JP2011072888A - Centrifuge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a centrifuge in which a container can be inserted vertically and stably. <P>SOLUTION: The centrifuge for applying centrifugal force to contents inside the container includes a rotary shaft extended so as to be inclined relative to a horizontal plane when installing the centrifuge, a driving part for rotating the rotary shaft, and a rotation part attached to the rotary shaft. The rotation part has at least one holding hole for holding the container formed at an outer peripheral edge part, and is in such a shape that an outer peripheral edge part upper surface is in a horizontal state at the lowest point when installing the centrifuge. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a centrifuge for applying a centrifugal force to a housing portion housed in a container.

  Conventionally, various centrifuges are used in various fields such as medicine, chemistry, and pharmacy. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a centrifuge for centrifuging a sample such as blood. This centrifuge includes a rotating part that is rotated by a driving part, and an elongated hole inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical axis is formed in the rotating part. When the container in which the sample is accommodated is inserted into the hole and the driving unit is driven to rotate the rotating unit around the vertical axis, the sample in the container is centrifuged. Here, in the centrifuge, in order to insert the container into the hole of the rotating part, it is necessary to tilt the container obliquely. For this reason, when a container is automatically inserted using a robot arm or the like, a special mechanism for tilting the container, such as an articulated robot arm, is required, and the structure becomes complicated.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 proposes a centrifuge in which a bucket for housing a container is rotatably attached to the periphery of a rotating part. The bucket of this centrifuge swings horizontally to centrifuge the sample in the container when the rotating part rotates, but is in a state perpendicular to the horizontal plane when the rotating part stops. For this reason, in the said centrifuge, a container can be vertically inserted in a bucket.

JP 2002-248379 A JP 2006-142156 A

  However, the centrifuge as described above is unstable because the bucket is rotatably attached to the rotating part. For this reason, when a container is automatically inserted into a bucket by a conveying means such as a robot arm, the position at which the conveying means inserts the container cannot be determined, and it is difficult to accurately insert the container into the bucket. There is a problem that there is.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the centrifuge which can insert a container vertically and stably.

  A centrifuge according to the present invention is made to solve the above-described problems, and is a centrifuge for applying a centrifugal force to the contents in a container, and is installed with respect to a horizontal plane when the centrifuge is installed. A rotation shaft extending to incline, a drive unit for rotating the rotation shaft, and a rotation unit attached to the rotation shaft, wherein the rotation unit has a holding hole for holding the container at an outer peripheral edge portion. At least one is formed, and when the centrifuge is installed, the outer peripheral edge top surface is in a horizontal state at the lowest point.

  In the centrifuge, a holding hole is formed in the outer peripheral edge portion of the rotating portion attached to the rotating shaft, and the lowermost point of the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge portion is in a horizontal state. When the container is inserted into the holding hole at the lowest point of the outer peripheral edge, and the drive unit is driven to rotate the rotary shaft and the rotary unit, the rotary shaft is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. Centrifugal force is applied to the contents in the container held in the holding hole. Thus, since the centrifuge is in a state where the lowest point is horizontal on the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge of the rotating part, the container can be vertically inserted into the holding hole at the lowest point. In the centrifuge, since the holding hole is directly formed in the rotating part, the position of the holding hole is fixed when the rotating part is stopped. Accordingly, the container can be easily positioned when the container is inserted into the holding hole, and the container can be stably inserted into the holding hole. In the above centrifuge, the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge means the surface on the side receiving the container.

  In the above centrifuge, the rotating part may be configured such that the central part is perpendicular to the rotation axis and the outer peripheral edge is inclined with respect to the central part.

  In the above-mentioned centrifuge, the rotation axis is preferably inclined in the range of 45 to 80 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

  In the above centrifuge, the rotating portion may be plate-shaped, and the holding hole may be configured to penetrate the outer peripheral edge of the rotating portion.

  In the above centrifuge, a notch may be formed in the periphery of the holding hole of the rotating part. According to this configuration, when the container is inserted into the holding hole, the notch can be engaged with the convex portion on the side surface of the container, and the container can be prevented from rotating in the holding hole.

  According to the present invention, the container can be inserted vertically and stably.

