JPH0449573Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an adjustment mechanism for a beam stopper used for detecting scattered light from particles in a particle counting device such as a flow cytometer.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an optical system when forward scattered light is detected by a float cytometer. Light emitted from a light source 1 is focused by a condenser lens 2 and illuminates a particle suspension flowing within a flow cell 3. The path of the irradiated light that has passed through the flow cell 3 is blocked by a beam stopper 4. The collector lens 5 collects the light scattered forward by the suspended particles that is not blocked by the beam stopper 4. The focused forward scattered light is detected by the light receiving element 6.

Conventionally, the beam stopper 4 is constructed by fixing a cylindrical beam stopper fitting 7 to a lens barrel 8, inserting a screw 11 into a long hole 10 made in the beam stopper 4, and tightening this screw, as shown in FIG. It was fixed to the beam stopper fixture 7. 12 is a light shielding part.

The beam stopper 4 needs to almost completely block the irradiation light by its light blocking portion 12. Therefore, the beam stopper 4 is attached to the beam stopper fitting 7.
must be installed in the proper position. In order to finely adjust the position of the beam stopper 4, the screw 11 is slightly loosened, and the adjuster moves the beam stopper 4 with his or her fingertips while checking the detection signal using a measuring device.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

The above-mentioned method for adjusting the position of the beam stopper has the following problems, for example, in a highly sensitive flow cytometer that can detect fine particles with a particle diameter of 1 μm or less.

There is no guide when moving the beam stopper, and the position and direction of the beam stopper can move freely at the same time. Therefore, it is difficult and time-consuming to properly set the position and direction.

Also, when fixing the beam stopper by tightening the screws after setting the position and direction,
The beam stopper moves slightly.

Furthermore, since the beam stopper is fixed in the elongated hole with a single screw, the position or direction may shift even if a slight object hits it.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a beam stopper adjustment mechanism that is easy to adjust and is securely fixed.

[Means for solving problems]

The beam stopper adjustment mechanism of the present invention is shown in Figures 1-
To explain with reference to FIG. 4, a horizontal plate 14 and a bent plate 15 bent at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plate
A beam stopper 13 consisting of a beam stopper 13, a beam stopper fitting 16 having a guide groove 25 for guiding a bending plate of the beam stopper and a support portion 41 for supporting the bending plate, and a beam stopper and a beam stopper fitting being fixed by adjustment screws 31. The spacer 26 is characterized by including a spacer 26 having an elastic force.

[Effect]

Since the beam stopper 13 is bent at an acute angle, it moves up and down while always being in line contact with the support section 41. At this time, since the beam stopper 13 is guided by the guide groove 25, it does not move laterally or change the direction of the light shielding part.

Furthermore, since one of the spacers 26 has elastic force, the elastic force facilitates the adjustment by the adjusting screw 31 and always applies an upward force to the adjusting screw 31 to prevent the screw from loosening. work. Furthermore, the elastic force of the spacer 26 prevents the beam stopper 13 from vibrating.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unless there is a specific description, the materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative. Just an example.

FIG. 1 shows a side cross section of the beam stopper adjustment mechanism, FIG. 2 shows the top surface thereof, and FIG. 3 shows the front surface (left side surface in FIG. 1). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the beam stopper adjustment mechanism, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the beam stopper.

The beam stopper 13 is, for example, a thin plate of phosphor bronze bent at an acute angle, and the horizontal plate 14
and a bent plate 15 bent at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plate. As shown in FIG. 4, the beam stopper fixture 16 (hereinafter simply referred to as the fixture 16) has a shape obtained by cutting out half of the bottom of a cylindrical container. The fitting 16 has its annular portion 1
The lens barrel 18 is fixed to the lens barrel 18 by fitting the lens barrel 18 into the lens barrel 7 and pressing the lens barrel 18 with a set screw 21 using a screw hole 20 provided in the fixture. In order to prevent the fixture 16 from covering the collector lens 22 held in the lens barrel 18, a square notch 24 having the same width as the width of the beam stopper 13 is provided in the half-bottom portion 23 of the fixture 16. It is being carried out. Furthermore, a guide groove 25 is provided in the center of the half-bottom portion 23, which is a square groove having the same width as the notch 24 and a depth such that the beam stopper 13 can fit therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the beam stopper 13 is fitted into the guide groove 25 and attached to the fixture 16 with spacers 26 and 27 made of a soft material such as rubber interposed therebetween. This beam stopper 13 is attached to each spacer 26, 27.
Attach the adjustment screw 31 and screw 32 to the fixture 1 through the holes 28 and 30 drilled in the center of the fixture 1, respectively.
Adjustment screw hole 33 and screw hole 34 provided in 6
This is done by tightening the

