JP7227101B2 - Analysis chip device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an analysis chip device used for capillary electrophoresis.

Sample analysis has been conventionally performed by capillary electrophoresis, and in recent years, microchip electrophoresis using a capillary chip device has been performed for the purpose of miniaturization and simplification of the apparatus. In microchip electrophoresis, a capillary for electrophoresis and holding tanks for various solutions are formed on one chip.

As an example of a microchip, Patent Document 1 below describes a microchip having a cross-shaped capillary. Further, Patent Document 2 below describes a microchip which is composed of only one capillary and solution holding tanks at both ends thereof. Further, Patent Document 3 below describes a microchip provided with film-like electrodes.

Furthermore, Patent Document 4 listed below discloses a chip unit composed of a microchip (first unit) and a cartridge (second unit). According to this, by connecting the microchip and the cartridge, the specific liquid contained in the cartridge moves to the chip, completing the chip unit.

JP-A-11-337521 WO 2008/136465 A1 Japanese Patent No. 4178653 JP 2016-212090 A

In Patent Document 4, the microchip and the cartridge are connected in the height direction perpendicular to the channel, but no specific method for fixing the cartridge and the microchip is disclosed. An external force is applied to the chip unit at the introduction part when it is introduced into the measurement apparatus, alignment after introduction, and connection with the capillary electrophoresis electrode, so some fixing method is required. In particular, when a specific liquid such as a diluent or an electrophoretic liquid is enclosed in the cartridge, leakage of the specific liquid due to connection with the microchip may contaminate the measuring device and the user. be.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is an analysis chip device for use in capillary electrophoresis, in which a unit for sample analysis and a unit containing a specific liquid used for sample analysis are separately formed. In addition, in an analysis chip device in which these units are connected at the time of sample analysis, the connection can be performed more easily and reliably, and the enclosed specific liquid can be prevented from leaking due to the connection. is the subject.

An aspect of the present disclosure is an analysis chip device used for sample analysis, comprising a first unit having a sample introduction part into which the sample is introduced and an analysis part in which the sample is analyzed; a second unit having a storage tank, wherein the first unit comprises a first connecting part, the second unit comprises a second connecting part, the first connecting part and the second connecting part; By connecting, the first unit and the second unit are integrated, the flow path of the specific liquid from the storage tank to the analysis unit is connected, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion is a combination of a convex portion and a concave portion that fit together in shape, one of the convex portion and the concave portion is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the other, and the convex portion is At least a part of the cross section of the projection in the direction orthogonal to the direction of fitting into the recess is a portion that comes into contact with the projection when the projection fits into the cavity of the recess in the orthogonal direction. The one material is larger than the cross section of , within a range in which the shape can be changed, so that the specific liquid is prevented from leaking from the connecting portion between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

An embodiment of the present invention is an analysis chip device used for capillary electrophoresis, in which a unit for sample analysis and a unit containing a specific liquid used for sample analysis are separately formed. In an analysis chip device in which these units are connected when analyzing a sample, the connection can be performed more easily and reliably, and the enclosed specific liquid can be prevented from leaking due to the connection. can be done.

It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the analyzer of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing an analysis chip device used in the analysis apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the analysis chip device shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a IV-IV cross-sectional view of the analysis chip device shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a usage state of the analysis chip device shown in FIG. 4;

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an analysis chip device used for analyzing a sample, the first unit having a sample introduction part into which the sample is introduced and an analysis part in which the sample is analyzed; a second unit having an enclosed reservoir. The first unit has a first connecting part, and the second unit has a second connecting part, and the first unit and the second unit are integrated by connecting the first connecting part and the second connecting part. . At the same time, the passage of the specific liquid from the storage tank to the analysis section is connected. The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are formed by a combination of a convex portion and a concave portion that are fitted to each other, and one of the convex portion and the concave portion is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the other. At least part of the cross section of the projection in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the projection fits into the recess is at least part of the projection when the projection fits into the cavity of the recess in the orthogonal direction. The one material is larger than the cross section of the portion where the part contacts, within a range where the shape can be changed, so that the specific liquid is prevented from leaking from the connecting portion between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

By connecting the first unit and the second unit, these units are used for sample analysis as an integrated analysis chip device. At that time, the first connecting portion of the first unit and the second connecting portion of the second unit are connected. Therefore, the connection is completed by fitting the convex portion into the concave portion. Furthermore, by sealing the concave portion and the convex portion at the time of this fitting, it is possible to prevent the specific liquid from leaking from this connecting portion.

