Analysis device

Abstract

An analysis device (100A, 100B, 100C) according to the present disclosure is provided with an optical medium (30), a first light source (10), a second light source (20), a first optical path adjustment mechanism (11), and a detector (40). The optical medium has a contact surface (30a) with which an object to be measured comes into contact. The first light source generates probe light (L1). The second light source generates excitation light (L2). The probe light is made incident on the optical medium, is reflected at a reflection position (P) of the contact surface, and is emitted from the optical medium. The excitation light is made incident on the optical medium and is radiated onto an irradiation region (R) of the contact surface. The reflection position overlaps the irradiation region. The first optical path adjustment mechanism adjusts an optical path of the probe light before being made incident on the optical medium so as to change the reflection position within the range of the irradiation region. The detector detects the probe light emitted from the optical medium.

Description

Analyzer

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an analytical device.

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-519214 (Patent Document 1) describes a measurement device, which performs non-invasive measurement of a measurement object using excitation light and probe light.

[0003] Special table 2017-519214 publication

[0004] The surface of the object to be measured has irregularities. The measuring device described in Patent Document 1 lacks measurement stability due to the irregularities on the surface of the object to be measured. The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the problems of the conventional technology as described above. More specifically, the present disclosure provides an analytical device that can perform stable measurements on an object to be measured that has an irregular surface.

[0005] The analytical device of the present disclosure includes an optical medium, a first light source, a second light source, a first optical path adjustment mechanism, and a detector. The optical medium has a contact surface with which a measurement object comes into contact. The first light source generates probe light. The second light source generates excitation light. The probe light is incident on the optical medium, reflected at a reflection position on the contact surface, and emitted from the optical medium. The excitation light is incident on the optical medium and irradiated onto an irradiation area on the contact surface. The reflection position overlaps with the irradiation area. The first optical path adjustment mechanism adjusts the optical path of the probe light before it is incident on the optical medium so as to change the reflection position within the range of the irradiation area. The detector detects the probe light emitted from the optical medium.

[0006] The analytical device of the present disclosure allows stable measurement of a measurement object having an uneven surface.

[0007] 1 is a schematic diagram of an analysis device 100A; FIG. 2 is a plan view of an optical medium 30 as viewed from the upper surface 30a side; FIG. 3 is a process diagram illustrating the operation of the analysis device 100A; FIG. 4 is a first schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the analysis device 100A; FIG. 5 is a second schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the analysis device 100A; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an analysis device 100B; and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an analysis device 100C.

[0008] Embodiment 1 An analysis device according to embodiment 1 will be described below. The analysis device according to embodiment 1 is designated as analysis device 100A.

[0009] (Configuration of Analysis Apparatus 100A) The configuration of the analysis apparatus 100A will be described below.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an analytical device 100A. As shown in Fig. 1, the analytical device 100A includes a light source 10, an optical path adjustment mechanism 11, a light source 20, an optical chopper 21, an optical path adjustment mechanism 22, an optical medium 30, a detector 40, a lock-in amplifier 50, and a calculation unit 60.

[0011] The light source 10 generates probe light L1. The probe light L1 is, for example, laser light. The wavelength of the probe light L1 is a wavelength that can transmit through the optical medium 30. Preferably, the probe light L1 is visible light or near-infrared light. Here, visible light is light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 770 nm. Near-infrared light is light having a wavelength in the range of 780 nm to 2500 nm.

[0012] The probe light L1 is incident on the optical medium 30 via the optical path adjustment mechanism 11. The optical path adjustment mechanism 11 adjusts the optical path of the probe light L1 before it is incident on the optical medium 30. It is preferable that the optical path adjustment mechanism 11 be able to adjust the optical path of the probe light L1 while keeping the angle of incidence on the optical medium 30 constant. The optical path adjustment mechanism 11 is composed of, for example, a pair of mirrors 11a and 11b. The positions and angles of the mirrors 11a and 11b can be adjusted, for example, manually or automatically.

