JP7648867B2 - Measuring Systems and Centrifuges - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a measurement system that measures the shear stress acting on a material to be processed, and a centrifuge equipped with the measurement system.

There is known a centrifuge that processes materials stored in a container by rotating the container while revolving the container on its axis. This centrifuge is used for various purposes, for example, as a mixing/defoaming device that simultaneously mixes and defoams the material to be processed (Patent Document 1). This centrifuge is also used as a ball mill that pulverizes the material to be processed (Patent Document 2). Furthermore, this centrifuge is also used as an emulsification device that emulsifies the material to be processed (Patent Document 3).

Patent No. 4084493 JP 2002-143706 A JP 2010-194470 A JP 2013-244475 A

Here, users may request that centrifuges such as those described above be equipped with a mechanism for obtaining information on the state of the material being processed. In response to such requests, for example, Patent Document 4 discloses a mechanism for obtaining temperature information on the material being processed. However, users also want to know other information about the material being processed. One method of obtaining such information would be to measure the shear stress acting on the material being processed, but it has been considered difficult to carry out such measurements in the past.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances. Its purpose is to provide a measurement system for measuring the shear stress acting on a material being processed by a centrifuge, and a centrifuge equipped with the measurement system.

The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, is composed of the following invention-specific matters and technical features:

That is, the invention according to one aspect is a measurement system comprising: an illumination unit capable of illuminating a material to be processed stored in a container capable of performing at least one of revolution around the revolution axis and rotation around the rotation axis; a measurement unit that measures the intensity of a predetermined wavelength component contained in the reflected light and/or the fluorescence from the material to be processed while the container is performing at least one of revolution around the revolution axis and rotation around the rotation axis; and a processing unit that determines the state of the material to be processed according to the intensity of the predetermined wavelength component.

Furthermore, the predetermined wavelength component may include a first wavelength component and a second wavelength component, and the measurement unit may measure the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component separately.

The processing unit may also determine the state of the processed material based on at least one of: (i) the absolute values of the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; (ii) the change over time of the absolute values of the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; (iii) the relative value between the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; and (iv) the change over time of the relative value between the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component.

The measurement unit may also be disposed in a lid that can close the open end of the container.

The lighting unit may also be disposed on the lid.

An invention according to one aspect includes any one of the above-described measurement systems, a revolving body rotatable around the revolution axis, a spinning body held by the revolving body and rotatable around the rotation axis, and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the spinning body, and the spinning body is a centrifuge that holds the container.

An invention according to one aspect is a method for determining the state of a material to be processed, comprising the steps of illuminating a material to be processed stored in a container capable of at least one of revolving around its axis of revolution and rotating around its axis of rotation, measuring the intensity of a predetermined wavelength component contained in the reflected light and/or the fluorescence from the material to be processed while the container is performing at least one of revolving around its axis of revolution and rotating around its axis of rotation, and determining the state of the material to be processed according to the intensity of the predetermined wavelength component.

The present invention provides a measurement system for measuring the shear stress acting on a material being processed by a centrifuge, and a centrifuge equipped with the measurement system.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a centrifuge according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram of a measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a measurement system according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a measurement system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude the application of various modifications and technologies not specified below. The present invention can be implemented by various modifications (for example, combining each embodiment) within the scope of the gist of the invention. Note that the present invention judges each numerical value substantially. For example, in the case where a first numerical value and a second numerical value are equal, in the present invention, if the effect is equivalent to the effect that is exerted when the two values are mathematically strictly equal, even if there is a difference between the two values, the two values are treated as being equal. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are represented by the same or similar symbols. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily match the actual dimensions, ratios, etc. The drawings may also include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a centrifuge according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the centrifuge 1 includes a revolving body 10, a rotating body 20, a support substrate 30, a drive unit 40, and a control unit 50. In addition, the centrifuge 1 includes a balance weight and the like (not shown).

