JPH052137A - Minute object grasping device, inspecting and sampling device and minute object grasping method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a grasping device which eliminates a minute object other than a target to be grapsed. CONSTITUTION:A laser light source 1, a collimator lens 2, a mechanical shutter 11, a relay lens 3, dichroic mirrors 4 and 11, an objective lens 5, a laser light source 6, a collimator lens 7, a mechanical shutter 12, relay lenses 8 and 10, a ring-shaped filter 9 are provided. Then, a luminous flux for eliminating is formed around a condensing position by the laser light source 6, the relay lenses 8 and 10, and the ring-shaped filter 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for capturing, inspecting, and collecting micro objects and a method for capturing micro objects.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional device of this type has a structure as shown in FIG. This device has a light source 31, a collimator lens 32, a relay lens 33, a dichroic mirror 34, an objective lens 35, an image pickup device 37, a relay lens 37, and a sample 36.

In FIG. 3, a light source 31 is a light source for a microscopic object capturing beam, and a laser beam is generally used.
The light emitted from this light source passes through the collimator lens 32, the relay lens 33 and the dichroic mirror 34, and is further irradiated onto the minute object in the sample 36 by the objective lens 35. On the other hand, the sample 36 is illuminated by another light source by a known method (not shown), so that the image of 36 is formed on the imaging device 38 via the objective lens 35 and the relay lens 37. Of course, instead of the image pickup device, a normal visual observation device may be used.

Now, when the trapped beam is irradiated in this manner, the minute object receives a force as shown in FIG. 4 due to the change in the momentum of the photon accompanying the reflection / refraction of light. 41 in the figure
Indicates a target minute object, the irradiation light forms a cone-shaped light beam, A and B indicate beams in the light beam, and the force A by the beam A and the force FB by the beam B are reflected by the minute object. work. When this force, the buoyancy (in the case of floating in water), and the three forces of gravity are balanced, a minute object is captured in the light flux.

Further, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the center of the minute object is not on the optical axis. If the minute object 51 is not on the optical axis, FA and FB 'will not be axially symmetric, and the resultant force will be drawn in the optical axis direction. This means that when the optical axis of the irradiation light is shifted from the minute object captured once,
A small object follows it, and a minute object can move.

[0006]

However, when such a device is used to take out a predetermined minute object from a suspension in which various minute objects are mixed, the minute object is captured and separated. Therefore, if the unnecessary minute objects on the moving path are taken in together in the form as shown in FIG. 5 as described above, a problem will occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide a trapping device capable of excluding minute objects other than the target to be trapped.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems,
In the present invention, the minute object eliminating light is provided in the vicinity of the minute object capturing light so that the minute objects can be separated and moved.

That is, a first light source, a first optical system for condensing light from the first light source to form a trap in the vicinity of a condensing point on the optical axis, and a second light source. And a second optical system that forms a light beam outside the converging position of the first optical system when viewed from the optical axis by the light from the second light source. .

[0010]

The first optical system collects the light from the first light source and forms a trap in the vicinity of the converging point on the optical axis.
The second optical system forms a light beam by the light from the second light source outside the converging position of the first optical system when viewed from the optical axis. Then, the light flux is excluded so as not to capture a minute object that is not a capture target.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in particular, a portion involved in capturing a minute object. For the observation, a known method (not shown), for example, an optical system for observation shown in FIG.
This is performed by having the third optical system.

This capture device is a laser which is a first light source.
Light source 1, collimator lens 2, mechanical shutter
11, a relay lens 3, a dichroic mirror-4,
14, an objective lens 5, a laser light source 6 as a second light source, a collimator lens 7, and a mechanical shutter-1.
2, relay lenses 8 and 10, and a ring-shaped filter 9.

A collimator lens 2, a mechanical shutter 11, a relay lens 3, and a dichroic mirror.
The objective lenses 5 and 4 and 14 constitute a first optical system. Laser light source 6 which is the second light source, and collimator
The lens 7, the mechanical shutter 12, the relay lenses 8 and 10, the ring-shaped filter 9, the dichroic mirror 14, and the objective lens 5 form a second optical system. The solid line is the trapping light beam, and the broken line is the excluding light beam.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a light source for capturing, which uses a semiconductor laser of 30 mW. The beam emitted from this is passed through a collimator lens 2, a relay lens 3, and a dichroic mirror 4, and then focused on a sample 13 by an objective lens 5. On the other hand, a light source for excluded light (100 mW semiconductor laser)
The beam emitted from 6 passes through the collimator lens 7, the relay lenses 8 and 10, the ring-shaped filter 9, and the dichroic mirror 14, and is focused on the focus of the objective lens 5. After passing through the objective lens 5, this beam becomes parallel light having a ring-shaped cross section.

