JPH0133778B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a sample supply device used in an electrophoresis apparatus.

[Prior Art] As shown in FIG. 4, a sample dish used in an automatic electrophoresis apparatus is one in which a plurality of sample dispensing recesses 1a are formed in one sample dish 1. A different sample 2 is included. A sample supply device for supplying the sample dish 1 while preventing the evaporation of water from the sample 2 has been invented, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 57845/1983 filed by the applicant of the present invention. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the sample supply device has an upper opening 3a and an inner dimension that is almost the same as an outer dimension of the sample dish 1, so that a plurality of sample dishes 1 can be stacked and stored in the vertical direction. A sample plate storage container 3, which has a front opening 3b large enough to allow one sample plate 1 to pass through at its lower end and is installed on a support stand 4, and a sample plate 1 on the uppermost one. The placed sample plate protective cover 5 and the lowest sample plate 1
It is equipped with a piston type sample transfer device 6 for transferring the sample to the sample attachment position A through the front opening 3b, and a receiving tray 7 for storing the used sample plate 1. The sample 2 is pushed out through the front opening 3b and moved to the sample attachment position A, where the sample 2 is attached to the coating tip 9 of the sample applicator 8, and then the sample 2 attached to the coating tip 9 is supported at the sample coating position B. During this time, the sample transfer mechanism 6 was reactivated, and the second sample tray 1, which was at the lowest position, was pushed out to the sample attachment position A. The first sample plate 1 is pushed by the movement of the second sample plate 1 and falls into the receiving tray 7, and the above operation is repeated sequentially. , that is, until it is moved to the sample attachment position A, the protective cover 5 is
Alternatively, a sealed state was maintained by the sample plate 1 stacked directly above, thereby preventing moisture from evaporating from the sample 2.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] This sample supply device drops the used sample plate 1 into the receiving tray 7 as described above, so the sample 2 cannot be reused for re-inspection, etc. There were flaws. In addition, since the tray 7 is located between the sample attachment position A and the sample application position B, both positions A and B
As a result, the moving time of the coating tip 9 between the two positions A and B becomes longer, and the sample 2 adhering to the coating tip 9 dries before it is coated on the support 10, making it difficult to measure. It also had the disadvantage of having a negative impact on the results.

The present invention has been made in view of the above drawbacks, and
The purpose is to provide a sample supply device suitable for an electrophoresis device.

[Means and actions for solving problems]

