JP7619184B2 - Container set for gene amplification treatment and method for removing multiple containers from gene amplification device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container set for gene amplification processing and a method for removing multiple containers from a gene amplification device.

There is a device (hereinafter referred to as a gene amplification device) that has the function of amplifying a target gene using a PCR reaction (polymerase chain reaction) (see Patent Document 1). The gene amplification device is equipped with a temperature control block whose temperature is regulated by a heater or Peltier element, and a cup-shaped container containing a mixture of a specimen and a reagent is placed in a number of recesses provided on the upper surface of the temperature control block, and the temperature of the temperature control block is raised and lowered in a predetermined cycle to cause a PCR reaction in the target gene of the specimen in the container, thereby amplifying the gene. In addition to the function of performing gene amplification processing, some gene amplification devices also have the function of performing optical measurement of the target gene in the container.

JP 2018-038312 A

After processing has been completed, containers are manually removed from the gene amplification device by an operator. Until now, this removal work has generally been done using tools such as general-purpose tweezers to prevent contamination of the operator. However, if the temperature and pressure inside the container are high, even a slight impact on the container can cause the lid sealing the top of the container to come off, creating the risk that the amplified sample will leak from the container and contaminate the inside of the device and its surroundings. If the inside of the device becomes contaminated by the amplified sample, this could affect the measurement results of samples that are subsequently set in the device. For this reason, the task of removing containers from the gene amplification device must be done very carefully, and the work efficiency could not be said to be good.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to improve work efficiency by facilitating the removal of containers from a gene amplification device.

The container set for gene amplification processing according to the present invention comprises an integrated connected container in which a number of cup-shaped containers for individually storing specimens and/or reagents are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by a connecting bridge, and a transport device having a main body and a holding part provided at the tip of the main body, the holding part having at least one claw that fits into the gap between adjacent containers in the connected container, and configured to hold the connected container with the holding part by inserting the claw of the holding part into the gap of the connected container and engaging it with the connecting bridge from below.

The method according to the present invention is a method for removing a plurality of containers set in a gene amplification device from the gene amplification device. The plurality of containers are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by a connecting bridge to form an integrated connected container. The method includes the steps of:
preparing a conveying tool having a main body and a holding part provided at a tip of the main body, the holding part being provided with at least one claw that can enter a gap between adjacent containers in the connected containers;
inserting the claws of the holding portion into the gaps of the connected containers;
a step of lifting the holding portion to engage the claws with the connecting bridge from below and holding the connecting container with the holding portion;
and removing the linked container from the gene amplification device by moving the holding part, in that order.

The container set for gene amplification processing according to the present invention comprises a connected container in which multiple containers are lined up in a straight line and connected at the top by a connecting bridge, and a dedicated transport tool for holding and transporting the connected container, and the transport tool has a holding part at its tip with a claw that fits into the gap between the multiple containers. The transport tool can hold and transport the connected container simply by inserting the claw provided on the holding part at the tip into the gap and engaging it with the connecting bridge from below, which not only makes it easier to remove the container from the gene amplification device and improves the efficiency of the removal work, but also reduces the risk of accidentally opening the lid and reduces the chance of damage due to contamination of the device.

According to the method of the present invention, a transport tool having a holding part at its tip with a claw that fits into the gaps between the multiple containers that make up the connected container is used, and the claw of the holding part of the transport tool is inserted into the gaps of the connected container and the holding part is raised to engage the claw with the connecting bridge of the connected container from below to hold the connected container, and the connected container is removed from the gene amplification device by simply moving the holding part in this state. This not only makes it easier to remove containers from the gene amplification device and improves the efficiency of the removal work, but also reduces the risk of accidentally opening the lid and reduces the opportunity for damage due to contamination of the device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a container set for gene amplification treatment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an operator is gripping a transportation tool in the embodiment. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a worker is holding a connected container with a carrier tool. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a delivery device having another structure. 13 is an image showing a state in which a linked container is set in the gene amplification device. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for removing a linked container from a gene amplification device.

Below, we will explain an embodiment of a container set for gene amplification processing and a method for removing a connected container from a gene amplification device, with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the container set for gene amplification processing in this embodiment includes a linked container 1 and a transport device 100 for holding and transporting the linked container 1.

The linked container 1 is equipped with multiple cup-shaped containers 4 for containing a mixture of a sample containing the gene to be amplified and a PCR reagent. The multiple containers 4 are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps 10 between them, and the tops of adjacent containers 4 are connected to each other by connecting bridges 6, making them integrated. A lid 8 is attached to the top of each container 4, and the top surface of each container 4 is sealed by the lid 8.

In this embodiment, four containers 4 are connected to each other to form one connected container 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of containers 4 that make up the connected container 1 may be any number greater than or equal to two.

The transport device 100 comprises a main body 102 having a longitudinal direction and a claw 104 provided at the tip of the main body 102. The following description is based on the assumption that the main body 102 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is approximately horizontal.

