JPS6311609B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a spectrophotometer used for various spectroscopic measurements.

First, the immediate background to arrive at the present invention will be explained. In the field of medical biology, spectroscopic measurement methods are often used for clinical or research purposes. For example, light absorption is measured to identify trace components in blood, and light scattering is measured to track the dynamics of intracellular minute organs. More recently, with the development of fiber optics,
Measurement light is also guided directly into living tissue to track the metabolic dynamics of the living tissue. In order to monitor the metabolism of biological tissues, it is necessary to obtain the absorption spectrum characteristics of the tissue, track the time course of absorbance at specific wavelengths, and measure It can be analyzed in various modes, such as tracking the time course of the difference in absorbance in a tissue, or obtaining a difference spectrum between absorption spectra in one state of a tissue and another (e.g., the oxidized and reduced states of the intracellular respiratory metabolic system). Optical measurements are very effective and absolutely necessary. The present invention has been made to provide a spectrophotometer that can arbitrarily perform spectroscopic measurements in various modes as described above, that is, can be used for multiple purposes.

Incidentally, various types of spectrophotometers have been commercialized in the past to suit various measurement modes. As is well known, the most basic method is to use a monochromator to select only a certain wavelength of light from a light source, irradiate the object to be measured with that light, and also to emit light from the object. Light is received by a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube, its output is amplified, and a recorder records it over time. In addition, it is equipped with two systems of monochromators, alternately performs measurements at two different wavelengths, calculates the output of both, and plots the difference absorption of both wavelengths over time on a recorder. There is something called. Furthermore, in the so-called self-recording spectrophotometer, which is used to obtain the absorption wavelength spectrum characteristics of the object to be measured, a monochromator is equipped with a wavelength scanning mechanism to automatically change the output wavelength of the monochromator. X-Y output signal of photodetector and amplifier
It is configured to draw spectral characteristics by applying the wavelength feed information of the wavelength scanning mechanism to the Y-axis input of the recorder and the X-axis input, respectively. One example of a rapid scan spectrophotometer, which is known as a high-speed wavelength scanning method, is to irradiate the object to be measured with white light and introduce the light from the object into the spectrometer. An image sensor such as a photodiode array is placed on the output slit of this spectrometer (where the separated light of each wavelength is dispersed and formed into an image), and the output of each light receiving point of this image sensor (corresponding to each wavelength) is ) is extracted by high-speed electrical scanning, amplified, and output to a fast-response display device such as a memory scope to plot its spectral characteristics.

As mentioned above, the required measurement system differs depending on the object to be measured and what kind of information you want to obtain, but each of the conventional measurement devices mentioned above is compatible with a specific measurement mode. , and is constructed to make the measurement convenient.

However, when considering optical measurements of biological tissue, which is the direct measurement target of the present inventors, sometimes what is needed is the time course of absorbance, and other times what is needed is information on the absorption wavelength spectrum of the tissue. do. Furthermore, in a complex multi-component system such as a living tissue, the wavelength range of absorption data that must be measured is extremely wide, as the system may be involved in a series of metabolic reactions.

Therefore, the basic purpose of this invention is to acquire measurement data in a wide wavelength range at once using a single optical system, organize and process the data into the required form, and output it. The objective is to provide a spectrophotometer with

Furthermore, a more specific objective of the present invention is to provide a real-time mode in which the acquisition of measurement data and the operation of organizing and processing the data into a necessary form are performed simultaneously, and the acquisition of a series of measurement data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spectrophotometer that can selectively execute a reproduction mode in which necessary measurement data is read out and organized and processed into a necessary form after processing is completed.

That is, the spectrophotometer according to the present invention irradiates an object to be measured with light, receives measurement light from the object, repeats wavelength scanning, and outputs an analog signal corresponding to the received light level for each wavelength. an optical scanning device; an A-D converter that converts an analog signal output of the optical scanning device into a digital signal;
a high-speed storage circuit that temporarily stores measurement data for each wavelength scan sequentially output from the converter in association with each wavelength in the scanning range only during an appropriate plurality of wavelength scans, and the measurement data for each wavelength scan. a mass storage device for storing all data with labels corresponding to scanning cycle numbers; an output mode changeover switch for setting the output mode to real-time mode or playback mode; , a data input switch for specifying a label corresponding to the beginning of the data to be reproduced, a start switch for instructing the start of the data reproduction, a stop switch for instructing the end of the data reproduction, and a measurement switch. measurement content setting means for setting content; and when the output mode is in real-time mode, in parallel with the operation of the optical scanning device, necessary information is stored from the high-speed storage circuit based on the setting content by the measurement content setting means. While reading out the measured data, predetermined calculations are performed on the measured data if necessary, and on the other hand, when the output mode is in the playback mode, the label designation is read from the mass storage device in response to the operation of the start switch. Read the data of the label specified by the means,
The data is transferred to the high-speed memory circuit, the necessary measurement data is read out from the high-speed memory circuit, and the data is sequentially transferred from the large-capacity memory circuit to the high-speed memory circuit. It consists of a data selection calculation means that repeats the process until a stop switch is operated each time a transfer is made, and an output device for outputting the measurement data selected and calculated by the data selection calculation means.

