JP2004037347A - Cassette for medical examination - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cassette for medical examination which can improve the productivity and the reliability in preparing a microscope specimen, in which a lid of the cassette can be easily and stably taken away with a single action, and in which the lid can be taken away while confirming the recording contents of a recording part. <P>SOLUTION: In the cassette for medical examination which has a cassette main body 1 and the lid 2, in which the cassette main body 1 is a rectangular container having an open upper surface and capable of housing the specimen, has a multitude of through-holes 3, and is equipped with the sheet-like recording part 4 on one side surface, and in which the lid 2 has a multitude of through-holes 7, a U-shaped lock part 23 provided on the lid 2 is attachably/detachably engaged with a lock groove 6 provided on the side of the recording part 4 of the cassette main body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical examination cassette used for preparing a microscope specimen for medical examination, and more particularly, can easily and stably open and close the lid with one hand, and easily read the recorded contents of a recording unit, and therefore, can easily read the recorded contents. The present invention relates to a medical examination cassette in which errors due to misidentification are small and workability and reliability are improved.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As shown in FIG. 12, this kind of conventional cassette includes a cassette body 1 made of synthetic resin or stainless steel and a lid 2. The cassette body 1 is a rectangular container having an open top surface, having a large number of through holes 3 at the bottom, and a plate-like recording portion 4 which is inclined outward and sloping toward the bottom outside one side wall A on the short side. And has a locking groove 5 inside thereof and a locking portion 6 outside the other side wall B.
[0003]
The lid 2 is a detachable plate-shaped body, has a large number of through holes 7 on the plate surface, has a rib 8 fitted into the cassette body along the outer peripheral surface of the back surface, and has one side on the short side. Has an inclined locking piece 9 fitted and engaged along the back surface of the recording portion 4 of the locking groove 5, and a protruding edge slightly larger than the cassette body 1 is provided on the other short side. 10 and a locking piece 11 that engages with the engaging portion 6.
[0004]
In order to prepare a microscope specimen using the cassette, first, the collected specimen 12 is housed in the cassette body 1 and the lid 2 is attached, and the name and the like of the subject are recorded in the recording unit 4. The inclined locking piece 9 of the lid 2 is engaged with the locking groove 5 of the cassette body 1, and the locking piece 11 is engaged with the locking portion 6 of the cassette body 1 to fix the lid 2.
[0005]
Subsequently, alcohol is supplied through the through holes 7 and 3 to remove water from the specimen 12, and then xylene is provided to the specimen 12 to give affinity to liquid paraffin described later.
[0006]
Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the liquid paraffin 14 is put into a tray 13 made of stainless steel or plastics, the sample 12 is taken out from the cassette main body 1 and placed in the liquid paraffin 14 to allow the liquid paraffin to permeate the sample 12. . Subsequently, the cassette main body 1 is placed on the step of the tray 13, and the liquid paraffin 14 is poured onto the sample 12 until the cassette main body 1 is immersed in the liquid paraffin 14.
[0007]
By removing the tray 13 after the liquid paraffin 14 has solidified, a cassette block 15 (see FIG. 14) in which the paraffin 14 in which the sample 12 is embedded is attached to the bottom of the cassette body 1 is obtained.
[0008]
Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the cassette block 15 is placed upside down on the base 18 of the adapter 17 mounted on the microtome 16 and fixed. The adapter 17 clamps and fixes the cassette body 1 between a fixed arm 20 and a movable arm 21 provided on the base 18 by operating a lever 19. At this time, in order to prevent the cassette body 1 from rising due to the inclination of the recording section 4, the locking claws 22 formed at the tips of both arms 20, 21 are engaged with the corners at the bottom of the cassette body 1. Subsequently, a portion of the paraffin 14 in which the specimen 12 is embedded is sliced in the direction of arrow a, and the sliced slice is stained and subjected to other predetermined processing to obtain a microscope specimen.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The cassette usually has tweezers in one hand, a forefinger around the point P of the lid 2 with the other hand, and a thumb on the protruding edge 10 of the lid 2 as shown in FIG. By slightly pressing the point P with a forefinger and bending both sides of the point P slightly upward, the locking piece 11 of the lid 2 is disengaged from the locking portion 6 of the cassette body 1, and the lid 2 is removed upward. Then, the sample is accommodated in the cassette body 1 by operating the other hand tweezers. Then, as described above, after performing the chemical treatment, the lid 2 is removed with one hand by the same operation as above, and the specimen 12 is taken out of the cassette main body 1 with tweezers of the other hand, placed in the liquid paraffin 14 and placed in the cassette. A block is created.
