Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Fujifilm Corporation

Shu Sato

Hitoshi Shimizu

Toshihito Kimura

Hisashi Ohtsuka

Masayuki Naya

Nobuhiko Ogura

Tatsuo Fujikura

Koji Kuruma

Mitsuru Sawano

Nobufumi Mori

Taizo Akimoto

Makoto Hara

A sensor unit of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay system includes a transparent dielectric medium. A thin film has a first surface and a sensing surface. The first surface is connected with the dielectric medium to constitute an interface. The sensing surface is back to the first surface, for detecting (bio) chemical reaction. A flow cell block has a flow channel for flowing of the sample to the sensing surface. Attenuated total reflection of illuminating light is checked at the interface, to analyze interaction between ligand and analyte as samples. The flow channel includes a first inner surface, disposed opposite to the sensing surface to extend along, for passing the sample to flow between. The first inner surface has a height, defined with reference to the sensing surface, and in a range of 200-500 microns.

Sensor unit and assay method of assay in utilizing attenuated total reflection

A sensor unit of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay system includes a transparent dielectric medium. A thin film has a first surface and a sensing surface. The first surface is connected with the dielectric medium to constitute an interface. The sensing surface is back to the first surface, for detecting (bio)chemical reaction. A flow cell block has a flow channel for flowing of the sample to the sensing surface. Attenuated total reflection of illuminating light is checked at the interface, to analyze interaction between ligand and analyte as samples. The flow channel includes a first inner surface, disposed opposite to the sensing surface to extend along, for passing the sample to flow between. The first inner surface has a height, defined with reference to the sensing surface, and in a range of 200-500 microns.

A measurement path is filled with air prior to performing actual measurement. A p-polarized light beam is caused to enter an interface, and the intensity distribution of the light beam reflected at the interface is detected by a photodiode array to obtain a reference intensity distribution of the light beam itself. Thereafter, the measurement path is filled with a target for measurement, and the intensity distribution of a light beam reflected at the interface is measured. Each of the measured distribution values are divided by the reference intensity distribution, to cancel out influences due to fluctuations in the intensity distribution of the light beam. Thereby, the position of an attenuated total reflection angle is detected with high accuracy. Because a light beam constituted by p-polarized light waves is utilized, separating means for separating the light beam reflected at the interface into p-polarized and s-polarized light waves becomes unnecessary.

Measuring method and measuring apparatus utilizing attenuated total reflection

In a measuring method utilizing the phenomenon of attenuation in total internal reflection in which a light beam is caused to enter a dielectric block provided with a film layer to be brought into contact with a sample so that total internal reflection conditions are satisfied at the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer and various angles of incidence of the light beam to the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer can be obtained, and the intensity of the light beam reflected in total internal reflection at the interface is detected, the light beam is caused to intermittently impinge upon the dielectric block.

Measuring method and apparatus using attenuation in total internal reflection

In a surface plasmon resonance sensor, a sensor unit includes a dielectric block, a thin film layer which is formed on the upper surface of the dielectric block, and a sample holding portion. An incubator is provided, the surface plasmon resonance sensor is spatially isolated from the surroundings by placing it in the measuring system, the temperature of the measuring system is measured and temperature change of the sensor unit after it is conveyed to the measuring system from the incubator is estimated on the basis of the temperature difference between the temperature of the incubator and the temperature of the measuring system, and the sensor unit is conveyed to the measuring system to perform the measurement within a time for which the temperature of the sensor unit does not unacceptably change.

Measuring apparatus

A measuring apparatus comprising a measuring chip, an optical incidence system, a photodiode array, a differentiation part, and a computation part. The differentiation part differentiates an optical detection signal output from each light-receiving element, in a direction where light-receiving elements are juxtaposed, at intervals of outputs of two adjacent light-receiving elements. The computation part specifies a reference light-receiving element, then judges whether or not values of the optical detection signals of a first predetermined number of light-receiving elements increase monotonously in directions going to both sides, and computes a position of a dark line on the basis of a value obtained by differentiating the outputs of a second predetermined number of light-receiving elements sandwiching the reference light-receiving element when it is judged that the values of the optical detection signals increase monotonously, in the above-described direction.

Surface plasmon resonance measuring apparatus

A measuring apparatus is disclosed which includes a measuring unit equipped with a dielectric block and a thin film layer; an incidence system for making a light beam enter the dielectric block so that a condition for total internal reflection is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer; and a photodetector for receiving the light beam totally reflected at the interface. The measuring unit is measured a plurality of times, and a change in the state of attenuated total reflection during the plurality of measurements is detected. The sensor further includes a tilt measurement section for measuring the longitudinal tilt of the interface which changes the incidence angles during the plurality of measurements, and a calculating section for obtaining a measured value in which errors due to the longitudinal tilt have been corrected.

A photomultiplier which detects feeble light emitted by the irradiation of excitation light on an image carrier carrying an image related to a living organism has an integration circuit is DC-coupled with a photomultiplier to convert a current signal output from the photomultiplier, to a voltage signal. The voltage signal converted by the integration circuit is logarithmically compressed with a logarithmic conversion circuit. An offset compensation circuit is provided for reducing an offset voltage that could occur because of charge injection in the integral action of the integration circuit.

Image reader with DC-coupled integration circuit

An image information reader capable of accurately performing reading in going and returning directions so that there is no pixel difference between image information read out in the going direction and image information read out in the returning direction. The image information reader includes an offset measurement section,and a second reading-start-point detection section,. The offset measurement section,detects the distance of an optical head,, moved between a reading end point X,&prime; in the going direction and reversal Xm, as a pulse count C,from an encoder,. The second reading-start-point detection section,detects a position, where a value C,counted from reversal in the returning direction by the offset measurement section,coincides with C,, as a reading start point in the returning direction.

Method of detecting a scanning start point, scanner, method of reading out image information, and image information reader

A signal processing method for analyzing an autoradiograph by subjecting digital image data containing an autoradiograph of a resolved pattern to digital signal processing to obtain locational information on radioactively labeled substances in the form of numerals and/or symbols is disclosed. The resolved pattern is formed by resolving radioactively labeled substances, such as, for example, nucleic acids, in a one-dimensional direction on a support medium. The total boundary area of the resolved patterns throughout the digital image data is determined by first dividing the digital image data into two or more blocks along a direction perpendicular to the resolving direction and then preparing a waveform composed of positions along the direction perpendicular to the resolving direction for each block by compiling the digital image date for each block. The waveform is used to establish the boundary of the area of the resolved pattern for each block, and the boundaries of the resolved pattern area of each block are interpolated to establish the total boundary area of the resolved patterns. This method is an easily conducted, accurate analytical method for obtaining locational information and, thus, the identity of a wide variety of radioactively labeled substances.

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Kaisei-machi, Japan

Shu Sato