Here, either of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be a concave portion and either a convex portion, but if one is a convex portion, the other is a concave portion. One of the concave portion and the convex portion is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the other, and the cross section of the convex portion in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the convex portion fits into the concave portion. at least part of is larger than the cross section of the part that contacts with the part of the cavity of the recess in the orthogonal direction when the projection is fitted within the range in which the shape of the one material can be changed. For this reason, when connecting these recesses and protrusions, one formed of a material with high flexibility and elasticity can change in shape according to the shape of the other. Since the portion can be fitted into the concave portion, and the restoring force after the shape change of one portion enables close fitting with the other portion, the connection can be reliably performed. As a result, the concave portion and the convex portion are sealed as described above, thereby preventing the specific liquid sealed in the storage tank of the second unit from leaking from this connecting portion, thereby preventing contamination of the measuring device and the user. It becomes possible to Hereinafter, "the cross section of the projection in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the projection fits into the recess" may be omitted and described as "the cross section of the projection". In addition, the term “cavity of the concave portion in the orthogonal direction” may be omitted and may be described as “cavity of the concave portion”.

``At least a part of the cross section of the projection is larger than the cross section of the part that the projection contacts when the projection fits in the cavity of the recess, as long as the shape of one material can be changed.'' The extent of the cross-sectional size of the portion depends on the flexibility, elasticity, material, surface frictional force, and surface shape of both the convex portion and the concave portion, and the relative elements and shapes of the convex portion and the concave portion. The size can be determined according to the relationship, and any size may be used as long as it is within a shape range in which the convex portion can be fitted into the concave portion due to a change in the shape of one material. For example, the higher the flexibility of one made of a material with high flexibility and elasticity, the larger the cross section of the protrusion can be fitted into the recess. As another example, the friction between the protrusion and the recess The lower the force is, the larger the cross-section of the projection can be inserted into the recess. can also be fitted into the recess. Preferably, the cross-section of the protrusion is slightly larger in circumference than the cavity of the recess and similar in shape to each other. It should be noted that it is not necessary to make the cross-section of all the protrusions in the region where the protrusion and the recess are fitted larger than the cavity of the recess. Only the end portion need be larger than the cross-section of the area that it contacts when mating in the cavity of the recess.

In other words, in at least a part of the portion where the protrusion and the recess are actually in contact with each other in a state where the protrusion and the recess are fitted together, the cross section of the protrusion before fitting is also the same It is sufficient if it is larger than the cross-section of the cavity of the concave part before fitting. Here, the cross section of the convex portion is larger than the cross section of the cavity of the concave portion in the actual contact portion, but the shape change is caused by the above-mentioned "one material" (that is, the other material) A material having high flexibility and elasticity), which may be a convex portion or a concave portion. In other words, when the convex portion is formed of this "one material", the convex portion having a larger cross section undergoes shape change such that it is compressed by the concave portion. In addition, when the concave portion is formed of this "one material", the concave portion undergoes a shape change such that the concave portion is pushed and expanded by the convex portion having a larger cross section. In any case, the shape may be selected from a combination of shapes that can seal the recesses and protrusions so that the specific liquid sealed in the storage tank of the second unit does not leak from the joints of the protrusions and recesses.

"One of the materials has higher flexibility and elasticity than the other" means that when the protrusion and the recess are connected, the force applied from the other causes the one material to undergo a predetermined deformation due to its own flexibility and elasticity. It means a material that has the property of being soft and able to bend its shape, which can change its shape by an amount. In other words, the other is less flexible than the one, that is, it is hard, so the other can change the shape of the more flexible one. Furthermore, since one of them has a higher elasticity than the other, even if the shape changes when the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion, a restoring force acts on the sealing vector when sealing the convex portion. The part and the recess can be reliably sealed. In addition, it can be said that a material having high flexibility and elasticity has a property of high flexibility or strong restoring force. Moreover, the shape change includes both shape deformation in which the shape is deformed by flexibility and elastic deformation in which the shape is elastically deformed by elasticity.

