JP6528624B2 - Stirring system, tip and stirrer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a stirring system, a tip, and a stirring device for conducting a chemical, medical or biological test of a test object.

  Conventionally, in a system for testing a sample such as a biological substance or a chemical substance, a technique for stirring the sample in a chip has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sample container having a magnetic stirrer inside, and an apparatus provided with a drive magnet. This device causes the magnetic stirrer to float in the sample container by reciprocating the drive magnet to stir the sample.

JP, 2006-90894, A

  In the case of the above-mentioned device, since a mechanism for reciprocating the drive magnet is required, there are problems such as the enlargement of the device, the complication of the configuration, and the cost increase.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a stirring system, a tip, and a stirring device that can stir liquid in a tip with a simple configuration.

The stirring system according to the first aspect of the present invention is a stirring system including a chip capable of containing a liquid, and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip, wherein the chip is used to stir the liquid. And a stirrer of ferromagnetic material sealed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber, the stirring device comprising: A holder capable of attaching and detaching the chip, an electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the chip mounted on the holder arranged at the stirring position, and the holder at the stirring position A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state of being disposed in electromagnet When the magnetic force is not generated, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, and the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. When the stirrer is placed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force, the force directed from the second position to the first position is an elastic force, and the tip is in contact with the stirrer. An elastic member for applying the elastic force to the stirrer is provided, and the control unit performs the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position .

In the stirring system according to the first aspect, the control unit of the stirring device performs switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which magnetic force is not generated. The stirrer of the tip is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position when no magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. In addition, when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer of the tip receives the magnetic force and is disposed at the second position. That is, the movement of the stirrer from the first position to the second position utilizes the magnetic force of the electromagnet, and the movement of the stirrer from the second position to the first position utilizes another force. For this reason, the stirring device can move the stirring bar to stir the liquid by one electromagnet fixedly arranged. Therefore, the stirring system can stir the liquid in the tip with a simple configuration.
The stirring system according to the second aspect of the present invention is a stirring system including a chip capable of containing a liquid, and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip, wherein the chip is used to stir the liquid. And a stirrer of ferromagnetic material sealed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber, the stirring device comprising: A holder capable of attaching and detaching the chip, an electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the chip mounted on the holder arranged at the stirring position, and the holder at the stirring position A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state of being disposed in electromagnet When the magnetic force is not generated, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, and the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. When the stirrer is placed in the second position by receiving the magnetic force, the stirrer has a centrifugal mechanism for rotating the holder about a predetermined rotation axis, and the electromagnet has a coil and a core. The coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass.
The stirring system according to the third aspect of the present invention is a stirring system including a chip capable of containing a liquid, and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip, wherein the chip is used to stir the liquid. And a stirrer of ferromagnetic material sealed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber, the stirring device comprising: A holder capable of attaching and detaching the chip, an electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the chip mounted on the holder arranged at the stirring position, and the holder at the stirring position A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state of being disposed in electromagnet When the magnetic force is not generated, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, and the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. When the stirrer is placed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force, the force in the direction from the second position to the first position is a centrifugal force, and the stirring device is rotated by a predetermined rotation axis. The first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is separated from the rotation axis than the second position, and has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder as a center, and the control is performed. The unit performs the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position, the electromagnet includes a coil and a core rod, and the coil is rotated by the centrifugal mechanism. And before Characterized in that the chips that are held by the holder is disposed outside the rotation region passes.

The tip according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is a strong stirring chamber sealed with liquid, and a strong chamber sealed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between the first position and the second position in the stirring chamber. A chip having a magnetic stirrer and, from an electromagnet arranged at a position closer to the second position than the first position in a state where the chip is mounted on a holder arranged at the stirring position in the stirring device. When no magnetic force is generated, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, and when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, The stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force, and a force in a direction from the second position to the first position is an elastic force, and is in contact with the stirrer; And an elastic member for applying an elastic force to the stirring position. When mounted on the holder that is characterized by Rukoto moving the stirrer between said first position and said second position.

The stirrer of the tip according to the fourth aspect is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position when no magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. In addition, when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer of the tip receives the magnetic force and is disposed at the second position. That is, the movement of the stirrer from the first position to the second position utilizes the magnetic force of the electromagnet, and the movement of the stirrer from the second position to the first position utilizes another force. For this reason, the stirring device can move the stirring bar to stir the liquid by one electromagnet fixedly arranged. Therefore, the chip can be used to stir the internal liquid by the stirring bar by being used in a stirring device in which the configuration for moving the stirring bar is simplified.

The stirring apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is a stirring apparatus for stirring a liquid in a chip, wherein a holder capable of attaching and detaching the chip and the chip attached to the holder disposed at a stirring position are provided. An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the stirring chamber in which the ferromagnetic stirring bar held so as to be reciprocally movable between the first position and the second position is enclosed. And controlling the switching control to switch between the state in which the magnetic force is generated and the state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling the application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position. A part, and when the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, The above from the electromagnet When a force is generated, the stirrer, the magnetic force receiving are disposed in the second position, having a centrifugal mechanism for rotating the holder about a predetermined rotational axis, the electromagnet includes a coil And a core rod, wherein the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass .

The control unit of the stirring device according to the fifth aspect performs switching control to switch between a state where magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state where no magnetic force is generated. The stirrer of the tip is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position when no magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet. In addition, when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer of the tip receives the magnetic force and is disposed at the second position. That is, the movement of the stirrer from the first position to the second position utilizes the magnetic force of the electromagnet, and the movement of the stirrer from the second position to the first position utilizes another force. For this reason, the stirring device can move the stirring bar to stir the liquid by one electromagnet fixedly arranged. Therefore, the stirring device can stir the liquid in the chip with a simple configuration.
The stirring apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is a stirring apparatus for stirring a liquid in a chip, wherein a holder capable of attaching and detaching the chip and the chip attached to the holder disposed at the stirring position are provided. An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the stirring chamber in which the ferromagnetic stirring bar held so as to be reciprocally movable between the first position and the second position is enclosed. And controlling the switching control to switch between the state in which the magnetic force is generated and the state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling the application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position. A part, and when the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, The above from the electromagnet When a force is generated, the stirrer is placed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force, and the force directed from the second position to the first position is a centrifugal force, and a predetermined rotation axis And the first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is more distant from the rotation axis than the second position, The control unit performs the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position, the electromagnet includes a coil and a core rod, and the coil is rotated by the centrifugal mechanism. It is characterized in that the holder and the tip held by the holder are disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder passes.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an inspection system 3; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the upper part of inspection system 3 in the state where upper case 101 was removed, and a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of inspection system 3. It is a side view which shows the holder 61 arrange | positioned in the stirring position, and the solenoid 65 of the state which is not supplying with electricity. It is a side view which shows the holder 61 arrange | positioned in the stirring position, and the solenoid 65 of the energized state. It is sectional drawing which shows the holder 61 arrange | positioned in the stirring position, and the solenoid 65 of the energized state. FIG. 2 is a front view of an inspection chip 2; FIG. 6 is a rear view of the inspection chip 2; It is a flowchart of a centrifugation process. It is an enlarged view of the stirring chamber 80 vicinity. It is an enlarged view of the stirring chamber 80 vicinity in a 1st modification. It is an enlarged view of the stirring chamber 80 vicinity in a 2nd modification. It is a side view which shows the holder 61 arrange | positioned in the stirring position in the 3rd modification, and the solenoid 65 of the energized state. It is an enlarged view of the stirring chamber 80 vicinity in a 3rd modification. It is a front view of the test | inspection chip 2 in a 4th modification. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

<Schematic structure of inspection system 3>
Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The schematic structure of the inspection system 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The inspection system 3 of the present embodiment includes the inspection chip 2 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. The inspection chip 2 is detachably attached to the holder 61 of the inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The inspection apparatus 1 rotates the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 around the vertical axis A1 separated from the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2. In this case, a centrifugal force acts on the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2. Further, the inspection apparatus 1 rotates the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 around the horizontal axis A2. In this case, the centrifugal direction which is the direction of the centrifugal force acting on the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 is switched with respect to the inspection chip 2.

<Structure of Inspection Device 1>
The structure of the inspection apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the following description, the upper side, the lower side, the right side, the left side, the front side of the sheet, and the rear side of the sheet in FIG. 2 are respectively the upper side, the lower side, the front, the rear side, the left side and the right side I assume. In the present embodiment, the direction of the vertical axis A1 is the vertical direction of the inspection apparatus 1, and the direction of the horizontal axis A2 is the direction of the speed when the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 are rotated about the vertical axis A1. . The perspective view of FIG. 3 shows a state in which the upper housing 101 and the pair of side housings 103 shown in FIG. 1 of the inspection apparatus 1 are removed. In the perspective view of FIG. 3, an optical measurement unit 7 described later is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection apparatus 1 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 has a box-like frame structure. The housing 10 includes an upper housing 101, a lower housing 102, and a pair of side housings 103. The pair of side casings 103 are rectangular plate members that are long in the vertical direction. The respective surfaces of the pair of side casings 103 face in the left-right direction. The pair of side housings 103 are separated in the left-right direction. The lower housing 102 is a plate material bridged between the lower ends, the lower ends of the front ends, and the lower ends of the rear ends of the pair of side housings 103. The upper housing 101 is a plate material bridged between the upper ends of the pair of side housings 103, the upper side of the front end, and the upper side of the rear end. In the upper housing 101, a hole 11A is formed between the front portion and the upper portion. The upper housing 101 rotatably supports one end of a lid member 11B which is a rectangular plate material. The inspection apparatus 1 can cover the hole 11A with the lid member 11B. On the right side of the upper portion of the upper housing 101, an operation unit 94 including a power switch and a plurality of operation switches is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the inspection apparatus 1 has a case 14, an upper plate 32, a turntable 33, an angle changing mechanism 34, a holder 61, and a control device 90 shown in FIG. Prepare inside the body 10 The upper plate 32 is a rectangular plate material bridged between the upper end on the front side and the upper end on the rear side of the lower housing 102. The turntable 33 is a disk rotatably provided on the upper side of the upper plate 32. The inspection chip 2 described later is supported by a holder 61 disposed above the turntable 33. The inspection chip 2 is attached to the holder 61 in a direction in which the thickness direction extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Details of the inspection chip 2 will be described later.

