Spectroscopic measurement device and article inspection device equipped with the same
The integration of a temperature control unit with a Peltier cooling device and heat insulation stabilizes the spectrometer's temperature, addressing reproducibility issues and ensuring accurate spectroscopic measurements.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024077990
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing spectroscopic measurement devices face issues with reproducibility due to temperature-induced distortions and electronic noise variations in the spectrometer, affecting the accuracy of measurements.
Incorporation of a temperature control unit with a Peltier cooling device and heat insulating material to maintain a constant temperature within the light detection unit, along with temperature sensors to ensure measurements are only taken when within a predetermined optimal temperature range.
Ensures reproducible and accurate spectroscopic measurements by stabilizing the spectrometer's temperature and reducing electronic noise, thereby maintaining measurement consistency.
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Figure 2025172466000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an article inspection device that aligns and transports articles to be inspected individually while irradiating them with light at a predetermined inspection position, and inspects the quality of the articles based on the spectral characteristics of the light that passes through the articles as this light is irradiated.The device comprises a light irradiating unit that irradiates the articles with light, and a light detecting unit that receives the light that has passed through the articles using an optical fiber and has a spectroscope that measures the light intensity for each wavelength component of the received light, and the optical fiber and spectroscope are assembled together and housed within a device that constitutes the light detecting unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-056863 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in the object inspection device described in Patent Document 1, temperature changes within the device that constitutes the light detection unit can cause distortion in the spectrum acquired by the spectrometer, and electronic noise can vary due to temperature-dependent dark current, which could make it difficult to guarantee the reproducibility of measurements using the spectrometer.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device that can ensure the reproducibility of measurements using a spectroscope. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The spectroscopic measuring device according to the present invention is configured to include a light source unit (3) that irradiates an object (W) with light from a light source (30), a light detection unit (4) that measures the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light irradiated from the light source unit and transmitted through the object using a spectroscope (42), a first housing (5) having a first storage chamber (51) that houses the light detection unit, and a temperature control unit (7) that maintains a constant temperature in the first storage chamber.
[0007] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention includes a temperature control unit that maintains a constant temperature in the first chamber that houses the light detection unit, and the temperature of the spectrometer and its associated optical system can be maintained constant by the temperature control unit. This prevents, for example, distortion in the spectrum acquired by the spectrometer and variations in electronic noise due to temperature-dependent dark current, ensuring the reproducibility of measurements by the spectrometer.
[0008] In the spectroscopic measurement device of the present invention, the first storage chamber may be configured so that an inner wall thereof is provided with a heat insulating material (51a).
[0009] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention has a heat insulating material provided on the inner wall of the first storage chamber, making it easier to keep the temperature inside the first storage chamber constant.
[0010] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the temperature control unit includes a Peltier cooling device (70) using a Peltier element (70a), and a temperature controller (71) that controls the temperature of the Peltier cooling device.
[0011] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention has a temperature control unit including a Peltier cooling device and a temperature controller, so that a temperature control unit compatible with a relatively small first storage chamber can be realized.
[0012] The spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention preferably further comprises a second housing (6) having a second chamber (62) for accommodating the light source, and after the light source is driven, measurement by the light detection unit is not performed until the temperature in the second chamber becomes constant.
[0013] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device of the present invention does not perform measurement using the light detection unit until the temperature in the second chamber that houses the light source becomes constant after the light source is activated, thereby preventing measurements from being taken in situations where measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained, such as immediately after the light source is activated when the wavelength of the light irradiated from the light source is not stable.
[0014] The spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention further includes a first temperature sensor (73) that detects the temperature inside the first storage chamber and a second temperature sensor (74) that detects the temperature inside the second storage chamber, and it is preferable that measurement by the light detection unit is not performed when the temperatures inside the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are outside a predetermined optimum temperature range.
[0015] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention does not perform measurement using the light detection unit when the temperatures inside the first and second storage chambers are outside a predetermined optimum temperature range, thereby preventing measurement in situations where measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained.
[0016] The article inspection device according to the present invention comprises a spectroscopic measurement device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and an inspection unit (2) that inspects the quality of the article based on the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the spectrometer.
