Multichannel Detector Cell Grouping for Sensitivity Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional scanning-type confocal microscope apparatuses with multichannel detectors suffer from unnecessary sensitivity degradation due to unadjusted sensitivity across all cells, leading to degradation when strong light, such as excitation light, enters one cell.
Innovation Solution
A microscope apparatus with a dispersive element that disperses fluorescence into spectral components, a light detector with adjustable cell sensitivities, and a grouping control section to differentiate between used and unused cells, allowing for selective sensitivity adjustment to prevent degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all cells in the multichannel detector are collectively adjusted for sensitivity, then the sensitivity can be uniformly controlled across all cells, but unnecessary sensitivity degradation occurs in cells that are not subjected to addition when strong light enters them
Solution Approach 1:
The multichannel detector cells are divided into two distinct groups: a first group of cells that are subjected to addition and a second group of cells that are not subjected to addition. This segmentation allows independent sensitivity control for each group, preventing unnecessary sensitivity degradation in the second group when strong light enters those cells.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sensitivity characteristics are applied to different groups of cells based on their specific functional requirements. The first group of cells (subjected to addition) maintains one sensitivity level, while the second group of cells (not subjected to addition) has its sensitivity adjusted separately, allowing each group to have optimized local quality appropriate for its detection purpose.
2Ease of operation
If sensitivity is adjusted for all cells including those not subjected to addition, then uniform sensitivity control is achieved, but degradation occurs in cells receiving strong excitation light
Solution Approach 1:
The detector cells are segmented into operational groups based on their exposure conditions. Cells subjected to addition form one group with uniform sensitivity adjustment, while cells not subjected to addition form another group with separate sensitivity control, preventing degradation from strong light exposure in the second group.
Solution Approach 2:
Each group of cells receives tailored sensitivity adjustment appropriate to its operational characteristics. The first group (subjected to addition) receives sensitivity adjustment for uniform detection, while the second group (not subjected to addition) has sensitivity controlled separately to prevent degradation when receiving strong excitation light.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents unnecessary sensitivity degradation by turning off or reducing sensitivities of unused cells, thereby protecting the light detector from intense fluorescence and excitation light, while maintaining sensitivity for the cells detecting desired spectral components.
Implementation Method 1
a dispersive element that disperses the fluorescence collected by the objective lens into spectral components
Implementation Method 2
a light detector that has a plurality of cells for detecting the spectral components obtained through the dispersion performed by the dispersive element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Unnecessary degradation of a light detector is prevented. Provided is a microscope apparatus (100) including: a scanner (5) that that performs scanning of illumination light emitted from a light source (3) on a specimen in two directions intersecting each other; an objective lens (7) that collects fluorescence produced in the specimen; a dispersive element (15) that disperses the fluorescence collected by the objective lens (7) into spectral components; a multichannel detector (20) that has a plurality of cells (21) for detecting the spectral components obtained through the dispersion performed by the dispersive element (15); a grouping control section (31) that groups the plurality of cells (21) of the multichannel detector (20) into a used group and an unused group; and a sensitivity control section (33) that turns off the sensitivities of the cells that are grouped into the unused group by the grouping control section (31) or reduces the sensitivities thereof with respect to the sensitivities of the cells that are grouped into the used group.