1 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is front sectional drawing of the apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is front sectional drawing of the dispensing tip which concerns on the same embodiment. It is front sectional drawing of the reaction container which concerns on the same embodiment. It is front sectional drawing of the dispensing chip | tip and reaction container which concern on the same embodiment. It is a front view of the dispenser concerning the embodiment. It is a front view of the dispenser and dispensing tip which concern on the same embodiment. It is a schematic side sectional view of the centrifuge according to the embodiment. It is a schematic side sectional view showing the operation of the centrifuge according to the same embodiment. It is a schematic side sectional view of a centrifuge according to a modification of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a centrifuge according to the present invention is applied to a nucleic acid detection device will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 1, the lower side is referred to as the front side and the upper side is referred to as the back side.

  The nucleic acid detection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for detecting nucleic acids in a sample after mixing a necessary reagent in the sample and performing a nucleic acid amplification reaction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 1 includes a rack 2 that holds various containers, a dispenser 3 that dispenses samples and reagents from the containers held in the rack 2, and the dispenser 3. The moving means 4 to move is provided. The apparatus 1 also discards the centrifuge 5 for applying a centrifugal force to the sample and the reagent, the detector 6 for causing the nucleic acid amplification reaction of the sample to detect the nucleic acid, the used dispensing tip, and the like. A disposal box 7 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rack 2 contains, in order from the front to the back, a dispensing tip 8 for dispensing a sample and a reagent, a sample container 9 in which the sample is accommodated, and first to third reagents. Sixteen reagent containers 101 to 103 and 16 empty reaction containers 11 are placed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the dispensing tip 8 is formed in a substantially conical cylinder shape, and an upper end is opened so that it can be attached to the distal end portion of the dispenser 3 described later. The dispensing tip 8 has a discharge hole 81 at the lower end so that the sample and the reagent can be sucked and discharged, and is configured to hold the sucked sample and the reagent inside. The dispensing tip 8 is preferably covered with an air permeable filter in order to prevent scattering of the held sample and reagent.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the reaction vessel 11 is closed at the lower end and has an opening 111 at the upper end so that the dispensing tip 8 can be inserted therein. In the reaction container 11, an elongated storage part 112 for storing a sample and a reagent is formed in the lower part, and an accommodation part 113 for accommodating the dispensing tip 8 is formed in the upper part. As shown in FIG. 5, the reaction container 11 is configured such that when the dispensing tip 8 is inserted, the opening 111 is blocked by the dispensing tip 8 and is fitted to the dispensing tip 8. In addition, it is preferable that the convex part is formed in the side surface of the reaction container 11 so that it can engage with the notch of the periphery of the holding hole 533 of the centrifuge 5 mentioned later. The material of the reaction vessel 11 is preferably a thermoplastic resin or glass, but is not particularly limited. In the case of a thermoplastic resin, polypropylene, polyolefin, polymethylpentene, cyclic polyolefin, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyacetal, polyamide, polyimide, Polyamideimide, liquid crystal polymer, polyether ether ketone, polyether sulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene ether, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polybutylene terephthalate, methacrylic resin, ABS resin, and polyvinyl chloride, or two of them A polymer alloy or polymer blend comprising the above is preferred.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the dispenser 3 has a general dispensing mechanism 31 such as a syringe or a pipette, and the dispensing tip 8 is attached to the distal end portion by the dispensing mechanism 31. Samples and reagents are aspirated and discharged (FIG. 7). In addition, the dispenser 3 has a cylindrical portion 32 that can move up and down at the tip portion. The cylindrical portion 32 moves downward to push down the dispensing tip 8 attached to the tip portion. The tip 8 is configured to be removable.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the moving means 4 includes a Y-axis arm 4y extending in the depth direction, an X-axis arm 4x extending in the width direction and sliding on the surface of the Y-axis arm 4y in the depth direction, and the height direction. And a Z-axis arm 4z that slides on the surface of the X-axis arm 4x in the width direction. A dispenser 3 is attached to the Z-axis arm 4z so as to be movable up and down. With such a configuration, the moving means 4 can move the dispenser 3 freely in the depth direction, the width direction, and the height direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the centrifuge 5 is installed on the back side of the rack 2, and rotates the rotating shaft 51 inclined at an angle α with respect to the horizontal plane and the rotating shaft 51 around the axis. The drive part 52 is provided. A disc-shaped rotating portion 53 is attached to the rotating shaft 51, and a central portion 531 of the rotating portion 53 is perpendicular to the rotating shaft 51. A plurality of holding holes 533 for holding the reaction vessel 11 are formed in the outer peripheral edge portion 532 of the rotating portion 53, and when the reaction vessel 11 is held in the holding hole 533, the holding hole 533 is formed at the periphery of the holding hole 533. A notch is preferably formed so as to be engageable with the convex portion on the side surface of the reaction vessel 11. In addition, the rotation portion 53 has the outer peripheral edge portion 532 raised by an angle β with respect to the central portion 531, and the sum of the angle β and the angle α is 90 degrees, so that the lowermost portion of the outer peripheral edge portion 532 The dots are horizontal. From the viewpoint of safety, it is preferable that portions other than the lowest point of the outer peripheral edge portion 532 on the upper surface of the rotating portion 53 are covered with a removable cover.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the detector 6 is installed on the right side of the centrifuge 5, and includes a housing hole 61 that can accommodate a plurality of reaction vessels 11, a hot air generator 62 having a heater 621, and A fluorescence detection unit 63 for detecting the fluorescence of the nucleic acid is provided. The detector 6 generates a hot air and a cold air by switching the heater 621 ON / OFF in the hot air generator 62, thereby causing a nucleic acid amplification reaction in the reaction vessel 11, and detecting the target nucleic acid in the fluorescence detector 63. To do. As a method for detecting the target nucleic acid, for example, a labeled probe labeled with a fluorescent substance is used, and a decrease in fluorescence generated when the labeled probe is hybridized to the target nucleic acid is measured. In addition, the irradiation method of excitation light and the detection method of fluorescence are not specifically limited.

