JP7685128B2 - Raw material storage case and raw material suction device using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a raw material suction device including a raw material storage case that stores raw material to be sucked by a needle.

Such a raw material storage case allows the raw material stored in the raw material storage case to be sucked in by a hollow cylindrical needle. The needle is inserted from the outside of the raw material storage case into the raw material stored in the raw material storage case, and the raw material is sucked in by the needle in this state, making it possible to remove the raw material from the raw material storage case through the needle.

As an example of such a raw material storage case and a raw material suction device using the same, there is a raw material storage case that stores raw material in an open-to-air state, and a raw material suction device that has a hollow cylindrical needle connected to a pump, in which the needle is inserted into the raw material storage case and the raw material is sucked into the needle, thereby removing the raw material from the raw material storage case (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-174818 A

However, in the raw material storage case and raw material suction device described in Patent Document 1, the raw material stored in the raw material storage case is sucked into the needle while in contact with the air, which creates the problem that it is difficult to handle raw materials that react with oxygen or moisture in the air, for example.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a raw material suction device equipped with a raw material storage case that can suck in raw material using a needle without coming into contact with the outside air.

In order to achieve the above object, the raw material storage device according to the present invention comprises:
A raw material suction device having a raw material storage case that stores raw material to be sucked by a needle,
a raw material storage case including a sealing cover for filling a gas therein, and a container installation section formed in the sealing cover for installing a raw material container in which the raw material is stored, the raw material collection hole being formed in an upper closing plate constituting an upper portion of the sealing cover for introducing the needle into the raw material container, the raw material collection hole being closed by a collection hole sealing membrane formed of an elastic member through which the needle can be penetrated ;
a needle supported to be movable; a pump connected to the needle; and a control unit that controls the operation of the pump and the needle;
The control unit performs first gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in a sealed gas space in the gas atmosphere inside the sealed cover and to cause the pump to perform suction, then performs raw material suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in the raw material inside the raw material container and to cause the pump to perform suction, and then performs second gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in the sealed gas space and to cause the pump to perform suction .

According to this configuration, a container installation section is formed in the sealing cover to install a raw material container in which raw materials are stored, so that the raw material container in which raw materials are stored can be installed without coming into contact with the outside air. In addition, a raw material collection hole for introducing a needle into the raw material container is formed in the sealing cover, and the raw material collection hole is provided with a collection hole sealing membrane through which the needle can penetrate, so that the needle can be introduced into the raw material in the raw material container inside the sealing cover by penetrating the collection hole sealing membrane provided in the raw material collection hole from the outside of the sealing cover. By sucking the raw material with the needle in this state, the raw material can be taken out of the sealing cover without the raw material coming into contact with the outside air.

In addition, in the above configuration, the sampling hole sealing membrane, which can be penetrated by the needle, is formed of an elastic material, so that the through hole formed by the needle penetrating the sampling hole sealing membrane is closed by the elastic force of the elastic material. Therefore, even when the needle is removed from the sampling hole sealing membrane after the raw material is sucked, outside air can be prevented from flowing into the sealing cover, thereby maintaining the sealed state.
According to the above configuration, the needle is supported movably and its operation is controlled by the control unit. For example, when the raw material storage case is placed in a fixed position of the raw material suction device, the control unit can operate the needle in a horizontal direction to move the needle to a position above the raw material sampling hole provided in the sealing cover. After moving the needle in this way, the needle can be moved downward to penetrate the sampling hole sealing membrane and introduced into the raw material container. In this state, the control unit can operate the pump to perform a suction operation to suck the raw material stored in the raw material container into the needle.
According to the above configuration, the first gas suction control and the second gas suction control for suctioning the gas in the sealed gas space into the needle are performed before and after the raw material suction control for suctioning the raw material into the needle, respectively, so that the raw material suctioned into the needle is sandwiched between the gas in the sealed gas space in the needle. Therefore, by filling the sealed gas space with a gas that does not react with the raw material according to the type of raw material, the raw material suctioned into the needle is sandwiched between the gases that do not react with the raw material in the needle, so that the raw material suctioned into the needle can be maintained in a stable state where it does not react. In addition, even when the raw material suctioned into the needle is moved inside the needle or inside a pipe connected to the needle, the raw material can be moved in a stable state.

Further characteristic configurations of the raw material storage device according to the present invention are as follows:
A cleaning unit for cleaning the needle is provided in the sealing cover,
a first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning liquid storage section capable of storing cleaning liquid are formed in the cleaning section, a first cleaning section hole for introducing the needle into the first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning section hole for introducing the needle into the second cleaning liquid storage section are formed in the upper closure plate,
The first cleaning part hole and the second cleaning part hole are respectively closed by a first cleaning part sealing membrane and a second cleaning part sealing membrane formed of an elastic material through which the needle can be penetrated.

In the above configuration, a first cleaning liquid storage section is formed in the sealing cover, and a first cleaning section hole with a sealing membrane for the first cleaning section is formed in the sealing cover, so that the needle can be penetrated from the outside of the sealing cover into the first cleaning section hole, and the tip side of the needle can be introduced into the first cleaning liquid storage section inside the sealing cover. By sending the cleaning liquid from the needle in this state, the inside of the needle can be washed with the cleaning liquid, and since the cleaning liquid is sent out from the needle and discharged into the first cleaning liquid storage section and stored, the outside of the needle tip side can also be washed with the stored cleaning liquid.

Similarly, a second cleaning liquid storage section is formed inside the sealing cover, and a second cleaning section hole with a sealing membrane for the second cleaning section is formed in the sealing cover, so that the needle can be penetrated from the outside of the sealing cover into the second cleaning section hole, and the tip side of the needle can be introduced into the second cleaning liquid storage section inside the sealing cover. By discharging the cleaning liquid from the needle in this state, the inside of the needle is cleaned with the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the needle and discharged into the second cleaning liquid storage section and stored, so that the outside of the tip side of the needle can also be cleaned with the stored cleaning liquid.

Since a first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning liquid storage section are provided in this manner, for example, it is possible to perform cleaning in two stages using the same cleaning liquid in the first cleaning liquid storage section and the second cleaning liquid storage section, or to store different cleaning liquids in each of the first cleaning liquid storage section and the second cleaning liquid storage section to clean different objects to be cleaned.