Among these, the measurement content setting means is, for example, the second one on the operation panel A-1 in FIG.
It can be configured by the output mode changeover switch 2 shown in the figure, or it and the control signal circuit group H-1. In addition, among the data selection calculation means, when setting the output mode to real-time mode and performing predetermined calculations on the measured data as necessary, for example, the control signal circuit group H-1, gate H-10, H-
4. It can be configured by the wavelength signal circuit group H-2, and when the output mode is set to reproduction mode, necessary measurement data is read from the high-speed storage circuit, and predetermined calculations are performed, the control signal circuit group H-1 is used. , gate H
-8, H-4, and wavelength signal circuit group H-2.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a spectrophotometer according to the present invention. A section indicated by the symbol A is an operation section for inputting data necessary for the operation of this device. Part B is the optical system part of this apparatus, and the object to be measured is installed in this part. Section C shows the electrical circuit system of this device, and the optical signal obtained at section B is converted into an electrical signal in section C, and is then subjected to necessary processing and output as an analog signal. The D section is an A-D converter that converts the analog signal output from the C section into a digital signal, the E section is a storage section that stores the digital signal that is the output of the D section in correspondence with the wavelength, and the F section is an E section. The G section is an arithmetic circuit for processing the data stored in the . The other parts are digital control parts (this will be referred to as H parts) that perform the control necessary to transfer data to each of the above-mentioned main parts.

Before entering into a detailed explanation of the operation of each component, an outline of the operation cycle of this device will be explained. Optical system (B
A series of operation cycles corresponding to one wavelength scan of section) are divided into three periods. The first base is the optical system (B part), the electric circuit system (C part), and the A-
The measurement data of the digital signal obtained for each wavelength scan by the D converter D-1 (this will be referred to as original data) is stored in the high-speed storage circuit E- of the storage section (E section). 1 (for temporary storage) in correspondence with the wavelength. The second period is
The original data for one scan stored in the high-speed storage circuit E-1 in the first period is stored in a large-capacity storage device E-2 (for fixed storage, magnetic tape) provided separately in the storage section (E section). This is the period during which data is transferred and written to a storage device (using a recording device, etc.) (note that this does not erase the data stored in the high-speed storage circuit E-1). In the third period, high-speed memory circuit E-1
The necessary data is read out of the original data stored in the , in some cases necessary operations are performed on the data, and the selected and operated data (this will be referred to as organized data) is sent to the output section ( This is the period for outputting in part G). Each operation in the three periods described above completes one cycle of operation associated with one wavelength scan of the present device (hereinafter referred to as an operation cycle), and this operation is repeated at high speed.

Furthermore, in this apparatus, in addition to an operation mode that can be called a real-time mode in which the above-described operations are performed in parallel with the actual measurement in the optical system (section B), there is an operation mode that can also be called a reproduction mode. In this reproduction mode, after a series of necessary measurements are completed, the original data recorded in the mass storage device E-2 is read again, organized and processed to obtain arbitrary organized data, and the output section (G section). In addition, the second section showing the details of the operation panel A-1 in the A section
In the figure, an output mode changeover switch indicated by reference numeral 2 is a switch for selecting the above-mentioned real-time mode and playback mode. Details of the playback mode will be explained at the end.

Next, details of the optical system (section B) will be explained. In FIG. 1, B-1 is a light source, and a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, or the like is used in consideration of the required amount of light, stability, etc. B-2 is a spectrometer, and this device uses a spectrometer using a diffraction grating, and the arrangement is of the Czerny-Turner type. B-3 is a wavelength scanning mechanism that scans the output wavelength of spectrometer B-2, B-4 is a wavelength scanning mechanism B-
A wavelength reading mechanism B-5 provided in conjunction with 3 is a measuring section that guides the output light of the spectrometer B-2 to the object to be measured and also derives the measurement light from the object to be measured.

Examples of the wavelength scanning mechanism B-3 and wavelength reading mechanism B-4 described above are shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. Wavelength scanning of this device is performed by cutting a diffraction grating arranged in a Czerny-Turner pattern along a plane perpendicular to the direction of the score lines, and passing through the center of the cut plane and in the direction of the score lines. This is done by rotating and vibrating around parallel axes. In FIG. 3, numeral 43 is a torsion bar that serves as the central axis of the rotational vibration. That is, the diffraction grating 41 is appropriately held in a diffraction grating holder and supported by a torsion bar 43 fixed to the holder so as to be centered on the diffraction grating 41. The diffraction grating holder rotates and vibrates as shown by the arrow at the resonance frequency of the torsion bar 43 by an electromagnetic drive mechanism. As a result, the output wavelength of the spectrometer B-2 changes repeatedly within a certain wavelength range at high speed.

