JP2005110668A - Extraction device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently extract specific material such as a nucleic acid and the like in a sample solution, absorb position-related errors around air nozzles and evenly ensure seals of the nozzles by low pressing pressure. <P>SOLUTION: The specific material in the sample solution is adsorbed by using an extraction cartridge 11 having filter material. A pressurized air feed mechanism 4 for introducing the pressurized air to the extraction cartridge has a sealing material 42 just under several air nozzles 41 installed to a moving pressurizing head 40 presses the extraction cartridge 11 through the sealing material 42 by descending air nozzles 41 independently movable in the pressurization direction, and absorbs variation of the heights. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an extraction apparatus that extracts a specific substance such as a nucleic acid in a sample solution using an extraction cartridge provided with a filter member, and more particularly to a pressurized air supply mechanism that supplies pressurized air to the extraction cartridge.

  Conventional extraction methods, for example, nucleic acid extraction methods include those by centrifugation, those using magnetic beads, and those using filters.

  As an extraction device using a filter, a large number of filter tubes containing a filter are set in a rack, and sample liquid is dispensed into the rack, and the periphery of the bottom of the rack is sealed with an air chamber through a sealing material. The sample solution is sucked from the discharge side at the same time to allow the sample solution to pass through, and the nucleic acid is adsorbed to the filter. After that, the washing solution and the eluate are dispensed, and similarly, the solution is sucked under reduced pressure to be washed and eluted. Such a mechanism has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Another extraction method using a filter is a method in which a sample solution is injected into a separation and purification unit equipped with a specific filter that adsorbs the nucleic acid of the sample solution and then is separated and recovered, and then extracted by pressurization. Some have been adopted (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent No. 2832586 JP 2003-128691 A

  In what was described in patent documents 1 and 2 as mentioned above, there exists the following problems as an extraction apparatus made into the object of this invention.

  In Cited Document 1, a nucleic acid extraction apparatus using a decompression method is shown. If the whole is simultaneously aspirated, the decompression volume is large, so the apparatus becomes large, and it takes time until the decompression is applied. It is difficult to detect the discharge, and the time setting is long, which is an obstacle to improving the processing efficiency. In particular, in the whole vacuum suction, if there is no air resistance due to poor sample liquid injection into one extraction cartridge, misloading of the extraction cartridge, etc., normal operation cannot be ensured, and many It is also difficult to configure a mechanism for individually sucking the extraction cartridge.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 shows a method of adsorbing and recovering a nucleic acid extract using a filter by a pressurization method, but a specific extraction device is not shown. In the extraction apparatus adopting the above, it is expected that the pressurization control method, the generation of contamination due to the scattering of the discharged liquid during pressurization, the securing of the sealing property, etc. will be problems.

  In particular, when a plurality of air nozzles for introducing pressurized air are provided corresponding to a plurality of extraction cartridges, it is difficult to obtain a good sealing state by evenly pressing the extraction cartridges with the air nozzles. That is, when a plurality of extraction cartridges are set, the pressure contact state between the air nozzle and the extraction cartridge changes due to variations in the holding height position accuracy, the sealing material, and the positional relationship between the air nozzle tips, It becomes difficult to obtain an equivalent seal state. Further, when the pressing force is increased in order to enhance the sealing performance, a large driving force for pressing is required, and the sealing material is required to have rupture resistance and durability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can extract specific substances such as nucleic acids in a sample solution efficiently in a short time, absorb variations in the positional relationship of the periphery of the air nozzle, and reduce the seal of each air nozzle. It is an object of the present invention to provide an extraction device that can ensure even pressure.

  In particular, the present invention provides an extraction apparatus that can satisfactorily realize nucleic acid extraction by the filter method of Patent Document 2.

  The extraction apparatus of the present invention uses an extraction cartridge having a filter member, injects a sample liquid containing a specific substance into the extraction cartridge, and adsorbs the specific substance in the sample liquid to the filter member. A pressurized air supply mechanism that introduces pressurized air into the extraction cartridge includes a moving pressure head, a plurality of air nozzles installed on the pressure head and ejecting pressurized air, a tip of the air nozzle, and the extraction cartridge And a sealing material pressed against the opening, and each of the air nozzles is movable independently in the pressing direction to the extraction cartridge.

  Another extraction apparatus of the present invention uses an extraction cartridge provided with a filter member, injects a sample liquid containing nucleic acid into the extraction cartridge and pressurizes the nucleic acid in the sample liquid to be adsorbed on the filter member, An extraction apparatus that performs an extraction operation in which a recovery liquid is dispensed into the extraction cartridge and pressurized to separate the nucleic acid adsorbed on the filter member and recovered together with the recovery liquid. The extraction apparatus introduces pressurized air into the extraction cartridge. The pressurized air supply mechanism includes a pressurizing head that moves up and down relative to the extraction cartridge, a plurality of air nozzles that are installed in the pressurizing head and ejects pressurized air from a lower end opening, and is disposed immediately below the air nozzle. A sealing material that seals by being pressed between the tip of the air nozzle and the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge as the pressure head is lowered, Anozuru is characterized in that it is movable independently of the pressing direction of the extraction cartridge.