Furthermore, in the above configuration, the sealing membrane for the sampling hole, which can be penetrated by a needle, is formed of an elastic material, so that the through hole formed by the needle penetrating the sealing membrane for the first cleaning section and the sealing membrane for the second cleaning section is closed by the elastic force of the elastic material. Therefore, even when the needle is removed from the sealing membrane for the first cleaning section and the sealing membrane for the second cleaning section after cleaning of the needle, outside air can be prevented from flowing into the sealing cover, thereby maintaining the sealed state.
According to the above configuration, the control unit moves the needle to a position above the first cleaning unit hole provided in the sealing cover and then moves it downward, so that the needle penetrates the first cleaning unit sealing membrane and is introduced into the first cleaning liquid storage unit. In this state, the control unit performs a discharge operation of the pump, and when a cleaning liquid supply line is connected to the pump, for example, the cleaning liquid can be discharged from the needle into the first cleaning liquid storage unit. In addition, in this state, the control unit performs a suction operation of the pump to suction the stored liquid stored in the first cleaning liquid storage unit.
Similarly, the control unit can move the needle to a position above the second cleaning unit hole provided in the sealing cover and then move it downward, so that the needle penetrates the second cleaning unit sealing membrane and is introduced into the second cleaning liquid storage unit. In this state, the control unit can cause the pump to perform a discharge operation, so that, for example, when a cleaning liquid supply line is connected to the pump, the cleaning liquid can be discharged from the needle into the second cleaning liquid storage unit. In addition, in this state, the control unit can cause the pump to perform a suction operation, so that the stored liquid in the second cleaning liquid storage unit can be sucked.

Further characteristic configurations of the raw material storage device according to the present invention are as follows:
The sealing cover is provided with a gas inlet for introducing the gas into the inside of the sealing cover and a gas outlet for discharging the gas to the outside.

According to the above configuration, by introducing gas from the gas inlet, it is possible to prevent outside air other than gas from flowing into the sealed cover. In addition, the gas in the sealed cover can be replaced. And, for example, depending on the type of raw material stored in the raw material container, a gas that does not react with the raw material can be introduced from the gas inlet, thereby maintaining the raw material stored in the raw material container in a stable state.

Further characteristic configurations of the raw material suction device according to the present invention are as follows:
a raw material storage case provided with a cleaning unit for cleaning the needle inside the sealing cover;
a needle supported to be movable; a pump connected to the needle; and a control unit that controls the operation of the pump and the needle;
The control unit moves the needle so that its tip is located in the first cleaning liquid storage section, and performs first cleaning liquid discharge control to discharge cleaning liquid from the needle by performing a discharge operation of the pump, then moves the needle so that it is located outside the sealing cover, then moves the needle so that its tip is located in the second cleaning liquid storage section, and performs second cleaning liquid discharge control to discharge cleaning liquid from the needle by performing a discharge operation of the pump, then moves the needle so that it is located outside the sealing cover, then performs first gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is located in a sealed gas space that is in a gas atmosphere inside the sealing cover, and performs suction operation of the pump, then moves the needle so that its tip is located in the raw material in the raw material container, and performs raw material suction control to perform suction operation of the pump, and then performs second gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is located in the sealed gas space, and performs suction operation of the pump.

According to the above configuration, the first gas suction control, raw material suction control, and second gas suction control are performed after the first cleaning liquid discharge control and the second cleaning liquid discharge control, so that the outside of the needle tip side that comes into contact with the raw material in the raw material suction control and the inside of the needle can be cleaned in the first cleaning liquid discharge control and the second cleaning liquid discharge control performed before the raw material suction control. In other words, by discharging the cleaning liquid from the needle, the inside of the needle can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid, and since the cleaning liquid is discharged from the needle and discharged and stored in the first cleaning liquid storage section or the second cleaning liquid storage section, the outside of the needle tip side can also be cleaned with the stored cleaning liquid.

In addition, since the second cleaning liquid discharge control is performed after the first cleaning liquid discharge control, the needle can be washed in two stages. That is, the first stage of cleaning is performed in the first cleaning liquid storage section, and the second stage of cleaning is performed in the second cleaning liquid storage section. This allows the needle to be washed more reliably. Also, the second cleaning liquid storage section can store relatively clean cleaning liquid.

Further characteristic configurations of the raw material suction device according to the present invention are as follows:
After performing the second gas suction control, the control unit moves the needle so that it is positioned outside the sealing cover, and then moves the needle so that its tip is positioned in the second cleaning liquid storage section, and performs cleaning liquid suction control by performing a suction operation of the pump to suck up the cleaning liquid in the second cleaning liquid storage section.

According to the above configuration, after the second gas suction control, the cleaning liquid suction control is performed, so that the cleaning liquid is sucked into the needle with the gas sandwiched between it and the raw material. As a result, the cleaning liquid moves with the movement of the raw material, so that when the raw material sucked into the needle is moved in a direction to further suck it into the needle or the piping connected to the needle, the small amount of raw material that adheres to the needle or the piping connected to the needle as the raw material moves can be washed by the cleaning liquid moving with the raw material as it moves through the needle or the piping connected to the needle.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flow chemistry system equipped with a raw material suction device. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid handler in a flow chemistry system. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a cleaning section of a raw material storage case, and FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collection device in a flow chemistry system. 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a liquid delivery process of a flow chemistry system. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the raw material suction device during cleaning and raw material suction. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining a collection section.

The following describes an embodiment of the raw material storage case and raw material suction device according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flow chemistry system equipped with the raw material storage case and raw material suction device in this embodiment. This flow chemistry system is equipped with three raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c, two reactors 2a and 2b, a collection device 3, a control device 4, and an automatic back pressure valve 5. In addition, as will be described in detail later, each of the three raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c is equipped with a raw material suction device 50 equipped with a raw material storage case 51. Therefore, in the flow chemistry system in this embodiment, a compound synthesized from liquid raw materials delivered from each of the raw material delivery devices 1a and 1b can be further synthesized with the raw material delivered from the raw material delivery device 1c to produce a compound.

When there is no need to distinguish between the raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c, they will be referred to as raw material delivery device 1, and the components of each raw material delivery device 1 are the same. When there is no need to distinguish between the reactors 2a and 2b, they will be referred to as reactor 2, and the components of each reactor 2 are the same. When distinguishing between the flow paths 188, etc. of the raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c, the symbols a, b, and c are used, but when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be referred to as flow paths 188, etc.

The raw material delivery device 1 is a device that delivers liquid raw material contained in raw material container A toward reactor 2, and is equipped with a liquid handler 11, a syringe pump 12, a sample loop 13, a plunger pump 14, an injection valve 15, a raw material side four-way valve 16, a syringe pump side four-way valve 17, and flow paths 181 to 188. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the flow paths 181 to 188, they will be referred to as flow path 18.