Further, in FIG. 3, a concave mirror 42 is fixed to the back surface of the diffraction grating 41 in parallel with the diffraction surface of the diffraction grating 41. As shown in FIG. Light emitted from the light source 47 for the wavelength reading mechanism is collected by the condenser lens 46 and passes through the wavelength reading pattern 45. This wavelength reading pattern 45 has a pattern as shown in FIG. 4, and is manufactured by photo etching or the like on a sufficiently thin stainless steel plate. In the pattern in Figure 4, the white part is the part that allows light to pass through.
The shaded area is the area that blocks light. The light that has passed through this wavelength reading pattern 45 is irradiated onto the above-mentioned concave mirror 42 and is thereby focused so as to form an image on the virtual plane A shown in FIG.

The image on the A plane is magnified by the lens 44, and
An enlarged image of the pattern 45 is formed on the surface. On the B side, four photoreceptors 48a, 48b, 48 such as phototransistors are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.
c, 48d are arranged. These four light receivers 48a to 48d are arranged corresponding to the four rows of the pattern 45, respectively, as shown in FIG. 4, and the output of each light receiver 48a to 48d is It becomes the input of the up-down counter in the wavelength signal circuit H-2 shown in FIG.

Now, when the concave mirror 42 rotates and vibrates as the diffraction grating 41 rotates, the image of the pattern 45 formed on the B surface also vibrates, and the light receiver 48a in FIG.
The image of the pattern 45 moves left and right relative to 48d. When the image of the pattern 45 shown in FIG. 4 crosses the light receivers 48a to 48d, the amount of light incident on each of the light receivers 48a to 48d changes, and the output level rises and falls accordingly. In the wavelength signal circuit H-2, which receives the output signals from each of the light receivers 48a to 48d, an up-down counter in the wavelength signal circuit H-2 is operated according to the table shown in FIG. In Figure 5, “↑”
indicates a state in which the output signal of the photoreceiver changes from a low level to a high level, "↓" indicates a state in which the above output signal changes from a high level to a low level, and,
"Hi" indicates that the output signal is at a high level, and "Lo" indicates that the output signal is at a low level. Further, "*" indicates that the level of the output signal of the photoreceiver may be any level. The up-down counter is counted up or down depending on the state of the output from each of the light receivers 48a to 48c shown in this table. That is, to explain according to FIG. 4, when the pattern 45 moves from right to left, the up-down counter counts up by 1 for each pitch of the pattern 45, and conversely, when the pattern 45 moves from left to right. When it does, it will count down by 1. In addition, the fifth
"Set" in the figure means that in this state, the output of the wavelength signal circuit H-2 is set to the initial value for wavelength scanning.

With the above configuration, as the diffraction grating 41 in FIG. 3 rotates and oscillates to perform wavelength scanning, the wavelength signal circuit H-2 outputs a digital signal (referred to as a wavelength signal) corresponding to the wavelength. . In this device, the minimum bit of the wavelength signal corresponds to a wavelength change of 1 nm. Further, the wavelength scanning range of this device is 350 nm to 700 nm.

Also, regarding the specific example of the measurement section B-5, the sixth section
This will be explained based on the diagram. In Figure 6, spectrometer B
-2 output light is split into two by the beam splitter 52, one light is irradiated onto the measurement object sample 56 through the optical fiber 54, and the other light is irradiated by the mirror 52.
3, and is irradiated through the optical fiber 55 onto a standard sample 57 relative to the measurement target sample 56. The measurement target sample 56 is a biological organ, etc., and the standard sample 57 for this, together with the measurement target side, forms a so-called double beam to eliminate the effects of light source fluctuations, etc., and to adjust the level of light intensity in both optical paths. For example, a white scattering plate made of magnesium oxide is used. The light passing through each sample 56, 57 is collected again by optical fibers 54, 55, respectively, and is collected by photodetectors 58, 59 (photomultiplier tube, etc.) of the electric circuit system (section C).
The light is received by each.

Photodetector C-1 in section C shown in FIG.
This corresponds to the two systems of photodetectors 58 and 59 corresponding to the above-mentioned double beam. The outputs of the photodetectors C-1 are each amplified by an amplifier C-2, and each output is logarithmically converted through a logarithmic converter C-3 in order to calculate the absorbance. The two outputs of the logarithmic converter C-3 are input to the differential amplifier C-4, whereby the absorbance of the measurement target sample 56 with respect to the standard sample 57 is determined, and this analog signal output is It is converted into a digital signal by converter D-1.