  The tip of the air nozzle has a convex cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter A of the tip is preferably smaller than the inner diameter B of the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge.

  Assuming that the outer diameter of the tip of the air nozzle is A, the inner diameter of the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge is B, and the thickness of the sealing material is t, B> A and (B−A) <2t. It is preferable to configure.

  It is preferable that the air nozzle is urged in a pressing direction by an urging member and obtains a sealing pressing force with a deformation amount of the urging member.

  According to the present invention as described above, a sample can be obtained by efficiently performing an extraction operation in which a specific substance, for example, a sample solution containing nucleic acid is injected into an extraction cartridge provided with a filter member and the specific substance is adsorbed on the filter member in a short time A mechanism capable of extracting a specific substance such as a nucleic acid in a liquid can be configured in a compact manner.

  Further, the pressurized air supply mechanism includes a moving pressure head, a plurality of air nozzles installed on the pressure head and ejecting pressurized air, and a pressure contact between the tip of the air nozzle and the opening of the extraction cartridge. Each air nozzle can be moved independently in the pressing direction to the extraction cartridge, and by this independent movement, each air nozzle can be finely adjusted with respect to the change in height position, and a plurality of air nozzles can be moved. Variations in the positional relationship among the extraction cartridge, the seal material, and the air nozzle tip are absorbed by this structure and operation, and the seal at each air nozzle can be ensured uniformly and reliably, and the operation reliability is improved. In addition, the sealing performance of each air nozzle can be secured without increasing the pressing force more than necessary, the drive mechanism for obtaining the pressing force can be simplified, and the demand for the sealing material can be eased.

  Further, assuming that the tip of the air nozzle has a convex cylindrical shape, the outer diameter A of the tip is set smaller than the inner diameter B of the upper opening of the extraction cartridge, and the thickness of the sealing material is t, B> When A and (B−A) <2t, the variation in the positional relationship between the air nozzle and the extraction cartridge can be absorbed and the seal adhesion can be improved with a small load.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover of the nucleic acid extraction apparatus in one embodiment of the extraction apparatus is removed, FIG. 2 is a schematic mechanism diagram of the nucleic acid extraction apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rack in the mounting mechanism, and FIG. Is a perspective view showing a use state of a rack, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part showing a pressing state of a pressure head of a form different from that of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pressure head with the bracket of FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an air nozzle of the pressure head of FIG. 5, FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing a pressing state of the air nozzle, FIG. 9 is a process diagram of the extraction operation, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the extraction cartridge. It is.

  Before describing the mechanism of the nucleic acid extraction apparatus 1 of one embodiment, the nucleic acid extraction apparatus 1 extracts a nucleic acid as a specific substance in a sample solution using an extraction cartridge 11 (filter cartridge) as shown in FIG. To do. In this extraction cartridge 11, a filter member 11b is held at the bottom of a cylindrical main body 11a whose upper end is open, a portion below the filter member 11b of the cylindrical main body 11a is formed in a funnel shape, and a capillary tube-like shape is formed at the center of the lower end. The discharge portion 11c is formed to protrude to a predetermined length, and the vertical projections 11d are formed on both sides of the cylindrical body 11a. Sample liquid, cleaning liquid, and recovery liquid, which will be described later, are dispensed from the upper opening, pressurized air is introduced from the upper opening, and each liquid flows down to the waste liquid container 12 or recovery container 13 to be described later from the discharge portion 11c through the filter member 11b. To do. In the illustrated case, the cylindrical main body 11a is divided into an upper part and a lower part and is fitted.

  The nucleic acid extraction apparatus 1 basically performs nucleic acid extraction and purification by an extraction process as shown in FIGS. First, in step (a) of FIG. 9, the sample solution S containing the dissolved nucleic acid is injected into the extraction cartridge 11 located on the waste solution container 12. Next, in step (b) of FIG. 9, pressurized air is introduced into the extraction cartridge 11 to pressurize it, the sample solution S is passed through the filter member 11b, the nucleic acid is adsorbed to the filter member 11b, and the liquid component that has passed is Discharge into the waste liquid container 12.

  Next, in step (c), the washing liquid W is automatically dispensed into the extraction cartridge 11, and in step (d), pressurized air is introduced into the extraction cartridge 11 to pressurize it, while the nucleic acid is retained in the filter member 11b. The impurities W are cleaned and removed, and the cleaning liquid W that has passed is discharged into the waste liquid container 12. This step (c) and step (d) may be repeated a plurality of times.

