Abstract: An automatic analysis device and method having a BF separation process, wherein the width in a container conveyance direction of a surface facing a reaction container of a magnet for preliminary magnetic collection of a first magnetic generation part (32p) is set to have a length including a region for housing a liquid sample of the reaction container conveyed to a magnetic collection position of the first magnetic generation part. An end in the container conveyance direction of a surface facing the reaction container of a magnet for regular magnetic collection of a second magnetic generation part (32m) is designed to be close to the center of the region for housing the liquid sample of the reaction container conveyed to a magnetic collection position of the second magnetic generation part.

Abstract: The liquid suction tool, liquid supply unit and automated analyzer can reduce an amount of the liquid remaining in the suction conduit while maintaining the strength of the suction conduit. The liquid suction tool 12 has a rod-like suction conduit 31 and a connecting member 32. The suction conduit 31 is inserted into the storage bag 21. A groove 34 is formed on a side surface of the suction conduit 31 to pass the liquid.

Abstract: An automated analyzer includes a rod-like member 12a, a driving portion 12c, and a control mechanism 30. The driving portion 12c lifts and lowers the rod-like member 12a a direction of being inserted into and removed from the container 24. The control mechanism 30 controls the driving portion 12c so that the rod-like member 12a is lifted after being lowered so that a tip portion of the rod-like member 12a reaches a first position in the liquid L, and at a time when the rod-like member 12a reaches a second position where the tip portion is not separated from the liquid, an upward motion of the rod-like member 12a is stopped for a given period of time to reduce liquid film adhering to the rod-like member.

Abstract: The present invention is a luminescence measuring device that is provided with: a black box-like housing (10) having a vessel accommodating portion for a reaction vessel (S), a reaction vessel insertion/withdrawal opening (12), and a penetrating light path (13) that connects the vessel accommodating portion to the outside; a light detector (20) having a light receiving surface (21), which faces the vessel accommodating portion with the penetrating light path interposed therebetween, and being attached to the housing; a light shielding member (30) having an insertion/withdrawal opening shutter portion (30a), which freely opens and closes the reaction vessel insertion/withdrawal opening, and a detection shutter portion (30b), which freely opens and closes the penetrating light path; and a drive mechanism that synchronizes and drives the insertion/withdrawal opening shutter portion and the detection shutter portion.

Abstract: An aberration corrector has two stages of dodecapole (12-pole) elements each of which has first through twelfth poles arranged in this order. Exciting coils of the (4n+1)th poles and the exciting coils of the (4n+4)th poles are connected with a first reversible power supply in series (where n=0, 1, 2) to produce magnetic fields which are identical in absolute value but mutually opposite in sense relative to the optical axis within a plane perpendicular to the axis. The exciting coils of the (4n+3)th poles and the exciting coils of the (4n+2)th poles are connected with a second reversible power supply in series to produce magnetic fields which are identical in absolute value but mutually opposite in sense relative to the optical axis within the plane perpendicular to the axis.

Abstract: A phase plate capable of suppressing electrification and a method of fabricating the plate are provided. The phase plate is for use in an electron microscope and includes a phase control layer provided with a through-hole and at least one conductive layer covering and closing off the through-hole. The conductive layer is formed on at least one of a first surface and a second surface of the phase control layer, the second surface being on the opposite side of the first surface. The phase control layer produces a given phase difference between electron waves transmitted through the phase control layer and electron waves transmitted through the through-hole.

Abstract: A method is offered which permits NMR measurements of integer spin nuclei to be performed at higher sensitivity than heretofore. In particular, the method enables high-resolution multidimensional correlation NMR measurements on integer spin nucleus S having integer spin S and nucleus I of other spin species. The method starts with applying an RF magnetic field having a frequency that is n times (where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) the Larmor frequency of the integer spin nucleus S to the spin S. Magnetization transfer is effected between the nucleus I and the integer spin nucleus S.

Abstract: An electron microscope capable of measuring aberrations accurately is provided. The microscope is adapted to obtain scanning transmission electron (STEM) images by detecting electrons transmitted through a sample (S). The microscope (100) includes a segmented detector (20) having a detection surface (23) for detecting the electrons transmitted through the sample (S). The detection surface (23) is divided into detector segments (D1-D16) for detecting the electrons transmitted through the sample (S). The microscope (100) further includes an aperture plate (30) for limiting the active areas of the detector segments (D1-D16) on which the electrons impinge.

Abstract: A spinning controller has an arithmetic unit (18) and a controller (20). The arithmetic unit (18) establishes gate periods Tg for a pulse sequence signal (110) produced concomitantly with spinning of a sample tube (40) and obtains a count value (Ns) by counting the number of pulses falling within each gate period Tg. The arithmetic unit (18) has functions of finding differences in time from each gate period Tg to the pulse sequence signal (110) occurring around the starting point and ending point of each gate period Tg by making use of a high-speed clock signal (120) and of correcting the duration of the gate period Tg, based on the differences in time.

Abstract: An electron microscope and method of operating an electron microscope (1) has an electron beam source (11) for producing an electron beam, a noise canceling aperture (12) for detecting a part of the beam, an amplifier (42), an effective value calculating circuit (44) for extracting DC components of the output signal from the amplifier (42), a detector (15) for detecting a signal obtained in response to impingement of the beam on a sample (A), a preamplifier circuit (20), an amplifier circuit (30), a dividing circuit (54) for performing a division based on the output signal from the amplifier circuit (30) and on the output signal from the amplifier (42), and a multiplier circuit (58) for performing multiplication of the output signal from the dividing circuit (54) and the output from the effective value calculating circuit (44).

