JPS645653B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device that stabilizes the temperature of a buffer solution and equilibrates dissolved oxygen by heating the buffer solution multiple times to be used in a biological testing device or the like.

For example, an apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed as an apparatus for stabilizing the temperature and dissolved oxygen of a buffer solution. Here, the buffer solution 7 is placed in a buffer solution container 13. In order to keep the buffer solution 7 at a constant temperature, there is an immersion heater 5 and a temperature detector 4 inside the buffer solution 7. Control device 2 connected to these and power supply 1
The temperature of the buffer solution is adjusted to keep it at a constant temperature. Also, by rotating the stirring shaft 6 with a propeller-shaped tip by the motor 3, the buffer solution 7 is
Bubbling was performed while stirring the buffer solution 7 to keep the temperature of the buffer solution 7 constant and to equilibrate the dissolved oxygen. Also, a buffer solution 7 kept at a constant temperature is sucked into the cylinder 9 through a tube 8, and the sucked buffer solution is sent to a predetermined device, such as a measuring cell 11, a nozzle 12, or other necessary devices 14.
The water is discharged from the cylinder 9 through the switching valve 10 to be sent to a predetermined device.

In such conventional devices, even if bubbling is used, it is only possible to equilibrate the dissolved oxygen sufficiently unless the buffer solution is deep, and if the oxygen gas for bubbling contains impurities, the impurities may be present in the buffer solution. The water would dissolve easily and the water would evaporate easily. Moreover, if the buffer solution is foamable, there is a drawback that bubbling cannot be performed. In addition, since a temperature detector 4, an immersion heater 5, a stirring shaft 6, etc. are installed in the buffer solution container 13, when replacing the buffer solution 7 in the buffer solution container 13 with a new buffer solution, these temperature Detector 4 and immersion heater 5
This process was very time-consuming and troublesome because the stirring shaft 6 and the like had to be removed.

Also, when sending the buffer solution 7 in the buffer solution container 13 to a predetermined device, if the tube from the buffer solution 7 to the predetermined device is long, the tube will take away the temperature of the buffer solution, and therefore, the tube will take away the temperature of the buffer solution. There was a drawback that the temperature of the buffer solution that reached the apparatus was lower than the temperature of the buffer solution 7.
Furthermore, in the device having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, even when the buffer solution 7 in the buffer solution container 13 is used up, the container 13 is almost sealed, so even if the buffer solution 7 is filled with vapor, temperature detection is not possible. The container 4, the immersion heater 5, and the control device 2 continue to operate and become unheated, which is extremely dangerous.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and after taking out the buffer solution in the buffer solution container to the outside of the buffer solution container using a circulation pump and bringing the buffer solution to a constant temperature using a temperature control device, By returning the buffer solution to the buffer solution container again, the buffer solution can be exchanged easily.Also, when sending the buffer solution to a predetermined device, the buffer solution in the buffer solution container is taken out by the water supply means and transferred to the predetermined amount. By heating the buffer solution again to a constant temperature using a temperature control device before reaching the device, it is possible to send the buffer solution at a constant temperature to the specified device. By flowing the buffer solution taken out into the tube and installing a device to detect the flow, even if the buffer solution is almost gone, the detection device will turn off the power to the temperature control device, etc. or sound a warning buzzer, etc. To provide a buffer solution stabilizing device that improves safety by doing so, and further allows dissolved oxygen in the buffer solution to be equilibrated by applying a negative pressure to the buffer solution from a circulation pump and heating the buffer solution by a temperature control device. There is a particular thing.

Hereinafter, the structure of the present invention will be explained according to examples.

FIG. 2a is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment.
In FIG. 2a, the buffer solution container 15 is kept at a constant temperature (for example, 37°C in accordance with the measured temperature of a living body).
buffer solution 16 is contained. The tube 17 is connected to the inlet of a circulation pump 25, and the buffer solution leaving the outlet of the circulation pump passes through the tube 27, which is spirally wound around the heating drum 26.

The starting point a of the spirally wound tube 27 is the ending point a'. The heating drum 26 has a built-in heater and a temperature detector, and is connected to a temperature controller 28 . These spirally wound tubes 27
, the heating drum 26 incorporating the temperature detector 46 and the heater 45, and the temperature controller 28 are collectively referred to as a first temperature adjustment device 101. The buffer solution 16 enters the buffer solution container 15 again through the circulation pump 25 at the end point a' of the spirally wound pipe 27, but the buffer solution outlet 18 of the pipe 17 is connected to the buffer solution container 15 via the circulation pump 25. It is arranged along the side wall surface of the container 15.

