JP2007183174A - Apparatus and method for suspension dispensing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce variation in concentration of delivered suspension in an apparatus for suspension dispensing capable of intermittently performing dispensing operation of the suspension. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus for suspension dispensing comprises a liquid transportation pipe 2 for sucking the suspension 4a stored by a suspension reservoir section 4 from one end side and delivering it from a nozzle 7 disposed at the other end side, a pressurizing member 3 for pressurizing the liquid transportation pipe 2 to form a blocked section 8, and a driving section 9 for moving the pressurizing member 3 to vary the position of the blocked section 8. The dispensing operation of moving the pressurizing member 3 so as to approach the nozzle 7 and delivering the cell suspension 4a from the nozzle 7 is performed. When the dispensing operation is not performed, the pressurizing member 3 is moved so as to back away from the nozzle 7, and the suspension 4a remaining in the liquid transportation pipe 2 is moved to the suspension reservoir section 4 side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension dispensing apparatus and a suspension dispensing method for conveying a suspension by applying a squeezing action to a flexible tube and dispensing the suspension into a container.

  Conventionally, a flexible tube is curvedly held on an arc-shaped inner peripheral wall surface of a holder, and a rotor having a plurality of pressing rollers on the outer peripheral portion is driven to rotate, and the pressing roller travels on the tube with a predetermined pressure contact force. There is known a liquid transport apparatus that applies a squeezing action to a tube and discharges the liquid in the tube from its tip (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  This liquid transport device presses a roller provided on a circumferential surface of a rotatable rotating body against a flexible tube held in a curved state along a pressing body having an arcuate circumferential wall. The deformed portion in which the tube is narrowed and crushed by the pressing body and the roller is defined. And in this state, it is an apparatus which moves the position of the deformation | transformation part of a tube by rotating a rotary body to a fixed direction, and conveys the liquid which exists in a tube by this ironing action.

By the way, this liquid transport apparatus is used in various apparatuses, and in a biological experiment apparatus, a liquid medium or a cell suspension is added to many incubators such as flasks, petri dishes, and microtiter plates for culturing biological cells. It is also used as a device for conveying and dispensing.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-44656 JP-A-5-49907 JP-A-9-96282

  However, when the liquid transport device is used as a suspension dispensing device that transports and dispenses cell suspensions, the chemical (adherent cells / floating cells) and physical properties of the cells (particles) in the cell suspension From (specific gravity / fluctuation), it is recognized that the concentration distribution is biased over time. In order to make the concentration in the cell suspension uniform for a certain period of time, the suspension can be moved by moving the container in which the suspension is stored or by pipetting (repeating and discharging repeatedly). Although it is necessary to stir, in a liquid transport apparatus that transports liquid by applying a squeezing action to a flexible tube, the liquid in the tube cannot be stirred, so it was carried into the tube Variations in concentration may occur in the suspension.

  This problem can be reduced if the suspension is continuously dispensed, but if the discharge interval is about several tens of seconds, concentration variations tend to occur. Especially in cell suspension dispensing operations, dispensing operations such as HTS (High Throughput Screening) may have to be performed intermittently, and variations in concentration may adversely affect experimental accuracy. There is.

  Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a concentration of discharged suspension in a suspension dispensing apparatus and suspension dispensing method capable of intermittently performing suspension dispensing operation. It is to reduce the variation of.

  In order to solve the above technical problem, the present invention provides a suspension dispensing apparatus having the following configuration.

The suspension dispensing apparatus according to the present invention includes a suspension reservoir that stores a suspension to be dispensed, and
A liquid transport pipe that includes a flexible tube, sucks the suspension stored in the suspension storage section from one end side, and discharges the suspension from a nozzle provided at the other end;
A plurality of pressure members that are deformed by pressing the flexible tube of the liquid transport pipe to form a closed portion in the liquid transport pipe, and the pressure member is moved along the liquid transport pipe to A drive unit configured to be able to change the position of the blocking unit;
A control unit that performs drive control of the drive unit,
The controller is
Dispensing operation in which the driving unit is driven so that the pressurizing member approaches the nozzle, and the blocking unit is moved from one end side of the liquid transport pipe to the nozzle side to discharge the cell suspension from the nozzle. A dispensing processing unit for causing the driving unit to perform
The drive unit is driven so that the pressurizing member is moved away from the nozzle, and the closed portion is moved from the nozzle side to one end side of the liquid transport pipe, and the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe A liquid return processing unit that causes the drive unit to perform a liquid return operation for moving the liquid to the suspension storage unit side.