The flow path 18 is for sending the raw material toward the reactor 2, and is, for example, a fine tube with an inner diameter of 1 mm or less. The flow path 181 connects the liquid handler 11 and the raw material side four-way valve 16. The flow path 182 connects the raw material side four-way valve 16 and the injection valve 15. The flow path 183 connects the injection valve 15 and the syringe pump side four-way valve 17. The flow path 184 connects the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 and the syringe pump 12. The flow paths 185 and 176 connect the injection valve 15 and the sample loop 13. The flow path 187 connects the plunger pump 14 and the injection valve 15. The flow path 188 connects the injection valve 15 and the reactor 2.

The raw material suction device 50 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The raw material suction device 50 in this embodiment is composed of a raw material storage case 51 installed in the liquid handler 11 (see Figure 2), a needle 113 movably supported relative to the main body of the liquid handler 11, a syringe pump 12 as a pump connected to the needle 113 via a flow path 18, and a control device 4 as a control unit that controls the operation of the syringe pump 12 and the needle 113, and enables the raw material in the raw material container A stored inside the raw material storage case 51 to be sucked by the needle 113.

The liquid handler 11 cooperates with the syringe pump 12 to suck raw material from a raw material storage case 51 that holds the raw material. As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the raw material storage case 51 and needle 113 described above, the liquid handler 11 is equipped with an arm 111 and a needle support 112, and the needle 113 is connected to the flow path 181 in a state in which liquid can flow through it.

The arm 111 is supported by the main body so as to be movable in parallel in the y-axis direction. The needle support part 112 is supported by the arm 111 so as to be movable in parallel in the x-axis direction. The needle 113 is a fine tube, and is supported by the needle support part 112 so as to be movable in the z-direction. With this configuration, the arm 111 and the needle support part 112 can be moved in the y-axis direction and the x-axis direction, respectively, and the needle 113 can be translated in the xy plane. Note that when the needle 113 is translated in the xy plane, the needle 113 is moved upward (in the positive direction of the z-axis in the figure).

The syringe pump 12 is also used to suck out the raw material through the needle 113, the flow paths 181 to 186, and the sample loop 13 and introduce it into the sample loop 13. At this time, the injection valve 15 is controlled so that the flow paths 183 and 185, and the flow paths 183 and 186 are connected.

Although not shown, the needle 113 has a gas passage recess, which is a slit-shaped recess formed along the direction in which the needle 113 extends, on the outer periphery of the tip side of the needle 113. As described below, this gas passage recess allows the gas in the sealing cover 52 to flow into the raw material container A when the needle 113 penetrates the membrane member A2 (see FIG. 3) of the raw material container A and the raw material in the raw material container A is sucked in by the needle 113. This makes it possible to prevent the raw material container A from becoming negative pressure due to the suction of the raw material.

The raw material storage case 51 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the raw material storage case 51 stores raw material to be sucked by the needle 113 provided in the liquid handler 11, and includes a sealed cover 52 for filling the inside with gas, and a container installation section 53 (see Fig. 3) formed inside the sealed cover 52 for installing a raw material container A in which raw material is stored. An upper closure plate 54 constituting the upper part of the sealed cover 52 has a raw material collection hole 55 formed therein for introducing the needle 113 into the raw material container A.

The container installation section 53 is formed on a base block 56 to which the lower part of the sealing cover 52 is connected, and the raw material container A is housed in the sealing cover 52 with a part of its lower part housed in the container installation section 53. In addition, the raw material collection hole 55 is provided with a collection hole sealing membrane 55a. Specifically, the raw material collection hole 55 is closed by the collection hole sealing membrane 55a formed of an elastic member through which the needle 113 can be penetrated. Note that the collection hole sealing membrane 55a is omitted in FIG. 2.

As an example of a membrane member made of an elastic material that can be penetrated by the needle 113, a PTFE-coated silicone membrane in which a chemically resistant PTFE membrane is attached to an elastic silicone membrane can be used with the PTFE membrane side facing the inside of the sealing cover 52.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper closing plate 54 is composed of an upper plate 54a and a lower plate 54b, and the upper plate 54a is configured to be freely attached and detached from the lower plate 54b. Although not shown in detail, the collection hole sealing membrane 55a is sandwiched between the upper plate 54a and the lower plate 54b, and a storage portion for storing the collection hole sealing membrane 55a is formed on the surface of the lower plate 54b.

The opening of the raw material container A in which the raw material is stored is closed by the container lid A1. The upper surface portion of the container lid A1 is formed of a membrane-like member A2 made of an elastic material through which the needle 113 can be penetrated. For example, the container lid A1 and the membrane-like member A2 are formed separately, and when the opening of the raw material container A is closed by the container lid A1, which has an opening at the center of the upper portion, the membrane-like member A2 can be sandwiched between the container lid A1 and the opening of the raw material container A, so that the membrane-like member A2 can be installed on the raw material container A. In this case, the above-mentioned PTFE-coated silicone membrane or the like can be used as the membrane-like member A2.

A cleaning section 57 for cleaning the needle 113 is provided inside the sealing cover 52. As will be described in detail later, a first cleaning liquid storage section 58 and a second cleaning liquid storage section 59 capable of storing cleaning liquid are formed in the cleaning section 57. The cleaning section 57 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is housed inside the sealing cover 52 with a portion of its lower part housed in a cleaning section housing section formed in the base block 56.

In the upper closing plate 54, a first cleaning part hole 60 for introducing the needle 113 into the first cleaning liquid storage part 58 and a second cleaning part hole 61 for introducing the needle 113 into the second cleaning liquid storage part 59 are formed in the same manner as the above-mentioned raw material collection hole 55, and the first cleaning part hole 60 and the second cleaning part hole 61 are provided with a first cleaning part sealing membrane 60a and a second cleaning part sealing membrane 61a, respectively. Specifically, the first cleaning part hole 60 and the second cleaning part hole 61 are closed by the first cleaning part sealing membrane 60a and the second cleaning part sealing membrane 61a, respectively, which are formed of an elastic member through which the needle 113 can be penetrated. As the membrane member formed of an elastic member through which the needle 113 can be penetrated, the above-mentioned PTFE-coated silicone membrane or the like can be used. Note that the first cleaning part sealing membrane 60a and the second cleaning part sealing membrane 61a are omitted in FIG. 2.

The first cleaning section sealing membrane 60a and the second cleaning section sealing membrane 61a are sandwiched between the upper plate 54a and the lower plate 54b, similar to the case of the collection hole sealing membrane 55a described above, and a storage section for storing the first cleaning section sealing membrane 60a and the second cleaning section sealing membrane 61a is formed on the surface of the lower plate 54b.