  The angle change mechanism 34 is a drive mechanism provided on the turntable 33. The angle changing mechanism 34 rotates the inspection chip 2 by rotating the holder 61 about the horizontal axis A2. The case 14 is provided on the upper side of the upper plate 32 and covers the turntable 33, the angle changing mechanism 34, and the holder 61. The optical measurement unit 7 shown in FIG. 3 that performs optical measurement on the inspection chip 2 is provided on the upper side of the upper plate 32 and outside the case 14. The control device 90 is a controller that controls various processes of the inspection device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, at the lower part of the upper plate 32, a drive mechanism for rotating the turntable 33 around the vertical axis A1 is provided as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a main spindle motor 35 for supplying a driving force for rotating the turntable 33 to the lower side of the central portion in the housing 10, and a main spindle 57 extending upward from the inside of the lower housing 102. Is installed. The spindle motor 35 is a DC motor. The shaft 36 of the spindle motor 35 projects upward and is connected to the spindle 57. The main shaft 57 penetrates the upper plate 32 and protrudes above the upper plate 32. The upper end of the main shaft 57 is connected to the center of the turntable 33. The main shaft 57 is rotatably held by a support member 53 provided immediately below the upper plate 32 and a support member 54 provided below the support member 53. The inner ring of the ball bearing 54A provided inside the support member 54 contacts the main shaft 57 and rotates in response to the rotation of the main shaft 57. The support member 54 holds the outer ring of the ball bearing 54A at the front end. The rear end portion of the support member 54 is disposed on the right side of a stepping motor 51 described later. When the spindle motor 35 rotates the shaft 36, the driving force is transmitted to the spindle 57. At this time, the turntable 33 rotates around the main shaft 57 in conjunction with the rotation of the main shaft 57.

  The main shaft 57 is a cylindrical body having a hollow inside. The inner shaft 40 is an axis movable in the vertical direction inside the main shaft 57. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner shaft 40 is a square when viewed from above. The upper end portion of the inner shaft 40 penetrates the inside of the main shaft 57, extends above the turntable 33, and is connected to a pair of rack gears 43 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main shaft 57 is provided with a slit 57A extending in the vertical direction. The inner ring of the ball bearing 54A is provided with a connecting portion (not shown) extending inward from the outside of the main shaft 57 via the slit 57A. The inner end of the connecting part is connected to the inner shaft 40.

  A stepping motor 51 for moving the inner shaft 40 up and down is fixed to the rear of the central portion of the housing 10. The shaft 58 of the stepping motor 51 projects rightward. A pinion gear (not shown) is fixed to the tip of the shaft 58. The pinion gear meshes with a rack gear (not shown) fixed to the support member 54. When the stepping motor 51 rotates the shaft 58, the support member 54 and the ball bearing 54A move up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion gear. At this time, the connecting portion provided on the ball bearing 54A moves up and down along the slit 57A. The inner shaft 40 moves up and down in conjunction with the connecting portion.

  The detailed structure of the angle change mechanism 34 will be described. The angle changing mechanism 34 includes a pair of rack gears 43. The pair of rack gears 43 are plate members made of metal. As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of rack gears 43 are fixed to the upper ends of the surfaces of the inner shaft 40 facing each other. One rack gear 43 extends in one direction from the inner shaft 40 as viewed from the upper side, and the other rack gear 43 extends in the opposite direction to the one direction. As shown in FIG. 2, gears 431 are formed in the vertical direction at the end of the pair of rack gears 43 on the opposite side to the inner shaft 40 side. The rack gear 43 moves up and down as the inner shaft 40 moves up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 3, support portions 47 are provided on the counterclockwise direction side of the respective rack gears 43 when viewed from the upper side. The support portion 47 rotatably supports the holder 61. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support portion 47 includes two cylindrical portions 471, an extension portion 472, and a support shaft 473. The two cylindrical portions 471 are arranged side by side along the rack gear 43 and extend in the vertical direction. The extension portion 472 extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 471 along the rack gear 43 in a direction away from the inner shaft 40, and the tip end of the extension portion 472 fixes the support shaft 473. The support shaft 473 extends in the clockwise direction as viewed from the upper side, and the tip thereof is disposed inside the gear portion 76 formed in the holder 61. The gear portion 76 meshes with the gear 431 of the rack gear 43. The holder 61 is rotated by the rotation of the gear portion 76 about the support shaft 473 as the rack gear 43 moves up and down. Therefore, the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 rotates about the support shaft 473.

  In the present embodiment, as the spindle motor 35 rotationally drives the turntable 33, the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 rotate around the inner shaft 40 which is the vertical axis, and the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 are centrifuged. Force works. The rotation of the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 about the vertical axis A1 is called revolution. On the other hand, as the stepping motor 51 moves the inner shaft 40 up and down, the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 rotate around the support shaft 473 which is a horizontal shaft, and the centrifugal force acting on the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 The direction of centrifugation changes relatively. The rotation of the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 about the horizontal axis A2 is called rotation.

  When the support member 54 shown in FIG. 2 is raised to the uppermost end of the movable range, the rack gear 43 is also raised to the uppermost end of the movable range. At this time, the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 are in a steady state in which the rotation angle is 0 degree. Further, in a state where the support member 54 shown in FIG. 2 is lowered to the lower end of the movable range, the rack gear 43 is also lowered to the lower end of the movable range. At this time, the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 are rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise around the horizontal axis A2 from the steady state. That is, in this embodiment, the angle width which the holder 61 and the test | inspection chip 2 can rotate is 0 degree-90 degree of rotation angles.

  The detailed structure of the case 14 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the case 14 is a cylindrical member whose upper side is closed. The case 14 has a side surface 14A and an upper surface 14B. A hole 14C is formed from the front upper side of the side surface 14A to the front of the top surface 14B. The case 14 is installed on the upper side of the upper plate 32. Hereinafter, when the holder 61 rotates around the vertical axis A1, a region through which the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 or the holder 61 passes is referred to as a rotation region 140. The case 14 covers the rotation area 140 from the outside.

  A hole 14D is formed on the right rear side of the side surface 14A of the case 14. A hole 14E is formed on the left rear side of the side surface 14A of the case 14. An optical measurement unit 7 that performs optical measurement on the inspection chip 2 is provided on the rear side of the inspection apparatus 1 and on the upper side of the upper plate 32. The optical measurement unit 7 includes an emission unit 71 that emits the measurement light 70 and a detection unit 72 that detects the measurement light 70 emitted from the emission unit 71. The injection unit 71 is disposed on the right side of the hole 14D. The detection unit 72 is disposed on the left side of the hole 14E.

  In a state where the holder 61 is held in a steady state and the holder 61 is disposed at the rear side position of the main shaft 57 within the revolving possible range, the test light 2 mounted on the holder 61 is irradiated with the measurement light 70. Hereinafter, the position of one holder 61 in which the inspection chip 2 is held in the steady state and which is disposed at the rear side position of the main shaft 57 in the revolution available range is referred to as a measurement position. The position of the other holder 61 when the one holder 61 is disposed at the measurement position and the position of the other holder 61 in which the inspection chip 2 is held in the steady state is referred to as a stirring position. When the holder 61 is disposed at the measurement position, the measurement light 70 connecting the emission unit 71 and the detection unit 72 intersects the inspection chip 2 substantially perpendicularly. The measuring beam 70 extends horizontally from the right to the left. A hole 61A is formed in the holder 61 at a position close to the measurement unit 80A of the inspection chip 2 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The measuring beam 70 emitted from the emitting unit 71 passes through the measuring unit 80A of the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 at the measuring position, passes through the hole 61A of the holder 61, and is detected by the detecting unit 72. It is detected. As described above, the optical measurement by the optical measurement unit 7 is performed.

