Spectroscopic analysis device, cell temperature control unit, and spectroscopic analysis method

Abstract

The present invention suppresses variation in temperature control for a plurality of cells and comprises: a plurality of temperature control units 4 that control the temperatures of a plurality of cells 2 each accommodating a sample W; a spectroscopic analysis unit 5 that irradiates the temperature-controlled cells 2 with light and spectroscopically analyzes the samples W; and a cell change mechanism 6 that switches the cells 2 irradiated with light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5. Each of the plurality of temperature control units 4 controls the temperatures of a plurality of different cells 2.

Description

Spectroscopic analysis device, cell temperature control unit, and spectroscopic analysis method

[0001] The present invention relates to a spectroscopic analyzer, a cell temperature control unit, and a spectroscopic analysis method.

[0002] Conventionally, thermal stability tests (accelerated tests) have been carried out to evaluate the stability of pharmaceuticals, etc. For these thermal stability tests, a differential scanning calorimeter is widely used, as shown in Patent Document 1.

[0003] However, differential scanning calorimeters are configured to measure one sample at a time by placing it in a heating furnace and raising the temperature. Therefore, when measuring multiple samples, it is necessary to repeatedly place each sample in the heating furnace and perform the measurement. Consequently, measuring multiple samples takes a considerable amount of time, and sometimes even a single day is not enough.

[0004] JP 2014-126366 A

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its main objective is not only to shorten the measurement time when measuring multiple cells (multiple samples), but also to suppress variations in temperature control for multiple cells (multiple samples).

[0006] In other words, the spectroscopic analyzer according to the present invention comprises a plurality of temperature control units for controlling the temperature of a plurality of cells containing a sample, a spectroscopic analysis unit for irradiating the temperature-controlled cells with light to spectroscopically analyze the sample, and a cell changing mechanism for switching the cells to which light from the spectroscopic analysis unit is irradiated, wherein each of the plurality of temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of different cells.

[0007] In such a spectroscopic analyzer, each of the multiple temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of different cells, so that when one type of sample is to be measured multiple times or when multiple types of samples are to be measured, the measurement time can be shortened. When measuring one type of sample multiple times, it is possible to store one type of sample in multiple cells, and when measuring multiple types of samples, it is possible to store multiple types of samples in multiple cells, respectively. Furthermore, since each of the multiple temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of different cells, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature control for the multiple cells.

[0008] It is desirable that each of the plurality of temperature control units control the temperatures of the same number of cells. With this configuration, since each temperature control unit controls the temperature of the same number of cells, the load on each temperature control unit is the same, and it is possible to suppress variations in temperature control for the plurality of cells. Furthermore, even when the temperatures of the plurality of cells are changed, it is possible to make the temperature control time for the plurality of cells approximately the same.

[0009] The cell is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped having a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of short-side side surfaces, and a pair of long-side side surfaces, and the temperature control unit is preferably disposed opposite the long-side side surfaces. With this configuration, the heat transfer area of ​​the cell can be increased, allowing the sample to be heated efficiently.

[0010] In a specific embodiment of the spectroscopic analysis apparatus of the present invention, it is desirable that the spectroscopic analysis apparatus further includes a cell holder that holds the plurality of cells, and that the plurality of temperature control units apply heat to the cell holder to control the temperature of the plurality of cells.

[0011] It is desirable that the cell holder be divided into a plurality of holder units each holding a plurality of the cells, and that the temperature control unit be provided in each of the divided holder units. With this configuration, the temperature can be controlled for each holder unit, and the temperatures of the holder units can be made different from each other.

[0012] As a specific embodiment of the cell holder and temperature control unit, it is desirable that the cell holder holds the multiple cells in a linear row, and that the multiple temperature control units are arranged along the arrangement direction of the cells.

[0013] As a specific embodiment of the cell changing mechanism, it is desirable that the cell changing mechanism slides the cell holder along the direction in which the cells are arranged, thereby switching the cell onto which the light from the spectroscopic analysis unit is irradiated.

[0014] In order to improve the heat transfer to the plurality of cells and facilitate the temperature control of the plurality of cells, it is desirable that the cell holder be made of a metal having high thermal conductivity.

[0015] In order to prevent evaporation of the sample when the sample is liquid and to prevent variations in measurement due to a decrease in the amount of sample when measuring multiple cells sequentially, it is desirable to further provide a cover body that covers the top surface of the cell holder, and a blocking member that blocks the upper openings of the multiple cells is provided on the back surface of the cover body.It is also possible to configure the cover body so that it is attached to the cell holder and can move together with the cell holder.

