicularly to the central axis direction of the flow cell 210.
_{Since 1} reflects on the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 in a direction different from the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the flow cell 210, the fluorescence side spectrum arranged on the surface vertical to the central axis of the flow cell. It is possible to prevent the reflected light from entering the entrance slit of the vessel and prevent the reflected light from mixing into the fluorescence-side spectroscope.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a flow cell for a fluorescence detector, and more particularly to improvement of its shape.

[0002]

[Prior art]

In general, a fluorescence detector passes a sample through a flow cell, irradiates the passing sample with excitation light, and detects fluorescence emitted from the sample by the detector to identify and quantify the sample. The fluorescence detection device for detecting the fluorescence has a schematic structure as shown in FIG. The fluorescence detection apparatus shown in the figure has a flow cell 10 through which a sample passes, an excitation-side spectroscope 12 that emits excitation light of a predetermined wavelength, and a fluorescence-side spectroscope 14 that receives fluorescence from the sample. ing. Then, the excitation light L ₁ emitted from the excitation-side spectroscope 12 through the emission slit 16 enters the flow cell 10 and is applied to the sample in the flow cell 10. Further, the fluorescence L ₂ from the sample generated by the irradiation of the excitation light L ₁ is incident on the fluorescence side spectroscope 14 through the entrance slit 18.

[0003] Here, the excitation light L ₁ is part of the pumping light L ₁ when it enters the flow cell 10 is reflected by the wall surface of the flow cell 10. When the reflected light becomes scattered light and mixes into the fluorescence-side spectroscope 14, stray light of the fluorescence-side spectroscope 14 increases, which causes an increase in noise in the fluorescence measurement, resulting in a decrease in measurement accuracy. Therefore, it is important to reduce the mixing of the scattered light reflected by the wall surface of the flow cell 10 into the fluorescence side spectroscope 14. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, the flow cell 10 is formed such that the outer wall surface 20 and the inner wall surface 22 are both in the shape of a hollow cylinder having a rectangular prism shape, so that the luminous flux L ₁ is incident on the flow cell 10. The generation of scattered light was reduced by keeping the reflection in a fixed direction.

[0004]

However, in the conventional flow cell 10 shown in FIG. 5, the scattered light can only be prevented to some extent, and the scattered light cannot be completely suppressed. Scattered light is generated by the reflection at the corner of the inner wall 22 formed in the shape of. By the way, the optical arrangement of the fluorescence detection device is usually such that the exit slit 16 of the excitation light L ₁ and the entrance slit 18 of the fluorescence L ₂ are relative to the flow channel of the flow cell 10, that is, the side surface of the flow cell 10 having a rectangular prism shape. Are placed on a vertical plane. Therefore, the scattered light reflected on the same plane as the excitation light L ₁ incident on the flow cell 10 is mixed into the fluorescence side spectroscope 14 from the incident slit 18 also arranged on the same plane, and the measurement accuracy is improved. There was a problem of decreasing.

Further, in order to prevent the scattered light in the flow cell 10 from being mixed into the fluorescence side spectroscope 14, opaque members are provided at the four corners 124 of the square columnar flow cell 110 as shown in FIG. Things have also been considered in the past. That is, the generated scattered light is shielded by the corner portion 124 made of an opaque member to prevent the scattered light from entering the fluorescence side spectroscope 14. However, as long as the scattered light is generated on the same plane as the entrance slit 18 as described above, it is inevitable that the scattered light is mixed into the fluorescence-side spectroscope, which is satisfactory for the measurement requiring high accuracy. It wasn't possible. Further, since the flow cell 110 is formed by joining a transparent member and an opaque member, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time to create the flow cell 110. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a flow cell for a fluorescence detector, which prevents the scattered light from being mixed into the fluorescence side spectroscope due to reflection when excitation light enters the flow cell. Especially.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the flow cell for a fluorescence detector according to the present invention is formed in a hollow cylinder shape, and at least one of the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the hollow cylinder is formed in a truncated cone shape or a truncated pyramid shape. It is characterized by

[0007]

[Action]

 As described above, the flow cell for a fluorescence detector according to the present invention is such that the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the hollow cylinder are formed in the shape of a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid. Are not parallel planes. Then, the excitation light that irradiates the sample passing through the flow cell is incident perpendicularly to the flow path direction of the sample, that is, the central axis direction of the flow cell. Therefore, the excitation light does not vertically enter the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the flow cell formed in the truncated cone shape or the truncated pyramid shape, and the excitation light beam does not enter the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the flow cell. It reflects in a direction different from the direction perpendicular to the central axis. The optical arrangement of the fluorescence detection device is usually such that the exit slit of the excitation light side spectroscope and the entrance slit of the fluorescence side spectroscope are arranged on a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the flow cell. Scattered light reflected in a direction different from the direction perpendicular to the center axis of the flow cell does not enter the spectroscope on the fluorescence side through the entrance slit. Therefore, since the scattered light is prevented from being mixed into the fluorescence-side spectroscope, stray light of the fluorescence-side spectroscope is reduced, and highly accurate fluorescence measurement with less noise becomes possible.