  In the present embodiment, when one inspection chip 2 is at the stirring position, optical measurement can be performed by the other inspection chip 2, so time for moving the inspection chip 2 to the stirring position and the measurement position can be saved. Further, by energizing the later-described solenoid 65 at the stirring position, the rotation of the main shaft 57 is restrained, so that the positional accuracy of the inspection chip 2 at the time of optical measurement is favorably regardless of the stopping accuracy of the main shaft motor 35. Become. On the other hand, in the present invention, the stirring position and the measuring position may have other positional relationships. For example, the stirring position and the optical measurement position may be the same position, or may be arranged at another angle with respect to the main axis 57.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a solenoid 65 is provided in front of the hole 14 </ b> C of the side surface 14 </ b> A of the case 14. The solenoid 65 has a main body 65A, a core rod 65B, a spring 65C, and a coil 65D shown in FIG. The main body portion 65A is a cylindrical member. The main body 65A is fixedly held on the outside of the rotation area 140 shown in FIG. The core rod 65B is a rod-like member made of iron. The core rod 65B extends in the front-rear direction. The core rod 65B protrudes rearward from the rear end of the main body 65A. The core rod 65B is movable in the front-rear direction. The spring 65C is provided on the front side of the front end of the main body 65A. The spring 65C is a compression spring that biases the core rod 65B forward. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the coil 65D is provided in the main body 65A. Note that, as described above, the main body portion 65A is fixedly held outside the rotation area 140. For this reason, the coil 65D provided in the main body 65A is also fixedly held outside the rotation area 140. The coil 65D is wound around the core rod 65B. The solenoid 65 is a so-called push type solenoid, and when the coil 65D is energized, the core rod 65B moves backward, and when the coil 65D is not energized, the core rod 65B moves forward by the spring 65C.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a core rod 61 </ b> B is provided on the side surface of the holder 61. As shown in FIG. 6, when the core rod 61B is viewed from the upper side, the shape is a substantially L-shaped rod shape. The core rod 61 </ b> B extends rightward from the side surface of the holder 61 in a state where the holder 61 is disposed at the stirring position, bends forward, and extends forward. The height of the core rod 61B is the same as the height of the core rod 65B of the solenoid 65. The core rod 61B rotates in the rotation area 140 about the vertical axis A1 as the holder 61 rotates about the vertical axis A1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is not energized, the core rod 65B moves forward by the biasing force of the spring 65C. At this time, the rear end of the core rod 65B is disposed outside the rotation area 140 shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the main shaft rotates in this state, the core rods 61B and 65B do not come apart and contact with each other. No magnetic force is generated from the core rod 65B. On the other hand, when the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized, the core rod 65B moves backward against the biasing force of the spring 65C as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and also by the magnetic field generated from the coil 65D. It is magnetized and functions as a magnet. At this time, the rear end of the core rod 65B enters the inside of the rotation area 140 shown in FIG. The rear end of the core rod 65B contacts the front end of the core rod 61B. The core rod 61B is magnetized by the core rod 65B and functions as a magnet. As a result, a magnetic field is generated from the core rod 61B.

  The core rods 65B and 61B may not be in contact with each other and may be slightly separated, as long as the core rods 61B can be magnetized to such an extent that they can move a stirrer 85 described later. In this case, although the magnetic force is small, there is an advantage that the operation noise can be suppressed.

<Electric Configuration of Controller 90>
The electrical configuration of the control device 90 will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 90 has a CPU 91 which controls the main control of the inspection device 1, a RAM 92 which temporarily stores various data, and a flash memory 93 which stores a control program and parameters. An operation unit 94, a solenoid 65, a revolution controller 97, an autorotation controller 98, and an optical measurement unit 7 are connected to the CPU 91. The revolution controller 97 controls the revolution of the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 by transmitting a control signal for rotationally driving the spindle motor 35 to the spindle motor 35. The rotation controller 98 controls rotation of the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 by transmitting a control signal for driving the stepping motor 51 to the stepping motor 51. The optical measurement unit 7 performs optical measurement of the inspection chip 2. In detail, the optical measurement unit 7 executes light emission of the emission unit 71 and light detection of the detection unit 72. The CPU 91 controls the revolution controller 97, the autorotation controller 98, the solenoid 65, and the optical measurement unit 7.

<Structure of inspection chip 2>
The structure of the inspection chip 2 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In the following description, the upper side, the lower side, the left side, the right side, the front side of the sheet, and the back side of the sheet in FIG. 7 are respectively the upper side, the lower side, the left side, the right side, the front and the rear of the inspection chip 2 . 7 and 8 show the state of the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 when the holder 61 arranged at the stirring position shown in FIG. 3 is revolved 90 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above. Indicates The inspection chip 2 has a square shape having an upper side 21, a right side 22, a left side 23, and a lower side 24 in a front view, and is mainly made of a plate 20 made of a transparent synthetic resin having a predetermined thickness.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the front surface 201 of the plate member 20 is sealed by a sheet 291 formed of a thin plate of transparent synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 8, the back surface 202 opposite to the front surface 201 is sealed by a sheet 292 made of a thin sheet of transparent synthetic resin. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a liquid flow path 25 is formed between the plate 20 and the sheet 291 and between the plate 20 and the sheet 292 so that the liquid sealed in the inspection chip 2 can flow. It is done. The liquid flow path 25 is a recess formed to a predetermined depth on the front surface 201 side and the rear surface 202 side of the plate 20 and extends in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction which is the thickness direction of the plate 20. The sheets 291 and 292 seal the flow path forming surface of the plate 20.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first reagent 18 is injected from the injection port 130A. The first reagent 18 injected from the injection port 130A is stored in the reagent injection unit 131A. As shown in FIG. 8, the second reagent 19 is injected from the injection port 130B. The second reagent 19 injected from the inlet 130B is stored in the reagent injection unit 131B. In the following description, when the inlets 130A and 130B are collectively referred to or when any one is not specified, the inlets 130 are referred to. When the reagent injecting units 131A and 131B are generically referred to or when any one is not specified, the reagent injecting unit 131 is referred to. When the first reagent 18 and the second reagent 19 are generically referred to or when any one is not specified, it is referred to as the reagent 16.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the reagent quantitative flow channel 13 is a flow channel in which the first reagent 18 injected into the reagent injection section 131A moves. The reagent injection unit 131A is connected to the reagent quantification unit 134A via the reagent quantification flow path 13. The reagent quantifying unit 134A is a site where the first reagent 18 is quantified. The first connection channel 301 is a channel through which the first reagent 18 quantified by the reagent quantifying unit 134A moves. The reagent quantifying unit 134 </ b> A is connected to the stirring chamber 80 via the first connection channel 301. Hereinafter, the flow path in communication with the first connection flow path 301 in the stirring chamber 80 is referred to as a flow path 306. The merging hole 351 provided in the first connection flow channel 301 is a hole that penetrates the plate material 20 in the front-rear direction and merges the second connection flow channel 331 with the first connection flow channel 301.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the reagent quantitative flow channel 15 is a flow channel in which the second reagent 19 injected into the reagent injection section 131B moves. The reagent injection unit 131 B is connected to the reagent quantification unit 134 B via the reagent quantification flow path 15. The reagent quantifying unit 134B is a site where the second reagent 19 is quantified. The second connection channel 331 is a channel through which the second reagent 19 quantified by the reagent quantifying unit 134B moves. The second connection channel 331 is connected to the first connection channel 301 on the front surface 201 side via the merging hole 351. The reagent quantifying unit 134 B is connected to the stirring chamber 80 via the second connection flow path 331, the merging hole 351, and the first connection flow path 301. In the following description, when the reagent quantifying units 134A and 134B are collectively referred to or when any one is not specified, the reagent quantifying unit 134 is referred to.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the specimen 17 is injected from the injection port 110. The sample 17 injected from the inlet 110 is stored in the sample injection unit 111. The sample 17 in the present embodiment is, for example, a liquid containing a component such as blood, plasma, blood cells, bone marrow, urine, vaginal tissue, epithelial tissue, tumor, seminal fluid, saliva, or food. The first channel 113 is a channel through which the sample injected into the sample injection unit 111 moves. The sample injection unit 111 is connected to the quantitative separation unit 124 via the first flow path 113. The quantitative separation unit 124 is a part where the analyte 17 is quantified and the component contained in the analyte 17 is separated. In the quantitative separation unit 124, the specimen 17 is centrifugally separated into a component having a small specific gravity and a component having a large specific gravity by the action of the centrifugal force. In the following description, a component having a small specific gravity of the specimen 17 separated in the quantitative separation unit 124 is referred to as a first separated component 17A, and a component having a large specific gravity is referred to as a second separated component 17B. The third flow path 127 is a flow path from which the first separated component 17A separated in the quantitative separation unit 124 is taken out. The quantitative separation unit 124 is connected to the sample quantification unit 114 via the third flow path 127. The sample quantifying unit 114 is a site for quantifying the first separated component 17A. The sample quantifying unit 114 is connected to the stirring chamber 80 via the flow path 117.

  The stirring chamber 80 extends downward from the flow path 117. The flow path 306 is in communication with the lower side of the portion of the stirring chamber 80 to which the flow path 117 communicates. In the stirring chamber 80, the first separated component 17A quantified in the sample quantification unit 114, the first reagent 18 quantified in the reagent quantification unit 134A, and the second reagent 19 quantified in the reagent quantification unit 134B are mixed. . When optical measurement to be described later is performed, the measurement light 70 is transmitted to the measurement unit 80A that forms the lower part of the stirring chamber 80.

