JP2017201264A - Dispensation head and dispensation device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dispensation head which can be mounted with any one of a large-diameter chip and a small-diameter chip having mutually different diameters, and to provide a dispensation device having the same.SOLUTION: A dispensation head 16 is arranged in which nozzles extending downward are arranged in vertical and horizontal directions. The dispensation head 16 has large-diameter nozzles 18b and small-diameter nozzles 18s having mutually different diameters as nozzles arranged therein. A center interval d between the adjacent nozzles of a large-diameter nozzle group BNG constituted by the large-diameter nozzles 18b is the same as a center interval d between the adjacent nozzles of a small-diameter nozzle group SNG constituted by the small-diameter nozzles 18s. In the large-diameter nozzle group BNG and the small-diameter nozzle group SNG, nozzle positions are shifted in the vertical and horizontal directions, and arrangement areas BNA, SNA of both of the nozzle groups overlap each other by shifted to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispensing head used in clinical examination centers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and the like, and a dispensing apparatus equipped with the same.

  In general, a dispensing apparatus used in a pharmaceutical company or the like often has a large number of nozzles arranged in the dispensing head so as to be aligned vertically and horizontally so that a large number of dispensing can be performed at a time. Each nozzle is provided with a replaceable tip at the nozzle tip.

  The number of chips corresponding to each nozzle of the dispensing head is set in a chip case aligned in the vertical and horizontal directions and placed on the dispensing table.

  As wells used in such a dispensing apparatus, 8 × 12 96 wells were mainly used as the number of treatments that can be performed on a single plate. In addition, the amount of test reagents has been increasingly reduced, the measurement time has been shortened, rationalization of tests, and the processing of large quantities of samples have been required. For this reason, 16 × 24 plates with 384 wells (well pitch 4.5 mm) are often used as the number of treatments that can be performed on one plate, and the number of wells is increased to 32 ×. Forty-eight 1536 well (well pitch pitch 2.25 mm) plates are also used.

  For example, the dispensing head is capable of sliding and moving up and down in the horizontal direction. Therefore, in order to attach the tip to the entire tip of the dispensing nozzle (nozzle attached to the dispensing head), the tip of each nozzle of the dispensing head and each tip of the tip case are moved up and down by sliding movement of the dispensing head. Then, the dispensing head is lowered, and the tip of each nozzle is inserted into each chip. After the insertion is completed, the device is configured such that the tip is attached to the entire tip of each nozzle by raising it again (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-247201 A

  By the way, in such a dispensing apparatus, a dispensing head for mounting a large-diameter tip suitable for aspirating a large volume specimen and a dispensing head for mounting a small-diameter chip suitable for aspirating a small volume specimen are provided. In many cases, a plurality of types of heads are prepared in advance, and dispensing heads are used properly according to the application.

  For this reason, it is necessary to prepare a dispensing head for each tip diameter, and it is necessary to replace the dispensing head when the tip diameter to be used is different.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing head that can be attached to any of a large-diameter tip and a small-diameter tip having different diameters, and a dispensing device including the same.

  If a dispensing head in which a dispensing head on which a large-diameter tip is mounted and a dispensing head on which a small-diameter tip is mounted is simply connected, the dispensing head becomes too large and is not practical.

  In view of this, the present inventor has intensively studied a dispensing head having a configuration that can be mounted on either a large-diameter tip or a small-diameter tip having different diameters without changing the size of the dispensing head.

  The present inventor has found that no problem occurs even when the air is sucked from a nozzle not equipped with a chip when the sample is sucked by sucking the air in the chip. Furthermore, it has also been found that when air is discharged into a chip to discharge a specimen, no problem occurs even if air is discharged from a nozzle not equipped with a chip.

  And although it is difficult to arrange | position the large diameter nozzle and the small diameter nozzle in the position which overlapped, earnestly examined to avoid this difficulty.

  The inventor has found that the nozzle position can be adjusted by adjusting the horizontal position of the dispensing head, and further studies have been made to complete the present invention.

  In order to solve the above problems, a dispensing head according to the present invention is a dispensing head in which nozzles extending downward are arranged in a vertical and horizontal manner, and the nozzles have different diameters. A large-diameter nozzle and a small-diameter nozzle are respectively arranged, and a center interval between adjacent large-diameter nozzles of the large-diameter nozzle group constituted by the large-diameter nozzles and an adjacent small-diameter nozzle of the small-diameter nozzle group constituted by the small-diameter nozzles. The center distance between them is the same, and the nozzle positions of the large diameter nozzle group and the small diameter nozzle group are shifted vertically and horizontally, and the arrangement areas of both nozzle groups are shifted and overlapped. To do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dispensing head that can be mounted with either a large-diameter tip or a small-diameter tip having different diameters, and a dispensing device including the same.

