Cuvette carrier

Abstract

A cuvette carrier comprising: a plurality of walls defining a holding volume for a cuvette; a first and second transmissive region included in the plurality of walls; and a first optical polarizer arranged to polarize light passing through the first transmissive region.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a cuvette carrier comprising: a plurality of walls defining a holding volume for a cuvette; a first and second transmissive region included in the plurality of walls; and a first optical polariser arranged to polarise light passing through the first transmissive region; wherein the first transmissive region and second transmissive region are located in a first wall of the plurality of walls, and the cuvette carrier is for performing a depolarised dynamic light scattering measurement on a sample within a cuvette that is within the cuvette carrier, with the sample illuminated through the second transmissive region, and scattered light detected through the first transmissive region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second optical polariser arranged to polarise light passing through the second transmissive region, the axis of polarisation of the first optical polariser is orthogonal to an axis of polarisation of the second optical polariser.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a third transmissive region located in a second wall of the plurality of walls; and a third optical polariser arranged to polarise light passing through the third transmissive region.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein an axis of polarisation of the third optical polariser is orthogonal to an axis of polarisation of the first optical polariser.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a fourth transmissive region.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform: a first measurement in which the beam of light from the light source passes through the second transmissive region and the detector detects scattered light that passes through the first optical polariser; and a second measurement in which the cuvette carrier is rotated such that the beam of light passes through the fourth transmissive region, and the detector detects scattered light that passes through the third optical polariser.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a fourth optical polariser arranged to polarise light passing through the fourth transmissive region.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fourth transmissive region is located in the second wall.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth transmissive regions comprises an aperture in a wall.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the third and fourth transmissive regions are adjacent to each other so as to form a continuous transmissive region.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first wall is adjacent to the second wall.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second transmissive regions are adjacent to each other so as to form a continuous transmissive region.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an insert adapted to fit into the holding volume, the insert comprising a plurality of walls defining an inner volume that is smaller than the holding volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in further detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cuvette carrier according to the first aspect of the invention, with a cuvette for placing into the cuvette carrier;

(3) FIG. 2a is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a cuvette carrier;

(4) FIG. 2b is a schematic representation of the same embodiment of cuvette carrier as in FIG. 2a, rotated by 90 compared to FIG. 2a;

(5) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an alternative cuvette carrier;

(6) FIG. 4 is a top-down view of an embodiment of a cuvette carrier for measuring side scattered light; and

(7) FIG. 5 is a top-down view an alternative embodiment of a cuvette carrier for measuring side scattered light.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a cuvette carrier 100 according to the first aspect of the invention. Cuvette carrier 100 comprises a plurality of walls 101a-d that define a holding volume 102. In the illustrated embodiment, cuvette carrier 100 comprises four walls of equal width, arranged to form a holding volume 102 with a square shaped cross-section. However, in other embodiments, other numbers of walls are possible, forming otherwise shaped holding volumes. For example, cuvette carrier 100 may comprise 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6 walls. The walls 101 may be of equal widths, or may be of different widths.

(9) A first wall 101a of the plurality of walls comprises a first transmissive region 103 (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1) and a second transmissive region 104. A first polarising filter 105 entirely covers the first transmissive region 103, so that any light passing through the first transmissive region 103 passes through the first polarising filter 105. In this embodiment, the second transmissive region 104 is an aperture in the wall 101a, allowing light to pass into the holding volume 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the first transmissive region 103 and the second transmissive region 104 form a single aperture through the first wall 101a, but in other embodiments these regions may be separated.

(10) A second wall 101b of the plurality of walls comprises a third transmissive region 106 (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1) and a fourth transmissive region 107. A third polarising filter 108 entirely covers the third transmissive region 106, so that any light passing through the third transmissive region 106 passes through the third polarising filter 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the third and fourth transmissive regions 106, 107 form a single aperture in the second wall 101b, similar to the first and second transmissive regions 103, 104 in the first wall 101a.

