JP2720035B2 - Quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to chemical, physical chemistry, biochemical and medical, food,
The present invention relates to a quartz oscillator used as a detector of a device for performing chemical reaction tracking and state analysis and chemical measurement using the same in the chemical industry field. [Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement, in which the sample cell and the crystal oscillator are integrated to prevent leakage of the sample, and to reduce the influence of peripheral components on the vibration of the crystal oscillator. It is intended to reduce the number of operations, simplify the operation at the time of measurement, and to manufacture at low cost. [Prior Art] Conventionally, a quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement handles a liquid sample as an object to be measured, so it is necessary to configure a cell having a structure for holding the liquid sample. The cell for holding the liquid is composed of members constituting the cell and two O-rings for fixing and holding the quartz plate held inside the cell from above and below. A quartz plate is sandwiched between the center and the quartz plate, and the quartz plate is sandwiched between cell members via two O-rings. A liquid sample is injected into the O-ring from an injection hole provided in the cell. Hold the liquid on top,
Chemical measurement has been performed by measuring the change in the frequency of a quartz oscillator. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional technique, the O-ring is pressed against the vibrating surface of the crystal oscillator for the purpose of preventing the liquid sample from leaking. And the vibration of the crystal unit was affected by the vibration suppressing force. In addition, when the O-ring and the quartz oscillator are sandwiched, a gap is easily formed between the O-ring and the quartz oscillator, and the sample leaks from the gap. Further, as an operation prior to measurement, an operation of pressing an O-ring against both surfaces of the quartz oscillator every time is required, which is troublesome, and the manufacturing cost is increased due to the large number of components of the apparatus. [Means for Solving the Problems] Accordingly, the present invention reduces the influence of the crystal unit on the surrounding parts by integrating the sample cell and the crystal unit, and manufactures the device at a low cost with a simple operation. It is possible to measure a small amount of sample. [Operation] By using the crystal oscillator for chemical measurement configured as described above, the frequency of the crystal oscillator changes depending only on the sample, and the sample does not leak from the cell. And the measuring device can be manufactured at a low cost with a simple operation. Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement according to the present invention. A sample (glycerin aqueous solution) cell 3 is bonded to the outer edge of the crystal unit 1 having electrodes 2 deposited on both surfaces by an adhesive. The crystal resonator 1 is a device using a piezoelectric effect, and generates mechanical vibration by applying a voltage having a frequency near a resonance frequency. This vibration is extremely small, but is affected by interaction with the aqueous glycerin solution in contact. The resistance coefficient of the mechanical resistance can be considered to correspond to the electric resistance when considering the mechanical vibration and the electric vibration of the crystal resonator. Therefore, the loss resistance at the resonance frequency was considered to be a value reflecting the friction coefficient of the surface of the vibrator, and the viscoelasticity of the glycerin aqueous solution could be measured by measuring the loss resistance. (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a case where a sample is held in a portion where a sample cell and a crystal unit are integrated will be described.
FIG. 2 shows a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement according to the present embodiment. Since the sample cell 3 and the crystal unit 1 are bonded by an adhesive, the sample 4 is held in the sample cell 3 without leaking. 0.05ml by doing this
The following trace samples could be measured. Embodiment 2 In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the area and position of the joint between the sample cell and the crystal unit do not affect the frequency of the crystal unit. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion where the sample cell is bonded to the quartz oscillator. The sample cell 3 is joined to the crystal unit 1 at the outer edge 5 of the crystal unit 1. The crystal unit 1 can vibrate freely except for the outer edge 5, and the influence of the surroundings is suppressed to a low level. By doing so, high-precision measurement over a wide range of viscosity is possible. (Example 3) In this example, a case where the chemical measurement to be performed is an immunoassay will be described. Since the resonance frequency of mechanical vibration caused by applying a voltage having a frequency near the resonance frequency of the crystal unit 1 is affected by the surface weight of the unit, it is necessary to measure the change in the frequency of the crystal unit 1. Thus, a change in weight on the surface of the vibrator can be measured. FIG. 4 shows a quartz oscillator for chemical measurement according to the present embodiment. An anti-human immunoglobulin G antibody is immobilized on the surface of the quartz oscillator 1. When human immunoglobulin G is injected as the sample 4, the human immunoglobulin G is selectively adsorbed on the surface of the quartz oscillator 1 by an antigen-antibody reaction. Since the weight change due to this is reflected in the frequency, by measuring the frequency change of the crystal resonator 1,
The concentration of human immunoglobulin G could be measured. (Example 4) In this example, a description will be given of a case where chemical measurements to be performed are automatic and continuous. FIG. 5 shows a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement according to the present embodiment. Two flow tubes 6 are attached to the sample cell 3, one of which is used as a sample inlet and the other as a sample outlet. Sample 4
Flows continuously through the flow tube 6. The viscoelasticity of the sample 4 or the antigen concentration can be measured by measuring the loss resistance or the frequency change at the resonance frequency of the crystal unit 1. Since the sample 4 passed through the flow tube 6 and continuously interacted with the quartz oscillator 1, the continuous change of its viscoelasticity or antigen concentration could be measured. (Example 5) In this example, a case where a target of a chemical measurement to be performed is a chemical reaction is described. FIG. 6 shows a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement according to this embodiment. A flow tube 6 is attached to the sample cell 3 at two places, one of which is used as a sample inlet and the other as a sample outlet.
By measuring the loss resistance or the frequency change at the resonance frequency of, the viscoelasticity of the sample 4 or the antigen concentration can be continuously measured. When the state of the sample 4 changes with time due to the chemical reaction, the chemical reaction can be tracked. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention enables high-precision measurement of a small amount of sample by using a quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement in which a sample cell and a crystal unit are integrated, and the measuring device itself is also used. It is designed to be inexpensive to manufacture with simple operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 6 are crystal oscillators for chemical measurement according to Examples 1 to 5, respectively. FIG. 1 ... Crystal resonator 3 ... Sample cell 4 ... Sample 5 ... Crystal resonator outer edge

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a crystal oscillator for chemical measurement in which a liquid sample is measured, the crystal oscillator is integrally formed with a cell component for a sample, and the integrated crystal oscillator is combined with the cell component for a sample. A crystal oscillator for chemical measurement, comprising: a sample cell for holding a liquid sample by using the same. 2. 2. The crystal unit for chemical measurement according to claim 1, wherein a joint between the sample cell component and the crystal unit is an outer edge of the crystal unit. 3. 3. The crystal unit for chemical measurement according to claim 1, wherein said crystal unit is an AT-cut crystal unit. 4. 4. The quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement according to claim 1, wherein a measurement target of the quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement is viscoelasticity measurement. 5. The measurement object of the quartz crystal unit for chemical measurement is an immunoassay, wherein the measurement object is an immunoassay.
The crystal unit for chemical measurement according to any of the above paragraphs. 6. The measurement object of the crystal unit for chemical measurement is continuously injected and discharged into the sample cell, and the measurement object is continuously measured. The crystal oscillator for chemical measurement described in any of the above.