JP6863437B2 - Liquid storage container and pretreatment equipment using the liquid storage container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is prior to an extraction process in which, for example, among the components contained in a biological sample such as whole blood, serum, plasma, filter paper blood, and urine, a specific component unnecessary for analysis is removed and the necessary component is extracted as a sample. The present invention relates to a liquid storage container for storing a reagent to be added to a sample and a pretreatment device using the liquid storage container in a pretreatment device that automatically performs treatment.

When performing quantitative analysis of a sample such as a biological sample, a process of removing a specific component unnecessary for analysis from the biological sample and extracting the necessary component as a sample, or a process of concentrating or drying the extracted sample is performed. It may be necessary to perform solidification. Various types of pretreatment devices have been conventionally proposed and implemented as pretreatment devices that automatically execute such pretreatment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the pretreatment apparatus, generally, a target liquid is collected from a container containing a reagent or an internal standard liquid using a probe, and the liquid is added to a sample. The container containing the reagent and the internal standard solution is placed in a predetermined position in the apparatus, and the upper surface of the container is raised to prevent the reagent and the internal standard solution contained therein from evaporating and concentrating. It is sealed by a reagent. Since the material of the septum is an elastic material having elasticity, when collecting the liquid in the container, the probe penetrates the septum, the tip of the probe is inserted into the container, and the liquid inside is sucked.

JP-A-2010-60474

In the pretreatment apparatus as described above, the inner surface and the outer surface of the probe are cleaned after the liquid is dispensed, and water droplets are attached to the outer surface of the probe after cleaning. When a probe with water droplets on the outer surface penetrates the septum on the upper surface of the container to collect reagents or internal standard solution, the water adhering to the outer surface of the probe may be wiped off by the septum and accumulated on the upper surface of the septum. .. When the number of times the probe is dispensed (the number of times the probe penetrates the septum) is several tens to several hundreds, the amount of water collected on the upper surface of the septum is several μL to several tens of μL.

When water collects on the upper surface of the septum, water enters the container through a small gap created between the septum and the probe when the probe penetrates the septum, diluting or deteriorating the reagents and internal standard solution in the container. Causes a decrease in the reproducibility of analysis data and analysis accuracy. There may be a notch in the septum so that the probe can easily penetrate, but in such a case, the water collected on the upper surface of the septum is more likely to enter the container.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent water adhering to the outer surface of the probe from entering the liquid container when the liquid is collected from the liquid container whose upper end surface is sealed by a septum. Is to be.

The liquid storage container according to the present invention seals the container body having an opening on the upper end surface and having a space for storing the liquid inside, and the opening on the upper end surface of the container body, and inside the container body. It includes a septum made of an elastic material that can be penetrated by an inserted probe, and a water-absorbent water-absorbing member provided directly above the septum and absorbing moisture on the upper surface of the septum.

The water absorbing member is preferably provided so as to surround the portion through which the probe of the septum penetrates. Then, when the probe penetrates the septum, the water wiped by the septum and accumulated on the septum can be efficiently absorbed by the water absorbing member around the probe.

Specifically, as the structure of the water absorbing member in the above case, a structure having a through hole in the central portion for passing a probe inserted inside the container body or a structure having a thickness sufficient to be penetrated by the probe. Can be mentioned.

Examples of the material of the water-absorbing member include filter paper, cotton, gauze, and a water-absorbing polymer. As the "water-absorbent polymer", for example, a sheet-like material can be used.

In a preferred embodiment of the liquid container of the present invention, a cap attached to the upper end of the container body and holding the septum and the water absorbing member is further provided. As a result, the septum and the water absorbing member can be stably held on the upper surface of the container body.

In the above embodiment, it is more preferable that the septum and the water absorbing member have an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the container body. Since the inner diameter of the cap attached to the upper end of the container body is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end of the container body, if the outer diameters of the septum and the water absorbing member are substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end of the container body. , The outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member is almost the same as the inner diameter of the cap. Therefore, the septum and the water absorbing member are fitted inside the cap, the septum and the water absorbing member are positioned by the inner peripheral surface of the cap, and the displacement between the septum and the water absorbing member is prevented.

