JP2001187629A - Method and device for aligning and feeding chip for pipet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for aligning and feeding new chips for pipets capable of accurately aligning the attitude of the chips for pipets and efficiently housing them in a dedicated rack with the relatively simple structure. SOLUTION: Multiple chips C for pipets supplied in the irregular condition are led to a bottom part of the inner periphery of a rotary drum 81, and picked up by a pickup gutter 82 formed in the inner peripheral part of the drum, and axial direction of the chips are aligned. When the pickup gutter 82 reaches an upper part of the inner periphery with the rotation of the drum, the chips are fallen, and the chips keeping the appropriate attitude among the fallen chips are caught by a receiver member 19, and a tip C1 of the chip is fallen between a slit and while a base part C2 of the other end is guided to a slide rail 92 for holding it so as to align the chips in the vertical direction, and the chips are separately housed in a housing H in order in the condition that they are aligned in a constant attitude.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pipette tip attached to the tip of a micropipette or the like and widely used in medical fields such as bacterial tests and blood sampling. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for arranging and sending an article efficiently housed in a container.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In sampling viruses, bacteria, blood tests, and the like, micropipette and the like capable of dispensing small amounts are widely used. And when performing actual sampling using such a micropipette,
First, a pipette tip is attached to the tip of a pipette, a predetermined amount of a sample is injected into the tip, and then the tip is removed. Further, when providing such a pipette tip to a medical site or the like, it is generally provided after sterilization is performed, and finally finally stored in a storage unit such as a dedicated rack.

[0003] The pipette tip has an elongated tapered shape with a sharp pointed end, and has a base on the other end side of which the tip of the pipette is fitted, due to its usage. In addition, on the base side, a latching step is formed on the outer peripheral side, and when it is stored in a storage body such as a rack, it is configured to engage around the rack receiving hole to obtain a stable storage state. .

Conventionally, such pipette tips are stored in a dedicated rack or the like exclusively by manual work. This is because, in order to store the pipette tips in a rack or the like, the tips must be aligned in a certain direction at the previous stage, but it is relatively difficult to perform this automatically by the device. I do. That is, for example, although a method of judging the front end and the rear end (base) of the pipette tip using a sensor or the like is possible, the tip has an elongated shape,
Often in the normal posture state, the one in the reverse posture, which was inverted by 180 °, slipped in. Of course, it is also possible to prevent such erroneous recognition by increasing the accuracy of the sensor or increasing the number of sensors. However, in such a case, the cost naturally becomes excessively large and the cost cannot be avoided.

[0005]

[Technical Problems Attempted to Be Developed] The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and it is possible to accurately align the positions of pipette tips while adopting a relatively simple structure. Further, the present invention has attempted to develop a new method and apparatus for aligning and sending pipette tips that can be efficiently accommodated in a dedicated rack or the like.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for aligning and sending pipette tips, wherein a large number of pipette tips supplied in an irregular state are guided to the bottom of the inner circumference of the rotary drum, and the inner circumference of the drum is rotated. The rake gutter formed in the section is scooped up and dropped at the stage when the rake gutter reaches the upper part of the inner periphery with the rotation of the drum, and the falling chip having a proper posture is caught by the receiving member, In a method in which the tips are guided into a slide rail that holds the base side of the other end while dropping the tip side between the slits, and the chips are sequentially housed in a storage body in a state where the chips are aligned in a fixed posture, The attitude setting of the pipette tip is performed by first setting the axial direction at the stage where the pipette tip is scooped up by a rake gutter, and then moving the base side on the slide rail. Vertical setting is made by lifting by stage,
It is characterized by being regularly arranged in a fixed posture. According to the present invention, when aligning the chips, the chips are first aligned in the axial direction, and then the chips are aligned vertically so that the tip side faces downward, so that the chips can be more reliably aligned. In addition, the structure can be realized by a relatively simple configuration, and can be realized at low cost.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the requirement of the first aspect, the rake gutter and the receiving member are formed such that their working dimensions are slightly shifted. As a result, of the chips dropped from the rake gutter, those having a generally proper posture are received,
It is characterized in that a chip in an inappropriate posture is dropped as it is. According to the present invention, the chips picked up by the rake gutter are aligned in the axial direction, but have a proper posture,
° It is conceivable that they have different improper postures, and by appropriately shifting the working dimensions of the receiving member and the rake gutter, chips in the proper posture can be effectively selected and collected.