Next, the operation up to writing the measurement data output from the A-D converter D-1 into the high-speed storage circuit E-1 (ie, the operation during the above period) will be described.

In the operation panel A-1 shown in FIG. 2, 4 is a start switch for instructing the start of measurement, and 5 is a stop switch for instructing the end of measurement. First, start by setting the output mode changeover switch 2 to real-time mode. Turn on the switch.
Then, the wavelength scanning mechanism B-3 operates, and the spectrometer B-3
- The diffraction grating in B-2 rotates and oscillates to perform wavelength scanning, and the wavelength reading mechanism B-2 corresponds to the wavelength of light emitted from the output slit of spectrometer B-2.
The output of the wavelength signal circuit H-2 is determined by the output signal No. 4. The wavelength signal output from the wavelength signal circuit H-2 is a 9-bit digital signal, and this wavelength signal is sent to the address bus through gate H-3.
It will be put on ADR. The data on this address bus ADR is read into the control signal circuit group H-1 at the timing of the read command signal _S4 from the wavelength signal circuit H-2.

Also, as the wavelength signal changes one bit at a time, the output wavelength of spectrometer B-2 changes by 1n.
As m changes, the control signal circuit group H-1 changes to A.
- Send a conversion start command signal _S2 to the D converter D-1. In response to this, the AD converter D-1 performs conversion at high speed, and when the conversion is completed, it sends a conversion completion signal _S3 to the control signal circuit group H-1. In response to this signal S ₃ , the control signal circuit group H-1 outputs the signal S ₅
opens the gate H-10 and puts the digitally converted photometric data onto the data bus DATA, and also opens the gate H-4 with the signal _S6 and sends the write command signal _S24 to the high-speed storage circuit E-1.
Write the above photometric data to . At this time, the address specification for the high-speed storage circuit E-1 is made based on the wavelength signal sent from the wavelength signal circuit H-2 to the control signal circuit group H-1, and the above measurement data is based on the photometric data. Spectrometer B- when obtained
It is written in the position corresponding to the output wavelength of No. 2. This high-speed memory circuit E-1 is composed of a random access type semiconductor memory (RAM), and the measurement data at each of the wavelengths mentioned above consists of 12 bits, and the address consists of 13 bits, corresponding to 16 operation cycles, or 16 Data for multiple wavelength scans can be stored. That is, the control signal circuit group H-1 receives the wavelength scanning count signal _S7 from the wavelength signal circuit H-2 and adds bits to be added sequentially to the 9-bit wavelength signal from the wavelength signal circuit H-2. Provides 13-bit address information for high-speed memory circuit E-1. Certain data stored in the high-speed memory circuit E-1 can remain in this memory circuit E-1 for only 16 operating cycles.

Therefore, in this device, the original data obtained one after another by repeated wavelength scanning is
As shown in the table in the figure, the data is sequentially written into the high-speed memory circuit E-1 in a state corresponding to each wavelength λ ₁ to λm and in a state in which blocks are formed for each operation period x ₁ to xn. Become.

By the way, when the operation of writing data obtained by one wavelength scan into the high-speed storage circuit E-1 is completed, the operation shifts to the second period. That is, the operation is to transfer one scan's worth of data that has just been written to the high-speed storage circuit E-1 to the mass storage device E-2. First, when the control signal circuit group H-1 receives the wavelength scanning count signal and detects the end of one wavelength scanning, it outputs the gate H-1 by signals S ₆ and S ₈ .
4. Open H-9, send the transfer start command signal _S9 to the mass storage device E-2, and at the same time send the control signal circuit group H
-1 sends an address command to the address bus ADR, and sends an address command to the high-speed memory circuit E via the data bus DATA.
-1 data is transferred to the mass storage device E-2. In addition, in the mass storage device E-2, a label corresponding to the operation cycle number from which this data was obtained is recorded together with the above-mentioned transfer data. The label number at this time is displayed as a four-digit number on the display 15 on the display panel A-1 in FIG. In this way, when the transfer of data for one scan to the mass storage device E-2 is completed, the storage device E-2 sends a transfer completion signal _S10 to the control signal circuit group H-1. Therefore, the device shifts to the third period of operation.

In the period, as mentioned above, the high speed memory circuit E-1
From the original data stored in the original data, appropriately selected and calculated organized data is obtained and sent to the output section (G section). (This is called the measurement mode) must be set using the operation panel A-1.

Therefore, each measurement mode in this device will be explained. The measurement mode is basically the following
It is divided into three measurement modes: (a), (b), and (c), and selection of these three measurement modes is performed by the measurement mode changeover switch 1 on the operation panel A-1 shown in FIG.

