Abstract: A method for measuring a fluorescent light amount, whereby a specimen is irradiated with excitation light, and fluorescent light generated from the specimen is measured by a light-receiving element via of a receiving optical system, the method includes the steps of irradiating the specimen with excitation light having a light-amount value per specified unit area traceable to the national standard, and designated on the surface of the specimen beforehand, causing the light-receiving element to measure the fluorescent light generated from the specimen, and computing a fluorescent light-amount as measured by the light-receiving element of the receiving optical system on the basis of an excitation light-amount per the specified unit area, optical coefficients of the receiving optical system, and the acceptance coefficient of the light-receiving element, thereby working out a light amount value per the unit area traceable to the national standard.

Abstract: There is provided a molecularity measurement instrument capable of working out the number of molecules in a sample by comparing a measured value of a light quantity with a theoretical light quantity per a single molecule, and a molecularity measurement method using the same. The molecularity of the sample is quantitatively estimated on the basis of a light quantity having correlation with the molecularity. The molecularity measurement method comprises the step of working out a theoretical light quantity per a single molecule, the step of measuring a light quantity of the sample by use of an image detector, and the step of working out the molecularity of the sample on the basis of a ratio of the light quantity of the sample to the theoretical light quantity as worked out.

Abstract: A biochip for implementing analysis on the basis of the distribution of a quantity of light of fluorescent light generated at sites disposed thereon, the biochip having, markers formed thereon and defined previously in a positional relationship relative to the sites; and a processor for recognizing positions of the sites on the biochip on the basis of the positions of the markers, wherein the markers are formed of at least one of dyes, pigment, metal colloid bonded to biopolymer, dyes bonded to biopolymer, and pigment bonded to biopolymer.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by the following points: In a biochip reader used for reading a measurement sample image by light beam irradiation, a correction method for the distribution of quantity of light which is devised to remove the influence of shading for the whole image and such a biochip reader can be realized by correcting non-uniformity in said quantity of light in light beam irradiation by dividing the quantities of light of pixels in a measured image obtained from the measurement of a measurement sample by a distribution of quantity of light in an image obtained from the measurement of a uniform fluorescent plate that presents a uniform fluorescent light distribution, the positions of pixels in the measured image being correspondent to those in the image obtained through the above uniform fluorescent plate measurement.

Abstract: An amount of fluorescent light generated from the specimen is quantitatively measured as “a light-amount value per unit area traceable to the national standard” instead of in terms of a ratio (a ratio value) as in the past.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by the following points: In a biochip reader used for reading a measurement sample image by light beam irradiation, a correction method for the distribution of quantity of light which is devised to remove the influence of shading for the whole image and such a biochip reader can be realized by correcting non-uniformity in said quantity of light in light beam irradiation by dividing the quantities of light of pixels in a measured image obtained from the measurement of a measurement sample by a distribution of quantity of light in an image obtained from the measurement of a uniform fluorescent plate that presents a uniform fluorescent light distribution, the positions of pixels in the measured image being correspondent to those in the image obtained through the above uniform fluorescent plate measurement.

Abstract: There is provided a molecularity measurement instrument capable of working out the number of molecules in a sample by comparing a measured value of a light quantity with a theoretical light quantity per a single molecule, and a molecularity measurement method using the same. The molecularity of the sample is quantitatively estimated on the basis of a light quantity having correlation with the molecularity. The molecularity measurement method comprises the step of working out a theoretical light quantity per a single molecule, the step of measuring a light quantity of the sample by use of an image detector, and the step of working out the molecularity of the sample on the basis of a ratio of the light quantity of the sample to the theoretical light quantity as worked out.

Abstract: An optical system which corrects an intensity distribution of incident light to a flat intensity distribution includes: a first lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power; a second lens group which includes at least one lens and has a negative refracting power, the second lens group being positioned behind the first lens group in a direction of the incident light; and a third lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power, the third lens group being positioned behind the second lens group in the direction of the incident light. In the optical system, the incident light is collimated, and the intensity distribution of the incident light is corrected to the flat intensity distribution by spherical aberrations of the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group.

Abstract: A biochip for implementing analysis on the basis of the distribution of a quantity of light of fluorescent light generated at sites disposed thereon, the biochip having, markers formed thereon and defined previously in a positional relationship relative to the sites; and a processor for recognizing positions of the sites on the biochip on the basis of the positions of the markers, wherein the markers are formed of at least one of dyes, pigment, metal colloid bonded to biopolymer, dyes bonded to biopolymer, and pigment bonded to biopolymer.

Abstract: A biochip for implementing analysis on the basis of the distribution of a quantity of light of fluorescent light generated at sites disposed thereon, the biochip having, markers formed thereon and defined previously in a positional relationship relative to the sites; and a processor for recognizing positions of the sites on the biochip on the basis of the positions of the markers, wherein the markers are formed of at least one of dyes, pigment, metal colloid bonded to biopolymer, dyes bonded to biopolymer, and pigment bonded to biopolymer.

