Adjustable aperture device with integral aperture holes

Abstract

An adjustable aperture device for an electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus includes a position adjustment body configured for adjusting a position of a selected aperture hole of multiple selectable aperture holes, where electromagnetic radiation propagates through the selected aperture hole. The adjustable aperture device further includes a guide unit configured for guiding the position adjustment body along a predefined guide direction, and an aperture body defining the aperture holes and including multiple engagement sections, where the adjustment body is engagable in a selectable one of the engagement sections to thereby select the selected aperture hole. The adjustable aperture device further includes a pre-loading element configured for pre-loading the position adjustment body towards the aperture body, and a drive unit configured for driving the aperture body to move so that the position adjustment body is engaged in a respective one of the plurality of engagement sections.

Claims

1. An adjustable aperture device for an electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus, the aperture device comprising: a position adjustment body configured for adjusting a position of a selected aperture hole of a plurality of selectable aperture holes, wherein electromagnetic radiation is to propagate through the selected aperture hole; a guide unit configured for guiding the position adjustment body along a predefined guide direction, wherein the guide unit is configured for guiding the position adjustment body via exactly two contact points defining degrees of freedom according to which the position adjustment body is allowed to move; an aperture body defining the plurality of aperture holes and comprising a plurality of engagement sections configured for selectively receiving the position adjustment body from the guide unit, wherein the position adjustment body is engagable in a selectable one of the plurality of engagement sections to thereby select the selected aperture hole from the plurality of selectable aperture holes; a pre-loading element configured for pre-loading the position adjustment body towards the aperture body; and a drive unit configured for driving the aperture body to move so that the position adjustment body is engaged in a respective one of the plurality of engagement sections.

2. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment body is a sphere.

3. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment body comprises a cylinder with a cone or ball-tip or any orbiform.

4. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit comprises two cylindrical guide pins mounted in parallel to one another.

5. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit comprises one of a prismatic structure having planar or concave or convex shaped walls or a guide pin in combination with a guide plate.

6. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-loading element comprises a spring.

7. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-loading element comprises one of a magnetic force generating system, an electrostatic force generating system, an elastic rod, and a system using gravitational force.

8. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of aperture holes in the aperture body have different sizes or different shapes.

9. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of engagement sections comprise a plurality of indentations formed between adjacent teeth distributed along at least a part of a circumference of the aperture body, and wherein the aperture body is configured to be rotatable by the drive unit to engage the position adjustment body in one of the plurality of indentations.

10. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the aperture body is configured to be linearly translatable by the drive unit to thereby engage the position adjustment body in one of indentations, as the plurality of engagement sections, formed between adjacent teeth aligned along at least a part of an edge of the aperture body.

11. The aperture device according to claim 1, further comprising: a gear mechanism configured for transferring drive energy from the drive unit to the aperture body.

12. The aperture device according to claim 11, wherein the gear mechanism comprises a first toothed gear wheel mounted on the drive unit and a second toothed gear wheel cooperating engagingly with the first toothed gear wheel, wherein the second toothed gear wheel has a camshaft configured for engaging with one or more energy transfer engagement sections arranged along at least a part of a circumference of the aperture body.

13. The aperture device according to claim 12, wherein the camshaft is configured for being decoupled from the aperture body upon completion of an adjustment procedure of the aperture device.

14. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein a position adjustment performed by the position adjustment body, the guide unit and the pre-loading element is functionally decoupled from a driving of the aperture body performed by the drive unit.

15. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of engagement sections are configured as prismatic grooves formed between correspondingly shaped protrusions along an edge of the aperture body.

16. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-loading element is configured for applying a pre-loading force to the position adjustment body along a pre-loading force direction, which is inclined relative to a guide direction along which the guide unit enables motion of the position adjustment body.

17. The aperture device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-loading element and the guide unit are configured for applying a guided pre-loading force to the position adjustment body for forcing the position adjustment body to apply an abutting force oriented towards a rotation axis of the aperture body.

