JP2008064554A - Adapter for inspection container and rack for inspection container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a specimen container which inexpensively suppresses the evaporation and oxidation of a specimen sample even if the specimen sample is a very small amount to precisely analyze the specimen sample, and to provide an adaptor. <P>SOLUTION: The adaptor 10A for the specimen container 20A is constituted so as to hold the specimen container 20A for housing a liquid specimen sample S and includes a cylindrical part 11A opened at both ends and the joint 13A connected to the sample introducing port 21 of the specimen container 20A formed to the inside wall 12a of the opening 11b at one end of the cylindrical part 11A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an adapter for holding a specimen container that contains a liquid specimen, and is particularly suitable for performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of a specimen when the specimen is a biological sample such as blood or urine. The present invention relates to a sample container adapter.

  Conventionally, measurement of a chemical component of a measurement target component contained in a body fluid such as blood and urine has been performed by collecting a part of the body fluid component obtained from a patient as a sample sample and analyzing the sample sample. ing.

  For example, in the case of serum analysis, a specimen sample is collected from a patient using a specimen container such as a vacuum blood collection tube, and centrifuged with a centrifuge to precipitate blood cell components. We are analyzing. And when measuring with the conventional automatic analyzer, the lid of the vacuum blood collection tube can be removed, and the blood collection tube can be installed in the device for measurement. In some cases, the specimen sample contained in the blood collection tube is measured using an instrument such as a micropipette.

  There are a plurality of types of sample containers used for such measurement, but some analyzers may impose restrictions on the sample containers that can be used due to their structure. For example, as a conventional specimen container, a container called a sample cup or a blood collection tube is generally used. In the case of sample cups, there are two types of containers: standard (3 mL) and micro (1.5 mL). In the case of a blood collection tube, there are blood collection tubes having two types of outer diameters of approximately 16 mm or 13 mm and two types of lengths of 100 mm or 75 mm, and a combination of the outer diameter and the length. A total of four types of blood collection tubes have been commonly used.

  However, since blood collection to patients depends greatly on the blood collection procedure, it has been established in the long tradition of blood collection work that blood collection tubes have an outer diameter of 13 mm or more and a length of 75 mm or more. Therefore, it is difficult to change the size of the blood collection tube significantly due to the ease of analysis for clinical examination. Therefore, an adapter for an analyzer connected to the sample container has been proposed in order to compensate for such a difference in size of the sample container (see Patent Document 1). By using such an adapter, sample containers can be stored in the same analyzer even if the sample containers have different sizes.

In some cases, a liquid specimen such as blood or urine contained in a specimen container is collected and analyzed using an analyzer. In this case, a nozzle made of a hollow pipe having a tip inner diameter of 1 mm or less is inserted into the liquid surface of the specimen sample accommodated in the specimen container, the specimen sample is sucked into the nozzle, and the nozzle is disposed at the depth of the specimen sample. A certain amount of specimen sample is measured by moving in the direction.
JP-A-10-96734

  By the way, when a blood collection tube containing collected blood (liquid sample sample) is used as a storage container and only the amount necessary for measurement is used, the liquid sample is stored in a separate sample container from several hundred microliters. In order to dispense milliliters, the upper part of the liquid level of the sample accommodated in the container sometimes directly touched the outside air.

  Specifically, the sample sample required for one analysis used to be about 100 μL, but today it is 10 μL or less, and in some cases 2 μL or less. In other words, the amount of specimen sample used is suppressed. For example, in a biochemical analysis system, a minimum of 2 μL to a maximum of 20 μL is required for each measurement item, and even when 20 items are used, only 400 μL is used at most. Not needed. Furthermore, even in an immunoassay that uses a relatively large amount of specimen, the amount is about 50 μL per item, and even if 10 items are measured, this amount is only 500 μL at most. When the analyzer is used, a nozzle is inserted into the sample container to suck the sample sample. In such a case, a sample container having a small capacity is used. As a result, the ratio of the liquid surface in contact with the atmosphere to the volume of the sample sample in the sample container is larger than that of the conventional one. Therefore, even if a temporary adapter as described above is used, There is a problem in that it easily evaporates in the atmosphere, easily changes in quality by reacting with components such as oxygen in the atmosphere, and analysis results with good reproducibility cannot be obtained.

  Furthermore, there is a limit to the amount of blood that can be collected from children, etc., and it may be difficult to secure a certain amount of specimen sample itself. It is strongly desired to do so.