[0010]
However, in the above-described conventional cassette, the locking piece 11 of the lid 2 is moved from the locking portion 6 of the cassette body 1 by pressing the point P with a forefinger and bending both sides of the point P upward. To remove the lid 2 by detaching it, a considerable force is required. Therefore, when handling a large number of cassettes, a burden is imposed on the fingers and the workability is reduced, and the lid 2 is detached from the cassette body 1. At this time, the specimen 12 in the cassette body 1 may jump out of the cassette body 1 due to the momentum, and the valuable specimen 12 may be spoiled.
[0011]
In order to avoid the above trouble, once the lid 2 is carefully removed from the cassette body 1 using both hands, the sample 12 is removed using tweezers, and the tweezers is held with one hand. Efficient work of opening the lid with the other hand becomes impossible, and the workability must be greatly reduced.
[0012]
Further, since the recording unit 4 is on the side opposite to the side where the lid 2 is opened (the side of the protruding edge 10), it is difficult to confirm the recorded contents of the recording unit 4 when opening the lid 2 because the hand is in the way. This is one of the factors that reduce workability and reliability.
The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks, can be easily and stably opened and closed with one hand, and can easily confirm the recorded contents of the recording unit when opening the lid. And a medical test cassette with improved reliability.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention according to claim 1 for solving the above problems includes a cassette body and a lid,
The cassette body is a rectangular container having an open top surface and capable of accommodating a specimen, having a large number of through-holes, and having a plate-shaped recording portion inclined outward and divergent toward the bottom outside one of the opposed side walls. With a locking groove on the inside and a locking hole on the other side wall,
The lid has a number of through-holes, and has a substantially U-shaped locking portion that engages with the locking groove on one side facing the other, and an inclined fitting that fits into the locking hole on the other side. The medical test cassette characterized in that it has a locking piece.
[0014]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the medical examination cassette according to the first aspect, further comprising a rib fitted in the cassette body along an outer peripheral portion of the back surface of the lid.
[0015]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical examination cassette according to the first or second aspect, wherein a projection is provided on a surface of the lid.
[0016]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cassette for medical examination according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a fitting hole shallower than a projection provided on a surface of the lid is provided on a bottom rear surface of the cassette body. The contents.
[0017]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical examination cassette according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein a through hole is provided in a substantially U-shaped locking portion.
[0018]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical examination cassette according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the cassette body is divided into a plurality of small chambers by a partition wall.
[0019]
A seventh aspect of the present invention includes the medical examination cassette according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the lid and / or the cassette main body are made of a chemical-resistant transparent material.
[0020]
The present invention according to claim 8 includes a medical examination cassette according to claim 7, wherein the transparent material is a polypropylene resin.
[0021]
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical examination cassette according to the seventh aspect, wherein the transparent material is a polyester resin.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a cassette body and a lid, wherein the cassette body is a rectangular container having an open top surface and capable of accommodating a sample, having a large number of through-holes, and a bottom portion outside one of the opposed side walls. It has a plate-shaped recording part inclined in a divergent shape and has a locking groove on the inside, a locking hole on the other side wall, while the lid has a number of through holes and faces One side has a substantially U-shaped locking portion that engages with the locking groove, and the other side has an inclined locking piece that fits into and engages with the locking hole. And
[0023]
In the cassette of the present invention, since the substantially U-shaped locking portion of the lid is engaged with the locking groove of the cassette body, the cassette is easily engaged by the shape deformation of the substantially U-shaped portion of the engaging portion. And the lid can be easily and stably detached from the cassette body with one hand. As a result, even when working for a long time, the fingers are not tired, and the trouble that the sample jumps out with the momentum when the lid is opened and is ruined is prevented.
[0024]
The engagement and disengagement between the substantially U-shaped locking portion and the locking groove is performed by expanding and contracting the substantially U-shaped portion. In order to further ensure the engagement and disengagement, the substantially U-shaped portion is used. Engagement means such as unevenness may be provided between the shape engagement portion and the locking groove.
[0025]
In the cassette of the present invention, since the recording section is provided on the side where the lid is opened, the recorded contents of the recording section can be confirmed while the lid is being opened, so that the workability and reliability are improved.