  Thereafter, the waste liquid container 12 below the extraction cartridge 11 is replaced with the recovery container 13 in the step (e), and the recovery liquid R is automatically dispensed into the extraction cartridge 11 in the step (f), and the extraction is performed in the step (g). Pressurized air is introduced into the cartridge 11 for pressurization, the binding force between the filter member 11b and the nucleic acid is weakened, the adsorbed nucleic acid is released, and the recovery liquid R containing the nucleic acid is discharged into the recovery container 13 and recovered.

  The filter member 11b in the extraction cartridge 11 is basically porous so that the nucleic acid can pass through, and the surface has a characteristic of adsorbing the nucleic acid in the sample solution with a chemical binding force. The adsorption is held, and the nucleic acid adsorption force is weakened and separated at the time of recovery by the recovery liquid. For example, the specific structure of the filter member 11b is composed of an organic polymer having a hydroxyl group on the surface, as described in detail in the method for separating and purifying nucleic acid disclosed in JP-A-2003-128691. The organic polymer having a hydroxyl group on the surface is preferably a surface saponified product of acetylcellulose. As acetyl cellulose, any of monoacetyl cellulose, diacetyl cellulose, and triacetyl cellulose may be used, and triacetyl cellulose is particularly preferable. The surface is saponified by contact with a saponification solution (eg, NaOH), and the structure remains acetylcellulose. The amount (density) of hydroxyl groups on the surface can be controlled by the degree of surface saponification treatment (surface saponification degree), and the higher the number of hydroxyl groups, the higher the nucleic acid adsorption effect. For example, in the case of acetylcellulose such as triacetylcellulose, the surface saponification rate is preferably about 5% or more, and more preferably 10% or more. A porous membrane is suitable for acetylcellulose.

  The “sample solution S containing nucleic acid” is obtained by adding a water-soluble organic solvent to a solution in which nucleic acid is dispersed in a solution by dissolving a specimen containing cells or viruses. For example, in the diagnostic field, whole blood collected as a specimen, plasma, serum, urine, feces, semen, saliva, and other body fluids, plants (or parts thereof), animals (or parts thereof), or the like Of interest are solutions prepared from biological materials such as lysates and homogenates. The “lysis treatment” is a treatment with an aqueous solution containing a reagent (eg, a solution containing a guanidine salt, a surfactant and a proteolytic enzyme) that dissolves cell membranes and nuclear membranes to solubilize nucleic acids. When the resulting sample is whole blood, red blood cells and various proteins are decomposed and depolymerized to prevent non-specific adsorption and clogging to the filter member 11b, and leukocytes and nuclear membranes are solubilized to solubilize the nucleic acid to be extracted. Dissolve. Examples of the “water-soluble organic solvent” include ethanol, isopropanol, propanol and the like, and ethanol is particularly preferable. The concentration of the water-soluble organic solvent is preferably 5 to 90% by weight, more preferably 20 to 60% by weight. The concentration of ethanol added is particularly preferably as high as possible without causing aggregates.

  The “washing liquid W” has a function of washing out impurities in the sample liquid adhering to the filter member 11b together with the nucleic acid, and has a composition for removing the impurities without removing the nucleic acid. It consists of an aqueous solution containing a main agent, a buffering agent, and optionally a surfactant. Examples of the main agent include about 10 to 100% by weight (preferably 20 to 100% by weight, more preferably 40 to 80% by weight) of an aqueous solution of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-isopropanol, butanol, acetone and the like.

  The “recovered liquid R” preferably has a low salt concentration, and in particular, a solution having a salt concentration of 0.5 M or less, such as purified distilled water or TE buffer, is used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nucleic acid extraction apparatus 1 includes a main body 2, a mounting mechanism 3 that holds a plurality of extraction cartridges 11, a waste liquid container 12, and a collection container 13, and pressurized air in the extraction cartridge 11. And a dispensing mechanism 5 for dispensing the cleaning liquid W and the recovered liquid R to the extraction cartridge 11. Next, each mechanism 3-5 is demonstrated concretely.

<Mounting mechanism>
The mounting mechanism 3 includes a mounting base 21 at the lower front portion of the apparatus main body 2, and a rack 6 holding a plurality of extraction cartridges 11, waste liquid containers 12 and recovery containers 13 is placed on the mounting base 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the rack 6 includes a stand 61, a cartridge holder 62, and a container holder 63.

  The stand 61 holds the cartridge holder 62 on the columnar parts 61a on both sides so as to be movable up and down, and holds the container holder 63 on the bottom plate 61b between the columnar parts 61a so as to be movable back and forth.

  The cartridge holder 62 is configured in a two-part structure by joining front and rear plate materials, and includes support legs 62b extending in the vertical direction at both ends of a holding portion 62a extending in the horizontal direction. The support leg 62b is inserted into the vertical sliding groove 61c of the columnar portion 61a of the stand 61 so as to be vertically movable, and the support leg 62b is biased upward by a biasing member (not shown) built in the stand 61. Has been. A plurality of holding holes 62c are arranged in the holding portion 62a, the extraction cartridge 11 is inserted from above, and the lower ends of protrusions 11d (see FIG. 10) formed on both sides of the cylindrical main body 11a of the extraction cartridge 11 are formed. It is engaged and held by an engagement member (not shown) in the cartridge holder 62. The engaging member is movable, and at the time of movement, the engagement with the protrusion 11d is released and the extraction cartridge 11 is dropped and discarded all at the same time.