In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the force acting on the minute object 41 changes its direction depending on the angle θ in the figure. The operation of the excluding light flux according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 6 shows the action of force in the case of parallel light.
The resultant force of the forces FA and FB applied to the minute object in the parallel light flux AB is directed in the traveling direction of the light and pushes the minute object in the traveling direction of the light. Although not shown here, the force due to the reflection of light at the interface also faces the same direction, so that the minute object is quickly accelerated and flows along the light flux. On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows a portion where a part of a minute object impinges on the light flux AB. At this time, FB is the sum of the component in the direction toward the center of the light beam and the component in the traveling direction of the light, and the minute object is drawn into the light beam and flows in the traveling direction of the light.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which this point is utilized and the separation is utilized. In the figure, Ft represents a light flux for capturing, which is condensed by the objective lens 5 and captures the minute object 24. Further, as the excluded light, a light Fe which becomes a ring-shaped substantially parallel light after passing through the objective lens is provided. By doing so, for example, even if the minute object 25 approaches, the minute object is once caught in the light beam Fe, but flows in the traveling direction of the light and becomes the minute object 25 ', so that the minute object 2
It will be separated from 4.

Using this fact, the actual operation is performed as follows. In actual capturing, in FIG. 1, first, a micro object to be captured is moved to the center of the visual field by moving a stage (not shown), the mechanical shutter 11 is opened to capture the micro object, and then the micro object is removed. The mechanical shutter 12 for turning on / off the beam for use light is opened.

Actually, after doing so, when the stage was moved again and the minute object was moved relatively in the sample holder, all the minute objects that entered the exclusion beam flow downward, and No mixing occurred.

As the laser oscillation mode, the TEM00 mode is effective for capturing and the TEM01 mode is effective for excluding, and in order to obtain extinction in a wider range, the laser intensity for exclusion is at least captured. It is preferable to make it 3 times or more of the laser for use.

As described above, by providing the excluded light flux, it is possible to capture and move a minute object such as a target chromosome without mixing unnecessary minute objects, and it is possible to easily shift to automation.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the excluded light is arranged so that the condensing position is enclosed in a ring shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the enclosing shape is not particularly limited. An ellipse, a distorted shape, or a polygon also has the effect of the present invention.

Further, by providing the capturing device according to the present invention in a micro object sampling device, and having means such as a pipette as the sampling means, it is possible to sort and collect micro objects which have been difficult in the past. Will be easier.

Further, by providing the capturing apparatus according to the present invention in a microscope for observing a minute object, it becomes easy to select and observe a minute object which has been difficult in the past.

Further, by providing the capturing device according to the present invention in an inspection device for inspecting a minute object, it becomes easy to select and inspect a minute object which has been difficult in the past.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a capturing device capable of excluding minute objects other than the capturing target.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a capture device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of minute object elimination by the capturing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an observation device having a capture device according to the prior art.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of capturing a minute object by light according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of capturing a minute object by light according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method of excluding minute objects according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method of excluding a minute object according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Laser light source, 2 ... Collimator lens, 3 ... Relay lens, 4 ... Dichroic mirror, 5 ... Objective lens, 6 ... Laser light source, 7 ... Collimator lens, 8 ...
Relay lens, 9 ... filter, 10 ... relay lens.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A first light source, a first optical system for condensing light from the first light source to form a trap in the vicinity of a condensing point on the optical axis, and a second light source. And a second optical system that forms a light flux outside the converging position of the first optical system when viewed from the optical axis by the light from the second light source. Object capture device. 2. A first light source, a first optical system that collects light from the first light source to form a trap, a second light source, and light from the second light source. Thus, the minute object capturing apparatus is characterized in that it has a second optical system that forms a light flux so as to surround the condensing position of the first optical system. 3. A first light source, a first optical system for condensing a trapping light flux from the first light source to form a trap, a second light source, and a second light source. And a second optical system for forming a light flux so as to surround the condensing position of the first optical system by the second light flux for exclusion.
A micro object capturing device characterized by having a ring-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. 4. A first light source, a first optical system for condensing light from the first light source to form a trap near a condensing point on the optical axis, and a second light source. And a second optical system that forms a light beam outside the converging position of the first optical system when viewed from the optical axis by the light from the second light source, and a minute object trapped in the trap. And a third optical system for observing. 5. A capture device according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
And a means for collecting the minute object captured by the capturing device. 6. The light from the first light source is condensed in the vicinity of a minute object, and the force exerted on the object by the light is used to capture the minute object in the vicinity of a condensing point on the optical axis. Forming a trap, and forming a light beam outside the converging position of the first optical system when viewed from the optical axis by the light from the second light source, and capturing a minute object. Method.