KR100419002B1 - An alignment apparatus for glass chip - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a DNA / protein arrayer having functional parts such as a slide glass (1), a glass chip unit (2), a micro well plate (3), etc., wherein the functional parts are arranged on an upper surface and spaced apart from each other on a bottom surface. A die 10 to which the upper blocks 11, 12 and 13 are joined; A first lower block (21) connected to the first upper block (11) of the die (10) via a vertical bolt (14) and performing vertical displacement adjustment of the die (10); A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 12 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in one axial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10; Lower block 22; A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 13 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in a biaxial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10. 3 lower block 23; And a tension spring 25 for applying a force such that the die 10 is tightly supported in three axes with respect to the lower blocks 21, 22, and 23. As shown in FIG. The alignment between the glass chip of the layer and the orthogonal robot is enabled, which has the effect of producing a better quality DNA / protein chip.

Description

Glass chip posture adjusting device {An alignment apparatus for glass chip}

The present invention relates to a glass chip attitude adjusting device, and more specifically, it is possible to align the glass chip of the DNA / protein arrayer and the orthogonal robot more easily and quickly and accurately to produce a better quality DNA / protein chip. A glass chip posture adjusting device.

Recent developments in the Genome Project of various organisms have led to the development of DNA / Protein Chips that enable the interpretation of all gene functions in large quantities and efficiently. Technology is being developed.

DNA / protein chips are very useful for simultaneous analysis of gene expression, mutations, and polymorphism by micro arraying multiple DNA / protein molecules on a substrate such as slide glass or silicon. It is useful.

DNA / protein chips are created by combining the existing molecular and biological knowledge with the technology of mechanical and electronics, which has made great progress in modern times. By using mechanical automation and electronic control technology, we can integrate hundreds to hundreds of thousands of DNA / proteins into very small spaces.

In other words, DNA / protein chip refers to a large number of DNA / proteins attached to a high density for gene retrieval, and many DNA / protein fragments or Oligonucleo-tides are aligned and spotted on a solid surface (solid state). A device for producing a high density array by spotting is called a DNA / protein array.

The DNA / protein arrayer device can quantitatively spot a predetermined amount (less than 10 ng as a weight) of a DNA / protein sample dispensed on a micro plate at a location defined in the size of several tens of micrometers to several hundred micrometers. Performance is required. At the same time, spot size or shape variation should be minimized in order to quantitatively interpret gene expression or single-nucleotide variation.

Therefore, in the present invention, the glass chip posture adjusting device is invented to meet the performance required for the DNA / protein arrayer so that the DNA / protein sample can be spotted quantitatively and reproducibly.

This mechanical alignment device is one of the technologies that enables more reliable biochip production by increasing the degree of arrayer equipment by finely adjusting the X, Y, Z, a, b, and c-axis (six-axis) attitudes of the slide glass chip. It can be applied to DNA / protein arrays or related bio-devices that require alignment.

The arrayer is a pin-type, photolithography method, ink-jet method using the principle of Inkjet printer, capillary capillary by the mechanical contact of the pin end according to the spotting method (Pin and Ring) method, array method using electricity, etc., and the pin method that mechanically contacts the pin end with slide glass is the most common.

The existing arrayer equipment does not have a device for finely adjusting the attitude of the glass chip, and each array manufacturing equipment company aligns the orthogonal robot and the glass chip in the equipment during the manufacturing process (work coordinate system of the orthogonal robot). In most cases, they are made in advance to match the coordinate system of the glass chip.

Or, mechanically aligning the glass chip by artificially moving the fixed position of the robot is very cumbersome and difficult, so after completing the production of the arrayer equipment, moving the orthogonal robot and moving the work coordinate system and the glass chip that the orthogonal robot has The difference in the angular angle of the coordinate system is software-compensated to the robot controller and used (this operation is called Error Mapping).

The existing arrayer equipment on the market can not arbitrarily adjust the coordinate system of the orthogonal robot and the glass chip placed on the die at will.

Of course, the alignment process is mandated by the manufacturer, but should be serviced by the manufacturer if the equipment is used for a long time or if there is a problem in spotting the DNA / protein chip. . In this case, the service engineer on the manufacturer's side disassembles the machine and fine-tunes the Cartesian robot and the glass chip coordinate system. Alternatively, an error mapping method is used to find an angle difference between a work coordinate system generated by the robot and the coordinate system of the glass chip placed on the die by driving an orthogonal robot and correct the values in the robot controller.

This work is time-consuming by dismantling the whole equipment and adjusting the fixed position of the orthogonal robot, which is disadvantageous in terms of maintenance of the equipment. In addition, the mechanical / software error mapping of orthogonal robots is a task that must be performed by a service engineer who has a professional knowledge of the equipment. Therefore, the repair of the equipment is difficult and it takes a long time.

Fin type DNA / protein arrayers generally use two or more pins attached to an end effector of an orthogonal robot. These pins are precisely set during the initial fabrication of the array equipment by considering the alignment between the orthogonal robot and the glass chip.However, mechanical tolerances or dimensional tolerances between the components used in the array equipment may be caused by prolonged use of the equipment. Alignment may be distorted due to wear or the like.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, it is possible to align the glass chip of the DNA / protein arrayer and orthogonal robot easily and quickly and accurately to produce a better quality DNA / protein chip Provide posture adjustment device.