  The cartridge holder 62 has pin holes 62d on both sides of the upper surface, and in use, a tip 49a of a presser pin 49 (see FIG. 1) described later is engaged and pushed downward. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cartridge holder 62 is raised, the lower end of the discharge portion 11 c of the extraction cartridge 11 held by the cartridge holder 62 is positioned above the waste liquid container 12 and the collection container 13 set in the container holder 63. However, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cartridge holder 62 is lowered, the discharge portion 11c of the extraction cartridge 11 is set to be inserted into the waste liquid container 12 or the collection container 13 by a predetermined amount.

  The container holder 63 is provided with waste liquid container holding holes 63a and recovery container holding holes 63b extending in the horizontal direction in two parallel rows, and a plurality of waste liquid containers 12 are arranged in the rear waste liquid container holding holes 63a. A plurality of collection containers 13 are respectively held in a row by 63b. The waste liquid container holding hole 63a and the recovery container holding hole 63b are arranged at the same position at the same pitch as the holding holes 62c of the cartridge holder 62, and the waste liquid container 12 and the recovery container 13 are positioned below the held extraction cartridges 11, respectively. It is set to be. The waste liquid container 12 and the recovery container 13 are preferably different in size, shape, etc. to prevent confusion.

  The container holder 63 is biased forward by a biasing member (not shown) built in the stand 61. In the container exchange movement (back and forth movement) of the container holder 63, the operating member 31 (see FIG. 2) installed on the mounting base 21 is engaged with the bottom of the container holder 63 through the opening formed in the bottom plate 61 b of the stand 61. It is performed by engaging with a hole (not shown). The container holder 63 is moved backward in accordance with the movement operation of the operation member 31 according to the drive of the container replacement motor 32 (DC motor), and the collection container 13 is operated below the cartridge holder 62. When not operating, the waste liquid container 12 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so as to be positioned below the cartridge holder 62. The operation of the container replacement motor 32 is controlled according to the detection of the position sensors 33a and 33b.

  The waste liquid container holding hole 63a and the recovery container holding hole 63b are provided with a bottom, and even if the liquid is accidentally dripped in a state where the waste liquid container 12 or the recovery container 13 is not set, it flows out to the outside and contaminates the equipment. It is supposed not to.

<Pressurized air supply mechanism>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressurized air supply mechanism 4 is installed in line with the pressure head 40 that moves up and down with respect to the rack 6 of the mounting mechanism 3. A plurality (eight in the figure) of air nozzles 41, an air pump 43 for generating pressurized air, a relief valve 44, an open / close valve 45 installed in each air nozzle 41 and opened and closed individually, and installed in each air nozzle 41 The pressure sensor 46 is provided, and pressurized air is sequentially supplied to the extraction cartridge 11.

  The pressure head 40 is held by a guide rod 24 installed in the vertical direction between the intermediate frame 22 and the upper frame 23 of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be vertically movable. Similarly, the ball nut 40a installed on the pressure head 40 is screwed to the ball screw 25 installed in the vertical direction, and the ball screw 25 is rotated through a timing belt and a pulley accompanying the driving of the elevating motor 47 (pulse motor). The pressure head 40 is moved up and down by the control accompanying the detection of the photosensors 48a to 48c. There are presser pins 49 on both sides of the pressure head 40. The presser pins 49 are urged downward by a spring 49b and can move up and down, and the tip 49a engages with a pin hole 62d on the upper surface of the cartridge holder 62. The position is restricted and can be pressed.

  The presser pin 49 presses the front position of the cartridge holder 62 so as not to interfere with the lateral movement of a cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w and a collected liquid dispensing nozzle 51r, which will be described later, while the cartridge holder 62 is being pressed. It is arranged like this.

  Each of the air nozzles 41 is installed on the pressurizing head 40 so as to be vertically movable and urged downward. A sheet-like sealing material 42 having a communication hole 42a (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the air nozzle 41 is provided below the air nozzle 41. When the pressurizing head 40 moves downward, the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11 set in the cartridge holder 62 is pressed and sealed through the sealing material 42 at the tip of the air nozzle 41, and the communication hole 42a is sealed. Through this, pressurized air can be fed into the extraction cartridge 11. The sealing material 42 is replaced when the extraction process is completed. In the case of FIG. 1, the flat sealing material 42 common to each air nozzle 41 is removed from the opening in front of the pressure head 40. It is supposed to be replaced.