[0017] With this configuration, the article inspection device according to the present invention is equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device that can ensure the reproducibility of measurements made by a spectroscope, thereby preventing a decrease in the accuracy of inspection by the inspection unit. [Effects of the Invention]
[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device that can ensure the reproducibility of measurements made by a spectroscope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an article inspection device equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the temperature control unit of the spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an article inspection device equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram of the temperature in the first chamber of the spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Hereinafter, an article inspection device equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021] In this embodiment, when an item to be inspected is transported individually along a transport path by a transport unit and reaches a predetermined inspection position, the item inspection device irradiates light onto the item, which is in a fixed position at the predetermined inspection position, and inspects the quality of the item based on the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light that passes through the item upon irradiation with this light (also called irradiated light).
[0022] The items to be inspected are items that are relatively close in size to the area irradiated with light, and include items with an outer diameter φ of several mm to several tens of mm that can be transported individually without packaging, bite-sized items, as well as items and molded products of a predetermined shape manufactured using existing manufacturing equipment or manufacturing equipment without inspection functions, and especially items that do not change shape during transportation.
[0023] Examples of such articles include pharmaceutical preparations such as tablets, capsules, lozenges, and drops, as well as candy and chocolate. The following description will be given taking as an example an article to be inspected a tablet W that is circular in plan view, has a height (thickness) smaller than its diameter, and is roughly cylindrical in side view. Note that the article to be inspected is not limited to a circular shape in plan view, and articles of various shapes such as an oval shape or a polygonal shape can also be used.
[0024] The conveying unit may be, for example, a conveying unit configured to align and convey articles individually, such as a conveying belt, a conveying disk, or a conveying chute. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a conveying disk 11 (see FIG. 1) is used as the conveying unit.
[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying disk 11 is a conveying unit configured to suck tablets W into suction holes on its outer peripheral surface and convey them in the circumferential direction while rotating horizontally. In the conveying disk 11, the tablets W are conveyed with their upper and lower surfaces kept horizontal as their sides are sucked into the suction holes. In Fig. 1, only a portion of the outer peripheral side of the conveying disk 11 is shown.
[0026] The article inspection device 10 according to this embodiment includes a spectroscopic measurement device 1 and an inspection unit 2 (see FIG. 3).
[0027] [Spectrometry device] The spectroscopic measurement device 1 includes a light source section 3, a light detection section 4, a first housing 5, a second housing 6, and a temperature control unit 7. The spectroscopic measurement device 1 irradiates a tablet W to be measured with broadband light (visible light, near-infrared to terahertz light (terahertz waves)), and measures the spectral characteristics of the light that passes through the tablet W in response to the irradiation of this light.
[0028] (Light source part) The light source unit 3 is configured to irradiate broadband light onto the tablet W passing through a predetermined inspection position, i.e., onto the tablet W being conveyed (moving). In this embodiment, the light source unit 3 is arranged on the opposite side (lower side in this embodiment) from the light detection unit 4 across the conveyance path of the tablet W so as to irradiate light from one side (lower side in this embodiment) of a pair of circular end faces of the approximately cylindrical tablet W to the other side (upper side in this embodiment).
[0029] The conveying path of the tablet W is an area through which the tablet W passes during conveyance. The predetermined inspection position is a position on the conveying path of the tablet W where the light source unit 3 and the light detection unit 4 are arranged.
[0030] The light source unit 3 includes a light source 30 , a light guide 31 , and an optical lens 32 .
[0031] The light source 30 is composed of a broadband light source, such as a halogen lamp, in order to irradiate broadband light onto the tablet W to be measured, and is provided at a predetermined position as a light source unit integrally assembled with a lamp holding means (not shown) and a case having heat dissipation fins, and is connected to a power supply unit (neither of which is shown).
[0032] Broadband light refers to light that includes visible light, near-infrared light, and terahertz light (terahertz waves). The wavelength of the irradiated light does not need to cover all of these; for example, a wavelength band of 400-2500 nm can easily pass through a measured object such as a tablet and is less likely to cause damage from ultraviolet rays, so the light may be limited to this wavelength band or the near-infrared band within this wavelength band. Furthermore, if the absorption spectrum of the component to be measured is known, only the wavelength band corresponding to the absorption spectrum may be used.
[0033] The light guide 31 is made up of a large number of glass optical fibers bundled together, and guides the light from the light source 30 to an optical lens 32 that condenses the light. The light emitted from the light source 30 is irradiated onto the tablet W via the light guide 31 and the optical lens 32.
[0034] The optical lens 32 focuses the light from the light guide 31 onto the tablet W at a predetermined inspection position (the lower surface of the tablet W in the example of FIG. 1).
