Ellipsoidal Radiation Collector and Method

摘要

There is a need in industry for a cytometer which is more efficient in collecting scattered light and fluorescence, and is more efficient in impinging collected light on photosensitive detectors. Disclosed is a radiation collector apparatus 10 for analyzing particles by irradiating the particles to produce a source of detectable radiation, wherein the radiation collector apparatus 10 comprises a reflector chamber 12 having a half ellipsoidal first reflector surface 14 and a second reflector surface 16 in the form of a planar reflector surface shown or a half ellipsoidal surface (Figures 5 and 6 not shown). Detectable radiation emanating from a primary focus 18 of the first reflector surface 14 either directly or after one or more reflections proceeds through a window 24 formed in one of the reflector surfaces for subsequent processing. In another embodiment (Figure 3 not shown) a dichroic second reflector surface is provided.