JP2008209375A - Sample treatment device, sample container, and flow control mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sample treatment device, a sample container, and a flow control mechanism capable of treating a sample more suitably. <P>SOLUTION: A plate 46 which holds the sample is housed in a cassette 48. A taper 74 is formed on one end in a longitudinal direction of the cassette 48. When an advancing and retreating bar 54 advances and retreats on the plate 46, liquid supplied to the cassette 48 is forcibly flown. When the liquid is discharged, the advancing and retreating bar 54 advances and retreats within a range E2 from one end to other end of the cassette 48. At that time, the advancing and retreating bar 54 reaching a starting end of the range E2 abuts on the taper 74. Thus, the advancing and retreating bar 54 rotates around a moving shaft 56 by abutting on the taper 74, and is guided upward automatically to improve liquid draining performance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides a sample processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process including supply of a predetermined liquid, for example, a reagent, on a sample carried on a plate, a sample container for containing a sample carried on the plate, The present invention also relates to a flow control mechanism that controls the flow state of the liquid supplied to the sample container.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sample processing apparatus that performs a process such as supplying a treatment liquid to a biological tissue or the like carried on a plate, for example, a sample processing apparatus that performs a process such as hybridization on a nucleic acid is known. In such a sample processing apparatus, a plate carrying a sample is usually accommodated in a sample container. Various liquids (such as processing liquid and cleaning liquid) are supplied into the sample container.

  Some of these processing apparatuses include a flow control mechanism for forcibly flowing the liquid supplied to the sample by moving the advance / retreat bar arranged on the plate back and forth. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a developing means (flow) that forcibly flows the processing liquid supplied on the plate to spread over the entire surface of the plate by displacing the developing member (advance / retreat bar) arranged on the plate. A processing apparatus provided with a control mechanism is disclosed. By providing such a developing means (flow control mechanism), it is not necessary to provide a large-scale mechanism such as a vibration mechanism for causing the liquid to flow, and appropriate sample processing can be easily performed.

JP 2004-333347 A

  However, in the conventional technology such as Patent Document 1, although the movement of the advance / retreat bar during the flow control of the liquid such as the development of the processing liquid is taken into consideration, the movement of the advance / retreat bar when the flow control is finished is almost taken into consideration. It has not been. Therefore, in the conventional processing apparatus, when the flow control such as the expansion is finished, the advance / retreat bar often stops at the same height as that during the flow control. In this case, a large amount of treatment liquid or the like remained on the advance / retreat bar where the flow control was completed. The liquid remaining in the advancing / retreating bar is mixed with other liquid supplied thereafter, causing contamination of the other liquid. As a result, there has been a problem that appropriate sample processing cannot be performed.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sample processing apparatus, a sample container, and a flow control mechanism that can perform more appropriate sample processing.

  A sample processing apparatus according to the present invention is a sample processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process including a predetermined liquid supply on a sample carried on a plate, and has an accommodation space for accommodating the plate carrying the sample. A sample container to be formed, and a flow control mechanism for controlling the flow state of the liquid supplied to the sample container by moving the advance / retreat bar disposed on the plate within a predetermined range, and The sample container has a slope that is formed at a position corresponding to an end of the movable range, and that guides the advancing / retreating bar that is in contact upward.

  In a preferred aspect, the sample container is formed on the upper end surface, and a suction port into which the suction nozzle is inserted, and a discharge hole formed on the bottom surface of the storage space for discharging the liquid supplied to the sample container to the outside. And a suction path connecting the suction port and the discharge hole. In this case, it is preferable that the suction port has a substantially weight shape that extends upward, and the suction nozzle has a substantially spherical shape with a tip line-contacting with a lower end of the suction port. Further, the sample container is a partially formed step portion, and supports the plate in a state in which a gap is secured between the plate container and the bottom surface of the accommodation space. It is also desirable to provide a step.

  In another preferred aspect, the sample container includes a positioning wall that defines a mounting position of the plate.

  In another preferred aspect, the flow control mechanism is configured to be able to rotate a forward / backward bar that is long in a direction orthogonal to the forward / backward direction, a moving shaft that moves in the forward / backward direction, and a forward / backward bar about the moving axis. Connecting means for connecting to the moving shaft. When simultaneously processing a plurality of samples, a plurality of sample containers are arranged in the axial direction of the moving shaft, and a plurality of advance / retreat bars are connected to one moving shaft corresponding to the plurality of sample containers. It is desirable.

  In another preferred embodiment, both ends of the advance / retreat bar have a shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as approaching the tip. In this case, it is desirable that both ends of the advance / retreat bar have a substantially spindle shape or a substantially spherical shape. Further, the advance / retreat bar has a main body portion and a large diameter portion larger in diameter than the main body portion, and the large diameter portion contacts the upper surface of the plate, whereby a gap is formed between the main body portion and the upper surface of the plate. It is also desirable to ensure.

  Another sample container according to the present invention is a sample container that contains a sample carried on a plate to be subjected to a predetermined process including a predetermined liquid supply, and the sample container is placed on the plate. It is characterized by having a slope formed at a position corresponding to the end of the movable range of the advance / retreat bar that advances and retreats in order to guide the advancing / retreating bar abutting upward.

  Another flow control mechanism according to the present invention is a flow control for controlling the flow state of the liquid supplied to the sample container containing the plate by moving the advance / retreat bar arranged on the plate carrying the sample. The mechanism is characterized in that both ends of the advancing / retreating bar have a shape in which a cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the tip.

  According to the present invention, the advancing / retreating bar is automatically guided upward by the inclined surface formed at the end of the sample container, so that the liquid breakage from the advancing / retreating bar is improved, and contamination with other liquid and residual liquid is achieved. Etc. are prevented. As a result, more suitable sample processing is possible.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a sample processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view around the treatment tank 22. The sample processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that handles nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) as samples, and performs processing such as hybridization on the nucleic acids.

  First, the overall configuration of the sample processing apparatus 10 will be briefly described. The sample processing apparatus 10 includes a nozzle device 12, a processing tank unit 14, and a control unit 15 that controls the nozzle device 12 and the processing tank unit 14. The nozzle device 12 is a device that supplies various reagents and cleaning liquids to a sample installed in the processing tank 22 and collects the liquid supplied to the samples. The nozzle 16 can be moved in the XYZ directions by a moving mechanism (not shown), and appropriately sucks and discharges liquid according to the driving of the pump 18. The pump 18 is connected to a reagent bottle storing a reagent, a drain bottle storing a liquid to be discarded, or the like via a plurality of valves 20. Connected to the liquid bottle. Detailed configurations of the nozzle 16, the pump 18, the valve 20, and the like can be understood by referring to a known publicly known technique, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here. In FIG. 1, only one nozzle 16 is shown, but a larger number of nozzles 16, such as reagent discharge nozzles and drainage suction nozzles, may be provided for each application.

