Ultraviolet light measuring chip and ultraviolet light sensor using the same

• US 6,551,493 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Kazuyoshi, Nishida, Takeshi, Hashimoto, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen, Kaj K.
• Application Number:
  US09/820,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 204/400, 204/406, 204/407, 204/412, 205/775, 205/787, 205/793.5, 250/473.1, 250/474.1
• US Class Current: 205/775
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/429 applied to measurement of ultraviolet light using counting tubes G01T

Abstract

An ultraviolet light measuring chip and a sensor are provided simple in structure, easy to handle and of high precise measurement. The chip comprises a first reaction chamber for detection of total received light and a second reaction chamber for detection of ultraviolet-cut received light. The first and second chambers contain or hold therein counter and reference electrodes immersed in coexistent electrolyte solution containing quinone, organic solvent and electrolyte the solution being also contained the chambers. The first chamber has a total light transmission window and a first working electrode immersed in the electrolyte solution. The second chamber has an ultraviolet-cut light transmission window and a second working electrode immersed in the electrolyte solution. The sensor is adapted to sweep voltages of the first and second working electrodes to the respective reference electrodes, detect respective currents and calculate out an amount of ultraviolet light from difference of the detected currents.

Claims

1. An ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising:

a total light received amount detection unit; and

an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit,

wherein said total light received amount detection unit comprises a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit comprises a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second light transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate;

wherein said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber have arranged therein a counter electrode and a reference electrode extending in both of said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber and immersed in the respective first and second coexistent electrolyte solutions, said first reaction chamber having arranged therein a first working electrode immersed in the first coexistent electrolyte solution thereof, said second reaction chamber having arranged therein a second working electrode immersed in the second coexistent electrolyte solution thereof and a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to each of said first working electrode, said second working electrode, said counter electrode and said reference electrode.

2. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 1, wherein said total light transmission plate comprises quartz glass.

3. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 2, wherein said ultravioletless light transmission plate includes an ultraviolet light cutting filter.

4. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 1, wherein said ultravioletless light transmission plate includes an ultraviolet light cutting filter.

5. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 1, wherein said first working electrode and said second working electrode comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glassy carbon and gold.

6. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 1, wherein said counter electrode comprises a noncorrosive conductor.

7. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 6, wherein said noncorrosive conductor of said counter electrode comprises at least selected one material selected from the group consisting of platinum, stainles steel, a platinum-containing alloy and carbon.

8. An ultraviolet light measuring chip according to claim 1, wherein said reference electrode is configured of gold or carbon.

9. An ultraviolet light sensor comprising:

a measuring chip insertion unit that is for receiving therein an ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising a total light received amount detection unit; and

an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit, wherein said total light received amount detection unit comprises a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit comprises a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second light transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate; and

wherein said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber have arranged therein a counter electrode and a reference electrode extending in both of said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber and immersed in the respective first and second coexistent electrolyte solutions, said first reaction chamber having arranged therein a first working electrode immersed in the first coexistent electrolyte solution thereof, said second reaction chamber having arranged therein a second working electrode immersed in the second coexistent electrolyte solution thereof and a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to each of said first working electrode, said second working electrode, said counter electrode and said reference electrode, and

a connector terminal for being electrically connected to each of said terminals;

a control unit including a first power supply to apply a voltage between said first working electrode and said counter electrode and a second power supply to apply a voltage between said second working electrode and said counter electrode when said ultraviolet light measuring chip is inserted, said control unit sweeping the potential between said first working electrode and said reference electrode and sweeping the potential between said second working electrode and said reference electrode; and

an arithmetic unit including a first detection unit that detects the current flowing between said first working electrode and said counter electrode and a second detection unit that detects the current flowing between said second working electrode and said counter electrode, said arithmetic unit calculating the amount of ultraviolet light from the difference between a value of the current detected by said first detection unit and a value of the current detected by said second detection unit.

10. An ultraviolet light sensor according to claim 9, wherein said second power supply and said first power supply are formed as a single unit with one another.

11. An ultraviolet light sensor according to claim 9, wherein said control unit sweeps at the rate of 10 mV/s to 200 mV/s.

12. An ultraviolet light sensor comprising:

a measuring chip insertion unit that is for receiving therein an ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising a total light received amount detection unit; and

an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit, wherein said total light received amount detection unit comprises a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit comprises a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second light transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate; and

wherein said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber have arranged therein a counter electrode and a reference electrode extending in both of said first reaction chamber and said second reaction chamber and immersed in the respective first and second coexistent electrolyte solutions, said first reaction chamber having arranged therein a first working electrode immersed in the first coexistent electrolyte solution thereof, said second reaction chamber having arranged therein a second working electrode immersed in the second coexistent electrolyte solution thereof and a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to each of said first working electrode, said second working electrode, said counter electrode and said reference electrode; and

a connector terminal for being electrically connected to each of said terminals;

a control unit including a first power supply to apply a voltage between said first working electrode and said counter electrode and a second power supply to apply a voltage between said second working electrode and said counter electrode when said ultraviolet light measuring chip is inserted, said control unit controlling the potential between said first working electrode and said reference electrode at a predetermined level with reference to said reference electrode and controlling the potential between said second working electrode and said reference electrode with reference to said reference electrode; and

an arithmetic unit including a first detection unit that detects the current flowing between said first working electrode and said counter electrode and a second detection unit that detects the current flowing between said second working electrode and said counter electrode, said arithmetic unit calculating the amount of ultraviolet light from the difference between a value of the current detected by said first detection unit and a value of the current detected by said second detection unit.