1 is an exemplary view for explaining the operation in the DNA / protein arrayer,

2 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating the main parts of a device according to the invention;

3 is a schematic view showing the apparatus according to the invention from the front;

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1: Slide Glass 2: Glass Chip Unit

3: microwell plate 10: die

11, 12, 13: upper block 14: vertical bolt

15: Horizontal bolt 21, 22, 23: Lower block

24: contact pin 25: tension spring

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a DNA / protein arrayer having functional parts such as a slide glass 1, a glass chip unit 2, a micro well plate 3, and the like. A die 10 to which the upper blocks 11, 12, 13 are joined at three points spaced above; A first lower block (21) connected to the first upper block (11) of the die (10) via a vertical bolt (14) and performing vertical displacement adjustment of the die (10); A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 12 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in one axial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10; Lower block 22; A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 13 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in a biaxial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10. 3 lower block 23; And a tension spring 25 for applying a force such that the die 10 is tightly supported in three axes with respect to the lower blocks 21, 22, 23.

As another feature of the present invention, the lower blocks 21, 22, 23 are further provided with respective contact pins 24 to improve wear resistance at the point of contact with the vertical bolts 14.

As another feature of the present invention, the tension spring 25 has a horizontal portion in the X-axis direction, a vertical portion in the Z-axis direction, and an inclination portion in the Y-Z-axis direction.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the operation in a DNA / protein arrayer.

With the development of human gene deciphering technology, interest in human health and life extension is increasing day by day. Given that the number of human genes reaches 30,000-40,000, it can be said that the deciphering of DNA takes tremendous time and effort. In order to reduce the time and effort of human operations required for the human genetic detoxification process or the experiment of other biomolecules, many laboratories and related companies are developing many automation-related bio equipments with the power of mechanical engineering and electronics.

One of the key components of biotechnology equipment that has to deal with fluids such as DNA, proteins and biomolecules is the amount and size of the spot. In order to achieve such quantitative and reproducible spotting, the alignment technology of needles or probes that directly spot a fluid in terms of equipment must be secured, thereby producing a good quality biochip.

Generally, DNA / protein chips (glass chips) are made in the form of slide glass 1 and placed on die 10 in alignment. As shown in the figure, the slide glass 1 must be parallel to or parallel to each other in the X, Y and Z directions of the work coordinate system of the robot and the slide glass 1 in order to spot exactly the desired point of the orthogonal robot. The tip of the spotting pin 5 and the surface of the slide glass 1 should be perpendicular to each other in the a, b and c directions.

If the alignment between the spotting pin 5 attached to the end effector of the orthogonal robot and the glass chip does not match, the spot amount of the spotting pin 5 is not kept constant, and also the spot size is not reproducible. Each spotting changes the spot size and does not remain constant, decisively affecting the quality of the DNA / protein chip.

2 is a perspective view conceptually showing the main parts of the device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the device according to the present invention from the front.

The present invention relates to a DNA / protein arrayer having functional parts such as a slide glass 1, a glass chip unit 2, a micro well plate 3 and the like.

In order to finely adjust the position and orientation of the slide glass, it is advantageous to make the slide glass mechanically fine rather than finely adjusting the position of the orthogonal robot. It is a gist of the present invention to enable fine adjustment of the die 10 on which the glass is placed.

The glass chip posture adjusting device of the DNA / protein arrayer according to the present invention is composed of a die 10 on which the slide glass 1 is placed and peripheral elements supporting the die 10 from the ground. .

The die 10 for placing a glass chip includes two glass chip units 2 to set several dies 10 at a time. Also included is a Micro Well Plate (3) containing reagents for spotting by an orthogonal robot. The die 10 must maintain its own flatness such that the surface height of the several slide glasses 1 on which it is placed is constant everywhere.

Peripheral elements supporting the die 10 from the ground are used to adjust and maintain the position and orientation of the slide glass 1, and the lower part supporting the die 10 at three points of the die 10. It consists of blocks 21, 22 and 23 and five tension springs 25 that hold the die 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions to maintain the posture.

The upper blocks 11, 12, 13 and the lower blocks 21, 22, 23 for supporting the die 10 at three points are respectively arranged in corresponding positions, but the upper blocks 11, 12 13 is fixed to the die 10 while the lower blocks 21, 22 and 23 are fixed to the bottom of the arrayer. The upper surface of the first lower block 21 is flat to support the bottom of the die 10, the upper surface of the second lower block 22 is straight in shape to support the bottom and one side of the die 10, and a third The upper surface of the lower block 23 supports the bottom and both sides of the die 10 in an N-shape. However, the upper blocks (11, 12, 13) are in contact with the same hexahedron.