The light from the light source 19 is converted into parallel light by a lens 20, passes through a glass tube 20', and enters a light receiving element 21.
An amplifier 22 is connected to the light receiving element to switch a switching circuit 23. As a result, the power source 24 serves as a power source for the circulation pump 25, etc. (other than that connected to the circulation pump 25 is not shown)
Switching the power source. On the other hand, a pipe 36 is contained in the buffer solution 16, and the pipe 36 is connected to a switching valve 30, and the switching valve is connected to a cylinder 29 used as a water supply means and a starting point b of a pipe 33 wound around a heating drum 32. There is. heating drum 32
A tube 33 is wound around the tube 33, whose starting point is b and ending point b'. The heating drum 32 has a built-in heater and a temperature detector, and the heater and temperature detector are connected to the temperature controller 31. The heating drum 32 containing a heater and a temperature detector, the tube 33 wound around the heating drum 32, and the temperature controller 31 are collectively referred to as a second temperature control device. A contact point b' of the tube 33 wound around the heating drum 32 is connected to a switching valve 34, and the switching valve 34 is connected to predetermined devices (measuring cell 35, nozzle 36, and other necessary devices 37). Figure 2b shows the heating drum 26 and 32.
In the enlarged view of the temperature controllers 28 and 31, a heating drum 41 contains a heat transfer material 37, and a tube 42 is wound around the outside of the heating drum 41. A heater 38 and a temperature detector 39 are contained in the heat transfer material 37, and each is connected to a temperature controller 40. Figure 3 shows
This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which a first temperature control device 101 and a second temperature control device 102 are used as a common temperature control device 103, and the heat transfer material is made of a material with good thermal conductivity (such as metal). It is cylindrical. The cylindrical end face is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and the heater 4 is
5 and a temperature sensor 46 are included in the heat transfer body 44. A tube from the circulation pump 25 shown in FIG. 2a is wound inwardly around this heat transfer body 44 starting at a and ending at a'. Outside of that, there is a second
The pipe from the switching valve 30 shown in Figure a is spirally wound outwards with a starting point b and an ending point b' as shown in Figure 2a. The outside of the tube is covered with a heat insulating material 43 as required. The heater 45 and temperature detector 46 are connected to a temperature regulator 47. That is,
The portion within the dotted line shown in FIG. 2a (the first temperature control device 101 and the second temperature control device 102) is replaced with the common temperature control device 103 shown in FIG.

Next, to explain the operation, in FIG. 2a, the buffer solution 16 in the buffer solution container 15 is
5 through 17 and supplied to a tube 27 wound around a heating drum 26. Since the heating drum 26 is kept at a constant temperature by the temperature controller 28, the heat is supplied to the tube 27 wound around the heating drum 26, so that the temperature of the buffer solution flowing therein becomes constant. . As described above, the buffer solution is kept at a constant temperature by the first temperature control device 101. The buffer solution, which has reached a constant temperature through the heating drum 26, is returned again through the wall of the buffer solution container 15. Here, the dissolved oxygen in the buffer solution is balanced by the synergistic effect of the negative pressure action on the buffer solution by the circulation pump 25, the pulsating flow action, and the heating action by the heating drum 26. The reason why the returned buffer is passed through the wall of the buffer container 15 is to discharge this dissolved oxygen. As a result, the buffer solution 16 containing a certain amount of dissolved oxygen and at a certain temperature is present in the buffer container 15.