(b) The first measurement mode is to observe changes in absorbance over time at a specified specific wavelength. In other words, by one wavelength scan, original data corresponding to wavelengths of 1 nm from λ ₁ to λm can be obtained, but only the data for the specified specific wavelength is selected and the data is sent to the output section (G section). The data is supplied to the recorder G-1 at the time, and the time elapsed is plotted on the recorder G-1.
The wavelength at this time is specified by wavelength setting switches 8 to 13 shown in FIG. These six wavelength setting switches 8 to 13 are digital switches that can each set a wavelength, and in this device, the data for each of the six wavelengths set in these wavelength setting switches 8 to 13 are
It can be output using the multi-pen type recorder G-1.

The operation of this measurement mode (a) will be explained in detail.
First, the contents set on the operation panel A-1 are transmitted to the control signal circuit group H- ₁ by a signal S1. Then, when the period and period operations are completed as described above, the control signal circuit group H-1 loads the address information of the wavelength set in the wavelength setting switch onto the address bus ADR, and at the same time outputs the signal _S6.
and opens the gate H-4, and also sends the read command signal _S20 to transfer the data corresponding to the specified wavelength in the high-speed storage circuit E-1 to the data bus.
Send to DATA. At the same time, the gate H-14 is opened by the signal _S11 , and the data bus DATA is opened.
Supply the above data to the DA converter H-19,
Convert that data into an analog signal and recorder G
-1 input. In this device, six DA converters H-19 are prepared corresponding to six different set wavelengths. Therefore, the above data output cycle is repeated six times in the operating state of the period. In this way,
In the first measurement mode (a), recorder G-1
By time-spacing, changes in absorbance data over time can be recorded for six different wavelengths.

(b) The second measurement mode can also be called wavelength spectrum measurement, in which one wavelength scan data is displayed on the output section (G section) as a function of absorbance at each wavelength. Therefore, in this measurement mode, the above-mentioned wavelength setting is not necessary.

The operation of this measurement mode (b) will be explained in detail.
When the above-mentioned period and operation of the period are completed and the operation state of the period is entered, the control signal circuit group H-
1 transmits address information corresponding to the data storage address of the first wavelength λ ₁ in the wavelength scanning area to the address bus.
ADR, and at the same time the gate H- is set by signal _S6 .
4 and sends out a read command signal _S20 to transfer the specified data in the high speed storage circuit E-1 onto the data bus DATA. In this state, signals S ₁₆ and S ₁₇ are generated to open gates H-5 and H-6. Thus, the data bus DATA
The above absorbance data is converted into an analog signal by the DA converter H-11, and becomes the Y-axis input of the memory scope G-3. Also address bus
The data on the ADR is rounded to a numerical value of an appropriate size by a logic circuit H-12 consisting of a subtracter, etc.
It becomes the input of the DA converter H-13. This D-
The analog signal output of the A converter H-13 becomes the X-axis input of the memory scope G-3, and drives the horizontal axis of the memory scope G-3.

When this series of operations is completed, the control signal circuit group H-1 increments the address information by 1 bit and performs the above series of operations. In this way,
Absorbance data for each wavelength is fed to the Y-axis of memory scope G-3 by 1 nm increments up to the final wavelength λm in the wavelength scanning range of 1 nm increments, and the wavelength spectrum characteristics are drawn on this memory scope G-3. It can be done.

(c) The third measurement mode can also be called a two-wavelength absorption measurement mode, in which the absorbance difference between two designated wavelengths is output, and the elapsed time can be recorded. In this measurement mode (c), first operate the operation panel A-1.
The wavelength setting switches 8 to 13 specify two wavelengths for which differential absorption is to be determined. This device can set three sets of two wavelengths. Switches 8 and 9, Switches 10 and 11, Switch 1
2 and 13 are set as one set of two wavelengths at which the two-wavelength difference absorption should be measured. for example,
By setting the wavelengths λa and λb in the switches 8 and 9, respectively, the two-wavelength difference absorbance D(λa)-D(λb) is output.

