JP7586205B2 - Container with sampling function - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container with a sampling function.

Conventionally, there has been known a technique for sampling a portion of the contents of a container in which contents such as cell suspensions, pharmaceutical liquids, food-related liquids, etc., which need to be protected from contamination by foreign matter, bacteria, etc., are stored, for the purpose of inspecting the contents, while maintaining the inside of an apparatus containing the container in a closed system that is closed off from the external environment.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a closed system cell culture kit constructed by connecting a culture vessel for culturing cells and a culture medium supply vessel for adding culture medium to the culture vessel, and having a tubular sample extraction flow path with a closed end in a container such as the culture vessel. A portion of the contents in the container is allowed to flow into the sample extraction flow path, and when the flow path is filled with the contents, the flow path is cut while being heat-sealed, thereby enabling a portion of the contents to be sampled while maintaining the cell culture kit as a closed system.

In addition, Patent Document 2 describes a device including a culture vessel for culturing cells, a culture medium storage vessel for storing a culture medium or the like, a cell injection vessel for injecting cells, and a cell recovery vessel for recovering a cell suspension after culture.
The present invention describes a closed cell culture kit in which a dedicated sampling container is connected to a culture vessel by a tube, and the dedicated sampling container is further connected to a culture vessel by a tube, and by transferring a portion of the cell suspension in the culture vessel to the dedicated sampling container via the tube, the kit being capable of sampling while maintaining the inside of the cell culture kit as a closed system.

JP 2017-12051 A JP 2018-61519 A

However, in the structure of the cell culture kit described in Patent Document 1, the end of the tubular sample extraction flow path is closed, so that it is difficult to make the contents of a container such as a culture container flow into the sample extraction flow path when air has entered the sample extraction flow path. Therefore, when making a part of the contents of the container flow into the sample extraction flow path, it is necessary to perform a troublesome operation of first squeezing the sample extraction flow path with a special auxiliary tool to move the air in the flow path to the container, and then opening the flow path to the container.

On the other hand, the structure of the cell culture kit described in Patent Document 2 is a complex structure in which a dedicated sampling container for sampling a part of the contents in a container such as a culture container is installed separately from the container such as a culture container, and multiple containers including the dedicated sampling container and other containers are connected by tubes. In such a structure, when a part of the contents in a container such as a culture container is taken out to the dedicated sampling container, the part of the contents is transferred to the dedicated sampling container via a tube using a tube pump, so that the control of the flow path for transferring the part of the contents may become complicated. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technology that can easily sample a part of the contents while maintaining the inside of an apparatus including a container containing the contents in a closed system without requiring troublesome operations or complicated controls.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its object is to provide a container with a sampling function that can easily sample a portion of the contents stored in the container while maintaining the container in a closed space that is closed off from the external environment.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the container with sampling function of the present invention is a container with sampling function comprising a storage container and a sampling flow path that connects at least two points of the storage container, and is characterized in that it has a structure that allows a portion of the contents stored in the storage container to flow into the sampling flow path while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, and then cuts out a portion of the sampling flow path, thereby allowing a portion of the contents to be sampled.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily sample a portion of the contents of a container containing the contents while maintaining the inside of the container as a closed space.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic process diagram showing an example of a sampling method using the container with sampling function shown in FIG. 1. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for fixing a container in a sampling method using the container with sampling function of the example shown in FIG. 4. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of a container with sampling function according to the present invention.

The container with sampling function in this embodiment is a container with sampling function that has a storage container and a sampling flow path that connects at least two points of the storage container, and is characterized in that it has a structure that allows a portion of the contents stored in the storage container to flow into the sampling flow path while maintaining the container with sampling function as a closed space, and then cuts out a portion of the sampling flow path, thereby allowing a portion of the contents to be sampled.

Here, "closed space" means a space that is closed from the external environment so as to prevent contamination by foreign objects, bacteria, etc. in the external environment of the container with sampling function, for example, an airtight space that is sealed from the external environment.

First, an example of a container with sampling function according to this embodiment will be illustrated and described.
FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a container with a sampling function according to this embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a photograph showing an example of a portion X in FIG. 1(a).

