JP6906256B2 - Medical test cassette - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a medical examination cassette used for producing a microscopic specimen for medical examination, and more specifically, for medical examination, which can prevent the medical examination cassette and the specimen from coming into close contact with each other and can suitably perform a chemical treatment. Regarding cassettes.

Conventional cassettes for medical examinations of this type (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as cassettes) include a cassette body C1 and a lid C2 made of a chemical-resistant synthetic resin, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. It becomes. The cassette body C1 is a square container with an open top surface, has a large number of through holes C3 on the bottom surface, and is a plate-shaped recording unit that is inclined toward the bottom surface on the outside of one side wall on the short side. R is provided. The lid body C2 is a plate-like body that can be attached to and detached from the cassette body C1 and has a large number of through holes C3 on the plate surface (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In order to prepare a microscope sample using the cassette C, first, as shown in FIG. 12, the collected sample S is housed in the cassette body C1 and the lid C2 is attached.

Subsequently, the sample S is washed with water through the through-hole C3, the water content of the sample S is removed with alcohol, the fat content of the sample S is removed with xylene, and the affinity with the liquid paraffin described later is imparted.

Next, the liquid paraffin P is placed in a stainless steel embedded tray (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a tray) T as shown in FIG. 13, and the sample S is taken out from the cassette body C1 and placed in the tray T. Transfer and infiltrate the sample S with liquid paraffin in the tray T. Subsequently, the cassette body C1 is placed on the step portion of the tray T, and the liquid paraffin P is added onto the sample S until the bottom surface portion of the cassette body C1 is immersed in the liquid paraffin P (see FIG. 14).

By removing the tray T after the liquid paraffin P has solidified, the paraffin block B in which the paraffin P in which the sample S is embedded adheres to the bottom surface of the cassette body C1 is obtained (see FIG. 15).

Next, although not shown, the paraffin block is placed inside out on the microtome, and the paraffin block is fixed to the microtome by engaging the adapter installed in the microtome with the paraffin block. Subsequently, the portion of the paraffin P in which the sample S is embedded is sliced, and the obtained flakes are stained and other predetermined treatments are performed to obtain a microscopic sample.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-333135

When the paraffin block is prepared by the above method, the collected sample S adheres to the bottom surface of the cassette body C1 to close the through hole C3 on the bottom surface, and when the sample S is large, the sample S is attached to the inner surface of the cassette. Since they are in close contact with each other, the through hole C of the cassette body C1 or the through hole C3 of the cassette body C1 and the lid C2 is closed, and the inflow and outflow of the chemical solution is hindered. Or, the chemical treatment may be uneven.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional cassette, and the sample S does not come into close contact with the bottom surface of the cassette body C1 and block the through hole C3 of the bottom surface, and even when a large sample is accommodated. As a result of diligent research on a cassette that does not block the through hole C3 of the cassette body C1 and the lid body C2, if a protrusion is provided near the through hole, the sample and the cassette do not adhere to each other, so the through hole is not blocked and the chemical treatment is performed. The present invention was completed with the idea that

The features of the present invention for achieving the above object are a cassette body which is a square container opened upward and has a large number of through holes at the bottom and can accommodate a sample, and a lid having a large number of through holes. Therefore, protrusions are projected toward the inside of the cassette so as to form a gap between the sample and the through hole in the vicinity of the through hole of the cassette body and the lid to prevent the sample and the through hole from coming into close contact with each other. The contents are medical examination cassettes.

Yet another feature of the present invention is the above-mentioned medical examination cassette in which the protrusions are punctate protrusions.

Another feature of the present invention is the above-mentioned medical examination cassette in which the longest portion of the bottom area of the punctate projection is smaller than the longest portion of the through hole.

Yet another feature of the present invention is the above-mentioned medical examination cassette having a shape in which the punctate projections do not have acute angles.

Yet another feature of the present invention is the above-mentioned medical examination cassette in which the punctate projections are at least one selected from hemispherical, semi-elliptical spherical, cylindrical, elliptical column, pyramidal, and elliptical pyramidal. do.

Since the medical examination cassette of the present invention is provided with a protrusion in the vicinity of the through hole, the sample is supported by the protrusion and a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cassette body and / or the back surface of the lid body. Therefore, the protrusions provided on the bottom surface and / or the lid do not block the through holes of the bottom surface and / or the lid, and even when the sample is large, that is, in contact with the bottom surface and the lid. As a result, a gap is formed between the sample and the bottom surface of the cassette body and / or between the sample and the back surface of the lid, so that the inflow and outflow of the drug solution are not hindered, and the drug solution treatment is efficient. Targeted and evenly performed.

Further, if the protrusion is a punctate protrusion, the contact area between the protrusion and the sample can be reduced, and as a result, the contact area between the drug solution and the sample can be increased, so that the drug solution treatment is effectively performed.

Further, if the longest portion of the bottom area of the punctate protrusion is made smaller than the longest portion of the through hole, the protrusion itself does not block the flow path of the chemical solution, so that the chemical solution treatment becomes smoother.