  In the above configuration, the suspension dispensing device conveys the suspension stored in the suspension storage section through the liquid transport pipe and dispenses it into a dispensing container such as a microtiter plate. In the suspension dispensing apparatus, as a principle of suspension transportation, a closed portion is formed in a flexible tube by a pressure member, and the closed portion is moved by driving the pressure member by a control unit. . The dispensing processing unit of the control unit moves the pressurizing member with a predetermined movement width corresponding to the dispensing amount to perform a dispensing operation. On the other hand, the liquid return processing unit moves the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe to the storage section side and returns it to the suspension storage section, so that the suspended matter is buoyant or gravity in the liquid transport pipe. Prevent separation from solvent. At this time, if the entire amount of the suspension in the liquid transport pipe is returned to the suspension storage section, for example, there is a possibility that air bubbles may be mixed into the suspension storage section. It is preferable to control the operation of the liquid return processing unit so that the suspension remains.

  The control unit further drives the drive unit so that the pressurizing member moves forward and backward, thereby repeatedly sucking and discharging the suspension from one end of the liquid transport pipe to store the suspension. You may provide the stirring process part which makes the said drive part perform each general operation | movement which stirs the suspension liquid in a part.

  In the above configuration, after the suspension in the liquid transport pipe is returned to the suspension storage section, in order to agitate the suspension storage section, suction of the suspension into the liquid level transport pipe and the suspended suspension. The operation of releasing the liquid into the suspension reservoir is repeated. As a result, the suspension in the suspension reservoir is stirred and the concentration distribution can be reduced.

  The control unit further includes a liquid introduction processing unit that causes the driving unit to perform a liquid introduction operation for introducing the suspension returned to the suspension storage unit to the nozzle, and the dispensing processing unit. You may provide the liquid discharge process part which makes the said drive part perform the liquid discharge operation | movement which discharges | emits the said suspension liquid introduced into the said nozzle before performing dispensing operation | movement.

  In the above configuration, when the entire amount is not returned during the operation of returning the suspension in the liquid transport pipe to the suspension reservoir, a small amount of the suspension remains in the liquid transport pipe, and the remaining suspension Concentration distribution may occur in the liquid. The liquid introduction processing unit and the liquid discharge processing unit discharge the remaining suspension, and discharge and dispense the suspension aspirated newly by the liquid introduction processing unit. Distribution can be prevented.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a liquid return process part drives the said drive part at low speed rather than the drive speed of the said drive part by the said dispensing process part.

  The drive member is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis with the horizontal axis as a rotation axis, and a rotating body having at least three pressure members arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis. The liquid transport pipe is wound around the two pressure members in a state in which the flexible tube provided at the intermediate portion is stretched, and is a closed portion formed by the pressure member in the flexible tube. It is preferable that the closed space defined by is formed.

  In the above configuration, preferably, the side opposite to the side in contact with the pressurizing member at a position where the liquid transport tube is wound around the pressurizing member is opened as a liquid transport tube demounting space. .