In addition, when there are a plurality of combinations of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, all of the first connecting portions may be concave or convex, or part of the first connecting portion may be concave and other may be convex. Complementarily, all of the second connecting portion may be convex or concave, or part of the second connecting portion may be convex and the rest may be concave.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the configuration of the first aspect, the second unit is positioned above the first unit, and the first connecting portion as a projection is formed in the first unit, and the first connecting portion is formed as a recess. is formed in the second unit.

As described above, the second unit is provided with a storage tank, and since the second unit is positioned above the first unit, the connection allows the specific liquid to quickly move to the analysis section of the first unit by gravity. It becomes possible to Since the first connecting portion as a convex portion is formed in the first unit and the second connecting portion as a concave portion is formed in the second unit, the first connecting portion faces upward and the second connecting portion faces downward. The first unit and the second unit are connected by fitting to the part.

In a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the configuration of the second aspect, the bottom of the reservoir is formed as the second connecting portion, and the bottom of the reservoir is covered with a bottom membrane.

As mentioned above, the second unit is provided with a reservoir, and since the reservoir is directly connected to the side of the first unit, the bottom of the reservoir remains in some structure until the connection is completed. must be covered by That structure is the bottom membrane in this embodiment. Here, since the bottom of the storage tank is formed as the second connecting portion which is a concave portion, the bottom film covering the bottom portion is perforated by the first connecting portion which is the convex portion of the first unit, and at the same time, the concave portion is formed. A certain second connecting portion can be connected to the first connecting portion which is a convex portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the specific liquid sealed in the storage tank of the second unit from scattering or leaking at the time of connection and contaminating the measuring device or the user with this specific liquid.

In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects, when the convex portion fits into the concave portion, the shape is changed by pressing both the convex portion and the concave portion. occurs.

In this aspect, as described above, when the projection fits into the recess, both the projection and the recess undergo shape changes due to pressure. Naturally it undergoes a greater shape change.

In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the concave portion is made of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the convex portion.

As described above, when the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion, the one made of a material with higher flexibility and elasticity undergoes a greater change in shape due to the pressing force. is made of a material with higher flexibility and elasticity than the convex part, and the cross section of the convex part is larger than the cavity of the concave part as long as the material of the concave part can change its shape. It is easy to change the shape of the concave portion by pushing and spreading it, and the restoring force of the concave portion after the shape change enables the concave portion to be closely fitted to the convex portion, so that the connection is possible. sure to be done. In addition, by making the first unit having the analysis portion of a harder and less elastic material, it becomes easier to maintain a constant relative positional relationship between the convex portion and the analysis portion, thereby improving the accuracy of the analysis. .

The recess may be integrally molded with the same material as the entire first unit or second unit including the recess, or only the recess portion may be different from the other portions by, for example, two-color molding. You may form with the material. Also, the convex portion may be integrally molded with the same material as the whole of the first unit or the second unit provided therewith, or only the convex portion may be formed by, for example, two-color molding or the like. may be made of a different material. In any case, the part or the whole of the first unit or the second unit, which has the recess, forms the protrusion of the first unit or the second unit, whichever has the protrusion. It is made of a material that has higher flexibility and elasticity than the part or the whole of it.

In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the configuration of any one of the first to fifth aspects, one of the convex portion and the concave portion is made of polypropylene resin, and the other is made of polymethyl methacrylate. It is made of resin.

In addition, "one of the convex portion and the concave portion" in this aspect is the one formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity, and the material is polypropylene resin. Further, the "other side" is the one formed of a material having lower flexibility and elasticity, and that material is polymethyl methacrylate resin.

