JP5998760B2 - Reagent container and test chip - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a reagent container and a test chip for performing a chemical, medical, and biological test of a test object.

  Conventionally, an inspection chip for inspecting biological substances, chemical substances, and the like is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cassette in which a reagent container containing a reagent can be inserted. A foil cover for sealing the reagent is attached to the surface of the reagent container. When the reagent container is inserted into the cassette, the foil cover is peeled off from the reagent container. Thereby, the reagent accommodated in the reagent container can be supplied to the flow path formed inside the cassette.

JP 2009-92643 A

  In the above cassette, when a reagent container is inserted in the cassette, a part of the reagent may not be supplied to the flow path in the cassette, and may remain in a predetermined portion of the reagent container such as a fracture surface of a foil cover. . When the centrifugal process is performed on the cassette, a mixed solution is generated in which the reagent supplied to the flow path and the specimen to be examined are mixed. At this time, if the reagent remains in a predetermined location of the reagent container, the remaining reagent may flow into the flow path in the cassette along with the centrifugal process and may be mixed into the generated mixed liquid. If the remaining reagent is mixed in the produced mixed solution, there is a possibility that an accurate test result cannot be obtained.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a reagent container and a test chip that can reduce a possibility that a reagent remaining without being supplied from a reagent container to a flow path is mixed into a generated mixed solution.

In the first aspect of the present invention, a liquid specimen and reagent can be accommodated therein, and can be inserted into a test chip in which the specimen and the reagent are mixed by being rotated around a predetermined axis. A reagent container, including a reagent container including a space in which the reagent can be stored; a seal material for sealing the reagent stored in the reagent container; and a space communicating with the reagent container; A capture unit capable of storing a part of the reagent stored in the reagent storage unit.

  According to the reagent container according to the above aspect, the reagent accommodated in the reagent accommodating portion is sealed with the sealing material. The capturing unit including a space communicating with the reagent storage unit can store a part of the reagent. After the sealing material is broken and the reagent is allowed to flow out of the reagent storage unit, the reagent remaining in the reagent storage unit is stored in the capturing unit, thereby suppressing the remaining reagent from flowing out of the reagent container. Therefore, for example, when a reagent container is inserted into the test chip, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the remaining reagent is mixed into the mixed liquid that has already been generated in the test chip.

A second aspect of the present invention is a test chip provided with the reagent container, the container housing including an insertion port into which the reagent container can be inserted, and a space in which the reagent container inserted from the insertion port can be stored. , A protrusion provided in the container housing portion and capable of forming a hole in the seal material of the reagent container disposed in the container housing portion, connected to the container housing portion, and the reagent is connected to the specimen A reagent supply path that is movable toward a position to be mixed; and a reagent flow path that is provided in the container storage section and that can move the reagent that has flowed out of the hole toward the supply path. On the other hand, the direction in which the capture unit is positioned is along the direction in which the reagent is moved through the reagent channel in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port.

  According to the test chip according to the above aspect, the reagent container inserted from the insertion port is disposed in the container housing portion, and a hole is formed in the sealing material by the protrusion. The reagent flowing out from the formed hole can move toward the supply path by the reagent flow path. The direction in which the capture unit is positioned with respect to the reagent storage unit is along the direction in which the reagent is moved through the reagent channel in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port. Therefore, the remaining reagent in the container housing part can move in the same direction as the reagent in the reagent channel. Therefore, when an external force that moves the reagent in the reagent flow path is applied to the test chip, the remaining reagent in the container housing portion can also move to the capturing portion. When the reagent and the sample are mixed in the test chip, the remaining reagent is accommodated in the capturing unit, so that the possibility that the remaining reagent is mixed into the generated mixed liquid can be reduced.

  The reagent container includes an in-container flow path in which the reagent accommodated in the reagent accommodating portion can move, and the direction in which the reagent moves through the in-container flow path is determined by the reagent container from the insertion port. In the inserted state, the reagent may be along a direction in which the reagent is moved through the reagent channel. In this case, when an external force for moving the reagent in the reagent channel is applied to the test chip, the remaining reagent in the container housing portion can be smoothly moved to the capturing portion by the channel in the container.

  The reagent flow path includes a wall that forms the container storage section, the in-container flow path includes a wall that forms the reagent storage section, and the wall that forms the reagent storage section includes the reagent container In the state inserted from the insertion port, it may incline in the same direction as the wall which forms the said container accommodating part. In this case, the reagent can be moved in the same direction in each of the reagent channel and the in-container channel.

It is a rear view of the inspection apparatus 1 in which the inspection chip 2 is in a steady state. It is a rear view of the test | inspection apparatus 1 in which the test | inspection chip 2 exists in a displacement state. It is a top view of the inspection apparatus 1 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the test | inspection chip 2 and the reagent unit 200 based on 1st embodiment. It is an enlarged front view of the 1st container accommodating part 140 based on 1st embodiment. It is a front view of the test | inspection chip 2 before the centrifugation process based on 1st embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of the inspection chip 2 revolved at a rotation angle of 0 degree following FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a front view of the inspection chip 2 revolved at a rotation angle of 90 degrees following FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a front view of the inspection chip 2 revolved at a rotation angle of 0 degree following FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a front view of the inspection chip 2 after the centrifugation process, following FIG. 9. It is a perspective view of the test | inspection chip 2 and the reagent unit 200 based on 2nd embodiment. It is a front view of the test | inspection chip 2 before the centrifugation process based on 2nd embodiment. It is the II sectional view taken on the line in FIG. FIG. 12 is a front view of the inspection chip 2 revolved at a rotation angle of 0 degree following FIG. 11.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings to be referred to are used to explain technical features that can be adopted by the present invention, and are merely illustrative examples.

<1. First embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. A schematic structure of the inspection system 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The inspection system 3 of the present embodiment includes an inspection chip 2 that can store a specimen and a reagent that are liquids, and an inspection apparatus 1 that performs an inspection using the inspection chip 2. The inspection apparatus 1 can apply a centrifugal force to the inspection chip 2 by rotation about a vertical axis that is separated from the inspection chip 2. The inspection apparatus 1 can switch the centrifugal direction that is the direction of the centrifugal force applied to the inspection chip 2 by rotating the inspection chip 2 about the horizontal axis.

<1-1. Structure of the inspection apparatus 1>
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the detailed structure of the inspection apparatus 1 is demonstrated. In the following description, the upper, lower, right, left, front side, and back side of FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively the upper, lower, right, left, rear, and front sides of the inspection apparatus 1. To do. The upper, lower, right, left, front side, and back side of FIG. 3 are the front, lower, right, left, upper, and lower sides of the inspection apparatus 1, respectively. In this embodiment, the direction of the vertical axis is the vertical direction, and the direction of the horizontal axis is the direction of the speed when the inspection chip 2 rotates around the vertical axis. For easy understanding, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the upper housing 30 with a virtual line, and FIG. 3 shows a state where the top plate of the upper housing 30 is removed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inspection apparatus 1 includes an upper housing 30, a lower housing 31, a turntable 33, an angle changing mechanism 34, and a control device 90. The turntable 33 is a disk-shaped rotating body provided on the upper surface side of the lower housing 31. The inspection chip 2 is held above the turntable 33. The angle changing mechanism 34 is a drive mechanism provided on the turntable 33. This drive mechanism rotates the inspection chip 2 around the horizontal axis. The upper housing 30 is fixed to the upper side of the lower housing 31, and the measurement unit 7 that performs optical measurement on the test chip 2 is provided inside. The control device 90 is a controller that controls centrifugal processing, measurement processing, and the like of the inspection device 1.

  The detailed structure of the lower housing 31 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower housing 31 has a box-like frame structure in which frame members are combined. On the upper surface of the lower housing 31, an upper plate 32 that is a rectangular plate material in plan view is provided. A turntable 33 is rotatably provided above the upper plate 32. A drive mechanism for rotating the turntable 33 around the vertical axis is provided in the lower housing 31 as follows.

  A spindle motor 35 that supplies a driving force for rotating the turntable 33 is installed on the left side in the lower housing 31. A shaft 36 of the main shaft motor 35 protrudes upward, and a pulley 37 is fixed. A vertical main shaft 57 extending upward from the inside of the lower housing 31 is provided at the center of the lower housing 31 in plan view. The main shaft 57 passes through the upper plate 32 and protrudes above the lower housing 31. The upper end portion of the main shaft 57 is connected to the center portion of the turntable 33 in plan view.

  The main shaft 57 is rotatably held by a support member 53 provided directly below the upper plate 32. A pulley 38 is fixed to the main shaft 57 below the support member 53. A belt 39 is stretched over the pulleys 37 and 38. When the main shaft motor 35 rotates the shaft 36, driving force is transmitted to the main shaft 57 via the pulley 37, the belt 39, and the pulley 38. At this time, the turntable 33 rotates around the main shaft 57 in conjunction with the rotation of the main shaft 57.

  A guide rail 56 extending in the vertical direction inside the lower housing 31 is provided on the right side in the lower housing 31. The T-shaped plate 48 is movable in the vertical direction within the lower housing 31 along the guide rail 56. A groove 80 that is long in the left-right direction is formed on the front side of the T-shaped plate 48, that is, on the back side in FIG. 1 and FIG.

  The aforementioned main shaft 57 is a cylindrical body having a hollow inside. The inner shaft 40 is a shaft that can move in the vertical direction within the main shaft 57. An upper end portion of the inner shaft 40 passes through the main shaft 57 and is connected to a rack gear 43 described later. A bearing 41 is provided at the left end of the T-shaped plate 48. Inside the bearing 41, the lower end portion of the inner shaft 40 is rotatably held.

  A stepping motor 51 for moving the T-shaped plate 48 up and down is fixed to the front side of the T-shaped plate 48. The shaft 58 of the stepping motor 51 protrudes toward the rear side, that is, the front side in FIG. 1 and FIG. A disc-shaped cam plate 59 is fixed to the tip of the shaft 58. A cylindrical projection 70 is provided on the rear surface of the cam plate 59. The tip of the protrusion 70 is inserted into the groove 80 described above. The protrusion 70 can slide in the groove 80. When the stepping motor 51 rotates the shaft 58, the projection 70 moves up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the cam plate 59. At this time, the T-shaped plate 48 moves up and down along the guide rail 56 in conjunction with the protrusion 70 inserted in the groove 80.

  The detailed structure of the angle changing mechanism 34 will be described. The angle changing mechanism 34 has a pair of L-shaped plates 60 fixed to the upper surface of the turntable 33. Each L-shaped plate 60 extends upward from a base portion fixed in the vicinity of the center of the turntable 33, and its upper end portion extends outward in the radial direction of the turntable 33. A rack gear 43 fixed to the inner shaft 40 is provided between the pair of L-shaped plates 60. The rack gear 43 is a metal plate-like member that is long in the vertical direction, and gears are respectively carved on both end faces.

  On the front end side in the extending direction of each L-shaped plate 60, a horizontal support shaft 46 having a gear 45 is rotatably supported. The support shaft 46 is fixed to the inspection chip 2 via a mounting holder (not shown). For this reason, the inspection chip 2 also rotates around the support shaft 46 in conjunction with the rotation of the gear 45. Between the gear 45 and the rack gear 43, a pinion gear 44 supported by an L-shaped plate 60 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis is interposed. The pinion gear 44 meshes with the gear 45 and the rack gear 43, respectively. In conjunction with the vertical movement of the rack gear 43, the pinion gear 44 and the gear 45 are driven to rotate, and the inspection chip 2 rotates about the support shaft 46.

  In the present embodiment, as the main shaft motor 35 rotates and drives the turntable 33, the inspection chip 2 rotates around the main shaft 57, which is a vertical axis, and centrifugal force is applied to the inspection chip 2. The rotation around the vertical axis of the inspection chip 2 is called revolution. On the other hand, as the stepping motor 51 moves the inner shaft 40 up and down, the inspection chip 2 rotates around the support shaft 46 which is a horizontal axis, and the direction of the centrifugal force acting on the inspection chip 2 changes relatively. . The rotation around the horizontal axis of the inspection chip 2 is called rotation.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the T-shaped plate 48 is lowered to the lowermost end of the movable range, the rack gear 43 is also lowered to the lowermost end of the movable range. At this time, the inspection chip 2 is in a steady state in which the rotation angle is “0 degree”. As shown in FIG. 2, when the T-shaped plate 48 is raised to the uppermost end of the movable range, the rack gear 43 is also raised to the uppermost end of the movable range. At this time, the inspection chip 2 is rotated from the steady state around the horizontal axis by 180 degrees. That is, in this embodiment, the angle width that the test chip 2 can rotate is the rotation angle of 0 degrees to 180 degrees.

  The detailed structure of the upper housing 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper housing 30 has a box-like frame structure in which frame members are combined, and is installed on the upper left side of the upper plate 32. More specifically, the upper housing 30 is provided outside the range in which the inspection chip 2 is rotated as viewed from the main shaft 57 at the rotation center of the turntable 33.

  The measurement unit 7 provided in the upper housing 30 includes a light source 71 that emits measurement light and an optical sensor 72 that detects the measurement light emitted from the light source 71. The light source 71 and the optical sensor 72 are disposed on both the front and rear sides of the turntable 33 outside the rotation range of the inspection chip 2. In the present embodiment, the left side position of the main shaft 57 in the reciprocable range of the inspection chip 2 is a measurement position at which the inspection chip 2 is irradiated with measurement light. When the inspection chip 2 is at the measurement position, the optical path connecting the light source 71 and the optical sensor 72 intersects the front and rear surfaces of the inspection chip 2 perpendicularly in plan view.

<1-2. Structure of inspection chip 2>
With reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the detailed structure of the test | inspection chip 2 and the reagent unit 200 which concern on 1st embodiment is demonstrated. In the following description, the upper, lower, lower left, upper right, lower right, and upper left in FIG. 4 are the upper, lower, front, rear, right, and left sides of the test chip 2 and the reagent unit 200, respectively. .

  As shown in FIG. 4, the test chip 2 can be mounted with a reagent unit 200 containing a reagent. The reagent unit 200 includes a first container 210 and a second container 220. The first container 210 and the second container 220 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small thickness in the front-rear direction and a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction, and hold the first reagent 11 and the second reagent 12 therein, respectively. In the upper right portions of the first container 210 and the second container 220, plate-like portions 231 and 232 extending to the right are provided, respectively. The plate-like portion 231 is connected to the upper left portion of the second container 220. The first container 210 and the second container 220 are integrally supported by the plate-like portion 231 in the left-right direction.

  Inside the first container 210, a reagent storage 211 that is a recess opening rearward is provided. The first reagent 11 is sealed inside the reagent storage 211 by a sealing material 212 that closes the opening of the reagent storage 211. Similarly, the second container 220 is provided with a reagent storage unit 221 that is a recess opening rearward. The second reagent 12 is sealed inside the reagent storage unit 221 by a sealing material 222 that closes the opening of the reagent storage unit 221.

  The inspection chip 2 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and mainly includes a transparent synthetic resin plate material 20 having a predetermined thickness. On the upper surface of the plate member 20, a sample insertion port 110, a first insertion port 130, and a second insertion port 150 are formed. The sample insertion port 110 is an opening for injecting the sample 10 shown in FIG. For example, the sample 10 accommodated in an instrument (not shown) may be injected into the sample insertion port 110 by a user operation. That is, the sample 10 may be injected into the test chip 2 through the sample insertion port 110 using a known method.

  The first insertion port 130 is an opening for inserting the first container 210 into the inspection chip 2. That is, the first insertion port 130 has a shape into which the first container 210 can be inserted. Specifically, the width of the first insertion port 130 in the front-rear direction is larger than the width of the first container 210 in the front-rear direction. The width in the left-right direction of the first insertion port 130 is slightly larger than the width in the left-right direction of the first container 210.

  The second insertion port 150 is an opening for inserting the second container 220 into the inspection chip 2. That is, the second insertion port 150 has a shape into which the second container 220 is inserted. Specifically, the width of the second insertion port 150 in the front-rear direction is larger than the width of the second container 220 in the front-rear direction. The width of the second insertion port 150 in the left-right direction is slightly larger than the width of the second container 220 in the left-right direction.

  The sample insertion port 110, the first insertion port 130, and the second insertion port 150 are formed side by side in the left-right direction along the upper side portion 21 that is the upper wall surface of the test chip 2. Of the sample insertion port 110, the first insertion port 130, and the second insertion port 150, the sample insertion port 110 is closest to the left side portion 23 that is the left wall surface of the test chip 2. The second insertion port 150 is closest to the right side portion 22 which is the right wall surface of the inspection chip 2. The first insertion port 130 is located between the sample insertion port 110 and the second insertion port 150. The lower wall surface of the inspection chip 2 is the lower side portion 24.

  The front surface of the plate member 20 is sealed with a sheet 29 made of a transparent synthetic resin thin plate. Between the plate member 20 and the sheet 29, a liquid flow path 25 is formed through which the liquid sealed in the inspection chip 2 can flow. The liquid flow path 25 is a recess formed at a predetermined depth on the front side of the plate member 20 and extends in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the plate member 20. That is, the sheet 29 seals the flow path forming surface of the plate material 20. The liquid channel 25 includes a sample storage unit 111, a sample determination unit 114, a sample surplus unit 116, a first container storage unit 140, a reagent determination unit 133, a reagent surplus unit 135, a second container storage unit 160, a reagent determination unit 153, The reagent surplus part 155, the mixing part 170, and the storage part 175 are included.

  The sample insertion port 110 communicates with a sample storage unit 111 provided below the sample insertion port 110. The sample storage part 111 is a part in which the sample 10 injected from the sample insertion port 110 is stored, and is a recess that opens upward. A sample supply path 112 extending rightward from the sample storage unit 111 is provided below the sample storage unit 111 and is connected to a sample supply unit 113 having a narrow channel. A sample quantitative unit 114 is provided below the sample supply unit 113. The specimen quantification unit 114 is a part that quantifies the specimen 10, and is a recess that opens upward. By applying a centrifugal force from the sample supply unit 113 toward the inside of the recess of the sample quantification unit 114, the same amount of the sample 10 as the volume inside the recess of the sample quantification unit 114 is quantified.

  A first passage 115 and a second passage 117 extend to the left and right sides from a portion where the sample supply unit 113 and the sample determination unit 114 communicate with each other. The first passage 115 extends to the sample surplus part 116 provided at the lower left of the sample determination unit 114. That is, in the first passage 115, the flow path formation direction changes. The specimen surplus part 116 is a part where the specimen 10 overflowing from the specimen quantification part 114 is stored, and is a concave part extending rightward from the lower end part of the first passage 115. The second passage 117 extends to a later-described mixing unit 170 provided on the right side of the sample determination unit 114.

  The first insertion port 130 communicates with a first container housing part 140 provided on the lower side thereof. The first container accommodating portion 140 can accommodate the first container 210 inserted from the first insertion port 130. The support portion 138 is a part of the upper surface of the plate member 20 provided on the right side of the first insertion port 130. When the first container 210 is inserted from the first insertion port 130, the support portion 138 supports the plate-like portion 231 from below. The reagent guide wall 141 is an inclined surface, and the length from the first insertion port 130 to the upper end of the reagent guide wall 141 is substantially equal to the vertical length of the first container 210. As a result, the first container 210 is disposed in the first container housing portion 140 in a state of being separated from the reagent guide walls 141 and 142.

  The length in the front-rear direction of the first insertion port 130 and the first container housing part 140 is larger than the length in the front-rear direction of the first container 210. The length in the left-right direction of the first insertion port 130 is slightly larger than the length in the left-right direction of the first container 210. Since the 1st insertion port 130 and the 1st container accommodating part 140 have the relationship of the length in the front-back direction mentioned above, the 1st container 210 accommodated in the 1st container accommodating part 140 can move to the front-back direction. The upper right part of the first container housing part 140 communicates with a reagent supply path 131 described later.

  The first container housing part 140 is provided with a protrusion 143. The contact surface 144 is a wall surface that forms the rear surface of the first container housing portion 140. The contact surface 144 is provided with a protrusion 143 that protrudes forward from the contact surface 144. The contact surface 144 is a wall surface on the downstream side in the revolution direction. The side wall on the downstream side in the revolution direction is a wall surface on which the first container 210 inserted into the first insertion port 130 comes into contact with the Coriolis force generated during the above-described revolution. The protrusion 143 can form a hole R in the sealing material 212 of the first container 210 inserted from the first insertion port 130 as shown in FIG. The first reagent 11 flows out from the hole R.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lower wall of the first container housing part 140 includes reagent guide walls 141 and 142. The reagent guide wall 141 is an inclined surface extending in the lower right direction from the lower left part of the first container housing part 140 to the substantially center in the left and right direction. The reagent guide wall 142 is an inclined surface extending in the upper right direction from the substantially horizontal center of the first container housing part 140 to the reagent supply path 131. A reagent flow path 145 is formed along the reagent guide walls 141 and 142 in the first container housing part 140. The reagent channel 145 extends from the left end portion 141B of the reagent guide wall 141 to the right end portion 142B of the reagent guide wall 142 via the bottom portion 140A that is a region located at the lowermost end of the first container housing portion 140. This is a flow path of the reagent 11. The first reagent 11 that has flowed out of the hole R can move toward the reagent supply channel 131 via the reagent channel 145.

  The left end 142A of the reagent guide wall 142 is located on the upper right side of the right end 141A of the reagent guide wall 141. Between the reagent guide walls 141 and 142, a connection path 147 is provided below the reagent guide wall 142 and extends in the upper right direction from the bottom 140A of the first container housing part 140. The connection path 147 is a flow path of the first reagent 11 branched from the reagent flow path 145 and connected to the upper left portion of the capturing unit 146. The connection path 147 is inclined upward from the horizontal direction from the bottom portion 140A of the container housing portion 140 toward the capturing portion 146 in a state where the first reagent 11 flowing out from the hole R is stored in the bottom portion 140A of the container housing portion 140. To do. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction is the horizontal direction.

  The capturing unit 146 is provided at a position branched from the reagent channel 145. The capturing part 146 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the front, and can accommodate a part of the first reagent 11 that has flowed out of the hole R. The capturing part 146 is provided in the lower right direction of the projecting part 143 and opens in the left direction. In the reagent flow path 145, as will be described later, the first reagent 11 that has flowed out of the hole R is movable toward the right side. That is, the capturing unit 146 is provided on the downstream side in the direction in which the first reagent 11 is moved in the reagent channel 145 with respect to the protrusion 143.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shapes and sizes of the first container housing part 140, the capturing part 146, etc. are defined as follows in relation to the first container 210. “X1” illustrated in FIG. 5 is a distance in the left-right direction from the left end of the first container housing 140 to the right end of the protrusion 143. “X2” is a distance in the left-right direction from the left end portion of the first container housing portion 140 to the left end portion of the reagent guide wall 142. The inspection chip 2 of this embodiment satisfies the relationship “x1 <x2”. That is, the protrusion 143 is provided on the left side of the connection path 147.

  “Z1” illustrated in FIG. 5 is a vertical distance from the bottom 140A of the first container housing 140 to the left end of the reagent guide wall 142. “Z2” is the vertical distance from the bottom 140A to the first container 210 inserted into the first insertion port 130. “Z3” is a vertical distance from the bottom 140A to the right end 147A of the connection path 147. “Z4” is the vertical distance from the bottom 140A to the left end 141B of the reagent guide wall 141.

  The inspection chip 2 of the present embodiment satisfies the relationship “z3> 0”. That is, the connection path 147 is inclined upward toward the capturing unit 146. The inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “z4 ≧ 0”. That is, the reagent guide wall 141 is inclined in the horizontal or lower right direction. The inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “z2> z1”. That is, the first container 210 is located above the entrance of the connection path 147.

  “H1” illustrated in FIG. 5 is the shortest distance from the reagent channel 145 to the first container 210 inserted into the first insertion port 130, and is synonymous with the narrowest channel width in the reagent channel 145. “H2” is the channel width of the connection channel 147. The inspection chip 2 of the present embodiment satisfies the relationship “h1> h2”. That is, the narrowest channel width of the reagent channel 145 is larger than the channel width of the connection channel 147.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the right end portion of the reagent guide wall 142 is connected to the reagent supply path 131. The reagent supply path 131 is a flow path extending in the right direction from the first container housing portion 140. The reagent supply path 131 extends downward via the right side of the capture unit 146 and connects to the reagent supply unit 132 having a narrow channel formed below the capture unit 146. A reagent quantification unit 133 is provided below the reagent supply unit 132. The reagent quantification unit 133 is a part that quantifies the first reagent 11 and is a recess that opens upward. By applying a centrifugal force from the reagent supply unit 132 toward the inside of the concave portion of the reagent quantitative unit 133, the same amount of the first reagent 11 as the volume inside the concave portion of the reagent quantitative unit 133 is quantified.

  A third passage 134 and a fourth passage 136 extend to the left and right sides from a portion where the reagent supply unit 132 and the reagent quantitative unit 133 communicate with each other. The third passage 134 extends to the reagent surplus portion 135 provided on the lower left side of the reagent fixed amount portion 133. That is, in the third passage 134, the formation direction of the flow path is changed. The reagent surplus portion 135 is a portion in which the first reagent 11 overflowing from the reagent quantitative portion 133 is stored, and is a concave portion extending rightward from the lower end portion of the third passage 134. The fourth passage 136 extends to a later-described mixing unit 170 provided on the lower side of the reagent quantitative unit 133. As described above, the reagent supply path 131 is connected to the first container housing section 140 via the fourth path 136 and is movable toward the mixing section 170 where the first reagent 11 is mixed with the specimen 10. Configure.

  The second insertion port 150 communicates with a second container housing portion 160 provided on the lower side thereof. The second container housing portion 160 has the same configuration as the first container housing portion 140 and includes reagent guide walls 161 and 162, a protruding portion 163, a contact surface 164, and a reagent channel 165. Similar to the above-described capture unit 146 and connection path 147, the capture unit 166 communicates with the second container housing unit 160 via the connection path 167. When the second container 220 is inserted from the second insertion port 150, the support portion 158 supports the plate-like portion 232 from below. The support portion 158 is a part of the upper surface of the plate member 20 provided on the right side of the second insertion port 150. Accordingly, the second container 220 is disposed in the second container housing portion 160 in a state of being separated from the reagent guide walls 161 and 162.

  The upper right portion of the second container housing portion 160 communicates with the reagent supply path 151. The reagent supply path 151 is a flow path extending in the right direction from the second container housing portion 160. The reagent supply path 151 extends downward via the right side of the capture unit 166 and connects to the reagent supply unit 152 having a narrow channel formed below the capture unit 166. A reagent quantitative unit 153 is provided below the reagent supply unit 152. The reagent quantification unit 153 is a part that quantifies the second reagent 12, and is a recess that opens upward. By applying a centrifugal force from the reagent supply unit 152 to the inside of the concave portion of the reagent quantitative unit 153, the second reagent 12 having the same volume as the volume inside the concave portion of the reagent quantitative unit 153 is quantified.

  A fifth passage 154 and a sixth passage 156 extend from the site where the reagent supply unit 152 and the reagent quantitative unit 153 communicate with each other to the left and right sides. The fifth passage 154 extends to the reagent surplus portion 155 provided on the lower left side of the reagent fixed amount portion 153. That is, the flow path formation direction of the fifth passage 154 changes. The reagent surplus portion 155 is a portion in which the second reagent 12 overflowing from the reagent quantitative portion 153 is stored, and is a concave portion extending rightward from the lower end portion of the fifth passage 154. The sixth passage 156 extends to a later-described mixing unit 170 provided below the reagent quantitative unit 153. As described above, the reagent supply path 151 is connected to the second container housing portion 160 via the sixth passage 156 and is movable toward the mixing section 170 where the second reagent 12 is mixed with the specimen 10. Configure.

  The mixing unit 170 is a rectangular recess provided at the lower right position of the inspection chip 2 and opening upward. In the mixing unit 170, the specimen 10 flowing from the second passage 117, the first reagent 11 flowing from the fourth passage 136, and the second reagent 12 flowing from the sixth passage 156 are mixed. At least a part of the mixed solution 13 of the specimen 10, the first reagent 11, and the second reagent 12 is stored in a storage unit 175 that is a recess provided in the lower right portion of the mixing unit 170.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support shaft 46 extending from the L-shaped plate 60 is vertically connected to the center of the rear surface of the plate member 20 via a mounting holder (not shown). As the support shaft 46 rotates, the inspection chip 2 rotates in the counterclockwise direction with the support shaft 46 as the center when viewed from the front. When the inspection chip 2 is in the steady state shown in FIG. 5, the upper side 21 and the lower side 24 are orthogonal to the gravity direction Z, the right side 22 and the left side 23 are parallel to the gravity direction Z, and the left side 23 is the right side. It is arranged closer to the main shaft 57 than the portion 22. When the inspection chip 2 is disposed at the measurement position in a steady state, an optical path connecting the light source 71 and the optical sensor 72 passes vertically through the storage unit 175.

<1-3. Example of inspection method>
An inspection method using the inspection apparatus 1 and the inspection chip 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. In order to facilitate understanding, FIGS. 6 to 10 show the front view of the inspection chip 2 with the sheet 29 removed. The same applies to FIGS. 12 and 14 described later. In the following description, the description will focus on the first container accommodating portion 140 and the capturing portion 146, but the same applies to the second container accommodating portion 160 and the capturing portion 166.

  First, the user attaches the inspection chip 2 to the support shaft 46, attaches the reagent unit 200 to the inspection chip 2, and inserts the first container 210 from the first insertion port 130. At the time of this insertion, the sealing material 212 moves along the contact surface 144. Since the protruding portion 143 protrudes forward from the contact surface 144, the protruding portion 143 contacts the sealing material 212 to form the hole R when the sealing material 212 moves. The hole R has a fracture surface that is long in the vertical direction corresponding to the moving direction of the first container 210.

  The first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 211 flows into the first container storage unit 140 through the hole R. As shown in FIG. 6, the first reagent 11 that has flowed out is stored in a substantially V-shaped bottom portion 140 </ b> A formed by the reagent guide walls 141 and 142. In the present embodiment, the inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “z3> 0”. Therefore, even when the first reagent 11 is stored in the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140, the first reagent 11 is unlikely to flow into the capturing part 146 via the connection path 147.

  Similarly, the sealing material 222 moves along the contact surface 164 when the second container 220 is inserted. At this time, the protrusion 163 forms a hole R in the sealing material 222. The second reagent 12 in the reagent storage unit 221 flows out through the hole R and is stored in the bottom 160A, which is an area located at the lowermost end of the second container housing unit 160, as shown in FIG.

  Further, the user injects the specimen 10 from the specimen insertion port 110. The injected sample 10 is stored in the sample storage unit 111. Thereafter, when the user inputs a process start command to the inspection apparatus 1, the following measurement operation is executed. Note that the inspection apparatus 1 can process two inspection chips 2 at the same time, but for the convenience of explanation, a procedure for inspecting using one inspection chip 2 will be described below.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, the steady state inspection chip 2 having the rotation angle “0 degree” is revolved by the drive control of the spindle motor 35. A centrifugal force X acts on the inspection chip 2 toward the downstream side in the centrifugal direction. In the present embodiment, the inspection chip 2 is set in the inspection apparatus 1 so that the right direction shown in FIG. 4 matches the right direction shown in FIG. Therefore, when the inspection chip 2 in the steady state is revolved, the centrifugal force X works from the left side portion 23 toward the right side portion 22.

  Due to the action of the centrifugal force X, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140 moves in the upper right direction along the reagent guide wall 142. That is, the first reagent 11 flows into the reagent supply channel 131 via the reagent channel 145. At this time, a part of the first reagent 11 flows into the capturing unit 146 via the connection channel 147 that branches rightward from the reagent channel 145.

  At the same time, due to the action of the centrifugal force X, the second reagent 12 stored in the bottom portion 160 </ b> A of the second container housing section 160 flows into the reagent supply path 151 via the reagent flow path 165. At this time, a part of the second reagent 12 flows into the capturing unit 166 through the connection channel 167 that branches rightward from the reagent channel 165. The sample 10 stored in the sample storage unit 111 flows into the sample supply path 112 by the action of the centrifugal force X.

  Next, by the drive control of the stepping motor 51, as shown in FIG. 8, the revolving test chip 2 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and the rotation angle is displaced to "90 degrees". Thereby, the centrifugal force X acts on the test chip 2 from the upper side portion 21 toward the lower side portion 24. The first reagent 11 that has flowed into the reagent supply path 131 by the action of the centrifugal force X flows into the reagent quantitative unit 133 through the reagent supply unit 132. In the reagent fixed amount unit 133, the first reagent 11 exceeding a predetermined amount overflows into the third passage 134 and is stored in the reagent surplus unit 135. As a result, a predetermined amount of the first reagent 11 is quantified.

  The direction of the centrifugal force X is controlled so that the first reagent 11 stored in the capturing unit 146 does not move to the first container housing unit 140 again. That is, since the capture unit 146 is a recess that closes downward, the first reagent 11 that has flowed into the capture unit 146 remains without moving from the capture unit 146. Furthermore, in the first container 210, the first reagent 11 may remain on the inner wall of the reagent storage 211, the fracture surface of the hole R, or the like. In this case, the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 moves to the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140 by the action of the centrifugal force X.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “z4 ≧ 0”. As shown in FIG. 7, the left end 142 </ b> A of the reagent guide wall 142 is lower than the midpoint of the reagent guide wall 141.
Therefore, in the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140, the ratio of the liquid amount stored above the connection path 147 increases. As shown in FIG. 8, when the test chip 2 with the rotation angle “90 degrees” is revolved, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom portion 140 </ b> A of the first container housing portion 140 is located above the connection path 147. It tends to flow into a certain reagent channel 145.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “h1> h2”. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the test chip 2 having the rotation angle “90 degrees” is revolved, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom portion 140 </ b> A of the first container housing portion 140 is more than the connection path 147. It tends to flow into the reagent channel 145. This is because the channel width of the reagent channel 145 is larger than the channel width of the connection channel 147. Therefore, the amount of the first reagent 11 that moves to the reagent supply passage 131 via the reagent channel 145 can be secured, and the amount of the first reagent 11 that flows into the capture unit 166 and is not used for the test is reduced. it can.

  At the same time, as shown in FIG. 8, the second reagent 12 that has flowed into the reagent supply path 151 by the action of the centrifugal force X flows into the reagent quantitative unit 153 via the reagent supply unit 152. In the reagent fixed amount unit 153, the second reagent 12 exceeding a predetermined amount overflows the fifth passage 154 and is stored in the reagent surplus unit 155. As a result, a predetermined amount of the second reagent 12 is quantified. On the other hand, since the reagent surplus portion 155 is a recess that closes downward, the second reagent 12 that has flowed into the capture portion 166 remains in the capture portion 166. The second reagent 12 remaining in the second container 220 moves to the bottom part 160 </ b> A of the second container housing part 160. The sample 10 that has flowed into the sample supply path 112 flows into the sample determination unit 114 via the sample supply unit 113. In the sample determination unit 114, the sample 10 exceeding a predetermined amount overflows into the first passage 115 and is stored in the sample surplus unit 116. As a result, a predetermined amount of the specimen 10 is quantified.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, by the drive control of the stepping motor 51, the revolving test chip 2 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from the front, and is displaced to a steady state. Thereby, the centrifugal force X acts on the test chip 2 from the left side 23 toward the right side 22. Due to the action of the centrifugal force X, the first reagent 11 quantified by the reagent quantification unit 133 flows into the mixing unit 170 through the fourth passage 136. Furthermore, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom portion 140 </ b> A of the first container housing portion 140 flows into the capturing portion 146 via the connection path 147. As described above, since the capturing unit 146 is a recess that closes downward, the first reagent 11 that has flowed into the capturing unit 146 remains without moving from the capturing unit 146. As described above, since the capturing unit 146 can capture and store the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 while the reagent channel 145 moves, the remaining first reagent 11 is mixed with the sample 10. The possibility of reaching the position can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the test chip 2 satisfies the relationship “x1 <x2”. Therefore, the hole R formed by the protrusion 143 is located on the left side, which is the upstream side in the direction in which the first reagent 11 moves in the reagent flow path 145 with respect to the capturing part 146. As shown in FIG. 8, when the test chip 2 with the rotation angle “90 degrees” is revolved, the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 is the reagent guide wall 141 located on the left side of the capturing unit 146. And move to the bottom 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140.

  As a result, when the test chip 2 in the steady state is revolved as shown in FIG. 9, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom portion 140A of the first container housing portion 140 has the connection path 147 in the first container housing portion. Since it is connected to the bottom portion 140A of 140, it easily flows into the connection path 147 branched from the reagent flow path 145 before reaching the reagent guide wall 142. That is, when the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 flows out of the hole R and moves through the reagent flow path 145, the first reagent 11 passes through a site that branches to the capturing unit 146. Therefore, the capturing unit 146 can reliably capture the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 while the reagent channel 145 is moving.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the inspection chip 2 satisfies the relationship “z3> 0”. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, when the centrifugal force X that moves the first reagent 11 in the reagent flow path 145 is applied to the test chip 2, the centrifugal force X is not applied to the test chip 2. Rather, the first reagent 11 tends to flow into the capturing unit 146 via the connection path 147. Therefore, the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 can be moved to the capturing unit 146 during the measurement operation, which is the timing for mixing the specimen 10 and the first reagent 11 and the second reagent 12.

  At the same time, as shown in FIG. 9, the second reagent 12 quantified by the reagent quantification unit 153 flows into the mixing unit 170 via the sixth passage 156. On the other hand, since the reagent surplus portion 155 is a recess that closes in the right direction, the surplus second reagent 12 remains in the reagent surplus portion 155. Furthermore, the second reagent 12 stored in the bottom portion 160 </ b> A of the second container housing portion 160 flows into the capturing portion 166 via the connection path 167. The sample 10 quantified by the sample quantification unit 114 flows into the mixing unit 170 via the second passage 117. On the other hand, since the specimen surplus portion 116 is a concave portion that closes in the right direction, the surplus specimen 10 remains in the specimen surplus portion 116. The specimen 10, the first reagent 11, and the second reagent 12 that have flowed into the mixing unit 170 are mixed by the action of the centrifugal force X, and the mixed liquid 13 is generated.

  Finally, the inspection chip 2 is moved to the measurement position by drive control of the spindle motor 35, and the revolution operation of the inspection chip 2 is completed. As shown in FIG. 10, a part of the mixed liquid 13 generated in the mixing unit 170 moves in the gravity direction Z and is stored in the storage unit 175. The mixed liquid 13 is optically measured by the optical path passing through the storage unit 175. The inspection apparatus 1 obtains the inspection result of the specimen 10 based on the attenuation amount of the measurement light received by the optical sensor 72. The test result of the specimen 10 is displayed on a display (not shown), for example.

<1-4. Action and effect of this embodiment>
As described above, according to the inspection chip 2 of the first embodiment, the first container 210 inserted from the first insertion port 130 is disposed in the first container housing portion 140, and the sealing material 212 is formed by the protrusion 143. A hole R is formed in The capturing part 146 including a space communicating with the first container accommodating part 140 can accommodate a part of the first reagent 11 flowing out from the formed hole R. After the sealing material 212 was broken and the first reagent 11 was caused to flow out of the first container 210, the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container 210 was accommodated in the capture unit 146, and thus remained in the first container 210. The outflow of the first reagent 11 to the reagent supply path 131 is suppressed.

  Therefore, when the 1st container 210 is inserted in the 1st insertion port 130, the possibility that the 1st reagent 11 which remained in the 1st container 210 may mix in the liquid mixture 13 produced | generated within the test | inspection chip 2 can be reduced. Similarly, when the second container 220 is inserted into the second insertion port 150, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the second reagent 12 remaining in the second container 220 is mixed into the mixed liquid 13 already generated in the test chip 2.

<2. Second embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Below, the same code | symbol as 1st embodiment is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted, and only a different point from 1st embodiment is demonstrated.

<2-1. Structure of inspection chip 2>
Detailed structures of the test chip 2 and the reagent unit 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the reagent unit 200 of the present embodiment, the first container 210 and the second container 220 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small thickness in the front-rear direction and a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. The lower left bottom part 213 of the first container 210 protrudes below the lower right bottom part 214 of the first container 210. Similarly, the lower left bottom part 223 of the second container 220 protrudes below the lower right bottom part 224 of the second container 220. In the upper right portions of the first container 210 and the second container 220, plate-like portions 231 and 232 extending to the right are provided, respectively. The first container 210 and the second container 220 are integrally connected by the plate-like portion 231. Further, a plate-like portion 233 extending to the left side is provided in the upper left portion of the first container 210.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the reagent storage unit 211 includes a reagent storage unit 241, a capture unit 242, and a connection path 243. The reagent storage unit 241 includes a space for storing the unused first reagent 11. The reagent storage unit 241 has a trapezoidal shape having an upper side and a lower side that are parallel to each other when viewed from the front, and the upper side is longer than the lower side. The reagent storage unit 241 is a recess provided on the upper side of the lower left bottom 213 and opening rearward. The right wall of the reagent storage unit 241 is an inclined surface extending in the upper right direction, and forms an in-container channel 244 in which the first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 241 can move. In the in-container channel 244, the first reagent 11 stored in the reagent storage unit 241 can move in the same direction as a reagent channel 145 described later.

  The capturing unit 242 includes a space communicating with the reagent storage unit 241 and can store a part of the first reagent 11 stored in the reagent storage unit 241. The capturing unit 242 has a trapezoidal shape having an upper side and a lower side that are parallel to each other when viewed from the front, and the lower side is longer than the upper side. The capturing part 242 is provided above the lower right bottom part 214 shown in FIG. 11 and has a smaller volume than the reagent storage part 241. The connection path 243 is a flow path of the first reagent 11 extending in the left-right direction that connects the upper right part of the reagent storage unit 241 and the upper left part of the capturing unit 242. The connection path 243 is formed on the front surface side opposite to the seal material 212 in the reagent storage unit 211.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the unused reagent unit 200, the first reagent 11 accommodated in the reagent accommodating portion 241 is sealed with a sealing material 212. On the other hand, the capture unit 242 does not contain the first reagent 11. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the connection path 243 is provided at the upper end of the reagent storage unit 241. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, in a state where the sealing material 212 faces rearward, the lower side of the reagent unit 200 coincides with the gravity direction Z shown in FIG. In this case, the first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 241 moves to the lower end side of the reagent storage unit 241 by its own weight. In other words, the first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 241 moves in a direction away from the connection path 243 provided at the upper end of the reagent storage unit 241, and thus hardly flows out through the connection path 243.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, a connection path 243 is provided at the front end of the reagent storage unit 241. For example, when the sealing material 212 faces downward, the rear of the reagent unit 200 coincides with the gravity direction Z shown in FIG. In this case, the first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 241 moves to the rear end side of the reagent storage unit 241 by its own weight. That is, the first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 241 moves in a direction away from the connection path 243 provided at the front end portion of the reagent storage unit 241, and thus hardly flows out through the connection path 243.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the reagent storage unit 221 includes a reagent storage unit 261, a capture unit 262, a connection path 263, and an in-container channel 264, similar to the reagent storage unit 211. Therefore, the second reagent 12 in the reagent storage unit 261 is unlikely to flow out through the connection path 263 in the same manner as described above, regardless of whether the sealant 212 faces rearward or downward.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the inspection chip 2 of the present embodiment, the first insertion port 130 corresponds to the shape that is long in the left-right direction of the first container 210, and the length in the left-right direction is larger than that in the first embodiment. A plate-like support portion 139 that extends horizontally below the first insertion port 130 is provided at the upper right portion of the first container housing portion 140. When the first container 210 is inserted into the first insertion port 130, the support portion 139 supports the lower right bottom portion 214 shown in FIG. 11 from below, and the lower left bottom portion 213 shown in FIG. 11 from the left side of the support portion 139. Enter downward. The plate-like portions 231 and 233 are supported from below at the opening edge of the first insertion port 130. At this time, a later-described reagent guide wall 148 is located below the first container 210, and a later-described reagent guide wall 149 is located on the lower right side of the first container 210. Accordingly, the first container 210 is disposed in the first container housing portion 140 in a state of being separated from the reagent guide walls 148 and 149.

  The upper right portion of the first container housing part 140 communicates with the reagent supply path 131 immediately below the support part 139. Similar to the first embodiment, the first container housing portion 140 is provided with a protrusion 143 that protrudes forward from the contact surface 144. The lower wall of the first container housing part 140 includes reagent guide walls 148 and 149. The reagent guide wall 148 is an inclined surface extending in the lower right direction from the lower left portion of the first container housing portion 140 to the substantially center in the left and right direction. The reagent guide wall 149 is an inclined surface extending in the upper right direction from the substantially horizontal center of the first container housing part 140 to the reagent supply path 131. The reagent guide wall 148 and the reagent guide wall 149 are connected to each other, and form a V-shaped bottom portion 140A when viewed from the front. A reagent channel 145 is formed along the reagent guide walls 148 and 149.

  The second insertion port 150 is longer in the left-right direction than in the first embodiment, corresponding to the shape of the second container 220 that is long in the left-right direction. When the second container 220 is inserted into the second insertion port 150, the support part 159 provided in the upper right part of the second container housing part 160 supports the lower right bottom part 224 from below and the lower left bottom part 223 supports it. It enters downward from the left side of the part 159. The plate-like portions 231 and 232 are supported from below at the opening edge of the second insertion port 150. Accordingly, the second container 220 is disposed in the second container housing portion 160 in a state of being separated from reagent guide walls 168 and 169 described later. The second container housing portion 160 has the same configuration as the first container housing portion 140, and includes a protrusion 163, a contact surface 164, a reagent channel 165, and reagent guide walls 168 and 169.

<2-2. Example of inspection method>
With reference to FIGS. 12-14, the test | inspection method using the test | inspection chip 2 of 2nd embodiment is demonstrated. First, the user attaches the reagent unit 200 to the test chip 2 as in the first embodiment. While the first container 210 is moving downward from the first insertion port 130, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the protrusion 143 contacts the sealing material 212 to form the hole R. The first reagent 11 in the reagent storage unit 211 flows into the first container storage unit 140 through the hole R. The first reagent 11 that has flowed out is stored in the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140.

  Similarly, when the second container 220 is inserted from the second insertion port 150, the protruding portion 163 contacts the sealing material 222 to form the hole R. The second reagent 12 in the reagent storage part 221 flows out through the formed hole R and is stored in the bottom part 160 </ b> A, which is an area located at the lowermost end of the second container storage part 160. After the sample 10 is injected from the sample insertion port 110, when the user inputs a processing start command to the inspection apparatus 1, the same measurement operation as that in the first embodiment is executed.

  First, as shown in FIG. 14, the test chip 2 in the steady state with the rotation angle “0 degree” is revolved by the drive control of the spindle motor 35. Due to the action of the centrifugal force X, the first reagent 11 stored in the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140 moves in the upper right direction via the reagent flow path 145 and flows into the reagent supply path 131. Furthermore, in the first container 210, the first reagent 11 may remain on the inner wall of the reagent storage unit 241, the fracture surface of the hole R, or the like. In this case, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 moves in the upper right direction along the in-container channel 244 and flows into the capturing unit 242 via the connection path 243.

  In the present embodiment, the in-container channel 244 can move the first reagent 11 in the upper right direction that is the same direction as the reagent channel 145. Specifically, in the state where the reagent unit 200 is mounted, the inclination angle of the in-container channel 244 and the inclination angle of the reagent guide wall 149 are the same. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the inclination angle α of the in-container channel 244 and the inclination angle β of the reagent guide wall 149 are both the same as the inclination angle with respect to the left-right direction. The inclination angle α and the inclination angle β of the reagent guide wall 149 may be the same angle, but 60 degrees is considered as an example. Therefore, at the same time as the first reagent 11 moves through the reagent channel 145 by the action of the centrifugal force X, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 is trapped via the in-container channel 244. Can move smoothly.

Furthermore, the capillary force F for the connection path 243 to take in the first reagent 11 from the reagent storage unit 241 by capillary action is smaller than the centrifugal force X applied to the test chip 2 during the measurement operation. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the connection path 243 is set so as to satisfy the relationship of “centrifugal force X> capillary force F”. As an example, when the cross-sectional shape of the connection path 243 is circular, the flow path radius “r” of the connection path 243 is set as follows. When “γ” is the surface tension of the first reagent 11 and “θ” is the contact angle of the first reagent 11, the capillary force F may be calculated by the following equation.
F = 2πr × γ × cos θ

  Thereby, in the state in which the centrifugal force X is applied to the test chip 2, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 is more connected than in the state in which the centrifugal force X is not applied to the test chip 2. It tends to flow into the capturing part 242 via the path 243. Therefore, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 can be moved to the capture unit 242 during a measurement operation that is a timing for mixing the specimen 10, the first reagent 11, and the second reagent 12. .

  At the same time, the second reagent 12 stored in the bottom portion 160 </ b> A of the second container housing portion 160 flows into the reagent supply channel 151 via the reagent channel 165. In the second container 220, the second reagent 12 remaining in the reagent storage unit 261 moves in the upper right direction along the in-container channel 264 and flows into the capturing unit 262 via the connection path 263. The sample 10 stored in the sample storage unit 111 flows into the sample supply path 112 by the centrifugal force X.

  The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment. In this case, the connection path 243 is on the side opposite to the centrifugal force X and the gravity direction Z when viewed from the capturing part 242 regardless of whether the inspection chip 2 has the rotation angle “0 degree” or “90 degrees”. Therefore, the first reagent 11 that has flowed into the capturing unit 242 is unlikely to flow out. Similarly, the second reagent 12 that has flowed into the capturing unit 262 is unlikely to flow out.

<2-3. Action and effect of this embodiment>
As described above, according to the reagent unit 200 and the test chip 2 of the second embodiment, the first reagent 11 accommodated in the reagent accommodating portion 241 is sealed with the sealing material 212. The capturing unit 242 including a space communicating with the reagent storage unit 241 can store a part of the reagent storage unit 241. After the sealing material 212 is broken and the first reagent 11 is caused to flow out of the reagent storage unit 241, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 is stored in the capturing unit 242 to the outside of the first container 210. Outflow of the remaining first reagent 11 is suppressed. Therefore, when the first container 210 is inserted into the test chip 2, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 is mixed into the mixed liquid 13 already generated in the test chip 2.

  Further, the first container 210 inserted from the first insertion port 130 is disposed in the first container housing portion 140, and the hole R is formed in the sealing material 212 by the protrusion 143. The first reagent 11 flowing out from the formed hole R is movable toward a position where it is mixed with the specimen 10 by the reagent flow path 145. The direction in which the capture unit 242 is positioned with respect to the reagent storage unit 140 is along the direction in which the first reagent 11 is moved through the reagent channel 145 in a state where the first container 210 is inserted from the first insertion port 130. Therefore, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 can move in the same direction as the first reagent 11 in the reagent channel 145.

  Therefore, when an external force that moves the first reagent 11 through the reagent flow path 145 is applied to the test chip 2, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 can also move to the capturing unit 242. At the time when the specimen 10, the first reagent 11, and the second reagent 12 are mixed in the test chip 2, the first reagent 11 remaining in the reagent storage unit 241 is stored in the capture unit 242, and therefore the remaining first The possibility that one reagent 11 is mixed into the generated mixed liquid 13 can be reduced. Similarly, the possibility that the second reagent 12 remaining in the reagent storage unit 261 is mixed into the mixed liquid 13 already generated in the test chip 2 can be reduced.

  The direction in which the first reagent 11 is moved through the reagent channel 145 is along the direction in which the first reagent 11 is moved through the reagent channel 145 in a state where the first container 210 is inserted from the first insertion port 130. Therefore, when an external force that moves the first reagent 11 through the reagent flow path 145 is applied to the test chip 2, the first reagent 11 remaining in the first container housing portion 140 is removed by the in-container flow path 244. It can move smoothly to the capturing unit 242. Similarly, the second reagent 12 remaining in the second container housing portion 160 can be smoothly moved to the capturing portion 262 by the in-container channel 264.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the reagent flow path 145 includes a reagent guide wall 149 that forms the container housing portion 140. The in-container channel 244 includes a wall that forms the reagent storage unit 241. The inclination angle α and the inclination angle β are the same. Therefore, the wall forming the reagent container 241 is inclined in the same direction as the reagent guide wall 149 forming the container container 140 in a state where the first container 210 is inserted from the first insertion port 130. Therefore, the first reagent 11 can be moved in the same direction in each of the reagent channel 145 and the in-container channel 264. The same applies to the second reagent 12.

<3. Other>
In the above embodiment, the first reagent 11 and the second reagent 12 each correspond to a “reagent” of the present invention. The first container 210 and the second container 220 each correspond to a “reagent container” of the present invention. The first insertion port 130 and the second insertion port 150 each correspond to an “insertion port” of the present invention. The reagent supply path 131 and the fourth path 136, and the reagent supply path 151 and the sixth path 156 correspond to the “supply path” of the present invention, respectively.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. The inspection device 1 and the inspection chip 2 of the above embodiment are merely examples, and the structure, shape, processing, and the like of each can be changed.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the reagent unit 200 in which the first container 210 and the second container 220 are connected is illustrated in consideration of user convenience, but the first container 210 and the second container 220 are used alone. May be. In the above embodiment, the inspection chip 2 includes the plate material 20 and the sheet 29, but the inspection chip 2 may not include the sheet 29. For example, you may use the test | inspection chip 2 in which the various insertion ports and the liquid flow path 25 were directly formed in the board | plate material 20. FIG. The “projection” may be changed in shape, position, size, and the like as long as a hole through which the reagent flows can be formed in the reagent container arranged in the reference region. The number of “reagents” injected into the test chip is not limited to two, and may be one reagent or three or more reagents.

  The “capturing part” exemplified in the first embodiment may be changed in shape, position, size, etc., as long as it communicates with the container accommodating part and can accommodate a part of the reagent flowing out of the hole. . In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the capturing part 146 is provided via a connection path 147 extending in the upper right direction from the bottom part 140 </ b> A of the first container housing part 140. This connection path 147 branches off from the reagent flow path 145. That is, the capturing part 146 is open in the left direction. The capturing part is not limited to opening in the left direction, and may be connected to the reagent channel, and may be opened in either direction.

  The “capturing unit” exemplified in the second embodiment is in communication with the reagent storage unit and changes the shape, position, size, etc. within a range in which a part of the reagent stored in the reagent storage unit can be stored. May be. The direction in which the “capturing unit” is located with respect to the reagent storage unit may be along the direction in which the reagent is moved through the reagent channel in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port. For example, the “capturing unit” may be provided in the same direction as the direction in which the reagent is moved in the reagent channel with respect to the reagent storage unit. This “same direction” means that when an external force in a predetermined direction is applied to the test chip, the reagent moves toward the same side in the reagent container and the reagent flow path. In the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the inclination angle α and the inclination angle β have been described as 60 degrees as the same angle, but other angles may be used. Further, the inclination angle α and the inclination angle β may be different angles.

2 Test Chip 10 Specimen 11 First Reagent 12 Second Reagent 13 Mixed Solution 130 First Insertion Port 140 First Container Storage Portion 143 Protrusion Portion 145 Reagent Channel 146 Capture Portion 147 Connection Path 150 Second Insertion Port 160 Second Container Storage Portion 163 Protruding portion 165 Reagent flow path 166 Capture section 167 Connection path 210 First container 212 Seal material 220 Second container 222 Seal material 241 Reagent storage section 242 Capture section 243 Connection path 244 In-container flow path 261 Reagent storage section 262 Capture section 263 Connection path 264 Channel in container

Claims (4)

A reagent container that can contain a sample and a reagent that are liquids, and that can be inserted into a test chip in which the sample and the reagent are mixed by being rotated about a predetermined axis,
A reagent container including a space in which the reagent can be stored;
A sealing material for sealing the reagent stored in the reagent storage unit;
A reagent container comprising: a capture unit including a space communicating with the reagent storage unit and capable of storing a part of the reagent stored in the reagent storage unit. A test chip comprising the reagent container according to claim 1 ,
An insertion port into which the reagent container can be inserted;
A container housing portion including a space capable of housing the reagent container inserted from the insertion port;
A protrusion provided in the container housing portion, capable of forming a hole in the seal material of the reagent container disposed in the container housing portion;
A supply path connected to the container housing portion and movable toward a position where the reagent is mixed with the specimen;
A reagent flow path provided in the container housing portion, the reagent flowing out from the hole is movable toward the supply path;
The test is characterized in that the direction in which the capture unit is positioned with respect to the reagent storage unit is along a direction in which the reagent is moved through the reagent channel in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port. Chip. The reagent container includes an in-container flow path in which the reagent accommodated in the reagent accommodating unit can move,
The direction in which the reagent is moved in the flow path in the container is along the direction in which the reagent is moved in the reagent flow path in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port. 2. The inspection chip according to 2 . The reagent flow path includes a wall that forms the container housing portion,
The in-container flow path includes a wall that forms the reagent container,
4. The test chip according to claim 3 , wherein the wall forming the reagent container is inclined in the same direction as the wall forming the container container in a state where the reagent container is inserted from the insertion port. .

Images