The operation of this measurement mode (c) will be explained in detail.
When the above-mentioned period and operation of the period are completed and the operation state of the period is entered, the control signal circuit group H-
1 first transmits address information corresponding to the wavelength set in the wavelength setting switch 8 to the address bus.
ADR, and at the same time the gate H- is set by signal _S6 .
4 and sends out a read command signal _S20 to transfer the data of the designated wavelength in the high speed storage circuit E-1 onto the data bus DATA. In this state, the gate H-7 is opened by the signal _S19 , and the read command signal _S22 is sent to the arithmetic circuit group F-1.
As a result, the data on the data bus DATA is stored in the register in the arithmetic circuit group F-1. When the above operations are completed, control signal circuit group H-1
Next, the address information corresponding to the wavelength set in the wavelength setting switch 9 is sent to the address bus ADR.
, and in the same way as above, gate H-4 with signal S ₆
is opened and a read command signal _S20 is sent out,
The designated wavelength data in the high-speed storage circuit E-1 is loaded onto the data bus DATA. In this state,
The signal _S19 opens the gate H-7 and sends the read command signal _S22 , and the data bus DATA
The above data is stored in the register in the arithmetic circuit group F-1. This completes the wavelength setting switches 8 and 9.
The data of the wavelengths set in are respectively stored in the registers in the arithmetic circuit group F-1.

The arithmetic circuit group F-1 consists of a register a for temporary storage, an arithmetic logic circuit b consisting of an adder, a subtracter, and a divider, and a buffer gate c. The two data regarding the two wavelengths stored in the register a of the arithmetic circuit group F-1 through the operations described above are subtracted by the subtracter of the arithmetic logic circuit b.
The result (difference data) is temporarily stored in buffer gate c. Immediately after this, control signal circuit group H-1
generates a signal _S23 to derive the data in the buffer gate c onto the data bus DATA, and also opens a gate H-14 with a signal _S11 and inputs the data to a DA converter H-19. The arithmetic result converted into an analog signal by the DA converter H-19 is input to the recorder G-1.

As described above, this device outputs three sets of two-wavelength difference absorbance. That is, the control signal circuit group H-1 then switches the wavelength setting switch 1
A series of controls similar to those described above are performed for a set of wavelengths set to 0 and 11, and the obtained calculation results are used as another input to recorder G-1, and then to wavelength setting switches 12 and 13. Similar control is performed for the set set of wavelengths. In this way, by moving the recorder G-1 over time, the time course of three sets of two-wavelength difference absorbances is plotted.

The operation of the above three measurement modes (a), (b), and (c) is explained when output mode changeover switch 2 on operation panel A-1 shown in Fig. 2 is set to real-time mode, and when the average count is specified. This is the operation when the switch 6 is set to "1".

Next, the above-mentioned average number designation switch 6 will be explained. In this device, each of the above modes (a),
In addition to the operation mode that outputs predetermined organized data in a period based only on the data obtained by one wavelength scan, as explained in (b) and (c),
Predetermined organized data is obtained for arbitrary multiple scans of data sequentially obtained by each wavelength scan. There is a behavior mode that should be called average behavior. In other words, in this averaging operation, before a predetermined selection or calculation is performed on the measurement data for each wavelength scan, the measurement data necessary for the above selection calculation is selected from among the measurement data for the specified multiple wavelength scans. are averaged for each wavelength, and the results are provided as data for the selection calculation. At this time, the average number designation switch 6 is set to determine how many wavelength scans of data are to be averaged. If this switch 6 is set to "2" or higher, an average operation will be performed, and in that case, the operation during the period will be slightly different from the above.

(A)′ First, the case where the averaging operation is performed in measurement mode (A) will be explained. Here, it is assumed that the average number designation switch 6 is set to "3". In the above-mentioned operation of this measurement mode (a), every operation cycle:
Among the data obtained in the operating cycle, data of the wavelength specified by the wavelength setting switches 8 to 13 was read out from the high speed memory circuit E-1 and inputted into the recorder G-1. However, in the average operation,
When entering the operating state for a certain operating cycle, first of all the data obtained for that operating cycle and the data obtained for the previous two operating cycles, for a total of three cycles. The data of the wavelength (denoted as λa) specified by the wavelength setting switch is
Under the control of the control signal circuit group H-1, data is read out from the high-speed recording circuit E-1 to the data bus DATA in order, and is read out through the gate H-7 to the arithmetic circuit group F-.
1 register sequentially. The data for three operating cycles read into this arithmetic circuit group F-1 are D(λa, xb _-2 ), D(λa, xb _-1 ), D(λa,
xb), then by the arithmetic circuit group F-1,
Additive average of this data D'=D(λa, xb _-2 )+D(λa
, xb _-1 ), +D(λa, xb)/3 are calculated. This calculation result is led out from the calculation circuit group F-1 to the data bus DATA under the control of the control signal circuit group H-1, and is further introduced from the gate H-14 to the DA converter H-19. The analog signal output of this DA converter H-19 becomes the input of the recorder G-1. Thus,
The data of the specified wavelength is added and averaged for each three cycles, and based on the average data, the recorder G-
1 depicts the time course of absorbance. Note that the average number designation switch 6 can designate up to "16".

