Patent Description:
In general, a spectrophotometer for measuring spectroscopic properties of representative materials of bio samples, i.e., nucleic acids, proteins, and cell cultures, is one of the most commonly used devices in biolaps.

Particularly, the spectrophotometer is based on measurement of a concentration of a bio sample by radiating a beam of various wavelengths to the sample and analyzing absorption of a beam of a specific wavelength by the bio sample by using a variety of applications including a full spectrum scan of the bio sample, standard curve determinations and ratio calculations, and enzyme and reaction kinetics over time.

That is, a basic optical technology which is the most commonly used to determine physical properties of the bio sample is absorption, and a device using absorption is a spectrometer or spectrophotometer.

Such a device is required to minimize loss of the sample or cross-contamination, and is particularly useful to analyze biotechnological samples including nucleic acids or proteins. The bio samples are very high-priced, e.g., millions of Korean wons per <NUM>, and the high prices of the bio samples actually place a great burden on many researchers who use the bio samples and significantly hinder the development of the bio industry. <CIT> discloses a base plate, a rotatable plate, a test beam and a spectrophotometer. Document <CIT> discloses a spectrophotometer where a sample in a form of a liquid drop is contained between two planar interface surfaces. The source of light is located on the top part (capital) and a spectrophotometric detector is beneath the bottom part (pedestal) of the device and an optical path can be established between them. A video camera collects color images of a liquid sample disposed between the capital and the pedestal for inspection of the quality of the liquid column.

According to the above-described general device, a small amount of a bio sample is diluted in various solutions to analyze spectroscopic properties of the bio sample, but an error may occur due to a time for and accuracy of diluting the bio sample and the diluted bio sample may not be recovered and reused once the bio sample is diluted.

The present invention provides a spectrophotometer for measuring properties of a microvolume sample, the spectrophotometer being capable of analyzing spectroscopic properties of a microvolume bio sample, and more particularly, of checking an accommodation state of the sample for stability and uniformity of the sample to measure the microvolume sample, of accurately providing a cause of failure in analyzing absorption, of easily and periodically check an operation state of an analysis device by efficiently providing a general quality control method of the analysis device, and of continuously checking the accommodation state of the sample to minimize an error in analysis result.

The present invention also provides a spectrophotometer for measuring properties of a microvolume sample, the spectrophotometer being capable of reducing production costs and greatly increasing productivity by using optical fibers to mechanically simplify an optical path and minimize optical components, and by using a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) to produce components. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spectrophotometric device according to claim <NUM>. The spectrophotometric device including a base plate including a first surface to accommodate a sample thereon, a rotatable plate including a second surface corresponding to and spaced a certain distance apart from the first surface, a test beam radiator connected to the first surface through a first beam guide to radiate a test beam to the sample accommodated on a beam path between the first and second surfaces, a spectrophotometer connected to the second surface through a second beam guide to analyze spectroscopic properties of the sample by analyzing a characteristic beam having passed through the sample accommodated on the beam path, and a state determiner provided near the beam path to determine whether the sample accommodated between the first and second surfaces is in a state in which analysis of optical properties is enabled.

The sample may be formed in a water column shape on the beam path due to surface tension of the first and second surfaces.

The first surface may be movable in a direction toward or away from the second surface.

The state determiner may include a beam transmitter for radiating a transmission beam to the beam path to determine a state of the sample between the first and second surfaces, and a beam receiver for receiving at least a portion of the transmission beam having passed though the beam path.

The beam transmitter and the beam receiver may face each other in a direction perpendicular to the beam path formed between the first and second surfaces, and be movable in a lengthwise direction of the beam path.

The spectrophotometric device may further include a controller for inputting control signals to the test beam radiator, the spectrophotometer, the beam transmitter, and the beam receiver, and generating analysis data, and a display for displaying the analysis data.

The controller may include a determiner for determining whether the sample is formed as a water column between the first and second surfaces, by determining a loss in amount of the transmission beam received by the beam receiver.

The controller may control the test beam radiator to radiate the test beam to proceed analysis, when the determiner determines that the sample is formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces, or control the display to display the state of the sample, when the determiner determines that the sample is not formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces.