For example, in this aspect based on the configuration of the fifth aspect, the concave portions are formed of polypropylene resin, and the convex portions are formed of polymethyl methacrylate resin.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The analysis device of this embodiment is, for example, a device that analyzes the amount of glycated hemoglobin contained in blood. Blood is one example of a sample. Glycated hemoglobin is an example of an object to be analyzed by an analyzer. Reference numerals common to each drawing refer to the same configuration even if there is no particular description in each drawing.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the appearance of an analysis apparatus 102 in which an analysis operation using an analysis chip device 42 of this embodiment is performed. Various mechanisms that constitute the analyzer 102 are housed inside a housing 104 that is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box. The front surface 108 side of the top surface 106 of the housing 104 is an operation surface 107 that is obliquely cut off. A touch panel (not shown) is provided on the operation surface 107 . An analysis worker can operate the analysis device 102 by touching the touch panel while referring to the information displayed on the touch panel. In addition, the top surface 106 is provided with a paper outlet for a printer (not shown), so that analysis results of the sample can be printed by the printer.

An opening/closing lid 114 is provided on the front face 108 of the housing 104 . The opening/closing lid 114 moves between a projecting position (indicated by a two-dot chain line) moved to the front side by the opening/closing mechanism 116 and a housing position (indicated by a solid line) moved to the back side and flush with the front face 108 . It is slidable. The tray 118 is exposed to the front side of the housing 104 together with the opening/closing lid 114 in a state where the opening/closing lid 114 is in the projecting position. An analysis chip device 42 containing a sample is placed on this tray 118 at the protruding position. By operating the touch panel, the tray 118 on which the analysis chip device 42 is placed is retracted to the housing position, and the analysis chip device 42 is set inside the analyzer 102 for measurement.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the analysis chip device 42 of this embodiment. The analysis chip device 42 of this embodiment has a structure having a first unit 44 as a microchip and a second unit 46 as a cartridge. Specifically, the second unit 46 located above the first unit 44 has a shape in which the first unit 44 is held by a pair of downwardly extending front support claws 46A and rear support claws 46B. Present.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing the analysis chip device 42 in an exploded state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first unit 44 is a plate-shaped member formed by bonding together two plate members (an upper plate 44A and a lower plate 44B) having the same outer shape in plan view. The upper plate 44A and the lower plate 44B are made of the same translucent material. Its material is, for example, glass or synthetic resin. Examples of this glass include quartz glass. Examples of translucent synthetic resins include acrylic resins, polystyrene resins, polycarbonate resins, and cycloolefin resins.

Four convex portions and one concave portion are formed on the top surface of the first unit 44 . Each of the four projections has a truncated cone shape and a hole in the center. These convex portions are the first connecting portions 50 . Also, one concave portion becomes an insertion hole 70 to be described later. The shape of the convex portion does not have to be a truncated cone shape, and may be a cylindrical shape, a polygonal pyramid shape such as a quadrangular pyramid, or the like. In the first unit 44 of the present embodiment, the largest portion of the truncated cone-shaped projection in the cross section in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the projection fits into the recess is approximately 1.77 mm ² (diameter is approximately 1 mm 2 ). 5 mm), and is formed on the bottom surface of the projection (the same horizontal surface as the top surface of the first unit 44).

The second unit 46 is a member overlaid on the first unit 44, and may be made of a material such as polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polyolefin resin, or silicone resin.

For example, if the first unit 44 is made of a relatively hard material such as glass, the second unit 46 can be made of a synthetic resin material as described above. The flexibility and elasticity will naturally be higher than the flexibility and elasticity of the first unit 44 .

It should be noted that when both the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are made of synthetic resin, it is not enough that the material forming the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 is the above-mentioned specific kind of synthetic resin. do not have. In other words, the flexibility and elasticity of the synthetic resin forming the second unit 46 must be higher than the flexibility and elasticity of the synthetic resin forming the first unit 44 . For example, when the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are made of the same kind of synthetic resin (for example, polypropylene), the density of the synthetic resin forming the second unit 46 is set to the synthetic resin forming the first unit 44 . If the density is lower than that of the resin, the flexibility and elasticity of the second unit 46 can be higher than those of the first unit 44 . From this point of view, the material of the first unit 44 is preferably polymethyl methacrylate resin, which is a type of acrylic resin, and the material of the second unit 46 is preferably polypropylene resin. In other words, the level of flexibility and elasticity of the material in this embodiment can be grasped as the level of flexibility and elasticity in the state in which the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are actually formed.