(b)′ Next, the case where the averaging operation is performed in the measurement mode (b) will be explained. In this case, as explained in (b) above, the address information corresponding to the wavelength on the address bus ADR is transferred to the memory via the gate H-6, the logic circuit H-12, and the DA converter H-13. This becomes the X-axis input of scope G-3, and the measurement data for the above wavelength on the data bus DATA goes to the Y-axis input of memory scope G-3 via gate H-5 and DA converter H-11. However, here, the Y-axis input of the memory scope G-3 becomes the summed average data of the measurement data at each wavelength for a plurality of operation cycles designated by the average number designation switch 6. As is clear from the explanation in (a)' above, the control for this purpose is to first close the gate H-5 and then control the high-speed memory circuit E-1.
Reads data about a specific wavelength for multiple operating cycles specified from to the data bus DATA,
This is stored in the arithmetic circuit group F-1. Then, the arithmetic circuit group F-1 performs an arithmetic operation to add and average the above data, and the result is again derived to the data bus DATA, and the gate H-5 is opened to transfer the data on the data bus DATA to the memory. This will be taken in as the Y input of scope G-3.

(c)′ The case where the averaging operation is performed in measurement mode (c) will be explained. In the operation (c) above, data regarding two wavelengths specified by a set of wavelength setting switches are transferred from the high-speed storage circuit E-1 to the arithmetic circuit group F-1.
1 sequentially and calculate the difference. However, in this case, data regarding one of the two wavelengths in a set is stored in the memory circuit group F-1.
When importing data into the , the data for multiple operation cycles set in the average number designation switch 6 is imported.
The average is calculated and temporarily stored. Also,
The same goes for data regarding the other wavelength, data for a plurality of designated operation cycles are taken into the arithmetic circuit group F-1, and the arithmetic average of the data is calculated. Then, the difference between the average data for these two wavelengths is calculated, and the result is sent to the calculation circuit group F-1.
The data will be input to recorder G-1. Note that even if you first obtain the difference data between the two wavelengths for one operating cycle and then add and average that data for a specified number of operating cycles, the result is the same as above, and such a calculation procedure can be used. Of course it's very good.

Finally, the above playback mode will be explained.
In this playback mode, first, a specified portion of the data recorded in the mass storage device E-2 is played back, and then
Data corresponding to an operation cycle (that is, one block of data) is sequentially written into the high-speed memory circuit E-1, and in parallel with this, the output operation for the above-mentioned period is performed to output organized data that has been arbitrarily organized and processed.

To designate the first block of data to be read from the mass storage device E-2, the numeric keypad 14 of the operation panel A-1 shown in FIG. 2 is used. Storage device E
The data in each block described in -2 is labeled as described above, and the number of the label of the first block to be specified is entered using the numeric keypad 14.
The leading block is designated by inputting the base code and pressing the data input switch 3 (FIG. 2). So when you press start switch 4,
The control signal circuit group H-1 is connected to the mass storage device E-2.
Sends a signal to and searches the specified first block. When the designated head block is found, the data of the head block is transferred to the high speed storage circuit E-1 via gate H-8 and gate H-4,
The output operation is performed during the above period. Furthermore, the following 1
The operation of transferring the block data from the mass storage device E-2 to the high-speed storage circuit E-1 and performing the output operation for a period is repeated until the stop switch 5 is pressed.

The period output operation in this playback mode is as follows:
Of course, the measurement mode (a), (b), (c) or (a)'
,
It can be carried out in either of the embodiments (b)' and (c)'. In addition, in the case of the measurement mode (b) or (b)' which outputs the wavelength spectrum characteristics, due to the time issue of mode reproduction and the response speed, the output device should be replaced with the above-mentioned memory scope G-3. An X-Y recorder G-2 connected in parallel with this is used.

Further, the output interval designation switch 7 shown on the operation panel A-1 in FIG. 2 is optionally used in the above playback mode. The above explanation of the operation of the playback mode is based on the case where the output interval designation switch 7 is set to "1". Every time the original data is read, the output operation for the specified mode period is executed. However, if this output interval designation switch 7 is set to 2 or more "N",
The output operation for the period is 1 every time the original data for N operation cycles is read from the mass storage device E-2.
The output operation for the period is executed only once. That is, the original data is sampled at intervals of N operation cycles, and organized data based on the sampled original data for one operation cycle is output to the output section (G
When unsampled original data is read, the output operation for the period is not executed. This outputs the time course of the data on a relatively long time scale.

The various operating aspects of this device have been described above.
In addition, in the above embodiment, the optical system (B section)
Wavelength scanning is performed by mechanically rotating and vibrating the diffraction grating using electromagnetic force.
The present invention is not limited to this, but as described above, the object to be measured is irradiated with white light, the light from the object is separated into spectra by a spectrometer, and an image sensor is attached to the output surface of the spectrometer. It may be arranged so that the wavelength can be scanned electrically, and in that case, the technique for reading the wavelength as explained in FIGS. 3 to 5 is not necessary. In addition, the measurement mode of this device, that is, how to organize and process the original data, is not limited to that described in the embodiment. By providing the necessary calculation and control functions, such as calculating and outputting the difference characteristics of , various data can be organized and processed.

