JP2007286073A - Injection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an injection apparatus having high accuracy in injection quantities and capable of supply at low costs. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid object to be discharged 4 is injected to a receiver 2 from a discharge unit 20. The receiver 2 is mounted to a tray 3. A first end 41 of the tray 3 is provided with a first liquid reception part 43 capable of receiving the object to be discharged 4 prior to the receiver 2 in the injection apparatus 1. Since it is possible to set a predischarge for discharging the object to be discharged 4 to the first liquid reception part 43 immediately before a main discharge for discharging the object to be discharged 4 to the receiver 2, it is possible to separate an initial discharge of which the quantity of discharge can easily vary from the main discharge and improve accuracy in the injection quantity of the main discharge. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispensing device or an injection device that discharges a minute amount of a liquid discharge.

  An injection device that injects or dispenses various reagents for testing, such as reagents for inspection and culture fluid, into wells or test tubes containing solutions or media to be inspected for analysis of trace components It has been known. Conversely, a sample solution to be inspected may be dispensed into a well containing a reagent or the like.

  Microwell plates or microplates in which receivers such as microwells are arranged in a matrix in an injection device used for analysis of genetic information, evaluation of drugs, measurement and analysis in other biological or medical fields Each of the receivers is required to accurately inject or dispense a predetermined amount of liquid. In order to improve the accuracy of the minute injection amount, a valve jet type dispenser that can control the discharge amount by compressed air with high accuracy is adopted, and in recent years, inkjet technology that has been developed for printing is liquid. Is used to dispense. Further, in order to improve the accuracy of the injection position, an XY stage technique that moves the dispenser in the XY direction with high accuracy is used.

  As the amount of information to be analyzed increases, the amount of receivers to be injected also increases. Therefore, in order to shorten the analysis time, it is necessary to further speed up the dispensing process. As the amount of receivers increases, the individual receivers must be made smaller to improve the degree of integration. Therefore, there is a demand for a dispensing apparatus that can inject a predetermined amount of liquid into a predetermined position at high speed with higher accuracy. In addition, high reliability and low cost are also required.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost injection device that can accurately discharge a stable amount to a receiver such as a well of a microwell plate, and a control method thereof. An object of the present invention is to provide an injection apparatus and an injection method that can easily cope with high integration of a receiver.

  One method of improving the accuracy of the injection amount is to improve the accuracy of the discharge amount of each dispenser that discharges the liquid. However, since the object to be discharged is a liquid, the amount discharged depending on the state of the liquid in the vicinity of the nozzle, for example, the degree of unevenness due to the meniscus force at the nozzle tip, and the state inside the pipe from the tank holding the solution to the nozzle The smaller the discharge amount, the greater the variation depending on the environment. In addition, the discharge amount varies due to the locally increased viscosity of the liquid (discharged material) due to evaporation of the discharged material from the nozzle tip. Therefore, it is necessary to control the discharge pressure and keep the conditions in the piping constant in order to accurately discharge a predetermined amount in any environment, which increases the cost of the injection device. It becomes. On the other hand, no matter how it is adjusted, a predetermined discharge amount is not always obtained from the beginning. On the other hand, even if the conditions are somewhat rough, since the same state is reproduced by continuing the injection, the injection amount is likely to be stable.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the holder that holds the receiver to be discharged is provided with a liquid receiving portion that receives the discharged material in the vicinity of the receiver separately from the receiver. Perform proper discharge. As a result, during the main discharge in which the discharge liquid is discharged to the receiver, the discharge is performed in a stable state, so that the accuracy of the discharge amount can be improved. That is, the injection device of the present invention includes a discharge unit including at least one nozzle that discharges a liquid discharge product, a holder capable of setting at least one receiver that receives the discharge product in a discharge direction of the discharge unit, And a moving mechanism for moving the discharge unit and the holder relatively from the first end to the second end of the holder, and the holder can receive the discharge at the first end prior to the receiver. 1st liquid receiving part is provided.

  In the injection device of the present invention, before discharging the discharged material to at least one receiver, a pre-discharge step of discharging the discharged material to the first liquid receiving portion provided at the first end of the holder, and at least one It is possible to employ a control method having a main discharge step of discharging discharged material to two receivers. Therefore, before the main discharge step of discharging the discharge material to the receiver, the discharge material is discharged by the injection method for performing the pre-discharge step of discharging the discharge material to the first liquid receiving portion provided at the first end of the holder. Can be injected or dispensed. For this reason, it is possible to separate or discard the discharge immediately after the start of discharge with the largest variation in the discharge amount as a preliminary discharge separately from the main discharge. Therefore, even without improving the accuracy of the discharge unit itself, that is, the part that controls the liquid amount as a dispenser, by removing the initial process that has the greatest effect on the accuracy of the injection amount from the main discharge, The accuracy of the substantial discharge amount in the main discharge to be dispensed can be improved.

  For the purpose of preventing clogging of the nozzle for dispensing, it is also important to pre-discharge the discharge unit at a home position away from the holder. On the other hand, in the injection device of the present invention, as a series of processes connected to the main discharge discharged to the receiver at a position very close to the receiver on the holder by providing a liquid receiving portion at the first end of the holder. The preliminary pre-discharge can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to execute the main discharge from the previous discharge as a series of processes on the holder, and the discharge amount accuracy can be improved by minimizing fluctuations in the discharge conditions in the main discharge and discharging based on stable conditions. Can be raised.

  In addition, in the injection method using this injection apparatus, since pre-discharge can be performed immediately before the receiver on a holder that holds a plurality of receivers such as microwells, a series of steps from preliminary pre-discharge to main discharge is performed. Or continuous work or procedure. For this reason, it is not necessary to largely move the position of the discharge unit or change the speed between the discharge unit and the holder, and the processing speed of the injection process is not affected. Further, a process completely different from the main discharge is not added for the preliminary pre-discharge. For this reason, it is very easy to cope with the speeding up of the dispensing process including the preliminary discharge. Further, even if the structure of the discharge unit itself is not improved and the accuracy of the injection amount is not increased, the accuracy of the actual injection amount is increased, so that the manufacturing and development costs of the injection device can be kept low. Furthermore, since the structure of the discharge unit itself does not become complicated, an injection device that is compact and has high injection accuracy can be provided.

  The timing at which the variation in the discharge amount (injection amount) tends to increase immediately after the start of injection is when the injection is terminated. Even if you try to stop the discharge from the nozzle, excess liquid may fall from the vicinity of the nozzle, control the operating air pressure of the discharge unit to prevent liquid dripping immediately after the discharge ends, When different controls are performed, the discharge amount may change due to the control. Therefore, in the injection device of the present invention, the second end of the holder is further provided with a second liquid receiving portion that can receive the discharged material after the receiver, and the portion where the injection amount at the end of discharge is likely to change is provided. It can be separated from the main discharge. Thereby, even if it does not improve the precision of the part which controls the liquid quantity of discharge unit itself, the precision of the substantial discharge amount with respect to a receiver can further be improved. Therefore, the method for controlling the injection apparatus according to the present invention provides a discharge product to the second liquid receiving portion provided at the second end of the holder after the main discharge process, that is, after the discharge product is discharged to the receiver. It is desirable to provide a post-ejection step for ejecting.

  These first and / or second liquid receiving portions can be used not only for receiving the predischarge liquid but also for checking the function of the nozzle. That is, it is possible to confirm the operation of the nozzle before the main discharge by installing a sensor capable of determining that the discharged material is discharged from any one of the at least one nozzle in the first liquid receiving portion. it can. In addition, the operation of the nozzle after the main discharge can be confirmed by installing in the second liquid receiving portion a sensor that can determine that the discharged material has been discharged from at least one of the nozzles. Therefore, from the detection results of the sensors installed in these liquid receivers, although indirectly, it can be confirmed that the nozzle was operating normally during the main discharge, and the reliability of the injection apparatus can be improved. In addition, the discharge unit is provided with a sensor capable of determining that the discharge has been discharged from at least one nozzle, and by detecting the droplets output from the discharge unit, the nozzles during the main discharge are detected. The reliability of operation can be confirmed directly, and the reliability can be further improved.

  By providing an appropriate means for processing the discharged liquid discharged to the first and second liquid receiving portions, it becomes easy to repeatedly use or remove the holder for maintenance. One of the means for processing is a heating means for evaporating the discharged liquid. It is also effective to provide a mechanism for collecting the discharged material received in the first and second liquid receiving portions. Furthermore, the holder provided with the first and / or second liquid receiving part may be integrated with the injection device, but it may be detachable, and the receiver is mounted or mounted. And easy maintenance. Such a holder is also included in the present invention.

  As the discharge unit, it is possible to use a head that discharges discharge from a nozzle by a valve method or an ink jet method, and is particularly suitable for accurately controlling a small amount of discharge.

  The injection device of the present invention moves a holder and / or a discharge unit at a constant speed by a moving mechanism, and provides a control device that discharges discharges at a constant timing by a discharge unit. A certain amount of discharge can be injected intermittently. In addition, by changing the length of time to discharge intermittently, that is, when injecting so as to draw a broken line, it is injected to each receiver by changing the length of each element of the broken line The amount of discharged material can be variably controlled with extremely high accuracy. The receiver is not limited to one that can hold the solution individually, such as a microwell or a test tube, but for testing placed on a plate, substrate, or test paper that supports and absorbs the solution. It may be a section. Furthermore, it may be a predetermined compartment on a medium placed in a petri dish or the like. Moreover, it is also possible to continuously discharge the discharged material from the discharge unit to the substrate or the culture medium, so that it is possible to form a continuous test section or continuously inject the test solution.

  The control method of the present invention may be employed as a control device for an injection apparatus as a control program, firmware or program product having instructions capable of executing a pre-discharge process, a main discharge process, and further a post-discharge process. It can be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of an injection apparatus according to the present invention. This injection device is also called a dispensing device or a dispenser, and can inject a predetermined amount of a liquid discharge such as a reagent or sample solution into a receiver such as a plurality of wells or test tubes. It is. FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view of the injection device 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. 1 (b) is a view of the injection device 1 as viewed from the side. It is shown using

  The injection device 1 includes a discharge unit (discharge head) 20 including a plurality of nozzles 21 that output a liquid discharge product, and the nozzle 21 so that the discharge product is discharged downward from the nozzle 21. Is mounted on the base 10 facing down. In the base 10, a holder 3 capable of setting a plurality of receivers 2 that receive discharged substances and a moving mechanism 5 for conveying the holder 3 are disposed so as to pass under the discharge unit 20. That is, in the injection device 1 of this example, the discharge unit 20 is fixed to the base 10, the holder 3 moves, and the discharged material is injected into each of the receivers 2 set in the holder 3.

  The moving mechanism 5 of this example includes a stepping motor 11 as a driving source, a feed roller 12 attached to the shaft of the stepping motor 11, and a roller plate driven in the transport direction X by the feed roller 12 and the pressing roller 13. 14 and a tray base 15 mounted on the roller plate 14. Then, the tray 3 as a holder is mounted on the upper surface 15 a of the tray table 15, and the receiver 2 set on the tray 3 passes below the discharge unit 20. The base 10 is provided with guide plates 16 and 17 for guiding both edges of the tray base 15, and the tray 3 passes below the discharge unit 20 at a predetermined speed along a predetermined route. Therefore, a predetermined amount of discharged material can be injected or dispensed to the predetermined receiver 2 by discharging the discharged material from the nozzle 21 of the discharge unit 20 at an appropriate timing.

  The movement mechanism 5 of the injection device 1 and the discharge unit 20 are controlled by a control device 19 comprising a microcomputer according to a control program 50 stored in a ROM or the like. Moreover, in order to detect the position of the tray 3 conveyed by the roller plate 14, the injection device 1 of this example can detect the edge of the tray 3 or the roller plate 14 at a position corresponding to the lower side of the discharge unit 20. The sensor 8 is arranged, and the output of the sensor 8 is supplied to the control device 19.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged configuration of the discharge unit 20. The discharge unit 20 is attached above the base 10 by a support 9. The discharge unit 20 has the same pitch as the receiver 2 on the tray in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X of the tray 3 so as to discharge a liquid discharge to each of the plurality of receivers 2 mounted on the tray 3. A plurality of nozzles 21 arranged in a row. Each nozzle 21 is fixed to a fixed frame 18 attached to the support 9, and a supply unit (valve) for supplying a predetermined amount of discharged material to each nozzle 21 via a tube 23. Alternatively, it is connected to an actuator 22.

  FIG. 3A shows an enlarged view of a state where the nozzle 21 is attached to the fixed frame 18, and FIG. 3B shows a view of the fixed frame 18 as viewed from above. A plurality of through holes 45 into which the nozzles 21 can be inserted in the vertical direction are formed in the fixed frame 18 at a pitch much narrower than the pitch at which the supply portions 22 are arranged. In addition, a lateral hole 47 for fixing the nozzle 21 to the fixed frame 18 is formed by a fixing screw 47 in a state where the nozzle 21 is inserted into the through hole 45. In the ejection head 20 of this example, the nozzle 21 and the supply unit 22 are separated, and the nozzle 21 and the supply unit 22 are connected flexibly by a tube or a hose 23. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the nozzles 21 independently of the arrangement of the supply units 22, and further, by selecting the holes 45 to be attached to the fixed frame 18, it is desired to apply the pitch of the nozzles 21 to the pitch of the receiver 2 or to apply. It can be adjusted freely according to the pitch of the area. That is, since the nozzle 21 and the supply unit 22 are connected by the tube 23, the nozzles 21 can be arranged at a pitch narrower or wider than the pitch at which the supply unit 22 is arranged. The interval can be adjusted flexibly.

  FIG. 4 shows a basic configuration of the discharge unit 20. The discharge unit 20 of this example is a valve jet type, and a solenoid 26 as an actuator is driven to pressurize and output a predetermined amount of discharge to the nozzle 21. The supply unit 22 includes a rubber sheet 25 that operates as a solenoid that sucks the discharged material or discharge liquid 4 pressurized by the pump 24 and pressurizes it toward the nozzle 21, and a solenoid 26 that moves the rubber sheet 25 up and down. Yes. Accordingly, by moving the solenoid 26 up and down at an appropriate timing by the control device 19, a predetermined amount of the discharge liquid 4 is sucked from the liquid container 29 in units of each nozzle 21 and discharged downward from each nozzle 21. Is done.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the tray 3 is mounted on the roller plate 14 of the injection apparatus 1. The tray 3 that is a holder of the receiver 2 is a rectangle that is long in the transport direction X, and a plurality of receivers 2 can be arranged two-dimensionally (matrix or array) in the center. The receiver 2 may be a test tube as in this example, or may be a microwell. There are various methods for holding the receiver 2 in a matrix. If the receiver 2 is a test tube, a tube holder that can be inserted and held in a matrix can be used. The tray 3 may be one in which the tube holder 31 is integrated, or may be one in which the tube holder 31 can be attached to the center of the tray 3 so as not to move. For example, in the case of the tray 3 as shown in FIG. 6A, the mounting portion 33 has a recessed central portion, and the tube holder 31 is mounted on the mounting portion 33 so that a predetermined position of the tray 3 is obtained. The test tubes can be arranged in a matrix.