(11) A third wall 101c of the plurality of walls may comprise a fifth transmissive region 111 (not shown in FIG. 1, but visible in FIG. 2B) for allowing a light beam entering the cuvette carrier 100 through the second transmissive region 104 to exit the cuvette carrier 100 (for instance to avoid reflections of the light beam from contributing to optical noise in a measurement of scattered light). Similarly, a fourth wall 101d of the plurality of walls may comprise a sixth transmissive region (not shown), for allowing a light beam entering the cuvette carrier 100 through the fourth transmissive region 107 to exit the cuvette carrier 100

(12) It is not essential for a fifth transmissive region 111 to be provided opposite the second transmissive region 104, or for a sixth transmissive region to be provided opposite the fourth transmissive region. In an alternative arrangement a reflector element may instead be provided within the cuvette carrier 100, arranged to cause a light beam entering the cuvette carrier 100 via the second transmissive region to exit the cuvette carrier via the second transmissive region (or the fourth transmissive region, or any other suitable transmissive region), and a similar reflector may be provided, arranged to cause a light beam entering the cuvette carrier 100 via the fourth transmissive region to exit the cuvette carrier via the fourth transmissive region (or the second transmissive region, or any other suitable transmissive region). Other embodiments may be arranged so that a light beam entering via the second or fourth transmissive region may respectively exit the cuvette carrier via the fourth or second transmissive region.

(13) The cuvette carrier 100 may be used to investigate the depolarised dynamic light scattering (DDLS) properties of a sample in a cuvette 109. A cuvette 109 may be placed into the holding volume 102. The cuvette carrier 100 may then be placed in a DLS instrument, such that a beam from a light source illuminates the sample in the cuvette 109. For example, the cuvette carrier 100 may be placed in a cuvette carrier of an existing DLS system so as to retrofit the DLS system for DDLS measurements.

(14) FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate one way in which the cuvette carrier shown in FIG. 1 may be used for DDLS measurements. In this embodiment, the first polarising filter 105 is aligned so that it polarises light orthogonally to the direction of polarisation of light passing through the third polarising filter 108. For example, the first polarising filter 105 may polarise light vertically, and the third polarising filter 108 may polarise light horizontally. These directions are represented by the arrows on the scattered light beams 202 in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

(15) FIG. 2A shows a first step of the measurements. Incoming light 201 from an external light source is used to illuminate the sample in the cuvette carrier. The light source may be, for example, a laser, for example a laser that is part of an existing DLS experimental system. The light source may provide light with a wavelength that is in the range of 280 to 2000 nm.

(16) Incoming light 201 passes through the second transmissive region 104, and enters the holding volume 102. Particles in sample held in the holding volume 102 may scatter the light. The light may be scattered in any direction, however in the particular embodiment illustrated only back-scatted light is measurede.g. light that is scattered within a range of 160-200 from the direction of the incoming light 201. The back-scattered light 202 passes through the first transmissive region 103, and is polarised by the first optical polariser 105. Substantially only the component of scattered light 202 that is polarised in the same direction of the axis of polarisation of the first optical polariser 105 will pass through the optical polariser 105. In the illustrated embodiment, only the vertically polarised component of the back-scattered light 202 passes through the polariser 105, and may be detected by a detector. The detector may, for example, be a photodiode, and may be the detector of an existing DLS instrument.

(17) The incoming light 201 passing through the second transmissive region 104 may exit the holding volume 102 via the fifth transmissive region 111.

(18) The horizontally polarised component of the scattered light may be measured. This is shown in FIG. 2B. The cuvette carrier 100 may be rotated by 90 so that the second wall 101b faces the illuminating light 201. This may be achieved manually, for example by removing the cuvette carrier 100 from a cuvette holder of a DLS system, rotating the cuvette carrier 100 by 90, and replacing the cuvette carrier 100 in the cuvette holder. Alternatively a motor may be used to automatically rotate the cuvette carrier 100. Alternatively the cuvette carrier 100 may be held fixed, but the direction of the incoming light 201 rotated by 90 so that the second wall 101b is illuminated.

