Analysis system and analysis method

Abstract

To provide an analytical system that can accurately analyze the state of a dispersion without performing complex measurements or examining each parameter individually. [Solution] The analysis system for solving the above problem is a system for analyzing the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium, and includes a signal generation unit for generating a plurality of signals based on the interaction between the dispersion and two or more types of light-emitting probes, a detection unit for detecting the plurality of signals from the signal generation unit, and an analysis unit for analyzing the plurality of signals detected by the detection unit and analyzing the state of the dispersion, wherein each of the light-emitting probes is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a light-emitting portion whose light-emitting behavior changes as a result of the interaction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an analysis system and an analysis method. [Background Art]

[0002] Various measurements have been performed to analyze the state of a dispersion liquid containing a dispersion medium and a dispersed substance, such as measurement of the viscosity of the dispersion liquid, measurement of surface tension, and measurement of the zeta potential of the dispersed substance. Generally, the physical properties of a dispersion liquid are determined by a complex combination of various parameters. Therefore, when analyzing the state of a dispersion liquid, it is necessary to acquire a large amount of data using a plurality of measurement methods. In addition, it is necessary to individually examine which parameter contributes to which physical property of the dispersion liquid. Accordingly, there have been problems that enormous work is required for data acquisition, and further, data analysis is also very complicated.

[0003] Here, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of measuring the zeta potential distribution of a dispersed substance, and performing quality control of ink or predicting ejection durability based on the measurement results. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-102386 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, it is extremely difficult to set conditions and the like for zeta potential measurement. For example, depending on the type of particles in the dispersion liquid, deformation of the dispersed substance may occur during zeta potential measurement. Therefore, accurate measurement is difficult, and deviation tends to occur between the performance predicted from the data and the actual performance. In addition, factors other than the dispersed substance also greatly affect the performance of the dispersion liquid. Therefore, it has been difficult to accurately analyze the state of the dispersion liquid only with this method.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an analysis system and analysis method that can accurately analyze the state of a dispersion without performing complex measurements or examining each parameter individually. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objectives, the following analysis system and analysis method are provided.

[0008] An analysis system reflecting one aspect of the present invention is a system for analyzing the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium, and includes a signal generation unit for generating a plurality of signals based on the interaction between the dispersion and two or more luminescent probes, a detection unit for detecting the plurality of signals from the signal generation unit, and an analysis unit for analyzing the plurality of signals detected by the detection unit and analyzing the state of the dispersion, wherein each of the luminescent probes is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a luminescent portion whose luminescence behavior changes as a result of the interaction.

[0009] An analytical method reflecting one aspect of the present invention is a method for analyzing the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium, comprising the steps of: interacting the dispersion with two or more types of light-emitting probes; generating a plurality of signals from the two or more types of light-emitting probes that have interacted with the dispersion; detecting the plurality of signals; and analyzing the state of the dispersion from the detected plurality of signals, wherein each of the light-emitting probes is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a light-emitting portion whose light-emitting behavior changes as a result of the interaction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the analysis system and analysis method of one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to accurately analyze the state of a dispersion without performing complex measurements or examining each parameter individually. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a flowchart of an analysis method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an analysis system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the results of the analysis performed on multiple inkjet inks in the example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0013] An analysis system and an analysis method using the same according to one embodiment of the present invention are used to analyze the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium.

[0014] As mentioned above, when analyzing the state of a dispersion, it has been common practice to identify parameters that are assumed to directly correlate with the performance of the dispersion and then analyze these parameters. However, the state of a dispersion is determined by a complex interplay of multiple factors. Therefore, identifying directly correlated parameters is extremely difficult. Furthermore, this method requires the acquisition and analysis of a vast amount of data. In addition, analysis based on multiple factors has made it difficult to obtain accurate results.

[0015] In contrast, the analysis system and method of this embodiment generate multiple signals by interacting two or more luminescent probes with the dispersion. The data obtained from these signals is not data obtained by focusing on individual factors of the dispersion, but rather data obtained based on the overall state of the dispersion. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the state of the dispersion can be comprehensively analyzed, and it is also possible to predict its performance from this state. Furthermore, this method does not require complex processes such as measuring many types of data, and can be performed simply.

[0016] Here, the dispersion that can be analyzed by the analysis system and analysis method of this embodiment only needs to include a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersion.