[0026]
Further, the cassette of the present invention is provided with a projection on the surface of the lid, so that when the cassettes are stacked vertically or arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, the projections function as spacers and a space is provided between the cassette and the cassette. A part is formed, and the chemical solution can flow in from this space, so that the treatment of the chemical solution is uniform and efficient.
[0027]
In this case, by providing an identification display for identifying the accommodated sample on the surface of the projection, the workability of sample preparation and the inspection accuracy can be improved. In addition, by providing the identification of the cutout when creating a specimen by slicing with the microtome, the cutout position when slicing with the microtome can be known, and workability and inspection accuracy can be improved. Also, when the cassette body is divided into a plurality of small chambers, providing a protrusion corresponding to the small chamber and providing an identification display prevents troubles such as sample misplacement and improves workability and test accuracy. Can be
[0028]
The identification display is not particularly limited as long as it can be identified or distinguished literally. For example, numerals such as 1, 2, 3, alphabets such as A, B, C (a, b, c), a, b, c It may be any of Japanese syllabary such as (i, ro, ha), symbols such as ○, Δ, ×, etc., numbers, letters, symbols, patterns, coloring and the like.
[0029]
The height of the projection is not particularly limited and is not unconditionally defined by the size of the cassette, but is preferably at least 0.3 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm. If the projection is smaller than 0.3 mm, it is difficult to visually recognize the projection during operation, and errors tend to occur. In addition, since the space formed by the projection is small, the effect of improving the permeability of the chemical solution is insufficient. The identification mark provided on the surface of the projection may be provided in a projecting manner, a carved manner, or a planar manner. Note that the upper limit of the projections cannot be unconditionally defined depending on the size of the cassette, but if it is too high, a space is required in the case of stacking or juxtaposition, the processing efficiency is reduced, and the handleability is deteriorated. Therefore, it is preferably about 10 mm, more preferably about 5 mm, and still more preferably about 2 mm.
[0030]
Incidentally, when the cassettes are stacked or arranged side by side, in order to prevent the cassettes from being displaced during the treatment with the chemical solution or from collapsing, a fitting hole for fitting the above-mentioned projection is formed on the bottom rear surface of the cassette body. It is preferable to provide them. In this case, the fitting hole is provided shallower than the projection in order to maintain the function of the projection as a spacer. Preferably, a gap of about 0.3 to 1.0 mm is provided between the bottom of the upper cassette and the lower cassette. It is desirable to design so as to be formed between the lid and the lid, and to allow the chemical solution to flow into the cassette from this gap.
[0031]
Further, dividing the cassette body into a plurality of small chambers by partitioning walls is extremely efficient because a plurality of specimens are processed at the same time. However, as described above, when an existing device such as a microtome is used, the size of the cassette is limited by itself. Therefore, when a plurality of small chambers are provided, about 2 to 9 pieces are preferable. If the number exceeds nine, the size of the small chamber becomes too small, and the size of the sample to be stored and processed is limited, which may be inconvenient.
[0032]
The small chamber is formed by the partition wall, but the partition wall is protruded only in the cassette main body, and when the lid is attached, the small chamber is partitioned and formed by contact between the front end of the partition wall and the back surface of the lid. In addition, a short partition wall protrudes from the back of the lid, and a tall partition wall protrudes from the cassette body. May be formed by partitioning the small chamber. Further, a small chamber may be defined by sandwiching one partition wall provided on the lid or the cassette main body with two partition walls provided on the cassette main body or the lid. The small chamber may be an independent space having substantially no gap, or may have a small gap such that the sample does not move to an adjacent small chamber.
[0033]
The lid and / or the cassette main body are made of a material having chemical resistance. For example, a synthetic resin such as polyacetal, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, and polypropylene, and a metal such as stainless steel are preferable, and particularly, polycarbonate, polyester, and polypropylene. Of the sample contained in the cassette (number, shape, color, location in the cassette body, if the sample is stored together with the filter paper, the position of the filter paper, the sample on the filter paper Direction, etc.) can be clearly visually recognized, so that the efficiency and reliability of the preparation of the microscope specimen can be improved, and a highly accurate inspection result can be obtained.
[0034]
Among the above transparent resins, a polypropylene resin and a polyester (especially PET) resin are preferable from the viewpoint of chemical resistance and low cost, and a polypropylene resin is particularly preferable. When only the lid is made of a transparent material, from outside the lid, when only the cassette body is made of a transparent material, from outside the cassette body (side wall or bottom), and when the lid and the cassette body are made of a transparent material, From the outside of both the lid and the cassette body, the state of the sample inside can be visually recognized.