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the container with sampling function 1 of this embodiment includes a storage container 2 and
The sampling pipe 4 has a generally annular structure with no branches, and communication ports 4a at both ends are inserted into the storage container 2. The sampling pipe 4 is connected and fixed to the storage container 2 by bonding the inside of the edge 2a of the storage container 2 to both ends. The sampling pipe 4 communicates with two locations in the storage container 2 via the communication ports 4a at both ends,
The storage container 2 is connected at two locations.

The container 1 with sampling function is configured so that there are no gaps that communicate with the outside environment, including the connection points of the storage container 2 and the sampling pipe 4, and is sealed.
can be cut while being heat-sealed at a desired point in the axial direction. As a result, the container with sampling function 1 has a structure in which a part of the content liquid stored in the storage container 2 is caused to flow into the sampling tube 4 from the communication port 4a while maintaining the inside of the container as a sealed space, and then a part of the sampling tube 4 is cut out to perform sampling.

The storage container 2 has a transparency sufficient to allow the interface between the stored liquid content and the air to be visually recognized from the outside, and has flexibility sufficient to be deformed freely when a force is applied from the outside.
The sampling tube 4 has a transparency that allows the interface between the content liquid flowing into the sampling tube 4 and the air to be visually recognized from the outside, and has flexibility that allows it to be freely deformed when a force is applied from the outside. In addition, the sampling tube 4 is provided with a scale 4b.

Next, an example of a sampling method using the container with sampling function shown in Fig. 1 will be described. Fig. 2(a) to Fig. 2(c) are schematic process diagrams showing an example of a sampling method using the container with sampling function shown in Fig. 1.

In the sampling method of this example, first, as shown in Fig. 2(a), while maintaining the inside of the container 1 with sampling function as a sealed space, a part of the content liquid stored in the storage container 2 is made to flow into the sampling tube 4 from the communication port 4a at one end. Since the sampling tube 4 communicates with two places of the storage container 2 via the communication ports 4a at both ends, at this time, a part of the content liquid can be made to flow into the sampling tube 4 while pushing out the air in the sampling tube 4 from the communication port at the other end (not shown in Fig. 2(a)). Therefore, a part of the content liquid can be made to flow by simple operations such as tilting or squeezing the storage container 2 to deform it, without using any special auxiliary tools.

When a part of the liquid content is allowed to flow into the sampling tube 4, the amount of liquid content to be flowed into the sampling tube 4 is finely adjusted so that the amount of liquid content measured by the scale 4b is about 1/2 the amount of liquid content to be flowed into the sampling tube 4.
Since the sampling tube 4 communicates with two locations of the storage container 2 via the communication ports 4a at both ends, it is possible to push the content liquid flowing into the sampling tube 4 back into the storage container 2 via the communication port 4a at one end with air. Therefore, the amount of content liquid to be flowed in can be finely adjusted by simple operations such as tilting or deforming the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the air in the storage container 2 is sampled through a sampling tube 4.
By introducing air into the sampling tube 4 from the communication port 4a at one end, about 100 μL of the content liquid that has flowed into the sampling tube 4 is moved toward the center in the axial direction of the sampling tube 4 while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function 1 as a sealed space, and air is introduced to both sides of the content liquid in the sampling tube 4. Since the sampling tube 4 communicates with two places in the storage container 2 via the communication ports 4a at both ends, the flowed-in content liquid can be moved while the air in the sampling tube 4 is pushed out from the communication port 4a at the other end. Therefore, by a simple operation such as tilting or deforming the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4, the flowed-in content liquid can be moved toward the center in the axial direction of the sampling tube 4, and air can be introduced to both sides of the content liquid in the sampling tube 4.

2(c), while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function 1 as a sealed space, the sampling tube 4 is cut while being heat-sealed at the locations on both sides of the content liquid where air is present, thereby cutting out a portion 4p of the sampling tube 4, thereby sampling about 100 μL of the content liquid. In this case, unlike the case where the sampling tube 4 is cut while being heat-sealed at the location where the content liquid is present, it is possible to reduce thermal damage to the about 100 μL of the content liquid to be sampled.

Therefore, in the container with sampling function according to this embodiment, since the sampling flow path communicates with at least two places of the storage container, as in the above example, a part of the contents stored in the storage container can be made to flow into the sampling flow path by a simple operation while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space without using a special auxiliary tool. Furthermore, while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, a part of the contents can be sampled by cutting out a part of the sampling flow path after making a part of the contents flow into the sampling flow path. Therefore, a part of the contents can be easily sampled while maintaining the inside of the container in which the contents are stored as a closed system closed from the external environment.