Abstract: A site position can be detected using transmitted light or reflected light which does not include an excitation wavelength according to a configuration of a biochip 60. When reflected light is used, a light source 21 is actuated. Light from the light source 21 passes through a barrier filter 22 and is bent by a dichroic mirror 23 and passes through a dichroic mirror 3 and illuminates the biochip 60. The reflected light in the biochip 60 enters a CCD camera 13. An output signal of the CCD camera 13 is sent to a computation part 51 and a position of a site on the biochip 60 is detected in the computation part 51.

Abstract: An optical system which corrects an intensity distribution of incident light to a flat intensity distribution includes: a first lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power; a second lens group which includes at least one lens and has a negative refracting power, the second lens group being positioned behind the first lens group in a direction of the incident light; and a third lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power, the third lens group being positioned behind the second lens group in the direction of the incident light. In the optical system, the incident light is collimated, and the intensity distribution of the incident light is corrected to the flat intensity distribution by spherical aberrations of the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group.

Abstract: An optical system which corrects an intensity distribution of incident light to a flat intensity distribution includes: a first lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power; a second lens group which includes at least one lens and has a negative refracting power, the second lens group being positioned behind the first lens group in a direction of the incident light; and a third lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power, the third lens group being positioned behind the second lens group in the direction of the incident light. In the optical system, the incident light is collimated, and the intensity distribution of the incident light is corrected to the flat intensity distribution by spherical aberrations of the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by the following points: In a biochip reader used for reading a measurement sample image by light beam irradiation, a correction method for the distribution of quantity of light which is devised to remove the influence of shading for the whole image and such a biochip reader can be realized by correcting non-uniformity in said quantity of light in light beam irradiation by dividing the quantities of light of pixels in a measured image obtained from the measurement of a measurement sample by a distribution of quantity of light in an image obtained from the measurement of a uniform fluorescent plate that presents a uniform fluorescent light distribution, the positions of pixels in the measured image being correspondent to those in the image obtained through the above uniform fluorescent plate measurement.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by the following points: In measurement of a biochip whose substrate is held on a base and samples are spotted onto the sites in an array on the substrate, a biochip substrate holding method, which does not generate deviation of site positions between the arrangement of multiple samples on the biochip and mounting of the biochip onto the biochip-reader and does not need position aligning, can be provided by holding the biochip substrate with equivalent holding mechanisms in spotting and in measurement respectively. A biochip-reader using the above mentioned method can also be provided.

Abstract: A biochip reader has a microlens plate having a plurality of microlenses, a light source which applies coherent light to the microlens plate as excitation light, a dichroic mirror which transmits or reflects outgoing light from the microlens plate, and reflects or transmits fluorescence occurring on a biochip, a photographing section, a lens which collects the light reflected or transmitted on the dichroic mirror into the photographing section, a barrier filter provided between the dichroic mirror and the photographing section, and a driving section which drives the microlens plate, wherein while the driving section drives the microlens plate, excitation light diverged or collected by the plurality of microlenses scans a surface of the biochip. Each of the microlenses having arbitrary size are provided on the microlens plate at arbitrary positions, An outgoing angle at each microlens of divergence light or collection light is limited to a narrow angle.

Abstract: A biochip capable of detecting the positions of sites with ease is provided. A site area is formed on a substrate of the biochip. A plurality of sites are disposed in a matrix fashion on the site area. Four markers are provided around the site area. Respective sites on the site area are formed by dripping spotted liquid such as a DNA solution and so forth. Further, respective markers are formed by dripping opaque liquid by use of a device used for forming respective sites. Since the respective sites and the markers are continuously formed by spotted liquid by use of the same device, a mutual positional relationship therebetween is defined with excellent accuracy. Once the positional relationship can be defined, a fabricating method is not limited. Opaque liquid is achieved by dyes, pigment or by bonding gold colloid to the DNA, or by bonding a coloring matter such as dyes or pigment to the DNA via biotin. The substrate is formed by use of, e.g. glass.

Abstract: A site position can be detected using transmitted light or reflected light which does not include an excitation wavelength according to a configuration of a biochip 60. When reflected light is used, a light source 21 is actuated. Light from the light source 21 passes through a barrier filter 22 and is bent by a dichroic mirror 23 and passes through a dichroic mirror 3 and illuminates the biochip 60. The reflected light in the biochip 60 enters a CCD camera 13. An output signal of the CCD camera 13 is sent to a computation part 51 and a position of a site on the biochip 60 is detected in the computation part 51.

Abstract: An optical system which corrects an intensity distribution of incident light to a flat intensity distribution includes: a first lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power; a second lens group which includes at least one lens and has a negative refracting power, the second lens group being positioned behind the first lens group in a direction of the incident light; and a third lens group which includes at least one lens and has a positive refracting power, the third lens group being positioned behind the second lens group in the direction of the incident light. In the optical system, the incident light is collimated, and the intensity distribution of the incident light is corrected to the flat intensity distribution by spherical aberrations of the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group.

Abstract: Detector calibration methods are described which enable the measurement of absolute power. The method includes using a power meter with traceability to the national standard for optical power to calibrate the power of each photodetector device of a detector with photodetector device arrays arranged in one dimension or two dimensions and to calibrate the output signals of the detector making it possible to measure the spatial distribution of a light source's power and also values of optical power with traceability to the national standard directly from the output signals of the detector.