[0017] In this specification, "liquid dispersion medium" refers to any component that is liquid at the temperature at which the dispersion interacts with the luminescence probe and at the temperature at which a signal is acquired from the luminescence probe, and that is capable of dispersing the dispersed phase. For example, when the dispersion interacts with the luminescence probe or a signal is acquired from the luminescence probe at room temperature, the dispersion medium may be any component that is liquid at room temperature. On the other hand, when the above signal acquisition is performed at a temperature higher or lower than room temperature, the dispersion medium may be any component that is liquid at that temperature, and may be a gaseous or solid at room temperature. The dispersion medium may be any of the following: various elements, water, inorganic compounds, organic compounds, etc. Furthermore, the dispersion medium may be a liquid in which other components are dissolved, such as an aqueous solution. The dispersion may contain only one type of dispersion medium, or it may contain two or more types.

[0018] Further, as used herein, the term "solid dispersoid" refers to a component that is in a solid state and can be dispersed in a dispersion at the temperature when the dispersion is caused to interact with a luminescent probe and when a signal is acquired from the luminescent probe. For example, when a dispersion is caused to interact with a luminescent probe or a signal is acquired from a luminescent probe at normal temperature, the dispersoid only needs to be a component that is solid at normal temperature. On the other hand, when the above signal acquisition or the like is performed at a temperature higher or lower than normal temperature, the dispersoid only needs to be a component that is solid at that temperature, and may be a component that is gaseous or liquid at normal temperature. Examples of the dispersoid include metal particles, inorganic particles, and organic particles (resin particles). Further, the size (diameter) of the dispersoid is not particularly limited as long as it can be dispersed in a dispersion medium. The dispersion may contain only one type of dispersoid, or may contain two or more types thereof.

[0019] The type of the dispersion is not particularly limited. The dispersion may further contain other components not classified into the above dispersion medium and the above dispersoid (for example, a liquid dispersoid, etc.). Specific examples of the dispersion include ink, coating materials, and nanoparticle dispersions (dispersions in which nanoparticles such as resin particles, colloidal particles, metal particles, metal oxide particles, and ceramics are dispersed in a dispersion medium), and the like. An example of the above ink includes an inkjet ink that contains a water-soluble liquid such as alcohol and water as a dispersion medium, and contains a pigment and resin particles in the dispersion medium.

[0020] Hereinafter, the analysis method of the present embodiment will be described first, and then the analysis system will be described. In the following description, a case where each step is performed at normal temperature and normal pressure is taken as an example, but these steps may be performed in an environment other than normal temperature and normal pressure.

[0021] 1. Analysis Method FIG. 1 shows a flow of the analysis method of the present embodiment. The analysis method includes: step S101 of causing a dispersion liquid to interact with two or more types of luminescent probes (interaction step); step S102 of generating a plurality of signals from the two or more types of luminescent probes that have interacted with the dispersion liquid (signal generation step); step S103 of detecting the plurality of signals (signal detection step); and step S104 of analyzing the plurality of detected signals and analyzing the state of the dispersion liquid (analysis step). The analysis method of the present embodiment may further include steps other than the above within a range that does not impair the objects and effects of the present embodiment. For example, the method may further include a step of generating a trained model, or the like.

[0022] (Interaction Step S101) In the interaction step S101, the dispersion liquid is caused to interact with two or more types of luminescent probes. The number of types of luminescent probes to be caused to interact with the dispersion liquid only needs to be two or more, and is appropriately selected depending on factors such as the type of the dispersion liquid that is the analysis target. When the number of types of luminescent probes is 50 or more, more preferably 100 or more, very detailed analysis can be performed.

[0023] Further, in the present embodiment, two or more types of luminescent probes may be mixed into one dispersion liquid, and the plurality of luminescent probes may be collectively caused to interact with the dispersion liquid. However, it is preferable to divide the dispersion liquid into a plurality of portions, and mix the divided dispersion liquid with one type of luminescent probe. When each type of luminescent probe is caused to interact with the dispersion liquid separately, it becomes possible to individually detect a signal from each luminescent probe in the signal detection step described later. This makes it easy to specify from which luminescent probe the signal has changed, and to what extent the change has occurred.