A through hole is formed in the second unit 46 at the same position as the concave portion formed in the top surface of the first unit 44 in plan view. This through hole serves as an insertion hole 70 to be described later together with the concave portion of the top surface of the first unit 44 described above. Further, from the side surface of the second unit 46, as described above, each pair of front support claws 46A and rear support claws 46B extends downward.

The front support claw 46A extends downward from the side surface of the second unit 46 and has a front support edge 46C whose lower end portion is bent inward. The rear support claw 46B extends downward while maintaining the rounded shape of the corner portion between the side surface and the rear surface of the second unit 46, and the lower end portion forms a rear support edge 46D bent inward.

The first unit 44 is inserted into the second unit 46 from the front supporting claws 46A, and when the edge on the rear side comes into contact with the rear supporting claws 46B, the state shown in FIG. 2 is reached. The analytical chip device 42 is set on the tray 118 of the analyzer 102 in the state shown in FIG. In this state, the first unit 44 is placed on the pair of front support edges 46C and the pair of rear support edges 46D so that the upper surface of the first unit 44 and the lower surface of the second unit 46 are separated from each other. are kept apart.

FIG. 4 shows the analysis chip device 42 in cross section IV-IV in FIG. Note that the setting portion 122 with which the first unit 44 contacts and the pressing portion 124 with which the second unit 46 contacts when housed in the analyzer 102 are virtually indicated by chain double-dashed lines.

The first unit 44 has two flow paths, an upstream flow path 48 positioned on the upstream side (left side in the drawing) and a downstream flow path 49 positioned on the downstream side (right side in the drawing). The channel cross-sectional areas of the upstream channel 48 and the downstream channel 49 are set to such an extent that the pressurized liquid flows through these channels when the liquid is pressurized by a pump (not shown). The cross-sectional shape of each of the upstream flow path 48 and the downstream flow path 49 and the shape of the first unit 44 when viewed from above are not limited, and may be curved at one or more points, or straight. There may be. Note that the most upstream side of the upstream channel 48 is a sample introducing portion 47 onto which a sample 80 (for example, blood) is spotted.

At both ends of each of the upstream flow path 48 and the downstream flow path 49, the first connecting portions 50 are formed as the above-described convex portions projecting toward the second unit 46. As shown in FIG. The first connecting portion 50 has a truncated cone shape whose diameter is reduced upward.

The second unit 46 is formed with a plurality of liquid reservoirs 52 that are fitting recesses that open upward. Among the liquid tanks 52, the one in which the specific liquid 90 such as the diluent 91 and the electrophoretic liquid 92 is enclosed is the storage tank 52A. That is, the diluent 91 is enclosed in the upstream storage tank 52A, and the migration liquid 92 is enclosed in the downstream storage tank 52A. Among the liquid tanks 52, the one to which the electrode 62 is attached is the electrode tank 52B.

The upper surface of the liquid tank 52 is sealed with a sealing film 54 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of liquid tanks 52 are sealed with one sheet of sealing film 54. However, the sealing film 54 is separated for each liquid tank 52. may The material of the sealing film 54 may be any material as long as the specific liquid 90 sealed inside the storage tank 52A is sealed without vaporization or the like and is easily pierced by a member with a sharp tip. For example, a laminate film having a multilayer structure containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used.

In the lower portion of the liquid tank 52, a second connecting portion 56 is formed as a downward concave portion into which the first connecting portion 50 of the first unit 44 is fitted and connected. The second connecting portion 56 is a truncated cone-shaped hole whose diameter expands downward, and has a shape complementary to the first connecting portion 50 . The size of the cavity (hole) in the direction orthogonal to the fitting direction is slightly smaller than the first connecting portion 50 . In the second unit 46 of the present embodiment, the largest part of the cavity of the recess in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the projection fits into the recess is approximately 1.65 mm ² (diameter of approximately 1.45 mm). It is formed on the opening surface of the recess (the same horizontal surface as the bottom surface of the second unit 46). Depending on the shape of the first connecting portion 50, the second connecting portion 56 may have a shape such as a cylindrical concave portion, a polygonal pyramid-shaped concave portion such as a quadrangular pyramid-shaped concave portion, or the like. The shape need not be similar to the shape of the first connecting portion 50. For example, the first connecting portion 50 may be cylindrical and the second connecting portion 56 may be a quadrangular pyramid. A lower portion of the second connecting portion 56 of the reservoir 52A containing the specific liquid 90 is sealed with a bottom film 58 . The material of the bottom film 58 seals the specific liquid 90 sealed inside the liquid tank 52 without vaporizing or leaking, and is easily perforated by the first connecting portion 50. Any material can be used as long as it is a laminate film having a multilayer structure including PET.