The controller may include a radiation beam selector for selecting and controlling the test beam radiator to radiate the test beam, or selecting and controlling the beam transmitter to radiate the transmission beam.

According to the afore-described embodiments of the present invention, spectroscopic properties of a microvolume bio sample may be analyzed, and more particularly, an accommodation state of the sample may be checked for stability and uniformity of the sample to measure the microvolume sample, and the accommodation state of the sample may be continuously checked to minimize an error in analysis result.

In particular, rapid and simple measurement may be enabled by an optical displacement sensor, an accommodation error of the sample may be detected without additional user interfacing, user convenience and analysis accuracy may be increased by re-accommodating the sample only when the error occurs, and cost reduction may be achieved because high-priced equipment requiring a high-resolution camera or the like is not used. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described effects.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings.

The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the drawings, the thicknesses or sizes of layers are exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation.

Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. Thus, the embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a microvolume spectrophotometric device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a structural view of the microvolume spectrophotometric device <NUM>.

Initially, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the spectrophotometric device <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention may mainly include a body, a base plate <NUM>, a rotatable plate <NUM>, a test beam radiator <NUM>, a spectrophotometer <NUM>, a state determiner, a controller <NUM>, and a display <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the body of the spectrophotometric device <NUM> of the present invention is a kind of case that surrounds and protects the exterior of the base plate <NUM>, the rotatable plate <NUM>, the test beam radiator <NUM>, the spectrophotometer <NUM>, the state determiner, the controller <NUM>, and the display <NUM>.

The base plate <NUM> may include a first surface <NUM> to accommodate a sample S thereon, and the rotatable plate <NUM> may include a second surface <NUM> corresponding to and spaced a certain distance apart from the first surface <NUM>.

The base plate <NUM> may be provided in the body, and include, at a portion thereof, the first surface <NUM> capable of accommodating the sample S and include, at another portion thereof, a cuvette capable of accommodating another sample S.

The base plate <NUM> may be connected to the rotatable plate <NUM> by using a hinge in such a manner that the rotatable plate <NUM> may approach the base plate <NUM> with respect to an axis of the hinge provided at a side of the base plate <NUM>.

In this case, the rotatable plate <NUM> may be provided in the body, and protect the first surface <NUM> and the sample S accommodated on the first surface <NUM> and block light from entering, by covering the base plate <NUM> when closed.

The rotatable plate <NUM> may be provided as a structure connected to the spectrophotometer <NUM> through a second beam guide <NUM>, in such a manner that a first beam guide <NUM> connected from an external surface of the first surface <NUM> may be coaxial with the second beam guide <NUM> connected from an external surface of the second surface <NUM> and the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> may be parallel to each other when the rotatable plate <NUM> is closed and positioned above the base plate <NUM>.

The base plate <NUM> and the rotatable plate <NUM> may be rotatable with respect to the axis of the hinge provided at the side, and the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> may form a certain interior angle therebetween.

<FIG> includes conceptual views showing motion of the first surface <NUM>, a beam transmitter <NUM>, and a beam receiver <NUM> of the microvolume spectrophotometric device <NUM>, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the first surface <NUM> may be movable in a direction toward or away from the second surface <NUM>.

Specifically, a length of a beam path L between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> may be adjusted by moving the first surface <NUM> in the direction toward the second surface <NUM>, and thus an absorbance of the sample S may be measured by changing the beam path L formed by the sample S to measure the absorbance and by measuring the sample S at one or more path lengths. Herein, the absorbance of the sample S may be analyzed by combining a difference in length of the beam path L and a difference in transmission intensity.

The sample S may be formed in a water column shape on the beam path L due to surface tension of the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>.

Specifically, the sample S may be placed on the first surface <NUM> by a user by using a pipette or the like, and the second surface <NUM> may be combined on the first surface <NUM>. The first surface <NUM> may temporarily move in the direction toward the second surface <NUM> to soak the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> accommodating the sample S, and move in the opposite direction to pull the sample S and form a water column, thereby establishing the beam path L through which a beam is projected.