[0024] A luminescent probe is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or dispersed phase, and a luminescent portion whose luminescence behavior changes depending on its interaction with the dispersion. The binding portion of the luminescent probe may have a binding portion (structure or functional group) that interacts with only one of the dispersion medium or the dispersed phase, or it may have a binding portion (structure or functional group) that interacts with both. Furthermore, "change in luminescence behavior" as used herein refers to a change in the presence or absence of luminescence, a change in the color of the luminescence, a change in the intensity of the luminescence, or a change in the timing of the luminescence. In this embodiment, for example, depending on the chemical structure and electronic state of the dispersion medium or dispersed phase in the dispersion, the luminescence behavior changes as part or all of the chemical structure or physical structure of the luminescent probe changes, or the electronic state changes. The specific structure of the luminescent probe will be described in detail later.

[0025] The method for interacting the luminescent probe with the dispersion is not particularly limited. For example, the luminescent probe and the dispersion may simply be mixed. The mixture may be stirred as needed. A specific example of a method for binding or interacting the dispersion with the luminescent probe is to place the luminescent probe in each well of a microwell plate and then inject the dispersion into the wells to cause them to interact. Alternatively, the dispersion may be placed in the wells first, and then the luminescent probe or the liquid containing the luminescent probe may be injected later. Another example is to immobilize the luminescent probes on a microplate or microarray and then introduce the dispersion onto the microplate or microarray according to a conventional method.

[0026] (Signal generation step S102) In the signal generation step S102, multiple signals are generated from two or more light-emitting probes that have interacted with the dispersion. The type of signal is not particularly limited as long as it is useful for analysis in the analysis step described later, but as mentioned above, the light-emitting probes have a light-emitting part whose light emission behavior changes depending on the interaction with the dispersion. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to irradiate each light-emitting probe interacting with the dispersion with excitation light to generate light (signals) from each light-emitting probe. At this time, the wavelength of the excitation light to be irradiated and the method of irradiating the excitation light are appropriately selected according to the signal detection method in the signal detection step and the type of signal to be used for analysis. Furthermore, the excitation light may be irradiated with light of a single wavelength only once, or with multiple wavelengths. Alternatively, the excitation light may be irradiated with light of different wavelengths at once, or in multiple separate irradiations.

[0027] (Signal detection process S103) In the signal detection step S103, two or more signals emitted from the two or more light-emitting probes are detected. The method of signal detection is not particularly limited and is appropriately selected according to the type of signal. For example, when detecting the light emitted by each light-emitting probe, its brightness or wavelength may be detected as a signal. Alternatively, the temporal change in the spectral distribution of the light emitted by the light-emitting probes or the temporal change in chromaticity may be detected.

[0028] (Analysis step S104) In the analysis step S104, multiple signals (analysis data) acquired in the signal detection step S103 are analyzed to determine the state of the dispersion. Examples of the state of the dispersion include the dispersibility of the dispersed phase in the dispersion, the pH of the dispersion, the concentration of the dispersed phase, the degree of degradation of the dispersion, and the presence or absence of impurities. In this specification, "state of the dispersion" does not refer to any one of these individual states, but rather to the complex state of the dispersion resulting from the interplay of these factors.

[0029] The analysis method in analysis step S104 is not particularly limited. For example, principal component analysis may be performed on the analysis data with a desired performance to understand the correlation between the performance and the state of the dispersion, and based on this, an optimal range may be determined. Alternatively, the state of a dispersion may be analyzed by comparing standard data (reference) obtained in advance by performing the interaction step S101, signal generation step S102, and signal detection step S103 on a dispersion whose state is known, with the analysis data of a dispersion whose state is unknown. Furthermore, the performance of the dispersion may be predicted by comparing the analysis data with, for example, a trained model.

[0030] The performance of the dispersion is selected appropriately depending on its intended use. For example, if the dispersion is an inkjet ink, examples of the inkjet ink's performance include the ejection properties from the nozzle (presence or absence of satellites, nozzle clogging, etc.), the wetting and spreading properties of the inkjet ink on the recording medium, the uniformity of the image obtained from the inkjet ink, the scratch resistance of the cured inkjet ink, and the glossiness of the cured inkjet ink. However, it is not limited to these.

[0031] In the analysis process S104, the standard data and the analysis data may be simply compared. However, the comparison results between the standard data and the analysis data may be converted into a distance matrix and analyzed using a heatmap (unweighted), or the distance matrix may be subjected to principal component analysis (also known as PCA, with weighting that emphasizes anisotropy), or analysis by DL (with weighting that emphasizes isotropy), etc.

[0032] (Other processes) As described above, the analysis method of this embodiment may further include other steps in addition to the steps described above. For example, it may further include a machine learning step in which arbitrary data is machine-learned and a trained model is generated.