As described above, the largest protrusion in the cross section of the first connecting portion 50 has a cross-sectional size of about 1.77 mm ² , and the largest cavity of the recess has a size of about 1.65 mm ² . , the cross section of the first connecting portion 50 is about 0.12 mm ² larger than the cavity of the second connecting portion 56 , and the second connecting portion 56 is slightly smaller than the first connecting portion 50 . In other words, the cross section of the projection is formed to be larger than the cavity of the recess, and it can be said that the material of the recess is large within a range in which the shape can be changed. However, as described above, the second unit 46 in which the second connecting portion 56 is formed is made of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the first unit 44 in which the first connecting portion 50 is formed. . In other words, the second connecting portion 56 is more flexible and elastic than the first connecting portion 50 . Therefore, when connecting the first connecting portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56, the second connecting portion 56, which is made of a highly flexible material due to its high flexibility and resilience, is attached to the first connecting portion 50. It is possible to change the shape by a predetermined change amount according to the shape of the cross section. That is, the first connecting portion 50 is expanded by at least about 0.12 mm ² in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second connecting portion 56 is inserted, and then the second connecting portion 56 is inserted. After that, the shape-changed second connecting portion 56 generates a restoring force in the direction toward the first connecting portion 50 and comes into close contact with the first connecting portion 50 . Therefore, the first connecting portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56 are fitted and hermetically sealed, and the specific liquid sealed in the reservoir of the second unit can be prevented from leaking from this connecting portion. In the analysis chip device 42 of this embodiment, the first connecting portion 50 can be fitted into the second connecting portion 56 by applying a force of 196 N, and the first connecting portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56 can be joined. Note that when the first connecting portion 50 is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the second connecting portion 56, the first connecting portion 50 may be made to match the shape of the cavity of the second connecting portion 56. After that, the shape-changed first connecting portion 50 generates a restoring force in the direction toward the second connecting portion 56 and comes into close contact with the second connecting portion 56 . Therefore, the first connecting portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56 are fitted and hermetically sealed, and the specific liquid sealed in the reservoir of the second unit can be prevented from leaking from this connecting portion. Note that when the first connecting portion 50 is fitted into the second connecting portion 56, the shape of the cross section of the first connecting portion 50 or the shape of the cavity of the second connecting portion 56 changes by more than the amount of deformation described above. It is also possible to easily insert the connecting portion 50 .

In the above description, the analysis chip device 42 of the present embodiment is used as an example, and the respective sizes of the convex portion and the concave portion are determined by the flexibility, elasticity, material, and surface frictional force of both the convex portion and the concave portion. , and the shape of the surface, and furthermore, the relative relationship between the protrusions and recesses in each element determines the upper limit. The cross-section of the protrusions is chosen to be slightly larger than the cavity of the recesses, so that it can be prevented from leaking out. In the case of the analysis chip device 42 as in this embodiment, the cross section of the projection is preferably 0.01 mm ² to 1.00 mm ² larger than the cavity of the recess, and more preferably 0.1 mm ² to 0.5 mm ² . preferable.

A capillary as an analysis section 68 is formed between the upstream channel 48 and the downstream channel 49 . The channel cross-sectional area of the analysis unit 68 (that is, the size of the cavity in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction) is set so that the liquid existing in the upstream channel 48 and the downstream channel 49 flows by capillary action. is set. Therefore, the channel cross-sectional area of the analysis unit 68 is smaller than the channel cross-sectional area of both the upstream channel 48 and the downstream channel 49 . Electrodes 62 are provided in electrode tanks 52B, which are the liquid tanks 52 located on both sides of the analysis section 68. As shown in FIG. These electrodes 62 are brought into contact with power supply probes (not shown) inserted through holes (not shown) provided on the side surface of the second unit 46 . A voltage is thereby applied between these electrodes 62 .