As explained in detail above, the spectrophotometer according to the present invention uses a single optical system to acquire and store measurement data in a wide wavelength range at once, and also stores measurement data in parallel with the measurement and after the measurement is completed. Later, we organized and processed the data into the required format and output it, allowing us to perform various measurements such as the time course of absorbance at a certain wavelength, wavelength spectral characteristics, and the time course of the difference in absorbance at two specific wavelengths. Modes can be executed in the same device by simply switching the settings. In other words, a large number of types of organized and processed measurement data can be arbitrarily obtained through a single measurement, so there is no need to repeat measurements using various devices depending on the measurement purpose, as in the past. The desired measurements can be carried out using one device of the present invention. Therefore, the device is extremely suitable for monitoring the metabolic dynamics of living tissue as described above. In particular, according to the present invention, depending on whether the output mode changeover switch is set to real-time mode or regeneration mode, it is possible to perform any of the following: time-lapse measurement of absorbance for a specific wavelength, wavelength spectrum measurement, dual-wavelength absorption measurement, etc. While performing one measurement, the original data used for the measurement can be transferred and stored in a mass storage device at the same time, and the same original data can be used to subsequently perform another mode of measurement, thus making it possible to This has advantages such as higher reliability of measurement results compared to the case where different original data is used each time a measurement is made.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an overall block diagram of the spectrophotometer according to the present invention, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation panel, Figures 3 and 4.
5 and 5 are explanatory diagrams of a wavelength scanning mechanism and a wavelength reading mechanism, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system measuring section, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of acquired data. A...Operation unit, B...Optical system, C...Electric circuit system, D...A-D conversion unit, E...Storage unit, F...
Arithmetic unit, G...Output unit, H...Control unit, 2...Output mode changeover setting switch, 3...Data input switch, 4...Start switch, 5...Stop switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An optical scanning device that irradiates an object to be measured with light, receives measurement light from the object, repeats wavelength scanning, and outputs an analog signal corresponding to the received light level for each wavelength. , an A-D converter that converts the analog signal output of this optical scanning device into a digital signal, and an A-D converter that converts the measurement data for each wavelength scan sequentially output from this A-D converter into an appropriate plurality of wavelength scans. a high-speed storage circuit that temporarily stores data corresponding to each wavelength in the scanning range for a period of time; a large-capacity storage device that stores all measurement data for each wavelength scan with a label corresponding to the scanning cycle number; and an output mode. an output mode changeover switch for setting the output mode to real-time mode or playback mode; a data input switch for specifying a label corresponding to the beginning of the data to be played back among the data in the mass storage device; a start switch for instructing the start of data reproduction; a stop switch for instructing the end of the data reproduction; a measurement content setting means for setting measurement content; In parallel with the operation of the optical scanning device, necessary measurement data is read out from the high-speed storage circuit based on the settings set by the measurement content setting means, and if necessary, predetermined calculations are performed on the measurement data, and on the other hand, the output When the mode is in the playback mode, in response to the operation of the start switch, the data of the label specified by the data input switch is read from the mass storage device, transferred to the high speed storage circuit, and the data is transferred to the high speed storage circuit. Data selection that reads the necessary measurement data from the circuit and performs predetermined calculations on the measurement data if necessary, until the stop switch is operated each time the data is sequentially transferred from the large-capacity storage circuit to the high-speed storage circuit. A spectrophotometer comprising: a calculation means; and an output device for outputting measurement data selectively calculated by the data selection calculation means. 2. When a predetermined setting is made by the measurement content setting means, the selection calculation means reads measurement data for a specified characteristic wavelength from among the measurement data stored in the high-speed storage circuit or the mass storage device, A spectrophotometer according to claim 1, which is supplied to said output device. 3. When a predetermined setting is made by the measurement content setting means, the selection calculation means reads out the measurement data for each characteristic wavelength stored in the high-speed storage circuit or the mass storage device, and makes the measurement data correspond to the wavelength. 2. The spectrophotometer according to claim 1, wherein the spectrophotometer is supplied to said output device in a state in which the wavelength spectrum characteristics are output by said output device. 4. When a predetermined setting is made by the measurement content setting means, the selection calculation means selects the measurement data for two specified characteristic wavelengths from among the measurement data stored in the high-speed storage circuit or the mass storage device. 2. The spectrophotometer according to claim 1, wherein the spectrophotometer is read out, the difference between the measurement data for the two wavelengths is calculated, and the calculation result is supplied to the output device.