KR20230035367A - Cartridges for Sample Handling - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cartridge for processing a sample, which includes a plurality of chambers, at least one of which is a sample chamber, and the sample chamber includes a sample space in which a sample is accommodated and a dump space into which a waste solution is injected. A cartridge for sample processing including an internal space physically divided is provided. The cartridge of the present invention can secure a dump space with a sufficient volume within a limited cartridge space, and can prevent leakage of samples or waste solutions and consequent contamination.

Description

Cartridges for Sample Handling

The present invention relates to a cartridge for sample processing.

As interest in modern people's health increases and life expectancy increases, the importance of nucleic acid-based in vitro molecular diagnosis, such as accurate analysis of pathogens and gene analysis of patients, is increasing, and the demand is increasing.

Nucleic acid-based molecular diagnosis is performed by extracting nucleic acids from a specimen sample and then confirming the presence or absence of a target nucleic acid in the extracted nucleic acids. A sample treatment process of extracting nucleic acids from a sample includes sequentially mixing the sample and various reagents and removing residues other than nucleic acids. Since such a sample handling process requires precise handling of a small amount of solution, most of the samples were performed manually by the experimenter or by liquid handling equipment capable of precise control. Existing liquid handling equipment has problems in that the cost of the device itself is high and that specialized personnel are required. In addition, since it is a system that simultaneously processes a large amount of samples, it takes a long time from sample collection to test result confirmation when the number of samples generated per hour is small, so it is not suitable for use in local hospitals or clinics with a small number of samples to be processed.

The POC system is designed to allow the sample processing process to proceed immediately after the sample is taken, so it has advantages in the local medical field. In a conventional sample processing POC system for molecular diagnosis, there is a method of forming a flow path between chambers and controlling the flow path to process the sample. Compared to the traditional pipette method, this method has problems in that the capacity of the solution to be treated is inaccurate or the versatility of the cartridge for various sample processing methods is poor.

Accordingly, as another POC system, a cartridge is configured as a chamber for sample processing, and liquid movement between the chambers is performed by a movement module formed in a pipette module and a device that operates the cartridge to move the pipette module vertically and left and right. there is. Various reagents for nucleic acid extraction are provided in chambers of the cartridge, and liquid transfer for sample processing reaction is performed by a pipette module and a transfer module. At this time, it is essential to prevent leakage of various solutions so that the POC system is not contaminated by reagents or samples. In particular, it is important to prevent contamination from occurring in the process of removing residues generated during the sample treatment reaction. In the existing POC system, considering the volume or size of the cartridge, it is difficult to secure a dump space sufficient to collect these residues, and residues leak from the narrow dump during device operation or cartridge transportation and disposal, resulting in contamination. There was a problem. In addition, in the process of mounting the cartridge in the sample processing device after injecting the sample into the cartridge, there is a problem in that the sample is leaked or the sample is contaminated due to a user's negligence.

That is, POC cartridges are used for diagnosing infectious diseases, and the samples may contain pathogens. Since POC devices are highly likely to be used in local medical settings due to their nature, personnel handling these cartridges should work with researchers at medical institutions or clinical laboratories specializing in disease testing. It is highly likely that they will not be skilled personnel who specialize in in vitro diagnostic tests. Therefore, when the test for the same pathogen is repeatedly performed in the same sample processing device using the POC cartridge, there is a high possibility that the sample processing device will be contaminated by the positive sample due to the low proficiency of personnel handling the cartridge. This may cause false positive results in subsequent tests of other samples for the same pathogen.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cartridge capable of securing a dump space of sufficient volume within a limited space and preventing sample leakage and contamination.

Against the foregoing background, the present inventors have tried to develop a cartridge having a dump having a sufficient volume to collect residues generated during a sample treatment reaction and minimizing an increase in volume due to the dump. In addition, efforts were made to develop a cartridge capable of preventing spillage or contamination of the injected sample. As a result, the present inventors have developed a cartridge in which a sample space for accommodating a sample and a dump space physically separated from the sample space and into which a waste solution is injected are formed in one chamber, and the sample space is located above the chamber.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to include a plurality of chambers, wherein one of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, and the sample chamber is physically divided into a sample space for accommodating samples and a dump space for collecting waste solutions. It is to provide a cartridge for sample processing including a space.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to include a plurality of chambers, one of which is a sample chamber, an inner space of the sample chamber includes a sample space in which a sample is accommodated, and the sample chamber includes the sample space and It is to provide a cartridge for sample processing in which a sample inlet and a sample inlet are communicated.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to include a plurality of chambers, one of which is a sample chamber, wherein the sample chamber has an upper side opened and forms an inner space of the sample chamber; For sample processing including a cover part coupled to the upper side and forming the upper surface of the sample chamber, and a base part located below the cover part, concavely dug, and forming a sample space in which the sample is accommodated between the cover part and the cover part. to provide cartridges.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with the following embodiments, claims and drawings.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a plurality of chambers, at least one of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, the sample chamber is a sample space for receiving a sample and a dump space for collecting waste solution Provided is a cartridge for sample processing including an internal space physically divided into.