[0033] In the machine learning process, the interaction process S101, signal generation process S102, signal detection process S103, etc., are performed on a large number of machine learning samples (dispersions). Then, multiple predictive models are constructed from the numerous signals obtained in the signal detection process S103. Finally, by combining the results of the multiple predictive models, a trained model capable of predicting information about the dispersion is created.

[0034] Machine learning can be either supervised or unsupervised. Supervised learning is a learning method that learns the "relationship between input and output" from training data that has correct labels. Unsupervised learning is a learning method that learns the "structure of a data set" from training data that does not have correct labels.

[0035] Furthermore, machine learning may be reinforcement learning, deep learning, or deep reinforcement learning. Reinforcement learning is a learning method that learns the "optimal sequence of actions" through trial and error. Deep learning is a learning method that learns the features contained in a large amount of data in a stepwise, deeper way. Deep reinforcement learning is a learning method that combines reinforcement learning and deep learning.

[0036] Machine learning can be applied to general analytical methods (algorithms). For example, predictive models can be constructed using analytical methods selected from linear regression (multiple regression analysis, partial least squares (PLS) regression, LASSO regression, Ridge regression, principal component regression (PCR), etc.), random forests, decision trees, support vector machines (SVM), support vector regression (SVR), neural networks, discriminant analysis, etc.

[0037] (Regarding the luminescent probe) The luminescent probe used in the analysis method of this embodiment may be any compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a luminescent portion whose luminescence behavior changes depending on the state of the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase. The luminescent probe may have only the binding portion and the luminescent portion. On the other hand, the luminescent probe may further have structures that do not bind to the dispersion medium or dispersed phase, or contribute to luminescence. However, it is preferable that the binding portion and the luminescent portion are located on the tip side of the luminescent probe, that is, on the side that is more likely to come into contact with the dispersion medium or dispersed phase.

[0038] Here, the binding site may include a nucleic acid structure. When the luminescent probe includes a nucleic acid structure, the amino groups, carbonyl groups, etc., contained in its base readily interact (e.g., hydrogen bonding) with the functional groups of the dispersion medium or dispersed phase. In this specification, the nucleic acid structure includes not only structures derived from DNA and RNA, but also structures derived from phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides, 2'-O-(2-methoxy)ethyl-modified nucleic acids, siRNA, cross-linked nucleic acids, peptide nucleic acids, aTNA, SNA, GNA, LNA, and morpholino antisense nucleic acids.

[0039] Furthermore, the type of emission of light from the light-emitting part is not particularly limited, as long as the emission behavior changes depending on the state of the dispersion medium or dispersed phase. The light-emitting part may emit only one type of light in response to a single excitation light, but it is preferable that it exhibits two or more types of emission selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, phosphorescence, excimer emission, excyplex emission, thermally activated delayed fluorescence, excited-state intramolecular proton emission, triplet-triplet annihilation emission, twist-type intramolecular charge transfer emission, and aggregation-induced emission in response to a single excitation light. When the light-emitting part exhibits two or more types of emission, it becomes possible to obtain more information in the signal detection step described above. For example, when a light-emitting probe exhibiting two or more types of emission is coupled to a dispersion medium or dispersed phase, the structure and electronic state of the light-emitting part change, and a complex emission behavior different from that of the light-emitting probe alone is obtained. For example, when a luminescent probe exhibiting three different types of emission—fluorescence, phosphorescence, and excimer emission—in response to a single excitation light interacts with a dispersion, the processes by which fluorescence, phosphorescence, and excimer emission occur change, altering the wavelength and lifetime of each type of light. Therefore, depending on the state of the dispersion, a complex and large amount of data can be obtained, representing combinations of these types of light. This complex and extensive data allows for a very detailed analysis of the state of the dispersion medium and dispersed phase.

[0040] Specific examples of luminescent probes include structures having a binding site consisting of a nucleic acid structure and at least two chromophores or luminescent phosphodiphores (luminescent sites) bound to the main chain of the nucleic acid structure. More specifically, these include molecules having a main chain having one or more structural units including a pentose or hexose-derived sugar structure and a phosphate ester bond bound to the sugar structure, and one or more chromophores or luminescent phosphodiphores bound to the sugar structure. Luminescent probes having such structures will be described in detail below.