Further, in the pipette tip aligning / sending device according to the third aspect, after the pipette tips supplied in a large number in an irregular state are regularly aligned in a certain fixed position in the position setting section, the pipette chips are arranged in a predetermined position. It is sent out individually from the individual sending unit in the posture, and received by the individual receiving unit,
In a device that accommodates in a dedicated storage body in an aligned state, the attitude setting unit includes an axial direction setting unit that aligns the axial direction of the chip, and an upper and lower setting unit that aligns the chip vertically.
The axial direction setting unit includes a rotating drum that takes in chips and rotates the inner peripheral portion, and a scoop gutter that scoops up the chips as the drum rotates and drops the chips when they reach the upper portion of the inner peripheral portion of the drum. Further, the upper and lower setting portions are a receiving member having a funnel-shaped cross section for receiving the chips dropped from the rake gutter, and a slit width for holding the base side while dropping the chips guided from the receiving member between the slits. And a slide rail for directing the tip of the chip downward. The individual sending section is provided on the downstream side of the slide rail, and picks up the chips aligned in a fixed posture and sequentially sends out the chips individually. The individual receiving section is characterized in that the storage body is moved so that the empty receiving hole sequentially matches the individual transmitting section. According to the present invention, when aligning the chips,
First, the chips are aligned in the axial direction, and then the chips are aligned vertically so that the tip side faces downward, so that the chips can be more reliably aligned. In addition, the structure can be realized by a relatively simple configuration, and can be realized at low cost.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the requirement of the third aspect, the rake gutter is formed in a hook-like cross-section, and the circle of the inner peripheral surface of the rotary drum is provided. It is characterized by being provided at a plurality of places in the circumferential direction. According to the present invention, since the chips are scooped up by the plurality of rake gutters, the chips can be more effectively aligned in the axial direction.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pipette tip aligning / dispensing apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect, wherein the rotary drum has a rake gutter substantially parallel to a rotary shaft of the rotary drum and a rotary drum. Is formed so as to be deflected to one end side, thereby forming a curved surface portion in which no rake gutter is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum. According to the present invention, by rotating a curved surface portion on which a rake gutter is not formed, a chip supplied thereon also rolls, whereby a preliminary effect of aligning the chip in the axial direction can be expected.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the pipette tip alignment and delivery device according to the third or fourth aspect, the rotary drum has a rotary shaft set to be substantially horizontal. It is a feature. According to the present invention, chips taken in from the hopper to the inner peripheral bottom of the drum, or chips dropped without being able to stably ride on the slide rail, hardly stagnate in the drum, and are efficiently raked by the rake gutter. Can be scooped up. Further, since the rotating shaft of the rotating drum itself, the supporting shaft for driving the rotating drum, and the like are all arranged substantially horizontally, the apparatus itself can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the pipette tip aligning and sending apparatus according to the third aspect, the receiving member and the rake gutter may be such that the tip falls from the rake gutter. Of these, receive a chip with a roughly correct posture and drop the chip in an incorrect posture as it is,
It is characterized in that each working dimension is formed to be slightly shifted. According to the present invention, the chips to be picked up by the rake gutter can be aligned in the axial direction, but are considered to have a proper posture and an incorrect posture different from this by 180 °. By appropriately shifting the working dimension with the gutter, chips in a proper posture can be effectively selected and collected.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the requirements of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh aspect, the individual receiving section includes a table on which the storage body is placed. Move in the X and Y directions on a horizontal plane. According to the present invention, the individual sending unit performs a single action of the individual sending, since the storage unit such as the rack is moved without actually moving the individual sending unit to substantially store the chips. The individual sending unit can be configured relatively simply. In addition, a single operation can handle more pipette tips,
Work can be done efficiently.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In the description, the pipette tips C to be aligned and accommodated according to the present invention will be described first, and then the container H for accommodating the pipette tips C will be described, and then the pipette tip aligning / sending device 1 according to the present invention will be described. The method for aligning and delivering pipette tips according to the present invention will be described while explaining the operation of the apparatus. First, the pipette tip C will be described. As shown in FIG. 5 (a) as an example, this is attached to the tip of a pipette P, and a small amount of a test sample such as blood is dispensed. It has an elongated tapered shape, and has a base C2 to which the pipette P is attached at the other end.
The base C2 has a locking step C3 protruding outward.
Is formed, and is configured to engage with the periphery of the receiving hole Rh when stored in the storage body H such as the rack R to obtain a stable storage state. Although the pipette tip C has the above-described tip C1, base C2, and latching step C3, there are various variations thereof. For example, as shown in FIG. The tapered surface leading to C2 is divided into several stages,
Some have a substantially linear tapered surface. In addition, there are chips having different total chip lengths and chips having different lengths and diameters of the base C2. Incidentally, FIG. 5B shows a state in which the chips are housed in the same rack R in order to intentionally show variations of the chips. However, the same rack R usually houses chips of the same shape.