  The processing tank unit 14 includes a processing tank 22 that is a constant temperature tank. The treatment tank 22 is broadly divided into a tank main body portion 24 having a concave portion that forms a heat retaining space 28, and a lid portion 26 that can be opened and closed with respect to the tank main body portion 24. The inside of the tank main body 24 and the lid part 26 is filled with a heat insulating material (illustrated by grain in FIG. 1) for inhibiting heat transfer with the outside, and the inside of the processing tank 22 is kept at a constant temperature. It has come to droop. Further, in order to allow the nozzle 16 to enter the inside of the processing tank 22 and perform liquid discharge and suction without opening the lid portion 26, the lid portion 26 has a small nozzle hole 38 that allows passage of the nozzle 16. The formed fixed lid 30 and the shutter body 32 that opens and closes the small nozzle hole 38 are configured. A shutter opening 40 corresponding to the nozzle small hole 38 is formed in the shutter body 32, and the nozzle small hole 38 is opened and closed by sliding with respect to the fixed lid 30. The driving of the shutter body 32 is controlled by the control unit 15 via the shutter driving unit 44.

  Nucleic acid, which is a sample, is placed in a heat insulating space 28 constituted by the tank body 24 and the lid 26. At the time of installation, the sample is attached in advance on a plate 46 such as a slide glass. The plate 46 carrying the sample is accommodated in a small sample container called a cassette 48. The cassettes 48 are placed on a cassette base 50 that is a dedicated mounting base for each specified number (for example, 10), and the cassette base 50 is installed inside the processing tank 22.

  Liquids such as various reagents and cleaning liquids are supplied from the nozzle device 12 to the cassette 48 installed inside the processing tank 22. A flow control mechanism 52 is provided for forcibly flowing the supplied liquid so that the liquid is spread over the entire surface of the plate 46 or sent into the discharge hole 76 formed in the cassette 48. . The flow control mechanism 52 controls the flow state of the liquid supplied to the cassette 48 by advancing and retracting the advance / retreat bar 54 disposed on the plate 46 within a predetermined range. The advancing / retreating bar 54 is connected to a moving shaft 56 that can move in the advancing / retreating direction. The moving shaft 56 is driven and controlled by the control unit 15 via the moving shaft driving unit 58.

  A moisturizing tray 60 for storing moisturizing liquid is provided below the cassette table 50. The moisturizing liquid emits steam by heating with a temperature adjustment mechanism incorporated in the processing tank 22 to keep the inside of the processing tank 22 moisturized. The temperature adjustment mechanism includes a lid-side heater 62 disposed inside the lid portion 26 and a Peltier unit 64 incorporated at the bottom of the processing tank 22. The lid-side heater 62 is driven and controlled by the control unit 15 via the lid-side heater driving unit 66, and appropriately heats the inside of the processing tank 22. The Peltier unit 64 is driven and controlled by the control unit 15 via the Peltier unit driving unit 68. The Peltier unit 64 is variable in temperature and functions as a temperature adjustment source that can be either a heat source or a cooling source. The Peltier unit 64 is physically connected to a heat transfer frame 70 made of a heat transfer material, for example, aluminum, which constitutes the inner wall surface of the process tank 22, and the inside of the process tank 22 is passed through the heat transfer frame 70. Heat or cool. Further, the above-described moisturizing tray 60 is placed on the heat transfer frame 70 so that the moisturizing liquid can be efficiently heated. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the sample processing apparatus 10, particularly the processing tank unit 14, will be described in detail.

[cassette]
First, the configuration of the cassette 48 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cassette 48, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cassette 48 seen from another direction. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. The cassette 48 is a sample container that accommodates a plate 46 (not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5) carrying a sample. The cassette 48 is a disposable sample container that is detachably attached to the cassette base 50 and can be exchanged for each process. The cassette 48 has a substantially rectangular box shape or a ship shape when viewed from above, and is made of a resin having excellent chemical resistance and heat resistance. As apparent from FIG. 3 and the like, the cassette 48 is formed with a large concave portion, and the inside of the concave portion becomes an accommodating space 72 for accommodating a sample. A taper 74 that is inclined upward is formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the housing space 72. The taper 74 facilitates taking in and out of the plate 46, and also plays a role of guiding the advance / retreat bar 54 upward when a later-described advance / retreat bar 54 abuts.

  A discharge hole 76 for discharging the liquid supplied to the cassette 48 to the outside is formed on the bottom surface of the storage space 72. The discharge hole 76 is connected to a suction path 78 formed inside the bottom surface of the cassette 48. The suction path 78 is bent 90 degrees in the middle, and is connected to a suction port 80 formed on the upper end surface of the cassette 48. The suction port 80 is formed at the upper end surface of the other end in the longitudinal direction of the cassette 48 (the direction opposite to the side on which the taper 74 is formed), and the suction nozzle 16 for sucking liquid is inserted. The suction nozzle 16 inserted into the suction port 80 sucks the liquid in the cassette 48 through the suction path 78 and the discharge hole 76. That is, in the present embodiment, the liquid supplied to the cassette 48 is discharged from the bottom surface of the storage space 72 and sucked from the top surface of the cassette 48. By discharging the liquid from the bottom surface of the storage space 72, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the sample and the remaining of the liquid compared to the case where the nozzle 16 is directly inserted into the storage space 72. Further, by sucking the liquid from the suction port 80 formed on the upper end surface of the cassette 48, the conventional suction nozzle 16 can be used as it is, and the liquid can be sucked with a simple configuration.

  If the suction nozzle 16 inserted into the suction port 80 and the suction path 78 are fitted to each other and the coupling force becomes excessive, the cassette 48 may be lifted together with the suction nozzle 16 being pulled up. In the present embodiment, the tip of the suction nozzle 16 is connected to the diameter r of the suction path 78, in other words, in order to securely connect the suction path 78 and the suction nozzle 16 while preventing the strong coupling between the suction path 78 and the suction nozzle 16. A substantially hemispherical shape having a radius R (R> r) larger than the radius r at the lower end of the suction port 80 having a weight shape. By adopting such a shape, the tip of the suction nozzle 16 is in line contact with the lower end of the suction port 80 when inserted into the suction port 80 and cannot enter the suction path 78. As a result, the suction path 78 and the suction nozzle 16 are securely connected but are not fitted. Therefore, the liquid can be reliably sucked by the suction nozzle 16 through the suction path 78, while the cassette 48 is not lifted when the suction nozzle 16 is pulled up.

  Near the corner of the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72, a support step portion 82 on which the plate 46 carrying the sample is placed is partially formed. The support step portion 82 is provided to support the plate 46 in a state where a slight gap is secured between the discharge hole 76 formed in the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72 and the plate 46. That is, when the plate 46 is placed directly on the bottom surface of the storage space 72, the discharge hole 76 formed on the bottom surface is covered with the plate 46, and appropriate liquid discharge cannot be performed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the support step portion 82 is formed, a gap is secured between the plate 46 and the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72, and the liquid can flow to the discharged liquid. A portion 83 where the support step portion 82 is not formed in the periphery of the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72 functions as a liquid escape path 83 that guides the liquid located above the plate 46 to the lower side of the plate 46. .

  Further, stoppers 84 that are stepped portions for regulating the placement position of the plate 46 are formed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72. The stopper 84 is a step that is at least higher than the thickness of the plate 46. The plate 46 placed on the support step portion 82 is positioned by restricting the four corner positions by the stopper 84. Further, when the liquid supplied by the advancing / retreating bar 54, which will be described later, greatly flows, the plate 46 may be lifted by the rolling of the liquid flowing into the lower side of the plate 46. In some cases, the floated plate 46 rides in the middle of the taper 74 formed at one end in the longitudinal direction. The stopper 84 drops the floating plate 46 to a predetermined position, and prevents the plate 46 from climbing on the taper 74 or the like. Two ribs 86 extending in parallel from the side surface in the longitudinal direction to the bottom surface are provided on the outer surface of the cassette 48. The rib 86 functions as a reinforcing member that improves the strength of the cassette 48.

[Flow control mechanism]
Next, the configuration of the flow control mechanism 52 will be described. 6A is a side view of the flow control mechanism 52, and FIG. 6B is a front view of the flow control mechanism 52. The flow control mechanism 52 includes an advance / retreat bar 54 that advances and retreats in the longitudinal direction of the cassette 48, and the liquid supplied to the cassette 48 is forced to flow by the advance / retreat of the advance / retreat bar 54. The advance / retreat bar 54 is a substantially round bar that is long in the short direction of the cassette 48 (the direction orthogonal to the advance / retreat direction). The advance / retreat bar 54 is roughly divided into a main body portion 54a and a large-diameter portion 54b that is located on both sides of the main body portion 54a and has a larger diameter than the main body portion 54a. When the advance / retreat bar 54 is disposed on the plate 46, the large diameter portion 54b contacts the upper surface of the plate 46, but a slight gap is formed between the main body portion 54a and the plate 46 having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 54b. Is done. This gap serves as a space for holding the probe liquid and a liquid holding space when the probe liquid described later is developed. Further, at both ends of the advancing / retreating bar 54, a substantially pyramid-shaped weight portion 54c having a sectional area that decreases as it approaches the tip is formed. The both ends are shaped so that when the advancing / retreating bar 54 is set on the moving shaft 56, even if the end of the advancing / retreating bar 54 interferes with the peripheral edge of the cassette 48, the advancing / retreating bar 54 is smoothly inserted into the cassette 48. This is to make you feel depressed. Further, the weight-like portion 54c is for improving two contradictory performances, ie, the liquid holding property by the advance / retreat bar 54 and the liquid separation property of the liquid from the advance / retreat bar 54, which will be described in detail later.

  The advance / retreat bar 54 is connected to a moving shaft 56 (see FIG. 2) via a connecting shaft 88 and a connecting fitting 90. The connecting shaft 88 is a shaft member screwed to the upper surface of the advance / retreat bar 54. The connection shaft 88 is further screwed to a connection fitting 90 extending in the horizontal direction. The connecting metal fitting 90 is a substantially box-shaped metal fitting whose front and bottom surfaces are opened. A substantially rectangular shaft groove 90 a into which the moving shaft 56 is inserted is formed on the side wall of the connection fitting 90. The shaft groove 90 a has a width slightly larger than the shaft diameter of the moving shaft 56, and when the moving shaft 56 is inserted into the shaft groove 90 a, the advance / retreat bar 54 rotates around the moving shaft 56. It becomes possible to move. In addition, an engagement hole 90 b into which an engagement shaft 56 a formed on the moving shaft 56 is inserted is formed on the back wall of the connection fitting 90. The engagement hole 90b is a long hole that is long in the vertical direction. When the engaging shaft 56a of the moving shaft 56 is inserted into the engaging hole 90b, the position of the connecting metal 90, and consequently the position of the advance / retreat bar 54 connected to the connecting metal 90 relative to the moving shaft 56, and the moving axis The rotation range around 56 is restricted.

  The moving shaft 56 is an axis that extends in the arrangement direction of the cassette 48 and is movable in the longitudinal direction of the cassette 48 (see FIG. 2). The end of the moving shaft 56 is connected to a motor via a transmission mechanism including a cam and a gear, and can be advanced and retracted by driving the motor. A plurality of advance / retreat bars 54 are connected to one moving shaft 56, and by moving the one move shaft 56, the plurality of advance / retreat bars 54 can be advanced / retracted simultaneously. Engagement shafts 56a indicating the attachment positions of the plurality of advance / retreat bars 54 are projected from the moving shaft 56 at predetermined intervals. As described above, the engagement shaft 56a is inserted into the engagement hole 90b of the connection fitting 90. Needless to say, the arrangement pitch of the engaging shafts 56a corresponds to the arrangement pitch of the plurality of cassettes 48.

[Flow control operation]
Next, the liquid flow control operation in the cassette 48 by the flow control mechanism 52 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the contents of flow control by the advance / retreat bar 54, and is a cross-sectional view around the cassette 48. FIG. 8 is a view showing the movement of the advance / retreat bar 54 and is a longitudinal sectional view around the cassette. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the scale of each part is illustrated instead of the actual scale in order to clarify the action of a minute member such as the support step part 82. Moreover, in FIG. 8, illustration of the support step part 82 is abbreviate | omitted for easy understanding.

