JP2014066540A - Inspection chip, method of manufacturing cover member, and inspection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspection chip allowing acquisition of a more accurate inspection result in an inspection system where an inspection liquid is inspected by optical measurement.SOLUTION: The inspection chip is loaded to an inspection device including a light source for generating light having a prescribed emission intensity and a light receiving sensor part for receiving the light generated from the light source and is capable of housing an inspection liquid moving in a prescribed flow passage in accordance with revolution due to the inspection device and a prescribed angle held by rotation due to the inspection device and includes a plate member having the flow passage formed therein and a cover member joined to the plate member so as to surround the flow passage. The plate member includes a first measurement part which houses the inspection liquid after movement in the flow passage and is arranged in such a position that the light from the light source can be transmitted to the housed inspection liquid, and the cover member includes a second measurement part which is arranged in a position different from that of the first measurement part in a state where the cover member is joined to the plate member and has second optical characteristics different from first optical characteristics of the cover member.

Description

  The present invention relates to a test chip for performing chemical, medical, or biological tests on a substance to be tested.

  A microchip having a flow path inside is known from Patent Document 1 and the like. The microchip disclosed as an inspection chip in this document is composed of a plate material and a cover member. A test liquid and a reagent mixed with the test liquid are injected into the microchip whose surface is covered with the cover member. A microchip into which a test liquid and a reagent are injected is attached to the test apparatus. Centrifugal force acts on the test liquid and the reagent inside the microchip by the revolution of the test device. Due to the resultant force of the centrifugal force and the gravity, the test liquid and the reagent move through the flow path inside the microchip and arrive at the holding unit. Light passes through the inspection liquid that has arrived at the holding portion, and the inspection liquid injected into the microchip is inspected based on the transmitted light.

JP 2012-78115 A

  Light enters the inspection liquid that has arrived at the holding portion, and the optical sensor receives the light that has passed through the inspection liquid. The received light intensity of the light received by this optical sensor is reflected in the inspection result. The light received by the optical sensor passes through the plate material and the cover member together with the inspection liquid. The influence on the light reception intensity due to transmission through the plate member and the cover member is reflected in the inspection result as being constant. However, when the thickness of the plate in the light traveling direction or incident direction deviates from the specified thickness, when bubbles are mixed in the plate, or when water droplets or dust is attached to the plate, etc. However, since the influence on the received light intensity deviates from a certain value, there is a possibility that a correct inspection result cannot be obtained.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection chip that can obtain a more accurate inspection result in an inspection system in which an inspection liquid is inspected by optical measurement.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 1 is attached to an inspection apparatus including a light source that generates light having a predetermined light emission intensity and an optical sensor that receives light generated from the light source. An inspection chip that can store an inspection liquid that moves in a predetermined flow path according to revolution by the inspection apparatus and a predetermined angle held by rotation by the inspection apparatus, wherein the flow path is formed A plate member and a cover member joined to the plate member so as to contain the flow path, and the plate material contains the test liquid after moving the flow path, and the stored test liquid contains the test liquid. A first measurement unit disposed at a position where light from a light source can be transmitted, and the cover member is provided at a position different from the first measurement unit in a state where the cover member is joined to the plate member; 1 different from optical characteristics A second measuring unit having two optical characteristics is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the second measurement unit has, as the second optical property, a transmittance smaller than the transmittance of the cover member as the first optical property. It is characterized by this.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the second measurement unit has a shape including a predetermined ellipse, and the second measurement unit has the cover member formed on the plate member. In the joined state, the first measurement unit is provided so as to be positioned in the direction of the long axis of the ellipse.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the second measurement unit includes a first ellipse including the first ellipse that is the predetermined ellipse, and a distance from the first measurement unit. And a second ellipse part including a second ellipse far from the first ellipse, wherein the major axis of the second ellipse is longer than the major axis of the first ellipse. It is.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the cover member includes a plurality of first marks having a predetermined shape, and the plate member has a plurality of shapes having the same shape as the first mark. In the state where the cover member is joined to the plate so that the first mark overlaps the second mark, the first measurement unit is positioned in the long axis direction of the predetermined ellipse. As described above, the second measurement unit is provided in the cover member.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the second measurement unit is based on the transmittance or reflectance determined in advance from the test liquid stored in the first measurement unit. It has two optical characteristics.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 7 is formed by printing the second measurement unit with an ink having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member. It is characterized by this.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 8 is attached to an inspection apparatus including a light source that generates light having a predetermined intensity and an optical sensor that receives light generated from the light source. The cover member joined to the plate of the inspection chip that stores the inspection liquid that moves in the predetermined flow path in accordance with the revolution by the inspection device and the predetermined angle held by the rotation by the inspection device in the first measurement unit A mark forming step of forming a first mark having the same predetermined shape as the second mark formed on the plate, and the cover so that the first mark overlaps the second mark A printing step of printing an ellipse in which the first measurement unit is positioned in the long axis direction with an ink having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member in a state where the member is bonded to the plate member. Is a manufacturing method which is characterized in that it comprises.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 9 is an inspection apparatus comprising a light source that generates light having a predetermined light emission intensity, and an optical sensor that receives light generated from the light source, An inspection system that is mounted on the inspection device and includes a test chip that contains a test liquid that moves in a predetermined flow path according to revolution by the test device and a predetermined angle held by rotation by the test device. The inspection chip includes a plate material on which the flow path is formed, and a cover member that is bonded to the plate material so as to enclose the flow path, and the plate material is moved after moving the flow path. The test liquid is accommodated, and the test liquid is provided with a first measurement unit disposed at a position where light from the light source can pass through the stored test liquid, and the cover member is first measured in a state of being bonded to the plate member. Different from department Provided with a second measurement unit having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member, and the inspection apparatus transmits light transmitted through the second measurement unit and received by the optical sensor. The optical characteristic based is provided with the determination part which determines whether it has the said 2nd optical characteristic.

  According to invention of Claim 1 and Claim 9, the light which permeate | transmitted the 2nd measurement part which has a 2nd optical characteristic different from the 1st optical characteristic of a cover member is received by an optical sensor. Or the light which permeate | transmitted the board | plate material and was reflected by the 2nd measurement part which has a 2nd optical characteristic different from the 1st optical characteristic of a cover member is received by an optical sensor. It is possible to determine whether or not the received light intensity of the light received by the optical sensor is within a predetermined range. If it is not within the predetermined range, the thickness of the plate material may not be within the predetermined range. Since it is possible to detect a detection chip having a plate material not having a thickness in the predetermined range, the inspection liquid is inspected by the detection chip having a plate material having a thickness not in the predetermined range, and an accurate inspection result cannot be obtained. The possibility can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the second measuring unit has a transmittance smaller than the transmittance of the cover member as the first optical property as the second optical property. The light transmitted through the second measurement unit is received by the light receiving sensor. It is possible to determine whether or not the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor is within a predetermined range. If it is not within the predetermined range, the thickness of the plate material may not be within the predetermined range. Since it is possible to detect an inspection chip having a plate material that is not in the predetermined range of thickness, the inspection liquid is inspected by the detection chip having a plate material that is not in the predetermined range of thickness, and an accurate inspection result cannot be obtained. The possibility can be reduced.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, light can be incident on the second measurement unit without changing the direction of the light source. Thereby, since there is no need to provide a mechanism for changing the direction of the light source to either the second measurement unit or the first measurement unit, the inspection liquid inspection and the measurement by the second measurement unit can be performed with a simple configuration. it can.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, light transmitted through or reflected by the first ellipse or the second ellipse is received by the light receiving sensor. It is possible to determine whether or not the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor is within a predetermined range. If not within the predetermined range, the thickness of the plate material may not be within the predetermined range, and the light may not be correctly incident on the first ellipse or the second ellipse, or the first ellipse, Or there is a possibility that the second ellipse is dusty. When light from the light source is incident on one of the first ellipse and the second ellipse, and it is determined that the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor is not within a predetermined range, the light source is placed on the other ellipse. By making the light from the light incident, the possibility that the thickness of the plate material is not within the predetermined range can be detected more accurately.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the first mark and the second mark are provided on the cover member and the plate material. Thereby, the user of a test | inspection chip can perform easily joining a cover member to a board | plate material so that a 2nd measurement part and a 1st measurement part have exact positional relationship.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the sensitivity of the sensor that receives the light transmitted through the test liquid stored in the first measurement unit and the light transmitted through or reflected by the second measurement unit is set to the same wavelength region. Therefore, it is possible to perform the inspection liquid inspection and the measurement by the second measurement unit with higher accuracy with one sensor.

  According to invention of Claim 7, a 2nd measurement part can be comprised easily.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, the first mark and the second mark are provided on the cover member and the plate material. Thereby, the user of a test | inspection chip can perform easily joining a cover member to a board | plate material so that a 2nd measurement part and a 1st measurement part have exact positional relationship.

It is a front view of the inspection apparatus 100 in a steady state. It is a front view of the inspection apparatus 100 of the displacement state whose autorotation angle is 90 degrees. 2 is a plan view of the inspection apparatus 100. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of the cover member 410 being joined to the board | plate material 420. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the test | inspection chip 400. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the positional relationship of the 1st ellipse 413 and the 2nd ellipse 414. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the position of the test | inspection chip 400 when a revolution angle exists in the position of 0 degree, (alpha), or (beta). 10 is a list showing the transmittance of ink for printing the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414. It is a flowchart which shows an inspection process.

<Outline of inspection apparatus 100>
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the test | inspection system concerning one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The inspection system includes an inspection chip and an inspection device to which the inspection chip can be attached. With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the outline | summary of the test | inspection apparatus 100 of one Embodiment of the test | inspection chip of this invention is demonstrated. The inspection apparatus 100 causes a centrifugal force to act on the inspection liquid stored in the inspection chip 400. In order to simplify the description, the upper housing 300 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is indicated by a virtual line, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the top plate of the upper housing 300 is removed. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an inspection apparatus 100 in which an inspection chip 400 is in an initial position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the inspection apparatus 100 at a position where the inspection chip is moved from the initial position. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inspection apparatus 100. In the following description, it is assumed that the inspection apparatus 100 is installed on a horizontal floor. That is, the direction of gravity is downward in each drawing. The initial position and the position moved from the initial position will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection apparatus 100 includes an upper casing 300, a lower casing 101, a turntable 102, a holder 103, an angle changing mechanism 150, and a control apparatus 180. A drive mechanism for rotating the turntable 102 is provided. The axis of rotation is a vertical axis L that passes through the center of the turntable 102 and is parallel to the direction of gravity. Hereinafter, the rotation of the holder 103 and the inspection chip 400 accompanying the rotation of the turntable 102 will be referred to as revolution.

  The angle changing mechanism 150 is provided on the turntable 102. The inspection apparatus 100 includes an L-shaped plate 151 that supports the pair of holders 103 at positions symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis L on the turntable 102. The angle changing mechanism 150 changes the holding angle of the pair of holders 103. The holder 103 holds the inspection chip 400 by accommodating the inspection chip 400 therein. Therefore, the inspection chip 400 accommodated in the holder 103 revolves as the turntable 102 rotates. The angle changing mechanism 150 changes the holding angle of the holder 103. By changing the holding angle, the angle changing mechanism 150 causes the holder 103 to rotate about the horizontal axis T orthogonal to the vertical axis L as the axis of rotation. That is, by changing the holding angle by the angle changing mechanism 150, the inspection chip 400 accommodated in the holder 103 also rotates about the horizontal axis T as a rotation axis. Hereinafter, the rotation of the holder 103 and the inspection chip 400 using the horizontal axis T as a rotation axis will be referred to as rotation.

  The control device 180 controls the drive mechanism and the angle changing mechanism 150 described above. By this control, the inspection chip 400 is revolved and rotated. The control device 180 controls inspection processing such as measurement processing of the inspection liquid injected into the inspection chip 400. The inspection apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 schematically shows an embodiment of the inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and the dimensional ratio or detailed shape of each part is limited to this as long as it has a configuration with an equivalent function. There is nothing. Details of each component will be described.

  Due to the revolution, centrifugal force acts on the test liquid stored in the test chip 400. The angle changing mechanism 150 rotates the holder 103 around the horizontal axis T. By this rotation, the direction of the centrifugal force applied to the inspection chip 400 held by the holder 103 can be switched. Hereinafter, the direction of centrifugal force is referred to as the centrifugal direction.

  The holder 103 is, for example, a box-shaped body having an outer shape formed by a bottom plate, an upper plate, and a side wall. Specifically, the holder 103 is a box-shaped member formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is slightly larger than the inspection chip 400 so that the inspection chip 400 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape can be stored and held therein.

  The inspection apparatus 100 includes a drive mechanism that rotates the turntable 102 around the vertical axis L inside a lower housing 101 installed on the floor surface. The turntable 102 is a disk-shaped rotating body that is provided on the upper surface side of the lower housing 101 and holds the holder 103 by an L-shaped plate 151. Specifically, the turntable 102 rotates around the vertical axis L by a drive mechanism controlled according to a control signal output from the control device 180.

  The angle changing mechanism 150 is a mechanism that rotates the holder 103 provided on the turntable 102 around the horizontal axis T. Specifically, the angle changing mechanism 150 includes an L-shaped plate 151 that is a pair of L-shaped plate-shaped connecting fittings fixed to the upper surface of the turntable 102. The L-shaped plate 151 extends upward from a base portion fixed near the center of the turntable 102, and an upper end portion extends outward in the radial direction of the turntable 102.

  A rack gear 152 fixed to an inner shaft (not shown) is provided between the L-shaped plates 151. The rack gear 152 is a metal plate-like member, and gears are carved on both end faces. In addition, although demonstrated as providing the L type | mold plate 151 as a pair, it does not restrict to this. Specifically, the number of L-shaped plates 151 may be one or more, and a plurality of pairs may be used. By making a pair, it is possible to achieve a balance during rotation.

  The gear 153 is held rotatably about the horizontal axis T on the distal end side in the extending direction of the L-shaped plate 151. The holder 103 is fixed to the gear 153 and is rotatable about the horizontal axis T. A pinion gear 154 supported by an L-shaped plate 151 is interposed between the gear 153 and the rack gear 152. The pinion gear 154 meshes with the gear 153 and the rack gear 152, respectively.

  A columnar guide member 155 is provided at the upper end of the rack gear 152. The guide member 155 guides the rack gear 152 to be slidable in the vertical direction. In conjunction with the vertical movement of the rack gear 152, the pinion gear 154 and the gear 153 are driven to rotate, whereby the holder 103 rotates about the horizontal axis T.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the holder 103 holding the inspection chip 400 rotates around the vertical axis L as the turntable 102 is rotationally driven by the drive mechanism according to the control by the control device 180. To do. The inspection liquid injected into the inspection chip 400 is given a centrifugal force by revolution.