Next, the housing H will be described. This is the one that finally accommodates the pipette tips C, and generally employs a resin molded rack R.
The rack R is for stably storing a plurality of pipette tips C and avoiding careless contact with the outside. As an example, as shown in FIGS.
A chip having a box shape as a whole and having a large number of receiving holes Rh in the upper top plate is applied. At the time of storage, a chip is inserted into the receiving hole Rh from the tip C1, and a stable hooking state is formed by a hooking step C3. I try to plan. Of course, this receiving hole R
h is a number appropriately determined in the vertical, horizontal, etc.,
When a chip is inserted, it is housed in an aligned state. When the pipette tip C is carried into a medical site or the like, it is generally provided in a state of being housed in such a rack R. Since the rack R shown in FIG. 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance,
Receiving holes Rh are also regularly and vertically arranged in accordance with this. However, the rack R does not necessarily have to have such a shape, and may have a substantially cylindrical appearance as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In this case, the receiving hole Rh is provided.
According to this, it is also possible to regularly arrange concentrically or spirally.

When priority is given to avoiding inadvertent contact with the outside rather than to stably mounting the pipette tip C, for example, as shown in FIG. As shown in (2), a method can be adopted in which a chip is sandwiched between thermoplastic resin films F and then heat-sealed using a pair of hot plates B. Therefore, the container H in this specification broadly includes such a resin package formed by heat sealing. However, as described above, the rack R is generally used as the storage body H, and therefore, in the following description, the case where the rack R is exclusively used as the storage body H will be described.

Next, an apparatus 1 for aligning and sending pipette tips according to the present invention will be described. In this device, the pipette tips C are arranged in a fixed posture, and then individually housed in the rack R while maintaining this posture. As an example, as shown in FIGS. It comprises a posture setting unit 2, an individual sending unit 3, and an individual receiving unit 4 with respect to the base 11. That is, the pipette tip C
Are first sent out individually from the individual sending unit 3 while maintaining this posture after being regularly adjusted by the posture setting unit 2 and then received individually by the individual receiving unit 4. And are sequentially stored in the rack R.
At this time, in this embodiment, the individual receiving unit 4 is moved without moving the individual sending unit 3 so that the empty receiving hole Rh of the rack R matches the individual sending unit 3. For this reason, the individual sending section 3 can perform a single action of the individual sending, so that it can be configured relatively simply, and due to this, it is possible to handle more pipette tips C in one operation. it can. Incidentally, how to move the individual receiving section 4 depends on the shape of the rack R, more precisely, the receiving hole R formed in the rack R.
h, for example, the receiving hole R
If h is arranged regularly in the vertical and horizontal directions, the individual receiving unit 4 also adjusts the vertical and horizontal directions, that is, the X and Y directions (FIG. 1, FIG. 1).
4), and if the receiving holes Rh are regularly arranged concentrically, the individual receiving section 4 also rotates and moves by an appropriate angle in accordance with this.

In the attitude setting unit 2, the pipette tips C supplied in a large number in an irregular state are not aligned in a single attitude by a single operation. Are aligned by a two-step operation of aligning. In other words, at the stage where the chips are simply aligned in the axial direction, the chip can be considered to have a proper posture and a posture inverted by 180 °. And finally align the chips in a certain regular posture.
On the front side of the base 11, a power switch, various operation buttons, a lamp indicating operation status, and the like are attached.
Hereinafter, each component will be described in more detail.