  As described above, the support step portion 82 that supports the plate 46 is partially formed around the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72. By placing the plate 46 carrying the sample on the support step portion 82, a flow space 85 in which the liquid flows toward the discharge hole 76 is formed between the plate 46 and the bottom surface of the storage space 72. . Further, a liquid escape passage 83 communicating with the flow space 85 is formed in a portion around the bottom surface of the storage space 72 where the support step portion 82 is not formed. The liquid supplied to the cassette 48 through the liquid escape path 83 and the flow space 85 reaches the discharge hole 76.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the advance / retreat bar 54 advances / retreats in the longitudinal direction of the cassette 48 inside the accommodation space 72. The advancing / retreating speed and the repetition speed are appropriately adjusted according to the purpose and the type of liquid to be supplied. Also, the movable range of the advance / retreat bar 54 is slightly different depending on the purpose of advancement / retraction.

  Here, the advance / retreat of the advance / retreat bar 54 is performed for the following three purposes. The first purpose is to spread the reagent supplied to the upper surface of the plate 46 over almost the entire surface of the plate 46, in other words, the entire surface of the sample carried by the plate 46. In the hybridization process, a reagent called a probe solution is supplied to a nucleic acid that is a sample. Since this probe solution is expensive, it is not supplied in a large amount and only a relatively small amount is dropped on the plate 46. However, a small amount of the probe solution remains at the dropping position when it is just dropped, and hardly spreads over the entire surface of the sample. As a result, there is a problem that the probe solution does not reach a part of the sample and a normal reaction cannot be obtained.

  The advance / retreat bar 54 is used to forcibly flow a liquid that is difficult to spread over the entire surface of the sample in a normal state, such as the probe liquid, and to spread the liquid over the entire surface of the sample. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, the advance / retreat bar 54 includes a main body portion 54a and a large-diameter portion 54b having a larger diameter than the main body portion 54a. At this time, a liquid holding space 55 that is always a slight gap is formed between the main body 54 a and the upper surface of the plate 46. When the advance / retreat bar 54 moves to the dropping position of the reagent that needs to be developed, the reagent is held in the liquid holding space 55 by the surface tension. Then, when the advance / retreat bar 54 continues to move on the plate 46 with this liquid held, the held reagent also moves. As a result, a small amount of the dropped reagent is spread on almost the entire surface of the plate 46, and the reagent is distributed to all the samples. As a result, an appropriate sample reaction can be promoted.

  When the advancing / retreating bar 54 is advanced / retreated for the purpose of liquid development, the advancing / retreating bar 54 is advanced / retreated in a range that does not protrude from the plate 46, that is, a range E1 in FIG. This is to prevent the reagent held in the liquid holding space 55 from dropping when the advance / retreat bar 54 moves to a position beyond the range E1.

  The advance / retreat of the advance / retreat bar 54 is also performed for the purpose of promoting mixing of the reagent supplied in the cassette 48. That is, in the course of sample processing, a plurality of types of reagents may be supplied simultaneously. Such a simultaneously administered reagent can exert its effect only when it is sufficiently mixed. In addition, after a predetermined reaction by the reagent is completed, a cleaning solution is supplied into the cassette 48 to wash the sample. At this time, if the reagent remaining in the sample and the cleaning liquid are not sufficiently mixed, a sufficient cleaning effect cannot be obtained. However, it is difficult to sufficiently mix the reagents or the reagent and the cleaning liquid only by supplying the reagent or the cleaning liquid with the nozzle device 12. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the advancing / retreating bar 54 is advanced and retracted to cause a large flow in the liquid (reagent or cleaning liquid) supplied into the cassette 48, thereby allowing the reagents to flow together. Or the mixing of the reagent and the cleaning liquid is promoted. Thereby, the effect of a reagent and a washing | cleaning liquid can be exhibited more effectively, and an appropriate sample process is attained. In this case, since there is no problem of dropping of the liquid held in the liquid holding space 55, the advance / retreat bar 54 is in a range from one end to the other end of the cassette 48 (range E2 in FIG. 8), more specifically, the cassette 48. From the middle of the taper 74 formed at one end of the nozzle, it advances and retreats to the vicinity of the stopper 84 formed at the end on the suction port 80 side.

  Further, the advance / retreat of the advance / retreat bar 54 is also performed for promoting drainage that actively guides the liquid that is no longer needed to the drain hole 76. That is, in the present embodiment, the unnecessary liquid is discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 76 formed in the bottom surface of the accommodation space 72. At this time, most of the unnecessary liquid flows under the influence of the negative pressure from the suction nozzle 16 and gravity, and flows into the flow space 85 formed on the lower side of the plate 46 through the liquid escape path 83. The suction nozzle 16 sucks through the discharge hole 76, the suction path 78, and the suction port 80. However, some unnecessary liquid remains on the upper surface of the plate 46 due to surface tension. In the state of remaining on the plate 46, suction by the suction nozzle 16 cannot be performed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, the advancing / retreating bar 54 is advanced and retracted to actively flow the unnecessary liquid remaining on the plate 46 and formed at the corner of the accommodation space 72. It is sent to the fluid space 85 through a liquid escape passage 83 or the like. Thereby, an unnecessary liquid can be discharged | emitted more reliably and the contamination of the other liquid supplied after this can be prevented. In this case, the movable range of the advancing / retreating bar 54 is the same as the advancing / retreating for the purpose of mixing the liquid in the range from one end of the cassette 48 to the other end (range E2 in FIG. 8), that is, at one end of the cassette 48. This is a range from the middle of the formed taper 74 to the vicinity of the stopper 84 formed at the suction port 80 side end.

  The movement of the advance / retreat bar 54 during the drainage will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. In the following description, in the movable range E2 of the advance / retreat bar 54, the end on the suction port 80 side is referred to as the end, and the opposite end (the end on the side where the taper 74 is formed) is referred to as the start. As shown in FIG. 8A, when a large amount of unnecessary liquid L is present in the cassette 48, the unnecessary liquid L is caused to escape from the liquid by the negative pressure from the suction nozzle 16 and gravity. It flows into the flow space 85 through 83 and is further guided to the discharge hole 76. And most unnecessary liquid L is discharged | emitted outside by the effect | action by the negative pressure of this suction nozzle 16, and gravity. That is, most of the unnecessary liquid L can be discharged without moving the advance / retreat bar 54 back and forth.

  However, as shown in FIG. 8B, some unnecessary liquid L may remain on the plate 46 in the process of draining due to the negative pressure of the suction nozzle 16 and gravity. The unnecessary liquid L remaining on the plate 46 does not flow into the discharge hole 76 due to the negative pressure of the suction nozzle 16 or gravity, and remains on the plate 46 as it is. Therefore, in this embodiment, the advance / retreat bar 54 is advanced and retracted in the longitudinal direction of the plate 46 at a timing when the level of the unnecessary liquid L in the cassette 48 becomes lower than the upper surface of the plate 46. That is, the moving shaft 56 connected to the advance / retreat bar 54 is advanced and retracted in the longitudinal direction of the plate 46.