  The specific structure of the air nozzle 41 and the sealing material 42 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  The relief valve 44 is opened to the atmosphere when the air in the passage between the air pump 43 and the opening / closing valve 45 is discharged. The opening / closing valve 45 is selectively opened, and an air circuit is configured to introduce pressurized air from the air pump 43 into the extraction cartridge 11 via the corresponding air nozzle 41. The pressure sensor 46 is installed in each air nozzle 41 and individually detects the internal pressure of the extraction cartridge 11, and corresponds to when the detected pressure falls within a predetermined pressure range (for example, 50 to 200 kPa, preferably 80 to 120 kPa). Control to determine the end of liquid discharge by detecting that the pressure has dropped below a predetermined range is performed by closing the open / close valve 45 and stopping the supply of pressurized air.

  The pressing portion structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. The pressing head 140 of this embodiment is different in shape from the pressing head 40 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, but the basic functions are the same. is there. Further, in the pressure head 40 in the form of FIG. 1, the seal material 42 is replaced directly from the pressure head 40, but the pressure head 140 in the form shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. Then, the bracket 15 holding the sealing material 42 is detached and replaced.

  As in FIG. 1, the pressurizing head 140 of this form is installed so as to be movable up and down with respect to the extraction cartridge 11 held by the cartridge holder 62 of the rack 6, and a plurality of pressurizing air is ejected from the lower end opening. The air nozzle 41 is held so as to be independently movable in the pressing direction to the extraction cartridge 11. Further, the sealing material 42 which is disposed immediately below the air nozzle 41 and is pressed between the tip of the air nozzle 41 and the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11 as the pressurizing head 140 descends, seals the air nozzle 41. Covering and holding on the bottom of the bracket 15 detachably attached to the lower part of the pressure head 140 from below.

  That is, an engagement groove 140b (FIG. 6) is formed at the lower end portion of the pressure head 140, while an engagement protrusion 15b is formed on the upper inner surface of the wall portion 15a of the bracket 15. 15 desorption structures are formed. The bracket 15 has a rectangular window-shaped bottom opening 15c on the bottom surface, and a sealing material 42 larger than the shape of the bottom opening 15c is held on the top surface. Further, the side surface portion 15d of the bracket 15 is opened, and the sealing material 42 is exchanged using the open portion of the side surface portion 15d. A mold insertion hole 15e for forming the protrusion is formed below the engagement protrusion 15b.

  The air nozzle 41 is inserted into and supported by the pressure head 140 so as to be movable up and down, and is urged in a downward pressing direction by a compression coil spring 16 that is an urging member installed on the outer periphery thereof. Each air nozzle 41 moves up and down independently independently according to its height variation when pressed against the extraction cartridge 11, absorbs variation in positional relationship, obtains a pressing force for sealing with the amount of deformation of the compression coil spring 16, and press-contacts Sealing is to be performed.

  The sealing material 42 has a single flat plate shape common to the air nozzles 41, and a communication hole 42 a is formed at a position corresponding to the air outlet 41 c (FIG. 7) of each air nozzle 41. As the material of the sealing material 42, for example, silicon rubber having a hardness of 30 ° to 50 ° is preferably used.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower end portion of the main body portion 41a of the air nozzle 41 has a convex cylindrical tip portion 41b having a diameter smaller than that of the main body portion 41a, and is added to the center of the end surface of the tip portion 41b. An air ejection port 41c that ejects pressurized air is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the outer diameter A of the tip 41 b of the air nozzle 41 is set smaller than the inner diameter B of the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11. The thickness t of the sealing material 42 is preferably in the range of (B−A) / 2 <t <[(B−A) / 2] +0.95 (mm). That is, basically (B−A) <2t, and the difference between the outer diameter A of the air nozzle tip and the inner diameter B of the extraction cartridge is set to be not more than twice the thickness t of the sealing material 42. For example, when the inner diameter B of the extraction cartridge is 6.7 mm, the outer diameter A of the air nozzle tip is 5.2 to 6.0 mm, and the thickness t of the sealing material 42 is 0.8 to 1.3 mm.

  When the pressure head 140 as described above is moved downward toward the extraction cartridge 11 for supplying pressurized air, the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11 set in the cartridge holder 62 is sealed with the tip of the air nozzle 41. The compressed air can be sealed by pressing through 42, and pressurized air can be fed into the extraction cartridge 11 through the communication hole 42a. At this time, the independent movement of the air nozzles 41 makes fine adjustments to changes in the height position of each air nozzle 41, and the positional relationship among the plurality of extraction cartridges 11, the sealing material 42, and the air nozzle tip varies. The pressure seal of each air nozzle 41 can be ensured evenly and reliably.

  Further, at the time of pressing, a sealing pressing force is obtained by a deformation amount of the compression coil spring 16 installed in the air nozzle 41. That is, when the pressure head 140 is lowered and the air nozzle 41, the sealing material 42, and the extraction cartridge 11 are in contact with each other and the initial spring load is exceeded, the compression coil spring 16 contracts and a load necessary for sealing the seal is applied. The pressurizing head 140 stops descending at a position where the compression coil spring 16 does not fully bend, so that an excessive load is not applied.