Here, the outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the container body when the outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member is completely the same as the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the container body. In addition, the case where the outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the container body is also included. The outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the upper end of the container body, which means that even if the outer diameter of the septum and the water absorbing member moves within the range of the upper end surface of the container body, the container body It means that it is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper end of the container body so as not to affect the sealing of the opening and the passage of the probe.

A preferred form of the cap is configured to have an opening for passing a probe inserted into the container body so that a peripheral portion of the opening engages with an upper peripheral edge of the water absorbing member. For example.

The pretreatment apparatus according to the present invention is the above-mentioned liquid storage container, and is a liquid storage container installation portion in which a liquid storage container containing the liquid required for sample pretreatment is installed, and suction of the liquid from the tip. A probe for discharging the liquid, and a probe driving mechanism for driving the probe so as to collect the liquid required for pretreatment from the liquid storage container installed in the liquid storage container installation portion using the probe. It is provided with a pretreatment section for performing the pretreatment of the sample to which the liquid required for the pretreatment is added by the probe.

Since the liquid storage container of the present invention is provided with a water-absorbing water-absorbing member that absorbs water on the upper surface of the septum directly above the septum, the probe having the washing water adhering to the outer surface penetrates the septum and collects on the upper surface of the septum. Moisture can be absorbed by the water absorbing member. As a result, it is possible to prevent water from accumulating on the upper surface of the septum, and to prevent water from entering the inside of the container body through the gap generated when the probe penetrates the septum.

In the pretreatment apparatus of the present invention, since the above liquid storage container is adopted as a container for storing the liquid required for the pretreatment of the sample, water is unlikely to collect on the upper surface of the septum that seals the upper surface of the liquid storage container. , The problem that the water on the septum invades the inside of the liquid storage container and the liquid required for the pretreatment of the sample is diluted or deteriorated is unlikely to occur. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in reproducibility and accuracy of the analysis data.

It is sectional drawing which shows one Example of the liquid containing container. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state before the probe is inserted into a liquid containing container. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state which a probe is inserted into a liquid container. It is a top view which shows one Example of the pretreatment apparatus.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the liquid storage container according to the present invention and a pretreatment device using the liquid storage container will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the structure of an embodiment of the liquid storage container will be described with reference to FIG.

The liquid container 2 of this embodiment includes a container body 4, a septum 6, a water absorbing member 8, and a cap 10. The container body 4 has an opening on the upper end surface and has a space 4a inside for accommodating the liquid. The cap 10 is attached to the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 so as to be covered from above the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 with the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 placed on the upper end surface of the container body 4. .. That is, the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 are held on the upper end surface of the container body 4 by the cap 10.

Screws that screw into each other are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap 10, and the upper end portion 4b is fitted into the recess on the lower surface of the cap 10 to fit the container body 4 and the cap 10 into the recess. The cap 10 is attached to the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 by rotating and relatively.

The structure for attaching the cap 10 to the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 is not limited to the one by screwing screws, and the structure such as protrusions and grooves provided on the upper end portion 4b engages a part of the cap 10. The cap 10 may be fixed to the upper end portion 4b by allowing the cap 10 to be fixed.

The opening on the upper end surface of the container body 4 is sealed by the septum 6. The septum 6 is made of an elastic elastic material such as silicone rubber that can be penetrated by a probe 127 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) described later. Due to the elasticity of the septum 6, the hole formed by the penetration of the probe 127 is closed after the probe 127 is pulled out, and the sealing of the internal space 4a of the container body 4 is maintained.

Immediately above the septum 6, for example, a water-absorbing water-absorbing member 8 made of filter paper, cotton, gauze, a water-absorbing polymer (for example, a sheet-like material) or the like is provided. In this embodiment, a through hole 8a for passing the probe 127 is provided in the central portion of the water absorbing member 8. However, it is not always necessary that the through hole 8a is provided, and the water absorbing member 8 may have a thickness that allows it to be penetrated by the probe 127.

The outer diameters of the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 are substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4. Since the outer diameter of the upper end portion 4b of the container body 4 and the inner diameter of the cap 10 are substantially the same, the outer diameters of the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 are also substantially the same as the inner diameter of the cap 10. As a result, the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 are positioned by the cap 10.