  The advance / retreat bar 54 first moves from the start end toward the end. When the advance / retreat bar 54 moves to the remaining position of the unnecessary liquid L by this movement, the remaining unnecessary liquid L is pressed by the advance / retreat bar 54. By this pressing, a part of the remaining unnecessary liquid L is pushed out of the plate 46 from the upper surface of the plate 46 and flows into the flow space 85 (see FIG. 7C).

  Here, for efficient drainage, it is necessary to positively drop the unnecessary liquid L in contact with the advance / retreat bar 54 into the gap between the plate 46 and the side wall of the cassette 48. In other words, the advancing / retreating bar 54 is required to have an appropriate liquid separation property. On the other hand, since the advance / retreat bar 54 is also used for the purpose of liquid deployment, an appropriate liquid holding performance is required. In order to secure these two contradictory performances, in the present embodiment, both ends of the advance / retreat bar 54 are substantially weight-shaped.

  By providing weight portions 54c at both ends of the advance / retreat bar 54, the gap between the end of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the upper surface of the plate 46 gradually increases toward the outside (side wall side) (see FIG. 7C). ). In this case, in the range where the gap between the end of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the upper surface of the plate 46 is small, the liquid is held in the gap by the surface tension. On the other hand, when approaching the tip of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the gap between the end of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the upper surface of the plate 46 is increased, the liquid holding performance is lowered, and the held liquid falls. That is, by making both ends of the advance / retreat bar 54 have a substantially weight shape, the liquid retention performance gradually decreases as it approaches the tip while it has high liquid retention performance in the vicinity of the large-diameter portion 54b of the advance / retreat bar 54. As a result, high liquid separability can be obtained.

  Moreover, since both ends are substantially weight-shaped, the front end surface of the advance / retreat bar 54 is substantially point-like, and the facing area between the front end surface of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the side wall of the cassette 48 is extremely small. In this case, capillary action does not occur between the front end surface of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the side wall of the cassette 48, and high liquid separation can be obtained. That is, when both ends of the advancing / retreating bar 54 have a shape with a large area facing the side wall of the cassette 48, for example, a columnar shape, liquid is generated in the gap between the front end surface and the side wall of the cassette 48 due to capillary action. There is a problem that the liquid is sucked up and the liquid is difficult to fall. On the other hand, when the facing area between the front end surface of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the side wall of the cassette 48 is small as in this embodiment, such a capillary phenomenon does not occur, so that the liquid that has moved to the vicinity of the front end of the advance / retreat bar 54 is easy. Can fall into the flow space 85. That is, in this embodiment, since the both ends of the advancing / retreating bar 54 have a conical shape, it is possible to obtain contradictory performances such as liquid retention and liquid separation. As a result, both liquid development and drainage can be performed satisfactorily. In this embodiment, both ends of the advance / retreat bar 54 have a conical shape, but other shapes such as a hemispherical shape or a frustum shape may be used as long as the cross-sectional area decreases toward the tip. Good.

  Returning to FIG. 8 again, the movement of the advance / retreat bar 54 will be described. As described above, a part of the unnecessary liquid L is pushed out of the plate 46 by the pressing by the advance / retreat bar 54, but the other part of the unnecessary liquid L is in a liquid deployment state (see FIG. 7A). Based on the same principle, the liquid is held in the liquid holding space 55 which is a gap between the main body 54 a of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the upper surface of the plate 46. Then, the held unnecessary liquid L moves together with the advance / retreat bar 54. While the unnecessary liquid L is held in the liquid holding space 55, the advance / retreat bar 54 moves to the end. A part of the unnecessary liquid L carried to the end position falls into a slight gap formed between the plate 46 and the side wall of the cassette 48 and flows into the flow space 85 as shown in FIG. .

  The advance / retreat bar 54 that has moved to the end reverses the direction of movement, and this time moves toward the start end. Even during the movement from the terminal end to the starting end, a part of the unnecessary liquid L remaining by the pressing by the advance / retreat bar 54 described above is pushed out from the upper surface of the plate 46 to the outside of the plate 46 and flows into the flow space 85. The other unnecessary liquid is held in the liquid holding space 55 formed between the main body 54 a of the advance / retreat bar 54 and the upper surface of the plate 46, and moves to the start end together with the advance / retreat bar 54. Here, as is apparent from FIG. 8, the start end of the movable range E <b> 2 is located outside the end portion of the plate 46, and is located in the middle of the taper 74 portion formed at one end of the accommodation space 72. Therefore, the advancing / retreating bar 54 that has moved to the starting end moves away from the plate 46. As a result, the unnecessary liquid L held in the liquid holding space 55 falls into a gap formed between the plate 46 and the side wall (taper 74 portion) of the cassette 48 and flows into the flow space 85.

  By the way, the advance / retreat bar 54 is connected to the movement shaft 56 so as to be rotatable about the movement shaft 56. The starting end of the movable range E <b> 2 is located in the middle of the taper 74 formed at one end of the accommodation space 72. In other words, the advance / retreat bar 54 moves to a position where it abuts against the taper 74 portion. As shown in FIG. 8D, the advance / retreat bar 54 in contact with the taper 74 is pushed by the taper 74, rotates about the moving shaft 56, and moves upward. That is, the taper 74 part (slope) is formed at one end of the accommodation space 72 and the advance / retreat bar 54 is automatically guided upward by moving the advance / retreat bar 54 to a position where it abuts against the taper 74 part. Will do. This upward movement makes it easier for the unnecessary liquid L attached to the advance / retreat bar 54 to fall. As a result, more reliable drainage is possible.

  The advance / retreat bar 54 that has moved to the start end again moves in the reverse direction and moves to the end. Then, the drainage is completed by repeating the advancing and retreating operation from the start end to the end and from the end to the start end several times.

  As is clear from the above description, the advancing / retreating bar 54 of the present embodiment has a shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as it approaches the tip, so that it can exhibit the contradictory effects of liquid separation and liquid retention. Both liquid development and drainage can be suitably realized. Further, by forming a taper 74 (slope) at one end of the storage space 72 and moving the advance / retreat bar 54 to a position where it abuts against the taper 74, the drainage performance during drainage can be further improved. Problems such as contamination of other liquids to be supplied later can be prevented.