In addition, in forming the flow cell for the fluorescence detector, there is no need for a joining step with an opaque member or the like, and the formation can be performed efficiently.

【Example】

 Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a flow cell for a fluorescence detector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) is a vertical sectional view and FIG. 1 (B) is a top view. It should be noted that the reference numeral 200 is added to the portion corresponding to the above-mentioned prior art to omit the description. The flow cell 210 shown in the figure is formed in a hollow cylinder shape, and the inside of the cylinder serves as a flow path through which the sample passes. Further, both the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 of the cylindrical shape are formed in a truncated cone shape.

FIG. 2 shows a fluorescence detection device using the flow cell 210 shown in FIG. The fluorescence detection device shown in the figure has an exit slit through which the excitation light L ₁ from the excitation light side spectroscope 212 passes on a plane perpendicular to the flow path direction of the sample in the flow cell 210 (the central axis direction of the flow cell). 216, and an entrance slit 218 for allowing the fluorescence emitted from the sample to enter the fluorescence side spectroscope 214. Then, the excitation light L ₁ emitted through the exit slit 218 enters perpendicularly to the central axis direction of the flow cell 210. Further, the excitation light L ₁ is applied to the sample in the flow cell 210, and fluorescence is uniformly emitted from the sample in all directions. Then, among the fluorescence, the fluorescence L ₂ transmitted through the flow cell 210 in the direction of the entrance slit 218 and on the same plane as the entrance slit 218 passes through the entrance slit 218 and is incident on the fluorescence-side spectroscope 214. The measurement is taken.

[0010] Here, when the excitation light L ₁ as described above in FIG. 3 is incident on the flow cell 10, a part of the excitation light L ₁ is reflected by the outer wall surface 20 and the inner wall surface 22 of the flow cell 10 I will end up. Then, if the reflected light mixes with the fluorescence from the entrance slit 18 into the fluorescence-side spectroscope 14, noise in the fluorescence-side spectroscope increases and the measurement accuracy deteriorates. However, in the flow cell 210 according to the present embodiment, since the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 are frustoconical as described above, the excitation light L ₁ incident perpendicularly to the center axis of the flow cell 210 is As shown in FIG. 1A, the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 are not vertically incident. Therefore, the reflection direction of the reflected light L ₃ reflected by the excitation light L ₁ on the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 is different from the direction perpendicular to the central axis direction of the flow cell 210 (the upper direction shown in FIG. 1). Direction or downward). Therefore, the reflected light L ₃ does not enter the entrance slit 218 arranged on a plane perpendicular to the central axis direction of the flow cell 210, and prevents the reflected light L _{3 from} mixing into the fluorescence side spectroscope 214. It becomes possible.

As described above, the fluorescence detector flow cell according to the present embodiment does not prevent the generation of scattered light due to the reflection of the excitation light incident on the flow cell, but the incidence on the outer wall surface 220 and the inner wall surface 222 of the flow cell. By shifting the direction of the reflected light from the direction perpendicular to the excited light, the direction of the reflected light is deviated from the same plane where the entrance slit is arranged, and the reflected light is prevented from being mixed into the fluorescence side spectroscope. In the present embodiment, both the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the flow cell are formed in a truncated cone shape, but as shown in FIG. 3A, the outer wall surface 320 and the inner wall surface 322 are formed in a truncated pyramid shape. Alternatively, it is also possible to form the outer wall surface 320 into a truncated pyramid shape and the inner wall surface 322 into a truncated cone shape as shown in FIG.

[0012]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the flow cell for a fluorescence detector of the present invention, since the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the flow cell have a truncated cone shape or a truncated pyramid shape, the excitation light incident perpendicularly to the central axis direction of the flow cell is When reflected on the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface, the direction of the reflected light is different from the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the flow cell. Therefore, the reflected light is prevented from entering the entrance slit of the fluorescence side spectroscope arranged on the plane perpendicular to the center axis of the flow cell, and the reflected light is prevented from being mixed into the fluorescence side spectroscope. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a flow cell for a fluorescence detector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a fluorescence detection device using the flow cell for a fluorescence detector shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory view of a flow cell for a fluorescence detector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration of a fluorescence detection device.

[Figure 5],

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a conventional flow cell for a fluorescence detector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 210 ... Flow cell for fluorescence detector 12, 212 ... Excitation light side spectroscope 14, 214 ... Fluorescence side spectroscope 16, 216 ... Emission slit 18, 218 ... Incident slit 20, 220, 320 ... Outer wall surface 22, 222, 322 … Inner wall

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A flow cell which is made of a transparent member and is formed in a hollow cylinder shape, through which a sample passes, wherein at least one of the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the hollow cylinder has a truncated cone shape or a truncated pyramid shape. A flow cell for a fluorescence detector, which is formed.