In addition, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to finely adjust the amount of sampled by changing the way the sample extraction flow path is pressed, and even in the structure described in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to finely adjust the amount of sampled from a container such as a culture container to a dedicated sampling container. In contrast, in the container with sampling function according to this embodiment, the sampling flow path communicates with at least two places in the storage container, so that the amount of contents flowing into the sampling flow path can be finely adjusted by a simple operation, as in the above example. Therefore, the amount of sampled can be easily finely adjusted. This makes it easy to sample a small amount, for example, when sampling a portion of a valuable content such as a cell suspension from a storage container.

Furthermore, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, when the flow path filled with the contents to be sampled is cut while being heat-sealed, the culture medium, cells, etc. in the sample may be damaged by heat, which may hinder accurate testing of them, whereas in the container with sampling function according to the present embodiment, as in the above example, the contents flowing into the sampling flow path can be moved to the center of the axial direction of the sampling flow path by a simple operation, and air can be introduced to both sides of the contents in the sampling flow path. As a result, while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, the sampling flow path can be cut while being heat-sealed at a location where air is present on both sides of the contents, thereby cutting out a part of the sampling flow path and sampling a part of the contents. Therefore, damage to the sample caused by heat can be easily reduced.

Next, we will explain in detail each component of the container with sampling function according to this embodiment.

1. Sampling Channel The sampling channel is a hollow channel member that connects at least two locations of the storage container.
Furthermore, the sampling flow path is such that a part of the sampling flow path can be cut out while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space. Specifically, being able to cut out a part of the sampling flow path while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space means that a part of the sampling flow path can be cut out while maintaining the inside of the remaining part of the sampling flow path and the inside of the storage container as closed spaces.

The sampling flow path is not particularly limited as long as it is as described above, but among others,
It is preferable that a portion of the plate can be cut out by cutting the plate while heat fusing it at a desired location in the axial direction.

The sampling flow path is preferably flexible, because it can be deformed freely when part of the contents stored in the container is caused to flow into the sampling flow path, when the contents are moved in the sampling flow path, and when part of the sampling flow path is cut out, thereby improving operability.

The sampling flow path is preferably transparent enough to allow visual confirmation of the interface between the contents flowing into the sampling flow path and the air from the outside, because this improves operability since sampling can be performed while visually confirming the contents flowing into the sampling flow path.

The sampling flow path is preferably provided with a scale. This is because the amount of the contents flowing into the sampling flow path can be measured. The sampling flow path is preferably provided with a backflow prevention valve, for example, at the communication port, for preventing the contents from returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container. This is because the contents can be prevented from returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container when measuring the amount of the contents flowing into the sampling flow path and when moving the contents in the sampling flow path, and the like, thereby improving operability. In addition, the sampling flow path is preferably provided with a clamp valve, solenoid valve, or the like, for preventing the contents from returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container, for example, at the communication port. This is because the flow of the contents in the sampling flow path can be controlled by opening and closing the sampling flow path with a clamp valve, solenoid valve, or the like, thereby preventing the contents from unintentionally returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container, thereby improving operability.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to this embodiment. The container with sampling function 1 of this embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the container shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, configurations not specifically described are similar to the container shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the container with sampling function 1 of this embodiment is provided with a sampling flow path 14 having pipes 14s at both ends and a sampling container 14c in the center, which are connected to each other, instead of a sampling tube. The sampling flow path 14 has a substantially annular structure with no branches, and the pipe 1
The communication port 14a at the end of the sampling passage 14s is inserted into the storage container 2.
The inside of the edge 2a of the storage container 2 is bonded to the end of the tube 14s, so that the tube 14s is connected to the storage container 2 and fixed thereto. The sampling flow path 14 communicates with two locations of the storage container 2 through the communication ports 14a of the tubes 14s at both ends, so that the two locations of the storage container 2 are connected to each other. The container 1 with sampling function is configured so that there are no gaps leading to the external environment, including the connection points of the storage container 2 and the tube 14s and the connection points of the tube 14s and the sampling container 14c, and is sealed. In addition, the sampling flow path 14 can be cut while being heat-sealed at the connection points of the tube 14s and the sampling container 14c. As a result, the container 1 with sampling function has a structure in which a part of the content liquid (not shown) stored in the storage container 2 flows from the communication port 14a of the tube 14s through the tube 14s into the sampling container 14c, and then the sampling container 14c is cut out, while maintaining the inside of the container as a sealed space, so that sampling can be performed. The container 1 with sampling function further includes an extraction port 8.