The present invention provides a sample plate having a sample accommodating portion formed at the front edge portion of the upper surface and an inclined portion at the rear edge portion, a sample plate storage container for storing the sample plate, and a lower portion of the sample plate storage container. a sample plate transport mechanism that transfers the sample plate to a sample attachment position and a sample discharge position through an opening provided in the sample plate storage container;
It has a sample plate cover whose bottom surface is located lower than the top surface of the sample plate and which covers the discharged sample plate.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The same members as in FIGS. 4 and 5 will be described with the same reference numerals. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the sample dish 1' used in FIG. 1'b is formed, and a pair of left and right engagement holes 1' in which the upper end of a sample plate feeding lever, which will be described later, can be engaged with the rear edge portion of the bottom surface thereof.
The basic structure of the sample plate 3' in which c is formed is the same as that of the conventional sample plate storage container 3, but it also has a rear opening 3'c at its lower end large enough for one sample plate 1' to pass through. The provided sample plate storage container 4' has the same basic structure as the conventional support stand 4, but it also has a pair of long left and right slots 4' in the front and back, through which the upper end of the sample plate feeding lever, which will be described later, passes through the top wall. The support stand 5' on which a is provided has the same basic structure as the conventional sample plate protection cover 5, but it also has a left and right pair on the rear edge side of the bottom surface of which the upper end of the sample plate feed lever, which will be described later, can engage. This is a sample plate protection cover in which an engagement hole 5'a is formed. 11 is a sample plate storage container 3'
A fixing member 12 extends rearward, and is removably fixed on the support stand 4' near the rear of the sample plate 1', and has a hole 11a at its lower end large enough to allow one sample dish 1' to pass through. The horizontal support rod 13 fixed to the fixed member 11 in this manner is mounted on the support rod 12 so as to be movable up and down within a certain range, and the position of the bottom surface (height from the top surface of the support base 4') is The thickness H') is usually lower than the position of the top surface of the sample plate 1' placed on the support stand 4 (thickness H of the sample plate 1'), and the plurality of plates are arranged in series toward the rear. This is a sample plate cover. 14 is a support member fixed on the low wall of the support base 4'; 15 is a vertical support shaft attached to the support member 14 so as to be movable up and down; 16
is an upper lever individually attached to the upper end of the vertical support shaft 15;
17 is a lower lever fixed to the lower end of the vertical support shaft 15; 18 is interposed between the upper lever 16 and the support member 14; A spring 19 is a support member 1 that provides an upward movement habit.
A stopper is fixed to the upper end of 4 and restricts the vertical support shaft 15, upper lever 16, and lower lever 17 from rising to a predetermined position. It is capable of swinging in a vertical plane, and the upper end 20b can pass through the slot 4'a of the support base 4' and engage with the engagement hole 1'c of the sample plate 1'. and a pair of left and right sample plate feed levers 21, each having a longitudinally long slot 20c in the center thereof.
A driving pin is fixed at a predetermined position on the outer periphery of a disc 22 rotated by a motor (not shown), and its tip is engaged with the slot 20c. Then, due to the displacement of the drive pin 21 due to the rotation of the disk 22 in the clockwise direction in FIG.
(Position shown by the dotted line in Figure 1. At this time, the drive pin 21 is pushing down the upper lever 16 by a stroke h from the raising restriction position against the elasticity of the spring 18, so the sample feed lever 20 is also moving from the raising restriction position by a stroke h. ), and the front dead center position b (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. ), and the rear dead center position c (the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1. At this time, the drive pin 21 is
6 has not been pushed down yet, the sample feed lever 21 remains at the upward restriction position. )
It is made to swing and move up and down sequentially, and this is repeated. Also, the reset position a of the upper end 20b of the sample feed lever 20
The forward movement distance of the sample pan 1' from the front opening 3' due to the displacement from the front dead center position b to the front dead center position b is smaller than the longitudinal width w of the sample pan 1', and the distance for dispensing the sample of the sample pan 1' The recess 1'a is the sample plate storage container 3'
The settings are set to provide sufficient exposure. Further, the backward movement distance from the rear opening 3'c of the sample pan 1' due to the displacement of the upper end 20b of the sample feed lever 20 from the front dead center position b to the rear dead center position c is equal to the front-to-back width of the sample pan 1'. It is set to be larger than W.