[0035] The light source unit 3 is provided with a dustproof cover glass 33 between the optical lens 32 and the tablet W.
[0036] (Photodetector) The light detection unit 4 includes an optical fiber 41 and a spectroscope .
[0037] The light detection unit 4 is positioned on the opposite side (in this embodiment, the upper side) from the light source unit 3 across the conveying path of the tablet W, so as to face the other (in this embodiment, the upper side) of a pair of circular end faces of the approximately cylindrical tablet W.
[0038] The optical fiber 41 is configured so that transmitted light that has passed through the tablet W at a predetermined inspection position is incident on it. The transmitted light that has passed through the tablet W is incident on the optical fiber 41 from an end face (hereinafter referred to as the "incident end") 41a of the incident surface of the optical fiber 41. The transmitted light that has entered the optical fiber 41 passes through the optical fiber 41 and reaches the spectroscope 42.
[0039] The spectroscope 42 performs spectrometry using, for example, a grating that utilizes differences in the diffraction angle depending on the wavelength of light. Specifically, the light that enters the spectroscope 42 is irradiated onto a grating (diffraction grating) and separated into individual wavelength components. The light separated into individual wavelength components is then detected for each wavelength component by a row of photodetector elements. The light intensity for each wavelength component is then measured. The grating is an optical element with multiple grooves engraved on its surface.
[0040] A tapered optical fiber with a large input diameter and a small output diameter can be used as the optical fiber 41. This allows the transmitted light to be incident on the spectroscope 42 more efficiently.
[0041] The light detection unit 4 is provided with a light collecting member 43 for collecting light between the optical fiber 41 and the tablet W. The light collecting member 43 has a function of collecting transmitted light that has passed through the tablet W onto the incident end 41a of the optical fiber 41. Note that the light collecting member 43 does not necessarily have to be provided.
[0042] In this way, the light detection unit 4 receives light irradiated from the light source unit 3 and transmitted through the tablet W, and the transmitted light is incident on the optical fiber 41, and the spectrometer 42 measures the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light that has passed through the optical fiber 41.
[0043] (1st cabinet) The first housing 5 has a first storage chamber 51 and an auxiliary chamber 52 therein.
[0044] The first storage chamber 51 accommodates the light detection unit 4, specifically the optical fiber 41, the spectroscope 42, and an optical system (not shown). A heat insulating material 51a (shown by hatching in FIG. 1) is provided on the inner wall of the first storage chamber 51. For example, the heat insulating material 51a may have a structure in which a flat polystyrene material is sandwiched between metal plates. The heat insulating material 51a described above is one example and is not limited to this. The heat insulating material 51a is, for example, lined inside the first storage chamber 51.
[0045] A circulation fan 51b that circulates air within the first storage chamber 51 is provided in the first storage chamber 51. By circulating the air within the first storage chamber 51, the circulation fan 51b generates convection within the first storage chamber 51, thereby eliminating temperature variations within the first storage chamber 51.
[0046] The sub-chamber 52 houses a temperature controller 71 that controls the temperature of the temperature control unit 7. The sub-chamber 52 also includes a first exhaust fan 52a that exhausts the air in the sub-chamber 52 to the outside of the first housing 5.
[0047] Between the first storage chamber 51 and the auxiliary chamber 52, a Peltier cooling device 70 (described later) is provided so that a portion of the device is exposed to the first storage chamber 51 and another portion of the device is exposed to the auxiliary chamber 52.
[0048] (Second housing) The second housing 6 has an auxiliary chamber 61 and a second storage chamber 62 therein.
[0049] The auxiliary chamber 61 accommodates the optical lens 32 and a part of the light guide 31 .
[0050] The second housing chamber 62 houses the light source 30. The second housing chamber 62 is provided with a second exhaust fan 62a that exhausts the air inside the second housing chamber 62 to the outside of the second housing 6.
[0051] The first housing 5 and the second housing 6 are connected to each other by a connecting member (not shown) and integrated into one body.
[0052] (Temperature control unit) The temperature control unit 7 includes a Peltier cooling device 70 and a temperature controller 71.
[0053] The Peltier cooling device 70 is configured as a heating and cooling device using a Peltier element 70a, and includes the Peltier element 70a, a radiator 70b, an air-cooling fan 70c, a radiator 70d, and an air-cooling fan 70e.
[0054] The heat sink 70b and the air-cooling fan 70c are provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the first accommodation chamber 51. The heat sink 70d and the air-cooling fan 70e are provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the sub-chamber 52. The Peltier element 70a is provided between the heat sink 70b and the heat sink 70d.