  The stirring chamber 80 includes a pair of restricting portions 81 and 82. The pair of restricting portions 81 and 82 are convex portions projecting inward from the left and right inner walls of the stirring chamber 80. The pair of restricting portions 82 is disposed below the portion of the stirring chamber 80 to which the flow path 306 communicates. The pair of restricting portions 81 is disposed further below the pair of restricting portions 82. The lower part of the pair of restricting parts 81 in the stirring chamber 80 corresponds to the measuring part 80A. Hereinafter, a region above the pair of restricting portions 81 of the stirring chamber 80 and a region below the pair of restricting portions 82 will be referred to as a stirring portion 80B. The position near the lower end of the stirring unit 80B is referred to as a first position 801, and the position near the upper end is referred to as a second position 802. The first position 801 and the second position 802 have height differences in the vertical direction. The second position 802 is located higher than the first position 801.

  In the stirring portion 80B of the stirring chamber 80, a stirrer 85 is sealed. The stirrer 85 is a sphere. The diameter of the stirrer 85 is smaller than the diameter of the cross section of the stirring unit 80B. Further, the diameter of the stirrer 85 is larger than the distance between the pair of restricting portions 81 and 82 in the left-right direction. The stirrer 85 is a ferromagnetic body except for a permanent magnet, and specifically, is made of stainless steel of any of a martensite type, a ferrite type, and an austenite-ferrite two-phase system. The specific gravity of the stirrer 85 is larger than that of the reagent 16 and the sample 17. Stirrer 85 can move vertically between first position 801 and second position 802 in stirring unit 80B. The pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the movement of the stirrer 85 to the lower side than the stirring portion 80B. Thus, the pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the approach of the stirrer 85 into the measuring portion 80A. The pair of restricting portions 82 restricts the movement of the stirring element 85 to the upper side of the stirring portion 80B. Thus, the pair of restricting portions 82 restricts the stirring element 85 from blocking the flow paths 117 and 306.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in a state where the inspection chip 2 is attached to the holder 61, the second position 802 of the stirring unit 80B approaches a portion of the holder 61 to which the core rod 61B is connected. The first position 801 of the stirring unit 80B is separated from the portion of the holder 61 to which the core rod 61B is connected.

<An example of inspection method>
An inspection method using the inspection apparatus 1 and the inspection chip 2 will be described. The sample 17 is injected from the inlet 110 shown in FIG. 7, and the sample 17 is stored in the sample injection unit 111. The first reagent 18 is injected from the injection port 130A shown in FIG. 7, and the first reagent 18 is stored in the reagent injection unit 131A. The second reagent 19 is injected from the injection port 130B shown in FIG. 8, and the second reagent 19 is stored in the reagent injection unit 131B. The user attaches the inspection chip 2 to the holder 61 and inputs a command to start processing from the operation unit 94. Thus, the CPU 91 executes the centrifugal process shown in FIG. 9 based on the control program stored in the flash memory 93. In centrifugal processing, the CPU 91 controls the driving of the stepping motor 51 via the rotation controller 98 to execute each operation for changing the rotation angle of the inspection chip 2.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 91 reads the drive information of the motor stored in advance in the flash memory 93, sets the drive information of the spindle motor 35 in the revolution controller 97, and the drive information of the stepping motor 51 in the autorotation controller 98. Is set (S1). At this time, since the inspection chip 2 is in the steady state, the rotation angle is 0 degrees. Next, the CPU 91 starts the revolution of the inspection chip 2 with a rotation angle of 0 degrees (S2). The CPU 91 maintains the revolving speed at the velocity V, which is the moving speed of the test chip 2 to be revolved. A centrifugal force acts on the inspection chip 2 from the left side 23 to the right side 22. Next, the CPU 91 changes the rotation angle from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. When the rotation angle of the inspection chip 2 is changed to 90 degrees, a centrifugal force acts on the inspection chip 2 from the upper side 21 toward the lower side 24. The CPU 91 repeatedly changes the rotation angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees (S3). By repeatedly changing the direction of the centrifugal force, each liquid moves as follows.

  The reagent 16 is transferred to the reagent quantifying unit 134 and quantified. Further, the specimen 17 moves to the quantitative separation unit 124 and is quantified. In the quantitative separation unit 124, the component of the specimen 17 is separated into a first separated component 17A and a second separated component 17B. For example, when the sample 17 is blood, blood cells having a large specific gravity accumulate in the direction of action of the centrifugal force, and plasma having a small specific gravity accumulates on the opposite side of the direction of action of the centrifugal force. That is, in the sample 17, the second separated component 17B which is blood cells in the blood and the first separated component 17A which is plasma are separated.

  Next, the first reagent 18 quantified by the reagent quantifying unit 134A flows from the flow path 306 into the stirring chamber 80 and is stored in the stirring chamber 80. Among the specimens 17 quantified and separated by the quantitative separation unit 124, a part of the first separated component 17A is transferred to the sample quantification unit 114 and quantified. Then, the quantified first separated component 17A flows from the flow path 117 into the stirring chamber 80. Next, the second reagent 19 quantified by the reagent quantifying unit 134 B flows into the stirring chamber 80 from the flow path 306. As a result, in the stirring chamber 80, the first reagent 18, the second reagent 19, and the first separated component 17A are mixed to produce a mixed solution.

  The CPU 91 changes the rotation angle to 0 degrees (S4). The CPU 91 stops the rotation of the holder 61 in a state where the holder 61 to which the inspection chip 2 is attached is disposed at the stirring position (S5). As shown in FIG. 10, the stirring element 85 in the stirring chamber 80 moves downward in the stirring unit 80B due to the gravity G in the direction from the upper side 21 to the lower side 24. The stirrer 85 is caught by the pair of regulating portions 81. The stirrer 85 is supported from below by the pair of restricting portions 81. The stirrer 85 stops in the state of being placed at the first position 801.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 91 energizes the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S6). The core rod 65B of the solenoid 65 shown in FIG. 4 is magnetized by the magnetic field generated from the coil 65D. The core rod 65B is moved by the force of the magnetic field and contacts the core rod 61B as shown in FIG. The core rod 61B is magnetized by the core rod 65B and functions as a magnet. A magnetic force B directed from the lower side 24 to the upper side 21 acts on the stirrer 85 disposed at the first position 801 shown in FIG. 10 in accordance with the magnetic field generated from the magnetized core rod 61B. Since the magnitude of the magnetic force B is larger than the gravity G acting on the stirrer 85, the stirrer 85 is drawn to the core rod 61B. The stirrer 85 ascends from the first position 801 to the second position 802 and stops at the second position 802.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 91 stops the energization of the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S7). The core rod 65B shown in FIG. 5 moves forward by the biasing force of the spring 65C and separates from the core rod 61B as shown in FIG. The core rod 61B returns to the unmagnetized state. The core rod 61B hardly generates a magnetic field. The stirrer 85 is lowered from the second position 802 to the first position 801 by the gravity G. The stirrer 85 stops in the state of being disposed at the first position 801.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 91 determines whether the processing of S6 and S7 has been repeated a predetermined number of times (S8). When the CPU 91 determines that the processes of S6 and S7 have not been repeated a predetermined number of times (S8: NO), the process returns to S6. The CPU 91 alternately switches between the state in which the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized and the state in which the coil 65D is not energized (S6, S7). Thus, the stirrer 85 shown in FIG. 10 reciprocates in the stirring unit 80B between the first position 801 and the second position 802. Thus, the stirrer 85 stirs the mixture in the stirring chamber 80. When the CPU 91 determines that the processes of S6 and S7 have been repeated a predetermined number of times (S8: YES), the centrifugal process is ended.

  After execution of the centrifugal processing, the CPU 91 makes the holder 61 disposed at the stirring position revolve 180 degrees. As shown in FIG. 3, the holder 61 disposed at the stirring position before revolution moves to the measurement position. The CPU 91 causes the emitting unit 71 to emit light. The measurement light 70 emitted from the emission unit 71 passes through the measurement unit 80A of the stirring chamber 80 in which the liquid mixture stirred by the stirrer 85 in the inspection chip 2 is stored. The CPU 91 performs optical measurement of the liquid mixture based on the amount of change of the measurement light 70 received by the detection unit 72, and acquires measurement data. The CPU 91 calculates the measurement result of the liquid mixture based on the acquired measurement data.

<Main functions and effects of the present embodiment>
As described above, in the inspection system 3, the CPU 91 of the inspection apparatus 1 switches between the state where the magnetic field is generated from the core rod 61B and the state where it is not generated by repeatedly executing the processes of S6 and S7 of the centrifugal process. When no magnetic field is generated from the core rod 61B, the stirring bar 85 of the inspection chip 2 receives the gravity G directed from the second position 802 of the stirring unit 80B to the first position 801, and is disposed at the first position 801. Be done. In addition, when the magnetic field is generated from the core rod 61B, the stirring bar 85 of the inspection chip 2 receives the magnetic force B and is disposed at the second position 802. That is, for the movement of the stirrer 85 from the first position 801 to the second position 802, the magnetic force B corresponding to the magnetic field generated based on the energization of the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is used. On the other hand, gravity G is used for the movement of the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801.