The sampling flow path is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a sampling tube as shown in FIG. 1, but is preferably one having pipes at both ends and a sampling container at the center that communicate with each other, as in the sampling flow path shown in FIG. 3. Unlike a pipe (for example, the sampling tube shown in FIG. 1 or the pipes at both ends of the sampling flow path shown in FIG. 3) that communicates with a storage container for the purpose of flowing a part of the contents from the storage container into the sampling flow path, the sampling container can be freely designed according to the handling method after sampling, and allows the desired handling after sampling. Specifically, for example, by making the sampling container more flexible and easily deformable than the pipe, it is possible to form the desired shape during freezing so as not to waste the volume, and it is possible to easily take out the sample during testing, etc. Also, by making the sampling container harder and less easily deformable than the pipe, it is possible to avoid unintended shape during freezing, making it easy to handle during transportation, and it is easy to handle when holding it by hand or attaching it to a device during testing, etc. Note that when a large amount is sampled, it is particularly difficult to handle the sample in a pipe, and these effects are remarkable.

The structure of the sampling flow path is not particularly limited, but examples include a structure with no branching and only two communication ports communicating with a storage container, such as the sampling tube shown in FIG. 1, a structure with a branching and only two communication ports communicating with a storage container, and a structure with a branching and three or more communication ports communicating with a storage container. Among these, a structure with no branching and only two communication ports communicating with a storage container is preferred, as this allows the amount of sample to be adjusted by simple manipulation. Note that a structure with a branching and two communication ports communicating with a storage container is also preferred.
In a structure having only one port, a structure having branches and three or more communication ports that communicate with the storage container, etc., the amount of sampling can be adjusted by various operations.

The shape of the tubes in the sampling flow path, such as the sampling tube shown in Fig. 1 and the tubes at both ends of the sampling flow path shown in Fig. 3, is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, etc. Furthermore, by making the tubes in the sampling flow path thick, they become flexible and easily deformed, and by making them thin, they become rigid and difficult to deform.

The diameter of the communication port of the sampling flow path is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm. This is because it is easy to introduce the amount generally required as a sample. In addition, by making it as small as possible, it becomes easy to finely adjust the amount to be introduced, and for example, in the case of targeting cell suspensions, where a very small amount of about several hundred μL is often sampled, it becomes easy to sample a very small amount.

In addition, the diameter of the communication port of the sampling flow path refers to the diameter of the communication port if the communication port is a perfect circle, but if the communication port is not a perfect circle, it refers to the diameter when the communication port is converted into a perfect circle of the same area.

The material of the sampling flow path is not particularly limited, but is preferably a material that can be cut while being heat-sealed, and among them, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, C-FLEX, etc. are preferable because they have a low melting temperature and high flexibility, and can be easily cut while being heat-sealed.

Moreover, the material of the sampling flow path is preferably, for example, a material suitable for cryopreservation, and among these, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, etc. are preferable because they have excellent low-temperature durability.

2. Storage container The storage container has at least two locations communicated by a sampling flow path. The storage container can maintain the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space and can store the contents in a sterile manner. Such a storage container may be one in which the inside of the storage container communicates with the external environment via a sterile filter. This is because it is possible to prevent bacteria from entering the inside of the storage container from the external environment and to prevent foreign matter larger than the pore size of the sterile filter from entering the inside of the storage container from the external environment, so that the inside of the container with sampling function can be maintained as a closed space and the contents can be stored in a sterile manner.

The container is not particularly limited as long as it is as described above, but it is preferable that the container is flexible, because it can be deformed freely when part of the contents stored in the container is to be introduced into the sampling flow path, thereby improving workability.

The storage container is preferably transparent enough to allow the interface between the stored contents and the air to be visually recognized from the outside, because this improves workability since the contents stored in the storage container can be sampled while being visually recognized.

Examples of the storage container include bags made by bonding resin films together at their periphery, plastic molded products, etc., among which bags, etc. are preferred because they are highly flexible and therefore can improve workability.