The present invention also provides a suspension reservoir that stores a suspension to be dispensed, and a suspension that includes a flexible tube and that is stored in the suspension reservoir from one end side. A liquid transport pipe that discharges from a nozzle provided at an end; and a plurality of pressurizing members that are deformed by pressing a flexible tube of the liquid transport pipe to form a closed portion in the liquid transport pipe, and the liquid transport pipe And a suspension dispensing device comprising a drive unit configured to be able to change the position of the blocking part by moving the pressurizing member along a dispensing position located below the nozzle A suspension dispensing method in which the suspension is continuously dispensed into a dispensing container that is continuously fed to
The driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from one end side of the liquid transport pipe to the nozzle side, and the cell suspension is dispensed from the nozzle to one dispensing container existing at a dispensing position. Let
After the dispensing of the suspension into the 1 dispensing container is completed, the 1 dispensing container is taken out from the dispensing position;
Until the other dispensing container is disposed at the dispensing position, the driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from the nozzle side to one end side of the liquid transport pipe, Moving the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe to the suspension reservoir,
After the other dispensing container is disposed at the dispensing position, the driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from one end side of the liquid transport pipe to the nozzle side, thereby There is provided a suspension dispensing method, characterized in that dispensing is performed from the nozzle to the other dispensing container existing at a dispensing position.

  According to the suspension dispensing apparatus of the present invention, when the suspension is transferred by the control unit to move the drive unit to the flexible tube and convey the suspension, the drive unit moves the pressure member closer to the nozzle. The suspension can be dispensed by driving the drive unit to drive the pressurizing member away from the nozzle to return the suspension present in the liquid transport pipe to the suspension storage unit, Variation in the concentration of the suspension in the liquid transport pipe can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a suspension dispensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the principle of a suspension dispensing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the suspension dispensing device of the present embodiment sucks the suspension 4 a stored in the suspension storage unit 4 from one end of the liquid transport pipe 2 to form a liquid The inside of the transport pipe 2 is transported and finally discharged from the nozzle 7 provided at the other end of the liquid transport pipe 2 to the discharge container 5. As the suspension 4a stored in the suspension storage section 4, for example, a cell suspension is used. If the suspension 4a is left without stirring, the suspended substance precipitates or floats, It has the property of separating from the solvent.

  In order to supply the suspension 4 a into the liquid transport pipe 2, transport the liquid transport pipe 2, and discharge from the nozzle, a pressurizing member 3 that is pressed against the flexible tube of the liquid transport pipe 2 is used. Use. The pressure member 3 performs these operations by crushing the flexible tube to form the closed portion 8 and moving the pressure member 3 as indicated by an arrow 70 in this state. The pressurizing member 3 may be configured to be able to form a closed space by itself or by sandwiching a flexible tube with other members, and to be movable along the liquid transport pipe 2 by the drive unit 9. . When the pressurizing member 3 moves to the nozzle 7 side, the closing portion 8 moves to the nozzle 7 side, and the suspension sealed therein moves. On the other hand, when the pressurizing member moves to the suspension storage section 4 side, the closing section 8 moves to the suspension storage section 4 side, and the suspension sealed therein moves. That is, the discharge amount of the suspension is determined according to the movement amount of the pressure member 3. The suspension dispensing device of the present embodiment can perform various operations by changing the moving direction and the moving amount of the pressurizing member 3, and performs the driving operation of the drive unit 9 that moves the pressurizing member. The control unit 10 that controls this control.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the control unit. In order to control the drive unit 9 by varying the drive direction, drive amount, and drive speed of the drive unit 9 in accordance with the processes described later, the control unit 10 and the processing unit 11 that performs these calculation processes And a storage unit 12 for storing data used for the control.

  The processing unit 11 sucks the suspension in the suspension storage unit 4 and performs a process for transporting the suspension to the position immediately before the nozzle 7. The suspension transported to the position immediately before the nozzle 7 is a waste liquid. A liquid discharge processing unit 11b that performs processing for discharging a small amount into a container and discarding it, a dispensing processing unit 11c that performs processing for discharging a predetermined amount of suspension into a dispensing container such as a microtiter plate, and replacement of the dispensing container The liquid return processing unit 11d that performs processing for returning the suspension in the liquid transport pipe 2 to the suspension storage unit side, and the like, by repeatedly sucking and returning the suspension in the suspension storage unit 4 And a stirring processing unit 11e that performs processing of stirring the suspension in the suspension storage unit 4. Details of each processing operation will be described later.

