| 主权项 |
1. A surface plasmon resonance fluorescence measurement device that measures fluorescence emitted as a result of a fluorescent substance labeled to a specific antigen contained in a specimen being excited by an electric field based on surface plasmon resonance, comprising:
a prism unit having a prism in which a metal film having a thickness is formed on a prescribed surface thereof; a light source having a light emitting element that emits a light beam onto the prism from a surface different from the prescribed surface so as to cause the light beam to be incident on a first surface of the metal film facing the prescribed surface and be reflected by the metal film, and an angle changing unit configured to change a direction in which the light beam is emitted by the light emitting element so as to change an angle of incidence of the light beam relative to the metal film; a light measuring unit configured to measure an intensity of light generated on a second surface of the metal film that is opposite to the first surface of the metal film and facing the light measuring unit, as a result of the light beam being reflected by the metal film, the light measuring unit comprising:
a light receiving unit configured to receive light;a first optical filter that is a neutral density filter configured to attenuate light;a second optical filter configured to block out noise components except fluorescence emitted by excitation of the fluorescent substance; anda position switching unit configured to switch positions of the first optical filter and the second optical filter between an intermediate position that is in a region interposed between the metal film and the light receiving unit, and a standby position that is outside the region,wherein the light receiving unit receives plasmon scattered light through the neutral density filter located at the intermediate position and receives the fluorescence of the fluorescent substance labeled to the specific antigen when the second optical filter is at the intermediate position; andwherein the position switching unit is configured to respectively switch the positions of the first optical filter and the second optical filter so that the second optical filter is at the standby position when the first optical filter is at the intermediate position, or so that the second optical filter is at the intermediate position when the first optical filter is at the standby position; and a control unit configured to control the position switching unit and to control the angle changing unit; wherein the control unit is configured to control the position switching unit so that the first optical filter is at the intermediate position and the second optical filter is at the standby position, is configured to control the angle changing unit so that the light beam emitted from the light emitting element enters the metal film while changing an angle of incidence to the metal film, is configured to cause the plasmon scattered light generated on the first surface surface of the metal film to pass through the first optical filter while emitting the light beam from the light emitting element, thereby measuring the intensity of plasmon scattered light having passed through the first optical filter, and is configured to determine the angle of incidence of the light beam emitted from the light emitting element so that the intensity of plasmon scattered light measured by the light measuring unit reaches a maximum value; and the control unit is configured to control the position switching unit so that the first optical filter is at the standby position and the second optical filter is at the intermediate position, is configured to control the angle changing unit to cause the light beam from the light emitting element to enter the metal film at the angle of incidence where the intensity of the plasmon scattered light reaches the maximum value, is configured to cause the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance labeled to the specific antigen captured on the first surface of the metal film in the electric field based on the surface plasmon resonance generated on the first surface of the metal film to pass through the second optical filter, thereby measuring the intensity of the fluorescence having passed through the second optical filter. |