  If the receiver 2 is a microwell, a microwell plate 32 in which a plurality of microwells are arranged in a matrix is commercially available. Therefore, the receiver 2 can be arranged in a matrix on the tray 3 by attaching the microwell plate 32 to the mounting portion 33 in the center of the tray 3.

  Groove-shaped liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 are provided at both ends in the transport direction X of the mounting portion 33 of the tray 3. As shown in FIG. 1, when the tray 3 moves in the transport direction X and the discharged material is injected into the receiver 2 while the tray 3 passes under the discharge unit 2 from the right side to the left side of the drawing, When the discharge 4 is discharged from the discharge unit 2 including the receiving portions 43 and 44, the liquid receiving portion 43 at the right end (first end 41) of the tray 3 is not yet injected into the receiver 2. The discharged material 4 is discharged, and the discharged material 4 after being injected into the receiver 2 is discharged to the liquid receiving portion 44 at the left end (second end 42) of the tray 3.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which receivers 2 are set in the injection apparatus 1 of the present example, and a discharge material is injected into each receiver 2. As described above, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the receiver holder 31 in which the test tubes 2 as receivers are arranged in a matrix is set on the mounting portion 33 of the tray 3. Then, the tray 3 is set on the tray table 15 on the roller plate 14. Although the tray 3 of this example is detachable from the injection device 1, it is also possible to provide an injection device in which the tray 3 is fixed to the tray table 15. In either case, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the motor 11 of the moving mechanism 5 is driven to drive the roller plate 14 in the transport direction X, the tray 3 passes under the discharge unit 20. Accordingly, each receiver 2 set on the tray 3 also passes under each nozzle 21 of the discharge unit 20, and at that time, the discharge liquid is dispensed.

  At that time, the discharge unit 20 starts discharging from the right end 41 of the tray 3 prior to the receiver 2, and discharges the discharged material to the first liquid receiving portion 43 before discharging the discharged material 4 to the receiver 2. (Pre-discharge). Thereafter, the tray 3 is further conveyed at a constant speed by the moving mechanism 5, and the discharge unit 20 discharges the discharged material 4 to the receiver 2 that has reached under the nozzle 21 (main discharge). Even after all the receivers 2 arranged on the tray 3 have passed through the discharge unit 20, the discharge unit 20 discharges the discharged material 4 to the second liquid receiving portion 44 (post-discharge).

  Therefore, in the injection apparatus 1 of the present example, the discharge 4 can be discharged (pre-) to the first liquid receiving portion 43 immediately before the main discharge step of injecting the discharge 4 into the receiver 2. Furthermore, the discharged material can be discharged (post) to the second liquid receiving portion 44 immediately after the main discharge step. Since the first and second liquid receivers 43 and 44 are provided on the tray 3 on which the receiver 2 is mounted, the discharged material can be discharged before and after the main discharge. Accordingly, the discharge unit 20 can execute the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge as one continuous injection operation, and the first discharge and the injection amount that are likely to vary in the injection operation. The last discharge can be separated from the main discharge in which the discharge liquid is put into the receiver 2. Therefore, during the main discharge, the discharge unit 20 can inject the discharge liquid 4 into each receiver 2 in a steady and stable state, not in the initial state and the final state. Therefore, an extremely stable amount of the discharged material 4 is accurately injected into the receiver 2 during the main discharge.

  FIG. 7 schematically shows how the discharge 4 is injected into each receiver 2 including the main discharge. In this example, at the time of the main discharge, the discharge unit 20 is driven intermittently according to the pitch of the receiver 2 moving below the discharge unit 20, and the discharge 4 is output just like drawing a broken line. The Therefore, by changing the length of each broken line 4a, it is possible to finely control the amount of discharge 4 injected into each receiver 2. Further, not only the main discharge but also the discharge 4 is injected intermittently including a pre-discharge and a post-discharge to be discharged to the first liquid receiving portion 43 and the second liquid receiving portion 44. Can do. Therefore, in the method of injecting so as to draw the broken line, it is possible to execute the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge as repetition of the same work.