Abstract: A specimen preparation device prepares a cross section of a specimen by applying an ion beam, the specimen preparation device including: an ion beam generator that generates the ion beam; a specimen holder that holds the specimen; a shield plate that shields part of the specimen from the ion beam; and a tilted plate that is placed to intersect a path of the ion beam on a downstream side of the specimen, and has an incidence surface that is tilted relative to a direction in which the ion beam is incident.

Abstract: A drift amount computing device (100) computes an amount of drift between a first image and a second image, and comprises a correlation function computing section (112) for calculating a correlation function between the first and second images, a local maximum position searching section (114) for searching a range of positions of the correlation function for local maximum positions, a local maximum position determining section (116) for assigning weights to intensities of plural local maximum positions according to the distance from the center of the correlation function, comparing the weighted intensities of the local maximum positions, and determining one of the maximum local positions which corresponds to the amount of drift, and a drift amount computing section (118).

Abstract: There is provided an electron microscope capable of easily achieving power saving. The electron microscope (100) includes a controller (60) for switching the mode of operation of the microscope from a first mode where electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are activated to a second mode where the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20) are not activated. During this operation for making a switch from the first mode to the second mode, the controller (60) performs the steps of: closing a first vacuum gate valve (50), opening a second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) of the microscope by the second vacuum pumping unit (40); then controlling a heating section (26) to heat an adsorptive member (242); then opening the first vacuum gate valve (50), closing the second vacuum gate valve (52), and vacuum pumping the interior of the electron optical column (2) by the first vacuum pumping unit (30); and turning off the electron lenses (12, 14, 18, 20).

Abstract: An automated analyzer is offered which can dilute an analyte repeatedly without contamination due to carry-over and thus can yield reliable analysis results. The analyzer has an analyte turntable for holding analyte containers in which analyte is stored, a dilution turntable for holding dilution containers for storing a diluent, a dilution probe for aliquotting a liquid between two containers held on these two turntables, respectively, a diluent vessel for storing a diluent, and a diluent supply mechanism for supplying the diluent into the diluent vessel. The dilution probe has a function of aliquotting the diluent stored in the diluent vessel into the dilution containers held on the dilution turntable. The diluent vessel has a diluent discharging mechanism for discharging the diluent from inside the diluent vessel.

Abstract: A container supply unit and an automated analyzer in which anomalous orientations of containers ejected from a container (cuvette) ejection part can be prevented. This container supply unit has a container storage part, a container ejection part, and a container alignment part. The container ejection part includes a circular belt, placement members provided on said circular belt, and a belt rotation mechanism. The belt rotation mechanism rotates the circular belt in an R direction, forming an outward leg along which the placement members move upwards and a return leg along which the placement members move downwards. The placement members carry containers placed thereon on the outward leg and eject said containers to the container alignment part between the outward leg and the return leg.

Abstract: A measurement method capable of easily measuring the directions of detector segments of a segmented detector relative to a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) image is provided. The measurement method is for use in an electron microscope equipped with the segmented detector having a detection surface divided into the detector segments. The measurement method is used to measure the directions of the detector segments relative to the STEM image. The method involves defocusing the STEM image to thereby cause a deviation of the STEM image and measuring the directions of the detector segments relative to the STEM image from the direction of the deviation of the STEM image (step S11).

Abstract: An information processing device includes a storage section 50 that stores a history relating to the acquisition of measurement data, a history relating to an analysis position within an analyzer, and a history relating to a predetermined operation performed on a specimen using the analyzer as log information linked to time information, and a display control section 22 that performs a control process that displays these histories within a log display area on a display screen 40 in time series based on the log information, the display control section 22 performing a control process that displays a measurement result image generated based on the measurement data on the display screen, and, when an operation input that selects one measurement result image, performing a control process that displays a history that corresponds to the measurement data used to generate the selected measurement result image.

Abstract: An electron microscope is offered that is capable of achieving noise cancellation which results in a low level of noise and which can be implemented at high speed. An electron microscope (1) associated with the present invention includes: an electron beam source (11) for producing an electron beam; a noise detector (4) for detecting a part of the beam to thereby produce a beam detection signal and dividing a dividend by the beam detection signal; at least one image signal detector (6) for detecting an image signal obtained by making the beam impinge on a sample (A); and an arithmetic section (60) for performing a multiplication between an output signal of the image signal detector (6) and an output signal of the noise detector (4).

Abstract: A container supply unit and an automated analyzer in which anomalous orientations of containers ejected from a container (cuvette) ejection part can be prevented. This container supply unit has a container storage part, a container ejection part, and a container alignment part. The container ejection part includes a circular belt, placement members provided on said circular belt, and a belt rotation mechanism. The belt rotation mechanism rotates the circular belt in an R direction, forming an outward leg along which the placement members move upwards and a return leg along which the placement members move downwards. The placement members carry containers placed thereon on the outward leg and eject said containers to the container alignment part between the outward leg and the return leg.

Abstract: A focused ion beam system is offered which can make a focal adjustment without relying on the structure of a sample while suppressing damage to the sample to a minimum. Also, a method of making this focal adjustment is offered. The focused ion beam system has an ion source for producing an ion beam, a lens system for focusing the beam onto the sample, a detector for detecting secondary electrons emanating from the sample, and a controller for controlling the lens system. The controller is operative to provide control such that the sample is irradiated with the ion beam without scanning the beam and that a focus of the ion beam is varied by varying the intensity of the objective lens during the ion beam irradiation. Also, the controller measures the intensity of a signal indicating secondary electrons emanating from the sample while the intensity of the objective lens is being varied.