Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
262 words
A spectroscopic method for measuring concentrations of sugars in samples, which comprises a first step wherein light intensity of a light source (2) in an interferometer (MI) is set at a first prescribed value and outcoming light beams from said interferometer (MI) are emitted into an integrating sphere (9) to irradiate a sample (15) placed at a sample aperture of said integrating sphere (9), a second step wherein diffusely reflected light beams from said sample (15) placed at said sample aperture are detected by a photo detector (10), a third step wherein the absorption spectrum of the sample under measurement to a first depth with said first prescribed value of light intensity is determined by processing electrical signals from said photo defector (10) by a computer (12), a fourth step wherein the light intensity of the light source (2) in said interferometer (MI) is set at a second prescribed value and the absorption spectrum of the sample under measurement to a second depth with said second prescribed value of light intensity is determined in the same manner as in said first, second and third steps, and a fifth step wherein the difference between the absorption spectrum under the first and second measurements is obtained thereby to determine the differential spectrum and thereby the concentration of sugar in a region below the surface of the sample (18) between the two depths; the wavelengths for a use for said absorption spectrum being selected from a wavelength band of from 950 to 1,140 nm, from 1,150 to 1,300 nm, or from 1,300 to 1,450 nm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
A spectroscopic method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wavelengths for the use for said absorption spectrum comprise three or more in number selected from any one of said wavelength bands.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A spectroscopic method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sugar to be determined is selected from a group of glucose, saccharose, and fructose.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spectroscopic method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sugar to be determined is a sugar in human blood.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
254 words
A spectrophotometric apparatus for measuring concentrations of sugars in samples, which comprises an interferometer (MI) for emitting superposed light beams, a controller (1) for adjusting light intensity of a light source (2) which is placed in said interferometer (MI), an integrating sphere (9) for collecting diffusely reflected light beams from a sample (15) placed at said integrating sphere (9), a photo detector (10) for detecting said collected light and converting it into an electric signal, a processing means (12) for processing electric signal from said photo detector (10) so as to compute absorption spectrum of the sugar in said sample (15) to be determined and for determining the concentration of the sugar under measurement on the basis of said absorption spectrum, and a means (13) for selecting optimum wavelengths for a use for said absorption spectrum from a wavelength band of from 950 to 1,150 nm, from 1,150 to 1,300 nm, or from 1,300 to 1,450 nm, said processing means (12) including a means whereby, on the basis of the difference between the absorption spectrum of the sample under measurement to a first depth with a light intensity of said light source (2) in said interferometer (MI) set at a first prescribed value and the absorption spectrum of said sample under measurement to a second depth with a light intensity of said source (2) set at a second prescribed value; means for computing the differential spectrum and the concentration of sugar in a region below the surface of the sample between the two depths.