In order to achieve another object of the present invention, a plurality of chambers are included, and one of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, and an inner space of the sample chamber includes a sample space in which a sample is accommodated. Provided is a cartridge for sample processing in which a sample inlet and a sample inlet communicating with a sample space are formed.

In order to achieve another object of the present invention, including a plurality of chambers, one of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, the sample chamber, the upper side is open, the container portion forming the inner space of the sample chamber, A sample comprising a cover part coupled to the upper side of the container part and forming an upper surface of the sample chamber, and a base part located below the cover part and concavely dug to form a sample space in which the sample is accommodated between the cover part and the cover part. A cartridge for processing is provided.

Since the cartridge for sample processing according to one embodiment of the present invention can include all reagents necessary for sample processing in the cartridge, the sample processing process required for the assay can be automatically performed in a single cartridge while having a simple structure. .

In addition, the cartridge for sample processing according to one embodiment of the present invention is physically separated from the sample space in which the sample is accommodated and the sample space, and forms a dump space for collecting waste solution in one chamber, and the sample space is located at the top of the chamber. located in As a result, an increase in overall length and volume can be minimized.

In addition, in the cartridge for sample processing according to one embodiment of the present invention, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sample space and a sample inlet for sucking the injected sample are provided separately. In this way, spillage and contamination of the sample can be prevented during sample injection and inhalation.

In addition, in the cartridge for sample processing according to one embodiment of the present invention, an absorption means is provided in the dump space. In this way, leakage of the collected waste solution can be prevented and contamination of the cartridge and the sample processing device can be prevented.

When the extraction chamber of the cartridge is disposed in a linear shape according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to miniaturize the cartridge by minimizing unnecessary space in the cartridge.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a sample chamber of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of a sample chamber of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exploded perspective view of a sample chamber of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a sample chamber of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a sample chamber of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a plan view of a cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through examples. These examples are only for explaining the present invention in more detail, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited by these examples according to the gist of the present invention. .

In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used in describing the components of the present invention. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected,” “coupled to,” or “connected” to another element, that element is directly connected or connectable to the other element, but there is another element between the elements. It will be understood that elements may be “connected”, “coupled” or “connected”.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it includes a plurality of chambers, one of which is a sample chamber, wherein the sample chamber is physically divided into a sample space for accommodating samples and a dump space for collecting waste solutions. A cartridge for sample processing including an inner space is provided.

1 is a sample chamber of a cartridge for sample processing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The term sample herein may include biological samples (eg, cells, tissues, and fluids from biological sources) and non-biological samples (eg, food, water, and soil). The biological sample may be virus, bacteria, tissue, cell, blood (eg whole blood, plasma and serum), lymph, bone marrow fluid, saliva, sputum, swab, aspiration, milk, urine , feces, ocular fluid, semen, brain extract, spinal fluid, joint fluid, thymus fluid, bronchial lavage fluid, ascites fluid, and amniotic fluid.

Sample processing refers to a series of processes in which a substance to be analyzed is obtained in a state in which a detection reaction is possible by primarily separating an analyte from the sample. The sample processing may be used in the sense of further including a process of detecting a target analyte from a material capable of a detection reaction. The analyte may be, for example, a nucleic acid. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sample processing may be a nucleic acid extraction process.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6 , the cartridge 100 for sample processing according to the present invention includes a plurality of chambers 150 .

Each chamber 150 is a space in which substances necessary for a process of extracting a substance to be detected from a sample are stored and physical and chemical processes for extraction are performed. The substance to be detected may be, for example, a nucleic acid.

The number of chambers 150 included in the cartridge 100 of the present invention may be configured differently depending on the sample processing method. The number of chambers is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 5, 6, 7, or 8 or more, and may be 20, 15, 14, 13, or 12 or less.

The cartridge 100 is operated by a sample processing device (not shown) and a desired reaction may proceed. The cartridge 100 is accommodated in the sample processing device and may interact with various parts included in the sample processing device, such as a movement module and a heat transfer module.

