JP2009204552A - Specimen storage vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a specimen storage vessel which prevents a lid body from coming off accidentally, while appropriately sealing a specimen, such as blood. <P>SOLUTION: This specimen storage vessel A1 comprises a bottomed cylindrical section 1 capable of storing the blood S, and the lid body 2 for sealing the bottomed cylindrical section 1. For inserting the lid body 2 into the bottomed cylindrical section 1, there are provided a non-sealing duration, when gas in the bottomed cylindrical section 1 can be released from the clearance 3 between the lid body 2 and the bottomed cylindrical section 1, and at a sealing duration, when the lid body 2 seals the bottomed cylindrical section 1 after the non-sealing duration. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a specimen storage container that can be used, for example, in a container for a centrifuge.

  The blood contains various components such as glucose, albumin and calcium in addition to red blood cells and white blood cells. When measuring the concentration of components (plasma) other than blood cell components, a container for storing these samples is used. In order to avoid measurement errors when measuring a specimen containing these plasma components, it is desirable to separate the plasma component and the blood cell component in advance.

  Conventionally, containers for containing specimens have been proposed and marketed in order to measure the concentration of components in blood. These containers are placed on a centrifuge or left to stand to separate a specimen, for example, blood contained therein, into a plasma component and a blood cell component. In order to measure the component concentration in the blood, the measurer takes out the plasma component separated from the blood cell component from the inside of the sample storage container using a pipette or the like and uses it for the measurement. In addition to the technique, various analytical devices with built-in small centrifuge mechanisms or combinations of small desktop centrifuges and automatic analyzers are proposed to efficiently measure the concentration of these components in blood. (For example, Patent Document 1), FIG. 14 shows an example of a specimen storage container preferably used in such a centrifugal separator. The container X shown in the figure includes a bottomed cylindrical portion 91 and a lid 92. The bottomed tube portion 91 can store blood S. The lid 92 has a tip plate portion 92 a that fits into the inner surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 91. For example, after injecting the blood S together with the anticoagulant into the bottomed tube portion 91, the bottomed tube portion 91 is sealed by pushing the tip plate portion 92a into the bottomed tube portion 91. In this state, the blood S is mixed with the anticoagulant by gently shaking the container X upside down. After performing an operation called inversion mixing, the lid 92 is removed, and the bottomed cylindrical portion 91 is loaded into the centrifuge. Then, the centrifuge, the specimen collection, and the component concentration measurement work are automatically performed by the centrifuge.

However, in order to seal the bottomed cylindrical portion 91 to such an extent that inversion mixing can be performed appropriately, the tip plate portion 92a and the inner surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 91 need to be in close contact with the entire circumference. Further, in order to prevent the lid 92a from being accidentally detached from the bottomed cylindrical portion 91 due to an external force in an operation such as inversion mixing, the distal end plate portion 92a is inserted to a relatively deep position with respect to the bottomed cylindrical portion 91. It is preferable to do. When the lid 92 is inserted into the bottomed cylinder portion 91, the air accommodated in the bottomed cylinder portion 91 is significantly compressed. In particular, the compression rate of the lid 92 increases as the container X is made smaller in order to save the space of the analyzer and the centrifugal separator. As a result, there is a problem in that the lid 92 is blown off from the bottomed tube portion 91 by the internal pressure of the bottomed tube portion 91.
No. WO02 / 016043

  The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances described above, and is a specimen storage container capable of preventing a lid from being accidentally removed while suitably sealing a specimen such as blood. The issue is to provide

  A specimen storage container provided by the present invention is a specimen storage container comprising a bottomed cylindrical portion that can store a liquid and a lid that seals the bottomed cylindrical portion, and the bottomed portion of the lid In the insertion into the cylindrical portion, a non-sealed period during which the gas in the bottomed cylindrical portion can be released from the gap between the lid and the bottomed cylindrical portion, and after the non-sealed period, the lid body is And a sealing period for sealing the tube portion.