The material for the storage container is not particularly limited as long as it can store the contents in a sterile manner, but examples include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, C-FLEX, or polystyrene.

The material of the storage container is preferably, for example, a material suitable for cryopreservation, and among these, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, etc. are preferable because they have excellent low-temperature durability. Furthermore, the material of the storage container is preferably, for example, the same as that of the sampling flow path, or one that can be fused to the sampling flow path. This is because there is no need to use an adhesive when connecting the sampling flow path to the storage container, and therefore contamination of the contents by the adhesive can be avoided.

3. Container with sampling function The container with sampling function has a storage container and a sampling flow path that communicates at least two points of the storage container, and has a structure that allows a portion of the content to be sampled by causing a portion of the content stored in the storage container to flow into the sampling flow path while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, and then cutting out a portion of the sampling flow path.

The inside of the container with sampling function is a closed space that is closed off from the outside environment, including the connection points of the storage container and the sampling pipe, and is configured so that there are no gaps that communicate with the outside environment, including the connection points, and is a sealed space.
Specifically, the above-mentioned structure of the container with sampling function refers to a structure in which a part of the contents stored in the storage container can be made to flow into the sampling flow path while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, and by cutting out a part of the sampling flow path after a part of the contents has flowed into the sampling flow path, the part of the sampling flow path can be cut out while maintaining the remaining part of the sampling flow path and the inside of the storage container as closed spaces. As a structure of such a container with sampling function, the inside of the storage container may be connected to the external environment via a sterile filter. This is because it is possible to prevent bacteria from entering the inside of the storage container from the external environment, and to prevent foreign matter larger than the pore size of the sterile filter from entering the inside of the storage container from the external environment, so that the inside of the container with sampling function can be maintained as a closed space and the contents can be stored in a sterile manner.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a container with sampling function according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for fixing a container in a sampling method using the container with sampling function of the example shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 5(b) is a top view showing a schematic diagram of a method for fitting a fixing member of the container with sampling function into a fixing jig in the fixing method shown in Fig. 5(a).

The container 1 with sampling function of this embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the container shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, the configuration not particularly described is the same as the container shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the container 1 with sampling function of this embodiment further includes two fixing members 6 provided at two locations connected to the sampling tube 4 in the storage container 2. The fixing member 6 is a cylindrical molded product that is harder than the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4 and has a larger outer diameter than the sampling tube 4, and is provided with an insertion hole 6h for communicating the sampling tube 4 with the storage container 2. The fixing member 6 has an end inserted into the storage container 2, and is connected and fixed to the storage container 2 by bonding the inside of the edge portion 2a of the storage container 2 to the insertion portion. The sampling tube 4 is connected and fixed to the two fixing members 6 by inserting the communication ports 4a at both ends into the insertion holes 6h of the two fixing members 6, respectively, and bonding the inside of the insertion holes 6h to both ends. As a result, the sampling tube 4 is connected and fixed to the storage container 2 at both ends via the two fixing members 6. The communication ports 4a at both ends of the sampling tube 4 are inserted into the storage container 2 through the insertion holes 6h. As a result, the sampling tube 4 communicates with two locations in the storage container 2 through the communication ports 4a at both ends, and the two locations in the storage container 2 are thereby communicated with each other. The container 1 with sampling function further includes an extraction port 8 provided at a location on the storage container 2 separate from the fixing member 6. The extraction port 8 is also a molded product similar to the fixing member 6, and is connected to the storage container 2 in the same manner as the fixing member 6.

5(a) and 5(b), in the sampling method using the container with sampling function 1 of this example, a fixing jig 30 is used, and the two fixing members 6 and the extraction port 8 are fitted into the recess 30a of the fixing jig 30, thereby fixing the fixing members 6 and the extraction port 8 which are harder than the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4, thereby fixing the sampling tube 4. This improves operability when flowing the content liquid (not shown) into the sampling tube 4 or when cutting both ends of a portion of the sampling tube 4 while heat fusing them.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the container with sampling function according to this embodiment.
The container with sampling function 1 of this example differs from the container with sampling function shown in Figure 4 in that it has a single fixing member 6 instead of two fixing members, and the sampling tube 4 is connected and fixed to the storage container 2 at both ends via the single fixing member 6.
This makes it easier to fit a single fixing member 6 into the recess of the fixing jig than two fixing members, making the fixing operation easier.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the container with sampling function according to this embodiment.
The container with sampling function 1 of this embodiment is different from the container with sampling function shown in Fig. 6 in that it is provided with two sampling pipes 4, each of which communicates with two locations of the storage container 2. As a result, even if sampling fails with one sampling pipe 4, sampling can be attempted again with the other sampling pipe 4.

