Observation apparatus, device, device production method, particle size measurement method, resistance observation method, chemical reaction method, particle preservation method, and automatic observation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349165-A1
Application number	US-201515114667-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An observation apparatus ( 100 ) includes an observing optical system ( 101 ) capable of obtaining an image of a measurement target present in a gap included in a device ( 1 ). One end of the gap included in the device ( 1 ) is wider than the other end thereof, and upon light beam irradiation to the device ( 1 ), an interference fringe appears in the gap. The observing optical system ( 101 ) irradiates the gap included in the device ( 1 ) with a plurality of light beams having different wavelengths to cause a plurality of interference fringes to appear in the gap. Then the observing optical system ( 101 ) obtains an image of the plurality of interference fringes.

First claim

1 . An observation apparatus comprising an observing optical system capable of obtaining an image of a measurement target present in a gap included in a device and an analysis section, wherein
the gap has one end and another end, the one end being wider than the another end, upon light beam irradiation to the device, an interference fringe appears in the gap, and the observing optical system has a function of irradiating the gap with a plurality of monochromatic light beams having different wavelengths to cause a plurality of interference fringes to appear for each of the monochromatic light beams in the gap and obtaining an image of the plurality of interference fringes for the respective monochromatic light beams, the analysis section has a function of
obtaining a position where dark lines of the interference fringes overlap from the image of the interference fringes of the respective monochromatic light beams, and
determining positions of first dark lines of the respective interference fringes based on half-wavelengths of the respective monochromatic light beams, a common multiple of the half-wavelengths of the respective monochromatic light beams, and the position where the dark lines of the respective interference fringes overlap.

2 . A device used in the observation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising
a first member, and a second member forming the gap together with the first member.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein
the second member has a flow channel having an inclined surface, and the gap including the flow channel is formed by superposing the second member on the first member in a manner such that the inclined surface faces the first member.

4 . The device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a first height adjusting member that sets a height of the one end of the gap; and a second height adjusting member that sets a height of the another end of the gap to be lower than the height of the one end thereof.

5 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein
the gap has a height on the order of nanometers in the other end.

6 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein
at least part of surfaces forming the gap is subjected to surface modification.

7 . The device according to claim 2 , further comprising a liquid absorbent substance provided outside of the other end of the gap.

8 . A method for producing the device according to claim 3 , the method comprising:
adjusting a height of one end of a to-be-processed member by a piezoelectric element to incline the to-be-processed member; fabricating the second member by carrying out, at least once, cutting the to-be-processed member by moving a tool horizontally with respect to the inclined to-be-processed member to form the flow channel; and cleaning at least respective portions of the first member and the second member that form the gap.

9 . A method for producing the device according to claim 4 , the method comprising:
positioning a to-be-processed member in a liquid discharge region; forming at least one of the first height adjusting member and the second height adjusting member by discharging a liquid to the to-be-processed member; and cleaning at least respective portions of the first member and the second member that form the gap.

10 . (canceled)

11 . A method for measuring a particle size of a particle by using the device according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
delivering the particle from the one end into the gap, moving the particle toward the other end, and trapping the particle in the gap; and measuring a particle size of the trapped particle based on the interference fringe caused to appear by the gap.

12 . A method for observing resistance of a particle by using the device according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
delivering the particle from the one end into the gap and moving the particle toward the other end; and adding physical stress to the particle present in the gap or injecting a predetermined reactive fluid from the one end into the gap.

13 . A method for causing chemical reaction of a particle by using the device according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
delivering the particle from the one end into the gap and moving the particle toward the another end; and injecting a predetermined reactive fluid from the one end into the gap.

14 . A method for preserving a particle by using the device according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
delivering the particle from the one end into the gap and moving the particle toward the another end; and covering the one end and the another end of the gap.

15 . An automatic observation apparatus comprising:
an automatic injector being arranged in correspondence with a predetermined solution injection position, the automatic injector injecting a solution, including particles and a solvent, into the gap included in the device according to claim 2 ; an observing optical system being arranged in correspondence with a predetermined observation position; and a conveyance mechanism conveying the device in a manner such that the gap stops at the solution injection position and then conveying the device in a manner such that the gap stops at the observation position.

16 . A method for measuring a height or a thickness of a measurement target based on an interference fringe caused to appear on the measurement target, the method comprising:
irradiating the measurement target with a plurality of monochromatic light beams having different wavelengths to cause interference fringes for the respective monochromatic light beams on the measurement target; obtaining a position where dark lines of the interference fringes for the respective monochromatic light beams overlap; and determining first dark lines of the interference fringes for the respective monochromatic light beams based on half-wavelengths of the respective monochromatic light beams, a common multiple of the half-wavelengths of the respective monochromatic light beams, and the position where the dark lines of the interference fringes for the respective monochromatic light beams overlap.

Assignees

• Univ Osaka

Inventors

• Kawano Makoto
• Watarai Hitoshi
• Ota Nobutoshi

Classifications

• G01J2009/0257

  multiple, e.g. Fabry Perot interferometer · CPC title

• G01N15/0205 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title

• G01N2015/03

  Electro-optical investigation of a plurality of particles, the analyser being characterised by the optical arrangement · CPC title

• G01N2015/025

  Methods for single or grouped particles · CPC title

• G02F1/213

  Fabry-Perot type · CPC title