The sealed cover 52 is also provided with a gas inlet 70 and a gas outlet 71 for introducing gas into the sealed cover 52. The type of gas introduced varies depending on the type of raw material contained in the raw material storage case 51, but in cases where the raw material contained is a water-resistant raw material that must be prevented from coming into contact with oxygen or moisture present in the atmosphere, or a spontaneously combustible raw material, an inert gas such as nitrogen is used. Normally, gas is continuously supplied from the gas inlet 70, and gas is continuously discharged from the gas outlet 71.

In this way, the raw material storage case 51 according to this embodiment can be used as a raw material storage case 51 for storing water-resistant raw materials or spontaneously combustible raw materials that need to be prevented from coming into contact with oxygen or moisture present in the atmosphere by introducing an inert gas into the inside of the sealed cover 52.

The first cleaning liquid storage section 58 and the second cleaning liquid storage section 59 formed in the cleaning section 57 will be described. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the first cleaning liquid storage section 58 and the second cleaning liquid storage section 59 have the same shape, and have openings 58a and 59a, respectively, at the top of the cleaning section 57, and are formed as bottomed cylindrical spaces extending downward within the cleaning section 57 from the openings 58a and 59a. This makes it possible to store the cleaning liquid delivered from the needle 113 when the needle 113 is introduced into the first cleaning liquid storage section 58 and the second cleaning liquid storage section 59.

In addition, an overflow inlet 65 is provided at the top of the cleaning section 57 around the openings of the first cleaning liquid storage section 58 and the second cleaning liquid storage section 59 to collect cleaning liquid that overflows from the openings, and an overflow drain 66 is formed at the bottom of the overflow inlet 65 to drain the cleaning liquid that overflows into the overflow inlet 65. An inflow side opening 66a, which serves as an entrance to the overflow drain 66, is formed at the bottom of the overflow inlet 65, and an inflow side opening 66b, which serves as an exit from the overflow drain 66, is formed on the side of the cleaning section 57.

In addition, a waste liquid opening 72 (see FIG. 3) is formed on the side of the sealing cover 52 corresponding to the inlet opening 66b, and a drainage path fitting 73 is provided for inserting the waste liquid opening 72 into the inlet opening 66b to drain the cleaning liquid flowing through the overflow drainage path 66 to the outside.

Although not shown in detail, the flange portion 73a of the discharge path joint 73 is sandwiched between the cleaning portion 57 and the inside of the side plate of the sealing cover 52, and the cleaning portion 57 and the sealing cover 52 are attached to the base block 56, so that the discharge path joint 73 is attached to the sealing cover 52 in a state where it is inserted into the inlet side opening 66a of the overflow discharge path 66 of the cleaning portion 57 and penetrates the waste liquid opening 72 of the sealing cover 52. In this state, the discharge path joint 73 is fixed to the sealing cover 52 by screwing and tightening the nut 73b onto the threaded portion (not shown) formed on the discharge path joint 73 protruding outside the sealing cover 52.

Since the raw material storage case 51 is configured in this manner, in addition to being able to aspirate the raw material into the needle 113 without exposing it to the atmosphere, it is possible to pass a cleaning liquid through the inside of the flow path 18 and the needle 113 to clean the inside of the flow path 181 and the needle 113. By discharging the cleaning liquid from the needle 113 into the liquid storage parts 58 and 59 while the needle 113 is introduced into the liquid storage parts 58 and 59, the inside and outside of the needle 113 can also be cleaned without exposing it to the atmosphere within the sealed cover 52 by the cleaning liquid stored in the liquid storage parts 58 and 59. In addition, after cleaning, a solvent that is free of contamination as a cleaning liquid can be stored in the second cleaning liquid storage part 59, and as described below, the stored solvent can be used when moving the raw material aspirated into the needle 113 to the sample loop 13.

The syringe pump 12 is used to suck out the raw material from the raw material storage case 51 through the needle 113, the flow paths 181 to 186, and the sample loop 13, and introduce the raw material into the sample loop 13. At this time, the injection valve 15 is controlled so that the flow paths 183 and 185, and the flow paths 183 and 186 are connected.

In this embodiment, when the raw material is sucked out from the raw material storage case 51, the syringe pump 12 performs a suction operation with the tip of the needle 113, which has been filled with a solvent in advance, above the raw material, and a small amount of gas is sucked in. The tip of the needle 113 is then lowered into the raw material, and the raw material is sucked in by the suction operation of the syringe pump 12. The needle 113 is then raised so that the tip of the needle 113 is above the raw material, and the syringe pump 12 performs a suction operation again to suck in the gas. By controlling in this manner, the raw material can be sucked in with thin layers of gas formed in front of and behind the raw material.

The sample loop 13 is a flow path for temporarily retaining the raw material, and the raw material is introduced into the sample loop 13 via the needle 113 and flow paths 181, 182, and 185 by further suction of the syringe pump 12 in a state in which a thin gas layer is formed in front of and behind the raw material as described above.

As described below, the syringe pump 12 is also used to draw solvent into the syringe pump 12 from a solvent flow path (not shown) connected to the syringe pump side four-way valve 17, and then delivers the solvent thus taken in to the flow paths 181-186, the sample loop 13, and the needle 113 to wash them.

The plunger pump 14 is for sending the raw material toward the reactor 2 via the flow path 187, the flow path 186, the sample loop 13, the flow path 185, and the flow path 188. At this time, the injection valve 15 is controlled so that the flow path 187 and the flow path 186 are connected, and the flow path 185 and the flow path 188 are connected. Normally, the injection valve 15 is controlled so that the flow path 187 and the flow path 188 are connected, and only the solvent is sent.

The reactor 2 in this embodiment includes a substantially Y-shaped junction 21, a reaction path 22, and an outflow path 23. The junction 21 has the function of junctioning and mixing the raw materials flowing from two paths (e.g., paths 188a and 188b). The two raw materials mixed in the junction 21 react while flowing through the reaction path 22, and a compound is produced. The compound flows out through the outflow path 23. The outflow path 23a of the reactor 2a is connected to the junction 21b of the reactor 2b, and the outflow path 23b of the reactor 2b is connected to the collection device 3 through the automatic back pressure valve 5 described later. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outflow path 23a corresponds to the first path of the present invention, and the outflow path 23b corresponds to the third path of the present invention.