  According to such a configuration, during the non-sealing period, even if the internal space of the bottomed cylindrical portion is reduced by insertion of the lid, air corresponding to the reduced amount is released from the gap. For this reason, the internal pressure of the bottomed cylindrical portion hardly increases during the non-sealing period. And if insertion of the said cover body advances and it transfers to the said sealing period, the said bottomed cylinder part will be sealed appropriately by the said cover body. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately prevent the internal pressure of the bottomed cylindrical portion from being unduly increased while increasing the insertion depth of the lid. A deeper insertion depth of the lid body is preferable for preventing the lid body from being detached by an external force such as a moment. Further, by preventing an excessive increase in the internal pressure of the bottomed cylinder part, it is possible to avoid the lid body from coming out of the bottomed cylinder part so as to fly off.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a groove extending in the depth direction from the open end is formed in the bottomed cylindrical portion, and at least until the distal end in the insertion direction of the lid passes through the distal end of the groove. This period is the non-sealing period. According to such a configuration, the lid body is not forced to deform excessively during the non-sealing period. This is advantageous for increasing the durability of the lid.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottomed cylindrical portion is formed with a convex portion that extends in the depth direction from the open end and can cause the gap by locally deforming the lid. And the period until the front-end | tip of the said insertion direction of the said cover body passes the front-end | tip of the said convex part is made into the said non-sealing period. According to such a configuration, when the lid body is pulled out from the state where the lid body is completely inserted, the convex portion generates a resistance against the withdrawal. Thereby, unintentional omission of the lid can be prevented.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a specimen storage container according to the present invention. The container A1 of the present embodiment includes a bottomed cylindrical portion 1 and a lid body 2, and separates blood cell components and plasma in advance in order to measure the concentration of components (plasma) other than blood cell components contained in blood, for example. Used for centrifugation. The aspect used for the centrifuge is an aspect for deepening the understanding of the specimen storage container according to the present invention, and of course, the use of the specimen storage container is not limited to this.

  The bottomed tube portion 1 is made of a transparent or translucent material. An example of this material is a resin such as polypropylene or glass. If a transparent or translucent material is used, it is possible to easily inject a liquid such as blood, but it may be formed of an opaque material. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5, the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 includes an opening 11, a groove 12, a pair of shaft portions 14, and a pair of gripping portions 15, and has an elliptical cross section. It is cylindrical. In the present embodiment, the bottomed tube portion 1 has a substantially constant cross-sectional shape in the length direction.

  The opening 11 is a portion for injecting a liquid such as blood S into the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. Further, the lid body 2 is inserted from the opening 11. The groove 12 extends in the depth direction from the opening 11 as shown in FIG. 5 and has, for example, a semicircular cross section. As shown in FIG. 3, in the state where the lid 2 is completely inserted into the bottomed cylindrical portion 1, the depth direction tip of the groove 12 is at a position shallower than the depth direction tip of the lid 2.

  The pair of shaft portions 14 are columnar shapes protruding in opposite directions, and are used to suspend the bottomed tube portion 1 so as to be pivotable with respect to the centrifugal separator. The pair of gripping portions 15 are tongue-shaped portions extending from both sides of the opening 11. The pair of gripping portions 15 are used by the user to carry the container A1 or the bottomed cylindrical portion 1.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the container A <b> 1 of the present embodiment has the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 alone and is loaded into the centrifuge device B. The centrifugal separator B includes a motor 41 and a rotor 42, and is a device for separating blood, which is a specimen, into blood cell components and plasma. The motor 41 is disposed directly below the rotor 42 and is directly connected to the rotor 42 via a drive shaft (not shown). The rotor 42 is made of, for example, resin and has a thick cylindrical shape.

  The rotor 42 is formed with a pair of locking portions 42a. Each locking portion 42a is formed as a semicircular groove, for example. The pair of shaft portions 14 are locked to the pair of locking portions 42a. Thereby, the bottomed cylinder part 1 is suspended so that it can pivot with respect to the rotor 42. When the rotor 42 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 41, the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 swings by the centrifugal force so that the depth direction coincides with the rotational radial direction. By continuing this rotation state, blood is separated.

