Optical measurement apparatus and method therefor
First Claim
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1. An optical measurement apparatus comprising:
- a reaction vessel for holding liquids;
an optical waveguide for propagating light therewithin, the optical waveguide forming at least one surface of the reaction vessel wherein a substance is fixed on the surface for binding to a substance to be measured;
means for radiating an exciting light to the optical waveguide at a first predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide;
a fluorescent substance which produces fluorescent light when excited by the exciting light contained within the reaction vessel for labeling at least a portion of a substance to be measured which is bound to the substance fixed on the surface of the waveguide;
a light absorbing material contained within the reaction vessel, the light absorbing material absorbing light at a wavelength of the exciting light or at a wavelength of the fluorescent light; and
means for measuring fluorescent light which is emitted from the fluorescent substance labeling a portion of a substance to be measured which is bound to the substance fixed on the surface of the waveguide at a second predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide.
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Abstract
An optical measurement apparatus includes a reaction vessel 2 which is formed in one body with a slab-type optical waveguide 1, and the apparatus adds fine-grains or water soluble dye for absorbing a fluorescent light which is radiated from fluorescent dye, and/or an exciting light so that stray light due to reagent is reduced and the S/N ratio of the optical measurement is improved.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An optical measurement apparatus comprising:
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a reaction vessel for holding liquids; an optical waveguide for propagating light therewithin, the optical waveguide forming at least one surface of the reaction vessel wherein a substance is fixed on the surface for binding to a substance to be measured; means for radiating an exciting light to the optical waveguide at a first predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide; a fluorescent substance which produces fluorescent light when excited by the exciting light contained within the reaction vessel for labeling at least a portion of a substance to be measured which is bound to the substance fixed on the surface of the waveguide; a light absorbing material contained within the reaction vessel, the light absorbing material absorbing light at a wavelength of the exciting light or at a wavelength of the fluorescent light; and means for measuring fluorescent light which is emitted from the fluorescent substance labeling a portion of a substance to be measured which is bound to the substance fixed on the surface of the waveguide at a second predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An optical concentration measurement method comprising;
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pouring a test liquid containing a substance to be measured into a reaction vessel and pouring a reagent liquid containing a fluorescent substance, which fluorescent substance produces fluorescent light when excited by an exciting light, into the reaction vessel, such that at least a portion of the substance to be measured binds to a substance fixed to a surface of an optical waveguide which forms a wall of the reaction vessel, and at least a portion of the fluorescent substance binds to the at least a portion of the substance to be measured bound to the substance fixed to the surface of the optical waveguide, so as to constrain the at least a portion of the substance to be measured and the at least a portion of the fluorescent substance in a vicinity of the optical waveguide, adding a light absorbing material to the reaction vessel, which light absorbing material absorbs light at an exciting wavelength of the fluorescent substance or at an emitting wavelength of the fluorescent substance, introducing an exciting light into the optical waveguide at a first predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide for exciting the at least a portion of the fluorescent substance constrained in the vicinity of the surface of the optical waveguide, whereby the at least a portion of the fluorescent substance constrained in the vicinity of the surface of the optical waveguide is excited by the exciting light into emitting fluorescent light, measuring the emitted fluorescent light which is output from the waveguide at a second predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide, determining the concentration of the substance to be measured from the measurement of the emitted fluorescent light. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An optical concentration measurement method comprising:
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providing a substance fixed to a surface of an optical waveguide which forms a wall of a reaction vessel, pouring a test liquid containing a substance to be measured into the reaction vessel, the substance to be measured being labeled with a fluorescent label which produces fluorescent light when excited by an exciting light, such that at least a portion of the substance to be measured binds to the substance fixed to the surface of the optical waveguide so as to constrain the at least a portion of the substance to be measured to the in a vicinity of the optical waveguide, adding a light absorbing material to the reaction vessel, which light absorbing material absorbs light at an exciting wavelength of the fluorescent label or at an emitting wavelength of the fluorescent label, introducing an exciting light into the optical waveguide at a first predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide, for exciting the fluorescent label of the at least a portion of the substance to be measured constrained in the vicinity of the surface of the optical waveguide, whereby the fluorescent label of the at least a portion of the substance to be measured constrained at the surface of the optical waveguide is excited by the exciting light into emitting fluorescent light, measuring the emitted fluorescent light which is output from the waveguide at a second predetermined angle relative to the optical waveguide, determining the concentration of the substance to be measured from the measurement of the emitted fluorescent light. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification