JPH0238241B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for pretreating a sample for chemical analysis or the like.

In automatic chemical analyzers, serum, blood plasma,
Collected samples such as urine and cerebrospinal fluid are analyzed, but as a pretreatment for this analysis, it is necessary to remove proteins from the collected samples. Conventionally, such protein removal treatment involves adding a flocculant to the collected sample to flocculate the proteins, then placing the sample container in a centrifuge to precipitate the protein portion and extracting only the supernatant. Alternatively, after placing the collected sample in a vessel with a filter membrane that does not allow only proteins to pass through, extract the components of the collected sample excluding proteins by applying pressure with nitrogen gas or using centrifugal force to pass through the membrane. Alternatively, the sample is passed through an adsorbent such as silica gel or an organic ion exchange resin together with a carrier liquid, and then a solvent is passed through the adsorbent to elute the components retained on the adsorbent and remove proteins. We are currently extracting sample components.
Whichever method is used for such conventional protein removal treatment, it must be carried out manually and requires a great deal of labor. Due to recent rapid advances in automatic chemical analyzers, the analysis itself requires almost no effort, so it has been hoped that an apparatus capable of automatically removing proteins would emerge. The present invention has been made based on such demands, and one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, 1 is a sample supply device, and the sample supply device includes a large number of sample containers 2a, 2b, . . .
2n, a sample suction tube 4 for sucking up the sample from the sample containers 2a, 2b, . The sample suction tube 4 is connected to the C terminal of the first switching valve 7 of the sample injection section 6. The sample injection section 6 includes a first switching valve 7, a second switching valve 8, and the D of the first and second switching valves 7, 8.
It consists of a first sample measuring coil 9 connected between the terminals and a second sample measuring coil 10 connected between the B terminals of the first and second switching valves 7 and 8. Reference numeral 11 denotes a pump that sucks up liquid in the direction of the arrow, and is used to suck up the sample from the sample supply device 1 and to suck up washing water from the washing water tank 12. The pump 11 is connected to the A terminal of the second switching valve 8 via a third switching valve 13. 1
4a is a carrier liquid tank for flowing the sample held in the sample injection part 6;
For example, physiological saline is dissolved in 4a. 14
14C is a PH adjusting liquid tank containing a PH adjusting liquid such as a phosphoric acid solution, and 14d is a cleaning liquid tank containing a cleaning liquid.
Each of these solution tanks 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d
is connected to the first channel multi-way switching valve 15. The outlet passage of the first passage multi-way switching valve 15 is connected to the A terminal of the first switching valve 7 via a liquid pump 16 and a three-way joint 40. The three-way joint 40
A nitrogen gas source 42 for discharging cleaning liquid and the like is connected via a tank 41 to the nitrogen gas source 42 . Further, the C terminal of the second switching valve 8 is connected to the protein removing section 17. The protein removal section 17 has a pair of funnel-shaped cassette receivers 1 provided above and below, as shown in FIG.
The main components are a filter cassette 20 and the like set between the filters 8 and 19 and the cassette receivers 18 and 19. The filter cassette 20 has a conical end, has channels 25 and 26 for flowing the sample in the shaft core, and has a pair of members 21 and 2 that are screwed together.
2, an ultrafiltration membrane 23a and a porous support plate 23b made of polyethylene or the like are sandwiched between them. A large number of filter cassettes 20 are prepared, and each of these cassettes 20 is mounted in a cassette mounting recess 44 of a turntable 43, as shown in FIG. The turntable 43
rotates one step each time the sample changes, and a new cassette 20 is set between the cassette receivers 18 and 19. The sample from which proteins have been removed by the protein removing section 17 is supplied to a sampling device 27 .
The sample collecting device 27 includes a large number of sample containers 28a, 2.
8b, . . . , 28n, . . . and a waste liquid tank 30 for discharging waste liquid.

In the configuration as described above, first, the first
After switching the second and third switching valves 7, 8, and 13 so that they are connected as shown by the solid line, the pump 11 is operated to transfer the sample in the specific container of the sample supply device 1 to the first
Aspirate the sample so that it fills the sample measuring coil 9.
Thereafter, the first, second, and third switching valves are switched so that they are connected as shown by dotted lines, and the first passage multi-way switching valve 15 is switched so that its outlet passage is connected to the carrier liquid tank. Here, the sample suction tube 4 is connected to the waste liquid tank 5, and the pump 11 is operated to transfer the washing water from the cleaning water tank 12 to the sample suction tube 4 through the second sample measuring coil 10. Pour into tank 5 to clean the sample suction system. Thereafter, nitrogen gas is introduced through the nitrogen gas source 45 and the drain 46 to discharge the washing liquid from the sample suction system. Next, the sample suction tube 4 is inserted into the sample container containing the next sample, and the third switching valve 13 is switched to connect as shown by the solid line, and then the pump 11 is operated to measure the second sample. Inhale the next sample into the coil 10. Meanwhile, in parallel with such a series of operations, the liquid feeding pump 16 is operated to
The carrier liquid contained in the carrier liquid tank 14a is made to flow through the first switching valve 7 to the first sample measuring coil 9. As a result, the sample held in the first sample measuring coil 9 is introduced into the filter cassette 20 of the protein removal section 17 together with the carrier liquid. As a result, the proteins contained in the mixture of sample and carrier liquid introduced into the filter cassette 20 are prevented from passing through the ultrafiltration membrane 23, and the portion excluding the proteins passes through the ultrafiltration membrane 23. It passes through and is introduced into a specific sample container of the sample collection device 27.
When the first sample is deproteinized in this way and this sample is collected into the sample container of the sample collecting device 27, the cassette receivers 18 and 19 of the protein removing section 17 are moved to the dotted line 18 in FIG. ',1
After moving to the position indicated by 9', the turntable 43 is rotated by one step and a new cassette is placed in the cassette holder 18, 1 in place of the filter cassette that was initially set in the cassette holder 19.
9, and then the cassette receiver 18,
19 to its original position to completely set the cassette. Next, the multi-way switching valve 15 is switched so that the washing water tank 14d is connected to the liquid feed pump 16, and the outlet end of the protein removal section is connected to the waste liquid tank 30, and the liquid feed pump 16 is activated. The washing water is passed through the first switching valve 7, the first sample measuring coil 9, the second switching valve 8, and the protein removal section 17.
It flows into the waste liquid tank 30 via. As a result, the flow path through which the cleaning liquid passed is cleaned. Here Kotoku 4
1 is opened to introduce nitrogen gas into this system to discharge the washing liquid. After this, the first and second switching valves 7 and 8 are switched so that they are connected as shown by the solid line, and
After operating the pump 11 with the third switching valve 13 connected as shown in the dotted line and cleaning the sample suction system, switch the third switching valve 13 so that it is connected as shown in the solid line. As in the first case, a third sample is sucked into the first sample measuring coil 9, and in parallel, a carrier flow is passed through the second sample measuring coil 10 to remove protein from the second sample.

In this way, the apparatus of the present invention automatically deproteinizes different samples in sequence.

In addition, when it is necessary to dilute the sample collected in the sample container of the sample collecting device 27, the first channel multi-way switching valve 15 is connected to the diluent tank 14b and the liquid sending pump 1.
6, and connect the protein removal section 1.
7 into the sample container. or,
When PH adjustment is required, the multi-way switching valve 15 is similarly switched, and the PH adjustment liquid from the PH adjustment liquid tank 14c is passed through the protein removal section 17 to the sampling device 27.
Pour into the sample container.

Furthermore, the embodiment described above is only one embodiment of the present invention, and many modifications can be made. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the protein removing section 17 was configured to remove proteins using an ultrafiltration membrane, but it may also be configured to remove proteins using silica gel, organic ion exchange resin, or the like. In this case, the process described above in the description of the prior art may be performed. That is, a protein removal section 17 containing an adsorbent such as silica gel or organic ion exchange resin is prepared, and the solution tanks 14a, 14
A solution tank containing a solvent is prepared in one of b, 14c, and 14d. Then, the sample collection device 27 is first switched to the waste liquid tank 30 side, and the sample is introduced into the protein removal unit 17 together with the carrier liquid, and the protein contained in the mixed liquid of the sample and the carrier liquid is stored in the waste liquid tank 30. do. Next, the sample collecting device 27 is switched to the specific sample container side, and the connection of the multi-way switching valve 15 is switched to the solution tank containing the solvent to introduce the solvent into the protein removal section 17. As a result, the components remaining in the adsorbent, that is, the sample components excluding protein, are extracted, and the sample components remaining in the sample collecting device 27 are extracted.
The specimen is collected in a specific sample container.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the protein removal section shown in FIG. 1 in detail. 1: Sample supply device, 2a, 2n, 28a, 28
n: sample tube, 3, 29, 43: turntable,
4: Sample suction tube, 5, 30: Waste liquid tank, 6: Sample injection section, 7, 8, 13: Switching valve, 9, 10: Sample measuring coil, 11, 16: Pump, 12, 14
d: Washing water tank, 14a: Carrier liquid tank, 14
b: Dilution liquid tank, 14c: PH adjustment liquid tank, 15: -Flow path multi-way switching valve, 17: Protein removal section, 18,1
9: Cassette receiver, 20: Filter cassette, 23
a: Ultrafiltration membrane, 23b: Support plate, 25, 26:
Channel, 27: Sampling device, 40: Three-way valve, 4
1,46: Kotoku, 42,45: Nitrogen gas tank, 4
4: Concave part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A protein removal device that sucks up a sample from a sample container of a sample supply device and collects the sample from which proteins have been removed into a sample collection device, which includes at least two sets of samples that hold the sample sucked up from the sample container. sample weighing coil,
A sample supply system comprising a first liquid feeding means connected to the sample supply device via the sample measuring coil, a plurality of liquid tanks containing carrier liquid, diluting liquid, etc., and selective liquid feeding from the plurality of liquid tanks. a second liquid feeding means for
A sample collection system includes a protein removal means connected to the liquid feeding means via a sample measuring coil, and collects a protein-removed sample into a sample collection device, and a sample supply system and a sample collection system include two sets of sample measuring coils. The protein removal means consists of a cassette that uses the axial core as a flow path to remove proteins, and a cassette receiver that attaches the cassettes above and below and connects the flow path to the sample collection system. What is claimed is: 1. A protein removal device comprising: a cassette that is detachable and replaceable; 2. A patent characterized in that the sample supply system and the sample collection system are each equipped with a cleaning means, and each system is configured so that sample supply and cleaning of the system, and sample collection and cleaning of the system can be performed in parallel. The protein removal device according to claim 1.