  The lid 2 is for sealing the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 and is made of a relatively soft resin such as polyethylene. As shown in FIG. 4, the lid body 2 includes a flange 21, a rib 22, a tip plate portion 23, and a grip portion 24. The flange 21 has an elliptical plate shape and is larger than the opening 11 of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. The flange 21 is for defining the insertion depth of the lid body 2 with respect to the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. The rib 22 extends in the depth direction from the flange 21 and has a cross-shaped cross section in the present embodiment. The tip plate portion 23 is provided at the tip of the rib 22 and has an elliptical plate shape. The distal end plate portion 23 is sized to fit in close contact with the inner surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. The grip portion 24 is an L-shaped portion extending from the flange 21 and is used by the user to hold the lid 2.

  FIG. 7 shows a state in which the blood S is injected into the bottomed tube portion 1. The bottomed tube portion 1 contains an anticoagulant such as heparin in advance. Prior to centrifugation by the centrifuge B described above, it is necessary to sufficiently mix the blood S and the anticoagulant. This mixing is performed by so-called inversion mixing. In order to perform this operation, the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 is sealed by the lid 2.

  FIG. 8 shows a process of inserting the lid 2 into the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. The state shown in the figure is the non-sealing period referred to in the present invention. The non-sealing period refers to a state in which the lower end (front end) of the distal end plate portion 23 of the lid 2 is located between the opening 11 of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 and the lower end of the groove 12. In this state, the tip plate portion 23 is in close contact with the inner surface of the bottomed tube portion 1 except for the portion where the groove 12 is formed. The groove 12 is not filled with the tip plate portion 23. Thereby, the clearance gap 3 is formed between the cover body 2 and the bottomed cylinder part 1. From this gap 3, the air in the bottomed cylinder portion 1 can be easily released.

  When the lid 2 is further inserted, as shown in FIG. 3, the flange 21 of the lid 2 comes into contact with the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. Thereby, the insertion of the lid body 2 is completed, and the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 is sealed. The state from when the lower end of the distal end plate portion 23 passes the lower end of the groove 12 until the insertion of the lid 2 is completed is referred to as a sealing period. In this sealing period, at least a part of the tip plate portion 23 is in close contact with the inner surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 over the entire circumference. Thereby, the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 is sealed by the lid 2.

  Next, the operation of the container A1 will be described.

  According to the present embodiment, during the non-sealing period, even if the internal space of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 is reduced by the insertion of the lid 2, air corresponding to the reduced amount is released from the gap 3. For this reason, the internal pressure of the bottomed cylinder part 1 hardly increases during the non-sealing period. Then, when the insertion of the lid body 2 proceeds and shifts to the sealing period, the bottomed tube portion 1 is appropriately sealed by the lid body 2. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately prevent the internal pressure of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1 from being unduly increased while increasing the insertion depth of the distal end plate portion 23. The deeper the insertion depth of the distal end plate portion 23 is, the more preferable it is to prevent the lid body 2 from being detached by an external force such as a moment. Moreover, it can avoid that the cover body 2 falls out from the bottomed cylinder part 1 so that the internal pressure of the bottomed cylinder part 1 is prevented from excessively rising.

  If it is the structure which forms the clearance gap 3 by the groove | channel 12, it will not be forced that the cover body 2 deform | transforms excessively in the said non-sealing period. This is advantageous for enhancing the durability of the lid 2.

  9 to 13 show another embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, the same or similar elements as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment.

  9 to 12 show a second embodiment of the specimen storage container according to the present invention. The container A2 of the present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in the configuration of the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. In the present embodiment, a rib 13 is formed on the bottomed cylindrical portion 1. The rib 13 extends in the depth direction from the opening 11, and the length thereof is, for example, the same as the length of the groove 12 in the above-described embodiment. 9, the end plate portion 23 of the lid 2 is in a position beyond the ribs 13. The rib 13 is an example of a convex portion referred to in the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 10, after the blood S is injected into the bottomed tube portion 1, the insertion of the lid body 2 is started. In this case, naturally, the tip plate portion 23 has an elliptical shape without distortion. 11 and 12 show the container A2 during the non-sealing period. In the non-sealing period, the tip plate portion 23 contacts the rib 13. For this reason, the tip plate part 23 is locally deformed by the rib 13. Thereby, the clearance gap 3 arises between the cover body 2 and the bottomed cylinder part 1. FIG. From the gap 3, the air in the bottomed cylinder portion 1 can be released.

  Also according to such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in internal pressure in the bottomed tube portion 1 during the non-sealing period and to seal the bottomed tube portion 1 with the lid 2 during the sealing period. Furthermore, as clearly shown in FIG. 9, when the lid body 2 is pulled out from the state where the lid body 2 is completely inserted, the rib 13 generates a drag force against the withdrawal. Thereby, unintentional omission of the lid 2 can be prevented.

  FIG. 13 shows a lid used in the third embodiment of the specimen storage container according to the present invention. The lid body 2 of the present embodiment is different from the lid body 2 of the above-described embodiment in that the lid body 2 and the groove 26 are provided. The body portion 25 extends from the flange 21 and has an elliptical shape with a uniform cross section. The groove 26 extends from the tip of the body portion 25. The length of the trunk | drum 25 is substantially the same as the distance from the flange 21 lower surface of the cover body 2 of embodiment mentioned above to the front-end | tip board part 23 lower surface, for example. The length of the groove 26 is substantially the same as the length of the groove 12 or the rib 13 in the above-described embodiment. The bottomed tube portion 1 used in this embodiment is obtained by removing the groove 12 or the rib 13 from the bottomed tube portion 1 of the above-described embodiment. That is, the bottomed tube portion 1 of the present embodiment has an inner surface that is smooth and has an elliptical shape with a uniform cross section.

  Also in such an embodiment, in the insertion of the lid body 2, the period from when the front end of the body portion 25 passes through the opening 11 to when the upper end of the groove 26 passes through the opening 11 is the non-sealing referred to in the invention. It becomes a period. And after the upper end of the groove | channel 26 passes the opening 11, it becomes a sealing period said by this invention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an excessive increase in internal pressure in the bottomed tube portion 1 during the non-sealing period and to seal the bottomed tube portion 1 with the lid 2 during the sealing period.

  The specimen storage container according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the specimen storage container according to the present invention can be varied in design in various ways.

  In the embodiment described above, the form used in the centrifuge is described as an example of the sample storage container according to the present invention. However, the use of the sample storage container according to the present invention is not limited to this. The sample storage container according to the present invention can be applied to an application in which a sample is temporarily stored in a sealed state and needs to be opened again when moving to a subsequent inspection process.

It is a perspective view which shows 1st Embodiment of the sample storage container which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line of FIG. 2 (sealing period). It is a perspective view which shows the cover body used for the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the bottomed cylinder part used for the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the use condition of the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inject | poured the blood into the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in the non-sealing period of the sample storage container shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of the sample storage container which concerns on this invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which blood is injected into the specimen storage container shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the specimen container shown in FIG. 9 in a non-sealing period. It is sectional drawing which follows the XII-XII line | wire of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the cover body used for 3rd Embodiment of the specimen storage container which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional sample storage container.

Explanation of symbols

A1, A2 (Sample storage) Container B Centrifugal device 1 Bottomed cylindrical part 2 Lid 3 Clearance 11 Opening 12 Groove 13 Rib 14 Shaft part 15 Grasping part 21 Flange 22 Rib 23 Tip plate part 24 Grasping part 25 Trunk part 26 Groove

Claims (3)

A bottomed cylindrical portion capable of containing a liquid;
A lid for sealing the bottomed cylindrical portion;
A specimen storage container comprising:
In the insertion of the lid into the bottomed cylinder part, a non-sealing period during which the gas in the bottomed cylinder part can be released from the gap between the lid and the bottomed cylinder part, and after this non-sealing period There is a sealing period in which the lid body seals the bottomed cylindrical portion, and the specimen storage container. A groove extending in the depth direction from the opening end is formed in the bottomed cylindrical portion,
The specimen storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least a period until the distal end in the insertion direction of the lid passes the distal end of the groove is the non-sealing period. The bottomed cylindrical portion is formed with a convex portion that extends in the depth direction from the open end and can cause the gap by locally deforming the lid.
The specimen storage container according to claim 1, wherein at least a period until the distal end of the lid in the insertion direction passes through the distal end of the convex portion is the non-sealing period.

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