LIQUID MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

PURPOSE: To indicate the needness/needlessness of the exchange of a reagent container by detecting the presence of a liquid to be monitored in the container with a detector. CONSTITUTION: A chamber structure 44 is provided with a monitoring section 58 which contains a liquid to be monitored and constitutes a liquid monitoring system together with two wall sections 60 and 62 which are separated from each other. A radiation source 100 is adjacently fitted to one of the wall sections 60 and 62 and a sensor 92 which receives a beam radiated through a passage is provided adjacently to the other wall section. The radiated bean made incident to the section 58 is refracted by the action of the liquid 65 in the section 58 at the surface of the section 58 when the beam enters the section 58 through the wall. At the first refractive angle, the refracted beam comes into collision with an auxiliary wall 64 and is reflected inward. The reflected beam advances along a reflecting passage and is detected by means of a radiated beam sensor 92. The detected reflected beam indicates the presence of the fluid in a chamber 46.