[0016] In a specific embodiment of the cell holder, the cell holder has a plurality of cell holders that individually accommodate the plurality of cells, and it is desirable that a light-transmitting window that allows light from the spectroscopic analysis unit to pass through is formed in the side wall of each of the cell holders. Note that, in order to efficiently transfer heat from the cell holders to the cells, it is desirable that the inner peripheral surface of the cell holder be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cells.

[0017] In order to reduce variations in measurement values ​​based on the sample amounts in each of the plurality of cells, it is desirable that the spectroscopic analysis unit irradiates the cells with light from the side.

[0018] The spectroscopic analysis device of the present invention preferably further includes a light-shielding mechanism that shields the spectroscopic analysis unit from any other cells other than the cell irradiated with light by the spectroscopic analysis unit. With this configuration, ambient light can be reduced, allowing for accurate analysis of the sample contained in the cell to be measured.

[0019] Furthermore, the cell temperature control unit according to the present invention comprises a plurality of temperature control units for controlling the temperature of a plurality of cells containing a sample, and a cell changing mechanism for switching the cell to which light from an optical analysis unit is irradiated, wherein each of the plurality of temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of different cells.

[0020] Furthermore, a spectroscopic analysis method according to the present invention uses the spectroscopic analysis device described above, and includes a temperature control step of controlling the temperatures of the plurality of cells by the plurality of temperature control units, and a measurement step of sequentially measuring the plurality of cells by the spectroscopic analysis unit after the temperature control step, and is characterized in that the temperature control step and the measurement step are performed at each of a plurality of set temperatures that are different from each other.

[0021] According to the present invention configured in this manner, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature control for a plurality of cells.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a spectroscopic analysis device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a (a) perspective view, (b) plan view, (c) front view, and (d) right side view showing the configuration of a cell of the same embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cell holder of the same embodiment and its peripheral structure. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a cell holder of the same embodiment and its peripheral structure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cell holding part of the cell holder of the same embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a spectroscopic analysis method of the same embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a cell holder of a modified embodiment and its peripheral structure. FIG. 7 is a (a) longitudinal cross-sectional view and (b) A-A line cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cover body is attached in the modified embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a temperature adjustment part of the modified embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cell of the modified embodiment and its peripheral structure.

[0023] Hereinafter, a spectroscopic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that all the following figures are schematic representations, with some omissions and exaggerations for clarity. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0024] <Configuration of Spectroscopic Analysis Apparatus> The spectroscopic analysis apparatus 100 of this embodiment irradiates a sample with light and evaluates the sample using the Raman scattered light generated during the irradiation. This spectroscopic analysis apparatus 100 can perform thermal stability tests (accelerated tests) on samples, such as pharmaceuticals such as biopharmaceuticals.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the spectroscopic analysis device 100 includes a cell holder 3 that holds a plurality of cells 2 containing samples W, a plurality of temperature control units 4 that apply heat to the cell holder 3 to control the temperature of the plurality of cells 2, a spectroscopic analysis unit 5 that irradiates the temperature-controlled cells 2 with light to perform spectroscopic analysis of the sample W, and a cell change mechanism 6 that switches the cell 2 onto which the light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 is irradiated.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, the cell 2 of this embodiment has a storage space 2S capable of storing a predetermined amount of sample W. Specifically, the cell 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a top surface 201, a bottom surface 202, a pair of short side surface portions 203 and 204, and a pair of long side surface portions 205 and 206. The top surface portion 201 has an upper opening 2H through which the storage space 2S opens. The cell 2 is optically transparent and is made of, for example, glass or resin.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cell holder 3 holds multiple cells 2 in a linear row and has multiple cell holders 31 that individually accommodate the multiple cells 2. The cell holder 3 of this embodiment is configured to hold, for example, nine cells 2. Specifically, the cell holder 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a longitudinal direction, and multiple cell holders 31 are open on its top surface. The cell holder 3 holds the cells 2 in a linear row with the side portions 205 and 206 on the long sides aligned along the longitudinal direction of the cell holder 3. The cell holder 3 is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The cell holder 3 of this embodiment is made of an aluminum block with a black anodized surface. The cell holder 3 may be made of a single aluminum block or multiple aluminum blocks.

