Apparatus for measuring information on particular component

• US 20040024541A1
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Shinji, Ooshima, Kiyoko
• Application Number:
  US10/415,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024541A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

An information measuring apparatus and a measuring method of a specific component are obtained that can achieve high signal strength without being affected by an interfering substance on a surface of a sample.

The information measuring apparatus of a specific component comprises a light source 1, an ATR element 2 of emitting light from the light source 1 to a sample and receiving light returned from the sample, a photodetector 4 of detecting light returned to the ATR element, and a polarizer 3 set to permit passage of light of a P-polarized component more than light of other polarized components on an optical path between the light source 1 and the photodetector 4. Information such as a concentration of a specific component in the sample is measured according to light detected by the photodetector 4.

Claims

1. An information measuring apparatus of a specific component, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:

a light source,

an optical element of emitting light from the light source to a sample and receiving light returned from the sample, a photodetector of detecting light returned to the optical element, and

a polarizer set to permit passage of light of a P-polarized component more than light of other polarized components on an optical path between the light source and the photodetector, and

information of a specific component in the sample is measured according to light detected by the photodetector.

2. The information measuring apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the photodetector detects an amount of the light, the information concerns a concentration, and the concentration is measured according to the amount of light.

3. The information measuring apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a wave number of the light and the specific component correspond to each other.

4. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the optical element is an ATR element, the sample is in contact with the ATR element, and the photodetector detects a P-polarized component permeating to the sample from the ATR element.

5. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the wave number of light includes at least a range from 1000 to 1125 cm⁻

1 and a concentration of glucose in the sample is measured according to an amount of light in the range of the wave number.

6. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the polarizer is integrated with the optical element, the light source, or the photodetector.

7. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the light source is a SiC light source or a quantum cascade light source.

8. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the photodetector is an MCT detector or a pyroelectric sensor.

9. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that a shielding film of reflecting or absorbing at least some of polarized components other than the P-polarized component is formed on at least a part of an inputting/outputting surface of light from the optical element, the light source, or the photodetector, and the polarizer is formed on the formation part.

10. The information measuring apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the optical element is composed of a plurality of the ATR elements, the plurality of ATR elements are arranged so that light inputting/outputting surfaces are aligned with each other, and the shielding film is formed on the arranged surfaces.

11. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the light is emitted to mucous membrane of a living body.

12. The information measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light is emitted to gas.