  FIG. 8 shows the operation of the injection apparatus 1 using a flowchart. In the injection device 1, as shown in FIG. 6A, the receiver 2 is set on the mounting portion 33 of the tray 3 that is a holder, and the moving mechanism 5 is operated. When it is determined by the signal from the sensor 8 that the first liquid receiving part 43 has reached the bottom of the nozzle 21, the discharge operation is started. First, in step 51, a pre-discharge process is performed, and the discharge liquid 4 is discharged to the first liquid receiver 43. Next, in step 52, the main discharge process is performed, and the discharge liquid 4 is intermittently discharged from the nozzle 21 so as to draw a broken line while the holder 3 is moved at a constant speed by the moving mechanism 5. As a result, a small and uniform amount of the discharge liquid 4 is injected into each test tube 2. Further, in step 53, a post-discharge process is performed, and the sample 4 is discharged to the second liquid receiver 44. Accordingly, the front discharge (step 51), the main discharge (step 52), and the rear discharge (step 53) are separated. However, in the print head 20 and the moving mechanism 5, the front discharge, the main discharge, and the rear discharge are substantially performed. Discharging is an example operation. For this reason, the control device 19 controls the discharge unit 20 to be substantially constant from the timing of the pre-discharge to the first liquid receiving portion 43 to the timing of the post-discharge to be discharged to the second liquid receiving portion 44. The discharge liquid 4 may be discharged rhythmically at intervals.

  Therefore, the program 50 or the program product for controlling the injection device 1 has instructions that can execute the steps 51 to 53 shown in FIG. 8, but substantially from the first liquid receiving unit 43. This is a program for executing a process of discharging the discharge liquid 4 continuously or intermittently from the receiver 2 to the second liquid receiver 44. In the injection method in which the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge are continuously performed in this example, the first and second liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 can be used as long as the tray for setting the receiver can be replaced. It can be executed by changing the program of the injection apparatus 1 to replace the provided tray and perform pre-discharge, main-discharge and post-discharge. Therefore, a program for performing the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge is also included in the present invention, and is recorded in ROM as firmware that can be executed by a microcomputer, or recorded on an appropriate recording medium such as a CD-ROM. It can be provided via a computer network such as the Internet.

  The injection device 1 performs preliminary discharge before the tray 3 is transported under the discharge unit 20 in order to prevent the nozzle 21 from being clogged or to purge the nozzle 21 to change the discharge 4. The process to perform is provided. Even if it can be confirmed that normal ejection is performed by this preliminary ejection, it takes time for the receiver 2 mounted on the tray 3 to be conveyed below the nozzles 21 after the preliminary ejection. Therefore, there is a possibility that the state of the nozzle 21, the state of the supply unit 22 of the valve jet, or the environment may change, and there is a high possibility that the first discharge is not stable. On the other hand, in the injection method using the injection apparatus 1 of the present example, the main discharge is sandwiched between the pre-discharge and the post-discharge, so that the portion where the injection amount is likely to fluctuate due to the environmental change is separated. During this period, it is possible to maintain a highly accurate injection amount under stable conditions.

  That is, since the first liquid receiving portion 43 to be pre-discharged is immediately in front of the receiver 2, their distance is almost the same as the interval between the receivers 2. Therefore, the time from when the first liquid receiver 43 discharges the ink to the first receiver 2 is the same as when discharging from the receiver to the receiver. For this reason, it can discharge with respect to the first receiver 2 on the same conditions as discharging, moving from a receiver to a receiver. Therefore, when a plurality of receivers 2 are arranged in the transport direction X, injection can be stably performed from the first receiver 2. For this reason, even if the accuracy of the discharge unit 20 is not increased, the accuracy of the injection amount injected into the receiver 2 can be improved.

  Further, since the second liquid receiving portion 44 to be discharged later is immediately after the receiver 2, their distance is almost the same as the interval between the receivers 2. Accordingly, the time from the last discharge to the receiver 2 to the subsequent discharge to the second liquid receiving unit 44 is the same as that for discharging while moving from the receiver to the receiver. For this reason, it can discharge also to the last receiver 2 on the same conditions as discharging while moving from a receiver to a receiver, without worrying about dripping. Therefore, when a plurality of receivers 2 are arranged in the transport direction X, the last receiver 2 can be injected in a stable state. For this reason, in the injection apparatus 1 of this example, since the ejection can be performed stably from the first receiver to the last receiver, the accuracy of the injection amount can be further improved.

  FIG. 9 shows a different form of tray. A tray 3 e shown in FIG. 9A can mount a microwell plate 32 in which microwells (receivers) 2 are arranged in a matrix on a concave mounting portion 33, and has a predetermined height with respect to the tray base 15. Four legs 48 are provided so as to be maintained. Also in the tray 3e, groove-shaped liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 are provided at both ends in the transport direction X of the mounting portion 33, and can be discharged in a stable state from the first receiver to the last receiver. Further, the height of the leg portion 48 can be freely adjusted, and if it is thin like the plate 32, the distance between the nozzle and the microwell as a receiver can be increased by increasing the height of the mounting portion 33. Can be adjusted. Moreover, if it is thick like the holder 31 of a test tube (test tube), the distance between the nozzle and the test tube can be adjusted by lowering the mounting portion 33.