[0035]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to only such embodiments.
[0036]
Example 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, the medical examination cassette of the present embodiment includes a cassette body 1 and a lid 2 made of polyacetal resin.
The cassette body 1 is a rectangular container having an open upper surface and capable of accommodating a sample, having a large number of through-holes 3, and having a plate-like shape sloping toward the bottom outside the short side wall A toward the bottom. And a locking portion 6 inside the recording portion 4 and a locking hole 5 outside the other side wall B (see FIGS. 3 and 7).
[0037]
On the other hand, the lid 2 has a large number of through holes 7, has a rib 8 fitted into the cassette body 1 along the outer peripheral surface of the back surface, and fits into the locking hole 5 on one short side. The inclined locking piece 9 to be engaged has a U-shaped locking part 23 to be engaged with the locking groove 6 on the other side, and both outer ends of the U-shaped locking part 23 are cut off. The concave portion 23b and the convex portion 6a provided on both ends of the outer inner wall of the locking groove 6 are detachably engaged (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 7).
[0038]
To remove the lid 2 from the cassette body 1 in the cassette as described above, for example, the vicinity of the center of the lid 2 is pressed with a forefinger, and the end edge 23a of the U-shaped locking portion 23 is inclined with the thumb. , The engagement between the convex portion 6a of the locking groove 6 and the concave portion 23b of the U-shaped locking portion 23 is released by deforming the shape of the U-shaped locking portion 23. It can be easily removed from the main body 1 (see FIG. 7).
In addition, the ridge angle of the upper part of the outer periphery of the rib 8 provided on the back surface of the lid 2 is chamfered 8a. This is, for example, as shown in FIG. This is a desirable mode for preventing such troubles when there is a risk of being caught.
[0039]
In the present embodiment, the through-holes 23c are formed in the U-shaped locking portion 23, but these have the effect of reducing the buoyancy when the cassette is immersed in the chemical solution and making it easier to immerse. Further, in addition to the effect of reducing the buoyancy, the through-hole 23c of the U-shaped locking portion 23 reduces the rigidity of the U-shaped locking portion 23, increases the bending deformation force, and lowers the cassette 2 with a smaller force. There is also an effect of being removed from the main body 1. In addition to the above-described effects, the through holes have the effect of reducing the amount of resin and reducing costs.
[0040]
In this embodiment, four projections 24 are provided on the square of the surface of the lid 2 and projections 24a are provided on the surface on the U-shaped locking portion 23 side, while the projections 24 are provided on the bottom back surface of the cassette body 1. Five fitting holes 25, 25a are provided so as to fit with the fitting 24a. In this case, the fitting holes 25, 25a are configured to be shallower than the heights of the projections 24, 24a.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 11, when the protrusions 24, 24a provided on the surface of the lower cassette lid are fitted into the fitting holes 25, 25a on the bottom rear surface of the cassette main body of the upper cassette, There is no displacement or collapse during the processing, etc., and a space 26 (0.5 mm in this example) is formed between the upper and lower cassettes. Is performed efficiently in a short time. It should be noted that, instead of stacking the cassettes, the efficiency of chemical solution treatment can be similarly obtained by juxtaposing them in the horizontal direction.
[0041]
Further, in this embodiment, the through-hole 7 of the lid 2 is formed in a tapered shape that converges from the front surface to the rear surface of the lid to facilitate the introduction of the chemical solution into the cassette main body 1. The hole 3 is formed in a tapered shape diverging from the inside to the outside so as to easily discharge the chemical solution in the cassette body 1.
[0042]
The cassette of the present invention having the above-described configuration allows the lid to be easily removed with one touch while confirming the recorded contents of the recording section, and has high workability and reliability.
[0043]
Example 2
A cassette was produced in the same manner as in the cassette of Example 1, except that the materials of the cassette body 1 and the lid 2 were changed from opaque resin polyacetal resin to transparent resin polypropylene resin. In the cassette of this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, since the lid 2 and the cassette body 1 are both transparent, the sample inside can be visually recognized without removing the lid 2, and the workability and reliability are improved. The properties were even better.
