Portable spectrum dual-mode signal acquisition device based on fluorescent sensing array

Abstract

The invention discloses a portable spectrum dual-mode signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensing array. The portable spectrum dual-mode signal acquisition device comprises a cassette, the fluorescence sensing array arranged in the cassette, an ultraviolet light source, an overall fluorescence image acquisition unit, a single-hole spectral analysis unit, a movement mechanism and a movement control unit, the fluorescent sensing array adopts a microwell plate, and a plurality of hole sites for placing a fluorescent material and a detected aqueous solution are arranged in an array; the ultraviolet light source is arranged towards the fluorescent sensing array; the overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is used for acquiring fluorescence information of the whole microwell plate; the single-hole spectral analysis unit is used for acquiring spectral information of each hole site on the microwell plate; and the movement mechanism changes the relative position between the optical fiber and the microwell plate according to an instruction of the movement control unit, and acquires spectral information at hole sites one by one. According to the device, the global image of the sensing array and the spectral signal of each sensing unit can be acquired at the same time, and low-cost and convenient acquisition of dual-mode data is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of analytical detection technology, and in particular to a portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, common methods for detecting pollutants in water bodies include chemical analysis, gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and spectroscopy. Among these, spectroscopy offers advantages such as speed, economy, high sensitivity, high selectivity, and being "green" and reagent-free, making it widely used in environmental monitoring. However, spectroscopic instruments used for high-precision analysis are typically bulky, expensive, complex to operate, and have stringent environmental requirements. This "offline analysis" mode cannot meet the demands for rapid response to sudden pollution events. Sensor arrays, on the other hand, offer advantages such as low cost, fast response, and ease of operation, adding a new dimension to observation. Furthermore, by employing more parameters to improve detection performance, they enhance the stability and robustness of detection methods and are widely used in gas sensing (electronic nose) and liquid sensing (electronic tongue) fields.

[0003] Signal acquisition methods for sensor arrays mainly include imaging, spectroscopy, and spectral imaging. Imaging methods are advantageous due to their ease of operation, ability to quickly present the macroscopic features and morphological changes of samples, and direct observation of the overall condition of the object being tested. However, their quantitative analysis capabilities are weak, making it difficult to accurately determine the composition and content of substances. Furthermore, image quality is easily affected by factors such as ambient light, shooting angle, and device pixel count, thus impacting the accuracy of the analysis results. Spectroscopy can accurately resolve the spectral characteristics of substances, thereby accurately determining their chemical composition and structural information. However, its equipment is typically expensive and complex, requiring specialized technicians for operation and maintenance. Spectral imaging can simultaneously acquire the spectral information and spatial distribution of a target object at different wavelengths. Based on different spectral resolution capabilities, it can be divided into multispectral, hyperspectral, and superspectral methods, representing an advanced imaging method combining optical spectral analysis and image processing techniques. However, a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of spectral imaging technology is the high cost of commercial systems.

[0004] Currently, the price of a commercially available spectral imaging camera can be tens of thousands of dollars, orders of magnitude higher than that of a commercially available RGB camera. Manufacturing a precise spectral imaging system requires accurate spectral components and a meticulous calibration process, similar to the manufacturing process of other precision instruments. Therefore, the development of low-cost, fast-acquisition, and compact systems has become a hot topic. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this application proposes a portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array, which can simultaneously acquire the global image of the sensor array and the spectral signals of each sensor unit, achieving low-cost and convenient acquisition of dual-mode data.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0007] A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array includes a dark box, a fluorescence sensor array disposed within the dark box, an ultraviolet light source, an overall fluorescence image acquisition unit, a single-hole spectral analysis unit, a motion mechanism, and a motion control unit.

[0008] The fluorescence sensing array uses a microplate as a carrier, and multiple wells are arranged in an array on the microplate for placing fluorescent materials and the aqueous solution to be detected.