  The tray 3f shown in FIG. 9B is substantially the same as the tray 3e shown in FIG. 9A, but a plurality of, for example, three micro-well plates 32a having narrow widths are arranged in the transport direction X. Three mounting portions 33 are provided so that the well plates 32a can be installed side by side. Further, in addition to the liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 provided at both ends, a groove-shaped liquid receiving portion 40 is provided between the adjacent mounting portions 33. For this reason, in any microwell plate 32a, since there is always a liquid receiving portion, an effect that can be discharged stably from the first receiver to the last receiver is obtained for all the microwell plates 32a. It is done. In addition, when the space | interval of the mounting part 33 is narrow, the liquid receiving part 40 can also be abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 10 shows a different injection device 1a of the present invention. In the tray 3a of the injection device 1a, the first liquid receiving portion 43 and the second liquid receiving portion 44 are divided into cells 49 corresponding to the respective nozzles of the discharge unit 20, and discharged to the respective cells 49. A sensor 58 for detecting the liquid 4 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 11A, each sensor 58 includes two electrodes 58a and 58b arranged in a separated state, and the liquid 4 is discharged between them to cause resistance and current between the electrodes. It is detected that the liquid has been discharged by the change of. The sensor for detecting droplets is not limited to this, and an optical sensor or the like can also be used.

  Further, a suction pump 59 is connected to each cell 49 constituting the liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 as shown in FIG. When the discharge liquid 4 is confirmed by the sensor 58, the suction pump 59 is operated to remove the droplet from the sensor 58 and reset the sensor 58. The suction pump 59 also has a function of collecting and removing the discharged liquid 4 discharged to the liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 in the waste liquid tank 57.

  In the case of the injection apparatus 1a of this example, it is determined whether or not the liquid 4 is discharged in units of the nozzles 21 by the sensors 58 provided in the first liquid receiving part 43 and the second liquid receiving part 44. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether each nozzle 21 is healthy before the main discharge discharged to the receiver 2, and it is possible to determine whether each nozzle 21 is healthy after the main discharge. For this reason, by confirming that the discharge liquid 4 is normally discharged from the nozzle 21 before and after the main discharge, it can be indirectly determined that the main liquid is normally discharged to each receiver 2 in the main discharge. . Therefore, the reliability of the injection work by the injection device 1 can be improved. It is possible to check the soundness of the nozzle 21 just by providing a sensor 58 on one of the first liquid receiving part 43 or the second liquid receiving part 44 and confirming that it is discharged, which is effective for improving the reliability. It is.

  FIG. 12 shows a further different injection device 1b of the present invention. In this injection device 1b, a tray 3b on which a microwell plate 32 on which microwells can be set is mounted as the receiver 2. Further, an optical sensor 63 capable of detecting that a droplet has passed is provided on the discharge side of each nozzle 21 of the discharge unit 20, and whether or not the discharge liquid 4 is normally discharged from the nozzle 21 is determined. You can check each time. Therefore, in this injection device 1b, it can be confirmed one by one that the discharge liquid 4 is actually discharged to the receiver 2 by the main discharge. For this reason, the reliability of the injection work can be further improved.

  The first and second liquid receivers 43 and 44 are provided with a heater 61 that can heat and evaporate the discharged liquid 4. Therefore, there is no need to discard the discharged liquid 4 received in the liquid receiving portions 43 and 44, and the tray 3b can be used repeatedly with simple maintenance.

  FIG. 13 shows still another injection device 1c according to the present invention. FIG. 14 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the injection apparatus 1c. In this injection device 1c, the divided area 34 on the surface of the membrane (for example, PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride) film) or the plate 35 is used as the receiver 2, and the discharge liquid is intermittently separated so that the area 34 can be divided at an appropriate distance. 4 is discharged. For example, by applying a reagent containing different antibodies in the unit of the nozzle 21, it is possible to create a test plate for performing a test that is a unit of the area 34. With the injection device 1c of this example, the reagent 4 can be discharged to the liquid receiving portions 43 and 44 before and after application to the plate 35, so that the reagent and the like can be discharged evenly to the first and last areas 34 of the plate 35. Object 4 can be applied. Therefore, an inspection plate can be created without wasting the plate 35.

  As shown in FIG. 15, by continuously discharging from the discharge unit 20, the discharge liquid 4 such as a reagent can be discharged on the plate 35 or paper so as to continuously and solidly print. When discharging the discharge 4 using a well or test tube as a receiver, if the reagent is discharged between the well or test tube, the discharge may enter the well or test tube from the edges of the well or test tube. Becomes a factor of instability. Therefore, it is desirable to inject such that a broken line is drawn by dividing or dividing so that injection can be performed in units of receivers such as wells and test tubes. In the case of cutting and using the reagent after applying a reagent or the like on a sheet or plate, the discharged material can be discharged intermittently in order to eliminate waste of the cut portion. On the other hand, when it is desired to change the length of the line, it is also effective to discharge the discharged material continuously and cut it to a necessary width.