[0041] The main chain of the binding portion of the above-mentioned luminescent probe only needs to have one or more structural units, each containing a sugar structure derived from a pentose or hexose and a phosphate ester bond attached to the sugar structure. The main chain may contain only one of these structural units, or it may contain multiple such units. That is, it may be a structure having one sugar structure and one phosphate ester bond attached to the sugar structure, or it may be a structure containing alternating sugar structures and phosphate ester bonds. Typically, both ends of the main chain of the luminescent probe will be sugar structures, so there will be one more sugar structure than the number of phosphate ester bonds. When the main chain contains multiple structural units, the multiple structural units may be identical or different from each other.

[0042] Furthermore, the number of structural units contained in the main chain of the binding portion is appropriately selected depending on the type of dispersion medium and dispersed phase, but is preferably between 2 and 6. If the amount of structural units is excessively large, the luminescent probe may become more steric, making it difficult to interact with the dispersion medium and dispersed phase. In contrast, by using a luminescent probe with 6 or fewer structural units, the luminescent probe can interact more easily with the dispersion medium and dispersed phase, making it easier to detect various structural changes. The main chain of the binding portion may also contain structures other than the pentose or hexose-derived sugar structure and phosphate ester bond structural units, as long as the purpose and effect of this embodiment are not impaired. Furthermore, the structures at both ends of the main chain are not particularly limited and can be various structures such as OH groups and alkoxy groups. However, the main chain of the binding portion is not limited to the pentose or hexose-derived sugar structure and phosphate ester bond structural units. A typical example of other structural units is the peptide nucleic acid type structural unit.

[0043] On the other hand, the light-emitting part (chromophore or luminescent phore) can be any structure that emits a predetermined type of light on its own in response to a single excitation light, or emits a predetermined light through the action of multiple chromophores or luminescent phores. In this specification, "chromophore" refers to a structure that absorbs light with a wavelength of 300 nm or longer, and "luminescent phore" refers to a structure that absorbs light with a wavelength of 300 nm or longer and emits light. The number of chromophores or luminescent phores that each light-emitting probe has may be as few as one, as long as the light-emitting probe is capable of exhibiting multiple types of emission. However, from the viewpoint of making it easier for the light-emitting probe to exhibit multiple types of emission, two or more are preferred, and three to six are more preferred. When a light-emitting probe has multiple chromophores or luminescent phores, there may be only one type, or there may be two or more types. Normally, one chromophore or luminescent phore is bound to one sugar structure in the binding portion. Therefore, when a light-emitting probe has two or more multiple chromophores or luminescent phores, it is preferable that there are also two or more sugar structures in the main chain of the binding portion. In other words, it is preferable that the number of chromophores or luminescent phosphodiphores in the luminescent probe is equal to or less than the number of sugar structures (or peptide structures) in the main chain of the signal generation section described above.

[0044] Furthermore, if the number of chromophores or luminescent molecules in the luminescent probe is less than the number of sugar structures (or peptide structures) in the binding site, some sugar structures will be left without a chromophore or luminescent molecule. Sugar structures without a chromophore or luminescent molecule do not need to have other atomic groups bound to them, and may have native-type nucleic acid bases bound to them. In this specification, native-type nucleic acid bases refer to adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil.

[0045] Here, examples of fluorescent chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from fluorescein, rhodamine, boron dipyromethene, etc. Examples of phosphorescent chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from iridium complexes, platinum complexes, etc. Examples of excimer chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from pyrene, anthracene, perylene, etc. Examples of exciplex chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from pyrene-dimethylaniline, etc. Examples of thermally activated delayed fluorescence chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from 4CzIPN, DABNA, etc. Examples of excited-state intramolecular proton emission chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from hydroxyphenylbenzoxazole, etc. Examples of triplet annihilation emission chromophores or luminescent molecules include structures derived from 9,10-diphenylanthracene, rubrene, etc. Examples of chromophores or luminescent foci that emit twisted intramolecular charge transfer luminescence include structures derived from diaminoanthracene, diaminonaphthalene, etc. Examples of chromophores or luminescent foci that emit aggregated organic luminescence include structures derived from tetraphenylethene, hexaphenylsilole, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, luminescent compounds used as luminescent materials or hosts, electron transport materials, hole transport materials, or luminescent materials in organic EL can also be suitably used as materials for the chromophore or luminescent phose. In addition, the luminescent probe may further include structures that perform various functions as sites that control the interaction between the binding site and the dispersion.

