Optical analysis device, optical analysis method and computer program for optical analysis for observing polarization characteristics of a single light-emitting particle

An optical analysis method of detecting light from a light-emitting particle dispersed and moving at random in a sample solution using an optical system of a confocal microscope or a multiphoton microscope, comprising steps of:

• moving a position of a light detection region of the optical system in the sample solution by changing an optical path of the optical system;
• irradiating the light detection region with excitation light including a predetermined polarized light component;
• detecting an intensity of at least one polarized light component of light from the light detection region with moving the position of the light detection region in the sample solution;
• generating a time series light intensity data of the at least one polarized light component of the light from the light detection region detected while moving the position of the light detection region in the sample solution;
• detecting a signal from each light-emitting particle individually in the intensity of the at least one polarized light component of the detected light by detecting individually in the time series light intensity data, as the signal of one light-emitting particle, a variation in time of a light intensity having a profile expected in the light from one light-emitting particle which moves relatively in an inside of the light detection region;
• and computing, based on the intensity of the at least one polarized light component of the detected signal of the light of the light-emitting particle, a polarization characteristic value of the light-emitting particle.

A computer readable storage device having a computer program product including programmed instructions for optical analysis for detecting light from a light-emitting particle dispersed and moving at random in a sample solution using an optical system of a confocal microscope or a multiphoton microscope, said programmed instructions causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

• moving a position of a light detection region of the optical system in the sample solution by changing an optical path of the optical system;
• irradiating the light detection region with excitation light including a predetermined polarized light component;
• detecting an intensity of at least one polarized light component of light from the light detection region with moving the position of the light detection region in the sample solution;
• and
• generating a time series light intensity data of the at least one polarized light component of the light from the light detection region detected while moving the position of the light detection region in the sample solution;
• detecting a signal from each light-emitting particle individually in the intensity of the at least one polarized light component of the detected light by detecting individually in the time series light intensity data, as the signal of one light-emitting particle, a variation in time of a light intensity having a profile expected in the light from one light-emitting particle which moves relatively in an inside of the light detection region;
• and computing, based on the intensity of the at least one polarized light component of the detected signal of the light of the light-emitting particle, a polarization characteristic value of the light-emitting particle.