  In addition, the storage unit 12 includes a dispensed amount storage unit 12a that stores a dispensed amount V1 when the dispensing process is performed, a discharge amount storage unit 12b that stores a discharged amount V2 when the suspension is discharged, and a suspension. A liquid introduction time storage unit 12c that stores a liquid introduction time T1 when the turbid liquid is transported to just before the nozzle, and a return time storage that stores a return time T2 for returning the suspension in the liquid transport pipe to the suspension storage unit. The unit 12d stores a stirring data storage unit 12e that stores stirring data when the stirring process is performed, and the processing of the processing unit 11 is performed based on these data. These data may be determined in advance or may be configured to be changeable by an input from the operation / input unit 14.

  In addition, when performing the above-described various processes by the control unit, as an input / output unit for various information, the positioning unit 13 that determines the position of a dispensing container, a waste liquid container, and the like; An input unit 14 and a display unit 15 for displaying the status of the processing operation are provided.

  Next, a specific configuration of the suspension dispensing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an external configuration perspective view of the suspension dispensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The suspension dispensing device 20 is a device that dispenses a predetermined amount of suspension into each well provided in the microtiter plate 100.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the suspension dispensing device 20 moves the microtiter plate independently in each of the X, Y, and Z directions, the positioning unit 13 disposed on the fixed base 21, and the suspension. A liquid transport mechanism 22 for transport and a drive unit 9 that is a drive source of the liquid transport mechanism are provided.

  The control unit 10 is provided inside the fixed base 21, and the operation / input unit 14 and the display unit 15 are provided on the side surface. For example, the operation / input unit 14 performs setting operations and processing operations such as the type (number of wells) of a microtiter plate that is a dispensing container and the amount of suspension dispensed to each well. It is used for various operations such as a trigger operation such as start and stop, and an operation for adjusting a discharge amount per unit rotation amount of a rotating body described later. In addition, the display unit 15 displays a display of the state of the suspension dispensing device 20, input confirmation of setting items, an error display, and the like.

  The positioning unit 13 includes a Y-direction movement table 13Y and an X-direction movement table 13X in order from the bottom on the fixed base 21, and is configured by combining these. A microtiter plate 100 and a waste liquid container 101 are provided on the upper surface of the X-direction moving table 13X. The Y-direction moving table 13Y is configured to be movable in the Y-axis direction on the fixed base 21 by a Y-axis motor (not shown). The Y-direction moving table 13Y is controlled by the control unit 10 in the Y-axis direction of the microtiter plate 100. Perform alignment. The X-direction moving table 13X is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction on the Y-direction moving table by an X-axis motor (not shown), and is aligned with the microtiter plate 100 in the X-axis direction under the control of the control unit 10. I do. The X-direction moving table 13X is configured to be adjustable in height from the surface of the Y-direction moving table 13Y, and can move the microtiter plate 100 up and down in the Z-axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid transport mechanism 22 is disposed on a fixed plate 23 provided above the positioning unit 13, and includes a rotating body 24, a discharge side mounting unit 25, and an introduction side mounting unit 26. A tube cassette mounting portion and a suspension storage portion 4. The rotating body 24 is configured to be rotatable around a rotating shaft extending in the Y-axis direction, and is driven to rotate by power from the driving unit 9. The upper region of the rotating body 24 is opened without providing another member. This area is used as a tube cassette attaching / detaching area 90 used when attaching / detaching the tube cassette 40 as described later, and facilitates the attachment / detachment of the tube cassette 40.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating body 24 is a member that rotates around a rotating shaft that extends in the Y-axis direction, and is held by a holding portion 28 that is disposed on the fixed plate 23. The rotating body 24 includes six cylindrical rollers 61 that extend in parallel with the rotation axis between the two disks 60 and are arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis of the disk. Prepare. The roller 61 is pressed against the flexible tube of the tube cassette 40 described later, and functions as the pressure member 3 that crushes the contact portion with the flexible tube to create a closed space in the flexible tube.

  As described above, the rotation shaft 62 for rotating the rotating body by receiving the power from the drive unit 9 is provided at the central portion of the two discs 60.

  The drive unit 9 includes a step motor 27 for driving the rotating body 24, and is connected to the rotating shaft 62. The step motor 27 is configured to be able to rotate by a rotation angle determined by the number of drive pulses transmitted from the control unit 10, and information on the discharge amount per unit pulse number is determined in advance.

