JP2001066229A - Vacuum chuck of membrane filter for analysis - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily shift a sampled membrane filter from a strainer to an analyzer in a short time without deforming the filter in the case of transferring the membrane filter. SOLUTION: A hose 5 to be connected to an air sucking and supplying means is connected to the joint port 2 of a vacuum chuck body 1. The periphery of a recess 12 formed on the bottom face of the chuck body 1 is formed in an adsorptive surface 13. On the surface 13, a plurality of suction holes 14 is opened in a state such that the holes 14 are arranged along a circumference. In addition, an atmospheric air communicative hole 16 which is communicated with the recess 12 and a vent passage 17 which communicates the suction holes 14 with the joint port 2 are formed in the chuck body 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an analytical membrane used for transferring a membrane filter obtained by sampling a sample of particles or microorganisms from a fluid sample such as a liquid or a gas to an analyzer such as a microscope or a laser analyzer. The present invention relates to a suction desorber for a filter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a sample in a fluid sample is analyzed by an analyzer such as a laser analyzer, a sample liquid or gas is filtered by an analysis membrane filter provided on a filter support of a filter, and particles are collected. After sampling samples such as water, microorganisms and protozoa on the top of the membrane filter,
The sample is analyzed by replacing the membrane filter with the sample holder of the analyzer.

As a membrane filter for analysis used in the above-mentioned sampling, a thin film sheet made of a resin film such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) having a thickness of about 100 μm or a cellulose acetate film is generally used. The transfer from the filter to the analyzer is performed by human work such as sandwiching the membrane filter with tweezers.

[0004]

In such transfer of the membrane filter, depending on factors such as film thickness, material, pore size, etc., the membrane filter may be extended by picking up tweezers or may be stuck like a wrap film. And poor handling properties such as making restoration difficult, requiring considerable skill.

Further, in recent years, an ultra-thin membrane filter of about 20 μm has been provided for the purpose of improving the analysis accuracy. The limit is about 100 μm, and transfer of an ultra-thin film of 100 μm or less not only takes a great deal of work time, but also causes a significant decrease in yield.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultra-thin membrane filter for high-precision analysis as well as a film thickness of about 100 μm from a filter to an analyzer. When transferring,
An object of the present invention is to provide a suction / removal device for an analytical membrane filter which can be simply and quickly performed without relying on a skilled person.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a suction / removal device for an analytical membrane filter, wherein a concave portion is formed on a bottom surface of a removable / removable body having a connection port for intake / air supply means. The ring-shaped flat surface as an adsorption surface, a plurality of suction holes are arranged in the suction surface in a circumferential shape and open, and the desorber body, an atmosphere communication hole communicating with the concave portion, and the plurality of suction holes. And a ventilation path communicating with the connection port.

In order to transfer the membrane filter from the filter to the analyzer by the suction / desorption device of the present invention, a hose or the like connected to a suction / air supply means is connected to the connection port,
The adsorption surface is positioned on the membrane filter which has been sampled by the filter, and the suction desorber is placed.

[0009] Then, the air in the body of the desorber is sucked by the suction operation by the suction and air supply means, and the membrane filter sticks to the suction surface by the suction action of the suction hole. At this time, the sample on the membrane filter is covered with the concave portion, and the sample does not directly contact the adsorption surface. Also, since the inside of the recess is at atmospheric pressure in the atmosphere communication hole, even if the air in the recess is sucked into a plurality of suction holes, the atmosphere is supplied to the recess through the atmosphere communication hole as needed. So go
There is no problem such as the membrane filter being pulled into the concave portion or sticking to the inner wall of the concave portion.

Next, the suction / desorption device is moved to the analyzer while the membrane filter is being suctioned to the adsorption surface, and the membrane filter is adjusted to a predetermined position on the analyzer. When the suction / air supply means is switched to the air supply operation, the air supply blows out from the suction hole through the desorber body, the membrane filter is forcibly peeled off from the adsorption surface, and the membrane filter is moved to a predetermined position of the analyzer. Transferred.

[0011] A second aspect of the suction / removal device of the membrane filter for analysis is to form a concave portion on the bottom surface of the detacher body having a suction means connection port, and to use a ring-shaped flat surface around the concave portion as a suction surface. On the surface, a plurality of suction holes are arranged circumferentially and open, and the desorber body has an atmosphere communication hole communicating with the concave portion, and an air passage communicating the plurality of suction holes and the connection port. A chamber is provided in the ventilation path, and a piston is slidably provided in the chamber to define the inside of the chamber into a connection port side chamber and a suction hole side chamber, and attach the piston toward the suction hole side chamber. A biasing piston return means,
The detachable body is provided with an atmosphere opening hole communicating with the connection port side chamber.