The automatic back pressure valve 5 (ABPR) is for automatically adjusting the pressure inside the flow path 18 and the reactor 2. The automatic back pressure valve 5 is controlled by the control device 4 described later, and by setting the automatic back pressure valve 5 to an arbitrary pressure, it is possible to carry out the synthesis reaction inside the reactor 2 under a pressurized condition at the set pressure. In this embodiment, the automatic back pressure valve 5 is provided in the outlet path 23b of the reactor 2b. Note that the outlet path 23b on the collector 3 side is open to the atmosphere, so the inside of the outlet path 23b on the collector 3 side of the automatic back pressure valve 5 is at atmospheric pressure.

The collecting device 3 is for collecting the compound produced by the reactor 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the collecting device 3 includes an arm 31 and a drip port 32. The collected liquid (compound, etc.) drips from the drip port 32 into a collecting container B. The collecting device 3 can hold a plurality of collecting containers B arranged two-dimensionally. In this embodiment, the collecting device 3 is configured to collect a collection unit amount of liquid in each collecting container B. The drip port 32 is connected to the outflow path 23b in a state in which the liquid can flow through.

The arm 31 is supported by the main body so that it can move parallel to the y-axis. The drip port 32 is supported by the arm 31 so that it can move parallel to the x-axis. With this configuration, the drip port 32 can be moved parallel to the xy plane, and the collection container B used for collection can be automatically switched.

The control device 4 is for controlling various operations of a flow chemistry system equipped with a raw material storage case 51 and a raw material suction device 50, and is equipped with a liquid delivery parameter calculation unit 41, a liquid delivery control unit 42, a collection section determination unit 43, a collection unit amount determination unit 44, and a collection control unit 45. In this embodiment, the control device 4 is configured by a general-purpose computer. In this embodiment, each functional unit is configured by hardware and software working together, but the control device 4 may be configured by hardware only.

The liquid delivery parameter calculation unit 41 is a functional unit that calculates the liquid delivery speed and delivery timing of the raw material of each raw material delivery device 1 (hereinafter collectively referred to as liquid delivery parameters). The liquid delivery parameters of each raw material are calculated based on physical quantities such as the inner diameter and length of the raw material flow path, the raw material concentration, and the raw material reaction ratio. For example, if the raw materials flowing through the raw material delivery devices 1a and 1b are the first raw material and the second raw material, respectively, the liquid delivery speed of each raw material is determined based on the raw material concentration, the raw material reaction ratio, etc. so that the entire amount of the first raw material and the entire amount of the second raw material react in the reactor 2a. In addition, the delivery timing of each raw material is determined based on the inner diameter and length of the raw material flow path, the liquid delivery speed, etc. so that the front of the first raw material and the front of the second raw material arrive at the reactor 2a at the same time.

The liquid delivery control unit 42 is a functional unit that controls each part of the raw material suction device 50 including the needle 113 and the syringe pump 12 and the raw material delivery device 1 based on the liquid delivery parameters, and delivers the raw material to the reactor 2.

The collection section determination unit 43 is a functional unit that determines the section in which to collect the compound generated by the reactor 2.

The collection unit amount determination unit 44 is a functional unit that determines the unit amount (collection unit amount) to be collected in each collection container B in the collection device 3.

The collection control unit 45 is a functional unit that controls the collection device 3 based on the collection section determined by the collection section determination unit 43 and the collection unit amount determined by the collection unit amount determination unit 44.

The process of the flow chemistry system equipped with the raw material suction device in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the flow of the liquid delivery process of the flow chemistry system equipped with the raw material suction device, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the raw material suction device when cleaning and when suctioning raw material. In the following description, the description will be based on the flow chart of Figure 6 and with reference to Figure 7. Note that, prior to the following process, the physical quantities required for calculating the liquid delivery parameters as exemplified above are set in advance, and the liquid delivery parameter calculation unit 41 calculates the liquid delivery parameters based on them. Also, as described above, under normal circumstances, the solvent is delivered from the plunger pump 14 to the flow path 188 via the flow path 187 and the injection valve 15 at a constant speed (calculated liquid delivery speed).

6, the liquid supply control unit 42 as a control unit moves the needle 113 so that its tip is located in the first cleaning liquid storage unit 58, and performs a first cleaning liquid discharge control to discharge the cleaning liquid C from the needle 113 by discharging the syringe pump 12 (#01). In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the needle 113 penetrates the first cleaning unit sealing film 60a and discharges the cleaning liquid C into the first cleaning liquid storage unit 58. In addition, in this control, the raw material side four-way valve 16, the injection valve 15, and the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 are controlled to connect the flow path 18 from the syringe pump 12 to the needle 113, and the cleaning liquid C taken into the syringe pump 12 is sent to the needle 113. The cleaning liquid C can be taken into the syringe pump 12 from a solvent flow path (not shown) connected to the syringe pump side four-way valve 17. A solvent is used as cleaning solution C.

Next, the needle 113 is moved so that it is positioned outside the sealing cover 52, and then the needle 113 is moved so that its tip is positioned in the second cleaning liquid storage section 59, and the syringe pump 12 is operated to perform a discharge operation to discharge the cleaning liquid C from the needle 113 (#02). In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the needle 113 penetrates the second cleaning section sealing membrane 61a and the cleaning liquid C is discharged into the second cleaning liquid storage section 59.

Next, in order to suck out the raw material L using the syringe pump 12 and move it into the sample loop 13, the liquid delivery control unit 42 controls the raw material side four-way valve 16, the injection valve 15, and the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 to connect the flow paths 181-186, including the sample loop 13, from the needle 113 of the liquid handler 11 to the syringe pump 12 (#03).

Then, from the state where the second cleaning liquid discharge control described above has been performed, the needle 113 is moved so that it is positioned outside the sealing cover 52, and then the needle 113 is moved so that its tip is positioned in the sealed gas space S, which is in the gas atmosphere inside the sealing cover 52, and a first gas suction control is performed to cause the syringe pump 12 to perform a suction operation (#04). In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the needle 113 is caused to pierce the collection hole sealing membrane 55a, and the gas G in the sealed gas space S is sucked in.

Next, the needle 113 is moved so that its tip is located in the raw material L in the raw material container A, and raw material suction control is performed to cause the syringe pump 12 to perform suction (#05). In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(d), the needle 113 is penetrated through the membrane member A2 of the raw material container A, and the raw material L in the raw material container A is sucked into the needle 113. Although not shown, in this control, the needle 113 is penetrated through the membrane member A2 so that the gas flow recess formed on the outer periphery of the needle 113 is located above and below the membrane member A2 of the raw material container A. After that, the needle 113 is moved so that its tip is located in the sealed gas space S, and a second gas suction control is performed to cause the syringe pump 12 to perform suction (#06). In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(e), the gas G in the sealed gas space S is sucked. Through these controls (#04 to #06), the raw material L is sucked into the needle 113 with the gas G sandwiched between it and the front and back.