  On the other hand, when using a calibration sample with a preset value or a quality control sample with a target value set by another system, in order to reduce the amount of calibration sample and system management sample used from the cost perspective, It is very important to reduce the number of specimens collected. However, when a quality control sample is used, the measurement is often repeatedly performed using a sample in the same container after the container containing the sample is stored in the apparatus. As a result, evaporation and alteration as described above are more likely to occur, and the measurement accuracy may vary greatly with time even though the specimen is the same sample. Therefore, in consideration of evaporation and alteration, it is conceivable to provide a movable lid that can be opened and closed on the specimen container. However, if each specimen container is provided with a movable lid, Cost increases and it cannot be said that it is practical.

  Furthermore, in the fields of molecular biology and cell engineering, it is common to use a sample container for storing a small amount of sample sample of 2 mL or less, and the outer diameter of the sample container is 12.5 mm or less and other sample containers. Thin compared to. As a result, there is a problem that even if the sample container is inserted into a general automatic analyzer, the sample container cannot be successfully held in the analyzer. Furthermore, since a very small amount of specimen sample evaporates or deteriorates due to contact with the outside air, a removable or integrally formed lid is provided on the specimen container so that the inside of the specimen container can be sealed. Yes. However, such a specimen container with a lid is difficult to handle, and requires skill to handle it.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and the object of the present invention is to suppress the evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample at low cost even if the specimen specimen is a very small amount. An object of the present invention is to provide a sample container adapter for connecting to a sample container that can be analyzed with high accuracy.

  In order to achieve the above object, a sample container adapter according to the present invention is a sample container adapter for holding a sample container for storing a liquid sample sample, and the adapter includes a cylindrical portion having both ends opened, And a connecting portion connected to a sample sample introduction port of the sample container formed on a side wall of the opening at one end of the cylindrical portion.

  By connecting the adapter as in the present invention to the sample container, evaporation and alteration of the sample in the sample container can be suppressed. In addition, if the size of the adapter is set appropriately according to the installation space of the analyzer or the like in which the sample container is arranged, the sample container can be stably placed in the installation space regardless of the shape and size of the sample container. it can. Furthermore, since the sample sample in the sample container can be collected from the opening at the other end with the adapter connected to the sample container, the sample can be operated with better workability compared to the case where a removable cover is provided on the sample container. A sample can be collected.

  Furthermore, the adapter according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the distance from the connection portion to the opening at the other end is at least five times the inner diameter of the body portion of the sample container.

  By connecting the adapter as in the present invention to the sample container, evaporation and alteration of the sample in the sample container can be suppressed more reliably. In particular, in an analysis that requires accuracy such as serum analysis, even if the amount of the specimen sample is very small, the specimen sample can be accurately analyzed.

  The adapter according to the present invention preferably further includes a skirt portion extending from the opening at the one end along the outer wall of the cylindrical portion. By further providing such a skirt portion, the sample container can be more stably held in the analyzer.

  Another aspect of the adapter according to the present invention is a sample container adapter for holding a sample container for storing a liquid sample sample, the adapter including a cylindrical portion having one end opened, and the cylindrical portion And a storage section for storing the sample container on the other end side. By storing the sample container in the adapter as in the present invention, evaporation and alteration of the sample in the sample container can be suppressed. In addition, by providing the storage section, the sample container and the adapter can be integrated, and if the size and shape of the storage section are set appropriately, the dimensions of the conventional blood collection tube can be made the same. The work efficiency of work can be further improved.

  The adapter according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the distance from the upper opening of the housing part to the opening of the one end is at least five times the inner diameter of the body part of the specimen container. According to the present invention, particularly in an analysis that requires accuracy such as serum analysis, even if the amount of the specimen sample is very small, the specimen sample can be accurately analyzed.

  Furthermore, in the adapter according to the present invention, it is preferable that the storage portion is configured to be openable and closable so that the sample container can be stored or taken out. Two adapters are provided along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body portion. You may be constituted relatively.

  Further, in the adapter according to the present invention, it is preferable that an outer diameter of the cylindrical portion is in a range of 11.5 mm to 16.5 mm, and an inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is in a range of 8 mm to 12 mm. By configuring the adapter so that it falls within this range, it is possible to analyze the specimen sample in the specimen container using an existing general analyzer, and further evaporate and alter the specimen sample in the specimen container. Can be suppressed.