The arrangement of the chambers in the cartridge may be linear, circular, lattice, radial or amorphous in the longitudinal direction. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of chambers 150 may be linearly arranged in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of chambers 150 may be linearly arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 . A longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 may be a direction in which the cartridge 100 is inserted into the sample processing device.

Each of the chambers 150 may have other shapes, including, but not limited to, a downwardly tapered cylinder shape or a polygonal column shape. Each chamber has a capacity of 3000 microliters or less, 2000 microliters or less, 1000 microliters or less, 800 microliters or less, 700 microliters or less, 500 microliters or less, 400 microliters or less, 300 microliters or less, 200 microliters or less, or 100 microliters or less. It can be configured to accommodate up to a liter of solution. The chamber may be made of polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), nylon, or a synthetic material of two or more of these.

The plurality of chambers 150 may include a sample chamber, a holding chamber, a nucleic acid reaction chamber, and the like.

The holding chamber is a chamber for storing materials necessary for sample treatment reaction, such as magnetic particles, disruption solution, washing solution, and elution solution. The nucleic acid reaction chamber refers to a chamber that receives and reacts the extracted nucleic acid.

A solution may be transferred between each chamber 150 by a pipette module and a transfer module. After the cartridge is accommodated in the sample processing device, the pipette module may transfer the solution while moving between the plurality of chambers 150 by a moving module included in the sample processing device. The pipette module may be included in the cartridge 100 .

In addition, at least one of the plurality of chambers 150 is the sample chamber 110 . When the plurality of chambers 150 are linearly disposed in the longitudinal direction, the sample chamber 110 may be disposed first or last among the plurality of chambers 150 in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 . The sample chamber 110 may be disposed first among the plurality of chambers 150, and the sample chamber 110 may be accommodated last among the plurality of chambers 150 in the sample processing device. The sample chamber 110 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and accordingly, an inner space of the sample chamber 110 may also have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the shape of the sample chamber 110 and its inner space are not necessarily limited thereto and may have various shapes.

The sample chamber 110 is a chamber accommodating a sample. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner space of the sample chamber 110 may be divided into a sample space 111 in which samples are accommodated and a dump space 112 physically separated from the sample space and collecting waste solution. . Thus, the waste solution as well as the sample may be accommodated in the sample chamber 110 . The waste solution may be a residue generated during a sample treatment reaction.

The sample space 111 communicates with the sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber 110, and the dump space 112 is inlet 133 formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber 110. ) is in communication with A sample is injected into the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 131 , and the pipette module sucks the sample injected into the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 132 . The transfer module of the sample processing device moves the pipette module that sucks in the sample, and the pipette module injects the sample into another chamber to transfer the sample. The waste solution such as residue is sucked by the pipette module and introduced into the dump space 112 through the inlet 133.

To prevent the waste solution contained in the dump space 112 from leaking and contaminating other chambers, the sample chamber 110 may have a larger internal space than the other chambers. For example, the sample chamber 110 may be formed to accommodate a solution of 5000 microliters or more. The sample chamber 110 may have the same or similar width and the same or smaller height compared to other chambers, but may have a longer length in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 in order to have a larger internal space. there is. The sample space 111 may occupy a smaller volume in the inner space of the sample chamber 110 than the dump space 112 . For example, the sample space 111 may be formed to accommodate a solution of 500 microliters or less, and the remaining space among the internal spaces of the sample chamber 110 may be the dump space 112 .

That is, the sample chamber 110 is accommodated so that the dump space 112 has a sufficient volume to accommodate various waste solutions, and the waste solution is discharged while the cartridge 100 is operated in the sample processing device. ) can prevent accidents such as spillage. In addition, an accident in which the waste solution leaks due to an external shock can be prevented. In addition, since the generated waste solution is discarded together when the cartridge 100 is discarded, post-processing is also simple.

In addition, since the sample space 111 and the dump space 112 are formed in one sample chamber 110, an increase in the length and volume of the cartridge 100 can be minimized. The plurality of chambers 150 formed in the cartridge 100 do not separately include a chamber for forming a sample space and a chamber for forming a dump space, and a sample space 111 and a dump space inside one sample chamber 110 Since the 112 is formed, the dump space 112 can be provided in the cartridge 100 while reducing the number of chambers 150 required.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dump space 112 may be provided with an absorption means 113 for absorbing the waste solution. The absorbing means 113 absorbs the waste solution injected into the dump space 112 . The absorbing means 113 may be, for example, a hygroscopic resin, and as the waste solution is absorbed by the absorbing means 113, the effect of preventing leakage of the waste solution in the dump space 112 is increased, and when the cartridge 100 is discarded. Contamination by leakage of the waste solution can be prevented.