The revolving body 10 includes an axle 11, a first arm 12, and a second arm 13. The axle 11 of the revolving body 10 is rotatably supported on a support substrate 30, and the revolving body 10 is rotated by a drive unit 40 around a revolution axis L1, which is a virtual straight line.

The first arm 12 extends in a first direction perpendicular to the revolution axis L1, is bent midway, and is adapted to have the rotating body 20 attached to it. The second arm 13 extends in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is adapted to have the balance weight attached to it in order to balance the revolution body 10 during rotation and improve quietness, etc.

The rotating body 20 is configured to include an axle portion 21 and a holder portion 22. The axle portion 21 of the rotating body 20 is rotatably held at the tip side of the bent portion of the first arm 12 of the revolving body 10, and is rotated by the drive unit 40 around the rotation axis L2, which is a virtual straight line. Based on the above-mentioned arrangement, the rotation axis L2 has a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the revolution axis L1.

The holder portion 22 is configured as a bottomed cylinder, and is open at the end opposite the shaft portion 21. The holder portion 22 receives and holds the container 110 shown in FIG. 2 from the bottom through the open portion.

The drive unit 40 includes, for example, a motor, as well as gears, pulleys, and belts that transmit the rotational force generated by the motor to the shafts 11 and 21. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the entire centrifuge 1, including controlling the operation of the drive unit 40.

The centrifuge 1 configured as described above rotates the revolving body 10 around the revolution axis L1 while rotating the rotating body 20 around the rotation axis L2, with the container 110 containing the material M to be processed held in the holder portion 22 of the rotating body 20. As a result, the container 110 revolves around the revolution axis L1 while rotating around the rotation axis L2, so that the material M to be processed stored in the container 110 is processed (Note that the centrifuge 1 can also perform only one of rotating the revolving body 10 around the revolution axis L1 and rotating the rotating body 20 around the rotation axis L2, and even in this case, the material M to be processed stored in the container 110 mounted on the rotating body 20 can be processed).

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a measurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the measurement system 100 includes a container 110 and a measurement unit 120. In addition, the measurement system 100 includes each component shown in Figure 3.

The container 110 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens in one direction, and stores the material to be processed M. The container 110 is generally cylindrical with a bottom, and may be configured so that a lid (not shown) is attached to the opening. The container 110 is mounted on the holder section 22 shown in FIG. 1 so that the center line CL, which is an imaginary straight line passing through the center of the container 110, overlaps with the rotation axis L2 (at this time, the container 110 may be mounted on the holder section 22 via an adapter (not shown).).

The measuring unit 120 is provided in the container 110, and at least the detection surface 122 that detects the shear stress acting on the material M to be treated is positioned so that it can abut (directly) against the material M to be treated stored in the container 110. In other words, the measuring unit 120 is positioned so that the detection surface 122 is exposed to the internal space side of the container 110.

The measurement unit 120 is provided on at least one of the bottom 112 and the side wall 114 of the container 110 (FIG. 2 shows a case where the measurement unit 120 is provided on the bottom 112 and the side wall 114). A plurality of measurement units 120 may be provided on at least one of the bottom 112 and the side wall 114. In this way, when a plurality of measurement units 120 are provided on the bottom 112 and/or the side wall 114, it is preferable that the detection surface 122 of the measurement unit 120 is centered on the center line CL of the container 110 and is arranged on a virtual circumference located on a virtual plane perpendicular to the center line CL. By arranging in this way, when the container 110 is held by the holder part 22 of the rotating body 20, the detection surface 122 can be arranged at a constant distance from the rotation axis L2, and measurement using the measurement unit 120 can be performed stably.