  The tube cassette mounting portion is a member for mounting a tube cassette (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, on the suspension dispensing apparatus, and includes an introduction side mounting portion 26 and a discharge side mounting portion 25. The discharge side mounting portion 25 is arranged in front of the fixed plate 23 so as to be parallel to the Y axis, holds the rotating shaft of the rotating body 24 and holds the discharge side holding portion 42 of the tube cassette described later. The introduction side mounting portion 26 is fixed at two places so as to be parallel to the Y axis, and holds an introduction side holding portion 43 of a tube cassette described later.

  The tube cassette 40 is a member configured by arranging a plurality of tubes as the liquid transport pipe 2 in parallel. From the supply pipe 48 arranged so as to be immersed in the suspension 4 a stored in the suspension storage section 4. The suspension is introduced, and the suspension is transported through the introduction tube 46 as the liquid transport tube 2, the relay tube 47, the transport tube 45, and the nozzle 7.

  The respective liquid transport pipes 2 are arranged at equal pitches by a discharge side holding part 42 for fixing the nozzle 7, an introduction side holding part 43 for fixing the relay pipe 47, and a third holding part 44 for fixing the supply pipe. It is connected and provided. The pitch of the adjacent liquid transport pipes 2 is set to be equal to or an integer multiple of the pitch of the well row of the microtiter plate 100.

  The conveyance tube 45 inserted into the nozzle 7 is a flexible tube having flexibility and stretchability. In this embodiment, the outer diameter is approximately 2.7φ, and the inner diameter is approximately 1.3 to 1.7φ. It is about. The performance required for the transport tube is required to be not only flexible and stretchable but also durable (durability against ironing by a roller and chemical resistance). Further, depending on the application, it is also required that autoclaving (sterilization) is possible. In this embodiment, silicon resin is used from the above viewpoint, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In the present embodiment, the same introduction tube 46 as the conveyance tube 45 is used as the introduction tube 46 communicating with the conveyance tube 45 by the relay pipe 47. However, as will be described later, the introduction tube 46 is attached to the suspension dispensing device 20 in a state where no tension is applied, and therefore, the introduction tube 46 does not necessarily have flexibility, and a tube having an arbitrary property can be used. .

  The discharge side holding part 42 penetrates and fixes the nozzle 7. The discharge side holding part 42 is held by engaging with the discharge side mounting part 25. Further, the introduction side holding part 43 penetrates and fixes the relay pipe 47. The introduction side holding portion 43 is held by engaging with the introduction side mounting portion 26. The third holding part 44 penetrates and fixes the supply pipe 48. The third holding unit 44 functions as an upper lid of the suspension storage device.

  Next, operation | movement of the suspension dispensing apparatus concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is an operation flow of the suspension dispensing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The suspension dispensing apparatus 20 performs a loop process until an operation signal is received from the operation / input unit 14 (# 1), and a start command is issued (# 2), whereby the conditions set at the start command are set. Based on the above, the following various processes are started.

  After the start command is issued, the control unit 10 drives the positioning unit 13 to perform the positioning operation to the liquid discharge position (# 3). In the positioning operation to the liquid discharge position, alignment is performed so that the waste liquid container 101 provided on the X-direction moving table 13X is disposed at a position below the nozzle 7.

  Next, the control unit 10 performs a liquid introduction operation (# 4). FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the operating state of the liquid transport pipe and the pressure member during the liquid introduction operation. In the liquid introduction operation, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotating body 24 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 71 so that the roller 61, which is the pressure member 3, faces the nozzle side (hereinafter, the roller 61 faces the nozzle side). The direction in which the rotating body rotates is referred to as the positive rotation direction). As a result, the closed space formed in the transport tube 45 constituting the liquid transport pipe 2 moves in the nozzle direction, and the suspension 4a in the suspension reservoir 4 is sucked and transported into the liquid transport pipe 2, The suspension 4a is made to reach the tip of the nozzle 7. The amount of rotation of the rotating body 24 at this time is controlled by the control unit 10, and the step motor 27 is continuously rotated based on the liquid introduction time T1 stored in the storage unit 12 until the liquid introduction time T1 elapses. Let In the liquid introduction operation, since the waste liquid container 101 exists below the nozzle 7, the suspension 4 b may be discharged from the tip of the nozzle 7.