The beam stopper 13 is provided with a half-moon-shaped punching portion 35, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to almost completely block the irradiation light. The beam spot 36 reflected on the light shielding part 35 is often focused into an oval shape as shown in FIG.

The horizontal plate 14 on the upper surface of the beam stopper 13 has a hole 37 for passing the adjusting screw 31, a hole 38 for passing the screw 32, and a hole 40 for passing the screwdriver for turning the set screw 21, as shown in FIG. are arranged in a row.

To adjust the vertical position of the light shielding part 35, turn the adjustment screw 31. When the adjustment screw 31 is tightened, the light shielding part 35 is lowered, and when it is loosened, the light shielding part 35 is raised. As described above, since the beam stopper 13 is bent at an acute angle, the support portion 4 at the upper edge of the notch 24
Move up and down while always making line contact with 1. Since the beam stopper 13 is pressed against the support portion 41 in this manner, the light shielding portion 35 does not swing. At this time, since the beam stopper 13 is guided by the guide groove 25 made of a square groove,
It does not move laterally or change the direction of the light shielding part 35. Therefore, only the vertical direction can be adjusted independently.

On the other hand, if the beam spot 36 is an ellipse as shown in FIG. 5, the longitudinal direction of the beam spot 36 needs to be aligned with the direction of the light shielding part 35 as shown in FIG. Adjustment at this time is performed by slightly loosening the set screw 21 and rotating the annular portion 17.

Note that the spacer 2 is made of a soft material such as rubber.
6 facilitates adjustment by the adjustment screw 31 due to its elastic force, and always applies an upward force to the adjustment screw 31 to prevent the screw from loosening. In addition, the spacer 26 made of a soft material such as rubber has a vibration-proofing effect, and the beam stopper 1
3 prevents vibration.

[Effect of idea]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, when adjusting the position of the beam stopper, the beam stopper can be adjusted without rotating because of the guide groove. Therefore, the position adjustment and the rotation direction adjustment of the beam stopper can be performed independently, making the adjustment work easier and more efficient.

Additionally, the position of the beam stopper can be adjusted simply by adjusting the screws.

Further, due to the action of the elastic spacer, the position of the beam stopper does not shift when tightening screws after adjusting the position of the beam stopper, and the position of the beam stopper does not shift or vibrate during use.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view showing an example of the beam stopper adjustment mechanism of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a front view of the same (left side view of Fig. 2), and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the same. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the beam stopper, and Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the beam stopper.
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing an optical system when forward scattered light is detected by a flow cytometer, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional beam stopper. 1...Light source, 2...Condenser lens, 3...
Flow cell, 4... Beam stopper, 5... Collector lens, 6... Light receiving element, 7... Beam stopper fitting, 8... Lens tube, 10... Elongated hole,
11...screw, 12...light shielding part, 13...beam stopper, 14...horizontal plate, 15...bending plate, 1
6... Beam stopper fitting, 17... Annular part,
18... Lens barrel, 20... Screw hole, 21... Set screw, 22... Collector lens, 2
3... Half bottom part, 24... Notch, 25... Guide groove, 26, 27... Spacer, 28, 30...
Hole, 31...adjustment screw, 32...screw, 33,3
4... Screw hole, 35... Light shielding part, 36... Beam spot, 37, 38, 40... Hole, 41... Supporting part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a beam stopper comprising a horizontal plate and a bent plate bent at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plate; a beam stopper fitting having a guide groove for guiding the bent plate of the beam stopper and a support portion for supporting the bent plate; A beam stopper adjustment mechanism comprising: a spacer having an elastic force fixed by an adjustment screw between a beam stopper and a beam stopper fixture.