In addition, depending on the amount of material M to be processed in the container 110 (specifically, when the amount of material M to be processed is large), the detection surface 122 of the measurement unit 120 may be assumed to be provided at the center C of the bottom 112 of the container 110. However, in general, it is preferable that the detection surface 122 (measurement unit 120) is disposed near the corner 116 of the container 110 (note that the corner 116 is the portion where the bottom 112 and the side wall 114 of the container 110 meet). This is because, as shown in FIG. 1, the container 110 is rotated (spins) around the rotation axis L2 inclined with respect to the revolution axis L1, and due to this, the material M to be processed stored in the container 110 is collected near the corner 116 of the container 110 during processing. In other words, by placing the detection surface 122 (measurement unit 120) near the corner 116 of the container 110, measurements can be performed stably using the measurement unit 120.

Specifically, when the measuring unit 120 is provided on the bottom 112, the detection surface 122 is positioned closer to the corner 116 than the center C of the bottom 112. When the measuring unit 120 is positioned on the side wall 114, the detection surface 122 is positioned closer to the corner 116 than the open end 118 of the side wall 114.

Here, the measurement unit 120 detects and measures the shear stress acting on the material M to be processed at the detection surface 122 as described above. The measurement unit 120 may also detect and measure the pressure acting on the material M to be processed and the temperature of the material M to be processed at the detection surface 122. Note that the shear stress acting on the material M to be processed in this application is a force acting on the material M to be processed in a direction parallel to the detection surface 122 so as to slide the material M against the detection surface 122. Note that the pressure acting on the material M to be processed in this application is a force acting on the material M to be processed perpendicular to the detection surface 122 and in a direction toward the detection surface 122.

The material M to be treated may be any material that behaves as a fluid, and there are no particular limitations on its composition or use. The material M to be treated may be a material that contains only fluid components (such as resin), or a material that contains granular components (powdered components) in addition to fluid components. For example, the material M to be treated may be an adhesive, a sealant, a liquid crystal material, a mixed material containing LED phosphors and resin, solder paste, a dental impression material, a dental cement (hole-filling agent, etc.), a liquid medicine, or other material. The material M to be treated may also be a granular (powdered) material and a medium for grinding it (such as zirconia balls). Alternatively, the material M to be treated may be a fluid to be emulsified.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of a measurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the measurement system 100 includes a first part 200 and a second part 300.

The first part 200 includes the container 110 and the measurement unit 120 described above. In addition, the first part 200 includes a first communication unit 202 and a power supply unit 204. The first part 200 may also include a processing unit, a memory unit, etc., which are not shown.

The first communication unit 202 receives each piece of information measured by the measurement unit 120 (specifically, the shear stress acting on the material M, the pressure, and the temperature of the material M, etc.) and transmits the information using a wireless communication line (note that in this application, wireless communication lines also include visible light communication lines, infrared communication lines, etc.). As the wireless communication line, a publicly known wireless communication line can be used. Note that the first communication unit 202 may be configured to receive predetermined information transmitted from the second communication unit 302 described below using a wireless communication line.

The power supply unit 204 is configured to supply power to the measurement unit 120, the first communication unit 202, etc. For example, the power supply unit 204 may be a battery-powered unit.

The first communication unit 202, the power supply unit 204, the processing unit, the memory unit, etc. may be provided in the container 110, or may be provided in a lid portion attached to the container 110, the holder portion 22, and an adapter (not shown) used to mount the container 110 on the holder portion 22, etc.

The second part 300 corresponds to the calculation unit of the present invention, and includes a second communication unit 302, a processing unit 304, an input unit 306 (e.g., a user interface such as a keyboard), and an output unit 308 (e.g., a display or a printer). The second part 300 may include a storage unit, a power supply unit, etc. (not shown), and may be configured, for example, as a notebook computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc. The second part 300 may also be configured to be incorporated into the centrifuge 1.

The second communication unit 302 receives the information transmitted by the first communication unit 202. The second communication unit 302 may be configured to transmit the specified information using a wireless communication line.

The processing unit 304 receives information from the second communication unit 302 and performs a predetermined process. For example, the processing unit 304 may output the received information, such as the shear stress and pressure acting on the material M to be processed, and the temperature of the material M to be processed, to the output unit 308.