[Cassette stand]
Next, the cassette stand 50 will be described. FIG. 9 is a top view of the cassette table 50. The cassette base 50 is a sample tray on which a plurality of (in this embodiment, ten) cassettes 48 are installed, and is detachable from the processing tank 22. Specifically, the cassette base 50 is mounted on a mounting column 92 (see FIG. 2) that stands on the inside of the processing tank 22, but can be removed from the mounting column 92 as necessary. . Accordingly, the user can perform complicated operations such as installation of the cassette 48 on the cassette table 50 and removal of the cassette 48 from the cassette table 50 in a wide space outside the processing tank 22. Can be improved.

  The cassette base 50 is roughly divided into a substantially flat base portion 94 and side wall portions 96 formed by bending both ends of the base portion 94 at approximately 90 degrees. A plurality of locking holes 96a for locking the cassette 48 are formed in the side wall portion 96 at a predetermined pitch. The locking hole 96 a is formed at a position where the height from the base portion 94 to the locking hole 96 a is larger than the height of the cassette base 50. Therefore, a certain gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cassette base 50 locked in the locking hole 96a and the base portion 94. This is to prevent a later-described steam hole 94a from being blocked by the cassette base 50.

  A plurality of steam holes 94 a are formed in the base portion 94. The steam hole 94a is a hole through which steam generated from the moisture keeping tray 60 disposed on the lower side of the cassette table 50 passes. That is, humidification with steam is performed for the purpose of preventing drying of the sample stored in the cassette 48. Therefore, in order to perform suitable sample processing, it is necessary to sufficiently distribute the generated vapor to the periphery of the sample. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vapor hole 94a is formed in the base portion 94 of the cassette base 50 in order to distribute the vapor generated from the moisture retention tray 60 to the periphery of the cassette 48, in other words, the sample periphery, without diverting the vapor. . Thereby, the steam generated in the moisture retention tray 60 can easily reach the periphery of the sample and can be humidified efficiently. Further, in the present embodiment, in order to humidify more efficiently, the pitch of the plurality of steam holes 94a is set to the arrangement pitch of the cassettes 48 so that the steam holes 94a are positioned between the cassettes 48 adjacent to each other. Are equal. Further, as described, the cassette 48 is installed in a state of floating from the base portion 94. As a result, the progress of the steam that has passed through the steam hole 94a is not hindered by the bottom surface of the cassette 48, and more efficient humidification is possible.

  Positioning holes 94b into which positioning pins 92a (see FIG. 2) projecting from the upper end surface of the mounting column 92 are inserted are formed at the four corners of the base portion 94. If the cassette base 50 is mounted on the mounting column 92 so that the positioning pins 92a are inserted into the positioning holes 94b, the cassette base 50 is positioned in the processing tank 22. Further, the positioning pin 92a and the positioning hole 94b are locked to each other, so that the cassette base 50 is prevented from dropping from the mounting column 92.

[Moisturizing mechanism]
Next, the moisturizing mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. The moisturizing mechanism includes a moisturizing tray 60 that stores moisturizing liquid. The moisturizing tray 60 is a deep plate-like member made of a heat transfer material, such as aluminum, and is placed on the bottom of the processing tank 22, in other words, placed on the lower side of the cassette table 50. The moisturizing tray 60 is connected to the Peltier unit 64 via a heat transfer frame 70 that functions as a heat transfer member. The Peltier unit 64 is a unit that constitutes temperature adjusting means, and can be heated and cooled. When the Peltier unit 64 is heated, the heat generated in the Peltier unit 64 is transmitted to the moisture retention tray 60 through the heat transfer frame 70 that is a heat transfer member. And by this heat transfer, the moisturizing liquid in the moisturizing tray 60 is heated to generate steam, and the inside of the processing tank 22 is humidified. The humidification prevents the sample from being dried or altered, and the sample can be processed in a suitable state.

  By the way, even in the conventional sample processing apparatus, the inside of the processing tank 22 has been humidified. However, most of the conventional sample processing apparatuses have a configuration in which the moisturizing liquid is heated outside the processing tank 22 and then humidified by transporting the moisturizing liquid into the processing tank 22 by a tubular body or the like ( For example, Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2003-57250 etc.). In this case, there are problems such as disappearance of steam due to a temperature change during the transportation of the moisturizing liquid and difficulty in feeding a large amount of the moisturizing liquid because of the transportation through the tube. In addition, the tube for transporting the moisturizing liquid has to be incorporated into the processing tank 22, which complicates the configuration of the processing tank 22. Furthermore, when the moisturizing liquid is heated outside the processing tank 22, it is necessary to separately prepare a heat source for heating the inside of the processing tank 22 and a heat source for heating the moisturizing liquid. The cost was invited.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the moisturizing liquid is heated inside the processing tank 22 to generate steam. Therefore, the temperature hardly changes between the generation of the vapor and the arrival of the sample, and the vapor is not lost. Further, since steam is generated from the entire surface of the moisture retaining tray 60, a large amount of steam can be generated in a large area.

  Furthermore, since the heat source of the temperature adjustment mechanism that adjusts the temperature of the processing tank 22 is used as a heat source for generating steam, there is no need to provide a dedicated heat source for generating steam, and the configuration of the processing tank unit 14 is simplified. And cost can be reduced.

[Temperature adjustment mechanism]
Next, the temperature adjustment mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. The temperature adjustment mechanism includes a lid heater 62 provided inside the lid portion 26 of the processing tank 22, a Peltier unit 64 provided at the bottom of the tank body 24 of the processing tank 22, and the Peltier unit 64 and the processing tank. 22 and a heat transfer member that connects the inside. Among these, the lid-side heater 62 will be described in detail in [Processing tank] to be described later, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The Peltier unit 64 is a Peltier element 64a (an element in which one metal is cooled and the other metal is heated when a current is passed by connecting two kinds of metals, and the cold / hot surface is reversed by switching the current between forward and reverse. ), A fan (not shown), a heat sink 64b, a heat transfer section 64c, and the like, and functions as a heat source and a cooling source. The Peltier unit 64 is connected to a heat transfer frame 70 that constitutes the inner surface of the processing tank 22, and performs heat exchange with the inside of the processing tank 22 via the heat transfer frame 70, thereby processing the Peltier unit 64. The inside of the tank 22 is heated or cooled. Here, as is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat transfer frame 70 is disposed so as to surround all of the plurality of samples disposed in the processing tank 22. The heat exchange between the inside of the processing tank 22 and the Peltier unit 64 is performed via the heat transfer frame 70, so that the periphery of the sample can be heated or cooled evenly and efficiently.

