Arkray, Inc.

Shigeki Masuda

Yukio Watanabe

Shinya Nakajima

Kenji Nakanishi

Shinichi Ota

A fluid delivery method for delivering a liquid sample to a flow cell including a taper section including a first and a second inner walls opposing the first inner wall, which is inclined to the second inner wall so that a distance between the first and the second inner walls at a downstream side of the taper section is shorter than a distance at an upstream side of the taper section, and including measurement flow path provided downstream of the taper section, through which a liquid sample flows together with a sheath fluid. The fluid delivery method includes sample introduction of delivering the liquid sample into the taper section along the second inner wall until the liquid sample reaches the measurement flow path, and sample pressing by delivering the sheath fluid into the taper section along the first inner wall after the liquid sample reaches the measurement flow path.

Fluid delivery method for delivering a liquid sample to a flow cell and analysis device for a liquid sample

Detection and analysis of a tangible component in a sample are implemented at lower cost. Provided is an analysis apparatus including a flow cell which includes a flow path for a sample, a branch section configured to cause light having passed through the flow path to branch at least to a first optical path and a second optical path, a first imaging section and a second imaging section configured to capture images of the sample in the flow path by using the light in the first optical path and the light in the second optical path, and a controller configured to process the captured images. The first imaging section and the second imaging section capture images that have the same angle of view but have different characteristics.

Analysis apparatus and analysis method

A flow cell has: a flow path in which a specimen fluid and a sheath fluid flow; a specimen flow path that introduces the specimen fluid into the flow path; a first sheath flow path and a second sheath flow path that introduce the sheath fluid into the flow path; and a merging portion at which the specimen flow path, the first sheath flow path and the second sheath flow path merge together. The specimen flow path is provided on a central flow line of the flow path. At the merging portion, the first sheath flow path and the second sheath flow path face directions intersecting the central flow line of the flow path, and are disposed at positions that are offset in a depth direction of the flow path.

Flow cell and measuring device

An analysis apparatus comprises a flow cell which has a flow passage for a liquid containing a tangible component; an image pickupper which picks up images of the liquid flowing through the flow passage; an adjuster which adjusts a relative position of the flow cell with respect to the image pickupper in relation to an optical axis direction of the image pickupper and a direction in which the liquid flows through the flow passage; and a controller which determines an image pickup position of the flow cell in at least one of the optical axis direction and the direction in which the liquid flows, on the basis of a number of pieces of the tangible component in focusing states existing in the images of the liquid picked up by the image pickupper at a plurality of positions at which the relative position differs.

Analysis apparatus and focusing method

A flow cell including a flow channel through which a sample fluid and a sheath fluid flow, a sample flow channel that introduces the sample fluid into the flow channel, and at least one sheath flow channel that introduces the sheath fluid into the flow channel. The flow channel includes a flow merging section where the sample flow channel and the sheath flow channel merge, a flattened section that is disposed downstream of the flow merging section, that is formed in line with one wall face of wall faces facing across the flow merging section, and that is shallower in depth than the flow merging section, and a tapered section that connects the flow merging section with the flattened section and that gradually decreases in depth on progression downstream. The sample flow channel introduces the sample fluid into the flow merging section along the one wall face of the wall faces facing across the flow merging section, and the sheath flow channel introduces the sheath fluid into the flow merging section from a direction such that the sheath fluid flows so as to press the sample fluid against the one wall face.

Flow cell and measurement device

A plurality of images of a sample are simultaneously captured at different focal lengths by a plurality of cameras. An analysis apparatus includes: a branch section configured to cause light passing through the sample containing a material component to branch off into a plurality of optical paths; a plurality of imaging devices for simultaneously capturing images of the sample in a flow path at different focal points by using the light caused to branch off into the plurality of optical paths; and a controller configured to process the captured images.

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Kyoto, Japan

Shigeki Masuda