The processing unit 304 may also calculate the viscosity of the material M to be processed based on the received information. For example, the processing unit 304 calculates the viscosity of the material M to be processed using formula (1).

In the above formula, τ [Pa] is the shear stress acting on the material M (shear stress measured by the measuring unit 120), Pv [W/m ³ ] is the stirring power, and μ [Pa·s] is the viscosity of the material M.

Here, the stirring power may be calculated using any method, for example, using formula (2).

In the above formula, ρ is the density [kg/m ³ ] of the material M to be treated. h is the input height [m] of the material M to be treated (see FIG. 2). r is the radius [m] of the container 110 (see FIG. 2). ω is the rotation angular velocity [rad/s] (see FIG. 1). R is the revolution radius [m] (see FIG. 1). Ω is the revolution angular velocity [rad/s] (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, k, a, b, c, d, e, f, and g are coefficients, and can be, for example, 0<k<1, 0<a<1, -1<b<0, 0<c<1, 0<d<1, -2≦e≦2 (however, e≠0), 0<f<1, 0<g≦2. In addition, although the viscosity of the material M to be processed is also included in formula (2), it is possible to substitute formula (2), in which the viscosity of the material M to be processed is unknown, into formula (1) to perform calculations and determine the viscosity of the material M to be processed.

The stirring power may be calculated based on the power consumption [W] of the drive unit 40 for rotating the revolving body 10 and the rotating body 20 of the centrifuge 1. Alternatively, the stirring power may be calculated based on the temperature rise [°C/s] of the material M to be processed (note that the temperature rise may be based on the temperature of the material M to be processed measured by the measuring unit 120) or the rotational torque [N·m] of the rotating body 20 measured by a torque meter (not shown) installed in the centrifuge 1.

The processing unit 304 may also calculate the average shear rate of the material M to be processed based on the calculated viscosity of the material M to be processed. For example, the processing unit 304 may calculate the average shear rate of the material M to be processed using formula (3).

In the above equation, γ _av is the average shear rate [1/s] of the material M to be treated.

The processing unit 304 may output the calculated viscosity and average shear rate of the material M to the output unit 308. The processing unit 304 may also control the centrifuge 1 (e.g., control the rotation speed of the revolving body 10 and the rotor 20, detect errors in the centrifuge 1, etc.) based on the received information such as the shear stress, pressure, and temperature of the material M to be processed, and the calculated viscosity and/or average shear rate of the material M to be processed. When controlling the centrifuge 1, the second part 300 may use the second communication unit 302 to instruct the centrifuge 1, or may use a separate communication unit not shown (in these cases, the centrifuge 1 receives instructions from the second part 300 through the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 controls the drive unit 40, etc.).

As described above, the measurement system 100 can measure the shear stress acting on the material M being processed in the centrifuge 1. The measurement system 100 can also measure the pressure acting on the material M being processed and the temperature of the material M being processed. Furthermore, based on these, the viscosity and average shear rate of the material M being processed in the centrifuge 1 can also be calculated. This information can be shown to the user via the output unit 308, and can also be used to control the centrifuge 1. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user of the centrifuge 1 with many conveniences, such as being able to present the state (various information) of the material M being processed.

The above embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, the measurement system may be configured as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in the figure, the measurement system 400 differs from the measurement system 100 in that it includes a covering portion 402.

The covering portion 402 covers the measuring portion 120, and may be configured using the bottom 112 and/or side wall portion 114 of the container 110 as shown in the figure. In this case, the bottom 112 or side wall portion 114 that is the covering portion 402 is configured to be deformable by the shear stress or pressure acting on the material M to be treated during processing by the centrifuge 1. For example, the bottom 112 or side wall portion 114 that is the covering portion 402 may be configured to be thinner than other parts of the bottom 112 or side wall portion 114. In this way, it becomes possible to measure the shear stress or pressure acting on the material M to be treated during processing by the centrifuge 1 at the detection surface 122 (measuring portion 120) via the covering portion 402. Such a configuration is particularly effective when the measuring portion 120 does not have resistance to the material M to be treated.