  The sample container rack according to the present invention is a sample container rack comprising: a storage portion having an open end for storing a sample container storing a liquid sample sample; and an adapter connected to an upper portion of the storage portion. The adapter includes a cylindrical portion having both ends open, and a connection portion connected to the open end of the storage portion formed on the side wall of the opening at one end of the cylindrical portion. It is a feature. Furthermore, the adapter is more preferably configured such that the distance from the connection portion to the opening at the other end is at least five times the inner diameter of the body portion of the sample container.

  According to the present invention, even if the size of the sample container is different, the size of the adapter is appropriately set and connected to the sample container, so that the sample sample cryopreserved using the existing apparatus Can be easily dissolved, mixed, and centrifuged. And even if it is a very small amount of specimen sample, evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample can be suppressed at a low cost. As a result, it is possible to improve the reliability of the accuracy control measurement of the specimen sample and realize a highly reliable calibration and accuracy control measurement.

  Hereinafter, some embodiments of a sample container adapter and a sample container rack according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sample container adapter 10A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 also shows a cross-sectional view of a general sample container 20A held by the adapter 10A.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the adapter 10A according to the present embodiment is for connecting to a specimen container 20A mainly used for the purpose of cryopreserving a liquid sample or a cell suspension. The adapter 10 </ b> A includes a cylindrical portion 11 </ b> A, a screw portion (connection portion) 13 </ b> A, and a skirt portion 14. The cylindrical portion 11A is formed with a pair of openings 11a and 11b so that both ends communicate with each other. Further, the inner diameter d1 of the cylindrical portion 11A is about 9 mm, and is preferably in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm. This is because the smaller the inner diameter d1 of the cylindrical portion 11A, the more the contact with the outside air can be reduced and the mechanical interference with the nozzle 60 described later can be avoided.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the outer diameter d2 of 11 A of cylindrical parts exists in the range of 11.5 mm-16.5 mm. By setting this range, it is possible to stably hold the sample container 20A in a general rack 51 described later. The specimen container 20A is a so-called commercially available cryotube, and includes a cylindrical body portion 22 and a screw portion 24A formed on the outer wall 23a of the body portion 22. At the one end, the aforementioned inlet 21 for introducing a liquid specimen sample S to be described later is formed.

  The screw portion 13A is formed on the inner wall 12a of the cylindrical portion 11A from the opening 11b side of one end of the cylindrical portion 11A, and can be connected to the introduction port 21 of the sample container 20A. Specifically, the screw portion 13A engages with a screw portion 24A formed of a square screw having a pitch of 2 mm, an outer diameter of 11 mm, and a screw depth of about 0.4 mm formed in the vicinity of the inlet 21 of the specimen container 20A. An internal thread is formed. Note that the thread pitch of the female thread of the threaded portion 13A is appropriately determined in accordance with the commercially available sample container 20A.

  The skirt portion 14 extends from the opening 11b at one end along the outer wall 12b of the cylindrical portion 11A. By forming such a skirt portion 14, the sample container 20 </ b> A can be stably held in the analyzer 50. The size and shape of the skirt portion 14 are not particularly limited as long as the sample container 20A can be inserted from the opening 11b toward the screw portion 13A and can be stored in a rack 51 described later. Absent.

  Further, in the adapter 10A, a distance L1 from the upper portion of the screw portion 13A to the opening 11a at the other end is secured at least five times the inner diameter of the body portion 22 of the sample container 20A. In this embodiment, the distance L1 is 54 mm or more, and the inner diameter D of the body portion 22 of the sample container 20A is about 9 mm, and the ratio is 54 (mm) / 9 (mm) = 6 times, that is, 5 times. The above ratio can be secured.

  Further, the material of the adapter 10A is preferably made of a resin equivalent to that used for blood collection tubes, such as polystyrene polypropylene and PET, or vinyl chloride. The reason for selecting such a material is that the sample sample collecting nozzle 60 of the analyzer 50 described later often uses a capacitance to detect the sample liquid surface. This is because, when a conductor is used, when the nozzle comes into contact with the side walls of these members, the liquid level cannot be detected well, and a malfunction may occur in the nozzle sorting operation.