  Under the control of the control device 180, the rack gear 152, the pinion gear 154, and the gear 153 rotate as the rack gear 152 slides along the guide member 155 by the angle changing mechanism 150. In response to this rotation, the holder 103 holding the inspection chip 400 rotates around the horizontal axis T. Due to the rotation, the centrifugal direction acting on the test chip 400 changes relatively.

  Centrifugation that separates the liquid into a plurality of phases when the test liquid contained in the fluid circuit inside the test chip 400 moves to each part by the centrifugal force that changes the direction of action, mixing with the reagent, dilution, quantification, and retention , And various measurements are performed on the test liquid.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to describe the state of rotation of the holder 103 and the inspection chip 400, the angle formed with the gravity direction, which is the downward direction of the inspection chip 400 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when the rack gear 152 is lowered to the lowest end of the movable range, the holder 103 is in a steady state where the rotation angle is 0 °. As shown in FIG. 2, when the rack gear 152 is in the state of being raised to the uppermost end of the movable range, the holder 103 is in a displacement state in which the rotation angle is 90 °. Specifically, in the displaced state, the holder 103 is in a state of being rotated 90 ° around the horizontal axis T from the steady state. That is, the range in which the holder 103 can rotate is from 0 ° in the steady state to 90 ° in the displaced state. In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation range is described as 0 ° to 90 °. However, the rotation range is not limited to this, and the rotation range is the moving direction of the inspection liquid in the inspection chip 400 according to the inspection content. May be determined based on

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the holder 103 on the right side of the drawing will be described among the holders 103 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Specifically, when the rotation angle rotates in a direction changing from 0 ° to 90 °, the rotation is counterclockwise, and in the case of rotation in a direction changing from 90 ° to 0 °, This will be described as rotating around. In the embodiment of the present invention, the structure rotates around the horizontal axis T. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, a configuration may be adopted in which each holder 103 rotates around an axis parallel to the vertical axis L to change the centrifugal direction.

  The description of the inspection apparatus 100 will be continued with reference to FIG. The upper housing 300 is fixed to the upper side of the lower housing 101. A measurement unit 310 that optically measures the inspection liquid stored in the inspection chip 400 is provided in the upper housing 300. The measuring unit 310 performs optical measurement on the test liquid in accordance with a control signal input from the control device 180.

  Specifically, the upper housing 300 is provided outside the range in which the holder 103 is revolved with respect to the vertical axis L that is the rotation center of the turntable 102. The upper housing 300 has an opposing wall 321 that extends on an arc in a plan view on the outer peripheral side of the turntable 102.

  The measurement unit 310 measures the test liquid in the test chip 400 by transmitting the measurement light to the test chip 400 to be measured when the holder 103 is positioned at a predetermined position as the measurement position. Specifically, this measurement measures the transmittance of the test liquid by measuring the absorbance of the light transmitted through the test liquid.

  The measurement unit 310 includes a light source 311 and a light receiving sensor 312. The light source 311 emits measurement light by the light emitting unit 313. The light receiving sensor 312 detects the measurement light emitted from the light source 311 and transmitted through the inspection chip 400 by the light receiving unit 314. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is described that the light receiving unit 14 measures the measurement light transmitted through the inspection chip 400. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light reception sensor 312 measures the measurement light reflected by the inspection chip 400. It is good to do.

  The light source 311 and the light receiving sensor 312 are disposed outside the revolution range of the holder 103. The height position of the optical path connecting the light source 311 and the light receiving sensor 312 is based on the height of the portion where the test liquid to be measured in the test chip 400 held by the holder 103 is stored with reference to the holder 103 in a steady state. It is set according to the position.

  The control device 180 connected to the outside of the inspection device 100 performs various measurements based on the measurement light measured by the measurement unit 310. That is, the control device 180 incorporates a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like (not shown), and performs various measurements by controlling the revolution or rotation in the inspection device 100 holding the inspection chip 400.

  The control device 180 includes an operation unit for a user to instruct various operations of the inspection device 100. In the embodiment of the present invention, the control device 180 is externally connected. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the function of the control device 180 may be provided inside the inspection device 100.

  In the embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the disk-like turntable 102 is provided on the upper surface side of the lower housing 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, any configuration may be used as long as centrifugal force is applied to the inspection chip 400, and the shape of the housings 300 and 101 or the turntable 102 is not limited. Further, although the holder 103 is provided in a pair near the circumference of the turntable 102, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the number of holders 103 may be one or three or more, and any arrangement that allows a desired centrifugal force to act on the test chip 400 may be used.

<Configuration of Inspection Chip 400>
The configuration of the inspection chip 400 will be described with reference to FIG. The inspection chip 400 is formed by joining the cover member 410 to the plate material 420. For this joining, a known method such as joining by an adhesive or joining by heat welding is employed. The plate member 420 is rectangular in plan view and has a prescribed thickness. The plate member 420 includes a fluid circuit for executing accommodation, movement, measurement, and the like of a test liquid to be subjected to a predetermined test. That is, the cover member 410 is joined to the plate member 420 so as to include the fluid circuit. A fluid circuit is an example of the predetermined flow path of the present invention.

  The cover member 410 is formed from a transparent or translucent material. Specifically, the material of the cover member 410 and the plate material is, for example, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polymethyl methacrylate ( PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyarylate resin (PAR), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), vinyl chloride resin (PVC), polymethylpentene resin (PMP), polybutadiene resin ( There are no particular restrictions on organic materials such as PBD), biodegradable polymers (BP), cycloolefin polymers (COP), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or inorganic materials such as silicon, glass, and quartz.

  Further, the inspection chip 400 is configured such that the surface side of the plate member 420 that is the front side of the sheet in FIG. The test liquid is held inside the fluid circuit of the plate member 420 by the cover member 410. The outline of the fluid circuit of the test chip 400 is shown for convenience of explanation, and the dimensional ratio or capacity of each part is not limited to the illustrated shape unless otherwise specified.

  A plurality of first marks are formed on the cover member 410. A plurality of second marks are formed on the plate material 420. The first mark and the second mark have the same shape. In the present embodiment, two first marks 411 and 412 are formed at the corners on the diagonal line of the cover member 410 having a rectangular shape, and the two second marks 421 and 422 are diagonal lines of the plate member 420 having a rectangular shape. The description will be made assuming that the upper corner is formed. The cover member 410 is joined to the plate member 420 such that the first mark 411 overlaps the second mark 421 and the first mark 412 overlaps the second mark 422.

  The inspection chip 400 includes an injection port 430, a supply unit 440, a quantification unit 450, and a storage unit 460 as a fluid circuit inside the inspection chip 400 formed of a concave portion having a predetermined depth in the thickness direction of the plate member 420 shown in FIG. , A measurement unit 470, a first guide path 480, an inlet 490, a liquid reservoir 500, a second guide path 510, and capillary holders 401, 402, 403. The measurement unit 470 is an example of the first measurement unit of the present invention.

  The supply unit 440 temporarily holds the inspection liquid injected from the injection port 430. An inlet 430 is formed by opening a part of the wall forming the supply unit 440 to the outside of the inspection chip 400 of the plate material 420. The quantification unit 450 quantifies the test liquid supplied from the supply port 441 of the supply unit 440. The storage unit 460 stores a surplus portion of the test liquid supplied to the fixed amount unit 450. The measurement unit 470 stores the test liquid quantified by the quantification unit 450 at a position where a predetermined measurement is performed. The first guide path 480 is a movement path of the test liquid from the quantification unit 450 to the measurement unit 470. The inflow port 490 communicates with the first guide path 480 and allows the inspection liquid to flow into the measurement unit 470. The liquid reservoir 500 holds a test liquid that is not a measurement target when the test liquid flows into the measurement unit 470. The second guide path 510 is a movement path of the test liquid from the quantification unit 450 to the storage unit 460. The capillary holders 401, 402, and 403 are provided between the quantitative unit 450 and the measuring unit 470, and hold a test liquid that is not a test target. The capillary holding unit 404 is provided in the storage unit 460 and holds an excess of the inspection liquid that is not the inspection target. Capillary holders 401, 402, 403, and 404 hold test liquid that is not a test target due to capillary force by being configured to be inclined so that the groove depth of the fluid circuit gradually becomes shallower.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the test liquid is quantified in the quantification unit 450, and the test liquid flowing from the quantification unit 450 is optically measured in the measurement unit 470. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the test chip 400 includes a reagent injection port into which a reagent to be mixed with the test liquid is injected, a reagent quantification unit in which the reagent is quantified, a diluted solution into which a test liquid or a diluted solution for diluting the reagent is injected. You may provide the inlet or the diluted solution fixed_quantity | quantitative_assay part by which a diluted solution is fixed. With these configurations, for example, the inspection chip 400 may include a part for performing various processes such as mixing, analysis, centrifugation, dilution, or holding, in addition to the quantification unit 450 and the measurement unit 470. Various processes other than analysis may be performed in the measurement unit 470.

<Inspection process of inspection liquid>
After the inspection liquid is injected into the inspection chip 400 from the injection port 430 to the supply unit 440, the injection port 430 is sealed with a film or the like as necessary. The inspection chip 400 in which the inlet 430 is sealed is held at a predetermined angle by rotation under the control of the angle changing mechanism 150, and is subjected to the action of centrifugal force by revolution on the turntable 102. The inspection liquid is supplied from the supply port 441 to the quantification unit 450 for performing quantification by centrifugal force acting in the inspection chip 400.

  The test liquid passes through an opening formed by a connection portion between the quantitative unit 450 and the first guide path 480 and a connection site between the quantitative unit 450 and the second guide path 510 and is supplied into the quantitative unit 450.

  When the inspection liquid is supplied from the supply unit 440 to the quantification unit 450, the inspection device 100 quantifies the inspection liquid supplied to the quantification unit 450 according to the control of the control device 180. More specifically, the quantitative unit 450 has a concave shape that opens toward the supply port 441. When quantification is performed in the quantification unit 450, the centrifugal force acts in a direction perpendicular to the opening, and the test liquid is quantified so that the volume of the space formed by the wall around the quantification unit 450 is obtained. At this time, the direction of the centrifugal force acting in the direction perpendicular to the opening is adjusted by a predetermined angle held by the rotation of the inspection chip 400 under the control of the angle changing mechanism 150.

  When supplying the test liquid to the quantification unit 450, excess test liquid exceeding the volume quantified by the quantification unit 450 flows out to the storage unit 460 via the second guide path 510. Further, the test liquid quantified by the quantification unit 450 flows into the measurement unit 470 via the first guide path 480 and the inflow port 490. Specifically, the inspection liquid passes through the inflow port 490 according to a predetermined angle held by the rotation of the inspection chip 400 controlled by the angle changing mechanism 150 and the centrifugal force acting by the revolution on the turntable 102. Flow into the measuring section 470.

  The inflow port 490 is located in a part of a flow path connecting the quantification unit 450 and the measurement unit 470, and flows in due to a change in the direction of centrifugal force when the test liquid flows from the quantification unit 450 to the measurement unit 470. This is the part where the direction changes. When the inspection liquid flows into the measurement unit 470 from the inlet 490, the inspection liquid that is not to be inspected by the measurement unit 470 is stored in the liquid reservoir 500 via the wall on the inlet 490 side of the upper wall of the measurement unit 470. Flow into. As a result, the inspection liquid that is not the inspection target is held in the liquid reservoir 500.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the test liquid may be a specimen such as blood, a reagent such as a drug, or a mixed liquid, and can be appropriately selected by the user according to a desired test. When the injected inspection liquid and reagent are stored in the inspection chip 400, the inspection liquid and the reagent are mixed before the inspection liquid flows into the measurement unit 470. The mixed liquid flows into the measurement unit 470 and is optically measured by the measurement unit 310. In addition, regarding the supply unit 440, the quantification unit 450, the storage unit 460, the liquid storage unit 500, or the measurement unit 470 of the inspection chip 400, the number of each part or the number of routes through can be appropriately set according to a desired inspection. Also good. Moreover, the test | inspection chip 400 is good also as a structure which has a site | part which implements various processes, such as mixing with another liquid, analysis, centrifugation, dilution, or a holding, according to a desired test | inspection.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the inspection chip 400 in a state where the cover member 410 is bonded to the plate member 420 will be described. The center of rotation when the inspection chip 400 is mounted on the holder 103 and rotated is the center Ci shown in FIG. The inspection liquid injected into the inspection chip 400 moves through a predetermined flow path by receiving the action of centrifugal force due to revolution and rotation, and flows into the measurement unit 470. The positions of the inspection chip 400, the holder 103, and the light emitting unit 313 are determined so that light from the light source 311 is incident on the measurement unit 470.

  In FIG. 6, the transmission region 471 of the inspection chip 400 when the light from the light emitting unit 313 is transmitted to the light receiving unit 314 is indicated by a dotted line. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a light source having a circular cross-sectional shape in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of light from the light emitting unit 313 is used. Therefore, the shape of the transmission region 471 is a circle. This circle will be described with a radius rt and a center Ct. In the optical measurement of the test liquid flowing into the measurement unit 470, when light from the light emitting unit 313 passes through the test chip 400 in the vertical direction, the light reflected on the test chip 400 is incident on the test chip 400. have a finger in the pie. In order to avoid the influence of this interference, the revolution angle of the test chip 400 is controlled so that the light from the light emitting unit 313 does not pass through the test chip 400 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7, a position where the light from the light emitting unit 313 passes through the test chip 400 in the vertical direction is described as a position where the revolution angle is 0 °. Therefore, in the optical measurement of the inspection liquid flowing into the measuring unit 470, the inspection chip 400 is positioned at a revolution angle position where the revolution angle is slightly shifted from 0 °. In this case, the shape of the transmissive region 471 is an ellipse, but for the sake of simplicity, the shape of the transmissive region 471 is described as a circle having a radius r1.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a first ellipse 413 and a second ellipse 414 are formed on the surface of the cover member 410 according to the revolution angle of the inspection chip 400. In the present embodiment, the inspection apparatus 100 causes the light from the light emitting unit 313 to enter the two ellipses, and the light receiving unit 314 receives the light transmitted through the two ellipses. Based on the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 314, the inspection system user is notified when the thickness deviation of the inspection chip 400, the angular deviation of the revolution angle, or the angular deviation of the rotation angle occurs. . Hereinafter, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 will be specifically described. The 1st ellipse 413 and the 2nd ellipse 414 are examples of the 2nd measurement part of the present invention.