  As a first example of a general method of stirring the mixture in the stirring chamber of the inspection chip 2, a method of rotating a permanent magnet outside the inspection chip 2 and rotating a stirrer in the stirring chamber can be mentioned. In this case, a space for rotating the stirrer needs to be secured in the stirring chamber. In addition, the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the stirrer may cause the mixed solution to be stirred to be scattered and flow out of the stirring chamber. Since it is necessary to increase the depth of the stirring chamber in order to prevent these problems, there is a problem that the size of the inspection chip 2 may be increased.

  As a second example of a general method of stirring the mixture in the stirring chamber of the test chip 2, there is a method of reciprocating the stirring element in the stirring chamber by reciprocating the permanent magnet outside the test chip 2. . In this case, in order to vibrate the stirrer at high speed, there is a problem that the driving mechanism for reciprocating the permanent magnet may be large.

  As a third example of a general method of stirring the mixture in the stirring chamber of the test chip 2, the stirrer is reciprocated by sequentially reversing the polarity of one electromagnet fixedly provided outside the test chip 2. There is a way to In this case, since the suction force and the repulsive force between the stirrer and the electromagnet are used, it is necessary to form the stirrer with a permanent magnet. In addition, in order to make the stirrer translate, it is necessary to constrain the rotation of the stirrer when the magnetic field generated from the electromagnet is reversed. When the rotation of the stirrer is restricted, a large force is required to translate the stirrer, which causes a problem that the electromagnet becomes large.

  As a fourth example of a general method of stirring the mixture in the stirring chamber of the test chip 2, it is not a permanent magnet by alternately reversing the polarities of two electromagnets fixedly provided outside the test chip 2. There is a method of reciprocating a ferromagnetic stirrer. In this case, it is necessary to dispose electromagnets at both ends of the trajectory of the reciprocating stirrer and to alternately invert the respective polarities. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the apparatus may be increased and the cost of the inspection apparatus 1 may be increased. In addition, since a plurality of electromagnets are disposed close to each other, there is a problem that electromagnetic interference may occur mutually. Also, in some cases, it is physically impossible to arrange a plurality of electromagnets in close proximity. On the other hand, when a plurality of electromagnets are spaced apart, the moving range of the stirrer increases. Therefore, when a very small amount of mixed solution is stirred, there is a problem that the mixed solution is splattered or unnecessary bubbles are generated.

  On the other hand, the inspection apparatus 1 reciprocates the stirrer 85 at high speed in any stroke using the one solenoid 65 fixedly arranged and the stirrer 85 of ferromagnetic material which is not a permanent magnet. By moving the mixture, the mixture can be stirred efficiently. Therefore, the inspection system 3 can stir the mixture in the stirring chamber 80 of the inspection chip 2 with a simple configuration.

  In the inspection chip 2 attached to the holder 61 disposed at the stirring position, the first position 871 and the second position 872 of the stirring portion 80B of the stirring chamber 80 have a height difference in the vertical direction. Gravity G is used as a force for moving the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801. In this case, a special mechanism for generating a force for moving the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801 is not necessary. Therefore, the configuration of the inspection system 3 can be further simplified. Further, the force due to the gravity G acts constant regardless of the position of the stirrer 85 on the inspection chip 2. For this reason, according to the frequency at the time of making the stirrer 85 vibrate between the 1st position 801 and the 2nd position 802, it can suppress that an amplitude reduces or diverges. Therefore, the inspection system 3 can easily vibrate the stirrer 85 at an arbitrary frequency.

  In the inspection chip 2 attached to the holder 61 disposed at the agitating position, the second position 802 of the agitating part 80B of the agitating chamber 80 is disposed at a position higher than the first position 801. Further, the specific gravity of the stirrer 85 is larger than that of the reagent 16 and the sample 17. For this reason, the inspection system 3 causes the stirrer 85 to fall from the second position 802 to the first position 801 by the gravity G, thereby causing the stirrer to move from the second position 802 to the first position 801 lower than the second position 802. 85 can be moved.

  In the inspection apparatus 1, the main body 65 A of the solenoid 65 is fixedly held outside the rotation area 140. Here, it is not preferable to rotate the solenoid 65 together with the holder 61. The reason is that the weight of the rotating object including the holder 61 and the inspection chip 2 is increased. Moreover, it is because the wiring connected to the solenoid 65 may be twisted. On the other hand, in the inspection apparatus 1, the main body 65 A of the solenoid 65 is fixedly arranged and does not rotate with the holder 61. The coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is disposed outside the rotation area 140. Thus, the inspection apparatus 1 can properly rotate the inspection chip 2. Moreover, since the inspection apparatus 1 can suppress the twist of the wiring connected to the solenoid 65, the configuration can be simplified.

  In the inspection apparatus 1, the holder 61 is provided with a core rod 61 </ b> B. The core rod 61 B is rotatable with the holder 61. The core rod 61B contacts the core rod 65B when the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized. In this case, the core rods 61B and 65B integrally function as a magnet. In this case, even when the stirring chamber 80 of the inspection chip 2 is disposed at a position closer to the vertical axis A1 in the rotation area 140, the core rod 61B is easily brought close to the second position 802 of the stirring chamber 80 A magnetic force can be applied to 85. In addition, even when the position of the core rod 61B relative to the holder 61 is changed, the core rods 61B and 65B are not changed when the coil 65D is energized by changing only the shape of the core rod 65B without changing the position of the solenoid 65. The core bar 61B can be made to contact and function as a magnet. Therefore, even when the position of the agitating chamber 80 changes according to the type of the inspection chip 2, the inspection apparatus 1 causes the agitating element 85 to appropriately exert a magnetic force corresponding to the magnetic field generated from the coil 65D of the solenoid 65. be able to.

  When stirring chamber 80 is near the outer edge of rotation area 140 of inspection chip 2 and holder 61, if core rod 65B is arranged sufficiently close to stirring chamber 80, the magnetic field from core rod 65B directly Force can be applied to the stirrer 85. Therefore, the core rod 61B may be omitted.

  The stirring chamber 80 of the inspection chip 2 has a measuring unit 80A. The measurement light 70 emitted from the emission unit 71 of the optical measurement unit 7 passes through the measurement unit 80A of the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 at the measurement position, and is detected by the detection unit 72. For this reason, the inspection system 3 can measure the optical characteristics by the optical measurement unit 7 in a state where the mixed solution stirred in the stirring chamber 80 is accommodated in the measurement unit 80A.

  The inspection chip 2 has a stirring chamber 80. The stirring chamber 80 has a pair of regulating portions 81. The lower part of the pair of restricting parts 81 in the stirring chamber 80 corresponds to the measuring part 80A. The pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the approach of the stirrer 85 into the measuring portion 80A. Here, in response to the movement of the stirring element 85 in the stirring chamber 80, the stirring element 85 may collide with the inner wall of the stirring chamber 80 and rubbing may occur. Therefore, when optical measurement is performed on the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 80, a change in optical characteristics due to the rubbing of the inner wall of the stirring chamber 80 may affect the measurement result. On the other hand, in the inspection chip 2, the pair of restricting portions 81 makes the stirrer 85 contact the measuring portion 80 </ b> A of the stirring chamber 80 through which the measurement light 70 emitted from the emitting portion 71 of the optical measuring portion 7 passes. Regulate that. In the stirring chamber 80, the position where the measurement light 70 passes is not rubbed by the stirring bar 85. For this reason, the inspection chip 2 can improve the accuracy of optical measurement as compared with the case where the pair of restricting portions 81 is not provided.

  The stirring chamber 80 has a pair of regulating portions 82. The pair of restricting portions 82 can restrict the stirrer 85 from moving upward and blocking the flow paths 117 and 306. Therefore, when the stirrer 85 blocks the flow channels 117 and 306, it is possible to suppress the liquid from entering the other chamber without flowing into the stirring chamber 80. Further, since the pair of restricting portions 82 can restrict the moving amount of the stirrer 85, the mixed solution may be wasted by stirring, or the mixed solution may flow out of the stirring chamber 80 in the process of stirring by the stirrer 85. Can be suppressed.

  The stirrer 85 needs to be ferromagnetic. On the other hand, iron, which is commonly used as an inexpensive ferromagnetic material, tends to rust. On the other hand, in the inspection chip 2, stainless steel of any of martensitic, ferritic, and austenitic-ferritic two-phase system is used as the stirrer 85. Thus, the mixed solution can be stirred by the stirrer 85 having high corrosion resistance and low cost.

First Modification
The inspection chip 2A in the first modified example will be described with reference to FIG. The inspection chip 2A differs from the inspection chip 2 shown in FIG. 10 in that an elastic member 86 is provided in the stirring chamber 80. The elastic member 86 is connected between the upper end of the stirring chamber 80 and the stirring bar 85 in a state where the inspection chip 2A is attached to the holder 61 disposed at the stirring position. The elastic member 86 is a coiled compression spring. The elastic member 86 is desirably made of a nonferromagnetic material, such as austenitic stainless steel. The elastic member 86 applies an elastic force K in the direction from the upper side 21 to the lower side 24 to the stirrer 85. Note that the pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the movement of the stirring element 85 below the stirring portion 80B. Thus, the pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the approach of the stirrer 85 into the measuring portion 80A. The configuration of the inspection chip 2A excluding the elastic member 86 is the same as that of the inspection chip 2 shown in FIG.