In this case, the sample S may be maintained by the surface tension between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> which are substantially parallel to each other, and is provided in an extremely small amount less than or equal to <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> L.

The test beam radiator <NUM> is a device connected to the first surface <NUM> through the first beam guide <NUM> to radiate a test beam to the beam path L formed between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>.

The test beam radiator <NUM> is a device for radiating a beam to the sample S accommodated on the beam path L, and may include at least one of a tungsten lamp, a deuterium arc lamp, a glow bar, a helium-neon laser, and a laser diode.

The test beam radiator <NUM> may further include a monochromator. The monochromator converts wide-wavelength light received from a light source, into a monochromatic radiation to use only a beam of a desired wavelength.

The spectrophotometer <NUM> is a device connected to the second surface <NUM> through the second beam guide <NUM> to analyze spectroscopic properties of the sample S by analyzing a characteristic beam transmitted through the sample S accommodated on the beam path L.

Specifically, when the test beam of a specific wavelength, which is generated from a light source of the test beam radiator <NUM>, is guided through the first beam guide <NUM> in a direction toward the sample S and is changed into a characteristic beam having absorbed light of a specific wavelength while passing through the sample S, the spectrophotometer <NUM> may analyze the characteristic beam to measure the spectroscopic properties of the sample S, e.g., an absorbance, a transmittance, a concentration, or an absorbance spectrum.

In this case, various lenses, mirrors, reflectors, etc. may not be required because an optical path is simplified by connecting the first surface <NUM> to the test beam radiator <NUM> through the first beam guide <NUM> and connecting the second surface <NUM> to the spectrophotometer <NUM> through the second beam guide <NUM>, thereby reducing production costs and greatly increasing productivity.

The state determiner may be provided near the beam path L to determine whether the sample S accommodated between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> is in a state in which analysis of optical properties is enabled.

More specifically, the state determiner may include a beam transmitter <NUM> for radiating a transmission beam to the beam path L to determine a state of the sample S between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, and a beam receiver <NUM> for receiving at least a portion of the transmission beam having passed though the beam path L.

For example, the beam transmitter <NUM> may be provided at a side of the first surface <NUM> on the base plate <NUM>, and the beam receiver <NUM> may be provided at another side thereof. The beam transmitter <NUM> and the beam receiver <NUM> may face each other in such a manner that the beam receiver <NUM> may receive the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM>, and the beam path L may be positioned between the beam transmitter <NUM> and the beam receiver <NUM>.

As such, the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> may pass through the beam path L and be received by the beam receiver <NUM>. In this case, the transmission beam received by the beam receiver <NUM> may vary in amount depending on the state of the sample S formed on the beam path L.

<FIG> includes views comparatively showing transmission beams received by the beam receiver <NUM> depending on presence of the sample S, according to an embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> includes images comparatively showing transmission beams received by the beam receiver <NUM> depending on a state of the sample S, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The controller <NUM> may input control signals to the test beam radiator <NUM>, the spectrophotometer <NUM>, the beam transmitter <NUM>, and the beam receiver <NUM>, and generate analysis data.

Specifically, the controller <NUM> may be separately connected to and separately control the test beam radiator <NUM>, the spectrophotometer <NUM>, the beam transmitter <NUM>, and the beam receiver <NUM>.

For example, the controller <NUM> may adjust a distance between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> in such a manner that the sample S may form a water column due to surface tension of the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may control an amount and an intensity of a transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> toward the beam path L, and analyze the amount and the intensity of the transmission beam received by the beam receiver <NUM> provided at the opposite side of the beam path L.

The controller <NUM> may control presence and an intensity of a test beam radiated from the test beam radiator <NUM> to the sample S on the first surface <NUM> through the first beam guide <NUM>, and analyze a characteristic beam having passed through the sample S and received by the spectrophotometer <NUM> through the second beam guide <NUM> connected to the second surface <NUM>.

In this case, the controller <NUM> may include a determiner <NUM>.

The determiner <NUM> may determine whether the sample S is formed as a water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, by determining a loss in amount of the transmission beam received by the beam receiver <NUM>.