[0028] 5 , each cell holding portion 31 has a shape (space) corresponding to the rectangular parallelepiped cell 2. Part or all of the inner peripheral surface of each cell holding portion 31 is configured to be in close contact with part or all of the outer peripheral surface of the cell 2. In this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of each cell holding portion 31 is configured to be in close contact with at least the entire side surface portions 205, 206 on the long sides of the cell 2. Furthermore, on the inner peripheral surface of each cell holding portion 31, in portions corresponding to the side surface portions 203, 204 on the short sides of the cell 2, relief portions 31x such as recesses are formed to allow for thermal expansion of the cell 2.

[0029] 3 to 5, a light-passing window 32 that passes light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 is formed on the side wall of each cell holding portion 31 in the cell holder 3. This light-passing window 32 not only passes light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 but also transmits Raman scattered light from the sample W.

[0030] The temperature control units 4 apply heat to the cell holder 3 to control the temperature of the cells 2 held in the cell holder 3. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the temperature control units 4 are fixed to the longitudinal side surfaces of the cell holder 3. Specifically, the temperature control units 4 are provided along the arrangement direction of the cells 2 (the longitudinal direction of the cell holder 3). With this configuration, the temperature control units 4 are arranged to face the side surfaces 205 on the long sides of the cells 2.

[0031] Each of the temperature control units 4 controls the temperature of a different set of cells 2. Each of the temperature control units 4 controls the temperature of the same number of cells 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, three temperature control units 4 are provided, and each of the three temperature control units 4 controls the temperature of three different cells 2. That is, the first temperature control unit 4 (4A) controls the temperature of three cells 2 (2a-2c), the second temperature control unit 4 (4B) controls the temperature of three cells 2 (2d-2f), and the third temperature control unit 4 (4C) controls the temperature of three cells 2 (2g-2i). The temperature control units 4 are controlled by the control unit CTL based on, for example, a detection signal from a Peltier element 41 or a temperature sensor 7 (see FIG. 1) provided in the cell holder 3.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, each temperature control unit 4 is constructed using a Peltier element 41, which is a plate-shaped semiconductor thermoelectric element that utilizes the Peltier effect. Specifically, one side (heating surface) of the Peltier element 41 of each temperature control unit 4 is in close contact with the longitudinal side surface of the cell holder 3. In addition, each temperature control unit 4 has a heat sink 42 and a fan 43 on the other side (cooling surface) of the Peltier element 41. Note that the heating surface and the cooling surface can be swapped by changing the direction of the DC current flowing through the Peltier element 41.

[0033] Furthermore, each Peltier element 41 of the temperature control unit 4 has a size that covers the entire side surface 205 on the long side of the corresponding plurality (in this case, three) of cells 2, as shown in Figure 4. In other words, the height dimension (Z-direction dimension) L1 of the Peltier element 41 is greater than the height dimension L2 of the side surface 205 on the long side of the cell 2, and the width dimension (X-direction dimension) W1 of the Peltier element 41 is greater than the dimension W2 from end to end of the three cells 2.

[0034] The spectroscopic analysis unit 5 irradiates a temperature-controlled cell 2 with excitation light and detects the resulting Raman scattered light to perform spectroscopic analysis of the sample W. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 includes a light source 51 that irradiates the cell 2 with laser light, which is the excitation light; a spectrometer 52 that spectrally analyzes the Raman scattered light generated from the sample W; a photodetector 53 that detects light of each wavelength spectrally analyzed by the spectrometer 52; and a signal processing unit 54 that performs calculations such as generating a Raman spectrum based on the intensity signals of each wavelength obtained by the photodetector 53. The analysis results (Raman spectrum, etc.) obtained by the signal processing unit 54 can be displayed on the display unit 56. In addition, the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 may also have a light guide optical system 57 such as a half mirror.

[0035] In the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 of this embodiment, laser light from a light source 51 is irradiated onto the cell 2 by an objective lens 55, and Raman scattered light generated from the sample W is collected by the objective lens 55 and guided to the spectrometer 52. This objective lens 55 is fixed at a predetermined position on the side of the cell holder 3. Specifically, the objective lens 55 is provided on the side of the cell holder 3 opposite to the side on which the temperature adjustment unit 4 is provided, and is disposed so as to sandwich the cell holder 3 between the objective lens 55 and the temperature adjustment unit 4.