  The first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are formed by printing on the surface of the cover member 410 in an elliptical shape with ink. The center of the first ellipse 413 is the center C1, the short axis length of the first ellipse 413 is the radius rt, and the long axis length of the first ellipse 413 is the length r1. The center of the second ellipse 414 is the center C2, the short axis length of the second ellipse 414 is the radius rt, and the long axis length of the second ellipse 414 is the length r2. As shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the cover member 410 is joined to the plate member 420, the transmission region 471, the first ellipse 413, and the second ellipse 414 are sequentially located from the left. The center Ct of the transmission region 471 is located in the direction of the long axis of the first ellipse 413. The center Ct of the transmission region 471 and the center C1 of the first ellipse are located in the major axis direction of the second ellipse 414. That is, the measurement unit 470 is positioned in the long axis direction of the first ellipse 413 and the long axis direction of the second ellipse 414. The major axis length r2 of the second ellipse 414 is longer than the major axis length r1 of the first ellipse 413. As shown in FIG. 6, when the light from the light source 311 enters the measuring unit 470, the rotation angle is controlled so that the direction of gravity is directed downward of the test chip 400 shown in FIG. That is, the test chip 400 is in a steady state where the rotation angle is 0 °.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the light from the light source 311 passes through the first ellipse 413, the inspection chip 400 is set at the revolution angle α. When light from the light source 311 passes through the second ellipse 414, the inspection chip 400 is set at the revolution angle β. Accordingly, the distance between the center Ct and the center C1 shown in FIG. 6 is the distance R1 [(1 / cos α) −1], and the distance between the center Ct and the center C2 is the distance R1 [(1 / cos β) −1]. Become. The distance R1 is a distance between the center Ct of the transmission region 471 and the center of revolution in the optical measurement of the test liquid flowing into the measurement unit 470 as shown in FIG.

  Returning to FIG. 6, the transmittance of the ink forming the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 will be described. FIG. 8 is a list showing the change over time of the transmittance of the test liquid that has flowed into the measurement unit 470. In this list, “measurement time”, “water: 1 mm”, “measurement unit: 1 mm”, and “measurement unit: 3 mm” are stored in association with each other. “Measurement time” is data in minutes. The measurement time is the time after water or the inspection liquid flows into the measurement unit 470. The light reception intensity Sw when the measurement unit 470 is filled with water and the light reception intensity Sf when the full incidence is made are measured when the “measurement time” has elapsed. The data “water: 1 mm” is data obtained by dividing the received light intensity Sw measured when the “measurement time” has elapsed by the received light intensity Sf. The measurement in the case of full incidence is a measurement in which the measurement light from the light emitting unit 313 is directly received by the light receiving unit 314 without hitting an obstacle such as the inspection chip 400. The data of “water: 1 mm” is data when the plate member 420 having a groove depth of 1 mm in the measurement unit 470 is used. When the “measurement time” has passed, the light reception intensity Sw1 when the measurement unit 470 having a groove depth of 1 mm is filled with water and the light reception intensity Sw3 when the measurement unit 470 having a groove depth of 3 mm is filled with water , Each measured. The data of “measurement part: 1 mm” is data of a value obtained by dividing the received light intensity Sb1 measured when the “measurement time” has elapsed by the received light intensity Sf. The data “measurement part: 1 mm” is data when the plate member 420 having a groove depth of 1 mm of the measurement part 470 is used. That is, this data shows a change in transmittance over time when the measurement unit 470 having a groove depth of 1 mm is filled with the test liquid and measured. The data of “measurement unit: 3 mm” is data of a value obtained by dividing the received light intensity Sb3 measured when the “measurement time” has elapsed by the received light intensity Sf. For this data, a plate member 420 having a groove depth of 3 mm in the measurement unit 470 was used. That is, the “measurement unit: 3 mm” data indicates a change in transmittance over time when the measurement unit 470 having a groove depth of 3 mm is filled with the test liquid and measured. For the data of “measurement part 1 mm” and the data of “measurement part 3 mm”, blood was used as the test liquid. The data of “water: 1 mm” is shown for reference.

  As shown in the list of FIG. 8, the transmittance when the measurement unit 470 is filled with the test liquid and measured changes with time. The reason why the transmittance is changed is that aggregation of components of the test liquid or coloration of the components occurs when time elapses after the test liquid flows into the measurement unit 470. As a result, the probability that the light incident from the light emitting unit 313 is scattered or reflected changes. Accordingly, the light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 314 changes with time. That is, the transmittance based on the received light intensity received by the light receiving unit 314 changes with time. In the present embodiment, the light emission intensity when light is incident on the measurement unit 470 and the light emission intensity when light is incident on the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are the same. The intensity is controlled. Accordingly, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are printed on the cover member 410 with the ink having the transmittance included in the change range of the transmittance of the test liquid with time. As a result, if the light receiving sensor 312 having high sensitivity in the range of the change in the transmittance of the inspection liquid with time is used, the transmittance measurement of the inspection liquid, the transmittance measurement of the first ellipse 413, and the transmission of the second ellipse 414 are performed. In rate measurement, measurement accuracy is improved.

  When the plate member 420 having the measurement part 470 having a groove depth of 1 mm is used, the transmittance of light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 is in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. In addition, an ink material having a predetermined transmittance is printed on the cover member 410 to form a first ellipse 413 and a second ellipse 414. The light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 passes through the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414, the cover member 410, and the plate material. The transmittance of the cover member 410 and the transmittance of the plate member 420 having a prescribed thickness are stored in a storage device of the inspection apparatus 100 (not shown). Based on the transmittance of the cover member 410 and the transmittance of the plate member 420 having a specified thickness, the transmittance of light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 is 0.75 to 0.80. The coating amount of the ink material having a predetermined transmittance is adjusted so as to be in the range. Examples of the ink material include water-based dyes, oil-based dyes, water-based pigments, and oil-based pigments. Aqueous azo dyes are preferable, and yellow dyes, magenta dyes, and cyan dyes may be contained. The ink material is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-189905, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-344071, or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-130829.

  When the plate member 420 having the measurement part 470 having a groove depth of 3 mm is used, the transmittance of the light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 is in the range of 0.59 to 0.65. Similarly, an ink material having a predetermined transmittance is printed on the cover member 410 to form the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414.

  When the plate member 420 having the measurement part 470 having a groove depth of 1 mm is used, the cover member 410 having no transmittance in the range of 0.75 to 0.80 is joined to the plate member 420. For example, the transmittance of the cover member 410 is in the range of 0.81 to 1.00. The first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are printed with ink having a transmittance different from that of the cover member 410. When the plate member 420 having the measurement part 470 having a groove depth of 3 mm is used, the cover member 410 having no transmittance in the range of 0.59 to 0.65 is joined to the plate member 420. For example, the transmittance of the cover member 410 is in the range of 0.66 to 1.00. The first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are printed with ink having a transmittance different from that of the cover member 410. The transmittance of the cover member 410 is an example of the first optical characteristic of the present invention. The ink printed on the cover member 410 is an example of the second optical characteristic of the present invention.