  Next, the operation of the nucleic acid detection device 1 will be described.

  First, using a certain dispensing tip 8 held in the rack 2, the sample container 9 and the first to third reagent containers 101 to 103 arranged in the same row as the dispensing tip 8 are arranged in the same row. Samples and reagents are dispensed into the reaction vessels 11 arranged side by side. Specifically, the X-axis arm 4x of the moving means 4 is moved in the depth direction of the device 1 along the Y-axis arm 4y, and the Z-axis arm 4z is moved in the width direction of the device 1 along the X-axis arm 4x. Accordingly, the dispenser 3 is moved above the dispensing tip 8 held in the rack 2. The dispenser 3 is lowered along the Z-axis arm 4z, the tip of the dispenser 3 is inserted into the dispensing tip 8, and the dispensing tip 8 is attached to the tip of the dispenser 3 (see FIG. 7). Next, the dispensing device 3 to which the dispensing tip 8 is attached is moved to the sample container 9 on the rack 2 by the moving means 4, and the dispensing tip 8 is discharged from the discharge hole 81 by the dispensing mechanism 31 of the dispensing device 3. A certain amount of the sample in the sample container 9 is sucked into it. While the sucked sample is held in the dispensing tip 8, the dispenser 3 is moved to the first to third reagent containers 101 to 103 on the rack 2 by the moving means 4, and the first to first reagent containers 101 to 103 are moved by the dispensing mechanism 31. The first to third reagents in the three reagent containers 101 to 103 are sequentially sucked into the dispensing tip 8. Thereafter, with the sample and the first to third reagents held in the dispensing tip 8, the dispensing means 3 is moved to the reaction vessel 11 by the moving means 4, and the dispensing tip 8 at the tip of the dispensing device 3 is reacted. The sample is inserted into the container 11 and the dispensing tip 8 and the reaction vessel 11 are fitted to each other, and the sample and the first to third reagents are discharged into the reaction vessel 11 from the discharge hole 81 of the dispensing tip 8.

  Next, the dispenser 3 equipped with the reaction vessel 11 and the dispensing tip 8 is moved toward the centrifuge 5 by the moving means 4, and the outside that is in a horizontal state at the rotating part 53 of the centrifuge 5 is moved. Dispenser 3 is stopped above the lowest point of peripheral edge 532. The dispenser 3 is lowered straight, and the reaction vessel 11 connected to the tip of the dispenser 3 via the dispensing tip 8 is vertically inserted into the holding hole 533 at the lowest point of the outer peripheral edge 532. (FIG. 9A). And the cylindrical part 32 is lowered | hung, the dispensing tip 8 is removed from the front-end | tip part of the dispenser 3, and the reaction container 11 in the state where the dispensing tip 8 was fitted is left in the holding hole 533, and only the dispenser 3 is left. To raise. Thereafter, the rotating portion 53 is rotated so that another holding hole 533 into which the reaction vessel 11 is not inserted is at the lowest point.