18. An electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus for detecting electromagnetic radiation carrying information indicative of components of a fluidic sample separated by a sample separation system, the electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus comprising: an electromagnetic radiation source configured for generating primary electromagnetic radiation and for directing the primary electromagnetic radiation onto the separated fluidic sample; an electromagnetic radiation detector configured for detecting secondary electromagnetic radiation resulting from interaction of the components of the fluidic sample with the primary electromagnetic radiation; and an adjustable aperture device arranged in an electromagnetic radiation path between the electromagnetic radiation source and the electromagnetic radiation detector, the adjustable aperture device comprising: a position adjustment body configured for adjusting a position of a selected aperture hole of a plurality of selectable aperture holes, the electromagnetic radiation propagating through the selected aperture hole; a guide unit configured for guiding the position adjustment body along a predefined guide direction, wherein the guide unit is configured for guiding the position adjustment body via exactly two contact points defining degrees of freedom according to which the position adjustment body is allowed to move; an aperture body defining the plurality of aperture holes and comprising a plurality of engagement sections configured for selectively receiving the position adjustment body from the guide unit, wherein the position adjustment body is engagable in a selectable one of the plurality of engagement sections to thereby select the selected aperture hole from the plurality of selectable aperture holes; a pre-loading element configured for pre-loading the position adjustment body towards the aperture body; and a drive unit configured for driving the aperture body to move so that the position adjustment body is engaged with a respective one of the plurality of engagement sections.

19. The electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises one of a deuterium lamp, a xenon lamp, and a tungsten lamp; and the electromagnetic radiation detector comprises one of an optical light detector, and an ultraviolet radiation detector.

20. A sample separation system for separating components of a fluidic sample, the sample separation system comprising: a mobile phase drive configured for driving a mobile phase through the sample separation system; a separation element configured for separating the components of the fluidic sample in the mobile phase; and an electromagnetic radiation detecting apparatus according to claim 18 for detecting electromagnetic radiation carrying information indicative of the components of the fluidic sample.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Various objects and attendant advantages of representative embodiments will be readily appreciated and become better understood by reference to the following detailed description of embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings. Features that are substantially or functionally equal or similar will be referred to by the same reference signs.

(2) FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing a sample separation system in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention, for example, used in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

(3) FIG. 2 a simplified block diagram showing an optical system with a flow cell used in conjunction with a sample detection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded view of individual parts of an adjustable aperture device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of subassemblies assembled from the individual parts of FIG. 3 of the adjustable aperture device according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional top perspective view of the adjustable aperture device of FIG. 3 in an assembled state.

(7) FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional bottom perspective view of the adjustable aperture device of FIG. 3 in an assembled state.

(8) FIG. 7 is a first three-dimensional top perspective view of components of the adjustable aperture device of FIG. 3 which contribute to the aperture adjustment.

(9) FIG. 8 is a second three-dimensional top perspective view of components of the adjustable aperture device of FIG. 3 which contribute to the aperture adjustment.

(10) FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional perspective view showing a detail of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

(11) FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a relationship between a direction of an abutting force applied by a position adjustment sphere against an aperture body and a position of a rotation axis of the aperture body.

(12) The illustrations in the drawings are schematic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a general schematic of a liquid separation system 10 as a sample separation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A pump 20 receives a mobile phase from a solvent supply, typically via a degasser, which degases and thus reduces the amount of dissolved gases in the mobile phase. The pump 20—as a mobile phase drive—drives the mobile phase through a separating device 30 (such as a chromatographic separation column) comprising a stationary phase. A sampling unit 40 can be provided between the pump 20 and the separating device 30 in order to subject or add (often referred to as sample introduction) a fluidic sample into the mobile phase. The stationary phase of the separating device 30 is configured for separating compounds of the sample liquid. A detector 50 is provided for detecting separated compounds of the sample fluid. A fractionating unit 60 can be provided for outputting separated compounds of sample fluid.

(14) The detector 50 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in a schematic way only. However, the below described figures will provide details as to how such a detector, and particularly an adjustable aperture thereof, can be configured according to exemplary embodiments.