According to the present invention, a suction means for performing only suction is used in place of the suction and air supply means of the first invention, and when the suction operation is started with the air opening hole closed, the piston in the chamber is opened. Moves toward the connection port side against the urging force of the piston return means, the suction hole side chamber of the chamber becomes negative pressure, the atmosphere is sucked from the suction hole, and the membrane filter is adsorbed on the adsorption surface.

Then, when the suction / desorption device is moved to a predetermined position of the analyzer and the air opening hole is opened in a state where the membrane filter is adsorbed, the air enters the connection side chamber, and the pressure of the air and the pressure of the piston return means are reduced. Together with the return force, the piston is urged toward the suction hole side chamber to return to the initial position. Thereby, the membrane filter is forcibly peeled off from the suction surface by the air discharged from the suction hole side chamber of the chamber through the suction hole.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 4 to 6 show second, third and fourth embodiments of the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 and 4 are bottom views of the suction / removal device, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional front views of the suction / removal device.

The suction / desorption device of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is connected to a desorption device body 1 having a suction / air supply means connection port 2 and a suction / air supply means (not shown). And a hose 3. The detachable body 1 is integrally formed by screwing an outer piece 4 and an inner piece 5 together. The suction / air supply means is a unit in which suction means such as a vacuum pump or an aspirator and air supply means such as a compressor are integrated or separated from each other. Air is supplied to the detacher main body 1 using the means.

The outer piece 4 is a cylindrical body having an inner piece housing space 6, and the outer diameter thereof is substantially the same as the diameter D1 of the membrane filter MF that fits the detacher.
A female screw hole 7 for screwing with the inner piece 3 is formed in an upper part of the inner piece housing space 6.

The inner piece 5 has a first cylindrical body 8 having the largest diameter accommodated in the inner piece accommodation space 6, a second cylindrical body 9 having a slightly smaller diameter above the first cylindrical body 8, and the female screw hole. 7
The cylindrical body 10 and the pipe-shaped connection port 2 are formed concentrically and stepwise.

A male screw 1 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower half of the cylindrical body 10.
1 is engraved, the connection port 2 is inserted from the inner piece housing space 6 into the female screw hole 7, and the male screw 11 is screwed into the female screw hole 7, thereby forming the first cylindrical body 8 and the second cylindrical body. 9 is accommodated in the accommodation space 6, and the inner piece 5 and the outer piece 4 are assembled together. The bottom surfaces of the outer piece 4 and the inner piece 5 assembled together are flush with each other.
A truncated cone 12 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the first cylindrical body 8.

The bottom surface of the detachable body 1 excluding the concave portion 12 serves as the suction surface 13. That is, a ring-shaped flat surface around the concave portion 12 formed on the bottom surface of the detachable body 1 composed of the outer piece 4 and the inner piece 5 is the suction surface 13. The suction surface 13 has a plurality of suction holes 14 arranged circumferentially and open. The suction hole 14 has a first cylindrical body 8 having the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the inner piece housing space 6.
It is formed of eight shallow vertical grooves 15 provided at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface and extending over the upper and lower ends, and the inner peripheral surface of the outer piece 4 covering the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body 8. The openings of the suction holes 14 arranged on the circumference are formed with a shallow circumferential groove 14 a on the suction surface 13.
Are in communication with each other. The inner piece 5 is provided with an air communication hole 16 communicating with the recess 12.

The main body 1 of the detacher is provided with an air passage 17 communicating the connection port 2 and the eight suction holes 14. The ventilation path 17 has a vertical communication hole 18 formed from the upper surface of the connection port 2 to the inside of the second columnar body 9, and both ends are opened at the outer peripheral surfaces of the vertical communication hole 18 and the second columnar body 9, respectively. And a ring-shaped communication hole 20 formed by the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical body 9 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer piece 4. The suction hole 14 communicates with the ring-shaped communication hole 20.

The size of the sample of particles, microorganisms, protozoa and the like in the sample to be sampled on the membrane filter MF is predetermined according to the outer diameter of the membrane filter MF, the specifications of the filter, the type of the sample, and the like. If the sampling diameter on the MF is D3,
The opening diameter D2 of the recess 12 is set larger than the sampling diameter D3. The suction hole 14 is provided on the suction surface 13.
The filter is formed as small as possible so as not to suck the membrane filter MF adsorbed on the substrate.