[0009] The ultraviolet light source is arranged toward the fluorescence sensor array;

[0010] The overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is used to acquire the fluorescence information of the entire microplate;

[0011] The single-well spectral analysis unit includes an optical fiber and a spectrometer. One end of the optical fiber is arranged facing the microplate to acquire spectral information at each well position on the microplate; the other end is connected to the spectrometer.

[0012] The motion mechanism changes the relative position between the optical fiber and the microplate according to the instructions of the motion control unit, and collects spectral information at each aperture.

[0013] Furthermore, during the detection process, the aqueous solution to be tested is mixed with different types of fluorescent sensing materials to obtain multiple mixed solutions, which are then added to the wells on the microplate.

[0014] Furthermore, the overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is a camera, located directly above the microplate.

[0015] Furthermore, the motion mechanism consists of a slide rail and a stepper motor to support the microporous plate; the microporous plate moves in a two-dimensional plane under the drive of the stepper motor.

[0016] Furthermore, the motion control unit uses an STM32 microcontroller to start and stop the stepper motor and control its direction of movement, thereby regulating the movement of the microplate.

[0017] Furthermore, a positioning algorithm is pre-stored within the STM32 microcontroller to locate each hole in the microplate; the positioning algorithm includes two modes: S-shaped traversal and locating the target hole.

[0018] Furthermore, the control flow of the S-shaped traversal mode is as follows:

[0019] ① After the device starts the traversal mode, the stepper motor moves the first column of the first row of the microplate under the optical fiber. Set the row hole variable i = 1 and the column hole variable j = 1 as the initial position value.

[0020] ② The horizontal stepper motor rotates a set angle each time, causing the microplate to move horizontally by one hole spacing d, i = i + 1. If i is less than n, repeat ②; otherwise, execute ③. n is the number of rows of holes.

[0021] ③ The longitudinal stepper motor rotates a set angle each time, causing the microplate to move one hole spacing d along the longitudinal direction, j = j + 1, causing the transverse stepper motor to reverse, and i to be reset to 1. If j is less than m, execute ②; otherwise, execute ④; m is the number of holes in the column.

[0022] ④ The horizontal and vertical stepper motors drive the micro-perforated plate back to the initial position, and i and j are reset to 1, realizing S-shaped traversal.

[0023] Furthermore, the control process for locating the target hole mode is as follows:

[0024] ① After the device starts the target hole positioning mode, input the horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the target hole. Based on the hole spacing d of the microplate and the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the microplate, calculate the horizontal step length i and the vertical step length j.

[0025] ② The horizontal and vertical stepper motors drive the micro-perforated plate to the target position according to the i and j values, collect data and record the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data, and realize the function of locating the target hole.

[0026] Furthermore, the motion mechanism employs a robotic arm, positioned at the end of an optical fiber. While maintaining the position of the microplate, the arm moves from the end of the optical fiber to collect spectral information at each aperture on the microplate.

[0027] Furthermore, the ultraviolet light source was replaced based on the fluorescent sensing material and the pollutant aqueous solution.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0029] 1) The device of the present invention uses a microporous plate to load different water pollutants and uses a camera to collect multiple samples at a time, thereby realizing automated monitoring of the sensor array and improving the collection efficiency.

[0030] 2) The device of the present invention uses a cross slide rail to achieve precise positioning of the microplate and captures the excited fluorescence information by focusing a single target sample through an optical fiber. The device uses an optical fiber as a medium to transmit fluorescence information, which can reduce the interference of other light sources during the propagation process.

[0031] 3) The device of the present invention uses an STM32 microcontroller to write a positioning algorithm. The S-shaped traversal mode can detect the spectral data of each well on the microplate at one time, improving the detection efficiency. The target well positioning mode only requires inputting the horizontal and vertical coordinate information of the target well to automatically locate the target position for acquisition and detection. It is easy to operate and has a high degree of integration.