The attitude setting unit 2 includes a chip storage unit 5, a supply amount adjustment unit 6, a chip introduction unit 7, an axial direction setting unit 8,
It comprises an upper and lower setting unit 9. The tip storage section 5 temporarily stores the pipette tips C, and includes a hopper 51 and a lid 52.
The supply amount adjustment unit 6 adjusts the supply amount of the tip C when supplying the pipette tip C from the tip storage unit 5 to the axial direction setting unit 8, and is configured by a pair of rubber rollers 61 as an example. I have. The rubber roller 61 is provided below the hopper 51 of the chip storage unit 5 and rotates to drop a predetermined number of chips. The receiving step 61 having a different roller diameter in the axial direction for the purpose of reliably pulling the chip between the rollers without damaging the chip.
A is formed. The tip introducing unit 7 applies the pipette tip C discharged from the supply amount adjusting unit 6 to the axial setting unit 8.
For guiding the inner peripheral bottom of the rotating drum,
As an example, it is constituted by an introduction cover 71 formed by bending a metal plate or the like.

Next, the axial direction setting section 8 will be described. This is one in which the axial directions of a plurality of pipette tips C supplied in an irregular state are aligned, and the rotating drum 81 which rotates by receiving the tips guided from the tip introducing section 7 into the inner peripheral bottom portion. And a scooping gutter 82 having a hook-shaped cross section, which scoops up the chips taken into the inner peripheral bottom due to this rotation, and drops the chips when reaching the inner peripheral upper part of the rotating drum 81. is there. Below the outer periphery of the rotary drum 81, two support shafts 83 are provided as an example, which support the drum and simultaneously perform the rotation drive. A plurality of rake gutters 82 formed on the inner peripheral portion of the rotating drum 81
It is formed substantially parallel to one rotation shaft 81A. Thus, when the chip is scooped up, the longitudinal direction, that is, the axial direction of the chip is aligned so as to substantially coincide with the rotation axis 81A of the rotating drum 81, but the posture is such that the tip C1 of the chip is directed toward the center of the apparatus. What is this and 1
It is conceivable that the base C2 is directed toward the center of the apparatus by 80 ° in the opposite direction.

Further, the rake gutter 82 is provided so as to be deflected to the side opposite to the chip take-in port, so that a curved surface portion where the rake gutter 82 is not formed on the chip introduction part 7 side is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the drum. The pipette tip C which is present and is guided from the tip introduction unit 7 is configured to first be guided by the curved surface portion and then reach the rake gutter 82. This is because the rotation of the curved surface portion also causes the chips supplied thereon to roll, whereby a preliminary effect of aligning the axial direction of the chips with the rotating shaft 81A of the drum can be expected. In this embodiment, the rake gutter 82 is provided at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the drum, and has a hook shape in cross section. However, the cross section does not necessarily need to be formed in a hook shape. A chip that has simply been protruded inside the drum may be used as long as the chip taken in the rotating drum 81 can be scooped at the bottom and dropped at the top.

The rotating drum 81 has a rotating shaft 81A.
Is intentionally set to a substantially horizontal state, whereby the chips taken into the inner peripheral bottom portion of the drum are rotatably moved toward the rake gutter 82 as a whole. Note that the expression “dare” here generally means that when the rotary drum 81 is inclined so that the rake gutter 82 side faces slightly downward, the chips taken into the drum always scoop up. This is because it is considered to have a tendency to move to the gutter 82 side. However, in the tests actually performed, when the rotating drum 81 was set horizontally, most of the chips moved to the rake gutter 82 side as a whole, and when the rotating drum 81 was inclined, It was found that there was a chip group that stayed forever.

As shown in FIG. 8, the chips taken into the rotating drum 81 are those whose base C2 faces the rake gutter 82, and which are rotated about the tip C1 to rotate the drum. While gathering at the top, the tip C1
It is considered that the one facing the rake gutter 82 is positively rotated around the rake gutter 82 toward the rake gutter 82 side, and consequently tends to be unevenly distributed in two places. When the rotating drum 81 is mounted in an inclined state, it is presumed that such segregation phenomenon is maintained or promoted and appears more remarkably. Of course, such a segregation phenomenon is expected to change depending on various conditions such as the shape and size of the chip, the difference in the outer circumference between the tip C1 and the base C2, and the inclination of the drum. For this reason, the rotating drum 81 is not necessarily fixedly set in a horizontal state, but is configured so that it can be inclined at an appropriate angle in advance, and in each case, a method of adjusting the inclined state so as to minimize the segregation phenomenon is adopted. obtain.