(15) While the mobile phase can be comprised of one solvent only, it may also be mixed from plural solvents. Such mixing may be a low pressure mixing and provided upstream of the pump 20, so that the pump 20 already receives and pumps the mixed solvents as the mobile phase. Alternatively, the pump 20 may be comprised of plural individual pumping units, with plural of the pumping units each receiving and pumping a different solvent or mixture, so that the mixing of the mobile phase (as received by the separating device 30) occurs at high pressure and downstream of the pump 20 (or as part thereof). The composition (mixture) of the mobile phase may be kept constant over time, the so called isocratic mode, or varied over time, the so called gradient mode.

(16) A data processing unit 70, which can be a conventional PC or workstation, may be coupled (as indicated by the dotted arrows) to one or more of the components in the liquid separation system 10 in order to receive information and/or control operation. For example, the data processing unit 70 may control operation of the pump 20 (for example setting control parameters) and receive therefrom information regarding the actual working conditions (such as output pressure, flow rate, etc. at an outlet of the pump 20). The data processing unit 70 may further control operation of the sampling unit 40 (for example controlling sample injection or synchronization of sample injection with operating conditions of the pump 20). The separating device 30 may also be controlled by the data processing unit 70 (for example selecting a specific flow path or column, setting operation temperature, etc.), and send—in return—information (for example operating conditions) to the data processing unit 70. Accordingly, the detector 50 may be controlled by the data processing unit 70 (for example with respect to spectral or wavelength settings, setting time constants, start/stop data acquisition), and send information (for example about the detected sample compounds) to the data processing unit 70. The data processing unit 70 may also control operation of the fractionating unit 60 (for example in conjunction with data received from the detector 50) and provide data back.

(17) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the detector 50 of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention which can also be denoted as an ultraviolet radiation detecting apparatus. FIG. 2 shows a flow cell 210 which includes a capillary 212 conducting the separated fluidic sample through the flow cell 210. The flow cell 210 is located downstream of the separating device 30 so that the individual fractions of the fluidic samples are already separated at the position of the flow cell 210. The flow cell 210 is furthermore arranged upstream of the fractionating unit 60.

(18) An UV light source 202 such as a Xenon lamp is configured for generating primary ultraviolet radiation which is directed onto the fluidic sample while flowing through the conduit 212 of the flow cell 210. In accordance with the physical properties of the fractions of the fluidic sample, the secondary UV light which is directed towards a deflection mirror 208 is a finger print of the fluidic sample. The deflection mirror 208 deflects the UV light and guides the latter through a first aperture hole 222 (or alternatively through a second aperture hole 224) of an aperture device 230 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(19) After having passed the first aperture hole 222, the UV light falls onto a grating 206. At grating 206, the secondary UV light is split into the various spectral components, i.e. is separated into the different wavelength portions. The wavelength split secondary UV light is then directed towards a linear array of photo cells 226 of a linear photo cell array 204.

(20) The adjustable aperture device 230 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises a sphere 232 as a position adjustment body. Any of the selectable first and second aperture holes 222, 224 can be selected and can therefore be driven into the UV beam path by moving an aperture body 234 (in which the first and second aperture holes 222, 224 are integrally formed) linearly by a linear drive unit 236. Therefore, depending on the motion of the drive unit 236, the aperture body 234 will be moved upwardly or downwardly as indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 2. Therefore, the sphere 232 will be locked in one of two engagement indentations 238, 240 formed along an edge of the aperture body 234. In the shown embodiment, the sphere 232 is locked within engagement indentation 238. The sphere 232 is biased against the edge of the aperture body 234 by a spring 241 which is mounted between a support wall 242 and the sphere 232. A lateral motion of the sphere 232 is limited by a first guide plate 244 and an opposing second guide plate 246. Therefore, the motion direction of the sphere 232 is limited to a horizontal linear direction.