As described above, the insertion holes 70 are formed at the same positions in both the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 in plan view. The insertion hole 70 provided in the first unit 44 is formed in an inverted truncated cone shape having a bottom portion 70B. This bottom portion 70B reaches the vicinity of the middle portion of the analysis portion 68 . The insertion hole 70 provided in the second unit 46 passes through the second unit 46 .

The installation portion 122 is a member on which the first unit 44 is placed inside the analyzer 102 . A photometric sensor 186 is provided at a position near the insertion hole 70 in the installation portion 122 when the analysis chip device 42 is in the accommodation position (see FIG. 1) inside the analyzer 102 . A signal obtained by the photometric sensor 186 is calculated as an absorbance in the measuring section 190 .

The pressing portion 124 is a member located above the second unit 46 inside the analyzer 102 . An irradiation section 176 projects downward at a position directly above the insertion hole 70 in the pressing section 124 when the analysis chip device 42 is in the accommodation position (see FIG. 1) described above inside the analysis apparatus 102 . there is The irradiation unit 176 is a member that irradiates the liquid electrophoresing in the analysis unit 68 with light from its tip. Further, downward perforation pins 164 are formed in the pressing portion 124 at positions corresponding to the respective liquid reservoirs 52 .

Immediately after moving from the projecting position to the housing position, the analysis chip device 42 is mounted on the installation section 122, and the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. It has become. From this state, when the pressing portion 124 presses the second unit 46 from above, the second unit 46 is pressed against the first unit 44, resulting in the state shown in FIG. During this time, the following three things happen simultaneously.

First, the first connecting portion 50 of the first unit 44 fits into the second connecting portion 56 of the second unit 46 . Here, the concave portion serving as the second connecting portion 56 is a hole that expands downward, whereas the convex portion serving as the first connecting portion 50 is a protrusion that is reduced in diameter upward. is easily inserted into the second connecting portion 56 from below. In addition, as described above, the second connecting portion 56 is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the first connecting portion 50, and the direction in which the first connecting portion 50 is inserted into the second connecting portion 56 is The first connection portion 50 of the first unit 44 in the orthogonal direction is moved from the cavity of the second connection portion 56 in the orthogonal direction to the second connection portion 50 due to the shape change of the material of the second connection portion 56 . Since the second connecting portion 56 is large enough to fit into the connecting portion 56, the second connecting portion 56 is more susceptible to shape change than the first connecting portion 50 when the first connecting portion 50 is press-fitted. The portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56 are closely connected. At this time, the first connecting portion 50 corresponding to the storage tank 52A breaks through the bottom film 58 . As a result, the diluent 91 flows into the upstream channel 48 in the upstream storage tank 52A containing the diluent 91 as the specific liquid 90, and the sample 80 that has been spotted in the sample introduction part 47 is removed from the storage tank 52A. A diluted sample 93 is obtained by being diluted with a diluent 91 . The diluted sample 93 fills the upstream channel 48 and reaches the upstream electrode reservoir 52B. On the other hand, in the storage tank 52A on the downstream side in which the electrophoretic fluid 92 was stored as the specific liquid 90, the first connecting part 50 broke through the bottom film 58, so that the electrophoretic fluid 92 similarly flowed into the downstream channel 49, and It reaches the electrode tank 52B on the side and fills the analysis part 68 as well.

Second, each piercing pin 164 provided on the pressing portion 124 pierces the sealing film 54 of the corresponding liquid reservoir 52 . The liquid can be pressurized by a pump (not shown) through the hole created by this drilling.

Thirdly, the insertion holes 70 respectively provided in the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are integrated to form one bottomed hole. The irradiation section 176 provided on the pressing section 124 is inserted into the insertion hole 70 from above until it contacts the bottom section 70B.