The cap 10 is provided with an opening 10a for passing the probe 127 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The opening 10a has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the probe 127 and smaller than the outer diameter of the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8. As a result, the inner lower surface of the cap 10 engages with the upper peripheral peripheral portion of the water absorbing member 8 to prevent the septum 6 and the water absorbing member 8 from falling off from the upper end surface of the container body 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the probe 127 after being washed is inserted into the internal space 4a of the container body 4, the water absorbing member 8 has water droplets of washing water adhering to the outer surface of the probe 127. It is provided to prevent the container body 4 from entering the internal space 4a.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the probe 127 penetrates the septum 6 and invades the internal space 4a of the container body 4, the water droplets adhering to the outer surface of the probe 127 are wiped by the septum 6 and the septum 6 is used. It will accumulate on the upper surface of 6. When the probe 127 repeatedly penetrates the septum 6 with water droplets accumulated on the upper surface of the septum 6, the upper surface of the septum 6 is formed through a gap formed between the probe 127 and the septum 6 when the probe 127 penetrates the septum 6. There is a risk that the water accumulated in the water will invade the internal space 4a.

In this embodiment, since the water absorbing member 8 is provided directly above the septum 6, water droplets on the outer surface of the probe 127 wiped by the septum 6 are absorbed by the water absorbing member 8, and a large amount of water is accumulated on the septum 6. Is suppressed. As a result, even if the number of times the septum 6 is penetrated by the probe 127 after cleaning is increased, the cleaning water is less likely to enter the internal space 4a of the container body 4, and the reagents and internal standard solution contained in the internal space 4a are not easily penetrated. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems such as dilution and deterioration of the water.

Next, an embodiment of the pretreatment apparatus using the liquid storage container 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

The pretreatment apparatus 100 of this embodiment uses one pretreatment container 150 for each sample to execute necessary pretreatment items. The pretreatment device 100 is provided with a plurality of treatment ports for executing each pretreatment item, and by installing a pretreatment container containing a sample in any of the treatment ports, the pretreatment container can be used. Pretreatment items corresponding to each treatment port are executed for the contained sample.

The pretreatment container 150 is conveyed by the transfer arm 124. The transport arm 124 has a holding portion 125 for holding the pretreatment container 150 on the tip side, and the holding portion 125 holds the base end portion so as to draw an arc-shaped trajectory. Rotate within. Each processing port and other ports to which the pretreatment container 150 is transported are all provided along an arc-shaped trajectory drawn by the holding portion 125.

A sample setting unit 102 for installing the sample container 106 containing the sample is provided, and a sampling arm 120 for collecting a sample from the sample container installed in the sample setting unit 102 is provided in the vicinity thereof. A sample rack 104 holding a plurality of sample containers 106 is installed in the sample setting unit 102 in an annular shape.

The vertical shaft 122 penetrates the base end of the sampling arm 120, and the sampling arm 120 rotates in a horizontal plane about the shaft 122 and moves up and down in the vertical direction along the shaft 122. The sampling nozzle 120a is held on the tip side of the sampling arm 120 so that its tip faces vertically downward, and the sampling arm 120 moves in an arcuate trajectory in a horizontal plane and moves up and down in the vertical direction.

The dispensing port 132 is provided on the orbit of the sampling nozzle 120a and at a position on the orbit of the holding portion 125 of the transport arm 124. The dispensing port 132 is a port for the sampling nozzle 120a to dispense the sample to the pretreatment container 150.

Inside the sample installation unit 102, a reagent installation unit 108 (liquid storage container installation unit) for installing the liquid storage container 2 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 as a reagent container is provided. A reagent arm 126 (probe drive mechanism) for collecting a reagent from the liquid storage container 2 installed in the reagent installation unit 108 is provided. The base end of the reagent arm 126 is supported by a vertical shaft 129 common to the transport arm 124, and the reagent arm 126 rotates in a horizontal plane and moves up and down. A probe 127 is provided at the tip of the reagent arm 126. The probe 127 is provided with its tip facing vertically downward, and moves and moves up and down in a horizontal plane that draws an arc-shaped trajectory that is the same as the holding portion 125 of the transport arm 124.