[0032] 4) The device of the present invention can acquire spectral signals quickly and with high throughput using a dual-mode data processing method, thereby realizing real-time and efficient monitoring and early warning of water pollution, providing a lightweight and universally applicable solution for water quality safety monitoring, pollution source tracing and emergency management, and promoting the upgrading of environmental monitoring technology towards intelligence and on-site application. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the detection device provided by the present invention;

[0034] In the diagram: 1. Dark box; 2. Spectrometer; 3. Optical fiber; 4. Ultraviolet light source; 5. Camera; 6. Stepper motor; 7. Slide rail; 8. Circular hole; 9. STM32 microcontroller; 10. Microplate. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses a portable dual-mode imaging and spectral signal acquisition device for a fluorescence sensing array, comprising a dark box 1, a fluorescence sensing array, an ultraviolet light source 4, an overall fluorescence image acquisition unit, and a single-hole spectral analysis unit. The specific details of each part are as follows:

[0037] In this embodiment, the dark box 1 is a cuboid structure with dimensions of 26 cm * 26 cm * 20 cm and is completely opaque, which can create a suitable working environment and avoid interference from other light sources.

[0038] In this embodiment, the fluorescence sensing array uses a microplate 10 as a carrier, with multiple wells arranged in an array on the microplate 10. Each well is used to hold a fluorescent material and the aqueous solution to be detected. During the detection process, the aqueous solution to be detected is mixed with different fluorescent sensing materials to obtain multiple mixed solutions, which are then added to the wells on the microplate 10. Since different fluorescent sensing materials have different fluorescence responses to the target pollutant, the color signal responses exhibited by multiple fluorescent sensing materials on the microplate 10 together constitute the characteristic pattern of the pollutant. Based on this overall color space characteristic pattern of the plate, the pollutant can be classified.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light source 4 is located directly above the microplate 10 and is arranged facing the fluorescence sensing array; the ultraviolet light emitted by the light source irradiates the microplate 10, causing each well in the microplate 10 to excite different fluorescence information.

[0040] In this embodiment, the overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is a camera 5, which is located directly above the microplate 10. The camera 5 is used to capture the fluorescence information of the entire microplate 10.

[0041] In this embodiment, the single-well spectral analysis unit includes an optical fiber 3 and a spectrometer 2. One end of the optical fiber 3 is placed inside the dark box 1 and is arranged towards the microplate 10 to acquire spectral information at each well position on the microplate 10. The other end of the optical fiber 3 is connected to the spectrometer 2, which is used to analyze and process the fluorescence information of the single well.

[0042] In this embodiment, to facilitate the acquisition of spectral information at each well position on the microplate 10 by the single-well spectral analysis unit, a motion mechanism and a motion control unit are provided for the microplate 10 or the optical fiber 3. The motion control unit issues control commands to the motion mechanism, which then moves the microplate 10 or the optical fiber 3 according to the control commands. This causes relative motion between the microplate 10 and the optical fiber 3, allowing spectral information to be acquired at each well position sequentially. Taking the structure shown in the attached figure as an example, a slide table consisting of a slide rail 7 and a stepper motor 6 is provided at the bottom of the dark box 1 to support the microplate 10. The two slide rails 7 are arranged in a cross shape to form a horizontal xy plane. The microplate 10 can be slidably mounted on one of the slide rails 7. One stepper motor 6 is provided in each of the x and y directions. Driven by the stepper motor 6, the microplate 10 moves along the x or y direction, causing a change in the relative position between the microplate 10 and the optical fiber 3.

[0043] Similarly, the motion mechanism can be set at the end of the optical fiber 3, such as a small robotic arm, so that while keeping the position of the microplate 10 unchanged, the end of the optical fiber 3 moves to collect spectral information at each well position on the microplate 10.

[0044] In this embodiment, the motion control unit uses an STM32 microcontroller 9 to start and stop the stepper motor 6 and control its direction of movement, thereby regulating the movement of the micro-perforated plate 10.