  FIG. 14 shows an example for continuously creating a plate or paper 35 coated with the discharge liquid 4. The tray 3c can set a plurality of sheets of paper 35 on the upper part, and the uppermost sheet 35 passes below the discharge unit 20 so that the position of the uppermost sheet 35 does not move to the sheet pressing rollers 72 and 73. The ejection liquid 4 is applied to the paper 35. The coated uppermost sheet 35 is discharged by the sheet discharge roller 71 and the next sheet 35 appears. The tray 3c is again conveyed under the discharge unit 20 with the sheet 35 as the uppermost portion, whereby the discharge liquid 4 is applied.

  FIG. 16 shows a further different injection device 1d of the present invention. This injection device 1 d can mount a petri dish 78 as a receiver 2 on the holder 3 d and inject a sample or the like to be cultured on the culture medium 79 of the petri dish 78 as a discharge 4. When dispensing, as in the petri dish 78, when it is not necessary to eject from all the nozzles 21, it is possible to prevent ejection from unnecessary nozzles. Such nozzle-by-nozzle control is easy even with the discharge unit 20 of the valve jet type or the inkjet type discharge unit 28 as shown in FIG. In particular, the ink jet type discharge unit 28 is suitable for dispensing a discharge that requires a fine amount of control using a technique developed for an ink jet printer.

  In the injection apparatus described above, the tray 3 is transported relative to the discharge unit 20 fixed to the base 10 so as to move them relatively. However, the discharge is performed while moving the discharge unit 20. It is also possible. However, moving the discharge unit 20 often causes the discharge unit to vibrate during movement, or the tube connecting the tank for storing the discharge and the discharge unit 20 is often expanded and contracted. Tends to fluctuate. Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the injection amount so that the conditions of the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge do not vary as much as possible, it is desirable to fix the discharge unit and move the tray that holds the receiver. In the above example, an injection device including a tray-type holder on which the receiver is mounted is described. However, the holder is not limited to the tray, and the holder holds the receiver in a predetermined state while moving below the discharge unit. Anything can be used as long as it can be retained.

  As described above, in the present invention, the holder that holds the receiver to be discharged is provided with a liquid receiving portion that receives the discharged material in the vicinity of the receiver, separately from the receiver, and starts discharging to the workpiece. Pre-discharge can be performed immediately before the discharge, and post-discharge can be performed when the discharge is finished. Therefore, it is possible to separate the process in which the injection amount is most likely to become unstable before and after the main discharge process for discharging the discharge material to the receiver, and to improve the substantial accuracy in the main discharge for injecting the discharge material to the receiver. it can.

  Further, in the injection device of the present invention, the pre-discharge, the main discharge, and the post-discharge can be continuously processed on the holder that holds a plurality of receivers by holding the microwell plate. For this reason, the injection accuracy can be improved without affecting the processing speed of the injection process. Moreover, the accuracy of the substantial injection amount can be increased without improving the accuracy of the injection amount by improving the structure of the discharge unit itself. Therefore, it is possible to provide an injection device that has a high processing speed, is compact, and has high injection accuracy.

  An injection apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharge unit including at least one nozzle that discharges a liquid discharge material, a holder capable of setting at least one receiver that receives the discharge material in a discharge direction of the discharge unit, And a moving mechanism for moving the discharge unit and the holder relatively from the first end to the second end of the holder, and the holder moves the discharge product to the receiver at the first end. A first liquid receiving portion that can be received is provided. It is preferable that the holder includes a second liquid receiving portion at the second end that can receive the discharged material after the receiver. Further, it is desirable that a sensor capable of determining that the discharged material is discharged from any of the at least one nozzle is installed in the first liquid receiving unit. Furthermore, it is preferable that the second liquid receiving unit includes a sensor capable of determining that the discharged material has been discharged from any of the at least one nozzle. The discharge unit preferably includes a sensor capable of determining that the discharged material has been discharged from any of the at least one nozzle. It is desirable that the injection device has a mechanism for collecting the discharged matter received in the first liquid receiving portion. Moreover, as for an injection | pouring apparatus, it is desirable for the said holder to be removable. Furthermore, it is desirable that the discharge unit is an injection device that discharges discharge from the nozzle by a valve method or an ink jet method. It is desirable that the injection device has a control device that moves the holder and / or the discharge unit at a constant speed by the moving mechanism, and discharges the discharged material intermittently at a constant timing by the discharge unit. Alternatively, the injection device preferably includes a control device that moves the holder and / or the discharge unit at a constant speed by the moving mechanism, and continuously discharges the discharged matter by the discharge unit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an injection apparatus having an ejection unit having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid ejection material, at least one receiver for receiving the ejection material in the ejection direction of the ejection unit. In the injection apparatus, the discharge unit and the holder discharge the discharged substance to the receiver while the holder and the holder are relatively moved from the first end toward the second end of the holder. In addition, the holder includes a first liquid receiving portion at the first end that can receive the discharged material prior to the receiver. It is preferable that the holder includes a second liquid receiving portion at the second end that can receive the discharged material after the receiver.