[0047] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the luminescent probe includes at least one structure selected from a fluorescent structure, an excimer emission structure, and an excyplex emission structure as a chromophore or luminescent phore. In particular, it is preferable that it includes at least a fluorescent structure. When the luminescent probe emits fluorescence, it has the advantage of being easily analyzed by various measuring devices.

[0048] Furthermore, it is preferable that the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting probe exhibits multiple types of emission when irradiated with light of a wavelength of 300 to 400 nm. When the light-emitting probe exhibits multiple types of emission when irradiated with light of that wavelength, a special light source is not required when analyzing the dispersion medium or dispersed phase.

[0049] However, when using LEDs or organic EL elements as the excitation light source, excitation in the visible light range is advantageous. Therefore, when using such light sources, the absorption wavelength of the above-mentioned light-emitting probe is preferably 400 to 700 nm.

[0050] The molecular weight of the above-mentioned luminescent probe is appropriately selected depending on the type of binding site and luminescent site of the luminescent probe, but is generally preferably between 500 and 10,000, and more preferably between 500 and 4,000. When the molecular weight of the luminescent probe is 10,000 or less, it interacts more easily with the dispersion medium and dispersed phase.

[0051] The above method for manufacturing the luminescent probe is appropriately selected depending on the structure of the binding site in the luminescent probe. For example, the luminescent probe having the above-described sugar structure can be manufactured by the following method: Prepare a monomer by bonding the above-mentioned chromophore or luminescent ester and a phosphate ester to a pentose or hexose. This monomer can be synthesized by polymerizing it in the desired sequence using the phosphoramidide method with a DNA / RNA synthesizer or the like. With this method, multiple types of monomers with different types of chromophore or luminescent phosphodiester can be prepared, and the desired number of monomers can be bonded by changing the sequence order of these monomers. In other words, a wide variety of luminescent probes can be synthesized from multiple types of monomers with different types of chromophore or luminescent phosphodiester. By changing the type of monomer used and the number of monomers bonded, it is possible to synthesize a very large number of types of luminescent probes.

[0052] 2. Analysis System Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an analysis system for performing the above analysis method. However, the configuration of the analysis system is not limited to this configuration. The analysis system 100 shown in Figure 2 includes a signal generation unit 11 for generating multiple signals based on the interaction between a dispersion (dispersion medium, dispersion phase, etc.) and two or more luminescent probes, a detection unit 12 for detecting the multiple signals from the signal generation unit 11, and an analysis unit 13 for analyzing the multiple signals detected by the detection unit 12 and analyzing the state of the dispersion. The analysis system 100 may include other configurations depending on its application. Each configuration will be described below.

[0053] (Signal generation unit) The signal generation unit 11 is configured to generate a signal based on the interaction between a dispersion and two or more light-emitting probes. The structure of the signal generation unit 11 is appropriately selected according to the type of signal to be generated. In this embodiment, the signal generation unit 11 irradiates the light-emitting probes with light to cause them to emit light. The signal generation unit 11 includes a light source 111, a housing section 112 for housing the light-emitting probes and dispersion, and an optical system 114 for guiding light from the light source 111 to the housing section 112 (and the light-emitting probes housed therein).

[0054] The light source 111 is not particularly limited as long as it is a means capable of irradiating the light-emitting probe, which is interacting with the dispersion, with light of a desired wavelength for a desired time. Examples of preferred light sources include picosecond diode lasers, tunable lasers, supercontinuum light sources, LED light sources, etc. With these light sources 111, it is possible to irradiate the light-emitting probe with light of a predetermined wavelength for only a short time. Considering the signal-to-noise ratio (S / N) in the detection unit 12, it is preferable to select a light source that can extinguish the light before the light-emitting probe emits light.

[0055] The containment section 112 is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure capable of containing the above-mentioned luminescent probe and dispersion. Examples of the containment section 112 include microwell plates, microplates, microarrays, etc. The luminescent probe may be contained in these containment sections 112 in advance. Alternatively, the dispersion may be contained in these sections.

[0056] The optical system 114 is not particularly limited as long as it can guide light from the light source 111 to the housing section 112 which houses the light-emitting probe and dispersion, and can also guide light emitted by the light-emitting probe to the detection section 12. The optical system 114 may, for example, have an excitation light filter (not shown) for cutting out unwanted wavelengths of light emitted from the light source 111. The optical system 114 may also have a dichroic mirror (not shown) that reflects light from the light source 111 to the housing section 112 while transmitting light emitted by the light-emitting probe. The optical system 114 may also have an optical filter or the like that cuts out unwanted wavelengths of light from the light transmitted through the dichroic mirror.

