Optical information measuring apparatus

• US 6,707,555 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hironori, Ishisaka, Masaki, Kusuzawa, Hideo, Imura, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, AMANDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/411,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 356/436, 356/440, 359/821, 359/823, 359/822, 359/696
• US Class Current: 356/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0112 Apparatus in one mechanical, optical or electronic block
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/59 Transmissivity G01N21/25 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

An optical information measuring apparatus includes: a light source section capable of emitting a plurality of light beams; a light guiding section for directing and supplying the plurality of light beams from the light source section to an object; an object lens arranged facing the object; a plurality of light receiving sections for respectively receiving the light beams from the object via the object lens; and a frame section for integrally mounting a plurality of optical elements including the light source section, the light guiding section, the object lens, and the light-receiving sections.

Claims

1. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source element capable of emitting a light beam;

light guiding optical elements for directing the light beam from the light source element to an object of measurement;

a light receiving element for receiving the light beam from the object, the light receiving element including at least one optical detecting element for detecting the light beam from the object and an image capturing element for capturing an image of the object; and

a frame including shaft members and block members which are supported at appropriate intervals by the shaft members, at least one of the block members supporting the light guiding optical elements, the block members including a first block member supporting the light source element and a second block member supporting the light receiving element.

2. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guiding optical elements include an object lens.

3. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guiding optical elements include a mirror.

4. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the block members includes a plate having an opening at a central portion thereof.

5. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising second light guiding optical elements for directing the light beam from the object to the light receiving element.

6. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second light guiding optical elements are partially used in common with the first light guiding optical elements.

7. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the block members include respective bores therethrough for passing each of the shaft members.

8. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of shaft members include three or more shaft members.

9. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary frame unit connected to the frame and a placing part for placing the object, and wherein the placing part is mounted on the auxiliary frame unit.

10. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one other image capturing element for capturing an image of the object.

11. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source unit having the first and second light source elements;

light guiding optical elements for directing light beams from the first and second light source elements to an object of measurement;

a light receiving element for selectively receiving the light beams from the object, the light receiving element including at least one optical detecting element for detecting the light beam from the object and an image capturing element for capturing an image of the object; and

a frame including connecting members and block members which are supported at appropriate intervals by the connecting members, at least one of the block members supporting the light guiding optical elements, the block members further including a first block member supporting the light source unit and a second block member supporting the light receiving element.

12. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light beam generated by the first light source element has a first wavelength and the light beam generated by the second light source element has a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

13. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light guiding optical elements include an object lens.

14. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light source unit includes a light guiding element having an inlet part and an outlet part, the first and second light source elements being disposed around an optical axis of the light guiding element, and a light condensing element for condensing the light beams from the first and second light source elements to the inlet part of the light guiding element.

15. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a converting element for converting a light beam from the outlet part of the light guiding element into light flux having an annular cross section.

16. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light guiding optical elements include a mirror.

17. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the block members includes a plate having an opening at a central portion thereof.

18. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, further comprising second light guiding optical elements for directing the light beam from the object to the light receiving element.

19. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second light guiding optical elements are partially used in common with the first light guiding optical elements.

20. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary frame unit connected to the frame and a placing part for placing the object, and wherein the placing part is mounted on the auxiliary frame unit.

21. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a second light source unit for supplying a light beam to the object, wherein the second light source unit is mounted on the auxiliary frame unit and aligned to the object lens with the placing unit disposed between the second light source unit and the object lens.

22. The optical information measuring apparatus of claim 11, further comprising another light receiving element for capturing the image of the object.

23. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source element capable of emitting a light beam;

light guiding optical elements for directing the light beam from the light source element to an object of measurement;

a light receiving element for receiving the light beam from the object; and

a frame including shaft members and block members, the block members being supported at predetermined intervals by the shaft members, the block members supporting the light source element, the light guiding optical elements and the light receiving element.

24. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source unit having first and second light source elements;

a light guiding unit including optical elements for directing light beams from the first and second light source elements to an object of measurement;

a light receiving unit including elements for selectively receiving the light beams from the object; and

a frame including connecting members and block members, the block members being supported at predetermined intervals by the connecting members, and the block members supporting the light source unit, the light guiding optical unit and the light receiving unit.

25. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source section including a light source for emitting a light beam of one or more wavelengths,

a light guiding section including a plurality of optical elements for directing the light beams from the light source means to an object of measurement;

a light receiving section including a plurality of elements for receiving the light beam reflected from the object of measurement, said light receiving section including at least one optical detecting element for detecting the light beam from the object and at least one image capturing element for capturing an image of the object; and

,

a frame section including a plurality of mutually parallel shaft members and a plurality of block members, said block members being supported at appropriate intervals by said shaft members, wherein a predetermined number of said block members support the elements of the light source section, a predetermined number of said block members supports the elements of the light guiding section, and a predetermined number of said block members supports the light receiving elements of the light receiving section, and

wherein the light source section and the light receiving section are commonly mounted on the frame section and enclosed in a transportable housing enclosing said light source section, said light guiding section, said light receiving section, and said frame section.

26. An optical information measuring apparatus comprising:

a first light source section including a light source for emitting a light beam of one or more wavelengths,

a light guiding section including a plurality of optical elements for directing the light beams from the light source to an object of measurement;

a light receiving section including a plurality of elements for receiving the light beam reflected from the object of measurement, said light receiving section including at least one optical detecting element for detecting the light beam from the object and at least one image capturing element for capturing an image of the object; and

,

a primary frame section including a plurality of mutually parallel shaft members and a plurality of block members, said block members being supported at appropriate intervals by said shaft members, wherein a predetermined number of said block members support the elements of the first light source section, a predetermined number of said block members supports the elements of the light guiding section, and a predetermined number of said block members supports the light receiving elements of the light receiving section, and

wherein the first light source section and the light receiving section are commonly mounted on the primary frame section and enclosed in a first transportable housing enclosing said first light source section, said light guiding section, said light receiving section, and said frame section;

a second light source section for emitting a second light beam of one or more wavelengths through the object of measurement to the object lens and said light receiving section;

wherein said second light source section is detachably connected to said first transportable housing, and wherein said second light section is mounted on an auxiliary frame section located in a second transportable housing.