<Method for manufacturing cover member>
With reference to FIG. 4, the manufacturing method of the cover member 410 is demonstrated. First marks 411 and 412 are formed on the front surface of the cover member 410 having a rectangular shape in plan view that is the same as the plate member 420 having a rectangular shape in plan view. The positions of the two first marks 411 and 412 on the cover member 410 having a rectangular shape in plan view are the same as the positions of the two second marks 421 and 422 on the plate 420 on the rectangular shape in plan view. The first marks 411 and 412 may be formed manually by an operator or may be formed by a printing machine. The process of forming the same first marks 411 and 412 as the second marks 421 and 422 on the cover member 410 is an example of the mark forming process of the present invention.

  After the first marks 411 and 412 are formed on the cover member 410, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are formed on the cover member 410. The positions of the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 in the cover member 410 having a rectangular shape in plan view are as described above. That is, in a state where the cover member 410 is joined to the plate member 420, the first ellipse is so positioned that the measurement unit 470 is positioned in the major axis direction of the first ellipse 413 and the major axis direction of the second ellipse 414. 413 and a second ellipse 414 are formed on the cover member 410. During this formation, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are printed with ink having a transmittance different from that of the cover member 410 as described above. The first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 may be manually printed on the cover member 410 by an operator or may be formed by a printing machine. The process of printing the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 with ink on the cover member 410 is an example of the printing step of the present invention.

<Inspection process>
The inspection process will be described with reference to FIG. This inspection process is executed by the computer of the control device 180 of the inspection apparatus 100. The inspection chip 400 into which the inspection liquid has been injected is attached to the holder 103. When the user inputs an optical measurement instruction to the inspection apparatus 100 via an operation unit (not shown), the inspection process is started.

  In S1, Full incidence measurement is performed. The full incidence measurement is a measurement in which the measurement light from the light emitting unit 313 is directly received by the light receiving unit 314 without hitting an obstacle such as the inspection chip 400. Specifically, a control signal for controlling the position of the holder 103 is transmitted to the drive mechanism at a position where the revolution angle is 90 °. The drive mechanism that has received this control signal causes the holder 103 to revolve to a position where the revolution angle becomes 90 °. The position at which the revolution angle is 90 ° is a position at which α = 90 ° in FIG. Next, a lighting signal is transmitted to the light source 311. The light source 311 that has received the lighting signal emits measurement light from the light emitting unit 313. The light receiving sensor 312 receives the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 314 and stores it in the RAM. The received light intensity stored in the RAM in S1 is referred to as a Full incident received light intensity. When the full incidence measurement is completed, the process proceeds to S2.

  In S2, it is determined whether or not the light reception intensity of the full incidence measurement stored in the RAM is within a predetermined range. The received light intensity in this predetermined range is stored in advance in the ROM. If it is determined that the full incident light reception intensity is not within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S3. If it is determined that the Full incident light reception intensity is within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S4.

  In S3, an error in the optical measurement is notified that a failure of the light source 311 has occurred. For this notification, a comment may be notified to the display unit of the inspection apparatus 100 (not shown), a lamp (not shown) may be lit, or an abnormal sound may be generated on a speaker (not shown). That is, it is only necessary to notify the user of the inspection apparatus 100 by a known method.

  In S4, a control signal for controlling the position of the holder 103 is transmitted to the drive mechanism at a position where the revolution angle is α shown in FIG. The drive mechanism that has received this control signal causes the holder 103 to revolve to a position where the revolution angle is α. An example of the revolution angle α is 5 °. When the control signal is transmitted to the drive mechanism, the process proceeds to S5.

  In S5, a lighting signal is transmitted to the light source 311. The light source 311 that has received the lighting signal emits measurement light from the light emitting unit 313. The light receiving sensor 312 receives the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 314 and stores it in the RAM. The light received by the light receiving sensor 312 in S <b> 5 is light that has entered the measurement unit 470 of the inspection chip 400 from the light source 311. The light transmission region at the time of incidence is a first ellipse 413 shown in FIG. However, the first ellipse 413 does not include a light transmission region when the drive mechanism is defective and the revolution angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180. If the angle changing mechanism 150 is defective and the rotation angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180, the light transmission region is not included in the first ellipse 413. As will be described later, when the light transmission region is not included in the first ellipse 413, the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 deviates from the transmittance within a predetermined range. Accordingly, even if the inspection is continued, the inspection liquid may not be correctly inspected, so that an inspection error is notified to the user. The received light intensity stored in the RAM in S5 is referred to as a first test received light intensity. When the test light reception intensity is stored in the RAM, the process proceeds to S6.

  In S6, it is determined whether or not the transmittance based on the first test received light intensity is within a predetermined range. The transmittance in this predetermined range is stored in advance in the ROM. The transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is a value obtained by dividing the test light reception intensity stored in the RAM in S5 by the light reception intensity of the full incidence measurement stored in the RAM in S1. If it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test received light intensity is within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S7. If it is determined that the transmittance based on the received light intensity of the first test is not within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S8. The computer of the inspection apparatus 100 that performs the process of S6 is an example of the determination unit of the present invention.

  A description will be given of the transmittance in a predetermined range which is a determination criterion in S6. The transmittance in a predetermined range that is the criterion in S6 is based on the list in FIG. That is, when the plate member 420 having a groove depth of 1 mm is used for the inspection chip 400, the transmittance based on the first test light receiving intensity is the transmittance of the ink having a transmittance in the range of 0.75 to 0.80. If it is determined, the process proceeds to S7. If it is determined that the transmittance based on the received light intensity of the first test is not the transmittance of the ink having the transmittance in the range of 0.75 to 0.80, the process proceeds to S8. When the plate member 420 having a groove depth of 3 mm is used for the inspection chip 400, it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is the transmittance of ink having a transmittance in the range of 0.59 to 0.65. If so, the process proceeds to S7. If it is determined that the transmittance based on the light intensity of the first test is not the transmittance of the ink having the transmittance in the range of 0.59 to 0.65, the process proceeds to S8.

  Returning to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the description will be continued. In S7, a control signal for revolving the holder 103 is transmitted to the drive mechanism, and a control signal for rotating the holder 103 is transmitted to the angle changing mechanism 150, and measurement of the test liquid is started. When measurement is started under the action of centrifugal force, centrifugal force is applied to the test liquid supplied to the inside of the test chip 400. The inspection liquid moves through a predetermined fluid circuit and flows into the measurement unit 470. The measurement unit 470 is disposed at a position where measurement light from the light source 311 can be transmitted. As a result, the measurement light from the light source 311 is transmitted through the inspection liquid that has flowed into the measurement unit 470, the light reception intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is read, and the inspection ends. When the inspection of the inspection liquid ends, the inspection process ends.

  In S8, it is determined whether or not the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is larger than the transmittance in a predetermined range. In S6, when it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is not within the predetermined range, the following three possibilities are considered. The first possibility is that when the plate thickness of the plate member 420 is not the prescribed plate thickness, the received light intensity that the measurement light passes through the first ellipse 413 and is received by the light receiving sensor 312 in S5 is an expected value. Deviate. As a result, in S6, it is determined that the first test light reception intensity is not a transmittance within a predetermined range. The second possibility is that when the drive mechanism has a problem and the revolution angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180, the measurement light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is the first light in S5. The ellipse 413 is not transmitted. As a result, in S6, it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is not within a predetermined range. Hereinafter, a case where the revolution angle is deviated from a value recognized by the control device 180 is referred to as a spindle position deviation. The third possibility is that when the angle changing mechanism 150 has a problem and the rotation angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180, the measurement light received by the light receiving sensor 312 in S5 is 1 is not transmitted through the ellipse 413. As a result, in S6, it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is not within a predetermined range. Hereinafter, a case where the rotation angle deviates from a value recognized by the control device 180 is referred to as a swing position deviation.