Next, the upper and lower setting unit 9 will be described. This device receives the pipette tips C aligned in the direction of the rotation axis 81A of the drum, and aligns them vertically so that the tip C1 side faces downward.
A receiving member 91 having a funnel-shaped cross section for guiding the chip dropped from the slide rail 2 to the slide rail 92, and a slide rail 92 for guiding the chip to the individual delivery section 3 with the tip C1 facing downward. is there. The receiving member 91 is formed in such a manner that the distal end side raised from the slide rail 92 is formed in an upwardly spreading shape, and as an example, a cross section in a side view is formed into a substantially Y-shape by two plate members. ,
The chip received from the rake gutter 82 is configured to be smoothly guided to the slide rail 92 between the Y-shapes. Note that the chip receiving action is substantially performed by the surface formed in an upwardly spreading shape, and thus this face is referred to as a receiving action surface 91A.

The slide rail 92 has a slit width for holding the base C2 side while dropping the pipette tip C guided from the receiving member 91 between the slits, so that the tip C1 of the tip can be lowered. As an example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 (a), a pair of rail side plates 94 are raised with respect to a rail base 93 serving as a base, and a base portion of a chip is placed on the rail side plate 94. C
2 is formed by forming a rail plate 95 for holding
Finally, the whole of them is attached by a rail support 96 in an inclined state. Since the diameter of the base C2 varies depending on the chip, it is preferable that the distance between the rail plates 95 is appropriately adjustable. FIG. 9 (b) shows an example of this adjustment structure.
A shaft 97 divided into a right screw and a left screw is attached from the center of the rail base 93, and the rail side plates 94 are configured to be able to approach and separate from each other, so that the interval between the rail plates 95 can be set appropriately. Like that.

Although the pipette tip C picked up by the rake gutter 82 has its axial direction substantially aligned with the rotating shaft 81A of the drum, its posture is such that the base C2 faces the receiving member 91 side. It is considered that the head has a proper posture and the head has an inappropriate posture 180 ° opposite thereto, with the tip C1 facing the receiving member 91 side. For this reason, in the present invention, the chip in the proper posture is received by the receiving member 91, and the chip in the inappropriate posture is dropped on the drum bottom again. In addition, when the chip rides on the slide rail 92, the tip C1 is dropped between the rails so that the chip is aligned vertically. In the present invention, the receiving member 91 is connected to the rake gutter 8 so that the chip in the proper posture can be received by the receiving member 91.
2, and the mounting action size of the rake gutter 82,
A structure is adopted in which the receiving action dimension of the receiving member 91 is slightly shifted. That is, the chip in the proper posture has the receiving member 91 below the base portion C2 which largely determines the center of gravity. Therefore, when the chip falls from the rake gutter 82, it is caught by the receiving member 91. Since the receiving member 91 does not exist below the base C2,
When falling from the rake gutter 82, even if the tip C <b> 1 contacts the receiving member 91, the base portion C <b> 2 does not ride on the receiving member 91, and falls as it is. FIG. 12 (b)
FIG. 7 shows a state in which a chip in an improper posture is dropped. The base end (lower end) of the receiving surface 91A is formed in a state where the side from which the chip is dropped when viewed from the front is slightly lowered, and this inclined surface is formed. The proximal end plays an auxiliary function of dropping an incorrectly positioned tip.

Next, the individual sending section 3 will be described. This device receives pipette tips C whose top and bottom are aligned from the slide rail 92 and sequentially sends them out to the rack R of the individual receiving section 4, and sends out the tips taken from the rail one by one; And a guide body 32 for guiding the chip into the receiving hole Rh of the rack R. The individual sending body 31 is configured by a feed wheel 33 having a plurality of protrusions 33A at the tip as an example,
With the rotation of the feed wheel 33, the projections 33A are inserted into the bases C2 of the chips so that the chips are taken out one by one. The rotation speed of the feed wheel 33 is appropriately set according to the speed at which chips are stored in the rack R. The guide body 32 includes, for example, a drop guide 34 for regulating the drop start end of the pipette tip C, and a cylindrical drop pipe 35 for guiding the tip to the receiving hole Rh. A sensor 36 for detecting a receiving hole Rh to be inserted is attached to the tip side of the.