[0045] In this embodiment, a positioning algorithm is pre-stored within the STM32 microcontroller 9 to locate each well in the microplate 10. The positioning algorithm for single-well spectral analysis includes two modes: S-shaped traversal and target well location. When using it, the center-to-center distance d, the number of rows of wells n, and the number of columns of wells m must be filled into the corresponding variables according to the dimensions of the microplate 10. During the execution of the positioning algorithm, a pause is made after each movement for fluorescence data acquisition and processing.

[0046] More specifically, the control flow of the S-shaped traversal mode is as follows:

[0047] ① After the device starts the traversal mode, the stepper motor 6 moves the first column of the first row of the micro-perforated plate 10 under the optical fiber 3. Set the row hole variable i = 1 and the column hole variable j = 1 as the initial position value.

[0048] ② The horizontal stepper motor 6 rotates a set angle each time, causing the micro-perforated plate 10 to move horizontally by one hole distance d, i = i + 1. If i is less than n, repeat ②; otherwise, execute ③.

[0049] ③ Each time the longitudinal stepper motor 6 rotates by a set angle, the micro-perforated plate 10 moves longitudinally by one hole distance d, j = j + 1, causing the transverse stepper motor 6 to reverse, and i is reset to 1. If j is less than m, execute ②; otherwise, execute ④.

[0050] ④ The horizontal and vertical stepper motors 6 drive the micro-perforated plate 10 back to the initial position, and i and j are reset to 1, realizing S-shaped traversal.

[0051] More specifically, the target hole mode control program in the positioning algorithm is as follows:

[0052] ① After the device starts the target hole positioning mode, input the horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the target hole. Based on the hole spacing d of the micro-hole plate 10 and the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the micro-hole plate 10, calculate the horizontal step length i and the vertical step length j.

[0053] ② The horizontal and vertical stepper motors drive the micro-perforated plate 10 to the target position according to the i and j values, collect data and record the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data, and realize the function of locating the target hole.

[0054] More specifically, one end of the optical fiber 3 is positioned vertically 0.5 cm directly above one of the holes in the microplate 10, and the other end passes through the top wall of the dark box 1 and connects to the spectrometer 2. As the microplate 10 moves, it can traverse each hole. In addition, a seal should be maintained during the connection process to prevent interference from other light sources during propagation.

[0055] More specifically, the USB interfaces of camera 5 and spectrometer 2 are connected to the computer, while STM32 microcontroller 9 is connected to the external computer through a circular hole.

[0056] More specifically, the ultraviolet light source 4 can be replaced according to changes in the fluorescent sensing material and the aqueous solution of pollutants.

[0057] The process of using a portable dual-mode imaging and spectral signal acquisition device for a fluorescence sensing array according to the present invention is as follows: Preferred fluorescent sensing materials are mixed with an aqueous solution of the same pollutant to prepare a detection reagent, which is then dripped into the corresponding wells of a microplate 10. The dark box 1 is opened, and the microplate 10 is placed on a two-position positioning system consisting of a stepper motor 6 and a cross slide rail 7 at the bottom of the dark box 1. The dark box 1 is closed, and the ultraviolet light source 4 is turned on. The ultraviolet light emitted by the light source irradiates the microplate 10, causing each well in the microplate 10 to excite different fluorescence information. The fluorescence information is emitted from the top of the dark box 1 directly above the microplate 10. The camera 5 captures the fluorescence information of the entire microplate 10. Then, based on the size of the microplate 10, the three data points d (center distance between holes), n (number of rows), and m (number of columns) are filled into the corresponding variables. At the same time, the user can select two modes of the positioning algorithm to collect and analyze the spectral information of a single hole according to their needs. The S-shaped traversal mode can collect the spectral information of all holes in the microplate 10 at once. The target hole positioning mode only requires the horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the target hole to be filled in. The stepper motor 6 can drive the cross slide rail 7 to move the microplate 10 to the target position, thereby realizing the positioning of the target hole and the collection of the corresponding spectral information.