The present embodiment is configured as described above.
In order to transfer the membrane filter MF from the filter to the analyzer (neither is shown) using a suction desorber,
A hose 3 connected to a separate suction and air supply means is connected to the connection port 2 of the desorber body 1, and the adsorbing surface 13 is positioned on the membrane filter MF sampled by the filter to remove the hose. Put. Opening diameter D2 of recess 12
Is formed larger than the sampling diameter D3 of the membrane filter MF, as described above, the sample on the membrane filter MF is covered by the concave portion 12 and does not contact the adsorption surface 13.

Next, when the suction and air supply means connected to the connection port 2 is operated by suction, the atmosphere is sucked from the opening of the suction hole 14 through the air passage 17, and the membrane filter MF is adsorbed on the adsorption surface 13. . The atmosphere is also sucked from the arc-shaped groove 14a, and the membrane filter MF adsorbs the surface 13 to the attachment surface 13. Since the recess 12 is at atmospheric pressure via the atmosphere communication hole 16, even if the air in the recess 12 is sucked into the suction hole 14, the atmosphere is supplied to the recess 12 as needed. There is no negative pressure, so there is no problem such as the membrane filter MF being drawn into the concave portion 12 or sticking to the inner wall of the concave portion 12.

Then, the suction / desorption device is moved to the analyzer while the membrane filter MF is adsorbed on the adsorption surface 13, and
After placing the membrane filter MF at a predetermined position on the analyzer, switching the suction / air supply means to the air supply operation,
Air from the air supply means blows out from the opening of the suction hole 14 through the ventilation path 17, and the membrane filter MF
3 is forcibly peeled off and transferred to a predetermined position of the analyzer.

Since each of the plurality of suction holes 14 is finely and circumferentially arranged, the membrane filter M
If the radial width of the suction hole 14 is set to, for example, about 150 to 200 μm in addition to the F film thickness of about 100 μm, the membrane filter MF is deformed even in the case of an extremely thin film of about 15 to 35 μm. It is not sucked into the suction hole 14.

Next, second to fourth embodiments of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the same component part as the above-mentioned 1st embodiment,
The same reference numerals are given and the detailed description is omitted.

The second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the cross-sectional shape and the number of suction holes. This suction hole 14 is provided with a triangular vertical groove 21 on the entire outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body 8 of the inner piece 5.
Are cut into the upper and lower ends of the first cylindrical body 8 like serrations, the first cylindrical body 8 is housed in the inner piece housing space 6 of the outer piece 4, and the outer sides of these vertical grooves 21 are covered with the outer piece 4. Thereby, a large number of triangular micro holes are circumferentially arranged.

In the suction / removal device of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a chamber 30 is provided in the ventilation path 17 of the body 1 of the first embodiment, and a piston 31 is slidably provided in the chamber 30. I have. The piston 31 defines the inside of the chamber 30 into a connection port side chamber 32 and a suction hole side chamber 33. Connection port side room 3
A return spring 34, which is a piston return means for urging the piston 31 in the direction of the suction hole side chamber 33, is contracted and provided in the inside 2. The chamber 30 is provided in the vertical communication hole 18 of the ventilation path 17.

On the holder 35 in which the chamber 30 is formed, a connection port 2 of the hose 3 connected to a suction means (not shown) and a boss portion 36 are provided on the upper portion thereof. The boss portion 36 has a connection port side chamber 32 of the chamber 30.
Is provided with an open-to-atmosphere hole 37.

A female screw hole 38 at the center of the bottom of the holder 35
The detachable body 1 is integrally connected to the holder 35 by screwing the distal end portion 39 of the cylindrical body 10 of the inner piece 5.

In order to transfer the membrane filter MF from the filter to the analyzer using the suction / detachment device of the present embodiment, the air opening hole 37 is closed by the operator's finger and the suction means is activated. The connection port side chamber 32 in which the communication of the connection port is interrupted becomes negative pressure, and the piston 31 returns to the return spring 34.
Rises up in the chamber 30 against the urging force, the air is sucked from the suction hole 14 into the suction hole side chamber 33, and the membrane filter MF is adsorbed on the adsorption surface 13 of the detacher main body 1.

Then, after the membrane filter MF is moved to a predetermined position of the analyzer, the atmosphere opening hole 37 is opened, and the atmosphere enters the connection side chamber 32 from the atmosphere opening hole 37, and the atmospheric pressure and the urging force of the return spring 34 In conjunction with this, the piston 31 at the raised position moves down inside the chamber 30 to the initial position. As a result, the air in the suction hole side chamber 33 is exhausted from the opening of the suction hole 14, the membrane filter MF is peeled off from the suction surface 13, and moved to a predetermined position of the analyzer.

The suction / removal device shown in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is one in which the detacher body 1 of the third embodiment is constituted by one member. The suction hole 14 of this embodiment is provided with the suction surface 13.
From the upper side to the upper side. According to this embodiment, the configuration of the communication path is simplified.