The covering section 402 may be configured as a member (not shown) provided (attached) to the inner surface of the bottom 112 or side wall 114 of the container 110 so as to cover the measuring section 120, or may be configured as a second container 404 inserted into the container 110 as shown in FIG. 5. Such a member provided on the inner surface of the bottom 112 or side wall 114 of the container 110 and the second container 404 are configured to be deformable by shear stress or pressure acting on the material M being processed by the centrifuge 1, as described above. Specifically, the member provided on the inner surface of the bottom 112 or side wall 114 of the container 110 and the second container 404 may be configured of a flexible material such as rubber, and the material is considered to be resistant to the material M being processed.

In order to reduce the influence on the measurement by the measurement unit 120, it is preferable that the covering unit 402 is configured to deform as easily as possible due to the shear stress and pressure acting on the material M being processed by the centrifuge 1. In addition, when the temperature of the material M to be processed is also measured in the measurement unit 120, it is preferable that the covering unit 402 is configured to have as small a thermal resistance as possible so that the temperature of the material M to be processed can be transmitted to the measurement unit 120. For example, these can be achieved by making the covering unit 402 as thin as possible.

The measurement system may also be configured as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in the figure, measurement system 500 differs from measurement system 100 in that it includes a corner portion 502.

The corner 502 is a portion where the bottom 112 and the side wall 114 of the container 110 meet (more precisely, a portion that connects the bottom 112 and the side wall 114), and is an inclined surface. As shown in the figure, the corner 502 may connect the bottom 112 and the side wall 114 with a straight line in the cross section of the container 110, or may connect the bottom 112 and the side wall 114 with a curve. The corner 502 configured in this manner can be treated substantially as the bottom 112 and can also be treated as the side wall 114. In the measurement system 500, the detection surface 122 (measurement unit 120) is disposed at the corner 502.

As described above, the container 110 is rotated (spins) around the rotation axis L2 that is inclined relative to the revolution axis L1, and as a result, the material M stored in the container 110 is collected near the corner 502 of the container 110 during processing. This allows the measurement system 500 to more reliably measure the shear stress acting on the material M during processing in the centrifuge 1.

Other Embodiments
As another mechanism for knowing the state of the material M being processed, a measurement system 700 can be used. Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the measurement system 700. The measurement system 700 includes a lid unit 710, a measurement unit 720, and an illumination unit 722. In the following description, components that are given the same reference numerals as those described above have the same functions, unless otherwise specified.

The lid portion 710 closes the open end 118 of the container 110 and is configured to be detachable from the container 110 .
The measuring unit 720 is disposed on the lid 710 in a state capable of receiving light reflected by the material M to be processed housed in the container 110. For example, the measuring unit 720 is disposed on a surface of the lid 710 facing the inside of the container 110. The measuring unit 720 measures the intensity of a predetermined wavelength component (wavelength range) contained in the received light. The measuring unit 720 may measure one or more wavelength components. For example, the measuring unit 720 measures the intensity of a red component, a green component, and a blue component contained in the received light.

The illumination unit 722 is disposed on the lid 710 so as to be able to illuminate the material M to be processed stored in the container 110. For example, the illumination unit 722 is disposed on the surface of the lid 710 facing the inside of the container 110. The illumination unit 722 typically emits visible light, and may be, for example, an LED that emits white light. Alternatively, the illumination unit 722 may emit visible light only in a specific wavelength range.

8 is a block diagram showing a measurement system 700. As shown in the figure, the measurement system 700 includes a first portion 800 and a second portion 300.
The first part 800 includes the above-described lid part 710, the measurement part 720, and the illumination part 722. In addition, the first part 800 includes the first communication part 202 and the power supply part 204. The first part 800 may also include a processing part, a storage part, and the like (not shown).