[0013] The optical path adjustment mechanism 11 is not limited to being composed of the mirrors 11 a and 11 b. For example, the optical path adjustment mechanism 11 may be configured to have a movable part at the emission part of the light source 10 without using a mirror, and adjust the angle and position of the probe light L1 by moving the movable part.

[0014] The light source 20 generates excitation light L2. The excitation light L2 is, for example, laser light. The wavelength of the excitation light L2 is a wavelength that can transmit through the optical medium 30 and corresponds to the fingerprint spectrum of the measurement target component in the measurement object O. The excitation light L2 may include multiple light beams with different wavelengths. Some of the multiple light wavelengths correspond to the fingerprint spectrum of the measurement target component. The remaining of the multiple light wavelengths are wavelengths that are not absorbed by the measurement target component. The light beams with wavelengths that are not absorbed by the measurement target component are used as reference wavelengths. The number of wavelengths included in the excitation light L2 may be four or more.

[0015] The excitation light L2 is, for example, infrared light. Here, infrared light is light having a wavelength in the range of 780 nm to 1 mm. The wavelength of the excitation light L2 is, for example, in the range of 8 μm to 10 μm. The light source 20 is, for example, a quantum cascade laser. Note that a quantum cascade laser is capable of generating a wideband laser light.

[0016] The excitation light L2 passes through the optical chopper 21 and the optical path adjustment mechanism 22 and is incident on the optical medium 30. The excitation light L2 passes through the optical chopper 21 before passing through the optical path adjustment mechanism 22. The optical path adjustment mechanism 22 adjusts the optical path of the excitation light L2 after passing through the optical chopper 21 and before being incident on the optical medium 30.

[0017] The optical chopper 21 intensity-modulates the excitation light L2 with a specific frequency component. The optical chopper 21 has a blade. The optical chopper 21 intensity-modulates the excitation light L2 by periodically cutting off the excitation light L2 with the rotation of the blade. The modulation frequency of the optical chopper 21 is, for example, 5 Hz or more and 100 Hz or less.

[0018] The optical path adjustment mechanism 22 adjusts the optical path of the excitation light L2 before it is incident on the optical medium 30. The optical path adjustment mechanism 22 is preferably capable of adjusting the optical path of the excitation light L2 while maintaining a constant angle of incidence on the optical medium 30. The optical path adjustment mechanism 22 is composed of, for example, a pair of mirrors 22a and 22b. The positions and angles of the mirrors 22a and 22b can be adjusted, for example, manually or automatically. The optical path adjustment mechanism 22 is not limited to being composed of the mirrors 22a and 22b. For example, the optical path adjustment mechanism 22 may be configured with a movable part at the output portion of the light source 20 without using a mirror, and the angle and position of the excitation light L2 may be adjusted by moving the movable part.

[0019] The optical medium 30 has a top surface 30a, a bottom surface 30b, and side surfaces 30c and 30d. The top surface 30a is the contact surface with which the measurement object O (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1) comes into contact. In other words, the measurement object O is placed on the optical medium 30, and the optical medium 30 functions as a measurement table. The measurement object O is, for example, a part of the subject's body, such as a finger or wrist. The bottom surface 30b is the surface opposite the top surface 30a. The side surface 30c is connected to the top surface 30a at its upper end and to the bottom surface 30b at its lower end. The side surface 30d is the surface opposite the side surface 30c. The side surface 30d is connected to the top surface 30a at its upper end and to the bottom surface 30b at its lower end.

[0020] The optical medium 30 is made of a material that has high transmittance to the probe light L1 and the excitation light L2. Specific examples of the material that can be used for the optical medium 30 include zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), germanium (Ge), silicon (Si), and chalcogenide glass. These materials have high transmittance to infrared light. The refractive index of the material that can be used for the optical medium 30 changes depending on the temperature.