  Furthermore, by setting the dimensions of the air nozzle tip outer diameter: A, the extraction cartridge inner diameter: B, and the sealing material thickness: t, variation in the positional relationship between the air nozzle 41 and the extraction cartridge 11 is absorbed and adhesion with a small load is achieved. Improvement can be achieved.

  That is, if the pressing force is increased, the sealing performance is improved. However, a large driving force for pressing is required, and the fracture resistance and durability of the sealing material 42 are required. By setting the diameter difference and t, it is possible to ensure both sealing performance and reduction in pressing force. For example, the pressure load required to obtain a sealing pressure of 180 kPa is about 10 N for a large-diameter nozzle of about 8 N and B <A in the structure of the present invention. The tip end of the air nozzle is tapered and the tip outer diameter is B> A However, it becomes large with about 10N.

  In the large diameter air nozzle shape of B <A, the sealing function is greatly affected by the deviation of the center position, which tends to cause a sealing failure, and a large load as a whole is required to obtain a pressing force of a predetermined value or more in the circumferential direction. I need. In the tapered cone-shaped tip small-diameter air nozzle shape, the curved deformation of the sealing material increases, and air easily leaks between the tip of the air nozzle and the sealing material, and a large load is required.

  When the sealing material 42 is replaced after the extraction process is completed, the bracket 15 is removed from the pressure head 140 together with the sealing material 42, the sealing material 42 held by the bracket 15 is taken out and discarded, and a new one is disposed. The bracket 15 loaded with the sealing material 42 is mounted on the pressure head 140 again.

  The air pump 43 mentioned in the above embodiment is an example of a diaphragm pump, but may be employed as long as it is a pressurized air source such as a plunger pump or a syringe pump.

<Dispensing mechanism>
The dispensing mechanism 5 divides the cleaning liquid W contained in the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w and the recovered liquid dispensing nozzle 51r installed in the nozzle moving base 50 that can move horizontally on the rack 6 and the cleaning liquid W contained in the cleaning liquid bottle 56w. The cleaning liquid supply pump 52w for feeding to the injection nozzle 51w, the recovery liquid supply pump 52r for supplying the recovery liquid R accommodated in the recovery liquid bottle 56r to the recovery liquid dispensing nozzle 51r, and the mounting base 21 are mounted. A waste bottle 57 is provided.

  The nozzle moving table 50 is held by a guide rail 27 installed in the horizontal direction on the vertical wall 26 of the apparatus main body 2 and can move in the horizontal direction, and the movement is performed by a nozzle moving motor (pulse motor) (not shown). Drive control is performed so that the ink cartridge is sequentially stopped on the extraction cartridge 11 and stopped on the waste liquid bottle 57 in the return state. The cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w and the recovered liquid dispensing nozzle 51r are bent at the tips downward, the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w is connected to the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w via the switching valve 55w, and the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w is switched to the switching valve 55w. The recovery liquid dispensing nozzle 51r is connected to the recovery liquid supply pump 52r via the switching valve 55r, and the recovery liquid supply pump 52r is connected to the recovery liquid bottle 56r via the switching valve 55r. Has been. The cleaning liquid bottle 56w and the recovery liquid bottle 56r are attached to the side portions of the apparatus main body 2, respectively. The cleaning liquid supply pump 52w and the recovery liquid supply pump 52r are constituted by syringe pumps, and piston members of the cleaning liquid W and the recovery liquid of a predetermined amount based on detection of the positions of the sensors 54w and 54r by pump motors 53w and 53r (pulse motors), respectively. The drive is controlled to dispense R.

  That is, when dispensing the cleaning liquid W or the recovery liquid R, the switching valve 55w or 55r is switched to the cleaning liquid bottle 56w or the recovery liquid bottle 56r, and the pump motor 53w or 53r is driven to drive the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w or the recovery liquid. The piston member of the supply pump 52r is moved backward, the cleaning liquid W or the recovery liquid R is sucked and accommodated in the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w or the recovery liquid supply pump 52r, and then the switching valve 55w or 55r is recovered in the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w or recovery. Switching to the liquid dispensing nozzle 51r side, driving the pump motor 53w or 53r to push the piston member of the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w or the recovered liquid supply pump 52r until the air in the passage is discharged to the waste liquid bottle 57 The cleaning liquid or the recovered liquid is used as the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w or the recovered liquid. Note After ejected from the nozzle 51r, it stops the driving of the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w or the recovering solution feeding pump 52r. After that, the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51w or the recovered liquid dispensing nozzle 51r is moved onto the extraction cartridge 11, and then the driving amount of the cleaning liquid supply pump 52w or the recovered liquid supply pump 52r is controlled to control a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid W or the recovered liquid. R is dispensed into the extraction cartridge 11.