[0036] The cell changing mechanism 6 switches the cell 2 onto which the excitation light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 is irradiated. The cell changing mechanism 6 of this embodiment switches the cell 2 onto which the excitation light is irradiated by moving the cell holder 3 to the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 (specifically, the objective lens 55). The cell holder 3, the multiple temperature adjustment units 4, and the cell changing mechanism 6 constitute a cell temperature adjustment unit 20U.

[0037] Specifically, the cell changing mechanism 6 slides the cell holder 3 along the arrangement direction of the multiple cells 2 (the longitudinal direction of the cell holder 3) to switch the cell 2 to be irradiated with light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5. In this embodiment, the objective lens 55 of the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 is fixed, and the cell changing mechanism 6 switches so that the cell 2 to be measured is positioned in front of the light irradiation side of the objective lens 55. The cell changing mechanism 6 can be configured using, for example, a linear guide and a ball screw mechanism. The cell changing mechanism 6 also moves the multiple temperature adjustment units 4 fixed to the cell holder 3 together with the cell holder 3.

[0038] 3, a light-shielding mechanism 8 is provided between the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 (specifically, the objective lens 55) and the cells 2 other than the cells 2 irradiated with light by the spectroscopic analysis unit 5. This light-shielding mechanism 8 is formed by the side wall of the cell holder 3, and is formed by the side wall other than the light-transmitting window 32 of the cell holding unit 31 corresponding to the cell 2 irradiated with light. Note that the light-shielding mechanism 8 may be provided between the cell holder 3 and the objective lens 55, separate from the cell holder 3.

[0039] <Spectroscopic Analysis Method> Next, a spectroscopic analysis method using the spectroscopic analysis device 100 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the spectroscopic analysis method described below can be performed by controlling each part by the control unit CTL (see FIG. 1 ) of the spectroscopic analysis device 100.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, this spectroscopic analysis method includes a temperature control step in which the temperatures of multiple cells 2 are controlled by multiple temperature control units 4, and a measurement step in which the multiple cells 2 are sequentially measured by a spectroscopic analysis unit 5 after the temperature control step, and the temperature control step and the measurement step are performed at multiple different set temperatures.

[0041] For example, in a thermal stability test (accelerated test), the temperature is increased in increments of 1°C from an initial temperature (e.g., 25°C) to an end temperature (e.g., 90°C) and spectroscopic analysis is performed at each temperature, as follows:

[0042] When the thermal stability test starts, the temperature is adjusted by the temperature adjustment units 4 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 7 attached to the cell holder 3 is 25°C (step S1). After the temperature is adjusted to 25°C (step S2), the cell holder 3 is moved by the cell changing mechanism 6, and the multiple cells 2 are subjected to spectroscopic analysis in a predetermined order (steps S3 and S4).

[0043] Next, the set temperature is increased by 1°C (step S5), and the temperature is adjusted by the temperature adjustment units 4 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 7 provided on the cell holder 3 becomes 26°C (step S6). After the temperature is adjusted to the set temperature (26°C) (step S7), the cell holder 3 is moved by the cell changing mechanism 6, and the multiple cells 2 are subjected to spectroscopic analysis in a predetermined order (steps S8 and S9).

[0044] In this way, every time the temperature is increased by 1°C, the cell holder 3 is moved by the cell changing mechanism 6, and the multiple cells 2 are spectroscopically analyzed in a predetermined order, and this operation is repeated as a series of operations until the temperature reaches 90°C (step S10). The samples W can be evaluated by analyzing the Raman spectra, etc., of each sample W obtained at each temperature.

[0045] Effect of the Present Embodiment According to the spectroscopic analysis device 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the temperature of the plurality of cells 2 is controlled by applying heat to the cell holder 3 that holds the plurality of cells 2 using the temperature control unit 4, thereby shortening the measurement time when measuring the plurality of cells 2 (plurality of samples W). Furthermore, since the temperature of the plurality of cells 2 is controlled by applying heat to the cell holder 3 using the plurality of temperature control units 4, variation in temperature control for the plurality of cells 2 (plurality of samples W) can be suppressed.