[0021] The probe light L1 is incident on the optical medium 30 from the side surface 30c. When the probe light L1 enters the optical medium 30, it is refracted at the side surface 30c. The probe light L1 incident on the optical medium 30 is reflected (total reflected) at the upper surface 30a (the surface in contact with the measurement object O). The position on the upper surface 30a at which the probe light L1 is reflected is referred to as the reflection position P (see FIG. 2). The probe light L1 reflected at the upper surface 30a is emitted from the side surface 30d. When emitted from the optical medium 30, the probe light L1 is refracted at the side surface 30d. The optical path of the probe light L1 within the optical medium 30 only needs to pass through a refractive index change region 30e (described later), and may be totally reflected two or more times within the optical medium 30, or may pass near the upper surface 30a at an angle nearly parallel to the upper surface 30a.

[0022] The excitation light L2 is incident on the optical medium 30 from the bottom surface 30b. The excitation light L2 passes through the optical medium 30, exits from the top surface 30a, and reaches the measurement object O. The region of the top surface 30a onto which the excitation light L2 is irradiated is referred to as the irradiation region R (see FIG. 2). The irradiation of the excitation light L2 causes the temperature of the optical medium 30 to rise in the vicinity of the irradiation region R. As described above, the refractive index of the constituent material of the optical medium 30 changes with temperature, so when the excitation light L2 is irradiated onto the top surface 30a, a refractive index change region 30e is formed in the vicinity of the irradiation region R.

[0023] 2 is a plan view of the optical medium 30 as viewed from the upper surface 30a side. As shown in FIG. 2, the reflection position P overlaps with the irradiation region R in a plan view. That is, the reflection position P is within the irradiation region R. The width of the irradiation region R, i.e., the beam diameter of the excitation light L2 irradiated onto the upper surface 30a, is, for example, 100 μm or less from the viewpoint of increasing the refractive index in the refractive index change region 30e. The beam diameter of the probe light L1 at the reflection position P is smaller than the beam diameter of the excitation light L2 irradiated onto the upper surface 30a (the width of the irradiation region R). The beam diameter of the probe light L1 at the reflection position P is, for example, 50 μm or less.

[0024] The reflection position P is adjusted by changing the optical path of the probe light L1 using the optical path adjustment mechanism 11. The position of the irradiation region R is adjusted by changing the optical path of the excitation light L2 using the optical path adjustment mechanism 22. However, the adjustment of the positions of the reflection position P and the irradiation region R is performed while maintaining the state in which the reflection position P is within the irradiation region R.

[0025] The detector 40 detects the probe light L1 emitted from the optical medium 30. More specifically, the detector 40 detects the position of the probe light L1 irradiated onto the detector 40. As shown in FIG. 1, when the upper surface 30a is not irradiated with the excitation light L2, the probe light L1 travels along the optical path indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1. As described above, when the upper surface 30a is irradiated with the excitation light L2, the refractive index change region 30e is formed. Therefore, the optical path of the probe light L1 is changed as indicated by the solid arrow in the figure due to the gradient of the refractive index change in the refractive index change region 30e. The detector 40 detects a change in the irradiation position of the probe light L1 on the detector 40 caused by such a change in the optical path. The detector 40 also outputs a signal corresponding to the irradiation position of the probe light L1 on the detector 40. The detector 40 is configured, for example, by a quadrant photodiode.

[0026] The lock-in amplifier 50 reads the signal output from the detector 40. The lock-in amplifier 50 is connected to the optical chopper 21, and reads the signal output from the detector 40 in synchronization with the rotation of the blades of the optical chopper 21. Therefore, the lock-in amplifier 50 reads the signal output from the detector 40 in synchronization with the modulation frequency component of the excitation light L2. The calculation unit 60 acquires the signal read by the lock-in amplifier 50 and performs calculations on the signal.

[0027] When the optical chopper 21 modulates the excitation light L2 to a frequency f, the measurement signal has the same frequency and phase as the modulated excitation light L2, but a different amplitude from the modulated excitation light L2. Therefore, multiplying the excitation light L2 by the measurement signal results in a signal composed of a 2f frequency component and a DC component. Therefore, if only the DC component is measured using a low-pass filter, noise components can be removed, enabling highly accurate measurements.