1 is an overall perspective view of a dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a head frame in an embodiment of the present invention. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a lower surface side perspective view of a dispensing head. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a plane side perspective view of a dispensing head. FIG. 6 is a side view of a dispensing head in an embodiment of the present invention. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a side view which shows having mounted | worn the large diameter chip | tip with the dispensing head. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a side view which shows having mounted | worn with the small diameter chip | tip in the dispensing head. (A) And (b) is the lower surface side perspective view and side view which show the modification of the dispensing head which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, respectively.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described and embodiments of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a dispensing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “this embodiment”) includes a main body portion 11, a horizontal direction (X direction), and a vertical direction by the main body portion 11. And a head frame 14 supported on the main body support frame 12 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Y direction). And the dispensing head 16 (refer FIGS. 3-7) which concerns on this embodiment is hold | maintained at the head frame 14, and the X direction position and the Y direction position can be adjusted.

  The dispensing head 16 is inserted into the head frame 14 in the horizontal direction and is detachably mounted. On the lower surface side of the dispensing head 16, a large-diameter nozzle 18b and a small-diameter nozzle 18s having different diameters are arranged so as to extend in alignment in the vertical direction (X direction) and the horizontal direction (Y direction), respectively. Yes. In the center of the large diameter nozzle 18b and the small diameter nozzle 18s, an intake / exhaust port for sucking and discharging air is opened.

  In the present embodiment, the large-diameter nozzle 18b is dimensioned so that the large-diameter tip BT can be mounted, and the small-diameter nozzle 18s is dimensioned so that the small-diameter chip ST can be mounted. As the large-diameter chip BT and the small-diameter chip ST, a chip made of a plastic material can be used.

  The center distance d between adjacent nozzles of the large diameter nozzle group BNG configured by the large diameter nozzle 18b and the center distance d between adjacent nozzles of the small diameter nozzle group SNG configured by the small diameter nozzle 18s are the same. The large-diameter nozzle 18b and the small-diameter nozzle 18s are arranged. In the large-diameter nozzle group BNG and the small-diameter nozzle group SNG, the nozzle positions are shifted in the vertical (X direction) and horizontal (Y direction), and the arrangement areas BNA and SNA of both nozzle groups are shifted in the vertical and horizontal directions. overlapping.

  In this embodiment, the center of the small-diameter nozzle 18s is located at the center BNApc of the rectangular region BNAp where the centers of the four large-diameter nozzles 18b adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are positioned. Yes. The center of the large diameter nozzle 18b is positioned at the center SNApc of the rectangular area SNAp where the centers of the four small diameter nozzles 18s adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are positioned.

  The large-diameter nozzle group BNG and the small-diameter nozzle group SNG are separated from each other both vertically (X direction) and horizontally (Y direction) from the dispensing head center position C (see FIG. 5) as viewed from the lower surface side. They are offset in the opposite direction. The center position C of the dispensing head viewed from the lower surface side in this specification refers to a conventional dispensing head in which only the large diameter nozzles 18b are arranged or only the small diameter nozzles 18s are arranged on the lower surface side (nozzle protrusion). When viewed from the surface), the load applied to each nozzle when the tip of each nozzle is pressed and attached to the chip is a position that is evenly applied.

  In addition, the dispensing device 10 includes a dispensing table 28 on which a chip case is placed. As a tip case, a tip case 26b (see FIG. 1) in which a large number of large-diameter tips BT fitted to the tip of each large-diameter nozzle 18b are arranged vertically and horizontally, or each small-diameter nozzle 18s. A chip case 26s (see FIG. 1) in which small-diameter chips ST that fit into the front end portion are arranged vertically and horizontally can be placed.

  In the tip case 26b, the vertical and horizontal center intervals between adjacent large-diameter tips BT are set in accordance with the vertical and horizontal center intervals d between adjacent large-diameter nozzles 18b. Similarly, in the tip case 26s, the vertical and horizontal center intervals of the adjacent small-diameter chips ST are the vertical and horizontal center intervals d of the adjacent small-diameter nozzles 18s (note that the vertical and horizontal center intervals d of the large-diameter nozzle 18b are the same). The same).

(Function, effect)
Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, a chip case 26b in which unused (or cleaned) large-diameter chips BT are arranged or a chip case 26s in which small-diameter chips ST are arranged is placed at a predetermined position (chip mounting position) of the dispensing table 28. Keep it.