In this embodiment, the feed wheel 33 is applied as the individual sending body 31. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a form. For example, only the downstream end of the slide rail 92 as shown in FIG. The slit width S holding the base C2 may be formed large, and when the pipette tip C reaches the individual sending unit 3, the holding by the rail is released, and the pipette tip C may naturally fall toward the rack R. Alternatively, the chips may be positively sent out individually by a shutter structure that can be opened and closed. In short, if chips can be supplied one by one to the rack R of the individual receiving section 4, various individual sending structures can be adopted.

Next, the individual receiving section 4 will be described. This device receives the pipette tips C sent from the individual sending unit 3 one by one and sequentially stores them in a rack R. The rack R and the rack R are moved as needed while being placed thereon. It comprises a table 41. The table 41 has an empty receiving hole Rh of the rack R.
Is moved so as to match the falling pipe 35 from which the chips are sent out. The movement differs depending on the shape of the rack R, more precisely, the arrangement of the receiving holes Rh formed in the rack R. For example, if the receiving holes Rh are regularly arranged vertically and horizontally, the table 41 also moves vertically and horizontally, that is, in the X and Y directions, and the receiving holes Rh are regularly arranged concentrically. In this case, the table 41 is also rotated and moved by an appropriate angle in accordance with the arrangement.

Next, the pipette tips C are regularly arranged by the pipette tip alignment and delivery device 1 configured as described above, and the operation mode of sequentially accommodating the pipette tips C in the rack R will be described. A method for aligning and sending pipette tips will be described. (1) Preparation setting First, the hopper 51 of the chip storage unit 5 prior to the substantial work.
The preparation for supplying the pipette tip C to the table 41 and placing the rack R for ultimately storing the pipette tip C on the table 41 is performed. In addition, this preparation step includes setting the interval of the slide rails 92, that is, setting the slit width for holding only the base C2 of the chip by the rail plate 95 and dropping the tip C1 side between the rails.

(2) Supply of chips First, chips are supplied from the chip storage unit 5 with the start of the substantial operation. At this time, a pair of rubber rollers 61 provided at the lower portion of the hopper 51 rotate at an appropriate speed, thereby pulling in an appropriate amount of chips, dropping them into the subsequent chip introduction unit 7, and adjusting the supply amount.

(3) Setting in the Axial Direction The chips dropped into the chip introduction section 7 are guided by the introduction cover 71 to the inner peripheral bottom of the rotating drum 81.
Note that the pipette tips C that have reached the inner peripheral portion of the drum are not segregated on the drum because the entire drum is intentionally set to be substantially horizontal,
As shown in FIG. 11, the entirety moves to the rake gutter 82 side. By rolling on the peripheral surface of the drum before reaching the rake gutter 82, a preliminary effect of matching the axial direction of the chip with the rotating shaft 81A of the drum is expected. Thereafter, the chips reaching the rake gutter 82 are picked up by the rake gutter 82 as the drum rotates. The picked-up chip has a posture in which the tip C1 or the base C2 is directed toward the center of the apparatus, that is, the axial direction is the rotation axis 8 of the drum.
The posture almost matches 1A.

(4) Up and down setting After that, the rake gutter 82 scooping the pipette tips C reaches the upper portion of the inner periphery of the drum, and when the chips cannot be held any more, the chips fall naturally from the rake gutter 82. that time,
As shown in FIG. 12A, in a chip in a proper posture in which the base C2 faces the receiving member 91 side, the receiving member 91 exists below the base C2 which largely determines the center of gravity. Be caught. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), a chip in an inappropriate posture in which the tip C1 is directed toward the receiving member 91 does not have the receiving member 91 below the base C2. Side is receiving member 91
, The base C2 portion does not ride on the receiving member 91,
As it is, it falls to the inner peripheral part of the drum. When the apparatus is viewed from the front, as shown in FIG.
Is formed so as to have an inclined state, and the inclined base end plays an auxiliary action of dropping a chip in an inappropriate posture.

Most of the chips caught by the receiving member 91 roll toward the space between the pair of receiving members 91, and the leading end C1 is dropped between the receiving members 91 or between the rail plates 95. Is held up and down so that the tip C1 is directed downward as a whole, and is guided to the slide rail 92. Incidentally, the chips dropped on the inner peripheral portion of the drum are set again from the above-mentioned "axial direction setting". Further, in the above description, it is described that the chip in the proper posture is caught by the receiving member 91, but this is not strictly meaning, and is rarely performed depending on various conditions such as the rotation speed of the drum and the drop position of the chip. You may drop it without catching the correct posture, or you may rarely catch the incorrect posture. In short, the overall tendency is that the chip in the proper posture can be caught by the receiving member 91. In addition, catching a chip in an inappropriate posture is a case in which a chip in an inappropriate posture rarely falls in accordance with the direction of the slide rail 92 and accidentally rides on the rail. Also, since the base C2 is held, the vertical setting in which the tip C1 is directed downward is performed.