As the container with sampling function, it is preferable that the container with sampling function 1 shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7 further includes a fixing member provided at a portion of the storage container where the sampling flow path is connected, and the sampling flow path is connected to the storage container via the fixing member. By fixing a fixing member harder than the storage container and the sampling flow path, the sampling flow path can be fixed, and the workability can be improved when the contents are flowed into the sampling flow path or when both ends of a part of the sampling flow path are cut while being heat-sealed. Note that this effect is remarkable when the storage container is a flexible container that is easily deformed, such as a thin-walled container formed by a bag or blow molding. Furthermore, for example, when the outer diameter of the fixing member is larger than the sampling flow path, and the fixing member is connected to the storage container by inserting the end into the storage container and bonding the inside of the edge of the storage container to the insertion portion, the strength with which the sampling flow path is connected to the storage container is increased.

The fixing member is not particularly limited as long as it is harder than the container and the sampling flow path, and may be, for example, a plastic molded product. Furthermore, the fixing member may be integrally molded with the sampling flow path. The shape of the fixing member is not particularly limited as long as it has an outer diameter larger than the sampling flow path, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape or a columnar shape with a boat-shaped cross section.

As the container with sampling function, a container with sampling function 1 shown in Fig. 6 is preferably one in which the fixing member is a single fixing member and the sampling flow path is connected to the storage container at both ends via the single fixing member, because this makes the fixing operation easier.

In addition, the container with sampling function is preferably one having two or more sampling flow paths, each of which communicates with two locations of the storage container, as in the container with sampling function shown in Fig. 7. This is because even if sampling fails in one sampling flow path, sampling can be redone in another sampling flow path. When two or more sampling flow paths are provided, the color or length of the sampling flow path for redoing the sampling can be made different from the other flow paths to make it easier to distinguish.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the container with sampling function according to this embodiment.
3 in that the sampling flow path 14 communicates with the upper and lower parts of the storage container 2 via the communication ports 14a of the tubes 14s on both ends, thereby communicating with the upper and lower parts of the storage container 2. For this reason, for example, when a cell suspension is stored as the content in the storage container 2 and a part of the cell suspension is sampled, even if the cells settle and the cell suspension becomes non-uniform at the upper and lower parts of the storage container 2, the cell suspension can be mixed at those parts before sampling, thereby reducing sampling errors.

The container with sampling function is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the sampling flow path communicates with at least two locations of a storage container whose contents are non-uniform, such as the container with sampling function shown in Fig. 8. This is because the non-uniform contents can be mixed before sampling, thereby reducing sampling errors.

The container with sampling function is not particularly limited, but may have one storage container and a sampling flow path connecting at least two locations in the single storage container, or may have multiple storage containers and a sampling flow path connecting at least one location in one storage container and at least one location in the other storage container, but is preferably one storage container and a sampling flow path connecting at least two locations in the single storage container.

The contents sampled using the container with sampling function are not particularly limited, and are usually solutions that require aseptic handling, such as cell suspensions, food-related liquids, and pharmaceutical liquids. Examples of food-related liquids include beverages and seasonings. Examples of pharmaceutical liquids include electrolyte infusions such as physiological saline, carbohydrate injections such as glucose, blood preparations, protein drugs such as antibiotics and antibodies, peptide drugs such as low molecular weight proteins and hormones, nucleic acid drugs, cell drugs, vaccines for preventing various infectious diseases, steroids, insulin, anticancer drugs, protease inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretic analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, fat emulsions, blood pressure lowering drugs, vasodilators, electrolyte correction injections such as heparin sodium chloride and potassium lactate, vitamins, and contrast agents. Among them, cell suspensions are preferable as the contents. This is because the amount to be sampled can be easily fine-tuned or damage to the sample caused by heat can be reduced, resulting in particularly advantageous effects.