[0057] (Detection unit) The detection unit 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is a means capable of acquiring each of the multiple signals (in this case, multiple lights) emitted by the multiple light-emitting probes. It is appropriately selected according to the type of signal to be acquired. In the case where the signal is light, as in this embodiment, it may be a known camera or the like. Alternatively, it may be a CCD camera, CMOS camera, etc., which capture images intermittently or continuously.

[0058] (Analysis Department) The analysis unit 13 can be any means capable of analyzing the multiple signals acquired by the detection unit 12 described above. For example, it may read separately acquired standard data and compare it with the multiple signals (analysis data) acquired by the detection unit 12 to analyze the state of the dispersion or predict its performance. Alternatively, the analysis unit 13 may read a trained model from an external storage device (not shown) or an internal storage means (not shown) and perform a comparison calculation between the trained model and the analysis data.

[0059] As such an analysis unit 13, a general-purpose computer can be used, which is equipped with storage means such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or read-only memory (ROM) for storing programs and data, and a central processing unit (CPU) for executing programs and performing calculations. Furthermore, the computer may also have input means such as a keyboard or mouse, and output means such as a monitor or printer. [Examples]

[0060] 1. Preparation of the light-emitting probe We prepared 83 types of luminescent probes, represented by the chemical formulas below. Each of the 83 luminescent probes has a structure in which one of 13 groups (luminescent phosphophores, chromophores, or other groups) is bonded to the R position in the left-hand structure of the following chemical formula. The 83 types are formed by various combinations of the group represented by R. [ka]

[0061] 2. Preparation of the ink (resin dispersion) 2-1. Preparation of materials The following materials were prepared.

[0062] (Dispersoid (resin particles)) • EMN-325 (Acryset, manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd., acrylic elastomer) • Elastoran 1185A (manufactured by BASF, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) • MD-2000 (Vyronal®, a registered trademark of Toyobo Co., Ltd., a water-dispersible polyester resin)

[0063] (dispersion medium) • Mixture of water and ethylene glycol (ethylene glycol concentration: 3% by mass)

[0064] (Other (surfactants, etc.)) • Emulgen 709 (manufactured by Kao Corporation, polyoxyethylene higher alkyl ether)

[0065] 2-2. Preparation of ink (resin dispersion) The above components were arbitrarily combined and mixed in the following proportions (by mass) to prepare 23 types of inkjet inks. [Table 1]

[0066] 3. Interaction process 23 96-well microwell plates were prepared, each containing 7mm wells arranged in 12 rows and 8 columns with 9mm spacing between each well, corresponding to the number of inkjet ink types. 10 μl of each of the above-mentioned luminescence probes 1-83 was individually placed into the wells of each 96-well microwell plate using an automated dispensing device (NichiMart CUBE, NICHIRYO). Similarly, luminescence probes 1-83 were individually placed into the wells of all the microwell plates. In each microwell plate, 10 μl of the sample (inkjet ink) was placed in the well containing the luminescence probe, and the components in the inkjet ink were allowed to interact. One microwell plate was used for each sample.

[0067] 4. Signal generation process and signal detection process The above microwell plates were irradiated with excitation light (wavelength 365 nm) (signal generation step). The fluorescence spectrum at this time was captured with a camera, and the RGB information of each microwell plate was obtained (signal detection step). The same procedure was performed for all microwell plates.

[0068] 5. Checking the ejection performance of each ink. The 23 inkjet inks used in the above analysis were each dispensed in a line system using a Konica Minolta KM1024iMHE printer with a droplet size of 13 pL. After confirming that the filled ink was being dispensed from all 60 nozzles at the start of dispensing, the ink was dispensed continuously for 60 minutes. After the 60 minutes of continuous dispensing were completed, the number of nozzles that were still dispensing (number of dispensed nozzles after 60 minutes of continuous dispensing) was counted. The number of dispensed nozzles after 60 minutes of continuous dispensing was then applied to the following evaluation criteria to assess the ink dispensing performance. 〇 (Good): Minimal main droplet wobble, minimal satellite droplet scattering, minimal satellite droplet displacement, and no discharge failure during AIL (Automatic Injection). × (Poor): Anything other than the above ○ (Good)