  Hereinafter, it is assumed that the transmittance of the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 is smaller than the transmittance of the cover member 410. The light receiving intensity of the light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 formed on the cover member 410 and received by the light receiving sensor 312 deviates from the first ellipse 413, passes through the cover member 410 other than the first ellipse 413, and is received by the light receiving sensor. It is weaker than the light receiving intensity of the light received by 312. Therefore, in the case of the spindle position deviation or the swing position deviation, the measurement light passes through the cover member 410 other than the first ellipse 413 and is received by the light receiving sensor 312. Therefore, the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is It is determined that the transmittance is greater than a predetermined range. Further, when it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is larger than the transmittance in a predetermined range, the thickness of the plate member 420 may be thinner than the predetermined thickness. On the other hand, when it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is smaller than the transmittance in a predetermined range, the thickness of the plate member 420 may be thicker than the predetermined thickness.

  If it is determined that the transmittance based on the received light intensity of the first test is larger than the transmittance within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S9. If it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is not larger than the transmittance within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S14. When it is determined that the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is not larger than the transmittance in the predetermined range, the transmittance based on the first test light reception intensity is smaller than the transmittance in the predetermined range. is there.

  In S9, a control signal for controlling the position of the holder 103 is transmitted to the drive mechanism at a position where the revolution angle is β. The drive mechanism that has received this control signal causes the holder 103 to revolve at a position where the revolution angle shown in FIG. 7 is β. As will be described later, when the position of the holder 103 is controlled to a position where the revolution angle is β, the measurement light from the light source 311 enters the second ellipse 414. When the control signal is transmitted to the drive mechanism, the process proceeds to S10.

  In S <b> 10, a lighting signal is transmitted to the light source 311. The light source 311 that has received the lighting signal emits measurement light. The light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is received and stored in the RAM. The light received by the light receiving sensor 312 in S10 is light transmitted through the second ellipse 414. However, when the drive mechanism is defective and the revolution angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180, the second ellipse 414 is not transmitted. Further, when the angle changing mechanism 150 is defective and the rotation angle is deviated from the value recognized by the control device 180, the second ellipse 414 is not transmitted. As will be described later, when the light receiving sensor 312 receives measurement light that does not pass through the second ellipse 414, there is a possibility that the inspection liquid is not correctly inspected even if the inspection is continued, so that an inspection error is notified to the user. The received light intensity stored in the RAM in S10 is referred to as a second test received light intensity. When the second test light reception intensity is stored in the RAM, the process proceeds to S11.

  In S11, it is determined whether or not the transmittance based on the second test light reception intensity is within a predetermined range. The transmittance in this predetermined range is stored in advance in the ROM. The transmittance based on the second test light reception intensity is a value obtained by dividing the second test light reception intensity stored in the RAM in S10 by the light reception intensity of the full incident measurement stored in the RAM in S1. When it is determined that the transmittance based on the second test received light intensity is within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to S12. When it is determined that the transmittance based on the second test light reception intensity is not within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to S13.

  In S12, a rotation error is notified that a rotation angle shift has occurred. The occurrence of a rotation angle shift is referred to as a spindle position shift. The spindle position shift may be caused when the inspection chip 400 is not correctly mounted on the holder 103 or when the control device 180 erroneously recognizes that the rotation angle is 0 ° even though the rotation angle is not 0 °. . For notification of spindle position deviation, a comment may be sent to a display unit (not shown), a lamp (not shown) may be lit, or an abnormal sound may be emitted to a speaker (not shown). That is, it is only necessary to notify the user of the inspection apparatus 100 by a known method. The user of the inspection apparatus 100 that has recognized the notification of the error performs a recovery process from the rotation angle error, such as a process of attaching the inspection chip 400 to the holder 103 again or a process of calibrating the rotation angle. When the notification of the rotation error ends, the inspection process ends.

  In S13, a revolution error is notified that a revolution angle shift has occurred. The occurrence of a deviation in the revolution angle is referred to as a swing position deviation. The deviation of the revolution angle is considered when the inspection chip 400 is not correctly mounted on the holder 103 or when the control device 180 erroneously recognizes that the revolution angle is 0 ° even though the revolution angle is not 0 °. It is done. In this notification, a comment may be notified to a display unit (not shown), a lamp (not shown) may be lit, or an abnormal sound may be generated on a speaker (not shown). That is, it is only necessary to notify the user of the inspection apparatus 100 by a known method. The user of the inspection apparatus 100 that has recognized the notification of the error performs a recovery process from the error of the revolution angle, such as a process of attaching the inspection chip 400 to the holder 103 again or a process of calibrating the revolution angle. When the notification of the revolution error ends, the inspection process ends.

  In S14, an error of the inspection chip 400 is notified that an error of the inspection chip 400 has occurred. The error of the inspection chip 400 may be a case where the thickness of the inspection chip 400 is not a specified value even when the inspection chip 400 is correctly mounted on the holder 103. In this notification, a comment may be notified to a display unit (not shown), a lamp (not shown) may be lit, or an abnormal sound may be generated on a speaker (not shown). That is, it is only necessary to notify the user of the inspection apparatus 100 by a known method. The user of the inspection apparatus 100 that has recognized the notification of the error replaces the inspection chip 400, attaches the inspection chip 400 that has been replaced again to the holder 103, and performs a recovery process from the error. When the notification of the error of the inspection chip 400 ends, the inspection process ends.

  The method described above can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. This program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD, and is executed by being read from the recording medium by the computer. The program may be a transmission medium that can be distributed via a network such as the Internet.

<Effect>
Light that has passed through the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 having a transmittance different from the transmittance of the cover member 410 is received by the light receiving sensor 312. Specifically, the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 has a transmittance smaller than that of the cover member 410. It is possible to determine whether or not the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is within a predetermined range. If the thickness is not within the predetermined range, the thickness of the plate member 420 may not be within the predetermined range. Since it is possible to detect the detection chip 400 including the plate material 420 not having the thickness in the predetermined range, the inspection liquid is inspected by the detection chip 400 including the plate material 420 not having the thickness in the predetermined range, and an accurate inspection result is obtained. The possibility of not being obtained can be reduced.

  The first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 has an elliptical shape. The first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 has the measurement unit 470 positioned in the major axis direction of the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 in a state where the cover member 410 is joined to the plate member 420. To be provided. Accordingly, light can be incident on the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 without changing the direction of the light emitting unit 313 of the light source 311. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for changing the direction of the light emitting unit 313 of the light source 311 to either the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 and the measuring unit 470. Therefore, the inspection liquid can be inspected and the measurement in the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 can be performed with a simple configuration. In addition, the plate member 420 has an inlet 430 into which a test liquid is injected. In a state where the inspection chip 400 is installed in the inspection apparatus 100, the injection port 430 has a shape along the gravity direction in which the injection direction of the inspection liquid to be injected is the vertical direction. Therefore, the light from the light emitting portion 313 of the light source 311 can be incident on the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 only by revolving without rotating. Furthermore, since the test chip 400 into which the test liquid is injected is installed in the test apparatus 100, the test chip 400 does not rotate, so that the possibility of the test liquid spilling from the injection port 430 can be reduced.

