Patent ID: 6620622
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of polarimetry for allowing a light to be incident upon a specimen to be detected containing a spontaneous optical active substance, and determining an optical rotation attributed to said spontaneous optical active substance when said light transmits through said specimen, comprising the steps of:(a) allowing a polarized light having a known plane of vibration to be incident upon said specimen while micro-vibrating said plane of vibration by a modulation signal with an angular frequency of &ohgr;; (b) detecting a component having a specific plane of vibration out of said polarized light transmitted through said specimen by a photosensor; (c) extracting a component with an angular frequency of &ohgr; out of an output signal from said photosensor by phase sensitive detection using said modulation signal as a reference signal; and (d) calculating an angle of rotation attributed to said specimen based on 3 or more groups of data including a relative angle formed between a plane of vibration of said light incident upon said specimen and said specific plane of vibration of the light to be detected by said photosensor, and an intensity of said component with an angular frequency of &ohgr; obtained at said relative angle.