The determiner <NUM> may analyze the amount and the intensity of the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM>, having passed through the beam path L, and received by the beam receiver <NUM>. As such, the determiner <NUM> may determine whether the sample S formed on the beam path L is accommodated in an analyzable state.

For example, when the sample S forms an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, as illustrated in (b) of <FIG>, the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> may be refracted through the sample S formed on the beam path L and a certain amount of the transmission beam may be received by the beam receiver <NUM>. More specifically, as illustrated in (b) of <FIG>, the transmission beam may pass through the sample S in a widespread shape and a certain amount of the transmission beam may be received by the beam receiver <NUM>.

On the other hand, when the sample S is not accommodated between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, as illustrated in (a) of <FIG>, the sample S is not formed on the beam path L and most of the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> is received by the beam receiver <NUM>. More specifically, as illustrated in (a) of <FIG>, the radiated transmission beam may be linearly received by the beam receiver <NUM> without being refracted.

Alternatively, when the sample S does not form an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, although not shown in the drawings, the transmission beam radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> may pass through only a portion of the sample S formed on the beam path L, a large amount thereof may be refracted, and only a small amount of the transmission beam may be received by the beam receiver <NUM>.

The determiner <NUM> may determine a case in which the sample S forms an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, a case in which the sample S is not accommodated between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, or a case in which the sample S does not form an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, by analyzing the amount or the intensity of the transmission beam received by the beam receiver <NUM>.

According to the spectrophotometric device <NUM> of the present invention, although a user does not check an accommodation state of the sample S every time to analyze spectroscopic properties of the sample S, the determiner <NUM> may detect an accommodation error of the sample S, and the sample S may be re-accommodated only when the error occurs, thereby increasing user convenience and analysis accuracy.

Specifically, the controller <NUM> may control the test beam radiator <NUM> to radiate the test beam to proceed analysis, when the determiner <NUM> determines that the sample S is formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, or control the display <NUM> to display the state of the sample S, when the determiner <NUM> determines that the sample S is not formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may further include a radiation beam selector <NUM>.

The radiation beam selector <NUM> may select and control the test beam radiator <NUM> to radiate the test beam, or select and control the beam transmitter <NUM> to radiate the transmission beam.

The spectrophotometric device <NUM> of the present invention is a device capable of radiating two types of beams from the beam transmitter <NUM> and the test beam radiator <NUM>, and may accommodate the sample S between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, determine the state of the sample S by radiating the transmission beam from the beam transmitter <NUM>, and then analyze the spectroscopic properties of the sample S by radiating the test beam from the test beam radiator <NUM>.

When the transmission beam is radiated from the beam transmitter <NUM> to determine the state of the sample S, at least a portion of the transmission beam may be received by the beam receiver <NUM> to determine the state of the sample S, and reception of another type of beam by the beam receiver <NUM> needs to be avoided.

When the test beam is radiated from the test beam radiator <NUM> to analyze the spectroscopic properties of the sample S, the characteristic beam changed from the test beam while passing through the sample S may be received by the spectrophotometer <NUM> to analyze the spectroscopic properties of the sample S, and reception of another type of beam by the spectrophotometer <NUM> needs to be avoided.

Therefore, according to the spectrophotometric device <NUM> of the present invention, the accuracy of analysis by the beam receiver <NUM> and the spectrophotometer <NUM> may be increased by controlling the beam transmitter <NUM> and the test beam radiator <NUM> not to simultaneously radiate the two types of beams.

For example, when the sample S is accommodated between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, the radiation beam selector <NUM> may select and control the beam transmitter <NUM> to radiate the transmission beam, and the test beam radiator <NUM> may not operate while the transmission beam is being radiated.

Then, when the determiner <NUM> determines that the sample S is formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, the radiation beam selector <NUM> may select and control the test beam radiator <NUM> to radiate the test beam to the sample S formed on the beam path L, and the beam transmitter <NUM> may not operate while the test beam is being radiated.

On the other hand, when the determiner <NUM> determines that the sample S is not formed as an analyzable water column between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may control the radiation beam selector <NUM> not to select a radiation beam and control the display <NUM> to be described below, to display a notification for the user.