  Each of the mechanisms 3 to 5 described above corresponds to an input operation of the operation panel 7 installed on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 2 and is driven and controlled based on a program built in a linked control unit (not shown). Is done.

  The extraction operation by the nucleic acid extraction apparatus 1 will be specifically described. Here, the pressure head 40 in FIG. 1 will be described. First, the extraction cartridge 11 is set in the cartridge holder 62 of the rack 6 of the mounting mechanism 3, the waste liquid container 12 and the recovery container 13 are set in the container holder 63, and the rack 6 is mounted on the mounting base 21 of the apparatus main body 2. The sealing material 42 is also replaced and prepared. Next, the dissolved sample solution S is sequentially injected into each extraction cartridge 11 with a pipette or the like. Note that the sample solution S may be injected first into the extraction cartridge 11 after being set in the rack 6 before being mounted on the apparatus 1 or before being set.

  Thereafter, when the apparatus is operated by operating the operation panel 7, the pressure head 40 is moved downward by driving of the lifting motor 47 of the pressure air supply mechanism 4, and the tip 49 a of the presser pin 49 is moved to the pin hole 62 d of the cartridge holder 62. The cartridge holder 62 is lowered to regulate the position, and the lower end discharge part 11c of the extraction cartridge 11 is inserted into the waste liquid container 12 by a predetermined amount so that the discharged liquid is discharged to the outside by scattering or the like. Do not leak and cause contamination. Further, the pressurizing head 40 moves downward, and the lower end portion of each air nozzle 41 is pressed against the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11 through the sealing material 42 to be sealed. Since the presser pins 49 regulate the position of the cartridge holder 62 and the air nozzles 41 move independently, the air nozzles 41 are accurately pressed against the extraction cartridges 11 to ensure a reliable sealing.

  Thereafter, pressurized air is supplied. The air pump 43 is driven with all the open / close valves 45 closed, and the first open / close valve 45 is first opened. When the pressurized air from the air pump 43 is supplied to the first extraction cartridge 11 through the first air nozzle 41 and rises to a predetermined pressure range by the detection of the pressure sensor 46, the first opening / closing valve 45 is closed. Subsequently, the second opening / closing valve 45 is opened, and pressurized air is supplied to the second extraction cartridge 11 through the second air nozzle 41. This operation is repeated in order to apply pressure to all the extraction cartridges 11. In the sample solution S on which the pressure is applied, the nucleic acid is adsorbed and held through the filter member 11b, and other liquid components are discharged from the discharge portion 11c at the lower end to the waste liquid container 12. When all of the sample liquid S passes through the filter member 11b, the pressure drops below the liquid discharge completion pressure, and when the completion of extraction is detected in all the extraction cartridges 11 by the pressure sensors 46, the pressure head 40 is raised. .

  Next, the process proceeds to a cleaning process. After the pressure air is supplied, the pressurization head 40 rises to a height at which the air nozzle 41 (seal member 42) is separated from the extraction cartridge 11 and the movement of the nozzle moving table 50 is allowed. The operation is stopped at the raised position, and the holding pin 49 presses the cartridge holder 62, and the lower end of the extraction cartridge 11 is inserted into the waste liquid container 12, and the state shown in FIG. Then, the nozzle moving base 50 is moved to stop the cleaning liquid dispensing nozzle 51 w on the first extraction cartridge 11 to dispense a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid W, and the nozzle moving base 50 is moved to the next extraction cartridge 11. The cleaning liquid W is dispensed sequentially. When dispensing of the cleaning liquid W to all the extraction cartridges 11 is completed, the pressure head 40 is moved downward, and the lower end portion of each air nozzle 41 is pressed against the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge 11 via the sealing material 42 and sealed. Thereafter, the open / close valve 45 is sequentially opened in the same manner as described above, and pressurized air is supplied to each extraction cartridge 11. The cleaning liquid W on which the pressure is applied passes through the filter member 11b to clean and remove impurities other than nucleic acids, and the cleaning liquid W is discharged to the waste liquid container 12 from the discharge portion 11c at the lower end. When all the cleaning liquid W in all the extraction cartridges 11 is discharged through the filter member 11b, the pressure head 40 is raised to the initial position. The above operation is repeated when the cleaning process is performed a plurality of times.

  Next, the process proceeds to collection processing. After the pressurizing head 40 is lifted after the cleaning process, the presser pin 49 is raised and the cartridge holder 62 of the rack 6 is also moved upward, and the lower end discharge portion 11c of the extraction cartridge 11 is moved upward from the waste liquid container 12. Then, the operation member 31 of the mounting mechanism 3 is operated to move the container holder 63 backward, and the container replacement is performed so that the collection container 13 is positioned below the extraction cartridge 11.

