Automatic light measurement device with a movable mount for coupling with multiple reaction containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481906-B2
Application number	US-201213983508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2012
Priority date	Feb 4, 2011
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic response/light measurement device and a method therefor, and the purpose is to effectively and quickly perform an optical measurement relating to a reaction with high reliability without increasing a device size. The device is configured to have: a container group in which a plurality of reaction containers are arranged; a measurement mount provided with a plurality of coupling ends that are joinable with apertures of the reaction containers, and have light guide portions that optically connect with the interior of the joined reaction containers; a mount transfer mechanism; a measuring device having a measuring end having at least one light guide portion that is optically connectable to the light guide portions of the coupling ends, that is able to receive light based on an optical state within the reaction containers; an on-mount measuring end transfer mechanism; and a measurement control portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic response/light measurement device comprising:
a container group in which two or more reaction containers are arranged;
a measurement mount provided with two or more coupling ends that are directly or indirectly joinable with apertures of said reaction containers, and have light guide portions that optically connect with the interior of the joined reaction containers via the apertures;
a mount transfer mechanism that simultaneously directly or indirectly loins said coupling ends with the apertures of said two or more reaction containers of the container group;
an optical measuring device having a measuring end provided on said mount and having at least one light guide portion that is optically connectable to said light guide portions of said coupling ends, so that said optical measuring device is able to receive light, via said measuring end, based on an optical state within said reaction containers;
an on-mount measuring end transfer mechanism that makes said measuring end movable on said mount along a movement path that passes by each of the two or more coupling ends, so that the light guide portion of the measuring end is sequentially optically connected to the light guide portions of the coupling ends; and
a measurement control portion programmed to control each of: said mount transfer mechanism such that said coupling ends are simultaneously directly or indirectly joined with the apertures of said two or more reaction containers; said on-mount measuring end transfer mechanism such that, after said coupling ends are simultaneously directly or indirectly joined with the apertures of said two or more reaction containers, the light guide portion of said measuring end is sequentially optically connected to the light guide portions of said coupling ends; and said optical measuring device such that, during the sequential optical connection of the light guide portion of said measuring end to the light guide portions of said coupling ends, the optical measuring device measures the optical states within said reaction containers via said measuring end.

2. The automatic response/light measurement device for measuring light according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of types of specific wavelength optical measuring devices for measuring light of specific wavelengths and capable of receiving light of specific wavelengths or specific wavelength bands, each of which has a specific wavelength measuring end having at least one light guide portion that is optically connectable to said light guide portions of the coupling ends; and a measuring end bundling portion that bundles in parallel said plurality of specific wavelength measuring ends, wherein said specific wavelength measuring ends are movable in parallel on said mount by means of said on-mount measuring end transfer mechanism, and wherein said measurement control portion, by means of the movement of said specific wavelength measuring ends, is programmed to control said on-mount measuring end transfer mechanism such that said light guide portions of said specific wavelength measuring ends of said specific wavelength measuring devices are sequentially optically connected to said light guide portions of said coupling ends.

3. The automatic response/light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said container group has sealing lids which have transparency and are mounted on the apertures of said reaction containers to seal said reaction containers, said sealing lids being joinable with said coupling ends, and wherein said measurement control portion is programmed to control said mount transfer mechanism such that said mount is moved so that said sealing lids are mounted on said coupling ends, and said coupling ends are indirectly joined with the apertures of said reaction containers via said sealing lids.

4. The automatic response/light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said mount transfer mechanism makes said mount relatively movable in a vertical direction with respect to said container group, and wherein said measurement control portion is programmed so that said mount transfer mechanism indirectly joins the coupling ends to the apertures of said reaction containers via sealing lids such that the sealing lids cover the apertures of said reaction containers and, after indirectly joining the coupling ends with the apertures of said reaction containers via the sealing lids, presses or shakes the sealing lids covering said apertures.

5. The automatic response/light measurement device according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating portion that is able to heat said coupling ends.

6. The automatic response/light measurement device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a temperature controller that performs temperature control of the interior of said reaction containers by having a temperature source provided such that, with respect to said reaction containers having a lower side wall section and an upper side wall section positioned above the lower side wall section, the temperature source is able to make contact with or approach said lower side wall sections; and a heating portion provided such that the heating portion is able to make contact with or approach said upper side wall sections, and that has a heat source that is able to heat said upper side wall sections.

7. The automatic response/light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said measurement mount is provided with a nozzle head having a suction-discharge mechanism that performs suction and discharge of gases and one or two or more nozzles to which dispensing tips are detachably mounted, the suction and the discharge of liquids being possible in said dispensing tips by means of said suction-discharge mechanism, and wherein said mount transfer mechanism has a nozzle head transfer mechanism that makes the nozzle head movable relative to said container group.

Assignees

• Tajima Hideji
• Universal Bio Research Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tajima Hideji

Classifications

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N21/31

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01L7/54

  using spatial temperature gradients · CPC title

• G01N35/1065

  Multiple transfer devices · CPC title

• G01N2201/08

  Optical fibres; light guides · CPC title