The measurement system 700 configured as described above can determine the state of the material M being processed in the centrifuge 1. Specifically, in the measurement system 700, the illumination unit 722 illuminates the material M being processed, and the measurement unit 720 receives the light reflected by the material M being processed (light reflected by the material M being processed). The measurement unit 720 measures the intensity of a specific wavelength component contained in the received light, for example, the intensity of a red component, the intensity of a green component, and the intensity of a blue component. The first communication unit 202 receives each piece of information (specifically, the intensity of each wavelength component) measured by the measurement unit 720, and transmits the information via a wireless communication line.

The second communication unit 302 receives the information transmitted by the first communication unit 202 and outputs it to the processing unit 304. The processing unit 304 judges the state of the material M to be processed based on the information received from the second communication unit 302. This is based on the fact that some materials M to be processed change color or change the reflectance (amount of reflection) of light depending on the state. For example, when the material M to be processed is a two-liquid adhesive or two-liquid sealant, the color of the main agent and the hardener are generally different, so the color changes depending on the state (mixing state). In addition, when the material M to be processed is a resin (especially a high-viscosity resin), the scattering of light by bubbles differs depending on the degassing state, so the amount of light reflection changes depending on the state (degassing state). Furthermore, when the material M to be processed is an emulsion or suspension, the color and the amount of light reflection change depending on the processing state. From these facts, the processing unit 304 can judge the state of the material M to be processed based on the intensity of each wavelength component reflected by the material M to be processed. For example, during the processing of the material M, the processing unit 304 judges the state of the material M to be processed based on at least one of the following: (i) absolute values of at least two of the intensities of the red component, the green component, and the blue component; (ii) time changes of absolute values of at least two of the intensities of the red component, the green component, and the blue component; (iii) relative values between at least two of the intensities of the red component, the green component, and the blue component; and (iv) time changes of relative values between at least two of the intensities of the red component, the green component, and the blue component. For example, the processing unit 304 makes this judgment by referring to a table showing the relationship between the above (i) to (iv) stored in a storage unit (not shown) and the state of the material M to be processed. It is also assumed that the processing unit 304 makes this judgment by using machine learning or the like. The processing unit 304 outputs the judgment result of the state of the material M to be processed to the output unit 308, and/or controls the centrifuge 1 according to the judgment result of the processing status of the material M to be processed. The processing unit 304 may also output the received information, which is the intensity of each wavelength component, to the output unit 308.

As described above, the measurement system 700 can provide the user with information (condition) of the material M being processed by the centrifuge 1, and also enables control of the centrifuge 1 based on that information, thereby providing great convenience to the user of the centrifuge 1.

It is also assumed that the measuring unit 720 may be disposed in a location other than the lid 710, provided that the measuring unit 720 is capable of receiving light reflected by the material M to be processed contained in the container 110, and the lighting unit 722 is capable of illuminating the material M to be processed contained in the container 110. For example, with these conditions satisfied, the measuring unit 720 and the lighting unit 722 may be disposed in a lid (not shown) of the holder unit 22.
In addition, when the measurement unit 720 measures only one wavelength component, the processing unit 304 may determine the state of the processed material M based on the absolute value of the intensity of that one wavelength component and/or its change over time during processing of the processed material M.