[0058] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the design concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications made based on the principles and design ideas disclosed in the present invention are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array, characterized in that, It includes a dark box (1), a fluorescence sensing array disposed in the dark box (1), an ultraviolet light source (4), an overall fluorescence image acquisition unit, a single-hole spectral analysis unit, a motion mechanism, and a motion control unit; The fluorescence sensing array uses a microplate (10) as a carrier, and multiple wells are arranged in an array on the microplate (10) for placing fluorescent materials and the aqueous solution to be detected. The ultraviolet light source (4) is arranged toward the fluorescence sensing array; The overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is used to acquire the fluorescence information of the entire microplate (10); The single-well spectral analysis unit includes an optical fiber (3) and a spectrometer (2). One end of the optical fiber (3) is arranged facing the microplate (10) to acquire spectral information at each well position on the microplate (10); the other end is connected to the spectrometer (2). The motion mechanism changes the relative position between the optical fiber (3) and the microplate (10) according to the instructions of the motion control unit, and collects spectral information at each aperture.

2. The portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the detection process, the aqueous solution to be tested is mixed with different kinds of fluorescent sensing materials to obtain a variety of mixed solutions, and the mixed solutions are added to the wells on the microplate (10).

3. The portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overall fluorescence image acquisition unit is a camera (5), located directly above the microplate (10).

4. The portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motion mechanism consists of a slide rail (7) and a stepper motor (6) to support the microporous plate (10); the microporous plate (10) moves in a two-dimensional plane under the drive of the stepper motor (6).

5. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motion control unit uses an STM32 microcontroller (9) to start and stop the stepper motor (6) and control its direction of motion, thereby regulating the motion of the micro-perforated plate (10).

6. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning algorithm is pre-stored in the STM32 microcontroller (9) to locate each hole in the micro-hole plate (10); the positioning algorithm includes two modes: S-shaped traversal and locating the target hole.

7. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control flow for the S-shaped traversal mode is as follows: ① After the device starts the traversal mode, the stepper motor (6) moves the first column of the first row of the micro-hole plate (10) under the optical fiber (3). Set the row hole variable i = 1 and the column hole variable j = 1 as the initial position value; ② The horizontal stepper motor (6) rotates by a set angle each time, causing the micro-perforated plate (10) to move horizontally by one hole distance d, i = i + 1. If i is less than n, repeat ②, otherwise execute ③; n is the number of rows of holes; ③ The longitudinal stepper motor (6) rotates by a set angle each time, causing the micro-perforated plate (10) to move one hole distance d along the longitudinal direction, j = j + 1, causing the transverse stepper motor (6) to reverse, i is reset to 1, if j is less than m, execute ②, otherwise execute ④; m is the number of column holes; ④ The horizontal and vertical stepper motors (6) drive the micro-perforated plate (10) back to the initial position, and i and j are reset to 1 to realize S-shaped traversal.

8. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control process for locating the target hole is as follows: ① After the device starts the target hole positioning mode, input the horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the target hole, and calculate the horizontal step length i and the vertical step length j based on the hole spacing d of the micro-hole plate (10) and the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data of the micro-hole plate (10); ② The horizontal and vertical stepper motors drive the micro-hole plate (10) to move to the target position according to the i and j values, collect data and record the current horizontal and vertical coordinate data, and realize the function of locating the target hole.

9. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motion mechanism is a robotic arm, which is set at the end of the optical fiber (3). While keeping the position of the microplate (10) unchanged, it moves from the end of the optical fiber (3) to collect spectral information at each hole position on the microplate (10).

10. A portable dual-mode spectral signal acquisition device based on a fluorescence sensor array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultraviolet light source was replaced according to the fluorescent sensing material and the pollutant aqueous solution (4).

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