After the second gas suction control, the needle 113 is moved so that it is positioned outside the sealing cover 52, and then the needle 113 is moved so that its tip is positioned in the second cleaning liquid storage section 59, and cleaning liquid suction control is performed (#07) in which the syringe pump 12 is operated to perform suction to suck the solvent stored in the second cleaning liquid storage section 59 into the needle 113. In this control, as shown in FIG. 7(f), the needle 113 penetrates the second cleaning section sealing membrane 61a and is in a state in which the cleaning liquid C in the second cleaning liquid storage section 59 is sucked.

By this control, the cleaning liquid C is sucked into the needle 113 with the gas G sandwiched between it and the raw material L. As a result, the cleaning liquid C moves with the movement of the raw material L. Therefore, for example, when the syringe pump 12 is further operated to perform a suction operation to move the raw material L sucked into the needle 113 in a direction of sucking inside the needle 113 and the flow path 18, the small amount of raw material L that adheres to the needle 113 and the flow path 18 as the raw material L moves can be washed by the cleaning liquid C moving with the raw material L while proceeding inside the needle 113 and the flow path 18.

Next, in order to move the raw material L sandwiched between the gas G in the needle 113 and the flow path 181 into the sample loop 13 in this state, the liquid delivery control unit 42 performs further suction using the syringe pump 12, and introduces the raw material L sandwiched between the gas G into the sample loop 13 via the needle 113 and the flow paths 181, 182, and 185 (#08). This maintains the layers of gas G before and after the raw material L even in the sample loop 13. In addition, under this control, the inside of the needle 113 and the flow paths 181, 182, and 185 are washed by the cleaning liquid C that moves with the raw material L as described above.

Next, in order to flow the raw material L in the sample loop 13 toward the reactor 2, the liquid delivery control unit 42 controls the injection valve 15 to connect the flow paths 187 and 188 from the plunger pump 14 to the reactor 2 through the sample loop 13 (#09). In this state, the solvent delivered from the plunger pump 14 flows into the sample loop 13 through the flow paths 187 and 186. Then, the raw material L remaining in the sample loop 13 is pushed into the flow path 188 through the flow path 185. As a result, the raw material is delivered toward the reactor 2 (#10). At this time, the raw material L in the flow path 188 is sandwiched between layers of gas G on both the front and rear ends, and further, there is a solvent downstream of the gas G layer on the downstream side in the delivery direction, and there is also a solvent upstream of the gas G layer on the upstream side in the delivery direction. That is, the raw material L is sandwiched between layers of gas G on the front and rear, and the raw material L sandwiched between the layers of gas G is further sandwiched between the solvent on the front and rear.

This process is carried out individually in each of the raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c. The process (#01 to #08) up to retaining the raw material L in the sample loop 13 may be carried out simultaneously in all of the raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c, but the process (#09 to #10) of sending the raw material L in the sample loop 13 towards the reactor 2 is carried out at a calculated delivery timing.

As described above, in the flow chemistry system of this embodiment, synthesis can be performed continuously under different conditions, so it is necessary to wash the flow path 18 and the like before changing the conditions. For example, in the above-mentioned first cleaning liquid discharge control and second cleaning liquid discharge control, when washing the flow path 181 and the liquid handler 11 (particularly the needle 113), the liquid delivery control unit 42 controls the raw material side four-way valve 16, the injection valve 15, and the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 to connect the flow path 18 from the solvent flow path (not shown) connected to the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 to the syringe pump 12. In this state, the liquid delivery control unit 42 performs an aspirating operation on the syringe pump 12 to take in the solvent into the syringe pump 12. Next, the liquid delivery control unit 42 controls the raw material side four-way valve 16 to connect the flow path 18 from the syringe pump 12 to the liquid handler 11, and performs a sending operation on the syringe pump 12. This allows the solvent to flow from the syringe pump 12 to the liquid handler 11, washing the flow path 18 and the inside of the needle 113. The solvent used for washing is discharged from the needle 113 to the first washing liquid storage section 58 or the second washing liquid storage section 59 formed in the washing section 57 in the raw material storage case 51. The timing of this washing can be any timing until the next synthesis is started, but it is preferable to perform this washing at the same time as the process of sending the raw material L in the sample loop 13 toward the reactor 2, as this reduces time loss.

When cleaning the sample loop 13 and the flow paths 185 and 186, the liquid delivery control unit 42 first controls the raw material side four-way valve 16, the injection valve 15, and the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 to connect the flow path 18 from the solvent flow path (not shown) connected to the syringe pump side four-way valve 17 to the syringe pump 12, and operates the syringe pump 12 to suck in the solvent into the syringe pump 12. Next, the liquid delivery control unit 42 controls the raw material side four-way valve 16 and the injection valve 15 to connect the flow path 18 from the syringe pump 12 to the sample loop 13 and further to the liquid handler 11, and operates the syringe pump 12 to send out the liquid. This allows the inside of the sample loop 13 to be washed. The timing of this washing may be any timing until the next synthesis is started, but it is preferable to perform it when the entire raw material is sent from the sample loop 13 to the flow path 188, as this reduces time loss.

Next, a method for determining the collection section in the collection section determination unit 43 will be described. As described above, since each raw material is sent to the reactor 2 in a determined amount based on the liquid sending parameters, it is possible to theoretically calculate which part of the liquid flowing into the outflow path 23 is the desired compound. Hereinafter, the part in which this theoretically determined compound exists is referred to as the theoretical collection section. This theoretical collection section can be defined as a physical quantity such as the elapsed time from a specified time and the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the outflow path 23b (third flow path) from the specified time. Therefore, the section in this invention is a concept that refers to these physical quantities. In the following explanation, the section is set based on the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the outflow path 23b. Therefore, in the following explanation, "before" and "after" mean "decrease" and "increase" in the flow rate.