  The case where the centrifugal process shown in FIG. 9 is executed in a state where the inspection chip 2A is held by the holder 61 will be described. By the process to S5, the first reagent 18, the second reagent 19, and the first separated component 17A are mixed in the stirring chamber 80. At the end of the process of S5, the stirrer 85 is lowered by the elastic force K of the elastic member 86 and is disposed at the first position 801. The CPU 91 energizes the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S6). As shown in FIG. 5, the core rods 61B and 65B are in contact, and the core rod 61B is magnetized. The stirrer 85 disposed at the first position 801 shown in FIG. 11 is attracted to the core rod 61B by the magnetic force B corresponding to the magnetic field generated from the magnetized core rod 61B. Since the magnitude of the magnetic force B is larger than the elastic force K acting on the stirrer 85, the stirrer 85 rises to the second position 802 against the elastic force K of the elastic member 86, and reaches the second position 802. Be placed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 91 stops the energization of the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S7). As shown in FIG. 4, the core rods 61B and 65B are separated. The core rod 61B returns to the unmagnetized state. The stirrer 85 disposed at the second position 802 is lowered to the first position 801 by the elastic force K of the elastic member 86 and disposed at the first position 801, as shown in FIG. The CPU 91 alternately switches between the state in which the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized and the state in which the coil 65D is not energized (S6, S7). As a result, the stirrer 85 reciprocates between the first position 801 and the second position 802 of the stirring unit 80B, and stirs the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 80.

  As described above, in the first modification, the elastic force K of the elastic member 86 is used to move the stirring bar 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801. For this reason, the inspection chip 2 can move the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801 only by providing the elastic member 86. Therefore, the configuration of the inspection chip 2 can be simplified.

  In the first modified example, the rotation angle of the inspection chip 2A mounted on the holder 61 in the state of being arranged at the stirring position is not limited to 0 degree. In the stirring chamber 80 of the inspection chip 2A, the first position 801 and the second position 802 may not be arranged in the vertical direction. For example, the inspection chip 2 may be attached to the holder 61 in a state where the rotation angle is 90 degrees. That is, in the test | inspection chip 2A of the state with which the holder 61 arrange | positioned at the stirring position was mounted | worn, the 1st position 801 and the 2nd position 802 may be in the state arranged in the front-back direction. Even in this case, the elastic force K in the direction from the second position 802 to the first position 801 of the stirring chamber 80 acts on the stirring element 85 from the elastic member 86. Therefore, the stirrer 85 can be reciprocated between the first position 801 and the second position 802 by switching the energization state of the coil 65D of the solenoid 65.

  In the first modification, the elastic member 86 connected to the stirrer 85 may be a pull spring. In this case, the elastic member 86 may be connected between the lower end of the stirring chamber 80 and the stirring bar 85. Also, the elastic member 86 may be a leaf spring instead of a coil spring.

Second Modified Example
The inspection chip 2B in the second modification will be described with reference to FIG. The inspection chip 2B differs from the inspection chip 2 shown in FIG. 10 in that it has a stirring chamber 87 instead of the stirring chamber 80 shown in FIG. The stirring chamber 87 is different from the stirring chamber 80 in that a measuring unit is not provided inside, and instead, a measuring chamber 88 is provided separately from the stirring chamber 87.

  In a state where the inspection chip 2B is attached to the holder 61 disposed at the agitation position, the measurement chamber 88 is disposed below the agitation chamber 87. The measurement chamber 88 approaches the hole 61A of the holder 61 in a state where the inspection chip 2 is attached to the holder 61 at the measurement position. The stirring chamber 87 and the measuring chamber 88 are connected by a flow passage 881. The flow path 881 extends obliquely upward from the lower end of the stirring chamber 87, bends downward at the upper end, and extends downward. The lower end of the flow passage 881 communicates with the upper end of the measurement chamber 88. The flow path 881 allows the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 87 to flow into the measuring chamber 88. Hereinafter, in the stirring chamber 87, a portion communicating with the flow passage 881 is referred to as an opening 87A. The opening 87A is narrower than the stirring chamber 87, and the liquid passing therethrough generates a meniscus and becomes a capillary, so that the liquid moves from the flow path 881 to the measuring chamber 88 by the capillary force X1. It is necessary to exert more force than The lowermost surface of the stirring chamber 87 is referred to as a partition wall 87B.

  Hereinafter, a position near the lower end of the stirring chamber 87 is referred to as a first position 871. The position in the vicinity of the lower side of the pair of regulating portions 82 in the stirring chamber 87 is referred to as a second position 872. The first position 871 and the second position 872 have a height difference in the vertical direction. The second position 872 is located higher than the first position 871.

  A stirrer 85 is sealed in the stirring chamber 87. The diameter of the stirrer 85 is smaller than the diameter of the cross section of the stirring chamber 87. Further, the diameter of the stirrer 85 is larger than the distance between the pair of restricting portions 82 in the left-right direction. The shape and material of the stirrer 85 are the same as those of the stirrer 85 of the inspection chip 2 shown in FIG. The stirrer 85 can move up and down between a first position 871 and a second position 872 in the stirring chamber 87. The partition wall 87B regulates movement of the stirrer 85 to the measuring chamber 88.

  The case where the centrifugal process shown in FIG. 9 is executed in a state where the inspection chip 2B is held by the holder 61 will be described. By the process to S5, the first reagent 18, the second reagent 19, and the first separated component 17A are mixed in the stirring chamber 87. The CPU 91 alternately switches between the state in which the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized and the state in which the coil 65D is not energized (S6, S7). As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the stirrer 85 reciprocates between the first position 871 and the second position 872 of the stirring chamber 87, and stirs the mixture in the stirring chamber 87.

  When the CPU 91 determines that the processes of S6 and S7 have been repeated a predetermined number of times (S8: YES), the rotation angle is set to 0 degrees, and a centrifugal force X2 larger than the capillary force X1 is generated by the rotation of the main shaft. Thus, the mixture stirred in the stirring chamber 87 flows out of the stirring chamber 87 into the flow path 881. The mixed liquid flows through the flow path 881, flows into the measuring chamber 88, and is stored in the measuring chamber 88. The CPU 91 ends the centrifugation process.

  After execution of the centrifugation, the CPU 91 revolves the holder 61 placed in the stirring position to the measurement position. The CPU 91 causes the emission unit 71 shown in FIG. 3 to emit light. The measurement light 70 emitted from the emission unit 71 passes through the measurement chamber 88 in which the liquid mixture stirred by the stirrer 85 in the inspection chip 2 is stored. The CPU 91 performs optical measurement of the liquid mixture based on the amount of change of the measurement light 70 received by the detection unit 72, and acquires measurement data.

  As described above, in the second modification, the test chip 2B separately has the stirring chamber 87 and the measuring chamber 88. Here, in response to the movement of the stirrer 85 in the stirring chamber 87, the stirrer 85 may collide with the inner wall of the stirring chamber 87 and rubbing may occur. Therefore, when the optical measurement is performed on the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 87, the rubbing of the inner wall of the stirring chamber 87 may affect the measurement result. On the other hand, in the test chip 2, the mixed solution stirred in the stirring chamber 87 flows through the flow passage 881 to the measurement chamber 88. Optical measurements are performed on the mixture in the measuring chamber 88. The inner wall of the measuring chamber 88 is not rubbed by the stirrer 85. For this reason, the inspection chip 2 can improve the accuracy of the optical measurement as compared to the case where the optical measurement is performed on the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 87.

<Third Modification>
A third modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. The third embodiment is different from the above embodiment in the arrangement of the solenoid 65 and the direction of the inspection chip 2 mounted on the holder 61 arranged in the stirring position.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the solenoid 65 is held below the holder 61. The core rod 65B extends in the vertical direction. The core rod 65B protrudes upward from the upper end of the main body 65A. The core rod 65B is movable in the vertical direction. The spring 65C is provided on the rear side of the lower end of the main body 65A. The spring 65C biases the core rod 65B downward. The core rod 61B on the side surface of the holder 61 extends rightward from the side surface of the holder 61, bends downward, and extends downward. The positions of the core rods 61B and 65B in the front-rear direction are the same. Unlike the above embodiment, the solenoid 65 is connected to the spindle motor 35. The solenoid 65 rotates in response to the revolution of the holder 61. Therefore, the positional relationship between the holder 61 provided with the core rod 61B and the solenoid 65 does not change even when the holder 61 revolves.

  When the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is not energized, the core rod 65B moves downward by the biasing force of the spring 65C. At this time, the core rods 61B and 65B are separated in the vertical direction. No magnetic force is generated from the core rod 65B. On the other hand, when the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized, the core rod 65B moves upward against the biasing force of the spring 65C in accordance with the magnetic field generated by the coil 65D. The upper end of the core rod 65B contacts the lower end of the core rod 61B. The core rod 61B is magnetized by the core rod 65B and functions as a magnet. As a result, a magnetic field is generated from the core rod 61B.

  In a state where the inspection chip 2 is attached to the holder 61, the stirring chamber 80 extends in the horizontal direction. The first position 801 of the stirring unit 80B is farther from the vertical axis A1, which is the rotation center at the time of revolution, than the second position 802. The second position 802 is close to a portion of the holder 61 to which the core rod 61B is connected. In addition, the first position 801 is separated from the portion of the holder 61 to which the core rod 61B is connected.