The transport device 100 is constructed by joining a first member 106 and a second member 108, each of which is a plate with a longitudinal direction, at their base ends with the first member 106 superimposed on the second member 108. Note that the member constituting the main body 102 of the transport device 100 does not necessarily have to be plate-shaped, and may be rod-shaped.

The first member 106 is bent midway, so that the gap between the first member 106 and the second member 108 gradually widens from the base end to the tip. A first support portion 110 and a second support portion 114 that extend vertically downward are provided at the tips of the first member 106 and the second member 108, respectively. Three parallel claws 104 are provided at the lower end of the first support portion 110 so as to extend horizontally. A flat plate-shaped pressing portion 116 that extends horizontally at a position above the three claws 104 is provided at the lower end of the second support portion 114. The first support portion 110, which has the claws 104 at its tip, constitutes a holding portion for holding the connected container 1.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the claws 104 are arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body 102, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the claws 104 may be arranged to extend in a direction intersecting or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 102.

The three claws 104 are provided with width dimensions and spacing such that each can be inserted into the gap 10 between each container 4 of the connected container 1. The claws 104 are inserted into the gaps 10 between each container 4 of the connected container 1 and hold the connected container 1 by engaging with the connecting bridge 6 from below. When the claws 104 are inserted into the gaps 10 between each container 4 of the connected container 1 and engage with the connecting bridge 6, the retaining portion 116 is positioned above the lid portion 8 of each container 4 to prevent the lid portion 8 of each container 4 from opening.

The worker handling the transport device 100 grasps the base end of the main body 102. The first member 106 is made of a material having elasticity, such as steel or plastic. As shown in FIG. 2, when the worker holding the base end presses the tip side of the first member 106 from the bent portion with his/her finger, the first member 106 elastically deforms, and the claw 104 at the tip of the first support part 110 is displaced relative to the holding part 116, and the distance between the claw 104 and the holding part 116 increases. In this state, after inserting the claw 104 into the gap 10 of the connected container 100, when the worker releases the pressure on the first member 106, the distance between the claw 104 and the holding part 116 decreases, as shown in FIG. 3, and the lid part 8 of each container 4 of the connected container 1 can be held by the holding part 116. That is, the transport device 100 has an operating section that allows the operator to adjust the distance between the claw 104 and the pressing section 116, and is located within reach of the operator's fingers holding the base end.

The transport device 100 of the present invention is not limited to the above structure, and any configuration may be used to provide the transport device 100 with the function of adjusting the distance between the claw 104 and the pressing portion 116. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing member 116 may be provided at the lower end of the first support portion 110 of the first member 106, and the claw 104 may be provided at the lower end of the second support portion 114 of the second member 108. In the configuration of FIG. 4, when an operator holding the base end presses the tip side of the first member 106 from the bent portion with his/her finger, the first member 106 is elastically deformed, and the pressing portion 116 of the first support portion 110 is displaced relative to the claw 104, thereby reducing the distance between the claw 104 and the pressing portion 116. Conversely, when the operator releases the pressure on the first member 106, the distance between the claw 104 and the pressing portion 116 increases.

The transport device 100 only needs to have the function of holding the connected container 1 by engaging the claws 104 with the connecting bridge 6 of the connected container 1 from below, so it does not need to be provided with a retaining portion 116, and even if a retaining portion 116 is provided, it is not necessary for the distance between the claws 104 and the retaining portion 116 to be adjustable. In such a case, the transport device 100 does not need to be composed of multiple members (in this embodiment, the first member 106 and the second member 108), and may be composed of a single member.

Figure 5 is an image showing an example of the internal structure of a gene amplification device.

The gene amplification device is provided inside with a reagent storage section for setting multiple reagent containers containing reagents, and a specimen storage section for setting multiple specimen containers containing a mixture of specimen and reagent to perform gene amplification processing. In the example of FIG. 5, the reagent storage section is provided in zone A with multiple recesses into which reagent containers are inserted from above to be stored, and the specimen storage section is provided in zone B with multiple recesses into which specimen containers are inserted to be stored. The specimen storage section can be set with multiple connected containers 1, each of which is made up of four specimen containers connected to one another.

When removing the linked container 1 from the gene amplification device after the gene amplification process in the sample storage section is completed, the transport device 100 described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 is used. The method for removing the linked container 1 from the gene amplification device will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6.

When the gene amplification process in the specimen storage section is completed, the operator prepares the transport tool 100 described above (step 101). The operator grasps the base end of the transport tool 100 so that the longitudinal direction of the transport tool 100 is approximately horizontal, positions the claws 104 of the transport tool 100 to the side of the connected container 1, and then slides the claws 104 in an approximately horizontal direction to insert the claws 104 into the gaps 10 of the connected container 1 (step 102). At this time, the operator widens the distance between the claws 104 and the pressing parts 116 so that the pressing parts 116 of the holding part 104 do not come into contact with each of the lid parts 8 of the connected container 1.