The reagent setting unit 108 rotates in a horizontal plane independently of the sample setting unit 102. A plurality of liquid storage containers 2 are arranged in an annular shape in the reagent installation unit 108, and the liquid storage container 2 is conveyed in the rotation direction by the rotation of the reagent installation unit 108, and the desired liquid storage container 2 is a predetermined reagent. It is designed to be placed at the collection position. The reagent collection position is a position along the trajectory of the probe 127 of the reagent arm 126, and is a position for collecting the reagent by the probe 127. After inhaling the predetermined reagent, the probe 127 dispenses the inhaled reagent into the pretreatment container 150 installed in the dispensing port 132 to add the reagent to the sample.

The pretreatment container installation unit 112 is provided at a position different from the sample installation unit 102 and the reagent installation unit 108. The pretreatment container installation unit 112 is adapted to install an unused pretreatment container 150 in an annular shape. The pretreatment container installation unit 112 rotates in a horizontal plane to move the pretreatment container 150 in the circumferential direction, and arranges an arbitrary pretreatment container at a position along the trajectory of the holding portion 125 of the transport arm 124. The transport arm 124 can hold the unused pretreatment container 150 arranged at a position along the trajectory of the holding portion 125.

Filtration ports 130, agitation ports 136a, temperature control ports 138 and 140 are provided as ports of the pretreatment section for accommodating the pretreatment container 150 and executing a specific pretreatment item.

The filtration port 130 is configured to apply a negative pressure to the pretreatment container 150 installed in the filtration port 130. The filtration port 130 constitutes a pretreatment section for filtering the sample as a pretreatment. The stirring unit 136 also forms a pretreatment unit. The stirring unit 136 has a mechanism for operating each stirring port 136a individually in a horizontal plane, and stirs the sample solution in the pretreatment container 150 arranged at each stirring port 136a.

The pretreatment device 100 has a sample transfer device 142 on the side edge of the housing for transferring the pretreated sample to the sample injection device (for example, an autosampler) side adjacent to the pretreatment device 100. I have. The sample transfer device 142 includes a moving unit 144 that moves in one direction (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4) in a horizontal plane by a driving mechanism having a rack and pinion mechanism. A transfer port 143 for installing the pretreatment container 150 for accommodating the extracted sample is provided on the upper surface of the moving portion 144.

A disposal port 134 for discarding the used pretreatment container 150 is provided at a position along the trajectory of the holding portion 125 of the transport arm 124 in the vicinity of the dispensing port 132. Further, a cleaning port 145 for cleaning the sampling nozzle 120a is provided at a position along the trajectory of the sampling nozzle 120a. Although not shown, a cleaning port for cleaning the outer surface and the inner surface of the probe 127 is provided at a position along the trajectory of the probe 127.

2 Liquid container 4 Container body 4a Internal space of container body 4b Upper end of container body 6 Septum 8 Water absorbing member 8a Through hole 10 Cap 10a Cap opening 100 Pretreatment device 108 Reagent installation part (Liquid storage container installation part)
126 Reagent arm (probe drive mechanism)
127 Probe 130 Filtration port (pretreatment part)
136a Stirring port (pretreatment section)

Claims (6)

A probe for inhaling and discharging liquid from the tip,
A device equipped with a liquid storage container for storing a liquid.
The liquid storage container is
A container body having an opening on the upper end surface and a space for storing liquid inside,
A septum made of an elastic material penetrable by said seals the opening at the upper end surface of the container body, the probe to be inserted into the interior of the container body,
A water-absorbent water-absorbing member provided directly above the septum and absorbing moisture on the upper surface of the septum is provided .
A device in which the water absorbing member has a through hole in a central portion for passing the probe inserted into the container body, and the inner diameter of the through hole is larger than the outer diameter of the probe . The device according to claim 1, wherein the water-absorbing member is made of any one of filter paper, cotton, gauze, and a water-absorbing polymer. The device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the liquid storage container is attached to an upper end portion of the container body and further includes a cap for holding the septum and the water absorbing member. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the septum and the water absorbing member have an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the container body. The cap has an opening for passing the probe to be inserted into the interior of the container body, the claims peripheral portion of the opening is configured to engage the top rim portion of the water-absorbing member The device according to 3 or 4 . A liquid container installation section where the liquid storage vessel containing liquid necessary for pretreatment of the specimen therein is placed,
A probe driving mechanism that drives the probe so as to collect the liquid required for pretreatment from the liquid storage container installed in the liquid storage container installation portion using the probe.
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a pretreatment unit for performing pretreatment of a sample to which a liquid necessary for pretreatment has been added by the probe.

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