(19) In FIG. 2B, the incoming light 201 passes through the fourth transmissive region 107, and is scattered by the sample in the holding volume 104. Again, in the illustrated embodiment only back-scattered light is measured. Back-scattered light 202 passes through the third transmissive region 106, and is polarised by the third optical polariser 108, so that only the horizontally polarised component of the back-scattered light 202 passes through the polariser 108. This light may then be detected by a detector.

(20) The incoming light 201 passing through the fourth transmissive region 107 may exit the holding volume 102 via the sixth transmissive region (not shown).

(21) In this way, both the vertical and horizontal components of scattered light may be measured. Combining these measurements, the polarisation of the back-scattered light may be calculated, and used for DDLS calculations.

(22) In some circumstances, it may be important to ensure that the illuminating light has a known polarisation state. This may particularly be the case if the light source is not a laser. FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a cuvette carrier 300 that may be used in such cases.

(23) The cuvette carrier 300 comprises all of the features of cuvette carrier 100. Additionally, a second optical polariser 301 covers the second transmissive region 104, and a fourth optical polariser 302 covers the fourth transmissive region 107. The second 301 and fourth 302 optical polarisers may in particular be aligned so that they polarise light along the same axisfor example both polarisers 301, 302 may polarise light horizontally, or both polarisers 301, 302 may polarise light vertically.

(24) Cuvette carrier 300 may be used for DDLS measurements of back-scattered light in the same way as described for cuvette carrier 100. In this case, incoming light 201 entering the second 104 or fourth 107 transmissive regions will pass through the second 301 and fourth 302 optical polarisers respectively, before entering the sample. The incoming light will therefore be polarised along a known direction.

(25) The examples above have described the measurement of back-scattered light only. However, a skilled person will readily understand that the cuvette carrier may be adapted to detect light scattered at any angle, using a similar method to the measurements described above. For example, any of the first, second, third, and fourth transmissive regions, and their respective optical polarisers, may be located on any of the plurality of walls of the cuvette carrier, in order to detect any direction of scattered light. In particular, the first optical polariser on the first transmissive region may be used to polarise scattered light resulting from the interaction with the sample of a light beam passing through the second transmissive region, and the third optical polariser on the third transmissive region may be used to polarise scattered light resulting from the interaction with the sample of a light beam passing through the fourth transmissive region. In any embodiment, the second and fourth transmissive regions may be covered by second and fourth optical polarisers, in order to ensure a known, and common, polarisation of light entering the sample, as described above.

(26) For example, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a cuvette carrier 400 that may be used to measure side-scattered light, i.e. light that is scattered by substantially 70-110 from the direction of incoming light. In cuvette carrier 400, each transmissive section 401-404 is located on a different wall of the plurality of walls 405a-d. The first transmissive section 401 is located on a first wall 405a. The second transmissive section 402 is located on a second wall 405b that is adjacent to the first wall 405a. The third transmissive section 403 is located on a third wall 405c that is opposite to the first wall 405a. The fourth transmissive section is located on a fourth wall 405d that is opposite to the second wall 405b. The second 402 and fourth 404 transmissive sections may or may not be covered by second and fourth optical polarisers.

(27) DDLS measurements using the cuvette carrier 400 may proceed in a similar way to the method used for cuvette carrier 100. The polarisation axis of the first 406 and third 407 optical polarisers are aligned orthogonally to one another, for example the first optical polariser 406 may be aligned to transmit only vertically polarised light, and the third optical polariser may be aligned to transmit only horizontally polarised light (denoted in the figure by the V and H respectively on the scattered beams 409a and 409b).

(28) In a first step, vertically polarised side-scattered light is measured. An incoming light beam 408 passes through the second transmissive region 402 and is scattered by a sample in the cuvette carrier 400. Side-scattered light 409a passes through the first transmissive region 401. The vertically polarised component of this side-scattered light 409a passes through the first optical polariser 406, and is detected by a detector. The incoming light beam 408 passing through the second transmissive region 402 may exit the cuvette carrier 100 via the fourth transmissive region 404.