The punctate projections are selected from hemispherical, semi-elliptical, cylindrical, elliptical, conical, and elliptical cones that do not have acute angles. The chemical solution can be smoothly flowed in or out.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a cassette body that can be used in the medical examination cassette of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a normal lid body is combined with the cassette body of FIG. 1 to form a cassette for medical examination of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing an example of a lid of the medical examination cassette of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a normal cassette body is combined with the lid of FIG. 6 to form a cassette for medical examination of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the cassette body of FIG. 1 and the lid of FIG. 5 are combined to form the cassette for medical examination of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the medical examination cassette of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional cassette. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sample is contained in the conventional cassette. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the embedding tray. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for producing a paraffin block. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the obtained paraffin block.

The present invention is a cassette body 2 for medical examination, which is a rectangular container having an upward opening and includes a cassette body 2 having a large number of through holes 4 at the bottom and a lid 3 having a large number of through holes 4. And / or a protrusion 5 is projected toward the inside of the cassette 1 in the vicinity of the through hole 4 of the lid 3.

The medical examination cassette 1 of the present invention includes a cassette body 2 and a lid 3.

In the present invention, the cassette body 2 is a square container that opens upward, and has a large number of through holes 4 at the bottom as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The through hole 4 is for introducing the chemical solution necessary for treating the sample S contained in the cassette main body 2 into the cassette main body 2 and further discharging the chemical solution processed with the sample S to the outside of the cassette main body 2. Is. The through hole 4 of the cassette body 2 can be provided not only on the bottom but also on the side of the cassette body 2, if necessary.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the through hole 4 is rectangular, but the shape is not particularly limited as long as the chemical solution can flow in or out and the chemical solution treatment can be performed. It may be polygonal.

The lid 3 in the present invention is for being adhered to the upward opening in the cassette body 2, and has a large number of through holes 4 for treating the sample S with a chemical solution, like the bottom of the cassette body 2. (See FIG. 5).

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the lid 3 has a rectangular shape, and a structure is adopted in which ribs are provided on the back surface (inside) of the opening of the cassette body 2 so as to be internally fitted. In the present invention, the shape of the lid 3 and the attachment structure to the cassette body 2 are not particularly limited, and all the shapes and structures that can be used in this type of medical examination cassette 1 can be suitably applied to the present invention as well. can.

The present invention is characterized in that a protrusion 5 is provided in the vicinity of the through hole 4 of the cassette body 2 and / or the lid 3 of the present invention. It is not necessary that the protrusions 5 are provided in the vicinity of all the through holes 4, and it is sufficient if the protrusions are provided in the vicinity of some of the through holes 4. However, it is preferable that the cassette body 2 is provided at least near the bottom of the cassette body 2 and / or a part of the through holes 4 (for example, 10% or more of the entire through holes 4) on the back surface of the lid 3, and the bottom of the cassette body 2 is provided. Alternatively, it is more preferable that the holes 4 are provided in the vicinity of most of the through holes 4 provided in the lid 3 (for example, 90% or more of the entire through holes), and almost all the through holes 4 provided in the cassette body 2 and the lid 3 are provided. If it is provided in the vicinity of the above, it is most preferable in that a gap can be formed between the sample S and the through hole 4 by supporting the sample S.

The protrusion 5 projects toward the inside of the cassette 1. That is, in the case of the cassette body 2, it is projected upward on the upper surface of the bottom thereof, and in the case of the lid body 3, it is projected downward on the back surface thereof. The upward or downward direction is not necessarily limited to the direction directly above or directly below, and may be an oblique direction as long as a gap can be formed between the sample S and the through hole 4.

In the example of the cassette main body 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the protrusion 5 projects upward from the upper surface of the bottom of the cassette main body 2. More specifically, the protrusion 5 is in the vicinity of the through hole 4 and is projected at a portion where the vertical rail and the horizontal rail intersect. In this way, the sample S is supported by the protrusion 5, a gap is formed between the sample S and the 0 hole 4 at the bottom, and the sample S does not come into close contact with the through hole 4 provided in the cassette body 2. The inflow and outflow of the chemical solution is smooth, and the chemical solution treatment is preferably performed.

5 to 7 are examples in which the protrusion 5 is provided on the lid 3, and the protrusion 5 projects downward from the back surface of the lid 3. In this way, even if the sample S is large enough to come into contact with the back surface of the lid 3, as shown in FIG. 7, a gap is provided between the sample S and the through hole 4 of the lid 3 by the protrusion 5. Is formed, the through hole 4 provided in the lid 3 and the sample S do not come into close contact with each other, the inflow and outflow of the chemical solution are smooth, and the chemical solution treatment is preferably performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 5 is preferably provided on both the cassette body 2 and the lid 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, even in a large case where the sample S is in contact with the back surface of the lid 3, between the sample S and the lid 3 and between the sample S and the cassette body 2. A gap is formed in the cassette 1, and the chemical solution easily flows in or out from the front side (upper side) to the back side (lower side) of the cassette 1 or from the back side (lower side) to the front side (upper side), and the efficiency of the chemical solution treatment is remarkably improved. ..