[0069] 6.Analysis process For the RGB data of each microwell plate acquired in the signal detection process, the number of emission probes was reduced to five using Hilbert-Schmidt Independence Criterion (HSIC) with a significance level of 5%, and preprocessing was performed, with ejectability as the dependent variable. Subsequently, principal component analysis was performed, and the three-dimensional space consisting of principal component 1, principal component 2, and principal component 3 was orthogonally projected onto a two-dimensional plane according to the following two criteria. (i) The domains of Good and Poor are separated from each other. (ii) Good has small intraclass variance. As a result, the basis vectors Basis1 and Basis2 of the two-dimensional plane are as follows. Basis 1=-0.24×PC1-0.66×PC2+0.71×PC3 Basis 2=-0.28×PC1+0.66×PC2-0.70×PC3 A visualization of this two-dimensional plane is shown in Figure 3.

[0070] 7. Verification The results obtained above are shown in Figure 3 with circles (○) and crosses (×). As shown in Figure 3, inkjet inks with good ejectability (evaluation = ○) are concentrated in specific areas of Basis 1 and Basis 2. Inkjet inks with poor ejectability (evaluation = ×) are distributed outside these areas in the graph. This means that for inkjet inks with unknown ejectability, by analyzing the signals obtained by performing each of the above processes, if the analysis data falls within a predetermined range, good ejectability can be predicted, and if it falls outside the range, poor ejectability can be predicted.

[0071] Furthermore, the inkjet inks with good ejectability exhibited stable droplet formation behavior and minimal satellite formation. Conversely, inkjet inks with poor ejectability resulted in satellite formation and a decrease in velocity at the Air Ingestion Limit (AIL). In other words, the analysis results using this method reflect complex information about the dispersion, including the ejectability of the inkjet ink. Therefore, it allows for a comprehensive evaluation of differences that could not be captured by conventional single physical property indicators. Consequently, it enables accurate analysis of the dispersion's state and predicts its performance based on this analysis. [Industrial applicability]

[0072] According to the analysis system and method described above, it is possible to analyze the state of a dispersion without using special equipment or performing complex pretreatment. Therefore, it is extremely useful, for example, in the manufacture of inks and paints. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 11 Signal Generation Unit 12 Detection unit 13 Analysis Department 111 Light source 112 Storage Unit 114 Optical system 100 Analysis Systems

Claims

1. This system analyzes the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium. A signal generation unit for generating multiple signals based on the interaction between the dispersion and two or more light-emitting probes, A detection unit for detecting the plurality of signals from the signal generation unit, and An analysis unit analyzes the plurality of signals detected by the detection unit and analyzes the state of the dispersion. Includes, Each of the light-emitting probes is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a light-emitting portion whose light-emitting behavior changes as a result of the interaction. Analysis system.

2. The dispersion is an ink or paint. The analysis system according to claim 1.

3. The dispersed phase is pigment and / or resin particles. The analysis system according to claim 1.

4. The dispersion is an inkjet ink. The analysis system according to claim 1.

5. The signal generation unit includes a housing unit that houses the light-emitting probe, The analysis system according to claim 1.

6. The analysis unit refers to the trained model and predicts the performance of the dispersion. The analysis system according to claim 1.

7. The dispersion is an inkjet ink. The analysis unit predicts at least one performance selected from the group consisting of the wettability of the inkjet ink to the recording medium, the ejectability of the inkjet ink from the nozzle, the uniformity of the image obtained from the inkjet ink, the abrasion resistance of the cured inkjet ink, and the glossiness of the cured inkjet ink. The analysis system according to claim 6.

8. This is a method for analyzing the state of a dispersion containing a liquid dispersion medium and a solid dispersed phase dispersed in the dispersion medium. A step of interacting the dispersion with two or more luminescent probes, A step of generating multiple signals from the two or more light-emitting probes that have interacted with the dispersion, The process of detecting the plurality of signals, A step of analyzing the state of the dispersion liquid from the multiple signals detected, Includes, Each of the light-emitting probes is a compound having a binding portion for interacting with the dispersion medium and / or the dispersed phase, and a light-emitting portion whose light-emitting behavior changes as a result of the interaction. Analysis method.

9. The step of generating the signal is the step of irradiating the two or more light-emitting probes with excitation light. The step of detecting the signal is a step of detecting the brightness and / or chromaticity of light. The analysis method according to claim 8.

10. In the process of analyzing the state of the dispersion, the performance of the dispersion is further predicted by referring to a trained model. The analysis method according to claim 8.

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