The use of the container with sampling function is not particularly limited, but is preferably used for sampling and testing the content liquid easily, without causing significant damage, and with high accuracy even in small amounts, while maintaining the inside of the container as a closed space to prevent contamination by foreign matter, bacteria, etc. from the external environment in a sealed container. Specific examples include general containers related to cells, such as a culture container for culturing cells, a culture medium supply container for supplying a culture medium, a cell recovery container for recovering a cell suspension after culture, a waste liquid container for recovering a culture medium during or after culture, or a temporary cell storage container, or a cell culture system, among which cell culture systems are preferred.

A cell culture system is, for example, a closed system in which multiple containers such as a culture container, a culture medium supply container, a cell collection container, or a waste liquid container are aseptically connected and closed off from the external environment to reduce the risk of contamination. When a container with a sampling function is used in a cell culture system, the cell culture system can be, for example, a system in which the container with a sampling function is aseptically connected to any one of the multiple containers, a system in which a connection port that can be aseptically connected to the container with a sampling function is provided, or a system in which any one of the multiple containers itself has the same configuration as the container with a sampling function and is also used as the container with a sampling function.

4. Sampling method In the sampling method using a container with sampling function, while maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space, a portion of the contents stored in the storage container is caused to flow into a sampling flow path, and then a portion of the sampling flow path is cut out to sample a portion of the contents.

The sampling method is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(a) to FIG. 2(c), a method in which a part of the contents stored in a storage container is flowed into a sampling flow path, the contents flowed into the sampling flow path are moved toward the center of the axial direction of the sampling flow path, and the sampling flow path is cut while being heat-sealed at the positions on both sides of the contents where air is present, and a part of the sampling flow path is cut out; or a method in which a part of the contents stored in a storage container is flowed into a sampling flow path, the sampling flow path is cut while being heat-sealed at the positions on both sides of the contents where air is present, and a part of the sampling flow path is cut out;
However, it is preferable to cut the sampling flow path while heat fusing it at a location where air is present on both sides of the content, and then cut out a portion of the sampling flow path, because this reduces damage to the sample caused by heat.

The method for cutting out a part of the sampling flow path is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a method in which both ends of the part of the sampling flow path are cut while being heat-sealed. The method for cutting out both ends of the part of the sampling flow path while being heat-sealed may be entirely performed manually, or
This may be done by using a jig that, while fixing the sampling flow path, cuts off a portion of the sampling flow path, with desired locations at both ends, while heat fusing the same.

The sampling method is not particularly limited, but may be a method in which, after performing sampling at least once using a container with sampling function, a part of the sampling flow path is cut out in the container with sampling function, the cut parts of the two remaining pieces are aseptically connected to regenerate the container with sampling function, and sampling is performed using the regenerated container with sampling function, since multiple samplings can be performed with one container with sampling function.

The method for aseptically connecting the cut portions of the two pieces is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a method using a general aseptic connection port or aseptic connection device.

The container with sampling function according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[Example]
As shown in Fig. 1(a), the container with sampling function 1 of the embodiment includes a storage container 2 produced by heat sealing a Unipack F-4 film manufactured by Seizo Nippon Sha, and a sampling tube 4 (T4306 manufactured by QOSINA). The sampling tube 4 has a substantially annular structure with no branches, and communication ports 4a at both ends are inserted into the storage container 2. The sampling tube 4 is connected and fixed to the storage container 2 by bonding the inside of the edge portion 2a of the storage container 2 to both ends. The sampling tube 4 communicates with two places in the storage container 2 via the communication ports 4a at both ends, so that the two places in the storage container 2 are in communication with each other.

The container 1 with sampling function is configured so that there are no gaps that communicate with the outside environment, including the connection points of the storage container 2 and the sampling pipe 4, and is sealed.
can be cut while being heat-sealed at a desired point in the axial direction. As a result, the container with sampling function 1 has a structure in which a part of the content liquid stored in the storage container 2 is caused to flow into the sampling tube 4 from the communication port 4a while maintaining the inside of the container as a sealed space, and then a part of the sampling tube 4 is cut out to perform sampling.

The storage container 2 has a transparency sufficient to allow the interface between the stored liquid content and the air to be visually recognized from the outside, and has flexibility sufficient to be deformed freely when a force is applied from the outside.
The sampling tube 4 has a transparency that allows the interface between the content liquid flowing into the sampling tube 4 and the air to be visually recognized from the outside, and has flexibility that allows it to be freely deformed when a force is applied from the outside. In addition, the sampling tube 4 is provided with a scale 4b.