(21) Therefore, by moving the aperture body 234 by the drive unit 236, one of the first and second aperture holes 222, 224 may be aligned in the active optical path. This is in the present embodiment the first aperture hole 222 through which the UV beam is passed. While drive unit 236 provides the mechanical energy for driving the aperture body 234, the position adjustment is performed by the combination of components 232, 238, 240, 241, 242, 244, 246.

(22) While the embodiment of FIG. 2 relies on a linear motion of a plate-shaped aperture body 234, another exemplary embodiment of an adjustable aperture device 300 for an the detector 50 (e.g., UV detecting apparatus) will be described in the following in which an adjustment of a selected aperture hole is performed based on a rotational switching.

(23) FIG. 3 shows the adjustable aperture device 300 in an exploded view. FIG. 4 shows a part of the components of FIG. 3 in a partially assembled state.

(24) FIG. 5 shows the adjustable aperture device 300 in a completely assembled state in a top view, whereas FIG. 6 shows the same assembled adjustable aperture device 300 in a bottom view. The position adjustment mechanism can be derived particularly well from the detail views of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

(25) The adjustable aperture device 300 has a position adjustment body, such as position adjustment sphere 302, which is configured for adjusting a position of a respectively selected aperture hole 304 which can be selected and activated among a number of selectable aperture holes 304, which may have different sizes and/or different shapes. The various aperture holes 304 are embodied as through holes formed through an aperture body, such as aperture wheel 308. When one of the aperture holes 304 is selected, this selected aperture hole 304 is aligned so that it can be traversed by the UV beam, as shown for the first aperture hole 222 in FIG. 2.

(26) As can be best seen in FIG. 7, a guide unit is provided, such as two cylindrical guide pins 306 mounted in parallel to one another on a support body 350. The position adjustment sphere 302 is mounted between the guide pins 306 so that it can only move in one linear direction, i.e. along the cylinder axes of guide pins 306. At each position along an enabled motion trajectory, the position adjustment sphere 302 contacts exactly two points of the guide pins 306.

(27) A pre-loading element, such as pre-loading spring 310, and the guide pins 306 are configured for applying a guiding pre-loading force to the position adjustment sphere 302 for forcing the position adjustment sphere 302 to apply an abutting force to the aperture wheel 308, which abutting force is oriented towards a rotation axis of the aperture wheel 308. The pre-loading spring 310 is provided for pre-loading the position adjustment sphere 302 towards the edge of the aperture wheel 308. The direction and amplitude of the pre-loading force may be adjusted by correspondingly designing the properties of the pre-loading spring 310, which may be a helical spring, for example.

(28) The aperture wheel 308 is provided with the aperture holes 304 which are formed as through holes in the aperture wheel 308. Furthermore, a part of a circumferential edge of the toothed aperture wheel 308 has a number of engagement sections 314, e.g., formed as indentations between adjacent teeth. The engagement sections 314 and the position adjustment sphere 302 are matched so that the position adjustment sphere 302 can be engaged in a mechanically stable way in each of the engagement sections 314.

(29) FIG. 7 shows a scenario in which the position adjustment sphere 302 is engaged in one of the engagement sections 314. It will be appreciated by a skilled person that the selection of a specific engagement section 314 in which the position adjustment sphere 302 is presently engaged corresponds unambiguously with one of the aperture holes 304 being selected or actuated.

(30) A drive unit, such as stepper motor 312, is provided for driving the aperture wheel 308 via a gear mechanism which will be described below in more detail. In other words, the stepper motor 312 provides the mechanical energy by which the aperture wheel 308 is rotated. Thus, the rotation energy is provided by the stepper motor 312.