  The case where the centrifugation shown in FIG. 9 is performed will be described. By the processing up to S4, the first reagent 18, the second reagent 19, and the first separated component 17A are mixed in the stirring chamber 80. Unlike the said embodiment, CPU91 does not complete the revolution of the holder 61 in a 3rd modification. As shown in FIG. 14, the centrifugal force X in the direction from the upper side 21 to the lower side 24 continuously acts on the stirrer 85 in the stirring chamber 80. The stirring element 85 moves in the stirring unit 80B from the second position 802 toward the first position 801, and stops in the state of being disposed at the first position 801.

  The CPU 91 energizes the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S6). As shown in FIG. 13, the core rods 61B and 65B are in contact, and the core rod 61B is magnetized. The stirrer 85 disposed at the first position 801 shown in FIG. 14 is attracted to the core rod 61B by the magnetic force B corresponding to the magnetic field generated from the magnetized core rod 61B. Since the magnitude of the magnetic force B is larger than the centrifugal force X acting on the stirrer 85, the stirrer 85 moves from the first position 801 to the second position 802 against the centrifugal force X, It stops in the state arrange | positioned in two positions 802. FIG.

  Next, the CPU 91 stops the energization of the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 (S7). The core rods 61B, 65B are separated. The core rod 61B returns to the unmagnetized state. The stirrer 85 disposed at the second position 802 moves from the second position 802 to the first position 801 by the centrifugal force X as shown in FIG. 14 and stops in the state disposed at the first position 801. The CPU 91 alternately switches between the state in which the coil 65D of the solenoid 65 is energized and the state in which the coil 65D is not energized (S6, S7). As a result, the stirrer 85 reciprocates between the first position 801 and the second position 802 of the stirring unit 80B, and stirs the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 80.

  As described above, in the third modification, the centrifugal force X is applied to move the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801. The inspection apparatus 1 has a mechanism for separating the sample 17 in the inspection chip 2 or moving the reagent 16 as a force for moving the stirrer 85 from the second position 802 to the first position 801. It can be used to stir the mixture by Therefore, the configuration of the inspection apparatus 1 can be further simplified.

Fourth Modified Example
A fourth modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. The fourth modification is different from the above embodiment in that the stirring chamber 80 is not provided with the pair of regulating portions 81 and 82 and the regulating portion 83 is provided on the inner wall of the stirring chamber 80 as shown in FIG. It is a point provided.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a pair of restricting portions 83 </ b> A protruding inward is provided on portions of the left and right inner wall surfaces of the stirring chamber 80 in the vicinity of the front surface 201. Of the inner wall surfaces on the left and right sides of the stirring chamber 80, a pair of restricting portions 83B protruding inward is provided in a portion close to the rear surface 202. Hereinafter, the pair of restricting portions 83A and 83B are collectively referred to as "a pair of restricting portions 83". The distance between each of the pair of restricting portions 83A and 83B is smaller than the diameter of the stirring bar 85. The measuring beam 70 emitted from the emitting unit 71 of the optical measuring unit 7 passes through the approximate left and right center of the stirring chamber 80. Therefore, the measurement light 70 passes through the gap between the pair of restricting portions 83.

  The pair of restricting portions 83A restricts the contact of the stirring bar 85 with the front inner wall surface of the stirring chamber 80 when the stirring bar 85 moves. The pair of restricting portions 83 </ b> B restricts the contact of the stirring bar 85 with the inner wall surface on the rear side of the stirring chamber 80 when the stirring bar 85 moves. For this reason, the inner wall surfaces of the front and rear sides of the stirring chamber 80 are not rubbed by the stirrer 85.

  As described above, in the fourth modification, the pair of restricting portions 83 can restrict the stirrer 85 from coming into contact with and rubbing the inner wall surface on the front side and the rear side in the measuring portion 80A of the stirring chamber 80. Therefore, the inspection chip 2 can suppress the transmission of the measurement light 70 from being impeded by the rubbing of the inner wall surface, so that the accuracy of the optical measurement can be improved as compared with the case where the pair of restricting portions 83 is not provided. it can.

<Other Modifications>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above, the CPU 91 of the inspection apparatus 1 moves the first reagent 18, the second reagent 19, and the specimen 17 to the stirring chamber 80 and mixes them by changing the rotation angle while revolving the holder 61. Next, the CPU 91 switches the energized state of the solenoid 65 to reciprocate the stirrer 85, thereby stirring the mixture in the stirring chamber 80. On the other hand, a plurality of reagents may be injected into the stirring chamber 80 in a state of being pre-mixed. The CPU 91 may perform only the process of switching the energized state of the solenoid 65 and reciprocatingly moving the stirring element 85 and may execute only the process of stirring the liquid mixture in the stirring chamber 80.

  In the above, the force in the direction from the second position 802 acting on the stirrer 85 toward the first position 801 is any of the gravity G, the elastic force K, and the centrifugal force X. On the other hand, the force in the direction from the second position 802 acting on the stirrer 85 toward the first position 801 is a combination of two or more of gravity G, elastic force K, and centrifugal force X. It may be a force. The force in the direction from the second position 802 acting on the stirrer 85 toward the first position 801 is not limited to the direction parallel to the direction in which the stirring chamber 80 extends, but in the direction in which the stirring chamber 80 extends. It may be an inclined direction.

  The specific gravity of the stirrer 85 may be smaller than that of the reagent 16 and the specimen 17. In this case, buoyancy acts on the stirrer 85. Then, the position near the lower end of the stirring unit 80B may be set as the second position 802, and the position near the upper end may be set as the first position 801. In this case, the buoyancy exerts a force on the stirrer 85 in a direction from the second position 802 toward the first position 801. The core rod 61B of the holder 61 may be disposed at a position close to the second position 802 as described above. By this, the stirrer 85 can be moved from the first position 801 to the second position 802 by the magnetic force.

  The buoyancy acting on the stirrer 85 refers to the force that the stirrer 85 receives due to the pressure of the mixture generated by the gravity acting on the mixture, and does not generate buoyancy unless gravity acts. Therefore, it can be said that buoyancy is also a force generated by gravity. Also, in the above, the buoyancy acts in the direction from the second position 802 to the first position 801. Therefore, in the above, it can be said that the force from the second position 802 to the first position 801 is a force generated by gravity.

  In the above, the stirring chamber 80 has the pair of restricting portions 81 and 82. The pair of restricting portions 81 and 82 are convex portions that protrude inward from the left and right inner walls of the stirring chamber 80. The pair of restricting portions 81 restricts the stirrer 85 from entering the measuring portion 80A. The pair of restricting portions 82 restricts the stirrer 85 from blocking the flow paths 117 and 306. The structure of the control unit that restricts the stirring bar 85 from entering the measurement unit 80A and the control unit that controls the stirring bar 85 blocking the flow paths 117 and 306 can be changed. For example, a mesh-like member may be interposed at the boundary between the measuring unit 80A and the stirring unit 80B of the stirring chamber 80 and the lower portion of the flow passage 306 in the stirring chamber 80. The movement of the stirrer 85 from the stirring unit 80B toward the measuring unit 80A may be restricted by this reticulated member. In addition, the mesh member may restrict the stirrer 85 from blocking the flow paths 117 and 306. Alternatively, although the regulation portions 81, 82, and 83 are a pair of opposing projections, if the distance between the opposing wall surfaces is smaller than the diameter of the stirrer 85, the stirrer does not further contact the wall surface for the regulation portion 83. If there is only a height, it may be a protrusion provided only on one wall surface.

  The stirrer 85 may be a permanent magnet. The material of the stirrer 85 may be made of stainless steel other than martensitic, ferritic, or austenitic ferrite two-phase system. For example, the stirrer 85 may be made of iron.

  In the inspection system 3, the stirring position, which is the position of the holder 61 when the mixed solution is stirred, is the front position of the main shaft 57, and the measurement position, which is the position of the holder 61 when the optical measurement of the mixed liquid is performed. Is the rear side position of the main shaft 57. On the other hand, the stirring position may be any one of a front diagonal right side position, a front diagonal left side position, a rear diagonal right side position, and a rear diagonal left side position with respect to the main shaft 57. In this case, the solenoid 65 can be accommodated using the empty space inside the upper housing 101 efficiently.

  In the above embodiment, the thickness direction of the inspection chip 2 and the direction from the second position 802 to the first position 801 of the stirring unit 80B are orthogonal to each other. While the inspection chip 2 must secure a certain length in the direction of moving the stirrer 85 (the direction from the second position 802 to the first position 801), the direction (thickness) is orthogonal to that direction. There is no problem even if the length in the longitudinal direction is reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the inspection chip 2 can be reduced. The measurement light 70 is emitted along the same direction as the thickness direction of the test chip 2 and passes through the test chip 2. For this reason, the distance for the measurement light 70 to pass through the inside of the inspection chip 2 is shorter than in the case where the measurement light 70 is transmitted in the direction from the second position 802 to the first position 801. In this case, even if the intensity of the measurement light 70 is reduced, optical measurement is possible. Therefore, the inspection apparatus 1 does not have to emit the measuring light 70 of high intensity from the emitting unit 71 in the optical measuring unit 7, so the configuration of the optical measuring unit 7 can be simplified.