  Next, the control unit 10 performs a liquid discharge operation (# 5). FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the liquid transport pipe and the pressure member during the liquid discharging operation. In the liquid discharge operation, the rotating body 24 continuously rotates positively in the direction indicated by the arrow 72 as shown in FIG. As a result, the suspension 4 a filled up to the inside of the nozzle 7 is discharged from the nozzle and discharged into the waste liquid container 101. The amount of rotation of the rotating body 24 at this time is controlled by the control unit 10, and the number of pulses that can discharge the suspension for the discharge amount is determined based on the discharge amount V <b> 2 stored in the storage unit 12. Sent to.

  Next, the control unit 10 moves the microtiter plate, performs a positioning operation so that the well row to be dispensed is positioned below the nozzle (# 6), and subsequently executes the dispensing operation (# 7). ).

  FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the liquid transport pipe and the pressurizing member during the dispensing operation. In the dispensing operation, the rotating body 24 rotates forward in the direction indicated by the arrow 73 as shown in FIG. Thus, the suspension 4 a filled up to the inside of the nozzle 7 is discharged from the nozzle and discharged into the well of the microtiter plate 100. The rotation amount of the rotating body 24 at this time is controlled by the control unit 10 based on the dispensing amount V1 stored in the storage unit 12, and is suspended for the dispensing amount input and set by the operation / input unit 14. The number of pulses that can discharge the liquid is transmitted to the step motor 27.

  Next, it is confirmed whether or not the next well row exists in the microtiter plate 100 to be dispensed (# 8), and if it exists, positioning to the next well row is executed (# 6), A dispensing operation is performed in the well row (# 9).

  FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D are views showing the operation of the microtiter plate during the dispensing operation. In the dispensing operation, first, as shown in FIG. 10A, the positioning unit 13 is arranged so that the well row 100a arranged in the Y-axis direction of the microtiter plate 100 is positioned below the nozzle 7 for discharging the suspension. Move.

  Next, the microtiter plate 100 is raised as indicated by an arrow 74 to bring the nozzle 7 closer to the first well row 100a of the microtiter plate 100, and the rotating body 24 is driven to rotate by a predetermined angle as described above. A predetermined amount of the suspension 4c is discharged (FIG. 10B). When a predetermined amount of suspension is discharged to the well row 100a (FIG. 10C), the microtiter plate 100 is lowered downward in the Z-axis direction and the X-direction moving table 13X is moved to move to the next well row 100b. Is moved below the nozzle 7 (FIG. 10D). By repeating such operations, a predetermined amount of suspension is discharged to all the wells of the microtiter plate 100.

  When the dispensing operation is completed for all well rows, the microtiter plate is moved to the exchange position for the microtiter plate. The microtiter plate can be replaced manually or by removing the microtiter plate that has been dispensed from the unloader (not shown) and supplying a new microtiter plate from the loader (not shown). Also good. When the replacement of the microtiter plate is completed, a new dispensing operation is performed. During the replacement of the microtiter plate, the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe 2 is the solvent, the suspension, and the suspension. Since the concentration is distributed by the separation of the liquid, a liquid returning operation is performed.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the liquid transport pipe and the pressure member during the liquid returning operation. As the liquid returning operation, first, in the liquid returning operation, as shown in FIG. 11, the direction indicated by the arrow 77 (hereinafter, the roller 61 is moved so that the roller 61 as the pressurizing unit 3 is directed toward the suspension storing unit side). The rotating body 24 rotates in the direction in which the rotating body rotates so as to go to the suspension storage section side is referred to as a reverse rotation direction. As a result, the suspension 4 a filled up to the inside of the nozzle 7 is returned from the liquid transport pipe 2 to the suspension reservoir 4. The rotation amount of the rotating body 24 at this time is controlled by the control unit 10 so that the total amount of the suspension does not return to the suspension storage unit 4 based on the liquid return time T2 stored in the storage unit 12. The determined number of pulses is transmitted to the step motor 27. By controlling so that the total amount of the suspension does not return to the suspension reservoir 4, bubbles are not blown into the suspension in the suspension reservoir, and the cells contained in the suspension are affected. It is preferable not to do so.