As mentioned above, while the buffer solution is circulating, the light beam emitted from the light source 19 enters the light receiving element 21 correctly, and the input signal of the light receiving element 21 is transmitted to the amplifier 22.
is amplified by the buffer and turns on the switching circuit to supply power to the power supply 24, or if the buffer runs out, there is no buffer in the glass tube 20' and an air layer flows out from the glass tube 20'. Total internal reflection occurs due to the large difference in refractive index of the light receiving element 2.
Since only a small amount of light is incident on the switch 1, the switching circuit 23 is turned off and all operations are stopped, thereby playing a role such as preventing heating. The buffer solution 16 in the buffer solution container 15 is sucked through a switching valve 30 by a cylinder 29 used as a water supply means as necessary. Next, the switching valve 30 is switched from the buffer solution side to the heating drum 32 side to discharge the buffer solution in the cylinder 29.
The discharged buffer solution is supplied to a tube 33 wrapped around a heating drum 32. Since the heating drum 32 is kept at a constant temperature by the temperature controller 31, the heat is supplied to the tube 33 wound around the heating drum 32, so that the temperature of the buffer solution flowing therein is kept constant. As described above, the second temperature control device 1
02 brings the buffer solution to a constant temperature. Since the switching valve 34 is previously switched to a predetermined device, for example, the measurement cell 35, the buffer solution at a constant temperature is supplied to the measurement cell 35. Second
The first and second temperature control devices 101, 10 in Figure b
2 is heated to a constant temperature by a heater 38, a temperature detector 39, and a temperature controller 40, and the tube 4
The buffer solution flowing through 2 from the starting point a or b towards the ending point a' or b' is heated to a constant temperature. In FIG. 3, the buffer solution flowing by the circulation pump 25 (FIG. 2 a) enters the starting point a of the pipe and is preheated to a constant temperature by the heater 45, temperature controller 47, and temperature detector 46. It is heated to a constant temperature by the heat transfer body 44, and reaches the end point a' of the tube.
It is returned to the buffer container 15 (FIG. 2a). On the other hand, the cylinder 29 (Fig. 2a) which is the water supply means
The buffer solution discharged from the tube enters the starting point b of the tube and is heated to a constant temperature by the heat transfer body 44, which has been heated to a constant temperature by the heater 45, temperature regulator 47, and temperature detector 46. It reaches the end point b' of the pipe in which it is located and is sent to a predetermined device through a switching valve 34. In this way, as shown in FIG. 3, the first temperature control device 101 and the second temperature control device 102 are replaced with a common temperature control device 103 as shown in FIG. Useful for miniaturization and low cost.

By having the structure and operation as described above, the present invention maintains the buffer solution in the buffer solution container at a constant temperature, and also controls the negative pressure action and pulsating flow action of the circulation pump on the buffer solution, as well as the temperature control device. Due to the synergistic effect with the heating action of This prevents the buffer solution container from being heated and emptied, and furthermore, when sending the buffer solution to a predetermined device, it is possible to send the buffer solution at a constant temperature by heating it midway. Furthermore, by providing a temperature control device outside the buffer solution container, there is an effect that the buffer solution in the buffer solution container can be easily replaced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional buffer stabilizing device.
Figure 2a is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the buffer stabilizing device of the present invention, Figure 2b is a diagram showing the first and second temperature controllers, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing the common temperature controller. FIG. 15...Buffer solution container, 16...Buffer solution, 17
... tube, 18 ... buffer solution outlet of tube, 19 ... light source, 20 ... lens, 20' ... transparent part (glass) of tube, 21 ... light receiving element, 22 ... amplifier,
23... Switching circuit, 24... Power supply, 2
6, 32... Heating drum, 27, 33... Tube wound around the heating drum, 28, 31... Temperature controller,
29... Water supply means (cylinder), 44... Heat transfer body, 45... Heater, 46... Temperature detector, 4
7...Temperature controller, 57...Buffer inlet of tube, 1
01...First temperature adjustment device, 102...Second temperature adjustment device, 103...Third temperature adjustment device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A buffer solution container for holding a buffer solution at a constant temperature, and a method for taking out the buffer solution in the buffer solution container, heating it, and returning it to the buffer solution container again. a circulation pump, and a first temperature control device;
A pipe for connecting the buffer solution container, a first temperature control device, and a circulation pump, and for returning the buffer solution to the buffer solution container again, and a pipe for connecting the buffer solution in the buffer solution container to a predetermined device. A stabilizing device for a buffer solution, comprising: a water supply means for supplying water to the water supply means; and a second temperature control device for heating the buffer solution supplied by the water supply means to a constant temperature again. hand,
The circulation pump is located at the rear of the first temperature control device with respect to the flow direction of the buffer solution flowing inside the tube, and the buffer solution outlet of the tube is arranged along the side wall surface of the buffer solution container. The buffer solution inlet of the tube is located at a lower portion inside the buffer solution container, and a light source and a lens adjacent thereto are disposed between the buffer solution inlet of the tube and the first temperature control device. is provided in the vicinity of the tube, a light receiving element is disposed on the opposite side of the tube from the lens, a portion of the tube interposed between the light receiving element and the lens is transparent, and the light receiving element: 1. An apparatus for stabilizing a buffer solution, characterized in that the device is connected to a switching circuit having a power source via an amplifier, and the switching circuit is connected to the circulation pump. 2. The buffer solution stabilizing device according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature regulating device and the second temperature regulating device are a common temperature regulating device.