(5) Chip Delivery The tip guided by the slide rail 92 has a tip C
It reaches the individual sending section 3 at the end of the rail with the one side dropped between the rails. Pipette tip C
As shown in FIG. 13 by way of example, a plurality of chips are arranged in a line on the slide rail 92. Then, with the rotation of the individual sending body 31, that is, the feed wheel 33, the projection 33A takes out the chips one by one,
Send it out to the drop guide 34. After that, the drop guide 34
The chip sent out is removed from the projection 33A,
It falls sequentially through the falling pipe 35.

(6) Receiving the Tip The pipette tip C coming out of the falling pipe 35 falls to the receiving hole Rh of the rack R. Here, the rack R is
For example, since it is previously mounted on the table 41 which can be appropriately moved in the X, Y directions, etc., the empty receiving holes Rh are sequentially moved so as to coincide with the lower end of the falling pipe 35 one by one. Goes smoothly. When it is desired to give priority to avoiding careless contact with the outside rather than stably placing the pipette tip C, without using the rack R, as shown in FIG. After the chip is sandwiched between the thermoplastic resin films F, a resin package technique of heat-sealing the chip using a pair of hot plates B can be appropriately adopted.

The pipette tips C shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 are drawn so that the tip C1 is directed in a direction perpendicular to the slide rail 92. However, when the tip length is longer than the length of the base C2, Is expected to be in a state in which the tip C1 is directed directly downward. Therefore, the expression “point the tip of the chip downward” described in the present specification does not necessarily mean that the tip C1 is directed directly downward, but also includes the meaning that the tip C1 is directed in a direction perpendicular to the slide rail 92.

[0038]

According to the first or third aspect of the present invention, when aligning the pipette tips C, first align the tips in the axial direction, and then align the tips so that the tip C1 is directed downward. Therefore, the chips can be more reliably aligned. In addition, the structure can be realized by a relatively simple configuration, and can be realized at low cost.

According to the second or seventh aspect of the present invention, the pipette tips C picked up by the rake gutters 82 are aligned in the axial direction, but have an unsuitable posture different from that of a proper posture by 180 °. It is conceivable that the chips have a posture, and by appropriately shifting the working dimensions of the receiving member 91 and the rake gutter 82, chips in a proper posture can be effectively selected and collected.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the pipette tips C are scooped up by the plurality of rake gutters 82, the tips can be more effectively aligned in the axial direction.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the curved surface portion on which the rake gutter 82 is not formed rotates, the pipette tip C supplied thereon also rolls, whereby the tip is moved in the axial direction. Preliminary effects can be expected.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the chips taken into the inner circumferential bottom of the drum hardly remain raked. In addition, since all the shaft arrangements related to the rotation of the rotating drum 81, such as the rotating shaft 81A and the supporting shaft 83, can be set to be substantially horizontal, the device itself is simplified and the cost is reduced.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the individual chips are moved substantially by moving the rack R without moving the individual sending unit 3, the individual sending unit 3 is used for the single sending unit. The individual sending unit 3
Can be constructed relatively simply. Further, because of this, a larger number of pipette tips C can be handled in one operation, and the operation can be performed efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for aligning and sending pipette tips according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an attitude setting unit and an individual sending unit of the pipette tip alignment sending device.

5A is an explanatory view showing a state where the pipette tip is attached to the tip of the pipette, and FIG. 5B is a front sectional view showing a state where the pipette tip is housed in a rack.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a front sectional view and a plan view showing a substantially columnar rack in which receiving holes are arranged concentrically. FIGS.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a front view and a plan view showing a state in which a pipette tip is heat-sealed as a substitute for a rack.