[0055] The Peltier cooling device 70 is configured to control the temperature by a temperature controller 71 so as to keep the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 constant, for example, so that the current temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 falls within a predetermined optimum temperature range. The current temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 refers to the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 detected by a first temperature sensor 73, which will be described later.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature controller 71 is connected to the Peltier cooling device 70, and adjusts the temperature of the surface of the Peltier element 70a facing the first storage chamber 51 by controlling the magnitude of the current flowing through the Peltier element 70a.
[0057] In the Peltier cooling device 70, when the surface of the Peltier element 70a facing the first housing chamber 51 acts as a heat absorbing surface (cooling surface), the surface of the Peltier element 70a facing the auxiliary chamber 52 acts as a heat generating surface. In this case, the heated air in the auxiliary chamber 52 is exhausted to the outside of the first housing 5 by the first exhaust fan 52a, thereby suppressing a temperature rise in the auxiliary chamber 52.
[0058] On the other hand, when the surface of the Peltier element 70a on the first housing chamber 51 side acts as a heat generating surface, the surface of the Peltier element 70a on the sub-chamber 52 side acts as a heat absorbing surface (cooling surface).
[0059] In addition to the Peltier cooling device 70 described above, the temperature controller 71 is connected to a circulation fan 51b, a first exhaust fan 52a, a second exhaust fan 62a, a first temperature sensor 73, and a second temperature sensor 74.
[0060] The circulation fan 51b, the first exhaust fan 52a, and the second exhaust fan 62a are each configured to start driving at any timing, for example, when the temperature controller 71 is activated. The driving timing of the circulation fan 51b, the first exhaust fan 52a, and the second exhaust fan 62a can be set arbitrarily.
[0061] The first temperature sensor 73 is disposed at an appropriate position within the first storage chamber 51 (see FIG. 1), and is configured to detect the temperature within the first storage chamber 51 (also referred to as the current temperature) and output it to the temperature controller 71.
[0062] The second temperature sensor 74 is disposed at an appropriate position within the second storage chamber 62 (see FIG. 1), and is configured to detect the temperature within the second storage chamber 62 (also referred to as the current temperature) and output it to the temperature controller 71.
[0063] The temperature controller 71 is configured to perform temperature control, which will be described later, based on the temperatures in the first storage chamber 51 and the second storage chamber 62 detected by the first temperature sensor 73 and the second temperature sensor 74.
[0064] [Inspection Department] As shown in Figure 3, the inspection unit 2 has a signal processing unit 2a that processes the spectroscopic characteristics obtained by the light detection unit 4 (see Figure 1) within a predetermined exposure time, and inspects the quality of the tablet W, i.e., determines whether the quality of the tablet W is good or bad, based on the results of the signal processing.
[0065] The signal processing unit 2a calculates the spectral characteristics of the absorbance absorbed by the tablet W from the spectral characteristics obtained by the light detection unit 4. Specifically, the absorbance A at wavelength λ is obtained by the formula A=-log10(I / Ii), which is the common logarithm of the ratio (transmittance) of the light intensity Ii of the incident light to the light intensity I of the transmitted light, and the transmitted amount detected when there is no tablet W at the predetermined inspection position can be calculated as the light intensity Ii of the incident light.
[0066] The inspection unit 2 compares the spectroscopic characteristics of absorbance of a non-defective tablet W obtained in advance (intensity of each wavelength of the spectrum (including when differentiated multiple times), waveform shape, information obtained by extracting the entire or partial region and creating a calibration curve, statistical information) with the spectroscopic characteristics of absorbance of the tablet W to be inspected that has been transported to a predetermined inspection position, and judges whether the quality of the tablet W is good or bad based on the magnitude of the difference. The inspection unit 2 outputs a sorting signal based on the pass / fail result of the judgment to a sorting unit (not shown) that sorts the tablets W into normal and defective products.
[0067] Specifically, for example, the quality of the tablet W is judged based on whether the difference amount for each wavelength determined by calculation using a calibration curve obtained by statistical calculation results (such as standard deviation) or statistical methods such as regression is within a predetermined range (a range determined based on the results of statistical calculations or the results of the calibration curve).The quality of the tablet W can also be judged based on whether the sum of the intensities of each wavelength is within a predetermined range.Furthermore, if the components of the tablet W are uniform, the quality of the tablet W may be judged based on whether there is an intensity exceeding a predetermined threshold value set in advance in a region other than the specific wavelength.