  In another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to set a discharge unit having at least one nozzle for discharging a liquid discharge product and at least one receiver for receiving the discharge product in the discharge direction of the discharge unit. A holder, and a moving mechanism for moving the discharge unit and the holder from the first end toward the second end of the holder, and the at least one receiver set in the holder. In the control method of the injection device for discharging the discharge material, before discharging the discharge material to the at least one receiver, the first liquid receiving portion provided at the first end of the holder, An injection apparatus control method comprising: a pre-discharge step of discharging the discharge material; and a main discharge step of discharging the discharge material to the at least one receiver. It is desirable to further include a post-discharge step of discharging the discharged material to a second liquid receiving portion provided at the second end of the holder after discharging the discharged material to the receiver. In the main discharge step, it is also effective to move the holder and / or the discharge unit at a constant speed by the moving mechanism, and to discharge the discharged material intermittently at a constant timing by the discharge unit. In the main discharge step, it is also effective to move the holder and / or the discharge unit at a constant speed by the moving mechanism and continuously discharge the discharged matter by the discharge unit.

  In another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to set a discharge unit having at least one nozzle for discharging a liquid discharge product and at least one receiver for receiving the discharge product in the discharge direction of the discharge unit. A holder, and a moving mechanism for moving the discharge unit and the holder from the first end toward the second end of the holder, and the at least one receiver set in the holder. It is a control program of the injection device which discharges the discharge material. The control program includes a pre-ejection process for ejecting the ejected matter to a first liquid receiving portion provided at the first end of the holder before ejecting the ejected matter to the at least one receiver. And a command capable of executing the main discharge processing for discharging the discharge material to the at least one receiver. The control program is a command capable of executing a post-discharge process for discharging the discharged material to a second liquid receiving portion provided at the second end of the holder after discharging the discharged material to the receiver. It is desirable to have further. In the main discharge process, it is preferable that the holder and / or the discharge unit are moved at a constant speed by the moving mechanism, and the discharge matter is intermittently discharged at a constant timing by the discharge unit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, at least one receiver for receiving the discharge product is mounted and set in a discharge direction of a discharge unit including at least one nozzle for discharging a liquid discharge product. A main discharge step of injecting the discharge into the receiver while relatively moving the discharge unit and the holder from the first end to the second end of the holder, and the main discharge step Before, the injection method includes a pre-discharge step of discharging the discharge material to a first liquid receiving portion provided at the first end of the holder. It is preferable that after the main discharge step, there is a post-discharge step of discharging the discharged material to a second liquid receiving portion provided at the second end of the holder.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of an injection device. It is a figure which expands and shows the mode of the discharge unit of an injection apparatus. FIG. 3A is an enlarged view showing a state in which the nozzle is attached to the fixed plate of the base, and FIG. 3B is a plan view of the fixed plate as viewed from above. It is a figure which shows the detail of a discharge unit. It is a figure which shows a mode that the tray was mounted in the roller plate of an injection apparatus. It is a figure which shows a mode that a receiver is set to an injection | pouring apparatus and a discharge material is inject | poured into each receiver. It is a figure which shows typically a mode that a discharge material is inject | poured into each receiver. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of operation | movement of an injection apparatus. It is a figure which shows a different tray. It is a figure which shows the outline of the injection apparatus which has a holder in which the sensor was installed in the 1st and 2nd liquid receiving part. It is a figure which shows an example of the sensor installed in each liquid receiving part of the injection apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline of the injection apparatus with which the sensor which detects a discharge material was installed under the discharge unit. It is a figure which shows the example of another injection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the outline of the injection | pouring apparatus which discharge material can produce a plate or paper continuously. It is a figure which shows the outline of the injection apparatus which discharges a discharge material continuously to a plate or paper. It is a figure which shows the outline of the injection apparatus which discharges a discharge material with respect to a petri dish.

Explanation of symbols

1 Injection device 2 Receiver 3, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f Holder (tray)
4 Liquid Discharged Material 5 Moving Mechanism 20 Discharge Unit 21 Nozzle 41 First End 42 Second End 43 First Liquid Receiving Portion 44 Second Liquid Receiving Portion

Claims (1)

A discharge unit comprising at least one nozzle for discharging a liquid discharge;
A holder capable of setting at least one receiver for receiving the discharged material in the discharge direction of the discharge unit;
A moving mechanism for relatively moving the discharge unit and the holder from the first end of the holder toward the second end;
The holder includes, at the first end, a first liquid receiving portion that can receive the discharged material prior to the receiver,
The holder and / or the discharge unit are moved at a constant speed by the moving mechanism, and the discharge material is intermittently discharged at a fixed timing to the first liquid receiving part and the at least one receiver by the discharge unit. An injection device having a control device.

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