It is also assumed that the illumination unit 722 emits ultraviolet light or infrared light in addition to visible light, or without emitting visible light. In this case, the measurement unit 720 also receives the fluorescence from the material M to be processed, and measures the intensity of the wavelength component including the fluorescence from the material M to be processed contained in the received light. This is based on the fact that some materials M to be processed emit fluorescence. For example, when a specific substance contained in the material M to be processed emits fluorescence, the distribution of the specific substance changes depending on the state (stirring state) of the material M to be processed, and as a result, the fluorescence intensity changes (as a specific example, if the specific substance is unevenly distributed in the material M to be processed, the fluorescence intensity becomes unstable, but as the processing of the material M to be processed progresses, the specific substance is uniformly distributed in the material M to be processed, and the fluorescence intensity becomes constant.). From this, the processing unit 304 can determine the state of the material M to be processed based on the absolute value of the intensity of the wavelength component including the fluorescence from the material M to be processed and/or the time change in the intensity of the wavelength component including the fluorescence during the processing of the material M to be processed. It is also assumed that the measuring unit 720 measures the intensity of multiple wavelength components including fluorescence from the material to be processed M contained in the received light (for example, measuring the intensity of a first wavelength component including fluorescence from the material to be processed M and the intensity of a second wavelength component including fluorescence from the material to be processed M). In this case, the processing unit 304 judges the state of the material to be processed M during processing of the material to be processed M based on at least one of the following: (i) absolute values of at least two of the intensities of the wavelength components including fluorescence from the material to be processed M, (ii) time changes of absolute values of at least two of the intensities of the wavelength components including fluorescence from the material to be processed M, (iii) relative values between at least two of the intensities of the wavelength components including fluorescence from the material to be processed M, and (iv) time changes of relative values between at least two of the intensities of the wavelength components including fluorescence from the material to be processed M. The processing unit 304 may make this judgment by referring to a table or using machine learning, as in the case of judging based on the reflected light from the material to be processed M described above.

It is also assumed that the processing performed by the processing unit 304 described above is performed in a processing unit (not shown) provided in the first part 800. In this case, the processing unit receives each piece of information measured by the measurement unit 720, performs the same processing as described above, and outputs it to the first communication unit 202.

In addition, although various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment can be added to or replaced with specific features in another embodiment, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also included in the gist of the present invention.

The present invention can be widely used in the field of rotation-revolution centrifuges.

1: centrifuge, 10: revolving body, 11: shaft portion, 12: first arm, 13: second arm, 20: rotating body, 21: shaft portion, 22: holder portion, 30: support substrate, 100: measurement system, 110: container, 112: bottom portion, 114: side wall portion, 116: corner portion, 118: open end, 120: measurement portion, 122: detection surface, 200: first portion, 202: first communication portion, 204: power supply portion, 300: second 2 parts, 302: second communication part, 304: processing part, 306: input part, 308: output part, 400: measurement system, 402: covering part, 404: second container, 500: measurement system, 502: corner part, 700: measurement system, 710: lid part, 720: measurement part, 722: lighting part, 800: first part, C: center, CL: center line, L1: revolution axis, L2: rotation axis, M: material to be processed

Claims (6)

an illumination unit that is housed in a container that is capable of at least one of revolving around an axis of revolution and rotating around an axis of rotation, and that is capable of illuminating a material to be processed that contains a fluorescent substance ;
a measuring unit that measures the intensity of a predetermined wavelength component contained in the fluorescence from the material to be treated while the container is performing at least one of revolving around the revolution axis and rotating around the rotation axis;
a processing unit that determines a stirring state of the material to be processed according to the intensity of the predetermined wavelength component;
A measurement system comprising: 2. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined wavelength component includes a first wavelength component and a second wavelength component, and the measurement unit measures the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component separately . 3. The measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit determines the stirring state of the processed material based on at least one of: (i) absolute values of the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; (ii) a time change in the absolute values of the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; (iii) a relative value between the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component; and (iv) a time change in the relative value between the intensity of the first wavelength component and the intensity of the second wavelength component. The measurement system according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit is disposed in a lid that is capable of closing an open end of the container. A measurement system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
A revolving body rotatable around the revolution axis;
a rotating body that is held by the revolving body and is rotatable around the rotation axis;
a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body;
Equipped with
The rotor is a centrifuge that holds the container. A step of illuminating a material to be processed , the material being contained in a container capable of at least one of revolving around an axis of revolution and rotating around an axis of rotation, the material including a fluorescent substance ;
measuring the intensity of a predetermined wavelength component contained in the fluorescence from the material to be treated while the container is at least one of revolving around an axis of revolution and rotating around an axis of rotation;
determining a stirring state of the material to be processed according to the intensity of the predetermined wavelength component;
The method for determining the state of the processed material comprising:

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