  A method for connecting the thus configured adapter 10A to the sample container 20A will be described below with reference to FIG. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining a procedure for connecting the adapter 10A to the sample container 20A. FIG. 2A is a view in which the lid 30A is removed from the sample container 20A. FIG. 2B is a diagram in which the lid 30A is removed. (C) is a diagram showing an adapter 10A connected to the sample container 20A, and (d) is an assembly in which the sample container 20A is connected to the adapter 10A. It is the figure which showed the state.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the lid 30A attached to the sample container 20A is removed. Specifically, the engagement between the screw portion 24A of the sample container 20A and the screw portion 31 of the lid 30A is released. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the specimen sample S is introduced through the inlet 21 into the specimen container 20A from which the lid 30A has been removed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the adapter 10A is arranged above the sample container 20A so that it can be connected to the introduction port 21 of the sample container 20A from the opening 11b side of one end. As shown in the figure, in order to hold the sample container 20A in the adapter 10A, the inlet 11 is connected to the inlet 21 from the opening 11b side at one end, and the inlet 21 is communicated with the opening 11a at the other end.

  In this way, as shown in FIG. 2D, the adapter 10A is connected to the connecting portion (screw portion) from the liquid surface position 21s in the sample container 20A when the sample sample S of a predetermined reference amount is accommodated in the sample container 20A. ) When the distance L to the other opening 11a when 13A is connected to the inlet 21 is the liquid level of the sample sample S reaching the upper end of the sample container 20A, the inner diameter D of the trunk portion 22 of the sample container 20A The condition of 5 times or more is satisfied. By satisfying such conditions, contact with the outside air can be prevented by the cylindrical portion 11A of the adapter 10A even though the cryotube (sample container) has a small capacity. Even if the stored specimen container 20A is left unattended, it is possible to prevent evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample S in the specimen container 20A.

  As a general cryotube (sample container) as shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the one having the screw portion 24A outside the sample container 20A as described above, as shown in FIG. Some have a threaded portion 24B on the inner wall 23b of 20B. In this case, the adapter 10A may form the screw portion 13B on the outer wall 12b of the cylindrical portion 11A. By providing the screw portion 13B in this manner, the adapter 10B can be connected to the sample container 20B as shown in FIG. 3B.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of installing the sample container 20A to which the adapter 10A is connected in the rack 51 of the analyzer 50, and FIG. 4A is a top view of the rack 51. 4 (b) is a view taken along the line AA of (a). As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the rack 51 is provided with a label 52a indicating the individual number of the rack 51 and a bar code label 52b read by the system. A storage hole 53 for inserting a sample container (a general blood collection tube 80 or a sample container 20A having a total outer diameter of 16 mm and a total height of 100 mm) is formed on the upper surface of the rack 51, and the vertical direction of the storage hole 53 is formed. A notch 53a for reading the barcode label B attached to the adapter 10A is formed.

  The sample container 20A to which the adapter 10A is connected is disposed in the storage hole 53. At this time, the cylindrical portion 11A of the adapter 10A and the outer wall of the skirt portion 14 support the sample container 20A and come into contact with the wall surface that forms the storage hole 53, and the sample is similar to the conventional blood collection tube 80. The container 20A can be stably held in the rack 51. As a result, the nozzle 60 having an outer diameter of 3 mm or less and a straight portion of about 115 mm can be inserted without interfering with the specimen container 20A, and the specimen sample S accommodated in the specimen container 20A can be dispensed.

  In this way, by connecting the adapter 10A to the sample container 20A, a cryopreservation tube (generally used in molecular biology, cell biology, etc.) without modifying the analyzer 50 and its rack 51 ( The specimen sample S can be analyzed using the specimen container 20A such as a cryotube. Even if the specimen sample is contaminated by tipping during transportation of the specimen sample or liquid adhering to the lid that occurs during mixing, it can be mounted on a small centrifuge by changing the dimensions of the adapter as appropriate. In addition, foreign matters can be removed by the centrifugal separation, so that contamination measures can be taken at low cost.

  It should be noted that the evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample S vary depending on the environment in which the specimen container 20A is placed and the properties of the specimen sample S, and are therefore difficult to uniquely grasp. Therefore, the effects of evaporation and alteration are evaluated by separately preparing a specimen container 20A containing a sample of known concentration called a quality control sample and continuously measuring the control sample at a constant interval. desirable. Specifically, during the day's operation, a certain number of control samples are measured before the start of measurement of specimen samples, or the same control sample is measured every fixed time, such as every two hours. Thus, it is possible to appropriately evaluate changes in the properties of the specimen sample such as evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample, and as a result, stable analysis results without variations can be obtained. Note that the management sample having a known concentration may be sealed in advance in a specimen container 20A such as a cryotube, or the management sample stored in the specimen container 20A may be frozen and stored.