After inserting the claws 104 into the gaps 10 of the connected containers 1, the claws 104 are raised to engage with the connecting bridges 6 of the connected containers 1 from below, and the connected containers 1 are held by lifting them up with the claws 104 (step 103), and the held connected containers 1 are removed from the gene amplification device (step 104). At this time, by shortening the distance between the claws 104 and the pressing part 116, the lids 8 of each container 4 can be pressed from above to prevent the tops of each container from being opened.

Note that the container set and method described above are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention. The container set and method according to the present invention are as follows:

One embodiment of the container set according to the present invention includes an integrated connected container in which multiple cup-shaped containers for individually storing specimens and/or reagents are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by a connecting bridge, and a transport device having a main body and a holding part provided at the tip of the main body, the holding part having at least one claw that fits into the gap between adjacent containers in the connected container, and configured to hold the connected container with the holding part by inserting the claw of the holding part into the gap of the connected container and engaging it with the connecting bridge from below.

In a first aspect of the above embodiment, the connected container includes a lid portion that is attached to each of the multiple containers and seals the top surfaces of the multiple containers, and the transport device includes a pressing portion that is arranged to be positioned above the lid portion of each of the multiple containers when the claw is inserted into the gap of the connected container, and is configured to prevent the pressing portion from removing the lid portion attached to each of the multiple containers of the connected container held in the holding portion from coming off each of the multiple containers. This aspect makes it possible to prevent the lid portion of each container from coming off and opening the top surface of the container during transport of the connected container.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the transport device is configured to be able to adjust the distance between the claw and the pressing portion, and is configured to press the lid of the connected container held by the holding portion with the pressing portion by moving the claw and the pressing portion closer to each other. This embodiment can reliably prevent the lid of each container from coming off during transport of the connected container.

In the above aspect, the transport tool can be provided with an operating part for adjusting the distance between the claw and the pressing part, at a position that can be reached by the operator's fingers when the operator grasps the base end of the main body.

In addition, in a second aspect of the above embodiment, the main body of the transport device is a plate-like or rod-like member having a longitudinal direction, and the claws of the holding part are arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction within a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

One embodiment of the method according to the present invention is a method for removing a plurality of containers set in a gene amplification device from the gene amplification device. The plurality of containers are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by a connecting bridge to form an integrated connected container. In this embodiment,
preparing a conveying tool having a main body and a holding part provided at a tip of the main body, the holding part being provided with at least one claw that can enter a gap between adjacent containers in the connected containers;
inserting the claws of the holding portion into the gaps of the connected containers;
a step of lifting the holding portion to engage the claws with the connecting bridge from below and holding the connecting container with the holding portion;
and removing the linked container from the gene amplification device by moving the holding part, in that order.

In the above embodiment, the connected container and the transport device can form the container set described above.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 connected container 4 container 6 connecting bridge 8 lid portion 10 gap 100 transport device 104 claw 106 first member 108 second member 110 first support portion 114 second support portion 116 holding portion

Claims (7)

an integral connected container in which a plurality of cup-shaped containers for individually storing samples and/or reagents are arranged in parallel with each other on a straight line with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by connecting bridges;
a transport device having a main body and a holding part provided at a tip of the main body , with at least one claw provided on the holding part for inserting the claw into a gap between adjacent containers in the connected container from the side , and configured to hold the connected container with the holding part by sliding the holding part in an approximately horizontal direction from the side of the connected container, thereby inserting the claw into the gap from the side of the connected container and engaging it with the connecting bridge from below. the connected container includes a lid portion attached to each of the plurality of containers and sealing an upper surface of each of the plurality of containers;
The container set described in claim 1, wherein the conveying device has a pressing portion arranged to be positioned above the lid portions of each of the multiple containers when the claw is inserted into the gap of the connected container, and is configured to prevent the lid portions attached to each of the multiple containers of the connected container held in the holding portion from coming off each of the multiple containers. The container set according to claim 2, wherein the conveying device is configured to adjust the distance between the claw and the pressing part, and is configured to press the lid of the connected container held by the holding part with the pressing part by moving the claw and the pressing part closer to each other. The container set according to claim 3, wherein the conveying tool is provided with an operating part for adjusting the distance between the claw and the pressing part at a position that can be reached by the operator's fingers when the operator grasps the base end of the main body. The container set according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main body of the transport device is a plate-like or rod-like member having a longitudinal direction, and the claws of the holding part are arranged to extend in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. A method for removing a plurality of containers set in a gene amplification device from the gene amplification device, comprising:
The plurality of containers are arranged in a straight line parallel to each other with gaps between them, and adjacent containers are connected to each other by connecting bridges to form an integral connected container,
preparing a conveying tool having a main body and a holding part provided at a tip of the main body , the holding part being provided with at least one claw for inserting the conveying tool from a side of the connected container into a gap between adjacent containers in the connected container;
a step of sliding the conveying device in a substantially horizontal direction from a side of the connected container to insert the claw of the holding portion into the gap from a side of the connected container;
a step of lifting the holding portion to engage the claws with the connecting bridge from below and holding the connecting container with the holding portion;
and removing the linked container from the gene amplification apparatus by moving the holding part, in that order. The method according to claim 6, wherein the connected container and the carrier constitute a container set according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

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