  Subsequently, the pressure head 40 moves downward, the tip of the presser pin 49 engages and presses against the pin hole 62 d of the cartridge holder 62, and the tip discharge portion 11 c of the extraction cartridge 11 is inserted into the collection container 13. Keep state. Then, the nozzle moving table 50 is moved to stop the collected liquid dispensing nozzle 51r on the first extraction cartridge 11 to dispense a predetermined amount of the collected liquid R, and the nozzle moving table 50 is moved to the next extraction cartridge 11. Then, the recovered liquid R is dispensed sequentially. When dispensing of the recovered liquid R to all the extraction cartridges 11 is completed, the pressurizing head 40 is further lowered in the same manner as described above, and the lower end portions of the air nozzles 41 are inserted into the upper end openings of the extraction cartridges 11 through the sealing material 42. After the pressure contact and sealing, the open / close valve 45 is sequentially opened to supply pressurized air to each extraction cartridge 11. The recovery liquid R on which the pressure is applied passes through the filter member 11b to release the nucleic acid adsorbed thereto, and the nucleic acid together with the recovery liquid R is discharged to the recovery container 13 from the discharge portion 11c at the lower end. When all the recovery liquid R in all the extraction cartridges 11 is discharged to the recovery container 13, the pressurizing head 40 is raised and the series of operations is completed.

  The rack 6 for which the extraction operation has been completed is lowered from the mounting table 21, the extraction cartridge 11 and the waste liquid container 12 are taken out from the cartridge holder 62 and the container holder 63 and discarded, while the collection container 13 is taken out from the container holder 63, The lid is covered as necessary, and the next nucleic acid analysis process or the like is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the cleaning process using the cleaning liquid W is performed, but this is not always necessary depending on the filtering ability of the filter member 11b.

  Moreover, although the nucleic acid extraction apparatus is described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a method of bringing various specific substances into contact with the filter member. It is not always necessary to recover using the recovery liquid, and it is possible to analyze the specific material in contact with the filter member, or to analyze the reaction color by adding the processing liquid.

The perspective view which shows the state which removed the cover of the nucleic acid extraction apparatus in one embodiment of this invention Schematic diagram of nucleic acid extraction device Perspective view of rack in mounting mechanism The perspective view which shows the use condition of a rack The principal part perspective view which shows the press state of the pressure head of the form different from FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pressure head with the bracket of FIG. 5 removed. The perspective view which shows the air nozzle of the pressurization head of FIG. Partial sectional view showing the pressing state of the air nozzle Process diagram of extraction operation Perspective view of extraction cartridge

Explanation of symbols

1 Extraction device (nucleic acid extraction device)
2 Device body 3 Mounting mechanism 4 Pressurized air supply mechanism 5 Dispensing mechanism 6 Rack
11 Extraction cartridge
11b Filter material
12 Waste container
13 Collection container
15 Bracket
16 Compression coil spring (biasing member)
40.140 Pressure head
41 Air nozzle
41b Tip
41c Air outlet
42 Sealing material
43 Air pump
50 nozzle moving table
51w, 51r dispensing nozzle
62 Cartridge holder
63 Container holder S Sample solution W Cleaning solution R Recovery solution

Claims (5)

In an extraction apparatus that uses an extraction cartridge provided with a filter member, injects a sample liquid containing a specific substance into the extraction cartridge, and adsorbs the specific substance in the sample liquid to the filter member.
The pressurized air supply mechanism for introducing pressurized air into the extraction cartridge includes a moving pressure head, a plurality of air nozzles installed on the pressure head and ejecting pressurized air, a tip of the air nozzle, and the extraction cartridge An extraction device comprising: a sealing member pressed against the opening of each of the plurality of air nozzles, wherein each of the air nozzles is movable independently in a pressing direction to the extraction cartridge. Using an extraction cartridge provided with a filter member, a sample liquid containing nucleic acid is injected into the extraction cartridge and pressurized to adsorb the nucleic acid in the sample liquid to the filter member, and then the recovered liquid is dispensed into the extraction cartridge. An extraction device that performs an extraction operation of separating and collecting the nucleic acid adsorbed on the filter member by pressurization and collecting it together with a recovery liquid,
The pressurized air supply mechanism that introduces pressurized air into the extraction cartridge includes a pressure head that moves up and down relative to the extraction cartridge, and a plurality of air nozzles that are installed in the pressure head and eject the pressurized air from a lower end opening. And a sealing material that is disposed immediately below the air nozzle and seals by being pressed between the tip of the air nozzle and the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge as the pressurizing head is lowered. Is an extraction device characterized in that it can move independently in the direction of pressing the extraction cartridge.   The extraction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a tip portion of the air nozzle has a convex cylindrical shape, and an outer diameter A of the tip portion is smaller than an inner diameter B of an upper end opening of the extraction cartridge. .   When the outer diameter of the tip of the air nozzle is A, the inner diameter of the upper end opening of the extraction cartridge is B, and the thickness of the sealing material is t, B> A and (B−A) <2t. The extraction device according to claim 3.   The extraction device according to claim 1, wherein the air nozzle is urged in a pressing direction by an urging member, and a sealing pressing force is obtained by a deformation amount of the urging member.

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