The display <NUM> is a device for displaying the analysis data, and may employ various display devices for displaying the analysis data on a screen, e.g., a cathode-ray tube (CRT), a liquid-crystal display (LCD), or a light-emitting diode (LED).

The display <NUM> may further include a command input device providable as various input devices connected to the controller <NUM> to input a user command signal to the controller <NUM>, e.g., a touchpad, various switches, a joystick, or a mouse.

Therefore, after the user opens the rotatable plate <NUM> to manually accommodate the sample S on the first surface <NUM> by using a pipette or the like and then closes the rotatable plate <NUM> to make the sample S dark, the test beam may be radiated to the sample S through various channels by using the command input device and spectroscopic properties of the characteristic beam changed by the sample S may be analyzed.

That is, the spectrophotometric device <NUM> of the present invention includes the beam transmitter <NUM> and the beam receiver <NUM> to use a difference in amount of received light depending on whether a pedestal water column is formed.

In this case, because normal formation of a water column may be determined when the transmission beam is reduced in amount compared to an initial state when a water column formed by the sample S is not present, rapid and simple measurement may be enabled by the beam receiver <NUM> and automatic analysis may be enabled without additional user interfacing.

In addition, analysis accuracy may be increased by notifying in advance a failure in measuring absorption caused by abnormal accommodation of the sample S.

Furthermore, the spectrophotometric device <NUM> may also be used for the purpose of general quality control (QC) to periodically check an operation state thereof.

In a spectrophotometric device according to another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, the beam transmitter <NUM> and the beam receiver <NUM> may face each other in a direction perpendicular to the beam path L formed between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, and be movable in a lengthwise direction of the beam path L.

More specifically, to accommodate the sample S between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> while maintaining surface tension, the first surface <NUM> accommodating the sample S may be movable in a direction toward or away from the second surface <NUM>. In this case, a length of the beam path L and the sample S formed on the beam path L, and a circumference of a water column formed by the sample S may vary depending on the motion of the first surface <NUM>.

To determine whether the sample S is accommodated in an analyzable state between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, the beam transmitter <NUM> may be vertically adjusted in height based on the height of the sample S and radiate the transmission beam, and the beam receiver <NUM> adjusted in height equally to the beam transmitter <NUM> may receive the transmission beam.

As such, the beam transmitter <NUM> and the beam receiver <NUM> may move to be adjusted in height even when the length of the beam path L between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> differs depending on the sample S, and it may be accurately determined whether the sample S is accommodated in an analyzable state between the first and second surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claim 1:
A spectrophotometric device (<NUM>), wherein the spectrophotometric device comprises
a base plate (<NUM>) comprising a first surface (<NUM>) to accommodate a sample (S) thereon;
a rotatable plate (<NUM>) comprising a second surface (<NUM>) corresponding to and spaced a certain distance apart from the first surface (<NUM>), rotating by a hinge provided at a side of the base plate;
a test beam radiator (<NUM>) connected to the first surface (<NUM>) through a first beam guide (<NUM>) to radiate a test beam to the sample (S) accommodated on a beam path (L) between the first and second surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
a spectrophotometer (<NUM>) connected to the second surface (<NUM>) through a second beam guide (<NUM>) to analyze spectroscopic properties of the sample (S) by analyzing a characteristic beam having passed through the sample (S) accommodated on the beam path (L), the spectrophotometric device comprising
a state determiner provided near the beam path (L) to determine whether the sample (S) accommodated between the first and second surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>) is in a state in which analysis of optical properties is enabled,
wherein the state determiner comprises a beam transmitter (<NUM>) for radiating a transmission beam to the beam path (L) to determine a state of the sample (S) between the first and second surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
a beam receiver (<NUM>) for receiving at least a portion of the transmission beam having passed through the beam path (L),
wherein the beam transmitter (<NUM>) and the beam receiver (<NUM>) face each other in a direction perpendicular to the beam path (L) formed between the first and second surfaces (<NUM>, <NUM>), and are movable in a lengthwise direction of the beam path (L).