[0044]
As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the cassette having the shape and structure as shown in the above embodiment, but can be applied to all cassettes having a lid attached to the cassette body. Needless to say.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the cassette of the present invention, since the substantially U-shaped locking portion of the lid is engaged with the locking groove of the cassette body, the shape of the substantially U-shaped portion of the engaging portion is deformed. The lid can be easily disengaged, and the lid can be easily and stably detached from the cassette body with one touch with one hand. As a result, even when working for a long time, the fingers do not get tired, and the problem of the sample jumping out and ruining when the lid is opened is prevented, and the productivity of specimen preparation is dramatically increased Can be
[0046]
In the cassette of the present invention, since the recording section is arranged on the side where the lid is opened, the lid can be opened while checking the recorded contents of the recording section, and the workability and reliability are further improved.
[0047]
In the cassette of the present invention, by providing a projection on the surface of the lid, when the cassettes are stacked vertically or juxtaposed horizontally, the projections function as spacers to form a space between the cassette and the cassette. Thus, the chemical solution can flow from this space, so that the treatment of the chemical solution becomes uniform and efficient.
[0048]
Further, when the cassettes are stacked or arranged side by side, by providing a fitting hole to be fitted to the projection on the bottom rear surface of the cassette main body, the cassette may be dislocated or collapsed during chemical solution processing. Can be prevented. In this case, the fitting hole is provided shallower than the projection, and a gap (space) is formed between the bottom of the upper cassette and the lid of the lower cassette. In addition, it can be prevented from collapsing, and at the same time, the function of the projection as a spacer can be maintained, so that the effect of inflow of the chemical solution can be exhibited.
[0049]
In addition, by providing an identification display for identifying the accommodated sample on the surface of the projection or providing an identification display of a cutout when preparing a specimen by slicing with a microtome, workability and inspection accuracy can be improved. In particular, when the cassette body is divided into a plurality of small chambers, providing a projection corresponding to the small chamber and providing an identification display can prevent troubles such as sample misplacement and improve workability and test accuracy. Can be
[0050]
In addition, since the lid and / or the cassette body are made of a transparent material, the situation of the sample contained in the cassette can be easily visually recognized without removing the lid, so that the workability and the inspection accuracy are further improved. Can be enhanced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a cassette of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cassette of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cassette main body of the cassette of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lid of the cassette of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the cassette of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of the cassette of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the cassette of FIG. 1 taken along line CC.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line DD of the cassette of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cassette of FIG. 1 in a state where a lid is opened.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cassette of FIG. 1 when viewed from below.
11 is a sectional view showing a state where the cassettes of FIG. 1 are stacked.
FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional cassette.
FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which a specimen is embedded in paraffin using a conventional cassette.
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the paraffin block obtained in FIG. 13 is sliced with a microtome.
FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a state where a lid of a conventional cassette is removed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cassette main body 2 Cover 3 Through-hole 4 Recording part 5 Locking hole 6 Locking groove 6a Convex part 7 Through-hole 8 Rib 8a Chamfer 9 Inclined locking piece 10 Protrusion 11 Locking piece 12 Sample 13 Tray 14 Paraffin 15 Cassette block 16 Microtome 17 Adapter 18 Base 19 Lever 20 Fixed arm 21 Movable arm 22 Locking claw 23 U-shaped locking portion 23a Edge 23b Recess 23c Through holes 24, 24a Projections 25, 25a Fitting hole 26 Space

Claims (9)

It has a cassette body and a lid,
The cassette body is a rectangular container having an open top surface and capable of accommodating a specimen, having a large number of through-holes, and having a plate-shaped recording portion inclined outward and divergent toward the bottom outside one of the opposed side walls. With a locking groove on the inside and a locking hole on the other side wall,
The lid has a number of through-holes, and has a substantially U-shaped locking portion that engages with the locking groove on one side facing the other, and an inclined fitting that fits into the locking hole on the other side. A medical examination cassette characterized by having a locking piece. 2. The medical examination cassette according to claim 1, further comprising a rib fitted in the cassette body along an outer peripheral portion of a back surface of the lid. 3. The medical examination cassette according to claim 1, wherein a projection is provided on a surface of the lid. The medical examination cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a fitting hole shallower than a projection provided on a surface of the lid is provided on a bottom rear surface of the cassette body. The cassette for medical examination according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a through hole is provided in the substantially U-shaped locking portion. The cassette for medical examination according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cassette body is divided into a plurality of small chambers by a partition wall. The medical examination cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lid and / or the cassette body are made of a chemical-resistant transparent material. The medical examination cassette according to claim 7, wherein the transparent material is a polypropylene resin. The medical examination cassette according to claim 7, wherein the transparent material is a polyester resin.

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