In the present invention, the cassette is composed of the cassette body 2 and the lid 3, and is not particularly limited as long as the through hole 4 is provided. For example, FIGS. 9 and 10 show an example in which an inward protrusion 5 is provided on a cassette body 2 and a lid 3 of a cassette 1 having no inclined recording unit.

The shape of the protrusion 5 is not particularly limited, but a punctate protrusion is preferable as the protrusion 5 so as not to hinder the inflow of the chemical solution into the through hole 4 and the discharge from the through hole 4. The shape of the punctate protrusion is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a shape having no acute angle portion. For example, a hemispherical shape, a semi-elliptical spherical shape, a columnar shape, an elliptical columnar shape, a helical shape, an elliptical pyramid shape, or the like is preferable. Since such a protrusion 5 has a shape that does not have an acute angle portion, the contact resistance with the chemical solution is small, and the chemical solution can smoothly flow in and out. The size of the protrusion 5 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of inflow / discharge of the chemical solution and support of the sample S, the longest portion of the bottom area of the protrusion 5 is the longest portion of the through hole 4 (for example, the through hole 4 is circular). In the case of, the diameter is preferably smaller than the diameter, and when the through hole 4 is square, it is preferably smaller than the diagonal line), and it is preferable to make it larger than one tenth of the through hole 4. The height of the protrusion 5 is preferably smaller than the longest portion of the through hole 4 and larger than one tenth of the longest portion of the through hole 4.

The position where the protrusion 5 is provided is in the vicinity of the through hole 4, and when the through holes 4 are regularly arranged vertically and horizontally, if the protrusion 5 is provided at the position where the vertical and horizontal rails intersect, the sample S and the sample S can be provided. Not only is it preferable to prevent the through holes 4 from adhering to each other, but also the protrusions 5 do not hinder the inflow and outflow of the chemical solution, which is preferable.

The cassette body 2 and the lid 3 of the present invention have a structure provided in the normal cassette body 2 or the lid 3, for example, an engagement structure with a recording unit or the lid 3, which impairs the effect of the present invention. As long as it is not, it can be designed freely.

In the present invention, the material of the cassette body 2 and the lid 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is a hard member having chemical resistance, but it is preferably made of resin from the viewpoint of moldability and light weight.

Examples of resins that can be used in the present invention include polyacetal resin, ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), AAS resin (acrylonitrile / acrylic rubber / styrene resin), and AES resin (acrylonitrile / ethylene propylene rubber / styrene resin). ), AS resin (acrylonitrile / styrene resin), PS resin (polystyrene resin), PMMA resin (polymethylmethacrylate resin), PVC resin (polyvinyl chloride resin), PVDC resin (polyvinylidene chloride resin), MS resin (methylmethacrylate) / Styrene resin), PP resin (polypropylene resin), PE resin (polyethylene resin), PET resin (polyethylene terephthalate resin), PBT resin (polybutylene terephthalate resin), PC resin (polycarbonate resin) and the like. In addition, natural resin can also be used.

Furthermore, biodegradable plastics such as environmentally friendly polylactic acid resin, polybutylene succinate, polyamide 11, polyhydroxybutyrate and the like, and biomass plastics can also be used.

As described above, according to the medical examination cassette of the present invention, the sample S is supported by the protrusions, and a gap is formed between the sample S and the through hole of the cassette body and / or the lid, so that the sample and the transparent hole are formed. The pores do not adhere to each other, and in particular, even when a large sample is stored, the sample and the through-hole do not adhere to each other, so that the inflow and outflow of the chemical solution are not hindered, and the chemical solution treatment is performed in a short time and uniformly, and the inspection accuracy is improved. Higher medical examination cassettes can be provided.

1 Medical examination cassette 2 Cassette body 3 Lid body 4 Through hole 5 Protrusion S Specimen C Conventional medical examination cassette C1 Cassette body C2 Lid body C3 Through hole R Recording part T Embedded tray P Paraffin B Paraffin block

Claims (5)

A medical examination cassette consisting of a cassette body that is a square container that opens upward and has a large number of through holes at the bottom and can accommodate a sample, and a lid that has a large number of through holes.
A protrusion is projected toward the inside of the cassette so as to form a gap between the sample and the through hole in the vicinity of the through hole of the cassette body and the lid to prevent the sample and the through hole from adhering to each other. A characteristic medical examination cassette. The medical examination cassette according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a punctate protrusion. The cassette for medical examination according to claim 2, wherein the longest portion of the bottom area of the punctate protrusion is smaller than the longest portion of the through hole. The medical examination cassette according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the punctate protrusion has a shape having no acute angle portion. The invention according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the punctate projection is at least one selected from hemispherical, semi-elliptical spherical, columnar, elliptical columnar, helical, and elliptical pyramidal. Cassette for medical examination.

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