[Treatment tank]
Finally, the processing tank 22 will be described. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing tank 22 is a tank that holds a sample in a heat-retaining state, and is roughly divided into a tank body 24 and a lid 26. The tank body 24 includes a recess that forms a heat retaining space 28 in which the sample is arranged. The inner side surface of the tank body 24 is made of a heat transfer material such as aluminum, and constitutes a heat transfer frame 70 that transfers heat generated in the Peltier unit 64 to the inside of the moisture retaining tray 60 and the processing tank 22. As described above, the heat transfer frame 70 is physically connected to the Peltier unit 64. Moreover, between the outer side surface and inner side surface of the tank main-body part 24, the heat insulation member (illustrated with the grain in FIG. 1, FIG. 2) is filled, and the heat retention of the said processing tank 22 is ensured. .

  The lid 26 is attached to the tank body 24 via the hinge 100 and can be opened and closed with respect to the tank body 24. Further, a sealing member 102 made of an elastic material is attached to the bottom surface of the lid portion 26 (the surface facing the tank body portion 24), so that the heat insulation space 28 can be sealed when the lid portion 26 is closed. It has become.

  Here, during sample processing, in order to prevent deterioration and deterioration of the sample and reagent due to sudden changes in temperature and humidity, it is necessary to close the lid portion 26 and keep the heat insulation space 28 in a sealed state, For sample processing, it is necessary to insert the nozzle 16 of the nozzle device 12 into the heat retaining space 28. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to allow the nozzle 16 to be inserted into the heat retaining space 28 even when the lid portion 26 is closed, a small nozzle hole 38 that allows passage of the nozzle 16 is formed in the lid portion 26. In addition, a shutter body 32 for opening and closing the nozzle small hole 38 is provided. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 2, FIG. 10A shows a state when the nozzle hole 38 is opened, and FIG. 10B shows a state when the nozzle hole 38 is closed. ing. The lid portion 26 of the present embodiment is roughly classified into a fixed lid 30 and a shutter body 32 that can slide with respect to the fixed lid 30. The fixed lid 30 is further roughly divided into an outer case 104 disposed on the upper surface of the lid portion 26 and an inner case 106 disposed on the bottom portion of the lid portion 26. The shutter body 32 is disposed between the outer case 104 and the inner case 106.

  The outer case 104 is a member constituting the outer surface of the lid portion 26, and has a three-layer structure of an outer layer 104a made of resin or metal, a heat insulating layer 104b made of heat insulating material, and a resin layer 104c made of resin. A resin body 112 is disposed at a boundary portion between the outer case 104 and the inner case 106, and both are thermally blocked (see FIG. 2). The outer case 104 is formed with a plurality of small nozzle holes 38 a that allow the nozzle 16 to pass therethrough. The nozzle small holes 38a are long holes extending in the long axis direction of the cassette 48 disposed in the processing tank 22, and are formed at a pitch equal to the arrangement pitch of the cassettes 48 in the processing tank 22. . Accordingly, the long axis of each nozzle small hole 38 is positioned directly above the corresponding cassette 48.

  The inner case 106 is a member constituting the bottom portion of the lid portion 26 and is made of a heat transfer material such as aluminum. The inner case 106 is also formed with a plurality of small nozzle holes 38 b that allow the nozzle 16 to pass through, and the shape, arrangement pitch, and the like are the same as the small nozzle holes 38 a of the outer case 104. Here, the inner case 106 is a member exposed in the heat retaining space 28. By configuring the inner case 106 exposed in the heat insulation space 28 with a heat transfer material having a high heat transfer property, the temperature in the heat insulation space 28 can be made uniform. Further, a lid-side heater 62 is disposed on the upper surface of the inner case 106 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The lid-side heater 62 is a heating means that constitutes a temperature adjustment mechanism together with the Peltier unit 64 described above. The lid-side heater 62 has a substantially square shape so as to surround all of the plurality of nozzle small holes 38. The heat generated by the lid heater 62 is transmitted to the entire surface of the inner case 106 made of a heat transfer material, and heats the heat retaining space 28 evenly and efficiently.

  The shutter body 32 is a member disposed between the outer case 104 and the inner case 106. The shutter body 32 is roughly divided into a shutter main body 108 that slides with respect to the fixed lid 30 and a shutter drive mechanism 110 that slides the shutter main body 108.

  The shutter main body 108 is a member in which a plurality of shutter openings 40 are formed corresponding to the nozzle small holes 38, and is slid with respect to the inner case 106 and the outer case 104, which are the fixed lid 30, for the nozzle. It is a member that opens and closes the small hole 38. The shape and arrangement pitch of the shutter openings 40 formed in the shutter main body 108 are substantially the same as those of the nozzle small holes 38 formed in the inner case 106 and the outer case 104. When the nozzle 16 does not need to be inserted into the processing tank 22, the shutter main body 108 is moved so that the shutter opening 40 is located away from the nozzle hole 38 as shown in FIG. Let Thereby, the small hole 38 for nozzles is closed and the outflow of the heat and vapor | steam outside is prevented. Further, when the nozzle 16 is inserted into the processing tank 22, the shutter main body 108 is moved so that the shutter opening 40 overlaps with the nozzle small hole 38 as shown in FIG. As a result, the small nozzle hole 38 is opened, and the nozzle 16 can enter the inside of the processing tank 22 through the small nozzle hole 38. At this time, the lid 26 itself is in a closed state, and the contact area between the inside of the processing tank 22 (the heat retaining space 28) and the outside of the processing tank 22 is limited to the area of the nozzle small hole 38. As a result, sudden changes in the temperature and humidity of the heat retaining space 28 can be minimized, and alteration and deterioration of samples and reagents can be prevented.