[0068] [Temperature control of the temperature control unit] FIG. 4 shows the state transition of the current temperature in the first storage chamber 51 when the temperature controller 71 is performing temperature control.
[0069] In Figure 4, the "predetermined optimum temperature range" is written as "optimum temperature." Therefore, for example, the description "upper limit optimum temperature threshold" means "the upper limit of the predetermined optimum temperature range," and the description "lower limit optimum temperature threshold" means "the lower limit of the predetermined optimum temperature range."
[0070] Furthermore, in Figure 4, "low temperature" refers to a temperature state in which the current temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 detected by the first temperature sensor 73 (hereinafter simply referred to as "current temperature") is equal to or lower than the lower limit of the optimum temperature threshold. "High temperature" refers to a temperature state in which the current temperature is higher than the upper limit of the optimum temperature threshold. Therefore, the above-mentioned "low temperature" and "high temperature" both refer to temperature states in which the current temperature is outside a predetermined optimum temperature range.
[0071] The predetermined optimum temperature range is, for example, a temperature range in which condensation does not occur inside the first housing 51 due to the temperature difference between the first housing 5 and the outside, and is set to a temperature range in which distortion of the spectrum does not occur between the upper and lower limit values and electronic noise does not vary.
[0072] As shown in Figure 4, in the "low temperature" state, the temperature controller 71 determines whether the current temperature is in an "optimum temperature" state, which is equal to or lower than the upper limit of the optimum temperature threshold and higher than the lower limit of the optimum temperature threshold, and if the number of times that the temperature has been determined to be in the "optimum temperature" state is measured consecutively for a predetermined "number of optimum temperature determinations," the state transitions to the "optimum temperature" state.
[0073] In the "low temperature" state, if the temperature controller 71 determines that the current temperature is higher than the upper limit of the optimum temperature threshold, the state transitions to the "high temperature" state.
[0074] In the "optimum temperature" state, if the temperature controller 71 determines that the current temperature is equal to or lower than the optimum temperature threshold lower limit, the state transitions to the "low temperature" state.
[0075] In the "optimum temperature" state, if the temperature controller 71 determines that the current temperature is higher than the optimum temperature threshold upper limit, the state transitions to the "high temperature" state.
[0076] In the "high temperature" state, the temperature controller 71 determines whether the current temperature is below the upper limit of the optimum temperature threshold and higher than the lower limit of the optimum temperature threshold, that is, whether the temperature is in an "optimum temperature" state, and if the number of times the temperature is determined to be in the "optimum temperature" state is measured consecutively for a predetermined "number of optimum temperature determinations," the state transitions to the "optimum temperature" state.
[0077] In the "high temperature" state, if the temperature controller 71 determines that the current temperature is equal to or lower than the optimum temperature threshold lower limit, the state transitions to the "low temperature" state.
[0078] In this embodiment, the temperature controller 71 is configured not to perform measurement by the light detection unit 4, that is, not to measure the spectral characteristics of the light transmitted through the tablet W by the spectroscope, when the current temperature is outside a predetermined optimum temperature range.
[0079] Here, the wavelength of the light emitted by the light source 30 disposed in the second housing chamber 62 changes depending on the temperature. For example, when the light source 30 starts to operate, the temperature inside the second housing chamber 62 is often low, and the wavelength of the light emitted by the light source 30 does not stabilize until the temperature rises to a level at which the wavelength of the light is stable. For this reason, for example, if a measurement is performed using the light detection unit 4 immediately after the light source 30 starts to operate, it will be difficult to obtain reproducibility of the measurement between the light source 30 and subsequent measurements.
[0080] Therefore, in this embodiment, a predetermined optimum temperature range is set as the temperature at which the wavelength of the light emitted by the light source 30 is stable, similar to that in the first storage chamber 51, and the temperature in the second storage chamber 62 is controlled to fall within the predetermined optimum temperature range.
[0081] Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature controller 71 determines whether the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 is within a predetermined optimum temperature range based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor 74. At this time, the state transition of the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 is the same as the state transition shown in Fig. 4. Note that the predetermined optimum temperature range at this time may be different from or the same as the predetermined optimum temperature range applied inside the first storage chamber 51.
[0082] The temperature controller 71 is configured so that, when the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 is outside a predetermined optimum temperature range, the light detection unit 4 does not perform measurement, i.e., the spectroscope 42 does not measure the spectral characteristics of the light transmitted through the tablet W.