As described above, since the internal space of the sample chamber 110 includes the sample space 111 and the dump space 112, the dump space 112 can be provided in the cartridge 100 while minimizing the volume increase. In addition, as the sample chamber 110 has a larger volume than the other chambers and the absorption means 113 is provided in the dump space 112, the waste solution injected into the dump space 112 leaks and other chambers and samples are processed accordingly. Contamination of equipment and the like is prevented.

The sample space 111 and the dump space 112 may be physically separated. That is, the internal space of the sample chamber 110 may be partitioned into a sample space 111 and a dump space 112 by physical structures. As a result, the sample space 111 may be spatially separated from the dump space 112 in the inner space of the sample chamber 110 . The fact that the sample space 111 and the dump space 112 are physically separated means that the sample injected into the sample space 111 cannot be moved from the internal space of the sample chamber 110 to the dump space 112, and the dump space 112 cannot be moved to the dump space 112. This means that the waste solution injected into the space 112 cannot be moved from the inner space of the sample chamber 110 to the sample space 111 . A physical division between the sample space 111 and the dump space 112 may be made by the base part 140 .

The upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 includes the upper part of the sample space 111 and the upper part of the dump space 112 . In other words, at least a portion of the sample space 111 and at least a portion of the dump space 112 are included in the upper portion of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 . The sample space 111 may be located on the upper side of the inner space of the sample chamber 110, and the dump space 112 is the remaining space, but at least a part of the dump space 112 is the inner space of the sample chamber 110. occupy the top The upper part of the sample space 111 included in the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 and the upper part of the dump space 112 may be located in a lateral direction from each other. The top of the sample space 111 and the top of the dump space 112 may be disposed in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. The top of the sample space 111 included in the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 communicates with the sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132, and the dump included in the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 The upper part of the space 112 communicates with the inlet 133.

The sample space 111 may be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 . In other words, the lower part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 may include only the dump space 112 , and the sample space 111 may not be included in the lower part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 . Accordingly, at least a portion of the dump space 112 may be positioned between the sample space 111 and the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 . The sample space 111 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 and at least a portion of the dump space 112 is located between the sample space 111 and the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110, thereby dumping the dump space 112. The waste solution injected into the sample chamber 110 is filled from the lower part of the inner space.

On the upper surface of the sample chamber 110, an opening communicating with the sample space 111 and an opening communicating with the dump space 112 are formed. Each opening is formed to vertically penetrate the top surface of the sample chamber 110 so as to communicate the external space with the internal space. The opening communicating with the sample space 111 includes a sample inlet 131 and a sample inlet 132, and the opening communicating with the dump space 112 includes an inlet 133. As each opening is formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber 110, the opening communicating with the sample space 111 communicates with the top of the sample space 111 included in the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110, and the dump space The opening communicating with 112 communicates with the top of the dump space 112 included in the top of the inner space of the sample chamber 110.

An opening/closing means for opening and closing each opening or a sealing means for sealing each opening may be provided (see Figs. 4 and 5). The sample inlet 131 may be opened and closed by an opening and closing means. The opening/closing means may be, for example, a stopper 410 that is drawn in and out of the opening, or may be a sheet 510 detachably provided on the top surface of the sample chamber 110 to cover or open the opening, or sliding It may be a sliding member that moves and opens and closes the opening. The user may open the opening/closing means, inject the sample into the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 131, and close the opening/closing means again. Accordingly, leakage of the sample from the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 131 or contamination of the sample in the sample space 111 can be prevented in the process of moving the cartridge or mounting the cartridge to the sample processing device after sample injection. The sample inlet 132 and the inlet 133 may be sealed by a sealing means. The sealing means may be, for example, a thin metal film or a plastic film. Therefore, contamination of the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 132 can be prevented. As the pipette module moves from the upper side to the lower side of the cartridge 100, the pipette tip breaks the sealing means, and a sample may be sucked or a waste solution may be injected. In this way, the sample inlet 131 equipped with an opening/closing means and the sample inlet 132 equipped with a sealing means are formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber 110, and as a result, after the sample is injected into the cartridge, the cartridge is a sample processing device. The sample chamber 110, which is mounted inside and contains the sample until the sample processing process starts, may be maintained in a sealed state.