  Further, since the adapter 10A has a simple structure including the cylindrical portion 11A and the screw portion 13A, the adapter 10A can be manufactured at low cost. And if the barcode label B which showed the required information by the barcode is affixed on the side surface of the adapter 10A, the sample container can be used safely and securely.

  Further, in the conventional blood collection tube 80, the tip of the nozzle cannot reach the specimen sample S unless the elongated type nozzle such as the nozzle 60 shown in FIG. 4B is used, and the specimen sample is dispensed. I could not. However, by using such a sample container 20A and the adapter 10A in combination, at the time of dispensing, the adapter 10A can be detached from the sample container 20A and the sample sample in the sample container 20A can be dispensed. As a result, it is possible to use a variable capacity pipettor such as that provided by Gilson or Eppendorf using a general disposable chip, so that the running cost can be reduced. If the adapter 10A is connected to the sample container 20A after dispensing and placed in the rack 51 of the analyzer 50 as shown in FIG. 4, excellent handling performance equivalent to that of a conventional blood collection tube can be obtained. As described above, since the sample sample in the sample container 20A is separated without connecting the adapter 10A to the sample container 20A at the time of dispensing, the inner wall of the adapter 10A is not contaminated by the occurrence of splashes or the like. Even if the inner wall is contaminated, only the adapter 10A can be cleaned and sterilized, and can be reused.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a sample container adapter 10C according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 also shows an external view of a general specimen container 20C (a specimen container called a eppendorf tube generally used in molecular biology) held in the adapter 10C. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for connecting the adapter 10C to the sample container 20C. FIG. 6A is an external view of the adapter 10C in a state in which a cover 15a of the storage unit 15 to be described later is closed. 6 (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a), and FIG. 6 (c) is an external view of the adapter 10C with the cover 15a opened. 6D is an external view of the sample container 20C with the lid 30C closed, FIG. 6D is an external view of the sample container 20C with the lid 30C opened, and FIG. It is a figure when the cover body 30C is removed from the container 20C. Furthermore, (g) is a view when the sample container 20C is stored in the adapter 10C to hold the sample container 20C. For comparison, FIG. 6A also shows a conventional blood collection tube 80, and members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are the same as those used in the first embodiment. Reference numerals are assigned and explanation of the members is omitted.

  The adapter 10C according to this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the adapter 10C has substantially the same external dimensions as a blood collection tube 80 having an outer diameter of 16 mm and an overall height of 100 mm (see FIGS. 6A and 6A). )), A point where only one end of the cylindrical part 11C of the first embodiment is open, and a storage part 15 for storing the sample container 20C is provided on the other end side of the cylindrical part 11C. In the point.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the storage unit 15 is configured to store the sample container 20 </ b> C in the adapter 10 </ b> C on the other end side of the opening 11 a formed at one end, and can be attached to and detached from the adapter main body. 15a. When the cover 15a is closed, the storage unit 15 is formed with a space 15b (see FIG. 6B) that matches the shape and size of the sample container 20C.

  Further, the storage portion 15 has a groove 13C formed in the upper side wall, and further has an opening 11b 'formed in the upper upper wall. The groove portion 13C is formed on the inner wall of the adapter 10C so as to be connected to the introduction port 21 of the sample container 20C. When the sample container 20C described later is stored in the storage unit 15, the groove portion 13C surrounds the introduction port 21 of the sample container 20C. It is adapted to be fitted to the edge portion 21a. The opening 11b ′ communicates with the opening 11a at one end of the cylindrical portion 11C. When the sample container 20C is stored in the storage unit 15, the sample sample introduction port 21 can be connected to the opening 11b ′. ing.

  A method of connecting to the sample container 20C using the adapter 10C configured as described above will be described below. First, an adapter 10C capable of storing a sample container 20C as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the cover 15a of the adapter 10C is opened.

