Liquid/liquid fiber-optic fluorescence detector and absorbance analyzer

Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring the fluorescence and absorbance of a liquid sample, wherein the liquid sample is disposed in the bore of a sample tube, comprising: a sample tube for containing a sample fluid having an external surface and a bore therethrough; a source of excitation radiation directed along said bore of said sample tube; cladding fluid means coating said bore of said sample tube effective to reflect said excitation radiation radially inwardly within said bore and further effective to provide a smooth surface adjacent to the sample fluid; fluorescence detector means for detecting fluorescence radiation emanating from said external surface of said sample tube and generating a fluorescence signal in proportion thereto; and absorbance detector means for detecting the excitation radiation that passes through the bore of the sample tube and generating an absorbance signal in proportion thereto.

Claim 2

An apparatus for measuring the fluorescence and absorbance of a liquid sample, wherein the liquid sample is disposed in the bore of a sample tube, comprising: a sample tube for containing a sample fluid having an external surface and a bore therethrough; a source of excitation radiation directed along said bore of said sample tube; cladding fluid means coating said bore of said sample tube effective to reflect said excitation radiation radially inwardly within said bore and further effective to provide a smooth surface adjacent to the sample fluid; fluorescence detector means for detecting fluorescence radiation emanating from said external surface of said sample tube and generating a fluorescence signal in proportion thereto; and absorbance detector means for detecting the excitation radiation that passes through the bore of the sample tube and generating an absorbance signal in proportion thereto.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claims 4 or 5 that further includes: an integrating sphere surrounding said sample tube to capture and integrate fluorescence radiation emanating from said external surface of said sample tube; and said fluorescence detector means being a photomultiplier tube in radiation communication with said integration sphere.

Claim 8

A method of measuring the fluorescence of a liquid sample, wherein the liquid sample is disposed in the bore of a capillary tube, comprising: cladding the bore of the capillary tube with a cladding fluid; disposing the liquid sample in the bore of the capillary tube radially inwardly from the cladding fluid; directing a source of excitation radiation along the bore of the capillary tube through the liquid sample; detecting the intensity of the excitation radiation, the intensity of fluorescent radiation emanating from the liquid sample, and the intensity of the non-absorbed excitation radiation passing through the sample; comparing the intensities of the detected excitation radiation, the fluorescent radiation, and the non-absorbed excitation radiation to determine the presence and concentration of fluorescent particles in the liquid sample; wherein said cladding fluid is effective to reflect said excitation radiation radially inwardly within said bore and is further effective to provide a smooth surface adjacent to the liquid sample.

Claim 9

A method of measuring the fluorescence of a liquid sample, wherein the liquid sample is disposed in the bore of a capillary tube, comprising: cladding the bore of the capillary tube with a cladding fluid; disposing the liquid sample in the bore of the capillary tube radially inwardly from the cladding fluid; directing a source of excitation radiation along the bore of the capillary tube through the liquid sample; detecting the intensity of the excitation radiation, the intensity of fluorescent radiation emanating from the liquid sample, and the intensity of the non-absorbed excitation radiation passing through the sample; comparing the intensities of the detected excitation radiation, the fluorescent radiation, and the non-absorbed excitation radiation to determine the presence and concentration of fluorescent particles in the liquid sample; wherein said cladding fluid is effective to reflect said excitation radiation radially inwardly within said bore and is further effective to provide a smooth surface adjacent to the liquid sample.