  The above procedure is repeated, and the necessary number of reaction containers 11 containing samples and reagents are set in the centrifuge 5. In the centrifuge 5, when the driving unit 52 is driven to rotate the rotating unit 53, the reaction vessel 11 in the holding hole 533 rotates around the rotation shaft 51 with the upper end inclined toward the center of the rotating unit 53. As a result, the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel 11 move toward the lower end of the storage unit 112 (FIG. 9B).

  After the sample and the reagent are filled in the reservoir 112 of the reaction container 11 by the centrifuge 5, the reaction container 11 and the dispensing tip 8 are mounted again on the tip of the dispenser 3. The dispenser 3 fitted with the reaction vessel 11 and the dispensing tip 8 is moved to the detector 6 by the moving means 4, the dispenser 3 is lowered, and the reaction vessel 11 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 61 of the detector 6. Then, the dispensing tip 8 and the reaction vessel 11 are removed from the dispenser 3 and only the dispenser 3 is raised. Then, a predetermined temperature cycle is applied to the reaction vessel 11 in the accommodation hole 61 by hot air and cold air generated by switching the heater 621 on and off in the hot air generation unit 62, and in the storage unit 112 of the reaction vessel 11. Generate a nucleic acid amplification reaction of the sample. At this time, in the storage unit 112 of the reaction vessel 11, for example, the labeled probe is quenched by hybridization with the target nucleic acid, and the target nucleic acid is detected by measuring the decrease in fluorescence by the fluorescence detection unit 63. To do.

  After the detection of the nucleic acid is completed, the reaction container 11 and the dispensing tip 8 in the receiving hole 61 of the detector 6 are mounted again on the tip of the dispensing device 3, and the dispensing device 3 is moved to the disposal box 7 by the moving means 4 The dispensing tip 8 and the reaction vessel 11 are removed from the dispenser 3 and discarded in the disposal box 7.

  As described above, according to the above embodiment, in the centrifuge 5, the holding hole 533 for holding the reaction vessel 11 is formed in the outer peripheral edge 532, and the outer peripheral edge 532 has a horizontal lowest point. Inclined upward with respect to the central portion 531 of the rotating portion 53 so as to be in a stable state. For this reason, the reaction vessel 11 can be vertically inserted into the holding hole 533 at the lowest point of the outer peripheral edge portion 532. Further, since the holding hole 11 is directly formed in the rotating portion 53, the reaction vessel 11 can be easily positioned when the reaction vessel 11 is inserted into the holding hole 533, and the reaction vessel 11 can be stably held in the holding hole 533. Can be inserted into.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these, A various change is possible unless it deviates from the meaning of this invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rotating portion 53 of the centrifuge 10 has an outer peripheral edge inclined upward with respect to the central portion perpendicular to the rotating shaft 51. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface of the rotating part 53 may be formed in a tapered shape whose diameter increases upward as long as the point is in a horizontal state.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the rotation part 53 of the centrifuge 5 was formed in plate shape, it is not limited to this, A rotation part can be formed in various shapes. In this case, the holding hole formed in the rotating part may not penetrate the rotating part as long as the container can be held.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention has been applied to a nucleic acid detection apparatus, but is not limited thereto. For example, a substance is measured by a colorimetric measurement method by an enzymatic reaction or an antigen-antibody reaction, It can also be applied to the detection method.

5 Centrifuge 51 Rotating shaft 52 Drive unit 53 Rotating unit 532 Outer peripheral edge 531 Holding hole

Claims (5)

A centrifuge for applying centrifugal force to the contents in the container,
A rotating shaft extending to be inclined with respect to a horizontal plane when the centrifuge is installed;
A drive unit for rotating the rotating shaft;
A rotating part attached to the rotating shaft,
At least one holding hole for holding the container is formed in the outer peripheral edge of the rotating part, and when the centrifuge is installed, the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge is in a horizontal state at the lowest point. A centrifuge that is in shape.   The centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein a central portion of the rotating portion is perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the outer peripheral edge portion is inclined with respect to the central portion.   The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation axis is inclined within a range of 45 to 80 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane.   The centrifuge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotating portion has a plate shape, and the holding hole penetrates the outer peripheral edge portion.   The notch is formed in the periphery of the said holding hole so that the said rotation part may be engaged with the convex part formed in the side surface of the container hold | maintained at the said holding hole. The centrifuge described.

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