The sample space 111 may be inclined downward in a direction from the sample inlet 131 toward the sample inlet 132 . The sample injected into the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 131 accumulates on the lower side of the sample inlet 132, and thus the sample is easily sucked by the pipette module.

It will be looked at with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sample chamber 110 may include a container part 120 , a cover part 130 and a base part 140 . The container part 120, the cover part 130, and the base part 140 may all be formed integrally or separately, or any two may be integrally formed and combined with the other one. At least a portion of the container part 120, the cover part 130, and the base part 140 may be coupled by, for example, ultrasonic bonding.

The upper side of the container part 120 is open and forms an inner space of the sample chamber 110 . The storage unit 120 may be formed to be connected to the other plurality of chambers 150 in the longitudinal direction. The container unit 120 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may be formed in various shapes.

The cover part 130 is coupled to the upper side of the container part 120 and forms the upper surface of the sample chamber 110 . The cover part 130 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape, and the cover part 130 may have a wider width and length than the opening of the container part 120 . The sample inlet 131, the sample inlet 132, and the inlet 133 formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber 110 may be provided in the cover part 130, and pass through the cover part 130 vertically, respectively, and sample It communicates with the space 111 or the dump space 112. The sample inlet 131 may have a circular shape, and the sample inlet 132 and the inlet 133 may have a rectangular shape, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

The base part 140 is located below the cover part 130 . The base part 140 is located below the cover part 130 and forms a sample space 111 in which a sample is accommodated between the base part 130 and the cover part 130 . On the upper surface of the container part 120, recessed seating parts adjacent to the opening are formed long along the longitudinal direction on both sides in the width direction, and support parts extending to both sides in the width direction are formed on the base part 140. The support part may be seated on the seating part. And, the cover part 130 is supported on the upper surface of the support part of the base part 140, and the base part 140 may be fixed between the cover part 130 and the container part 120. The support part of the base part 140 is joined while being seated on the seating part of the container part 120, and then the cover part 130 is supported and bonded to the upper surface of the base part 140, and can be coupled to each other.

A sample space 111 is formed between the cover part 130 and the base part 140 by concave the upper surface of the base part 140 located below the cover part 130 . The sample space 111 is located between the lower surface of the cover part 130 and the upper surface of the base part 140 . Therefore, at least a part of the sample space 111 is located on the upper side of the inner space of the sample chamber 110, and the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 includes the upper part of the sample space 111. The base part 140 is spaced upward from the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 . The sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 formed in the cover part 130 to communicate with the sample space 111 are formed at areas overlapping the base part 140 of the cover part 130 vertically. .

The sample space 111 may be inclined downward in a direction from the sample inlet 131 toward the sample inlet 132 . That is, the upper surface of the base portion 140 is formed with a deeper concave depth in the direction from the sample inlet 131 toward the sample inlet 132 . In addition, in the base part 140, a part of the upper surface of the base part 140 that faces the sample inlet 132 may be deeply formed downward. In other words, the sample space 111 is inclined downward in the direction from the sample inlet 131 toward the sample inlet 132, and is inclined upward with the bottom of the sample inlet 132 as the deepest part. Can be formed. As a result, the sample injected into the sample space 111 through the sample inlet 131 accumulates on the lower side of the sample inlet 132, and thus the sample is easily sucked by the pipette module.

The sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 may be disposed adjacent to each other in the cover part 130 . That is, the sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 are continuously arranged with each other, so that the inlet 133 may not be located between the sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 . As shown in the drawing, the sample inlet 131 and the sample inlet 132 may be disposed in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. Along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100, the sample inlet 131, the sample inlet 132 and the inlet 133 may be arranged in order. That is, the sample space 111 may be formed to become deeper toward one side of the cartridge 100 in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the sample injected into the sample space 111 accumulates on the lower side of the sample inlet 132, and the sample is easily sucked by the pipette module.

Among the internal spaces of the sample chamber 110, spaces other than the sample space 111 include a dump space 112 into which waste solution is injected. The sample space 111 and the dump space 112 are spatially separated by a base portion 140 . As the base part 140 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 , at least a portion of the dump space 112 is located between the sample space 111 and the bottom surface of the sample chamber 110 . As described above, the base part 140 is located on the lower side of the cover part 130, the base part 140 is supported on a part of the lower surface of the cover part 130, and the rest of the lower surface of the cover part 130 A boundary of the dump space 112 may be formed. That is, the upper part of the inner space of the sample chamber 110 may include the upper part of the dump space 112 . The inlet 133 formed in the cover part 130 to communicate with the dump space 112 is formed at a portion that does not vertically overlap with the base part 140 of the cover part 130 .