[0046] Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0047] For example, a capillary tube may be used as the cell 2. Here, the capillary tube may be, for example, a pre-made product, such as a cylindrical or rectangular tube. In this case, the cell 2 is housed in the cell holder 3 via a jig J, as shown in FIG. 10 . The jig J is housed in the cell holder 3 and transfers heat from the cell holder 3 to the cell 2 housed therein. The jig J is made of, for example, a material with good thermal conductivity (e.g., aluminum). Specifically, the jig J has a rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the cell holder 31, and part or all of the inner circumferential surface of each cell holder 31 is configured to be in close contact with part or all of the outer circumferential surface of the jig J. Furthermore, a light-transmitting window JW is formed on the side wall of the jig J, which allows light from the light-transmitting window 32 to pass through and Raman scattered light from the sample W to pass through. Inside the jig J, as shown in FIG. 10( a), a cell housing JD is formed, configured to be in close contact with part or all of the outer circumferential surface of the cell 2. A blocking member 10 is attached to the surface of the cell housing portion JD that contacts the opening 2H to prevent the sample W contained in the cell 2 from leaking into the cell holding portion 31. Furthermore, the jig J is preferably configured to be separable into a front side portion J1 and a rear side portion J2, and the cell housing portion JD is accessible from the contact surface between the front side portion J1 and the rear side portion J2. In this case, the cell housing portion JD may be formed on either the front side portion J1 or the rear side portion J2, or may be formed on both. The cell housing portion JD may be formed from the top surface of the jig J toward the bottom surface, or from one of the left side and the right side toward the other. The orientation of the cell housing portion JD determines the orientation in which the cell 2 is housed, i.e., whether it is housed vertically or horizontally, etc., of the jig J.

[0048] Another possible embodiment using a capillary tube as the cell 2 is one in which the upper and lower openings 2H of the cell 2 are previously blocked with blocking members 10, and the cell 2 is accommodated in a cell receiving section JD formed by penetrating the jig J, for example, from the top to the bottom, and then accommodated in the cell holding section 31, as shown in FIG. 10( b). In this case, the cell holding section 31 may also be formed by penetrating the cell holder 3 from the top to the bottom. The jig J and the blocking member 10 may correspond to one cell 2 or multiple cells 2. The blocking member 10 may only block the lower opening 2H of the cell 2. Alternatively, the jig J may be an integrated type that is not configured to be separable into a front side portion J1 and a rear side portion J2, and the cell receiving section JD may be formed, for example, by machining.

[0049] By using a capillary tube as the cell 2 in this way, the cell 2 can be constructed inexpensively and can be made disposable to maintain hygiene. Furthermore, the storage space 2S is reduced, allowing for measurements with smaller amounts of sample. Furthermore, by configuring the jig J to be separable into a front portion J1 and a rear portion J2, the cell 2 and the closure member 10 can be easily removed.

[0050] For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the cell holder 3 may be divided into multiple holder units 3U each holding multiple cells 2, and a temperature control unit 4 may be provided for each of the multiple divided holder units 3U. Each holder unit 3U may be constructed from a single aluminum block. While FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which the cell holder 3 is divided into three holder units 3U, each holding three cells 2, the number of divisions of the cell holder 3 is not limited to three, and the number of cells held in each holder unit 3U is not limited to three. Furthermore, the multiple holder units 3U may be spaced apart. Heat insulating material may be provided between each holder unit 3U. With this configuration, the temperature of each holder unit 3U can be individually controlled, allowing the temperature of each holder unit 3U to be different. Furthermore, because there is a space between each holder unit 3U, when the temperatures of each holder unit 3U are set differently, the temperature of each holder unit 3U is less likely to be affected by the temperature of adjacent holder units 3U.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8 , the cell holder 3 of the above embodiment may be provided with a cover 9. This cover 9 covers the top surface of the cell holder 3. Specifically, the cover 9 covers the top openings of the cell holder 31 of the cell holder 3 and the top openings 2H of the cells 2 held in the cell holder 31. A blocking member 10 that blocks the top openings 2H of the cells 2 is provided on the back surface of the cover 9. The blocking member 10 contacts and seals the top openings 2H of the cells 2 and can be made of an elastic material such as silicone resin. This configuration prevents evaporation of the sample W in each of the cells 2 and prevents measurement variations due to a decrease in sample volume when measuring multiple cells 2 sequentially.

[0052] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the objective lens 55 was fixed and the cell holder 3 was moved to switch the cell 2 to which light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 was irradiated. However, it is also possible to fix the cell holder 3 and move the objective lens 55 to switch the cell 2 to which light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 was irradiated. Alternatively, both may be moved to switch the cell 2 to which light from the spectroscopic analysis unit 5 was irradiated.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, multiple temperature control units 4 were provided for a cell holder 3 that holds multiple cells 2. However, it is also possible to have a configuration in which one temperature control unit 4 is provided for a cell holder that holds one cell 2, or a configuration in which one temperature control unit 4 is provided for multiple cell holders that hold one cell 2.