[0028] (Operation of Analysis Apparatus 100A) The operation of analysis apparatus 100A will be described below.

[0029] 3 is a process diagram showing the operation of the analysis device 100A. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation of the analysis device 100A includes a leaving step S1, a position adjustment step S2, and a measurement step S3. In the leaving step S1, the measurement object O is left standing on the optical medium 30 (upper surface 30a). After the leaving step S1, a position adjustment step S2 is performed.

[0030] In the position adjustment step S2, first, the light source 10 and the light source 20 generate the probe light L1 and the excitation light L2, respectively. At this time, the optical chopper 21 is also operated, thereby intensity-modulating the excitation light L2. That is, at this time, a state in which the excitation light L2 is irradiated onto the measurement object O and a state in which the excitation light L2 is not irradiated onto the measurement object O are repeated. The state in which the excitation light L2 is not irradiated onto the measurement object O is referred to as a first state, and the state in which the excitation light L2 is not irradiated onto the measurement object O is referred to as a second state. Because the excitation light L2 is intensity-modulated by the optical chopper 21, the first state and the second state are repeated periodically.

[0031] When the excitation light L2 passes through the optical medium 30 and is irradiated onto the measurement object O, it is absorbed inside the measurement object O. As a result, absorbed heat is generated in the measurement object O. The absorbed heat is propagated to the optical medium 30. When the absorbed heat is propagated to the optical medium 30, a refractive index change region 30e is formed. Because a temperature gradient occurs in the optical medium 30 due to the propagation of the absorbed heat, a refractive index gradient exists in the refractive index change region 30e. Therefore, in the second state, the probe light L1 is refracted not only when it enters the optical medium 30 and when it exits the optical medium 30, but also when it passes through the refractive index change region 30e.

[0032] On the other hand, in the first state, the excitation light L2 is not irradiated onto the measurement object O, and therefore the refractive index change region 30e is not formed in the optical medium 30. Therefore, in the first state, the probe light L1 is refracted only when it enters the optical medium 30 and when it exits the optical medium 30. As a result, the position on the detector 40 where the probe light L1 is irradiated changes between the first state and the second state. The position on the detector 40 where the probe light L1 is irradiated in the first state is referred to as a first position, and the position on the detector 40 where the probe light L1 is irradiated in the second state is referred to as a second position. The detector 40 outputs a signal based on the difference between the first position and the second position, and the signal is read by the lock-in amplifier 50 and processed by the calculation unit 60.

[0033] Second, in the position adjustment step S2, after fixing the optical path of the excitation light L2, the optical path adjustment mechanism 11 adjusts the optical path of the probe light L1. This adjustment is performed so as to maximize the difference between the first position and the second position. Third, in the position adjustment step S2, after fixing the optical path of the probe light L1, the optical path adjustment mechanism 22 adjusts the optical path of the excitation light L2. This adjustment is performed so as to maximize the difference between the first position and the second position. The above-described adjustment of the optical path of the probe light L1 and the adjustment of the optical path of the excitation light L2 may be repeated multiple times. The adjustment of the optical path of the probe light L1 and the adjustment of the optical path of the excitation light L2 may be performed so as to maximize the contact area between the irradiation region R and the surface of the measurement object O. After the position adjustment step S2, a measurement step S3 is performed.

[0034] In the measurement step S3, the light source 20 generates excitation light L2, a light having a wavelength corresponding to the fingerprint spectrum of the measurement target component in the measurement object O. While the excitation light L2 is irradiated, the lock-in amplifier 50 reads a signal based on the difference between the first and second positions, and the calculation unit 60 performs calculations based on the signal. If the measurement target component is glucose in blood, the excitation light L2 is absorbed by glucose in the interstitial fluid near the surface of the measurement object O. Because the components in the interstitial fluid change in conjunction with the components in blood, there is a correlation between the proportion of glucose in the interstitial fluid and the proportion of glucose in blood (i.e., blood glucose level). The proportion of glucose in the interstitial fluid changes as the absorption of the excitation light L2 by the glucose, i.e., the amount of heat generated in the measurement object O, and the difference between the first and second positions also changes accordingly. Therefore, by calculating a signal based on the difference between the first and second positions while the excitation light L2 is irradiated, the proportion of glucose in the interstitial fluid and, therefore, the blood glucose level can be measured.

