Patent ID: 7158227

Claim:
A laser-induced fluorescence analysis device ( 1 , 101 , 201 ) comprising: a tube ( 2 , 202 ) having a channel ( 11 , 211 ) capable of containing a solution comprising at least one substance able to undergo a laser-induced fluorescence reaction, the material of said tube being substantially transparent to excitation light; at least one projection means ( 12 , 14 ; 214 , 212 ) capable of projecting an excitation light beam ( 13 , 213 ) locally on a portion ( 16 , 216 ) of said channel in a direction making an angle of greater than 60° to a longitudinal direction (A) of said channel, said excitation light being capable of inducing a fluorescence reaction in said substance or one of said substances; at least one optical collecting means ( 7 , 107 , 207 ) placed so as to collect fluorescence light from said channel; at least one optical measurement means ( 8 , 108 , 208 ) coupled to said collecting means so as to be able to measure said collected fluorescence light; and a processing means ( 9 , 209 ) capable of processing a measurement signal transmitted by said measurement means in order to produce a result of the analysis of said solution; characterized in that a first collecting means ( 7 , 207 ) is mechanically coupled to a first end of said tube ( 2 , 202 ), said tube being made of a material whose refractive index is either less than that of water in the channel ( 11 , 211 ) or greater than both that of water in the channel and that of the air surrounding the tube ( 2 , 202 ), so as to be able to guide said fluorescence light along said channel in the channel and/or in the wall of the tube as far as said first collecting means, which collecting means is arranged so as to collect said fluorescence light propagating approximately along said longitudinal direction of the channel, and in that it includes a joining means ( 4 , 104 , 204 ) for connecting, in operation, a second end of said tube to an output pipe ( 3 , 103 , 203 ) of a separation system, so as to allow said solution to flow and/or said substance or substances in said solution to be transported between said separation system and said tube, said tube ( 2 , 202 ) having, at said second end, an internal wall ( 218 ) of approximately conical, ellipsoidal or paraboloidal shape, one face of which is turned toward said first end and is capable of reflecting said fluorescence light toward said first end, said tube then having an internal cross section larger than that of said output pipe ( 3 , 203 ) and constituting a fluorescence detection cell ( 16 , 216 ).