  The inspection apparatus 1 was provided with two holders 61 to which the inspection chip 2 can be attached. The inspection apparatus 1 may include only one holder 61 or three or more holders. When the inspection apparatus 1 includes three or more holders 61, the first holder of the plurality of holders 61 is disposed in a state where any one of the holders 61 (hereinafter referred to as "first holder") is disposed at the stirring position. Any holder 61 (hereinafter referred to as "second holder") except for the above may be disposed at the measurement position.

  The solenoid 65 is a push type in which the core rod is pushed out when energized, but may be a pull type in which the core rod is pulled into the coil when energized.

<Others>
Inspection system 3 is an example of a "stirring system" of the present invention. The vertical axis A1 corresponds to the "rotation axis" of the present invention. The spindle motor 35, the spindle 57, and the turntable 33 are examples of the "centrifugal mechanism" in the present invention. The solenoid 65 and the core rod 61B are examples of the "electromagnet" in the present invention. The processes of S6 and S7 are examples of the "switching control" of the present invention. The CPU 91 is an example of the “control unit” in the present invention. The pair of restricting portions 82 is an example of the “first restricting portion” in the present invention. The pair of restricting portions 81 is an example of the “second restricting portion” in the present invention. The pair of restricting portions 83 is an example of the “third restricting portion” in the present invention.

1: Inspection device 2, 2A, 2B: Inspection chip 3: Inspection system 7: Optical measurement unit 16, 18, 19: Reagent 17: Specimen 35: Main spindle motor 61: Holder 61B, 65B: Core rod 65: Solenoid 65D: Coil 80, 87: stirring chamber 80A: measuring unit 80B: stirring unit 81: pair of regulating units 85: stirring bar 86: elastic member 87A: opening 88: measuring chamber 91: CPU
140: rotation area 801, 871: first position 802, 872: second position 873: restricting portion A1: vertical axis

Claims (25)

A stirring system comprising: a chip capable of containing a liquid; and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip,
The chip is
An agitation chamber in which the liquid is agitated;
A ferromagnetic stirrer enclosed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber,
The stirring device is
A holder capable of attaching and detaching the tip;
An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position;
A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position; ,
Have
When the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position toward the first position.
When the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force .
The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is an elastic force,
The chip is
And an elastic member that contacts the stirring element and applies the elastic force to the stirring element.
The control unit
A stirring system characterized in that the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is performed . A stirring system comprising: a chip capable of containing a liquid; and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip,
The chip is
An agitation chamber in which the liquid is agitated;
A ferromagnetic stirrer enclosed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber,
The stirring device is
A holder capable of attaching and detaching the tip;
An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position;
A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position; ,
Have
When the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position toward the first position.
When the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force .
The stirring device has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder about a predetermined rotation axis,
The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring system is characterized in that the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass . A stirring system comprising: a chip capable of containing a liquid; and a stirring device for stirring the liquid in the chip,
The chip is
An agitation chamber in which the liquid is agitated;
A ferromagnetic stirrer enclosed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber,
The stirring device is
A holder capable of attaching and detaching the tip;
An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position;
A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position; ,
Have
When the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position toward the first position.
When the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force .
The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is a centrifugal force,
The stirring device has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder about a predetermined rotation axis,
The first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is farther from the rotation axis than the second position,
The control unit
Performing the switching control of the tip attached to the holder disposed at the stirring position;
The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring system is characterized in that the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass . The force from the second position to the first position is a force generated by gravity,
The first position and the second position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position have a height difference in the vertical direction,
The control unit
The agitation control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the agitation position is performed. The stirrer has a specific gravity greater than that of the liquid,
The second position of the tip mounted on the holder located at the stirring position is located higher than the first position,
The control unit
5. The stirring system according to claim 4 , wherein the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is performed. The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is a centrifugal force,
The stirring device has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder about a predetermined rotation axis,
The first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is farther from the rotation axis than the second position,
The control unit
The agitation control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching control of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the agitation position is performed. The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is an elastic force,
The chip is
And an elastic member that contacts the stirring element and applies the elastic force to the stirring element.
The control unit
The agitation control system according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the switching control of the tip attached to the holder disposed at the agitation position is performed. The stirring device has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder about a predetermined rotation axis,
The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring system according to claim 1, wherein the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass. The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring system according to claim 6 , wherein the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the tip held by the holder pass. The centrifugal mechanism further stirring system according to claim 2 or 3 at least a portion of the core rod, and wherein the rotating around the rotation axis. The chip further comprises a measuring chamber connected to the stirring chamber,
The agitation system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the agitation device further includes an optical measurement unit that measures an optical characteristic of the liquid stored in the measurement chamber. The stirring system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring chamber and the measuring chamber are different. The stirring chamber is
An opening through which the liquid supplied toward the stirring chamber flows;
Agitation system according to claim 1 2, characterized in that a first regulating portion for regulating said stirrer is moved to the vicinity of the opening. The stirring chamber and the measuring chamber are identical,
The optical measurement unit includes an emission unit that emits light, and a detection unit that detects the light emitted from the emission unit.
The stirring system according to claim 11 , wherein the measurement chamber includes a second restricting portion that restricts the movement of the stirrer to a position through which the light passes. The stirring chamber and the measuring chamber are identical,
The optical measurement unit includes an emission unit that emits light, and a detection unit that detects the light emitted from the emission unit.
The stirring system according to claim 11 , wherein the measurement chamber includes a third restricting portion that restricts the contact of the stirrer with the wall surface of the measurement chamber at a position where the light passes. The chip further comprises a measuring chamber,
The stirring device is
A centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder about a predetermined rotation axis;
It further comprises: an emitting unit for emitting light; and a detecting unit for detecting the light emitted from the emitting unit, and an optical measuring unit for measuring an optical characteristic of the liquid contained in the measuring chamber,
The direction of the optical axis of the light intersects the direction from the second position to the first position of the chip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position. Stirring system. The stirring system according to any one of claims 1 to 16 , wherein the stirrer is stainless steel of any of martensitic, ferritic, and austenitic ferrite two-phase system. The stirring system according to any one of claims 1 to 17 , wherein the stirring bar is a ferromagnetic body excluding a permanent magnet. A stirring chamber in which the liquid is stirred;
A tip provided with a ferromagnetic stirrer enclosed in the stirring chamber and held reciprocally movably between a first position and a second position in the stirring chamber,
The stirrer is mounted on a holder arranged at the stirring position in the stirring apparatus, and when the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet arranged at a position closer to the second position than the first position, the stirrer The stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position to the first position, and the electromagnet generates the magnetic force from the electromagnet, the stirrer receives the magnetic force and the second position It is located in,
The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is an elastic force,
And an elastic member that contacts the stirring element and applies the elastic force to the stirring element.
When mounted on the holder arranged in the stirring position, the chip, characterized in Rukoto moving the stirrer between said first position and said second position. A chip according to claim 19 , characterized in that it contains the liquid whose optical properties are measured by the stirring device and has a measuring chamber different from the stirring chamber. The stirring chamber is
An opening through which the liquid supplied toward the stirring chamber flows;
21. The chip according to claim 20 , further comprising: a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the stirrer in the vicinity of the opening. The chip according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the stirrer is stainless steel of any of martensitic, ferritic, and austenitic ferrite two-phase system. A stirring device for stirring the liquid in the tip,
A holder capable of attaching and detaching the tip;
Among the chips mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position, the tip of the stirring chamber in which the ferromagnetic stirring element held reciprocally movably between the first position and the second position is enclosed. An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the one position;
A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position; ,
Have
When the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position toward the first position.
When the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force .
It has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder around a predetermined rotation axis,
The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring device is characterized in that the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the chip held by the holder pass . A stirring device for stirring the liquid in the tip,
A holder capable of attaching and detaching the tip;
Among the chips mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position, the tip of the stirring chamber in which the ferromagnetic stirring element held reciprocally movably between the first position and the second position is enclosed. An electromagnet provided at a position closer to the second position than the one position;
A control unit that executes switching control to switch between a state in which magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet and a state in which the magnetic force is not generated by controlling an application state of power to the electromagnet in a state where the holder is disposed at the stirring position; ,
Have
When the magnetic force is not generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the first position by receiving a force directed from the second position toward the first position.
When the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet, the stirrer is disposed at the second position by receiving the magnetic force .
The force in the direction from the second position to the first position is a centrifugal force,
It has a centrifugal mechanism that rotates the holder around a predetermined rotation axis,
The first position of the tip mounted on the holder disposed at the stirring position is farther from the rotation axis than the second position,
The control unit
Performing the switching control of the tip attached to the holder disposed at the stirring position;
The electromagnet has a coil and a core rod,
The stirring device is characterized in that the coil is disposed outside the rotation area through which the holder rotated by the centrifugal mechanism and the chip held by the holder pass . A plurality of holders on which a plurality of chips can be attached ;
Before Symbol further comprising an optical measurement unit that measures the optical characteristics of the liquid contained in the measuring chamber to be connected to the stirring chamber of the chip,
The centrifugal mechanism
The optical measurement of the chip mounted on the second holder excluding the first holder among the plurality of holders while the chip mounted on the first holder among the plurality of holders is disposed at the stirring position is the optical measurement The stirring device according to claim 23 or 24 , wherein the stirring device is disposed at a measurement position where measurement by a part is possible.

Images