[0035] The components to be measured are not limited to blood glucose levels. The components to be measured may also be proteins, amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc. contained in interstitial fluid. In other words, the analysis device 100A is applicable to measuring various types of biological information. If the frequency of absorption by the components to be measured is f and the thermal diffusion coefficient of the object to be measured O is α, the thermal diffusion length of the heat generated in the object to be measured O is (α / π f) １／２ Therefore, if the modulation frequency of the optical chopper 21 is set to 5 Hz or more and 100 Hz or less, it is possible to measure interstitial fluid at a depth of several tens of μm from the surface of the measurement object O.

[0036] (Advantages of the Analysis Apparatus 100A) The advantages of the analysis apparatus 100A will be described below.

[0037] FIG. 4A is a first schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the analysis device 100A. FIG. 4B is a second schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the analysis device 100A. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, unevenness exists on the surface of the measurement object O. When the measurement object O is human skin, the unevenness exists on the surface of the measurement object O, for example, as fingerprints, sweat glands, etc. The depth, width, and period of the unevenness are approximately tens of μm to hundreds of μm. In the example of a fingerprint, the depth of the unevenness is approximately 20 μm to 50 μm, and the period and width of the unevenness are approximately 300 μm to 500 μm. The measurement object O has a certain degree of elasticity. Therefore, the surface of the measurement object O is in close contact with the optical medium 30 (upper surface 30a) at the convex portions. On the other hand, the surface of the measurement object O is not in close contact with the optical medium 30 at the concave portions. In other words, air exists between the surface of the measurement object O and the optical medium 30.

[0038] When air is present between the surface of the measurement object O and the optical medium 30, the excitation light L2 is more likely to be reflected at both the interface between the optical medium 30 and the air and the surface of the measurement object O, thereby reducing the incidence efficiency of the excitation light L2 on the measurement object O. That is, the amount of heat generated in the measurement object O due to irradiation with the excitation light L2 is reduced. Furthermore, because air has low thermal conductivity and the depth of the depressions in the surface of the measurement object O is several tens of μm or more, the heat generated in the measurement object O due to irradiation with the excitation light L2 is difficult to transfer from the depressions in the surface of the measurement object O to the optical medium 30. As a result, when air is present between the optical medium 30 and the surface of the measurement object O, the refractive index gradient in the refractive index change region 30e is reduced.

[0039] If a recess exists on the surface of the measurement object O facing the irradiation region R, it becomes difficult to form the refractive index change region 30e, and the probe light L1 is not sufficiently refracted by the refractive index change region 30e in the second state, resulting in a small difference between the second position and the first position. As described above, because the width of the irradiation region R is small, on the order of several hundred micrometers, even if the composition of the measurement object component in the measurement object O is the same, even a slight shift in the position of the measurement object O on the optical medium 30 will change the state of the recess on the surface of the measurement object O facing the irradiation region R, resulting in a significant change in the measurement results. More specifically, even a slight shift in the position of the surface of the measurement object O facing the irradiation region R can cause the signal value to decrease by more than one order of magnitude. Furthermore, it is difficult for the subject to intentionally control such a positional shift of several tens to several hundred micrometers.

[0040] In this regard, in the analysis device 100A, prior to measuring the measurement target component in the measurement target O, the position of the irradiation region R and the reflection position P are adjusted so that the difference between the first position and the second position is maximized. The amount of heat generated in the measurement target O per unit intensity of the excitation light L2 due to irradiation with the excitation light L2 is constant. Therefore, the larger the contact area between the irradiation region R and the surface of the measurement target O, the more easily the probe light L1 is refracted in the refractive index change region 30e, and the larger the difference between the second position and the first position. In other words, a larger difference between the first position and the second position means that the contact area between the irradiation region R and the surface of the measurement target O is larger. Thus, with the analysis device 100A, measurement is performed at a position that ensures good contact between the irradiation region R and the surface of the measurement target O, enabling stable measurement of measurement targets O with uneven surfaces.