In the sampling method of this example, first, as shown in FIG.
By simply tilting the container, the inside of the sampling container 1 is kept sealed, and the storage container 2 is
A part of the liquid content (water) contained in the sampling tube 4 was allowed to flow into the sampling tube 4 through the communication port 4a at one end.

When a portion of the liquid contents was allowed to flow into the sampling tube 4, the amount of liquid contents flowing into the sampling tube 4 was finely adjusted by simply tilting the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4, thereby finely adjusting the amount of liquid contents flowing into the sampling tube 4 to approximately 100 μL, as measured by the scale 4b.

Next, as shown in Figure 2 (b), by simply tilting the storage container 2 and the sampling tube 4, the air in the storage container 2 was introduced into the sampling tube 4 through the communication port 4a at one end, thereby moving the approximately 100 μL of liquid content that had flowed into the sampling tube 4 to the center of the axial direction of the sampling tube 4 while maintaining the inside of the container 1 with sampling function as an airtight space, and introducing air to both sides of the liquid content in the sampling tube 4.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(c), while maintaining the inside of the container 1 with sampling function as an airtight space, the sampling tube 4 was cut while being heat-sealed at points on both sides of the content liquid where air was present, thereby cutting out a portion 4p of the sampling tube 4, thereby sampling approximately 100 μL of the content liquid.

Although the embodiment of the container with sampling function according to the present invention has been described in detail above,
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims.

1 Container with sampling function 2 Storage container 4 Sampling tube

Claims (10)

A container with a sampling function comprising a storage container and a sampling flow path that communicates only two points of the storage container,
The sampling container has a structure in which a part of the contents stored in the storage container can be sampled by flowing a part of the contents into the sampling flow path while maintaining the inside of the sampling container as a closed space, and then cutting out a part of the sampling flow path,
The sampling flow path has a structure that has no branch and has only two communication ports that communicate with the storage container,
A container with sampling function, characterized in that the sampling flow path has communication ports at both ends inserted into the storage container and communicates with only the two locations of the storage container via the communication ports at both ends. The container with sampling function according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of the sampling channel is cut while being heat-sealed, and the two remaining pieces are aseptically connected by heat-sealing the cut portions of the two pieces, thereby allowing the container with sampling function to be regenerated. The container with sampling function is a container with sampling function after regeneration,
The container with sampling function described in claim 1, characterized in that the sampling flow path is a regenerated sampling flow path in an uncut state, in which a portion of the pre-regenerated sampling flow path that connects only the two locations of the storage container is cut off by heat fusing and cutting, and the remaining two pieces are aseptically connected by heat fusing. The container with sampling function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sampling flow path is a sampling pipe having a substantially annular structure without any branches. A container with sampling function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sampling flow path is provided with a check valve that prevents the contents from returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container. A container with sampling function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sampling flow path is provided with a clamp valve or solenoid valve that prevents the contents from returning from the sampling flow path to the storage container. A container with sampling function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sampling flow path is provided with a scale for measuring the amount of the contents flowing into the sampling flow path. The container is made by laminating a resin film at a peripheral portion thereof,
A container with sampling function described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the communication ports at both ends are inserted into the storage container from the same end edge of the storage container, and the sampling flow path is connected to only the two locations on the end edge side of the storage container via the communication ports at both ends. A sampling method using a container with a sampling function, the container comprising a storage container and a sampling flow path that communicates only with at least two points of the storage container,
The sampling flow path has a structure that has no branch and has only two communication ports that communicate with the storage container,
the sampling flow path has communication ports at both ends inserted into the storage container and communicates with only the two locations of the storage container via the communication ports at both ends;
A sampling method characterized by comprising the steps of: maintaining the inside of the container with sampling function as a closed space; causing a portion of the contents stored in the storage container to flow into the sampling flow path; and then cutting out a portion of the sampling flow path to sample a portion of the contents. The sampling method according to claim 9, characterized in that after performing at least one sampling by the sampling method, a part of the sampling flow path is cut and excised from the container with sampling function by heat fusing and aseptically connecting the cut portions of the two remaining pieces by heat fusing, thereby regenerating the container with sampling function, and performing sampling by the sampling method using the regenerated container with sampling function.

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