(31) The above mentioned gear mechanism comprises, as can be best seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a toothed first gear wheel 316 mounted on and being driven by the stepper motor 312 and a toothed second gear wheel 318 which cooperates engagingly with the first gear wheel 316. Additionally, as can be best seen in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 (in which the second gear wheel 318 is omitted for illustrative purposes), a bottom surface of the second gear wheel 318 has a camshaft 320 (which may also be denoted as switch-cams) configured for engaging with energy transfer engagement sections 322 arranged along a circumferential part of the aperture wheel 308. In other words, the aperture wheel 308 has a first circumferential part along which the engagement sections 314 are formed. It has a second circumferential part along which the energy transfer engagement sections 322 are formed. By equipping the camshaft 320 with only two protrusions 356, 358 or cams being configured for operating the aperture wheel 308 by engaging the respective energy transfer engagement sections 322, it can be ensured that the camshaft 320 is decoupled from the aperture wheel 308 upon completion of an adjustment procedure of the aperture device 300. However, in other embodiments, the number of protrusions 356, 358 or cams may also be different from two (for instance may be one, three, four, or larger than four). FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show part of a shift wheel in the form of the camshaft 320 and of a switch wheel in form of the aperture wheel 308. Between the two parallel guide pins 306, a prismatic groove is formed for guiding the position adjustment sphere 302.

(32) As can be taken best from FIG. 7, the pre-loading spring 310 applies a pre-loading force to the position adjustment sphere 302 along a pre-loading force direction 702 which is inclined by an inclination angle α relative to a guide direction 704 along which the guide pins 306 enable motion of the position adjustment sphere 302. For instance, the inclination angle α may be 45°. More generally, the inclination angle α may for instance be in a range between 20° and 70°.

(33) FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 show further components of the adjustable aperture device. Particularly, a cover 370 which may be made of aluminum material may be mounted on the assembled movable components for protection purposes. The various components may be mounted on a support body 372 which may be made of aluminum material. Rings 376, 378 may be foreseen as well (these may be Silicone Rubber sealing-rings, not shown as normal “O-Rings” but in the unnatural assembled shape). A light trap cone 380 may be mounted on the adjustable aperture device 300 as well for avoiding undesired reflections of light to further improve the accuracy of the detection. With the adjustable aperture device 300 it is possible to obtain a position accuracy of better than 1 μm. Prototypes have still fulfilled all requirements after one million switches.

(34) Hence, the adjustable aperture device 300 shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 8 is a positioning system which aligns two angularly arranged prismatic guides in form of engagement sections 314 by means of the position adjustment sphere 302 biased by a spring force of the helical spring 310 and being laterally guided by guide pins 306. By aligning several prismatic structures radially on a disk, see aperture wheel 308, different positions can be reproducibly adjusted (switch wheel concept). The pre-loading force has the effect that on the one hand the clearance of the switch wheel is always equilibrated in the same direction, and that on the other hand external influences such as thermal expansion, sphere tolerances or wear do not have an influence on the positioning accuracy in view of the symmetric arrangement of the mechanical components. In order to prevent deterioration of the positioning, the switch drive (switch wheel), see first and second gear wheels 316, 318, is out of engagement at the point of time of their positioning. Hence, a bottom side of the second gear wheel 318 comprises the above-mentioned opposing cams (see camshaft 320) which allow for a free locking of the position adjustment sphere 302.

(35) As can be taken from FIG. 9, the engagement section 902 may be configured as having a prismatic groove 906. Accordingly, the guide pins 900 may also be embodied by a prismatic groove 904. The position adjustment sphere 302 hence contacts the engagement sections 902 as well as the guide pins 900 each at correspondingly defined points only.

(36) FIG. 10 illustrates a scenario in which the pre-loading spring 310 and the two parallel guide pins 306 are arranged relative to one another and relative to the sphere 302 and to the aperture wheel 308 to apply a directionally well-defined pre-loading force F to the sphere 302 for forcing the latter to apply an abutting force F to the aperture wheel 308 which abutting force F is oriented towards a rotation axis 1000 of the aperture wheel 308. Particularly, the projection of the pre-loading force F or the resulting abutting force F on the main plane of the aperture wheel 308 (i.e. the paper plane of FIG. 10) is directed towards the penetration point of the rotation axis 1000 through the main plane. In this case, a particularly accurate positioning is enabled.

(37) It should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or features and the term “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

(38) While the disclosure references exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present teachings. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limiting, but illustrative.