[0083] In this manner, in this embodiment, when the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 and the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 are within their respective predetermined optimum temperature ranges, measurement by the light detection unit 4 is performed.
[0084] Here, in the object inspection device 10 of this embodiment, when the temperature controller 71 detects that at least one of the temperatures in the first storage chamber 51 and the second storage chamber 62 is outside the respective predetermined optimum temperature ranges during operation in which the tablet W is being transported by the transport disk 11 while measurement is being performed by the light detection unit 4, the transport by the transport disk 11 is stopped and measurement of the tablet W is stopped.
[0085] [Action and effect] As described above, the spectroscopic measurement device according to this embodiment includes the temperature control unit 7 that maintains a constant temperature inside the first housing chamber 51 that houses the light detection unit 4, and therefore the temperatures of the spectrometer 42 and its associated optical systems can be maintained constant by the temperature control unit 7. This prevents, for example, distortion in the spectrum acquired by the spectrometer 42 and variations in electronic noise due to temperature-dependent dark current, and ensures the reproducibility of measurements by the spectrometer 42.
[0086] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to this embodiment, the heat insulating material 51a is provided on the inner wall of the first storage chamber 51, so that the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 can be easily kept constant.
[0087] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to this embodiment, the temperature control unit 7 includes the Peltier cooling device 70 and the temperature controller 71, so that a temperature control unit compatible with the first storage chamber 51 that is relatively small can be realized.
[0088] In the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, after the light source 30 is driven, the light detection unit 4 does not perform measurement until the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 that houses the light source 30 becomes constant, thereby preventing measurements from being taken in situations where measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained, such as immediately after the light source 30 is driven, when the wavelength of the light irradiated from the light source 30 is not stable.
[0089] The spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment does not perform measurement using the light detection unit 4 when the temperatures in the first storage chamber 51 and the second storage chamber 62 are outside a predetermined optimum temperature range, thereby preventing measurement in situations where measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained.
[0090] The article inspection device according to this embodiment includes the spectroscopic measurement device 1 that can ensure the reproducibility of measurements by the spectroscope 42, and therefore can prevent the accuracy of inspection by the inspection unit 2 from decreasing.
[0091] [Variations] In this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which measurement is performed by the light detection unit 4 when the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 and the temperature inside the second storage chamber 62 are within their respective predetermined optimum temperature ranges. However, this is not limited to this, and the configuration may also be such that measurement is performed by the light detection unit 4 when, for example, the temperature inside the first storage chamber 51 is within a predetermined optimum temperature range.
[0092] While an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention, and it is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0093] 1 Spectrometer 2. Inspection Department 3 Light source section 4. Light detection unit 5. First cabinet 6 Second enclosure 7 Temperature Control Unit 10. Item inspection equipment 11 Transfer disk 30 light source 42 Spectrometer 51 Containment Cell 1 51a Insulation 51b Circulation fan 52a No. 1 exhaust fan 62 Second Containment Cell 62a Second exhaust fan 70 Peltier cooling device 71 Temperature Controller 73 First temperature sensor 74 Second temperature sensor W Tablet (item)
Claims
1. a light source unit (3) that irradiates light from a light source (30) onto an article (W); a light detection unit (4) that measures the spectral characteristics of light irradiated from the light source unit and transmitted through the article using a spectroscope (42); a first housing (5) having a first storage chamber (51) for storing the light detection unit; A spectroscopic measurement device comprising: a temperature control unit (7) that keeps the temperature in the first chamber constant.
2. The spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein an inner wall of the first chamber is provided with a heat insulating material (51a).
3. 2. The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control unit includes a Peltier cooling device (70) using a Peltier element (70a) and a temperature controller (71) that controls the temperature of the Peltier cooling device.
4. The device further includes a second housing (6) having a second housing chamber (62) for housing the light source, The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein after the light source is driven, measurement by the light detection unit is not performed until the temperature in the second chamber becomes constant.
5. a first temperature sensor (73) for detecting a temperature in the first storage chamber; a second temperature sensor (74) that detects the temperature inside the second storage chamber; The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 4 , wherein when the temperatures inside the first chamber and the second chamber are outside a predetermined optimum temperature range, the light detection unit does not perform measurement.
6. A spectroscopic measurement device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and an inspection unit (2) that inspects the quality of the article based on the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the spectrometer.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Article inspection device
JP2023056863A