Patent ID: 7170078
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A biochemical analysis data producing method comprising: superposing a biochemical analysis unit including a substrate and a plurality of absorptive regions at least one dimensionally formed in the substrate in a predetermined pattern to be apart from each other and containing specimen selectively labeled with a radioactive labeling substance, and a stimulable phosphor sheet including a support and a plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions formed in the support in substantially the same pattern as that of the plurality of absorptive regions of the biochemical analysis unit so that corresponding absorptive regions of the biochemical analysis unit and stimulable phosphor layer regions face to each other, exposing the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions of the stimulable phosphor sheet with the radioactive labeling substance selectively contained in the plurality of absorptive regions of the biochemical analysis unit thereby selectively storing radiation energy in the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions of the stimulable phosphor sheet, intermittently moving the stimulable phosphor sheet and a stimulating ray relative to each other at least one dimensionally; sequentially irradiating the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions with a stimulating ray having reference excitation power which is relatively low, to excite stimulable phosphor contained in the individual stimulable phosphor layer regions, so that energy of the stimulating ray projected onto the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions per unit area is higher than that projected on regions other than the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions, thereby exciting stimulable phosphor contained in the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions, and photoelectrically detecting stimulated emission released from the stimulable phosphor layer to produce analog data, digitizing the analog data to produce digital data, comparing signal intensity of the digital data with a threshold value, and irradiating, when the signal intensity of the digital data is lower than the threshold value, the stimulable phosphor layer region from which the digital data were obtained with a stimulating ray having excitation power higher than the reference excitation power to excite stimulable phosphor contained therein, and wherein the stimulating ray is on and off controlled in such a manner that only the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions are irradiated with the stimulating ray and regions other than the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions are not irradiated with the stimulating ray, wherein a plurality of holes are formed in the support of the stimulable phosphor sheet so as to be spaced apart from each other and the plurality of stimulable phosphor layer regions of the stimulable phosphor sheet are formed by charging stimulable phosphor in the holes, and wherein the support of the stimulable phosphor sheet has a property of reducing the energy of radiation and/or the energy of light to ⅕ or less when the radiation and/or light travels in the support by a distance equal to that between neighboring stimulable phosphor layer regions.