JP5401481B2 - Cap and sample dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap attached to an opening of a container and a sample dispensing device that dispenses a sample using the cap, and in particular, removes impurities such as fibrin and reduces the remaining amount of dispensing. The present invention relates to a cap for dispensing safely and a sample dispensing apparatus.

  When a sample such as blood or urine is analyzed / examined, in order to automatically distribute a necessary amount, dispensing from one container (parent sample container) to the other container (child sample container) is performed. In dispensing, in general, a dispensing processing device is used in which a sample is once sucked into a nozzle chip using a nozzle tip and then discharged into a child sample container for each sample (see Patent Document 1).

  When the sample to be analyzed / examined is serum, the sample is centrifuged and separated into serum 212 and clot 214 as shown in FIG. 5, and only the serum is dispensed for use in analysis. The parent specimen container is not remixed with the separating agent 213 between the serum 212 and the clot 214.

  When a necessary amount of sample is sucked into the nozzle tip, if the amount of the sample is not sufficient, the tip of the nozzle tip comes into contact with the separating agent, and the nozzle tip becomes clogged. In addition, fibrin generated in the parent sample container also causes clogging. In that case, the sample sucked in until the clogging is detected is separated into the child sample containers, but it is necessary to reduce the amount of the parent sample left behind.

Japanese Patent No. 3410018

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when suction is performed using a nozzle tip, if the amount of specimen is small, the nozzle tip comes into contact with the separating agent before the designated suction amount is sucked, and the clogged state occurs. When the clogging is detected, the aspiration is stopped, and an operation of discharging the amount of the aspirated sample until the clogging is detected is performed to the child sample container. However, there is a problem that the parent sample is left behind.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus that can reduce the dispensing remaining amount without being affected by the remaining of the parent sample due to clogging of the conventional nozzle tip.

  The configuration of the present invention that solves the above problems is as follows.

  A cap for connecting a parent sample container and a child sample container, the cap including a cap upper portion provided with a cylinder through which the sample passes, and a cap fitted with a groove in the upper portion of the cap and having a pipe through which the sample passes. A cap comprising a lower part and a stopper that partitions the upper part of the cap and the lower part of the cap.

  According to the above configuration, dispensing can be performed without using the nozzle tip, and the sample can be dispensed without being affected by clogging of the nozzle tip. Further, when dispensing, it is possible to remove the impurities and dispense the specimen.

It is a figure which shows the conventional sample dispensing apparatus and the sample dispensing apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a cap. It is a figure which shows the content which separated the cap up and down. It is a figure which shows the stopper which has in a cap inside. The figure which shows the mode of the blood serum, blood clot, and separation agent after performing centrifugation with respect to the test substance. It is a figure which shows the content which connected the parent sample container and the child sample container to the cap. It is a figure which shows a dispensing process. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a parent sample container and a child sample container separated after a dispensing operation. It is an example which used the valve for the cap of the cap upper part and the cap lower part.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 shows a comparison between a conventional sample dispensing apparatus and the sample dispensing apparatus of the present invention. In the conventional sample dispensing apparatus 101, the sample is dispensed using the nozzle tip 102. On the other hand, the sample dispensing apparatus 103 of the present invention performs a sample dispensing operation using the dispensing cap 104 of the present invention.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the dispensing cap 104. A filter 201 for removing impurities is provided on the upper part of the cap, and a pipe 202 is provided from the place having the filter to the stopper 205. Further, the upper side surface of the filter has a notch 203 for connecting to the lower portion, and a portion serving as a pipe is a tapered tube 204. The lower part of the cap has a stopper 206 at the upper part, and a tapered pipe 207 at the center.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the dispensing cap of FIG. 2 is separated from the upper part of the cap and the lower part of the cap. As shown in FIG. 3, the cap can be separated into upper and lower parts, and can be separated into an upper part 208 and a lower part 209.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the stoppers 205 and 206 provided in the cap have a function capable of dispensing a specimen from the upper part to the lower part using a shape like a shutter-like stopper 210. When dispensing, the stopper 210 is opened like the stopper 211, the tube 204 enters the hole and is connected to the pipe 207, and the specimen is dispensed.

  FIG. 6 shows a sample dispensing method using the dispensing cap 104. The cap upper portion 208 of the inverted dispensing cap 104 is connected to the parent sample container 216, and the child sample container 217 is connected to the cap lower portion 209. In order to dispense the sample stored in the parent sample container into the child sample container, the connected parent sample container and child sample container are turned upside down as shown in FIG. 7, and the parent sample container 216 and child sample container 217 are rotated in reverse. Let Then, using the notch provided inside the cap, the lower part of the cap enters the upper part of the cap, and the tapered pipe on the upper part of the cap penetrates the stopper on the upper part of the cap and the stopper on the lower part of the cap. The stored specimen is dispensed into the child specimen container 217.

  Moreover, impurities such as fibrin can be eliminated by the filter 201 provided on the upper part of the cap. When the parent sample container and the child sample container are separated, the tapered pipe of the cap upper part 208 is separated from the lower part of the cap, and becomes a stopper 205 of the upper part of the cap and a stopper 206 of the lower part of the cap 209. By closing the cap when the cap is separated, it is possible to prevent the specimen from being oxidized or vaporized, and to prevent the specimen from flowing out even when the container is accidentally overturned.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the stoppers of the cap upper part 208 and the cap lower part 209 are used as the valve 224.

  As described above, by connecting a parent sample container and a child sample container using a cap, it is possible to dispense a sample and eliminate impurities. Further, after dispensing, the sample can be prevented from flowing out by plugging the parent sample container and the child sample container.

101, 103 Specimen dispensing device 102 Nozzle tip 104 Dispensing cap 201 Filter 202 Pipe 203 Notch 204 Tube 205, 206, 210 Plug 207 Pipe 208 Cap upper portion 209 Cap lower portion 211 Cap (when opened)
212 Serum 213 Separating agent 214 Clot 216 Parent specimen container 217 Child specimen container 224 Valve

Claims (7)

A first cap attachable to the opening of the parent specimen container;
A second cap attachable to the opening of the child sample container;
The first cap includes a first pipe that allows the sample to pass through the inside and outside of the parent sample container in a state where the first cap is attached to the parent sample container in the structure; Having a first plug that plugs one end of the pipe;
  The second cap includes a second pipe that allows the sample to pass through the inside and the outside of the child sample container in a state where the second cap is attached to the child sample container, and the second cap. Has a second plug to plug one end of the pipe,
  The first cap and the second cap can be separated and fitted to each other by having a groove in the structure for fitting at least one cap to the other cap,
  When dispensing a sample from the parent sample container to the child sample container, the first pipe and the second pipe are fitted by fitting the first cap and the second cap. A cap characterized in that a sample in a parent sample container is separated into a child sample container through a connected pipe. The cap of claim 1 ,
The cap according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe have a structure that can be connected through the first stopper and the second stopper at the time of sample dispensing .
The cap according to claim 2 , wherein
The cap is a shutter and is closed after sample dispensing is completed.
The cap according to claim 1, wherein
The first cap includes a filter for removing impurities.
The cap according to claim 3,
After dispensing the sample, the first cap and the second cap can be separated,
The cap after the separation, wherein the first cap and the second cap block the opening as plugs of the parent sample container and the child sample container, respectively.
The cap according to claim 1.
The cap according to claim 1, wherein the first cap and the second cap are directly attached to openings of a parent sample container and a child sample container.
A sample dispensing apparatus for dispensing a sample from a parent sample container to a child sample container using the cap according to claim 1.

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