  In the liquid return operation, the rotation speed of the rotating body is set so as to be slower in the reverse rotation than in the normal rotation, so that the cells contained in the suspension are not damaged as much as possible.

  Further, in the liquid return operation, a stirring operation can be performed in order to stir the suspension in the suspension reservoir 4. The agitation operation alternately performs forward rotation and reverse rotation of the rotating body, and sucks the suspension in the suspension reservoir into the liquid transport pipe 2, while the suspension in the liquid transport pipe 2 is suspended. It is an operation of stirring the suspension by repeating the operation of returning it to the reservoir. In the stirring operation, the rotating body is alternately rotated forward and reverse. The number of rotations in the forward rotation is shorter than the operation time in the liquid introduction unit, and the suspension is transported to the vicinity of the nozzle 7, and the number of rotations in the reverse rotation is a slight amount of suspension in the liquid transport device. It is preferable to make it remain. These rotational speeds are stored in the agitation data storage unit 12e of the storage unit 12 as agitation data.

  During the microtiter plate replacement operation, the liquid returning operation is repeated until a replacement start command is issued. The start command may be, for example, an input of a start operation of the operation / input unit 14, or may be a signal indicating the end of replacement if automatic microtiter plate replacement work is performed. When the control unit 10 receives an input operation start command, a dispensing operation is performed on the replaced microtiter plate in the same manner as described above.

  As described above, in the suspension dispensing apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the microtiter plate is replaced, the suspension in the liquid transport pipe 2 is returned to the suspension reservoir 4. It is possible to prevent the concentration distribution of the suspension from occurring in the liquid transport pipe. In addition, the suspension stored in the suspension storage section can be stirred by applying a liquid flow to the suspension by performing a stirring operation, thereby preventing concentration distribution from occurring. .

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement in another various aspect. In the above-described embodiment, the speed pattern of the rotating body is set to be different between the forward rotation and the reverse rotation, but the rotation speed and speed pattern in each operation are moderated to improve the efficiency of the liquid feeding amount and the stirring time. You can also

  The suspension dispensing device of the present invention can be used in, for example, the field of biochemical research because, for example, a cell suspension used as an experimental sample in biochemical experiments can be dispensed into evenly small portions. be able to.

It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the principle of the suspension dispensing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of a control part. 1 is an external configuration perspective view of a suspension dispensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the rotary body mounted in the suspension dispensing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the tube cassette used for the suspension dispensing apparatus of FIG. It is an operation | movement flow of the suspension dispensing apparatus concerning this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the operation state of the liquid transport pipe | tube and a pressurization member at the time of liquid introduction operation | movement. It is the schematic which shows the operation state of the liquid transport pipe | tube and a pressurization member at the time of liquid discharge operation | movement. It is the schematic which shows the operation state of the liquid transport pipe | tube and a pressurization member at the time of dispensing operation | movement. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the microtiter plate at the time of dispensing operation. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the microtiter plate at the time of dispensing operation. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the microtiter plate at the time of dispensing operation. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the microtiter plate at the time of dispensing operation. It is the schematic which shows the operation state of the liquid transport pipe | tube and a pressurization member at the time of a liquid return operation | movement.

