Multi-wavelength light radiating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11371936-B2
Application number	US-201816500524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus (1) includes: a light source (11) that radiates continuous light (Lc); a diffracting part (12) that diffracts the continuous light (Lc) into numerous monochromatic lights (Lm), whose wavelengths differ from one another, and emits the numerous monochromatic lights (Lm); numerous optical waveguides (2) that respectively transmit the numerous monochromatic lights (Lm) emitted from the diffracting part (12) from incident ends (21) to output ends (22) where the numerous monochromatic lights (Lm) are respectively emitted; and a sample-placement part (3) that holds numerous samples such that the output ends (22) of the numerous optical waveguides (2) respectively oppose the samples. The numerous monochromatic irradiation lights, whose wavelengths differ from one another, are arranged to be radiated simultaneously onto the numerous samples, one light per sample.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus used for action spectrum analysis to investigate wavelength dependence of responses of samples irradiated with monochromatic lights, comprising:
a light source that radiates continuous light;
a diffracting part that diffracts the continuous light into numerous monochromatic lights, whose wavelengths differ from one another, and emits the monochromatic lights;
numerous optical waveguides that respectively receive the monochromatic lights emitted from the diffracting part at incident ends of the optical waveguides and emit the monochromatic lights from output ends; and
a sample-placement part configured to individually hold numerous samples so as to be simultaneously and individually irradiated by the respective monochromatic lights emitted from the output ends of the optical waveguides; and adjusting filters that adjust the light intensities of the monochromatic irradiation lights; wherein: the adjusting filters are respectively interposed between the output ends of the optical waveguides and the sample-placement part; and adjusting filters individually adjust the light intensities of the monochromatic lights radiated onto each of the numerous samples, so that a light irradiation condition, other than wavelength, of the monochromatic lights radiated onto each of the numerous samples is uniformized among said numerous samples.

2. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the monochromatic lights each have a full width at half maximum of 20 nm or less.

3. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing between peak wavelengths of the numerous monochromatic lights is 20 nm or less.

4. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the light source is configured to radiate continuous light that includes at least a portion of the visible light region; and
at least some of the numerous monochromatic lights are monochromatic lights in the visible light region.

5. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the light source is configured to radiate continuous light that includes the entire visible light region.

6. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sample-placement part comprises numerous wells, which are arrayed opposing the output ends of the optical waveguides, such that each well respectively opposes one of the output ends via one of the adjusting filters, and is configured such that the numerous monochromatic lights, whose wavelengths differ from one another, are radiated simultaneously onto the samples, such that each of the lights is respectively radiated onto each one of the samples placed in the numerous wells.

7. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a positioning member that holds the numerous optical waveguides in the vicinity of the output ends and positions the output ends and the wells.

8. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the positioning member comprises light-shielding parts that inhibit intermixing of the plurality of monochromatic lights emitted from the plurality of output ends.

9. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sample-placement part is configured to inhibit leakage of the monochromatic light radiated onto each of the respective wells into adjacent wells.

10. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sample-placement part comprises a temperature-adjusting part for adjusting the temperature of the samples inside the wells.

11. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the monochromatic lights are emitted at light intensities of 0.1-150 μmols −1 m −2 .

12. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the numerous optical waveguides are disposed such that the incident ends are arrayed in one row in a straight line and the output ends are arrayed in a plurality of rows.

13. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguides are each composed of optical fibers.

14. A multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus, comprising:
a light source that radiates continuous light;
a diffracting part configured to diffract the continuous light into at least five discrete wavelength ranges that each have a full width at half maximum of 20 nm or less;
a sample holder having at least five wells for holding samples;
at least five optical waveguides that respectively transmit the at least five discrete wavelength ranges from the diffracting part to the sample holder such that the at least five wells are respectively irradiated with the at least five discrete wavelength ranges at the same time; and
at least five optical filters respectively interposed between output ends of the at least five optical waveguides and the at least five wells, the at least five optical filters respectively attenuating the at least five discrete wavelength ranges such that a light irradiation condition other than wavelength of the at least five discrete wavelength ranges is at least substantially equalized.

15. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein:
the light irradiation condition other than wavelength of the at least five discrete wavelength ranges is light intensities of each of the at least five discrete wavelength ranges; and
respective peak wavelengths of the at least five discrete wavelength ranges are separated by 20 nm or less.

16. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein:
the optical waveguides are respectively composed of optical fibers; and
the optical fibers are disposed such that the incident ends of the optical fibers that receive the at least five discrete wavelength ranges from the diffracting part are arrayed along one straight line and the output ends are arrayed in a plurality of rows.

17. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a positioning member that holds the output ends of the optical fibers and positions the output ends relative to the at least five wells;
wherein the positioning member comprises light-shielding parts that inhibit intermixing of the at least five discrete wavelength ranges.

18. The multiwavelength-light-radiating apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein:
the at least five discrete wavelength ranges are at least twenty discrete wavelength ranges that each have a full width at half maximum of 5 nm or less;
the respective peak wavelengths of the at least twenty discrete wavelength ranges are separated by 5 nm or less;
the continuous light includes at least a portion of wavelengths in a range of 300-800 nm;
the output ends of at least twenty optical fibers are arrayed in a plurality of rows;
the sample holder has at least twenty wells for holding samples and the at least twenty wells are arrayed in the same number of rows as the output ends of the at least twenty optical fibers; and
an incubator is configured to hold the sample holder at a temperature setting between 12-45° C.

Assignees

• National Univ Corporation Toyohashi Univ Of Technology

Inventors

• Hirose Yuu

Classifications

• G01N2201/0453

  Multicell sequential and multitest, e.g. multiwavelength · CPC title

• G01J3/10

  Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry · CPC title

• G01N2201/0826

  Fibre array at source, distributing · CPC title

• G01N21/253 Primary

  for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus (analytical automats G01N35/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/4215

  the intermediate optical elements being wavelength selective optical elements, e.g. variable wavelength optical modules or wavelength lockers (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title