In the above-described third and fourth embodiments, the first and second embodiments use both suction means and air supply means.
Since the peeling of the membrane filter MF from the suction surface 13 is performed by the introduction of the atmosphere from the atmosphere opening hole 367 and the resilience of the return spring 34, the air supply means can be omitted and the cost can be significantly reduced.

In the suction / desorption device of the present invention, the operation of moving from the filter to the analyzer can be performed manually, and it can also be performed automatically by attaching it to a robot arm or the like. When automatically moving the suction / detachment / desorption device, the hose connected to the connection port may be a metal tube. Further, the shape of the detacher body, the suction surface, the suction hole, the concave portion, and the air communication hole can be different from those in the above-described embodiment, in a different number, and in a different mounting position. Among them, the concave portion is formed to have a size that covers the sample on the membrane filter.

Further, when using the suction means and the air supply means in the suction / removal device of the present invention, these connection ports may be separately provided. Also, the piston return means includes:
Other than the compression coil spring, there are other springs such as a tension coil spring, elastic rubber, and soft synthetic resin.

[0038]

As described above, according to the suction / removal device of the membrane filter for analysis of the present invention, when the membrane filter sampled by the filter is transferred to the analyzer, the membrane filter may be extended. The film can be easily transferred in a short time without being attached to each other like a wrap film, and can be easily transferred in a short time in a flat state.
Even in the case of a membrane filter for high-precision analysis of an ultrathin film having a thickness of not more than 00 μm, a simple transfer can be performed without requiring special skill, so that the working time can be reduced and the yield can be improved. In addition, since a plurality of suction holes are opened to the suction surface at positions other than the sample on the membrane filter that has been suctioned to the suction surface, problems such as the sample being sucked into the suction holes, the shape being lost, and the number of samples being reduced are reduced. There is no.

Furthermore, when the membrane filter is adsorbed on the adsorption surface, the sample on the membrane filter is located in the concave portion of the adsorption surface and does not directly contact the adsorption surface.
No defects such as loss of sample shape or number of samples. Since the inside of the recess is communicated with the atmosphere, even if the air in the recess is sucked into the plurality of suction holes, the atmosphere is supplied to the recess as needed, so that the membrane filter is drawn into the recess. Problems such as sticking to the inner wall of the recess are eliminated.

Further, by forcibly removing the membrane filter from the adsorption surface by introducing the atmosphere from the atmosphere opening hole and the return force of the piston return means, the air supply means can be omitted, and the cost can be greatly reduced. Can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of a suction / detachment device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a suction / detachment device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the suction / detachment device showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a suction / detachment device showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional front view of a suction / detachment device showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional front view of a suction / detachment device showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

MF: Membrane filter, 1: Detacher body, 2: Connection port, 3: Hose, 4: Outer piece, 5: Inner piece, 6: Housing space, 8: First cylindrical body, 9: Second cylindrical body,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Cylindrical body, 12 ... recessed part, 13 ... Suction surface, 14 ... Suction hole, 14a ... Circumferential groove, 15, 21 ... Vertical groove, 16 ... Atmosphere communication hole, 17 ... Ventilation path, 18 ... Vertical communication hole, 19 ... horizontal communication hole, 20 ... ring-shaped communication hole, 30 ... chamber, 31 ... piston, 32 ... connection port side chamber, 33 ... suction hole side chamber, 34 ...
Return spring (piston return means of the present invention), 3
5 Holder, 37 Open hole to atmosphere

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) G01N 1/22 G01N 1/22 J

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A concave portion is formed on a bottom surface of a detachable body having a suction / air supply means connection port, a ring-shaped flat surface around the concave portion is used as a suction surface, and a plurality of suction holes are formed on the suction surface in a circumferential shape. Characterized in that an air communication hole communicating with the concave portion and an air passage communicating the plurality of suction holes and the connection port are formed in the detachable body. Filter suction desorber. 2. A concave portion is formed in a bottom surface of a detachable body having a suction means connection port, a ring-shaped flat surface around the concave portion is used as a suction surface, and a plurality of suction holes are circumferentially arranged on the suction surface. Forming an atmosphere communication hole communicating with the concave portion and a ventilation path communicating the plurality of suction holes with the connection port, and providing a chamber in the ventilation path; A piston is slidably provided in the chamber, the chamber is defined as a connection port side chamber and a suction hole side chamber, and a piston return means for urging the piston toward the suction hole side chamber is provided.
An aspirator / desorber for an analysis membrane filter, wherein the desorber main body is provided with an atmosphere opening hole communicating with the connection port side chamber.