  Here, when the small nozzle hole 38 is closed (the state shown in FIG. 10B), that is, when the small nozzle hole 38 is covered with the shutter main body 108, the shutter is opened via the small nozzle hole 38. The upper surface of the main body 108 is exposed outside the processing tank 22, and the bottom surface of the shutter main body 108 is exposed inside the processing tank 22. In other words, when the nozzle small hole 38 is closed, only the shutter main body 108 is interposed between the inside of the processing tank 22 and the outside of the processing tank 22 at the position where the nozzle small hole 38 is formed. . At this time, if the shutter main body 108 does not have a sufficient heat insulation structure, heat exchange is performed inside and outside the processing tank 22 through the shutter main body 108, and the temperature inside the processing tank 22 is kept constant. I can't. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shutter main body 108 has a heat insulating configuration. Specifically, the shutter main body 108 has, in order from the inner case 106 side, a three-layer structure of a heat transfer layer 108a made of a heat transfer material, a thick heat insulating layer 108b made of a heat insulating material, and a resin layer 108c made of a resin. It has become. Thus, by providing the thick heat insulating layer 108b on the shutter main body 108, the heat insulating property of the shutter main body 108 can be ensured, and the heat retaining property of the processing tank 22 can be maintained even when the nozzle hole 38 is closed. Can be secured sufficiently. In the present embodiment, the bottom surface of the shutter main body 108 is a heat transfer layer 108a made of a heat transfer material. In this case, the heat generated in the described lid-side heater 62 is also transmitted to the heat transfer layer 108b, so that the inside of the processing tank 22 can be heated more evenly.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a condensation recess 108d for storing water adhering to the upper surface of the shutter main body 108 due to condensation is formed on the upper surface of the shutter main body 108, that is, the upper surface of the resin layer. That is, in the present embodiment, a large amount of heat insulating material is filled in the shutter main body 108 to ensure sufficient heat insulating properties. However, even in such a case, water may adhere to the upper surface of the shutter main body 108 or the like due to condensation caused by a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the treatment tank 22. When the shutter main body 108 is moved from the closed state to the open state with the water adhering to the upper surface of the shutter main body 108 or the like, the water is moved to one place by the peripheral edge of the nozzle small hole 38a of the outer case 104. To be collected. Finally, the water may fall into the treatment tank 22 from the shutter opening 40 of the shutter main body 108. In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the water generated by the condensation from falling into the treatment tank 22, in the upper surface of the shutter main body 108, a condensation recess for storing water generated by the condensation in the vicinity of the shutter opening 40. 108d is provided. By providing the condensate recess 108d, the water collected at the peripheral edge of the nozzle hole 38a of the outer case 104 is dropped and stored in the condensate recess 108d before dropping from the shutter opening 40. As a result, water is prevented from falling into the processing tank 22, and problems such as sample and reagent contamination are prevented.

  The shutter body 108 can be moved forward and backward with respect to the inner case 106 and the outer case 104 by a shutter driving mechanism 110 (see FIG. 2) installed at the end of the lid portion 26. The shutter drive mechanism 110 includes a motor as a drive source and a transmission mechanism such as a gear or a cam connected to the motor, and reverses the moving direction of the shutter by reversing the rotation direction of the motor. Can do.

[Summary]
As is clear from the above description, according to the present embodiment, the cassette 48 that accommodates the plate 46 that carries the sample has a special shape, so that the drainage performance of the liquid supplied into the cassette 48 can be simplified. Can be improved. In addition, the configuration of the advance / retreat bar 54 that advances and retreats on the plate 46, in particular, by making the shape of both ends into a special shape, it is possible to achieve both contradictory performances of liquid retention and liquid separation, and more suitable sample processing. Is possible.

It is a schematic block diagram of the sample processing apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of a processing tank unit periphery. It is a perspective view of a cassette. It is a perspective view of the cassette seen from the other direction. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG. It is the side view and front view of a flow control mechanism. It is a figure which shows the mode of flow control. It is a figure which shows the motion of an advance / retreat bar. It is the upper side figure and sectional drawing of a cassette stand. It is the A section enlarged view in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  10 sample processing apparatus, 12 nozzle apparatus, 14 processing tank unit, 15 control section, 16 nozzle, 22 processing tank, 24 tank main body section, 26 lid section, 28 heat insulation space, 30 fixed lid, 32 shutter body, 38 small for nozzle Hole, 40 shutter opening, 46 plate, 48 cassette, 50 cassette base, 52 flow control mechanism, 54 advance / retreat bar, 56 moving shaft, 60 moisture retention tray, 62 lid side heater, 64 Peltier unit, 70 heat transfer frame, 74 taper, 76 discharge hole, 80 suction port, 82 support step, 84 stopper, 92 mounting column, 94a steam hole, 104 outer case, 106 inner case, 108 shutter body, 108d condensate for condensation.

Claims (12)

A sample processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process including a predetermined liquid supply on a sample carried on a plate,
A sample container forming an accommodation space for accommodating the plate carrying the sample;
A flow control mechanism for controlling the flow state of the liquid supplied to the sample container by moving the advance / retreat bar disposed on the plate within a predetermined range; and
With
The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample container has an inclined surface formed at a position corresponding to an end of the movable range and guides the advancing / retracting bar that is in contact upward. The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The sample container is
A suction port formed on the upper end surface and into which the suction nozzle is inserted;
A discharge hole formed on the bottom surface of the storage space and for discharging the liquid supplied to the sample container to the outside;
A suction path connecting the suction port and the discharge hole;
A sample processing apparatus comprising: The sample processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The suction port has a substantially spindle shape that spreads upward,
The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction nozzle has a substantially spherical shape whose tip is in line contact with the lower end of the suction port. The sample processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The sample container is a partially formed step, and a support step that supports the plate in a state where a gap is secured between the plate and the bottom surface of the accommodation space. A sample processing apparatus comprising: The sample processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The sample processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample container includes a positioning wall that defines a mounting position of the plate. The sample processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The flow control mechanism is
An advancing / retracting bar that is long in a direction perpendicular to the advancing / retreating direction;
A moving axis that moves in the forward and backward directions,
A connecting means for connecting the advance / retreat bar to the movement shaft so as to be rotatable about the movement axis;
A sample processing apparatus comprising: The sample processing apparatus according to claim 6,
When processing multiple samples at the same time,
A sample processing apparatus, wherein a plurality of sample containers are arranged in an axial direction of the moving shaft, and a plurality of advance / retreat bars are connected to one moving shaft corresponding to the plurality of sample containers. The sample processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A sample processing apparatus characterized in that both ends of the advancing / retreating bar have a shape in which a cross-sectional area becomes smaller as approaching the tip. The sample processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
A sample processing apparatus characterized in that both ends of the advancing / retreating bar have a substantially pyramid shape or a substantially spherical shape. The sample processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The advance / retreat bar has a main body part and a large diameter part larger in diameter than the main body part,
A sample processing apparatus characterized in that a gap is secured between the main body and the upper surface of the plate when the large diameter portion contacts the upper surface of the plate. A sample container containing a sample carried on a plate to be subjected to a predetermined process including a predetermined liquid supply,
The sample container has a slope that is formed at a position corresponding to an end of a movable range of an advance / retreat bar that advances and retreats on the plate, and that guides the abutting advance / retreat bar upward. Sample container to do. A flow control mechanism for controlling the flow state of the liquid supplied to the sample container containing the plate by moving the advance / retreat bar arranged on the plate carrying the sample,
The flow control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the advance / retreat bar have a shape in which a cross-sectional area becomes smaller toward the tip.

Images