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , an opening/closing means for opening and closing the sample inlet 131, the sample inlet 132 or the inlet 133 formed in the cover part 130 or a sealing means for sealing them will be provided. can The sample inlet 131 may be opened and closed by an opening and closing means. The opening/closing means may be, for example, a stopper 410 drawn in or out of the opening, or a sheet 510 detachably provided on the upper surface of the cover part 130 to cover or open the opening, or a sliding It may be a sliding member that moves and opens and closes the opening. The stopper 410 may be integrally formed with the cover part 130 . One end of the sheet 510 is detachable from the upper surface of the cover part 130 and covers the opening, and the other end may be a gripping part. The sliding member may be provided to slide in the longitudinal direction or the width direction of the cartridge 100 on the upper surface of the cover unit 130 . The sample inlet 132 and the inlet 133 may be sealed by a sealing means. The sealing means may be, for example, a thin metal film or a plastic film.

This application claims priority to Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2020-0096295 filed on July 31, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

100: cartridge for sample processing 110: sample chamber
111: sample space 112: dump space
113: absorption means 120: container part
130: cover part 131: sample inlet
132: sample inlet 133: inlet
140: base part 150: chamber
410: stopper 510: sheet

Claims (27)

It includes a plurality of chambers,
One of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, wherein the sample chamber includes an internal space physically divided into a sample space for accommodating a sample and a dump space for collecting a waste solution. According to claim 1,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the plurality of chambers are arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction. According to claim 2,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample chamber is disposed first or last of the plurality of chambers in the longitudinal direction. According to claim 1,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that an absorption means for absorbing the waste solution is provided in the dump space. According to claim 1,
The upper portion of the inner space includes an upper portion of the sample space and an upper portion of the dump space. According to claim 5,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample space is located spaced apart from the bottom surface of the sample chamber. According to claim 6,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that at least a portion of the dump space is located between the sample space and the bottom surface of the sample chamber. According to claim 1,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that an opening communicating with the sample space and an opening communicating with the dump space are formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber. According to claim 8,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that it further comprises an opening/closing means for opening and closing the opening or a sealing means for sealing the opening. According to claim 9,
The cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the sealing means is a metal thin film or a plastic film. According to claim 8,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the opening communicating with the sample space includes a sample inlet and a sample inlet. According to claim 11,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample space is formed inclined downward in a direction from the sample inlet to the sample inlet. It includes a plurality of chambers,
One of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber, and an internal space of the sample chamber includes a sample space in which a sample is accommodated, and a sample processing cartridge in which a sample inlet and a sample inlet communicating with the sample space are formed in the sample chamber. . According to claim 13,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the plurality of chambers are arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction. 15. The method of claim 14,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample chamber is disposed first or last of the plurality of chambers in the longitudinal direction. According to claim 13,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the upper portion of the inner space includes at least a portion of the sample space. According to claim 13,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample inlet and the sample inlet are formed on the upper surface of the sample chamber. According to claim 13,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that it further comprises an opening and closing means for opening and closing the sample inlet. According to claim 13,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that a sealing means for sealing the sample inlet is provided. According to claim 19,
The cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the sealing means is a metal thin film or a plastic film. According to claim 13,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the sample space is formed deeper downward in a direction from the sample inlet toward the sample inlet. It includes a plurality of chambers,
One of the plurality of chambers is a sample chamber,
The sample chamber,
a container part having an upper side opened and forming an inner space of the sample chamber;
a cover part coupled to an upper side of the container part and forming an upper surface of the sample chamber; and
a base portion located below the cover portion and being concavely dug to form a sample space in which a sample is accommodated between the base portion and the cover portion;
A cartridge for sample processing comprising a. 23. The method of claim 22,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that the plurality of chambers are arranged in a straight line in the longitudinal direction. 23. The method of claim 22,
A sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the cover portion is formed with a sample inlet and a sample inlet communicating with the sample space. 23. The method of claim 22,
A cartridge for sample processing, characterized in that a space other than the sample space among the inner spaces includes a dump space into which a waste solution is injected. 26. The method of claim 25,
The base part is supported on a part of the lower surface of the cover part, and the remaining part of the lower surface of the cover part forms a boundary of the dump space. 27. The method of claim 26,
The sample processing cartridge, characterized in that the cover portion comprises an inlet communicating with the dump space.

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