[0041] An analysis device according to embodiment 2 will be described. The analysis device according to embodiment 2 is designated analysis device 100B. Here, differences from analysis device 100A will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will not be repeated.

[0042] (Configuration of Analysis Apparatus 100B) The configuration of the analysis apparatus 100B will be described below.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the analytical device 100B. As shown in Fig. 5, the analytical device 100B includes a light source 10, an optical path adjustment mechanism 11, a light source 20, an optical chopper 21, an optical path adjustment mechanism 22, an optical medium 30, a detector 40, a lock-in amplifier 50, and a calculation unit 60. In this respect, the configuration of the analytical device 100B is common to the configuration of the analytical device 100A.

[0044] The analysis device 100B further includes a beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23. The beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23 is disposed, for example, between the optical path adjustment mechanism 22 and the optical medium 30. The beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23 includes a lens, and changes the size of the irradiation region R by changing the position of the lens on the optical path of the excitation light L2.

[0045] The beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23 sets the irradiation region R (the beam diameter of the excitation light L2 on the upper surface 30a) as a first range when the position adjustment step S2 is being performed. The beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23 sets the irradiation region R as a second range when the measurement step S3 is being performed. The second range is smaller than the first range. The widths of the first range and the second range are, for example, 500 μm and 100 μm, respectively. In these respects, the configuration of the analysis device 100B differs from the configuration of the analysis device 100A.

[0046] (Advantages of the Analysis Apparatus 100B) The advantages of the analysis apparatus 100B will be described below.

[0047] In the position adjustment step S2, adjustment is performed to optimize the position of the reflection position P within the irradiation region R, and therefore, the larger the irradiation region R, the easier it is to adjust the reflection position P. On the other hand, the smaller the irradiation region R, i.e., the more the excitation light L2 is focused in the irradiation region R, the greater the temperature gradient and, therefore, the refractive index gradient of the refractive index change region 30e, which increases the refraction of the excitation light L2 and the difference between the second position and the first position. Therefore, by adjusting the irradiation region R using the beam diameter adjustment mechanism 23 so that the second range is smaller than the first range, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy while facilitating the adjustment of the measurement position.

[0048] An analysis device according to embodiment 3 will be described. The analysis device according to embodiment 3 is designated analysis device 100C. Here, differences from analysis device 100A will be mainly described, and overlapping descriptions will not be repeated.

[0049] (Configuration of Analysis Apparatus 100C) The configuration of the analysis apparatus 100C will be described below.

[0050] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the analytical device 100C. As shown in Fig. 6, the analytical device 100C includes a light source 10, an optical path adjustment mechanism 11, a light source 20, an optical chopper 21, an optical path adjustment mechanism 22, an optical medium 30, a detector 40, a lock-in amplifier 50, and a calculation unit 60. In this respect, the configuration of the analytical device 100C is common to the configuration of the analytical device 100A.

[0051] The analysis device 100C further includes an observation mechanism 70. The observation mechanism 70 is capable of observing the interface between the surface of the measurement object O and the optical medium 30. A specific example of the observation mechanism 70 is a camera that is sensitive to at least one of the probe light L1 and the excitation light L2. In these respects, the configuration of the analysis device 100C differs from the configuration of the analysis device 100A.

[0052] (Advantages of the Analysis Apparatus 100C) The advantages of the analysis apparatus 100C will be described below.

[0053] In the analysis device 100C, the contact state between the optical medium 30 and the surface of the measurement object O can be observed by the observation mechanism 70 in the position adjustment step S2, so that it is possible to estimate the contact area at the measurement point, that is, to perform the position adjustment step S2 while checking the contact state at the measurement point. If the observation mechanism 70 has sensitivity to at least one of the probe light L1 and the excitation light L2, the measurement position can be easily identified.

[0054] (Appendix) Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized as appendices.