  On the other hand, a sample container 20C as shown in FIG. Note that the specimen sample S to be examined may be accommodated in the specimen container 20C in advance, or the specimen sample may be accommodated in the specimen container 20C after the step shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 6E, a detachable snap cap (lid) 30C covering the inlet 21 of the sample container 20C is opened. The sample container 20C and the lid body 30C are connected by a hinge portion 32, and these members are integrally formed by injection molding. Then, as shown in FIG. 6F, the hinge portion 21 is cut using scissors or a nipper to detach the lid 30C from the sample container 20C. After cutting the hinge portion 32, as shown in FIG. 6 (g), the sample container 20C is stored in the storage portion 15 of the adapter 10C, and the cover 15a is closed so that the edge portion 21a of the sample container 20C becomes the groove portion 13C. The inlet 21 of the sample container 20C and the opening 11b ′ of the adapter 10C communicate with each other, and the sample container 20C and the adapter 10C have an integral structure. As a result, even a small sample container such as the sample container 20C can be placed in a stable state in the rack of the analyzer, which improves the handling of analysis work.

  As in the first embodiment, the constructed adapter 10C has a distance L1 from the upper opening 11b ′ of the storage portion 15 to the opening 11a that is five times the inner diameter D of the trunk portion 22 of the specimen container 20C described later. As described above, evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample S accommodated in the specimen container 20C can be suppressed.

  Further, instead of providing the cover 15a as in the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a halved structure (a split structure) divided along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 11C of the adapter 10D. An adapter may be used. In this case, the outer wall 12b of the cylindrical portion 11C of the adapter 10D is preferably formed with a groove portion 11d. By using the groove portion 11d, an inexpensive rubber band or the like having an outer diameter of about 12 mm is fitted. The split structure adapter 10D can be reliably integrated.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a sample container rack 90A according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A shows a first storage portion 93a and a second storage portion 93b (cross-sectional views) described later. ) Is not connected to the adapter 10E, the third storage portion 93c (cross-sectional view) is connected to the adapter 10E, the fourth storage portion 93d (cross-sectional view), and the fifth storage portion. FIG. 8B is a side view of the specimen container rack 90A. FIG. 8B is a view showing the state in which the portion 93e houses the specimen container 20A.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the sample container rack 90A is a rack for storing the sample container 20A shown in the first embodiment, and includes a rack main body 91A and a part of the main body. 92A and an adapter 10E that can be connected to the upper portion of the rack body, and these are made of a vinyl chloride resin having high friction resistance.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the rack main body 91A is provided with five storage portions 93a to 93e for storing the sample container 20A in order from the left side of the page, and when the sample container 20A is stored. A communication port (opening) 94 is formed so as to communicate with the introduction port 21 of the sample container 20A. Furthermore, a threaded portion 94b for connecting an adapter 10E described later is formed on the inner wall of the communication port 94. Each storage portion is formed with a groove portion 91d that engages with the edge portion 21b of the sample container 20A. Such storage portions 93a to 93e may be integrally formed with the rack main body 91A. However, as shown in FIG. 8A, the sample container 20A is accommodated in the existing rack main body. You may further provide the adjustment member 93 which can be arrange | positioned in the existing rack main body according to the shape and magnitude | size of 20A.

  The cover 92A is for covering the storage portions 93a to 93e of the rack body 91A. A latch 92a is provided on the side surface, and engages with the latch 91a on the rack body side as shown in FIG. Thus, it is possible to cover the storage portions 93a to 93e of the rack body 91A. By providing such a cover 92A, the latches 91a and 92a can be operated to remove the cover 92A from the rack body 91A, and the sample container 20A can be stored in the storage portions 93a to 93e of the rack body 91A.

  The adapter 10 </ b> E is formed on the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11 </ b> E having openings 11 a and 11 b at both ends to open both ends, and the opening 11 b at one end of the cylindrical portion 11 </ b> E, and is connected to a communication port (open end) 94. And a threaded portion (connecting portion) 13E. By providing the screw portion 13E, it is possible to connect to the screw portion 94b of the rack body 91A.

  Furthermore, the adapter 10E is configured such that the distance L1 from the screw portion 13E to the opening 11a at the other end is 5 times or more the inner diameter D of the body portion 22 as in the first embodiment. By providing such an adapter 10E, even if the sample sample S is stored in the sample container 20A, the distance from the liquid surface of the sample sample S to the other opening 11a is five times the inner diameter D of the body portion 22. Since the above can be ensured, evaporation and alteration of the specimen sample S can be suppressed.