As described above, the liquid transfer of each raw material is controlled based on the liquid transfer parameters determined so that the front and rear ends of each raw material reach the reactor 2 at the same time. Specifically, the liquid transfer is controlled so that theoretically, when each raw material joins in the joining channel 21 of the reactor 2, the front and rear ends of the raw materials are aligned. However, due to various errors, the front and rear ends of each raw material may be misaligned. In addition, each raw material flows while being sandwiched between the solvent at the front and rear. Therefore, there is a risk that the raw material may flow into the solvent. As described above, a layer of gas G is formed between the solvent and the raw material, so that the raw material is less likely to flow into the solvent, but it is difficult to completely prevent the raw material from flowing into the solvent. For these reasons, when the collection device 3 collects liquid in the theoretical collection section, not only the compound but also unreacted raw material and solvent may be collected near the front and rear ends of the section. Therefore, the collection section determination unit 43 has multiple collection section setting modes to meet the needs of various users.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing how to determine this collection interval. Figure 8(a) shows the theoretical collection interval. Here, the theoretical amount of compound is assumed to be 1000 μl, and the start point of the theoretical collection interval is assumed to be the point where x (μl) of liquid has flowed from a specified time. In this case, the theoretical collection interval is [x, x+1000]. Note that in Figure 8, the blackened area is the theoretical collection interval, and the vertically hatched area is the collection interval.

In the first mode, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the collection interval determination unit 43 shifts the entire collection interval backward so that the start point of the collection interval is a predetermined amount behind the start point of the theoretical collection interval. In the example of FIG. 8(b), the collection interval determination unit 43 sets the start point of the collection interval to a point where the liquid has flowed x+100 (μl) from a predetermined time. In other words, the displacement of the start point is 100 μl. In this mode, the end point of the collection interval is also shifted backward by the same amount as the start point. Therefore, in this example, the collection interval is [x+100, x+1100]. As described above, the 100 μl of liquid in the interval [x, x+100] may contain substances other than the compound (solvent or unreacted raw materials). Therefore, by excluding the liquid in this interval [x, x+100] from the collection interval, it is possible to avoid collecting compounds with low concentrations.

In the first mode, the end point of the collection interval is shifted back by the same amount as the start point of the collection interval, but as shown in FIG. 8(c), in the second mode, the end point of the collection interval is shifted forward from the end point of the collection interval in the first mode. In the example of FIG. 8(c), the collection interval determination unit 43 sets the start point of the collection interval to the point where x+100 (μl) of liquid has flowed from a specified time, and makes the end point of the collection interval the same as the end point of the theoretical collection interval. In this example, the collection interval is [x+100, x+1000], and compared to the first mode, it is possible to avoid collecting low concentration compounds in the interval [x+1000, x+1100].

Figure 8 (d) shows the collection interval in the third mode. In this mode, the collection interval is determined so that the center point of the theoretical collection interval coincides with the center point of the collection interval. In this example, the start point of the collection interval is set 100 μl behind the start point of the theoretical collection interval, and the end point of the collection interval is set 100 μl before the end point of the theoretical collection interval. Therefore, the collection interval in this example is [x + 100, x + 900]. Generally, the concentration of the compound is thought to be highest in the center part of the theoretical collection interval, so by setting the collection interval in this way, it is possible to collect only compounds with high concentrations.

In the above-mentioned mode, the purpose was to collect only high-concentration compounds while excluding compounds with low concentrations, but there is also a demand to use the liquid before and after the collection section. For example, this section may contain not only low-concentration compounds but also unreacted raw materials, and there is a demand to purify and reuse the raw materials. In the fourth mode, in order to meet such demands, a first preliminary collection section and a second preliminary collection section are set to collect the liquid before and after the collection section. As shown in FIG. 8(e), the first preliminary collection section is a section set immediately before the collection section, and the second preliminary collection section is a section set immediately after the collection section. The lengths of these sections can be determined based on the liquid delivery speed, the ease of mixing of the raw materials with the solvent, etc., but since the raw materials are considered to be more easily mixed with the following solvent (upstream side in the liquid delivery direction) than with the preceding solvent (downstream side in the liquid delivery direction), in this embodiment, the second preliminary collection section is set longer than the first preliminary collection section. In this example, the collection interval is [x+100, x+900], the first preliminary collection interval (hatched portion with an upward sloping line in the figure) is [x-100, x+100] for 200 μl, and the second preliminary collection interval (hatched portion with an upward sloping line in the figure) is [x+900, x+1200] for 300 μl. By setting the first and second preliminary collection intervals in this way, unreacted raw materials can be efficiently recovered.

The user can select the desired collection interval setting mode via a user interface (not shown). It is also possible to present the collection interval determined by the collection interval determination unit 43 to the user, and allow the user to modify the collection interval via the user interface.

The amount of displacement of the start and end points of the collection interval relative to the start and end points of the theoretical collection interval in the above explanation is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate. The amount of displacement can be specified by the user, or can be determined based on the properties and physical quantities of the raw materials and solvents, etc.

Next, the processing of the collection unit amount determination unit 44 will be described. As described above, the collection device 3 of the flow chemistry system in this embodiment is configured to collect liquid in multiple collection containers B. The amount of liquid collected in each container (collection unit amount) can be set arbitrarily by the user, but in the fourth mode of the collection section determination method, the collection unit amount is automatically set. In the fourth mode, three sections, the first preliminary collection section, the collection section, and the second preliminary collection section, are set, and it is expected that the concentration of the compound contained in the liquid collected in each section will be different. Therefore, it is preferable that the liquid collected in each section is collected in a different collection container B. Therefore, the collection unit amount determination unit 44 in this embodiment sets the greatest common denominator of the first preliminary collection section, the collection section, and the second preliminary collection section as the collection unit amount. For example, if the first preliminary collection section is 200 μl, the collection section is 800 μl, and the second preliminary collection section is 300 μl, the collection unit amount is 100 μl. In this way, by determining the collection unit volume, the liquid collected in each section can be collected in a separate container, making it possible to make the collection volume in all containers the same.

The collection section and collection unit amount thus determined are notified to the collection control unit 45. The collection control unit 45 controls the collection device 3 to collect liquid into each collection container B based on the collection section and collection unit amount. In the above example, two collection containers B are used in the first preliminary collection section, eight collection containers B are used in the collection section, and three collection containers B are used in the second preliminary collection section.

[Another embodiment]

(1) In the above embodiment, when the raw material is sucked out by the needle 113 of the liquid handler 11, gas G is sucked in before and after the raw material is sucked in, so that a thin layer of gas G is formed in front of and behind the raw material. However, when the raw material is sucked out, the raw material may be sucked into the needle 113 in a state in which a thin layer of gas G is not formed in front of or behind the raw material. In other words, in the above embodiment, before and after the tip of the needle 113 is lowered into the raw material to suck in the raw material, the syringe pump 12 performs a suction operation with the tip of the needle 113 above the raw material to suck in a small amount of gas G. However, this is not limited to the above, and the suction of a small amount of gas G by the suction operation of the syringe pump 12 may be omitted before and after the raw material is sucked in.