[0055] <Supplementary Note 1> An analytical device comprising: an optical medium; a first light source; a second light source; a first optical path adjustment mechanism; and a detector, wherein the optical medium has a contact surface with which a measurement object comes into contact; the first light source generates probe light; the second light source generates excitation light; the probe light is incident on the optical medium, reflected at a reflection position on the contact surface, and emitted from the optical medium; the excitation light is incident on the optical medium and irradiated onto an irradiation area on the contact surface; the reflection position overlaps with the irradiation area; the first optical path adjustment mechanism adjusts the optical path of the probe light before it is incident on the optical medium so as to change the reflection position within a range of the irradiation area; and the detector detects the probe light emitted from the optical medium.

[0056] <Supplementary Note 2> The analyzing device according to Supplementary Note 1, further comprising a second optical path adjusting mechanism, wherein the second optical path adjusting mechanism changes the position of the irradiation area.

[0057] <Supplementary Note 3> The analyzer according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the first optical path adjustment mechanism and the second optical path adjustment mechanism change the reflection position and the position of the irradiation area, respectively, while the excitation light is being irradiated.

[0058] <Supplementary Note 4> The analytical device according to Supplementary Note 2 or Supplementary Note 3, wherein the first optical path adjustment mechanism changes the reflection position so that an intensity of the probe light detected by the detector is maximized while the excitation light is irradiated onto the irradiation region.

[0059] <Supplementary Note 5> The analytical device according to Supplementary Note 3, further comprising a beam diameter adjustment mechanism, wherein the beam diameter adjustment mechanism sets the range of the irradiation area to a first range when the first optical path adjustment mechanism and the second optical path adjustment mechanism are changing the reflection position and the position of the irradiation area, respectively, and sets the range of the irradiation area to a second range smaller than the first range when measurement of the object to be measured is being performed.

[0060] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of this application is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0061] 10 light source, 11 optical path adjustment mechanism, 11a, 11b mirror, 20 light source, 21 optical chopper, 22 optical path adjustment mechanism, 22a, 22b mirror, 23 beam diameter adjustment mechanism, 30 optical medium, 30a upper surface, 30b bottom surface, 30c, 30d side surface, 30e refractive index change region, 40 detector, 50 lock-in amplifier, 60 calculation unit, 70 observation mechanism, 100A, 100B, 100C analysis device, L1 probe light, L2 excitation light, O measurement object, P reflection position, R irradiation area, S1 resting step, S2 position adjustment step, S3 measurement step.

Claims

1. An analytical device comprising: an optical medium; a first light source; a second light source; a first optical path adjustment mechanism; and a detector, wherein the optical medium has a contact surface with which a measured object comes into contact; the first light source generates a probe light; the second light source generates an excitation light; the probe light is incident on the optical medium, reflected at a reflection position on the contact surface, and emitted from the optical medium; the excitation light is incident on the optical medium and irradiated onto an irradiation area of ​​the contact surface, the reflection position overlaps with the irradiation area; the first optical path adjustment mechanism adjusts the optical path of the probe light before it is incident on the optical medium so as to change the reflection position within the range of the irradiation area; and the detector detects the probe light emitted from the optical medium.

2. The analytical device according to claim 1, further comprising a second optical path adjustment mechanism, said second optical path adjustment mechanism changing the position of said irradiation area.

3. The analytical device according to claim 2, wherein the first optical path adjustment mechanism and the second optical path adjustment mechanism respectively change the reflection position and the position of the irradiation area while the excitation light is being irradiated.

4. An analytical device as described in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first optical path adjustment mechanism changes the reflection position so that the intensity of the probe light detected by the detector is maximized when the excitation light is irradiated onto the irradiation area.

5. An analytical device as described in claim 3, further comprising a beam diameter adjustment mechanism which sets the range of the irradiation area to a first range when the first optical path adjustment mechanism and the second optical path adjustment mechanism are changing the reflection position and the position of the irradiation area, respectively, and sets the range of the irradiation area to a second range smaller than the first range when measurement of the object to be measured is being performed.

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