13. An ultraviolet light sensor according to claim 12, wherein said second power supply and said first power supply are formed as a single unit with one another.

14. An ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising:

a total light received amount detection unit; and

an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit,

wherein said total light received amount detection unit includes a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate, said first reaction chamber having arranged therein a first working electrode, a first counter electrode and a first reference electrode immersed in said first coexistent electrolyte solution;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit includes a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate, said second reaction chamber has arranged therein a second working electrode, a second counter electrode and a second reference electrode immersed in said second coexistent electrolyte solution; and

a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to said first working electrode, said first counter electrode, said first reference electrode, said second working electrode, said second counter electrode and said second reference electrode.

15. An ultraviolet light sensor comprising:

a measuring chip insertion unit that is for receiving therein an ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising a total light received amount detection unit; and

an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit, wherein said total light received amount detection unit includes a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate, said first reaction chamber has arranged therein a first working electrode, a first counter electrode and a first reference electrode immersed in said first coexistent electrolyte solution;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit includes a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate, said second reaction chamber having arranged therein a second working electrode, a second counter electrode and a second reference electrode immersed in said second coexistent electrolyte solution; and

a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to said first working electrode, said first counter electrode, said first reference electrode, said second working electrode, said second counter electrode and said second reference electrode; and

a connector terminal for being electrically connected to each of said terminals;

a control unit including a first power supply to apply a voltage between said first working electrode and said first counter electrode and a second power supply to apply a voltage between said second working electrode and said second counter electrode when said ultraviolet light measuring chip is inserted, said control unit sweeping the potential between said first working electrode and said first reference electrode and sweeping the potential between said second working electrode and said second reference electrode; and

an arithmetic unit including a first detection unit that detects the current flowing between said first working electrode and said first counter electrode and a second detection unit that detects the current flowing between said second working electrode and said second counter electrode, said arithmetic unit calculating the amount of ultraviolet light from the difference between the value of the current detected by said first detection unit and the value of the current detected by said second detection unit.

16. An ultraviolet light sensor comprising

a measuring chip insertion unit that is for receiving therein an ultraviolet light measuring chip comprising a total light received amount detection unit;

and an ultravioletless light received amount detection unit, wherein said total light received amount detection unit includes a first reaction chamber for holding a first coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a first light transmission window with a total light transmission plate, said first reaction chamber has arranged therein a first working electrode, a first counter electrode and a first reference electrode immersed in said first coexistent electrolyte solution;

wherein said ultravioletless light received amount detection unit includes a second reaction chamber for holding a second coexistent electrolyte solution including a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte and having a second transmission window with an ultravioletless light transmission plate, said second reaction chamber having arranged therein a second working electrode, a second counter electrode and a second reference electrode immersed in said second coexistent electrolyte solution; and

a plurality of terminals are electrically connected to said first working electrode, said first counter electrode, said first reference electrode, said second working electrode, said second counter electrode and said second reference electrode; and

a connector terminal for being electrically connected to each of said terminals;

a control unit including a first power supply to apply a voltage between said first working electrode and said first counter electrode when said ultraviolet light measuring chip is inserted, and a second power supply to apply a voltage between said second working electrode and said second counter electrode, said control unit controlling the potential between said first working electrode and said first reference electrode to a predetermined level based on said first reference electrode, and controlling the potential between said second working electrode and said second reference electrode to a predetermined level based on said second reference electrode; and

an arithmetic unit including a first detection unit that detects the current flowing between said first working electrode and said first counter electrode and a second detection unit that detects the current flowing between said second working electrode and said second counter electrode, said arithmetic unit calculating the amount of ultraviolet light from the difference between the value of the current detected by said first detection unit and the value of the current detected by said second detection unit.

17. A method of measuring ultraviolet light, comprising the steps of:

(a) radiating total light on a first coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte;

(b) radiating the total light with ultraviolet light cut off therefrom on a second coexistent solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte;

(c) performing voltammetry of each of the first coexistent electrolyte solution irradiated with the total light and the second coexistent electrolyte solution irradiated with the total light with ultraviolet light cut off therefrom; and

(d) calculating the amount of ultraviolet light by determining the difference between reduction current values of said first coexistent electrolyte solution and said second coexistent electrolyte solution obtained in step (c).

18. A method of measuring ultraviolet light, comprising the steps of:

(a) radiating total light on a first coexistent electrolyte solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte;

(b) radiating the total light with ultraviolet light cut off therefrom on a second coexistent solution containing a quinone, an organic solvent and an electrolyte;

(c) performing chronoamperometry of each of the first coexistent electrolyte solution irradiated with the total light and the second coexistent electrolyte solution irradiated with the total light with ultraviolet light cut off therefrom; and

(d) calculating the amount of ultraviolet light by determining the difference between reduction current values of said first coexistent electrolyte solution and said second coexistent electrolyte solution obtained in step (c).