(2) In the above embodiment, all of the raw material delivery devices 1a, 1b, and 1c are equipped with a liquid handler 11, but it is also possible to configure only one of the raw material delivery devices 1 equipped with the raw material storage case 51 to be equipped with a liquid handler 11. For example, when the raw material to be used is fixed, a container such as a sample bottle in which the raw material is stored may be used instead of the raw material delivery device 1. In this case, the flow path 181 can be connected to the container in which the raw material is stored without using the needle 113.

(3) In the above embodiment, the number of raw materials flowing into one reactor 2 is two, but it may be three or more.

(4) In the above embodiment, two reactors 2 are provided and two-stage synthesis is performed, but the synthesis may be performed in one stage. In that case, in FIG. 1, the outflow path 23a is connected to the collection device 3.

(5) In the above embodiment, the liquid delivery control unit 42 as a control unit performs second gas suction control to suck gas G from the sealed gas space S into the needle 113, and then performs cleaning liquid suction control to suck the solvent stored in the second cleaning liquid storage unit 59 into the needle 113. However, this is not limited to the above, and the cleaning liquid suction control may be omitted.

(6) In the above embodiment, the cleaning unit 57 is provided in the sealing cover 52 of the raw material storage case 51, and the second cleaning unit hole 61, the first cleaning unit hole 60, the first cleaning unit sealing membrane 60a, and the second cleaning unit sealing membrane 61a are provided in the sealing cover 52. However, this is not limited to the above, and the cleaning unit 57, the second cleaning unit hole 61, the first cleaning unit hole 60, the first cleaning unit sealing membrane 60a, and the second cleaning unit sealing membrane 61a may be omitted in the raw material storage case 51. In this case, the liquid supply control unit 42 as a control unit may omit the first cleaning liquid discharge control for discharging the cleaning liquid C from the needle 113 to the first cleaning liquid storage unit 58, the second cleaning liquid discharge control for discharging the cleaning liquid C from the needle 113 to the second cleaning liquid storage unit 59, and the cleaning liquid suction control for sucking the solvent stored in the second cleaning liquid storage unit 59 into the needle 113.

As described above, it is possible to provide a raw material storage case and raw material suction device that can suck in raw material using a needle without contacting the outside air.

4: Control device 50: Raw material suction device 51: Raw material storage case 52: Sealing cover 53: Container installation section 54: Upper closing plate 57: Cleaning section 58: First cleaning liquid storage section 59: Second cleaning liquid storage section 60: Hole for first cleaning section 60a: Sealing membrane for first cleaning section 61: Hole for second cleaning section 61a: Sealing membrane for second cleaning section 70: Gas inlet 71: Gas outlet 113: Needle A: Raw material container G: Gas L: Raw material S: Sealed gas space

Claims (5)

A raw material suction device having a raw material storage case that stores raw material to be sucked by a needle,
a raw material storage case including a sealing cover for filling a gas therein, and a container installation section formed in the sealing cover for installing a raw material container in which the raw material is stored, the raw material collection hole being formed in an upper closing plate constituting an upper portion of the sealing cover for introducing the needle into the raw material container, the raw material collection hole being closed by a collection hole sealing membrane formed of an elastic member through which the needle can be penetrated ;
a needle supported to be movable; a pump connected to the needle; and a control unit that controls the operation of the pump and the needle;
The control unit performs first gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in a sealed gas space in the gas atmosphere within the sealed cover and to perform suction operation of the pump, then performs raw material suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in the raw material within the raw material container and to perform suction operation of the pump, and then performs second gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is positioned in the sealed gas space and to perform suction operation of the pump. A cleaning unit for cleaning the needle is provided in the sealing cover,
The cleaning unit is provided with a first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning liquid storage section capable of storing a cleaning liquid,
a first cleaning part hole for introducing the needle into the first cleaning liquid storage part and a second cleaning part hole for introducing the needle into the second cleaning liquid storage part are formed in the upper closure plate;
The raw material suction device as described in claim 1, wherein the first cleaning section hole and the second cleaning section hole are respectively closed by a first cleaning section sealing membrane and a second cleaning section sealing membrane formed of an elastic material through which the needle can be penetrated. 3. The raw material suction device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing cover is provided with a gas inlet for introducing the gas into the inside of the sealing cover and a gas outlet for discharging the gas to the outside. A raw material suction device having a raw material storage case that stores raw material to be sucked by a needle,
a sealing cover for filling the inside with a gas; and a container installation section formed in the sealing cover for installing a raw material container in which the raw material is stored, wherein an upper closing plate constituting an upper portion of the sealing cover is formed with a raw material collection hole for introducing the needle into the raw material container, and the raw material collection hole is closed by a collection hole sealing membrane formed of an elastic member through which the needle can be penetrated,
the raw material containing case further comprising a cleaning section for cleaning the needle within the sealing cover, the cleaning section being formed with a first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning liquid storage section capable of storing a cleaning liquid, the upper closure plate being formed with a first cleaning section hole for introducing the needle into the first cleaning liquid storage section and a second cleaning section hole for introducing the needle into the second cleaning liquid storage section, the first cleaning section hole and the second cleaning section hole being closed by a first cleaning section sealing membrane and a second cleaning section sealing membrane, respectively , each of which is formed with an elastic member through which the needle can be penetrated;
a needle supported to be movable; a pump connected to the needle; and a control unit that controls the operation of the pump and the needle;
the control unit performs first cleaning liquid discharge control to move the needle so that its tip is located in the first cleaning liquid storage section and to discharge cleaning liquid from the needle by performing discharge operation of the pump, then moves the needle so that it is located outside the sealing cover, then moves the needle so that its tip is located in the second cleaning liquid storage section and to perform second cleaning liquid discharge control to discharge cleaning liquid from the needle by performing discharge operation of the pump, then moves the needle so that it is located outside the sealing cover, then performs first gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is located in a sealed gas space that is in a gas atmosphere inside the sealing cover and to perform suction operation of the pump, then performs raw material suction control to move the needle so that its tip is located in the raw material in the raw material container and to perform suction operation of the pump, and then performs second gas suction control to move the needle so that its tip is located in the sealed gas space and to perform suction operation of the pump. 5. The raw material suction device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit, after performing the second gas suction control, moves the needle so that it is positioned outside the sealing cover, and then moves the needle so that its tip is positioned in the second cleaning liquid storage section, and performs cleaning liquid suction control by causing the pump to perform a suction operation to suck in the cleaning liquid from the second cleaning liquid storage section.

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