  Light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 is received by the light receiving sensor 312. It is possible to determine whether or not the received light intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is within a predetermined range. If not within the predetermined range, the thickness of the plate member 420 may not be within the predetermined range, and the light may not be correctly incident on the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414, or the first The ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 may be dusty. When light from the light source 311 is incident on one of the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 and the light reception intensity of the light received by the light receiving sensor 312 is determined not to be within a predetermined range, the other By making the light from the light source incident on the ellipse, it is possible to more accurately detect the possibility that the thickness of the plate member 420 is not within the predetermined range.

  The first mark 411, 412 and the second mark 421, 422 are provided on the cover member 410 and the plate material 420. Accordingly, the user of the inspection chip 400 can easily join the cover member 410 to the plate member 420 so that the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 and the measurement unit 470 have an accurate positional relationship. It can be carried out.

  The first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 has a predetermined transmittance from the test liquid stored in the measurement unit 470. As a result, the sensitivity of the light receiving sensor 312 that receives the light transmitted through the test liquid stored in the measuring unit 470 and the light transmitted through the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 is set to the same wavelength region. Can do. Therefore, the single light receiving sensor 312 can inspect the inspection liquid and measure the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 with higher accuracy.

  The first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 is printed on the cover member 410 with ink having a transmittance different from that of the cover member 410. Therefore, the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 can be easily configured.

[Modification 1]
In the present embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 313 of the light source 311 has been described as being transmitted through the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414, but is not limited thereto. The light emitted from the light emitting unit 313 of the light source 311 may pass through the plate member 420 and be reflected by the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414. That is, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 may be formed of a material that reflects light. In this case, the reflectance of the material that reflects light is different from the reflectance of the cover member 420. In addition, the inspection apparatus 100 includes a light receiving sensor that receives reflected light. For example, the reflectance may be a value obtained by subtracting the above-described transmittance from 1. The reflectance of the cover member 410 is an example of the first optical characteristic of the present invention, and the reflectance of the member that reflects light is an example of the second optical characteristic of the present invention.

[Modification 2]
In the present embodiment, in S6, S8, and S10, the first test light reception intensity or the second test light reception intensity is determined based on the transmittance within a predetermined range. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The received light intensity received by the light receiving sensor 312 may be determined based on the received light intensity within a predetermined range. The received light intensity in this predetermined range is stored in advance in the ROM.

[Modification 3]
In the present embodiment, the first ellipse 413 and the second ellipse 414 are formed on the cover member, but may be formed on the plate member 420.

[Modification 4]
In the present embodiment, when it is determined in S6 that it is not within the predetermined transmittance range, the processes of S8 to S14 are executed, but the present invention is not limited to this. In S6, when it is determined that it is not within the range of the predetermined transmittance, an inspection error may be notified to the user. That is, if it is determined in S6 that the thickness is not within the predetermined transmittance range, the possibility that the thickness of the plate material is not within the predetermined range is detected, so the inspection may be stopped.

[Modification 5]
In the present embodiment, the first ellipse 413 or the second ellipse 414 is formed by printing with ink, but is not limited thereto. The above-described transmittance seal may be formed by being attached to the cover member 410, formed by vapor deposition, or the surface of the cover member 410 may be finely processed to adjust the transmittance. Moreover, the 2nd measurement part of this invention should just be the shape containing the 1st ellipse 413 and the 2nd ellipse 414, and does not need to be an ellipse exactly | strictly.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Inspection apparatus 101 Lower housing | casing 102 Turntable 103 Holder 150 Angle change mechanism 180 Control apparatus 300 Upper housing | casing 310 Measuring part 311 Light source 312 Light receiving sensor 400 Inspection chip 410 Cover member 420 Plate material 430 Inlet 440 Supply part 441 Supply port 450 Fixed amount Unit 460 storage unit 470 measuring unit 480 first guide path 490 inflow port 500 liquid reservoir 510 second guide path

Claims (9)

A light source that generates light having a predetermined light emission intensity and a light receiving sensor that receives light generated from the light source are attached to an inspection device, and are held by revolution by the inspection device and rotation by the inspection device. A test chip that can store a test liquid that moves in a predetermined flow path according to a predetermined angle,
A plate on which the flow path is formed;
A cover member joined to the plate so as to contain the flow path,
The plate material is
The test liquid after moving along the path is accommodated, and the first measurement unit is disposed at a position where the light from the light source can pass through the stored test liquid,
The cover member includes a second measurement unit that is provided at a position different from the first measurement unit in a state of being joined to the plate member and has a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member. And inspection chip.   The inspection chip according to claim 1, wherein the second measurement unit has a transmittance smaller than the transmittance of the cover member as the first optical characteristic as the second optical characteristic. The second measuring unit has a shape including a predetermined ellipse,
3. The second measurement unit is provided such that the first measurement unit is positioned in a long axis direction of the ellipse in a state where the cover member is bonded to the plate member. Inspection chip described. The second measuring unit includes a first ellipse including a first ellipse that is the predetermined ellipse and a second ellipse including a second ellipse that is farther from the first ellipse than the first ellipse. With an ellipse,
4. The inspection chip according to claim 3, wherein a major axis of the second ellipse is longer than a major axis of the first ellipse. The cover member includes a plurality of first marks having a predetermined shape,
The plate includes a plurality of second marks having the same shape as the first mark,
In the state where the cover member is joined to the plate so that the first mark overlaps the second mark, the second measurement is performed so that the first measurement unit is positioned in the long axis direction of the predetermined ellipse. The inspection chip according to claim 3, wherein a portion is provided in the cover member. The said 2nd measurement part has the said 2nd optical characteristic based on the transmittance | permeability predetermined from the said test | inspection liquid accommodated in a said 1st measurement part, or a reflectance. Or inspection chip. The inspection chip according to claim 1, wherein the second measurement unit is formed by printing with an ink having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member. . A light source that generates light having a predetermined intensity and a light receiving sensor that receives light generated from the light source are mounted on an inspection apparatus, and are held by revolution by the inspection apparatus and rotation by the inspection apparatus. A method of manufacturing a cover member to be joined to a plate of an inspection chip that accommodates an inspection liquid that moves in a predetermined flow path according to a predetermined angle in a first measurement unit,
A mark forming step of forming a first mark having the same predetermined shape as the second mark formed on the plate material;
In a state where the cover member is joined to the plate material so that the first mark overlaps the second mark, an ellipse where the first measurement unit is positioned in the long axis direction is defined as the first optical characteristic of the cover member. And a printing step of printing with inks having different second optical characteristics. An inspection apparatus including a light source that generates light having a predetermined light emission intensity, and a light receiving sensor that receives light generated from the light source; revolutions mounted on the inspection apparatus by the inspection apparatus; and the inspection apparatus An inspection system comprising an inspection chip that contains an inspection liquid that moves in a predetermined flow path according to a predetermined angle held by rotation by
The inspection chip is
A plate on which the flow path is formed;
A cover member bonded to the plate so as to contain the flow path,
The plate material is
The test liquid after moving through the flow path is accommodated, and the first measurement unit is disposed at a position where light from the light source can pass through the stored test liquid,
The cover member includes a second measurement unit provided at a position different from the first measurement unit in a state of being bonded to the plate member, and having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic of the cover member,
The inspection device includes:
An inspection system comprising: a determination unit that determines whether an optical characteristic based on light transmitted through the second measurement unit and received by the light receiving sensor has the second optical characteristic.

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