FLUORESCENCE DETECTOR AND FLUORESCENCE DETECTION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluorescence detector and fluorescence detection method capable of quantitatively evaluating the number of biomolecules at a high sensitivity without requiring a calibration curve.SOLUTION: Light of linear polarization parallel with the longitudinal direction of a nano slit is radiated as excitation light to a light blocking film having the nano slit of a width narrower than the wavelength of the excitation light. At the cross point with a nano flow channel that crosses the longitudinal direction of the nano slit and in which both of the width and height of the cross section are equal to or shorter than the width in the lateral direction of the nano slit, the excitation light having passed through the nano slit causes a detection object to emit fluorescence. A signal is output in accordance with the amount of the fluorescence, the signal is compared with a threshold, and the number of detection objects having passed the cross point between the nano slit and the nano flow channel is measured.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】生体分子の数を高感度、かつ検量線不要で定量的に評価することのできる蛍光検出装置、及び蛍光検出方法を提供すること。【解決手段】励起光の波長より狭い幅のナノスリットを有する遮光膜に対し、ナノスリットの長手方向と平行な直線偏光の光を励起光として照射し、ナノスリットの長手方向と交差しかつ断面の幅及び高さのいずれもがナノスリットの短手方向の幅以下であるナノ流路との交差点において、ナノスリットを通過した励起光によって被検出体が蛍光を発する。この蛍光の量に応じて信号を出力し、信号と閾値を比較して、ナノスリットとナノ流路の交差点を移動した被検出体の数を計測する。【選択図】図１