Since the sample supply device is constructed as described above, firstly, by sequentially inserting a large number of sample plates 1' into the sample plate storage container 3' from the upper opening 3'a, the dimensions of the upper opening 3'a and the inside are adjusted. Since the outer dimensions are approximately the same as the sample trays 1', the sample trays 1' always fall horizontally and are accurately stacked in the sample tray storage container 3'. Thereafter, the sample plate protection cover 5' is also inserted through the upper opening 3'a and placed on top of the uppermost sample plate 1'. At this time, the end 20 of the sample plate feed lever 20
b is stopped at reset position a. Next, when the disk 22 is rotated, the drive pin 21 is first disengaged from the upper lever 16, so the upper end 20b of the sample plate feed lever 20 rises and engages with the engagement hole 1'c of the lowest sample plate 1'. Then, as the upper end 20b moves to the front dead center position b, the lowermost sample tray 1' passes through the front opening 3'b of the sample tray storage container 3', and the sample dispensing recess 1'a is inserted into the sample tray 1'. It is moved forward until it reaches the attachment position A. Here, the sample 2 in the sample dispensing recess 1'a is attached to the coating tip 9 of the sample applicator 8, as in the conventional example shown in FIG. sample 2
is applied onto the support 10. In this case, since the forward moving distance from the front opening 3'b of the lowest sample pan 1' is set to be smaller than the longitudinal width of the sample pan 1', the rear of the lowest sample pan 1' remains in the sample plate storage container 3', and therefore the sample plates 1' located second or higher from the bottom cannot be lowered. Next, the upper end 20b of the sample plate feed lever 20 moves to the rear dead center position, so that the lowest sample plate 1' to which the sample has been attached is moved to the rear opening 3'c of the sample plate storage container 3' and the fixing member 11. It is moved backward through the hole 11a, moves while pushing up the sample plate cover 13 by the action of the inclined portion 1'b of the sample plate 1', and stops at a position coincident with the cover 13. During this time, the remaining sample plates 1' and protective cover 5' are lowered by one sample plate due to their own weight, and the second sample plate 1' is positioned at the lowest position. Next, the upper end 20 of the sample plate feed lever 20
b begins to move forward again, but at the same time, the drive pin 21 begins to push down the upper lever 16, so the upper end 20b also begins to descend, and since the lowering is faster than the forward movement, the upper end 20b is placed in the sample pan. 1′
It disengages from the engagement hole 1'c without moving forward and stops at the reset position a. Thus,
By sequentially repeating the above operations, the sample 2 for all sample dishes 1' in the sample storage container 3' is
is supplied, and all the sample plates 1' are sent under the sample plate cover 13 after the samples are attached. After the analysis is completed, the used sample plate 1' is recovered by removing the fixing member 11 supporting the sample plate cover 13 from the support base 4' together with the horizontal support rod 12.

During the above operation, each sample plate 1' in the sample plate storage container 3' is maintained in a sealed state by the protective cover 5' or the sample plate 1' placed directly above it.
This prevents moisture from evaporating from sample 2. Furthermore, since each sample plate 1' is sealed by the sample plate cover 13 even after the sample is attached, evaporation of moisture from the sample 2 is prevented. Further, in this state, evaporation of moisture from the used sample 2 is prevented, so the sample 2 can be reused for re-inspection or the like. Furthermore, sample attachment position A and sample application position B
Both positions A and B because no member is located between them.
As a result, the moving time of the coating tip 9 is shortened, and the sample 2 attached to the coating tip 9 hardly needs to be dried before being coated onto the support 10. Further, until the back and forth movement of the lowest sample plate 1' is completed, the second and higher sample plates 1' in the sample plate storage container 3' are prevented from descending by the lowest sample plate 1' itself. Because of this structure, there is no need for a special mechanism for temporarily holding the second or more samples on the plate 1' and then allowing them to fall.

In the case of the above embodiment, in order to allow the sample plate 1' to fall horizontally into the sample plate storage container 3', the inner dimensions of the upper opening 3'a are approximately the same as the outer dimensions of the sample plate 1'. However, as shown in FIG. 3, U-shaped recesses 1'd are provided at the left and right ends of the sample plate 1', and recesses 1'd are provided at the left and right inner walls of the sample plate storage container 3'. A vertical guide (not shown) with which the two can be engaged may be provided.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the sample supply device of the present invention, evaporation of water from the used sample in the sample pan is prevented even after the sample has been deposited, so it is possible to prevent the sample from being removed for reexamination, etc. It can be reused.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Figure A is a perspective view of a sample plate used in the present invention, Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2A, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the sample plate used in the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional sample dish, and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional sample supply device. 1'... Sample plate, 2... Sample, 3'... Sample plate storage container, 13... Sample plate lever, 20... Sample plate feeding cover.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample plate having a sample accommodating portion formed at the front edge of the upper surface and a sloped portion at the rear edge, a sample plate storage container for storing the sample plate, and a sample plate storage container provided at the bottom of the sample plate storage container. The sample plate transport mechanism transports the sample plate to the sample attachment position and discharge position through the opening provided in the sample plate. A sample supply device comprising: a sample plate cover positioned lower than the top surface of the sample plate and covering the ejected sample plate.