By connecting the first connecting portion 50 and the second connecting portion 56 in the above state, the first unit 44 and the second unit 46 are integrated, and the specific liquid 90 from the storage tank 52A to the analysis portion 68 is discharged. flow path is connected. As a result, the space between the two electrodes 62 is filled with the diluted sample 93 and the electrophoretic solution 92 , and a predetermined voltage is applied between these two electrodes 62 by a power supply probe (not shown). Electrophoresis of the diluted sample 93 is started continuously. At this time, the second connecting portion 56, which has higher flexibility and elasticity, undergoes shape change due to the first connecting portion 50 being press-fitted from below, so that the second connecting portion 56 and the first connecting portion 50 are sealed. , the specific liquid 90 is prevented from leaking from this connected portion.

The diluted sample 93 migrating in the analysis section 68 is irradiated with light from above by the irradiation section 176 when passing below the insertion hole 70 . Predetermined wavelength components of the irradiated light are absorbed by the diluted sample 93, and the remaining wavelength components are sensed by the photometric sensor 186 and converted into predetermined signals.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is applicable to analysis chip devices comprising a microchip and a cartridge holding the microchip used in capillary electrophoresis.

42 analysis chip device 44 first unit 44A upper plate 44B lower plate 46 second unit 46A front support claw 46B rear support claw 46C front support edge 46D rear support edge 47 sample introduction section 48 upstream channel 49 downstream channel 50 first connection Part 52 Liquid tank 52A Storage tank 52B Electrode tank 54 Sealing film 56 Second connecting part 58 Bottom film 62 Electrode 68 Analysis part 70 Insertion hole 70B Bottom part 80 Sample 90 Specified liquid 91 Diluted liquid 92 Electrophoretic liquid 93 Diluted sample 102 Analyzer 104 Case 106 Top panel 107 Operation panel 108 Front panel 114 Open/close lid 116 Open/close mechanism 118 Tray 122 Installation unit 124 Press unit 164 Drilling pin 176 Irradiation unit 186 Photometric sensor 190 Measurement unit

Claims (5)

An analysis chip device used for sample analysis,
a first unit having a sample introduction part into which the sample is introduced and an analysis part in which the sample is analyzed;
a second unit having a reservoir in which the specific liquid is sealed;
The first unit includes a first connecting portion, and the second unit includes a second connecting portion. By connecting the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the first unit and the second unit are connected. unit is integrated, and the flow path of the specific liquid from the storage tank to the analysis unit is connected,
The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are formed by a combination of a convex portion and a concave portion that are fitted to each other, and one of the convex portion and the concave portion has higher flexibility and elasticity than the other. At least a part of the cross section of the protrusion in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the protrusion is fitted into the recess corresponds to the cavity of the recess in the direction perpendicular to which the protrusion is fitted. The one material is larger than the cross section of the part where the part contacts when they are joined, within a range that allows the shape to be changed. while preventing leakage of
An analysis chip device characterized in that when the projection fits into the recess, both the projection and the recess are deformed by pressing . An analysis chip device used for sample analysis,
a first unit having a sample introduction part into which the sample is introduced and an analysis part in which the sample is analyzed;
a second unit having a reservoir in which the specific liquid is sealed;
The first unit includes a first connecting portion, and the second unit includes a second connecting portion. By connecting the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the first unit and the second unit are connected. unit is integrated, and the flow path of the specific liquid from the storage tank to the analysis unit is connected,
The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are formed by a combination of a convex portion and a concave portion that are fitted to each other, and one of the convex portion and the concave portion has higher flexibility and elasticity than the other. At least a part of the cross section of the protrusion in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the protrusion is fitted into the recess corresponds to the cavity of the recess in the direction perpendicular to which the protrusion is fitted. The one material is larger than the cross section of the part where the part contacts when they are joined, within a range that allows the shape to be changed. while preventing leakage of
An analysis chip device, wherein said one of said protrusion and said recess is made of polypropylene resin, and said other is made of polymethyl methacrylate resin. The second unit is located above the first unit,
3. The first connecting portion as the convex portion is formed in the first unit, and the second connecting portion as the concave portion is formed in the second unit. The analytical chip device described. 4. The analysis chip device according to claim 3 , wherein the bottom of said reservoir is formed as said second connecting part, and said bottom of said reservoir is covered with a bottom film. The analytical chip device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the concave portion is made of a material having higher flexibility and elasticity than the convex portion.

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