Contact pins 24 having a flat head are installed on the contact surfaces of the lower blocks 21, 22, 23. The vertical bolts 14 are fastened to the upper blocks 11, 12, 13 through the holes 10a of the die 10, and the contact pins 24 of the lower blocks 21, 22, 23 are lowered. ) The vertical bolt 14 has a groove for a hex wrench formed at the top and a ball for point contact at the bottom. The contact pin 24 maintains an appropriate level of surface roughness to allow the ball of the vertical bolt 14 to roll smoothly.

The second lower block 22 is provided with one horizontal bolt 15 to exert a force in the uniaxial (Y-axis) direction on the die 10, and the third lower block 23 has two horizontal bolts 15. It is provided with a force applied in the two axis (X axis and Y axis) direction to the die 10 to adjust the displacement. The horizontal bolt 15 also has the same configuration as the above-described vertical bolt 14. The first lower block 21 does not have a horizontal bolt 15.

The tension spring 25 of the present invention is secured using a respective post between the die 10 and the bottom surface of the arrayer. The tension springs 25 installed at five points are arranged in a symmetrical structure so that the force of the spring is not biased to one side by pulling the die 10 evenly at various points. At the front of the die 10, two tension springs 25 are connected in a vertical direction at regular intervals, and at the rear of the die 10, the two tension springs 25 are inclined in a 45 ° direction at regular intervals. One tension spring 25 is horizontally connected between the left side surface of the die 10 and the third lower block 23. The arrangement of the tension springs 25 is to easily adjust the posture and direction of the die 10 in accordance with the balance and direction of the force holding the die 10.

The operation of the glass chip posture adjusting device of the DNA / protein arrayer as described above will be described.

The axis of the glass chip of the DNA / protein arrayer to be fine-tuned in the present invention are all six axes, three axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) corresponding to the position of the die 10 and the slide glass (1) and Three axes (a-axis, b-axis, c-axis) corresponding to the direction with the die 10 surface.

First, in order to finely adjust the X-axis of the die 10, it is necessary to turn the horizontal bolt 15 in the corresponding direction in the third lower block (23). When the horizontal bolt 15 is turned by using a wrench, the position of the end of the ball pushes the die 10 and the position is changed in the X-axis direction. When the die 10 moves in the + X direction, the compressive force increases in the tension spring 25 connected to the left side of the die 10 so that the die 10 is in point contact with the ball of the horizontal bolt 15. Is supported by.

In order to finely adjust the Y-axis, the horizontal bolt 15 of the second lower block 22 and the corresponding horizontal bolt 15 of the third lower block 23 should be turned. When the die 10 moves in the + Y direction, the compressive force acts the most on the tension spring 25 connected to the back surface of the die 10 so that the die 10 is driven by the balls of two horizontal bolts 15. This is supported by this contact.

In order to fine-tune the Z-axis, the vertical bolts 14 fastened to the upper blocks 11, 12 and 13 at three points are turned to change the level. When the die 10 is moved in the vertical direction, the magnitude of the compressive force acting on each tension spring 25 is different, but as a result, it is supported by the three-point contact by the balls of the three vertical bolts 14.

So far, the position fine adjustment operation of the glass chip die has been described, and the direction fine adjustment operation is described next.

The method of the direction fine adjustment operation of the die 10 is basically the same as the fine adjustment of the Z axis described above. By rotating the vertical bolts 14 of the upper blocks 11, 12, 13 attached to the three points of the die 10, fine adjustment of three axes (a-axis, b-axis, c-axis) is possible. The plan view of the die 10 itself is constant and the vertical bolts 14 at the respective points are adjusted to fine-tune the direction of the desired axis.

This allows the machine user to quickly and easily align needles and probes, as well as to cope with the maintenance of long-term use of the machine.

According to the above configuration and operation, the present invention enables the alignment between the glass chip of the DNA / protein arrayer and the orthogonal robot easily and quickly and has an effect of producing a better quality DNA / protein chip.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, such modifications or variations will have to belong to the claims of the present invention.

Claims (3)

In a DNA / protein arrayer having functional parts such as a slide glass 1, a glass chip unit 2, a microwell plate 3 and the like: A die 10 disposed at the upper surface of the functional unit and joined to the upper blocks 11, 12, 13 at three points spaced apart from each other on the bottom surface; A first lower block (21) connected to the first upper block (11) of the die (10) via a vertical bolt (14) and performing vertical displacement adjustment of the die (10); A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 12 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in one axial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10; Lower block 22; A second bolt connected to a lower end of the second upper block 13 of the die 10 via a vertical bolt 14 and a horizontal bolt 15 in a biaxial direction, and performing vertical and horizontal displacement adjustment of the die 10. 3 lower block 23; And Glass die attitude adjustment device characterized in that the die (10) comprises a tension spring (25) for applying a force to be closely supported in three axes on the lower block (21) (22) (23). The method of claim 1, The lower block (21) (22) (23) is a glass chip attitude adjustment device characterized in that it further comprises a respective contact pin (24) to improve the wear resistance at the point of contact with the vertical bolt (14). The method of claim 1, The tension spring (25) is a glass chip attitude adjustment device characterized in that it comprises a horizontal portion in the X-axis direction, a vertical portion in the Z-axis direction, the inclined portion in the Y-Z axis direction.