  FIG. 9 is a view showing another example according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view in the side direction of the rack 91B with the cover 92B removed, and FIG. (C) is a view showing the sample containers 20A and 20C in which the sample sample S is stored, and FIGS. 9 (d) and (e) are views in which the sample containers 20A and 20C are stored in the rack 91B.

  The rack 90B according to the present embodiment is different from the rack 90A in that, as shown in FIG. 9A, the through hole 91c is provided on the back surface of the rack body 91, and the adjustment member 93 is not provided. The storage parts 93a to 93e and the like are integrally formed with the rack body 91. Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), the storage portion includes a groove portion 91d in alignment with the edge portions 21a and 21b (see FIGS. 9 (b) and 9 (c)) formed in the sample containers 20A and 20C. , 91e are provided. By providing such groove portions 91d and 91e, as shown in FIGS. 9D and 9E, the groove portions 91d and 91e are aligned with the sample containers 20A and 20C, and the edge portions of the sample containers 20A and 20C. 21d and 21a can be engaged, and the sample container can be stably stored. Furthermore, by providing the through-hole 91c, the specimen containers 20A and 20C in the state shown in FIGS. 9D and 9E can be easily removed from the rack 90B by pushing the operator's finger through the through-hole 91c. it can.

Sectional drawing of the adapter for sample containers which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the procedure which connects an adapter to a sample container. The figure which showed the other Example which concerns on 1st embodiment of invention. The figure for demonstrating the method etc. which install a sample container in the rack of an analyzer. Whole block diagram of sample container adapter concerning a second embodiment of the present invention Diagram for explaining the procedure for connecting the adapter to the sample container The figure which showed the other Example which concerns on 2nd embodiment of invention. The whole block diagram of the sample container rack which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. The figure which showed the other Example which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10A to 10E: Adapter, 11A, 11C, 11E: Cylindrical part, 11a, 11b: Opening, 11d: Groove part, 12a: Inner side wall, 12b: Outer wall, 13A, 13B: Screw part (connection part), 13C: Groove part (Connection part), 14: skirt part, 15: storage part, 15a: cover, 15b: space, 20A-20C: specimen container, 21: introduction port, 22: trunk part, 23a: outer side wall, 23b: inner side wall, 24A, 24B: Screw part, 30A, 30C: Cover, 50: Analyzer, 51: Rack, 52a: Label, 52b: Bar code label, 53: Storage hole, 53a: Notch, 60: Nozzle, 80: Blood collection tube, 90A: rack, 91: rack body, 91c: through-hole, 91d, 91e: groove, 92A: cover, 94: communication port, S: specimen sample

Claims (10)

A sample container adapter for holding a sample container for storing a liquid sample sample,
The adapter includes a cylindrical portion having both ends opened, and a connection portion connected to a sample sample introduction port of the sample container formed on a side wall of the opening at one end of the cylindrical portion. Specimen container adapter.   2. The sample according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured such that a distance from the connection part to the opening at the other end is not less than five times an inner diameter of a body part of the sample container. Adapter for containers.   The sample container adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter further includes a skirt portion extending from the opening at the one end along the outer wall of the cylindrical portion. A sample container adapter for holding a sample container for storing a liquid sample sample,
The adapter includes a cylindrical portion having one end opened, and a storage portion for storing the sample container on the other end side of the cylindrical portion.   5. The adapter according to claim 4, wherein a distance from an upper opening of the storage portion to the opening at the one end is at least five times the inner diameter of the body portion of the specimen container. The adapter for sample containers as described.   The sample container adapter according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the storage portion is configured to be freely opened and closed.   6. The sample container adapter according to claim 4, wherein the adapter is divided into two along the longitudinal direction.   The outer diameter of the cylindrical part is in the range of 11.5 mm to 16.5 mm, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical part is in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm. Sample container adapter. A rack for a sample container, comprising: a storage part having an open end for storing a sample container containing a liquid sample; and an adapter connected to an upper part of the storage part,
The adapter includes a cylindrical portion having both ends open, and a connection portion connected to the open end of the storage portion formed on a side wall of the opening at one end of the cylindrical portion. A rack for specimen containers.   The sample according to claim 9, wherein the adapter is configured such that a distance from the connection portion to the opening at the other end is not less than five times an inner diameter of a body portion of the sample container. Rack for containers.

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