DETECTION DEVICE

• US 20120274935A1
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: YAMADA, Kohei, HANO, Yoshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/058 Flat flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A detection device includes a sensor chip, a suction section adapted to suck a fluid sample to the sensor chip, a light source adapted to irradiate the sensor chip, a light intensity adjustment section adapted to adjust intensity of the light, a light detection section adapted to detect the light reflecting the sample adsorbed to the sensor chip, and a control section adapted to perform drive control on the suction section. The control section sets the suction flow velocity to V1 in the first mode in which the light detection section performs the detection, and sets the suction flow velocity to V2 (V2>V1) in the second mode. The light intensity adjustment section sets the light intensity to L1 in the first mode, and sets the light intensity to L2 (L2>L1) in the second mode. The first and second modes are switched based on the signal from the light detection section.

Claims

1. A detection device comprising:

a sensor chip;

a suction section adapted to suck a fluid sample including a sample molecule to thereby adsorb the fluid sample to the sensor chip;

a light source adapted to irradiate the sensor chip with light;

a light intensity adjustment section adapted to adjust intensity of the light irradiating the sensor chip;

a light detection section adapted to detect the sample molecule using light reflecting the sample molecule adsorbed on the sensor chip; and

a control section adapted to control the suction section and the light intensity adjustment section,

wherein assuming that a flow velocity of the fluid sample on the sensor chip in a first mode including a period in which the light detection section performs the detection is V1, and the flow velocity of the fluid sample on the sensor chip in a second mode is V2, the suction section controls the flow velocity of the fluid sample so that V2>

V1 is fulfilled,

assuming that the intensity of the light on the sensor chip from the light source in the first mode is L1, and the light intensity on the sensor chip in the second mode is L2, the light intensity adjustment section controls the light intensity so that L2>

L1 is fulfilled, and

the control section switches between the first mode and the second mode based on a signal from the light detection section.

2. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor chip generates Raman scattering light of the fluid sample, and

the light detection section detects the Raman scattering light of an inspection target material, which can exist in the fluid sample.

3. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein

the light intensity adjustment section includes an optical filter, and adjusts the light intensity by switching the optical filter.

4. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein

the suction section includes a negative pressure generation section, and

the control section controls a drive condition of the negative pressure generation section.

5. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein

the control section compares a level of the signal output by the light detection section with a first determination level, and when the level of the signal exceeds the first determination level, the control section performs switching from the first mode to the second mode.

6. The detection device according to claim 5, wherein

the control section performs switching from the second mode to the first mode when the level of the signal from the light detection section falls below a second determination level.

7. The detection device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a supply section adapted to supply the sensor chip with a reference sample via the fluid sample in the first mode,

wherein the light detection section detects light reflecting the reference sample at a wavelength different from that of the inspection target material, which can exist in the fluid sample, and

the control section performs switching from the first mode to the second mode when a level of the signal reflecting the reference sample exceeding a third determination level despite the signal reflecting the inspection target material is lower than the first determination level.

8. The detection device according to claim 7, wherein

the control section performs switching from the second mode to the first mode when a signal level from the light detection section corresponding to the reference sample falls below a fourth determination level despite the level of the signal from the light detection section corresponding to the sample molecule as the inspection target is higher than the second determination level.

9. The detection device according to claim 7, wherein

the supply section supplies a constant amount of the reference sample during the first mode.

10. The detection device according to claim 7, wherein

the reference sample is a molecule including at least one of a hetero ring, a benzene ring, a COOH group, an OH group, a CHO group, an S atom, and an N atom.

11. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein

the control section at least switches between the second mode and the first mode in a repeated manner.