(29) In a second step, horizontally polarised side-scattered light is measured. The cuvette carrier is rotated 180, so that the incoming light beam 408 passes through the fourth transmissive region 404 and is scattered by a sample in the cuvette carrier 400. Side-scattered light 409b passes through the third transmissive region 403. The incoming light beam 408 passing through the fourth transmissive region 404 may exit the cuvette carrier 100 via the second transmissive region 402. The horizontally polarised component of this side-scattered light 409b passes through the third optical polariser 407, and is detected by a detector. Thus both the vertical and horizontal components of side-scattered light are measured, and used for DDLS analysis.

(30) FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative method of using a cuvette carrier 500 to measure side-scattered light. Cuvette carrier 500 comprises a first 501, second 502, third 503 and fourth 504 transmissive region, located in a first 504a, second 504b, third 505c and fourth 505d wall of the plurality of walls respectively. In this embodiment for measuring side-scatted light, the first wall 504a is adjacent to the second wall 504b, and the third wall 504c is adjacent to the second wall 504b and opposite to the first wall 504a. The fourth wall 505d is opposite to the second wall 504b.

(31) Each transmissive section 501, 502, 503 is covered by a respective optical polariser 505, 506, 507. The fourth transmissive region 504 is not covered by an optical polariser. The first optical polariser 505 and second optical polariser 506 are aligned to polarise light along the same axisfor example vertically. The third optical polariser 507 is aligned to polarise light along an axis that is orthogonal to the axis of the first 505 and second 506 polarisersfor example horizontally.

(32) For DDLS measurements, the cuvette carrier 500 is first arranged so that incoming light 508 passes through the first optical polariser 505 and first transmissive region 501, ensuring that the light entering the sample is vertically polarised, in this example. The light is then side-scattered by the particles in the sample. The incoming light 508 entering the cuvette via the first transmissive region 501 that is not scattered from the sample exits the cuvette carrier 500 via the third transmissive region 503. Side-scattered light 509a passes through the second transmissive region 502, and is polarised by the second polariser 506 so that only vertically polarised side-scattered light 509a passes through the second polariser and is detected by a detector.

(33) To measure the horizontal component of side-scattered light, the cuvette carrier 500 may be rotated by 90, so that incoming light 508 now enters the sample through the second transmissive region 502. The second optical polariser 502 will ensure that only vertically polarised incoming light 508 is transmitted into the sample. The incoming light 508 entering the cuvette via the second transmissive region 502 that is not scattered from the sample exits the cuvette carrier 500 via the fourth transmissive region 504. Light that is side-scattered by the sample then passes through the third transmissive region 503. The third optical polariser 507 only allows the horizontal component of the side-scattered light 509b to be transmitted, which is then detected by a detector. Thus the vertical and horizontal components of side-scattered light may be measured using only three transmissive regions.

(34) It is to be understood that the above embodiments are only examples of cuvette carriers according to this invention, and that many other embodiments of cuvette carriers, and methods of using them for DDLS measurements, are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular, the arrangement of transmissive regions may be chosen to measure light that is scattered at any angle, including back-scattered, side-scattered, and forward-scattered light. A cuvette carrier may comprise more than four transmissive regions, and respective optical polarisers, to enable a single cuvette carrier to be used to measure different directions of scattered light. The optical polarisers may be removable or changeable by the user. For example the second and fourth polarisers may be removable, or any orientation of any of the polarisers may be changed to rotate their polarisation axis.

(35) Additionally, any embodiment may further comprise at least one narrow band filter covering at least one of the transmissive regions, and in particular transmissive regions that are in the path of the scattered light to be detected. The narrow band filter may allow transmission of light with a wavelength in the range of 1 nm of the wavelength of the illuminating light source. The narrow band filter may be required in cases where the sample fluoresces under illumination by the light source. Fluorescent light is uncorrelated, and therefore degrades the DLS measurement. The narrow band filter may substantially remove the fluorescent light from the scattered light beam. The narrow band filters may be removable by the user, so that unnecessary loss due to the filters is avoided when the sample does not fluoresce at the illumination wavelength.

(36) Other embodiments are intentionally within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.