[0054] Furthermore, the temperature adjustment unit 4 in the above embodiment uses the Peltier element 41, but may also use a heater such as an electric heating wire.

[0055] In addition, the temperature control unit 4 of the above embodiment may have the configuration shown in Figure 9. The cell holder 3 shown in Figure 9 is made of a resin such as PTFE or PVC. The temperature control unit 4 has a configuration that includes a heat transfer member 401 provided across a plurality of cells 2 in the cell holder 3, and a heat source unit (heating source and / or cooling source) 402 that applies heat to the heat transfer member 401. The heat transfer member 401 is made of a material with good thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum). The heat source unit 402 can be made using a Peltier element, a heat sink, and a fan, for example, similar to the temperature control unit of the above embodiment. With this configuration, the heat transfer member can uniformly control the temperature of the plurality of cells 2.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the spectroscopic analyzer has been described, but the cell temperature adjustment unit 20U itself, which is separate from an optical analysis unit such as a spectroscopic analysis unit, is also an aspect of the present invention.

[0057] Furthermore, various modifications and combinations of the embodiments are permitted, as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the present invention.

[0058] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100: Spectroscopic analysis device W: Sample 2: Cell 201: Top surface 202: Bottom surface 203, 204: Side surfaces on the short sides 205, 206: Side surfaces on the long sides 3: Cell holder 31: Cell holding portion 32: Light passing window 4: Temperature control portion 5: Spectroscopic analysis portion 6: Cell changing mechanism 8: Light blocking mechanism 9: Cover body 10: Closing member 20U: Cell temperature control unit

Claims

1. A spectroscopic analysis device comprising: a plurality of temperature control units that control the temperatures of a plurality of cells containing samples; a spectroscopic analysis unit that irradiates the temperature-controlled cells with light to perform spectroscopic analysis of the samples; and a cell change mechanism that switches the cells that are irradiated with light from the spectroscopic analysis unit, wherein each of the plurality of temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of mutually different cells.

2. The spectroscopic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of temperature control units controls the temperature of the same number of cells.

3. The spectroscopic analysis device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cell has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of short side surfaces, and a pair of long side surfaces, and the temperature control unit is arranged to face the long side surfaces.

4. A spectroscopic analysis device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a cell holder that holds the plurality of cells, and the plurality of temperature control units apply heat to the cell holder to control the temperature of the plurality of cells.

5. The spectroscopic analysis device according to claim 4, wherein the cell holder is divided into a plurality of holder units each holding a plurality of the cells, and the temperature control unit is provided in each of the divided holder units.

6. The spectroscopic analysis device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the cell holder holds the plurality of cells in a linear array, and the plurality of temperature control units are arranged along the direction in which the cells are arranged.

7. The spectroscopic analysis device according to claim 6, wherein the cell change mechanism slides the cell holder along the direction in which the cells are arranged to switch the cell onto which the light from the spectroscopic analysis unit is irradiated.

8. The spectroscopic analyzer according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the cell holder is made of a metal having high thermal conductivity.

9. A spectroscopic analysis device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising a cover body that covers the upper surface of the cell holder, and a blocking member that blocks the upper openings of the plurality of cells is provided on the back surface of the cover body.

10. A spectroscopic analysis device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the cell holder has a plurality of cell holding sections that individually accommodate the plurality of cells, and a light-passing window that allows light from the spectroscopic analysis section to pass through is formed in the side wall of each of the cell holding sections.

11. The spectroscopic analysis device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the spectroscopic analysis unit irradiates the cell with light from the side.

12. A spectroscopic analysis device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a light-shielding mechanism for blocking light between the spectroscopic analysis unit and cells other than the cell to which light is irradiated by the spectroscopic analysis unit.

13. A cell temperature control unit comprising: a plurality of temperature control units that control the temperature of a plurality of cells containing samples; and a cell change mechanism that switches the cells to which light from an optical analysis unit is irradiated, wherein each of the plurality of temperature control units controls the temperature of a plurality of mutually different cells.

14. A spectroscopic analysis method using the spectroscopic analysis device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: a temperature control step of controlling the temperatures of the plurality of cells by the plurality of temperature control units; and a measurement step of sequentially measuring the plurality of cells by the spectroscopic analysis unit after the temperature control step, wherein the temperature control step and the measurement step are performed at each of a plurality of mutually different set temperatures.

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