Explanation of symbols

2 Liquid transport pipe 3 Pressure member 4 Suspension storage part 5 Discharge container 7 Nozzle 8 Blocking part 9 Drive part 10 Control part 11 Processing part 11a Liquid introduction processing part 11b Liquid discharge processing part 11c Dispensing processing part 11d Liquid return processing Unit 11e agitation processing unit 12 storage unit 12a dispensed amount storage unit 12b discharge amount storage unit 12c liquid introduction time storage unit 12d return time storage unit 12e stirring data storage unit 13 positioning unit 14 operation / input unit 15 display unit 20 suspension Liquid dispensing device 21 Fixed base 22 Liquid transport mechanism 23 Fixed plate 24 Rotating body 40 Tube cassette 61 Roller 100 Microtiter plate

Claims (7)

A suspension reservoir for storing the suspension to be dispensed;
A liquid transport pipe that includes a flexible tube, sucks the suspension stored in the suspension storage section from one end side, and discharges the suspension from a nozzle provided at the other end;
A plurality of pressure members that are deformed by pressing the flexible tube of the liquid transport pipe to form a closed portion in the liquid transport pipe, and the pressure member is moved along the liquid transport pipe to A drive unit configured to be able to change the position of the blocking unit;
A control unit that performs drive control of the drive unit,
The controller is
Dispensing operation of driving the driving unit so that the pressurizing member approaches the nozzle, moving the blocking unit from one end side of the liquid transport tube to the nozzle side, and discharging the cell suspension from the nozzle A dispensing processing unit for causing the driving unit to perform
The drive unit is driven so that the pressurizing member is moved away from the nozzle, and the closed portion is moved from the nozzle side to one end side of the liquid transport pipe, and the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe A suspension dispensing apparatus, comprising: a liquid return processing unit that causes the drive unit to perform a liquid return operation for moving the liquid toward the suspension storage unit.   The control unit further drives the drive unit so that the pressurizing member moves forward and backward, thereby repeatedly sucking and discharging the suspension from one end of the liquid transport pipe, The suspension dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an agitation processing unit that causes the driving unit to perform general operations for agitating the suspension of the suspension. The control unit further includes:
A liquid introduction processing unit for causing the driving unit to perform a liquid introduction operation for introducing the suspension returned to the suspension storage unit to the nozzle;
A liquid discharge processing unit for causing the drive unit to perform a liquid discharge operation for discharging the suspension introduced into the nozzle before performing the dispensing operation by the dispensing processing unit. The suspension dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   The suspension according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the liquid return processing unit drives the driving unit at a lower speed than a driving speed of the driving unit by the dispensing processing unit. Liquid dispensing device. The drive member is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis with a horizontal axis as a rotation axis, and a rotating body in which at least three pressure members are arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis;
The liquid transport pipe is wound around the two pressure members in a state where the flexible tube provided at an intermediate portion is stretched, and is closed by a blocking portion formed by the pressure member in the flexible tube. The suspension dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the suspension dispensing apparatus is arranged so as to form a defined closed space.   The side opposite to the side in contact with the pressurizing member at a position where the liquid transport tube is wound around the pressurizing member is opened as a liquid transport pipe demounting space. 5. The suspension dispensing apparatus according to 5. A suspension storage section that stores a suspension to be dispensed, and a nozzle that includes a flexible tube and sucks the suspension stored in the suspension storage section from one end side and is provided at the other end A plurality of pressurizing members that are deformed by pressing the liquid transport pipe to be discharged from the liquid transport pipe and pressing the flexible tube of the liquid transport pipe to form a closed portion in the liquid transport pipe, and the pressurizing along the liquid transport pipe And a suspension dispensing device comprising a drive unit configured to change the position of the closing part by moving a member, and continuously supplied to a dispensing position located below the nozzle. A suspension dispensing method for continuously dispensing the suspension into a dispensing container,
The driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from one end side of the liquid transport pipe to the nozzle side, and the cell suspension is dispensed from the nozzle to one dispensing container existing at a dispensing position. Let
After the dispensing of the suspension into the 1 dispensing container is completed, the 1 dispensing container is taken out from the dispensing position;
Until the other dispensing container is disposed at the dispensing position, the driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from the nozzle side to one end side of the liquid transport pipe, Moving the suspension remaining in the liquid transport pipe to the suspension reservoir,
After the other dispensing container is disposed at the dispensing position, the driving unit is driven so as to move the pressurizing member from one end side of the liquid transport pipe to the nozzle side, thereby Suspension dispensing method characterized by causing dispensing from the nozzle to the other dispensing container present at a dispensing position.

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