8A is a front sectional view showing the rotary drum when the rake gutter is inclined so that the rake gutter side faces downward, and FIG. 8B is a view seen from the direction of the arrow I in FIG.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing two types of slide rails applied to the present invention.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are a front view and a plan view showing an embodiment in which the slit width of the slide rail is increased only at the downstream end.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing an operation mode of aligning the axial directions of the chips.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing an operation mode of aligning chips downward.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing stepwise an operation mode from receiving a chip from a slide rail to dropping the chip.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Pipette tip alignment and sending device 2 Posture setting unit 3 Individual sending unit 4 Individual receiving unit 5 Chip storage unit 6 Supply amount adjusting unit 7 Tip introducing unit 8 Axial direction setting unit 9 Vertical setting unit 11 Base 31 Individual sending unit 32 Guide body 33 Feeding wheel 33A Projection 34 Drop guide 35 Drop pipe 36 Sensor 41 Table 51 Hopper 52 Lid 61 Rubber roller 61A Receiving step 71 Introduction cover 81 Rotary drum 81A Rotating shaft 82 Rake gutter 83 Support shaft 91 Receiving member 91A Receiving surface 92 Slide Rail 93 Rail base 94 Rail side plate 95 Rail plate 96 Rail support stand 97 Shaft B Hot plate C Pipette tip C1 Tip C2 Base C3 Hook step F Resin film H Container P Pipette R Rack Rh Receiving hole S Slit width

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A pipette tip supplied in a large number in an irregular state is guided to an inner peripheral bottom portion of a rotating drum, and is scooped up by a scooping trough formed on an inner peripheral portion of the drum. Is dropped when it reaches the upper part of the inner circumference, and among the falling chips, the one with the correct posture is caught by the receiving member, and the tip side of the tip is dropped between the slits, while the base side of the other end. In a method in which the tips are individually housed in the storage body sequentially in a state where the tips are aligned in a fixed attitude, the attitude setting of the pipette tips is performed by:
A pipette characterized in that the axial direction is first set at the stage where it is picked up by the rake gutter, and then the vertical position is set at the stage where the base side is held on the slide rail, and the pipette is regularly aligned in a constant posture. For arranging and sending chips. 2. The rake gutter and the receiving member are formed so that their working dimensions are slightly shifted from each other, so that the chips dropped from the rake gutter receive a chip having a substantially proper posture. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tip in an inappropriate posture is dropped as it is. 3. A plurality of pipette tips supplied in an irregular state are regularly aligned in a certain posture in a posture setting unit, and then individually sent out from an individual transmission unit in this posture, and the individual pipette tips are individually sent out. In the device that receives in the receiving unit and accommodates in a dedicated storage body in an aligned state, the attitude setting unit includes an axial setting unit that aligns the axial direction of the chip, and a vertical setting unit that aligns the top and bottom of the chip, The axial direction setting unit includes a rotating drum that takes in chips and rotates the inner peripheral portion, and a scoop gutter that scoops up the chips as the drum rotates and drops the chips when they reach the upper portion of the inner peripheral portion of the drum. Further, the upper and lower setting portion is a receiving member having a funnel-shaped cross section for receiving a chip dropped from the rake gutter, and a chip guided from the receiving member is dropped between the slits. And a slide rail having a slit width for holding the base side thereof, and a slide rail for directing the tip of the chip downward.On the other hand, the individual sending section is provided on the downstream side of the slide rail, and is aligned in a fixed posture. A pipette tip aligning and sending device, wherein the picked-up chips are picked up and sequentially sent out individually, and the individual receiving section moves the storage body so that the empty receiving hole sequentially matches the individual sending section. 4. The arrangement of pipette tips according to claim 3, wherein said rake gutter is formed in a hook-like cross section and provided at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction of an inner peripheral surface of said rotary drum. Sending device. 5. A rake gutter is not formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum because the rake gutter is formed substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the rotation drum and deflected to one end of the rotation drum. 5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a curved surface portion is formed. 6. The pipetting tip aligning / dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotary shaft of the rotary drum is set to be substantially horizontal. 7. The receiving member and the rake gutter have respective working dimensions so as to receive a chip having an approximately proper posture from among chips dropped from the rake gutter and drop the chip in an inappropriate posture as it is. 7. The pipette tip alignment and delivery device according to claim 3, wherein the pipette tip is formed so as to be slightly displaced. 8. The pipette according to claim 3, wherein in the individual receiving section, a table on which the storage body is placed moves in the X and Y directions on a horizontal plane. Chip alignment sending device.