  When the large-diameter tip BT is used, the tip case 26b is placed at a predetermined position of the dispensing table 28, the head frame 14 is moved by moving the main body support frame 12, and the dispensing head 16 is moved to the tip case. 26 just above. At that time, the horizontal position of the main body support frame 12 is adjusted by a control device (not shown) so that the large diameter nozzle 18b is positioned immediately above the large diameter tip BT.

  Then, the head frame 14 is lowered by lowering the main body support frame 12 by the head frame lifting mechanism. As a result, the tip mounted state in which the tip of each large-diameter nozzle 18b of the dispensing head 16 is fitted to each large-diameter chip BT is obtained (see FIG. 6).

  Then, by moving the main body support frame 12, the large-diameter chip BT is moved upward until the lower end of the chip is positioned above the upper surface of the chip case with the large-diameter chip BT mounted on each large-diameter nozzle 18 b. Let

  Thereafter, the dispensing head 16 is moved by moving the main body support frame 12 to a position directly above the chip case 26b on which the specimen to be aspirated, which is placed on the dispensing table 28, is arranged. Then, by lowering the main body support frame 12, the tip of each large-diameter tip BT of the dispensing head 16 reaches each sample, and the sample can be aspirated into the tip.

  Then, each specimen is sucked into each large-diameter chip BT by sucking air from each large-diameter nozzle 18b. At that time, in the small-diameter nozzle 18s, air is sucked from the nozzle tip side, but no problem occurs.

  After completion of the sample aspiration to each large-diameter chip BT, the head frame 14 is moved up and further moved in the horizontal direction, and each sample is discharged in each sample storage portion of the well (96 well), whereby each sample in the well Each specimen is accommodated in the accommodating portion.

  Thereafter, the main body support frame 12 is moved to move the dispensing head 16 to a predetermined position, and a flat plate for chip removal is brought into contact with the upper end of the large-diameter tip BT. By relatively moving downward, the large-diameter tip BT is detached from the large-diameter nozzle 18b and dropped.

  When the small-diameter chip ST is used (see FIG. 7), the chip case 26s on which the small-diameter chip ST is arranged is placed at a predetermined position of the dispensing table 28, and the same operation is performed.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, any one of the large-diameter tip BT suitable for aspirating a large-capacity sample and the small-diameter chip ST suitable for aspirating a small-capacity sample by one dispensing head 16 is used. However, when a chip having a larger chip capacity is used, a large-diameter chip BT can be used. When a chip having a smaller chip capacity is used, a small-diameter chip ST can be used.

  Therefore, since there is no need to prepare two dispensing heads for large-diameter tips and small-diameter tips as in the past, the number of dispensing heads prepared in advance is reduced by half. It is not necessary to store a dispensing head that has not been used, and the apparatus cost is greatly reduced.

  In addition, since either the large-diameter tip BT or the small-diameter tip ST can be used without replacing the dispensing head, it is not necessary to replace the dispensing head.

  In the present embodiment, the center of the small-diameter nozzle 18s is positioned at the center BNApc of the rectangular area BNAp where the centers of the four large-diameter nozzles 18b adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are positioned. . The center of the large diameter nozzle 18b is positioned at the center SNApc of the rectangular area SNAp where the centers of the four small diameter nozzles 18s adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are positioned. Thereby, the distance between the center of the large-diameter nozzle 18b and the center of the small-diameter nozzle 18s becomes uniform, and the minimum distance between the center of the large-diameter nozzle 18b and the center of the small-diameter nozzle 18s can be maximized. .

  In the present embodiment, the large-diameter nozzle group BNG and the small-diameter nozzle group SNG are arranged in the vertical (X direction) and horizontal (Y direction) from the dispensing head center position C (see FIG. 5) viewed from the lower surface side. In either case, they are offset in the opposite directions. Thereby, the large-diameter nozzle 18b and the small-diameter nozzle 18s are arranged at positions that are point-symmetric with respect to the dispensing head center position C, and even if the arrangement areas BNA and SNA are deviated from the dispensing head center position C, The offset load applied to the dispensing head 16 when the tip is mounted can be sufficiently suppressed by the offset.

  In the present embodiment, the dispensing head 16 has been described as an example in which 96 (8 × 12) large-diameter tips BT and small-diameter tips ST can be mounted, but as shown in FIG. A dispensing head 36 that can mount 384 (16 × 24) large-diameter tips BT and small-diameter tips ST may be used.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment was described, these embodiment is an illustration for materializing the technical idea of this invention, Comprising: Material, shape, structure, arrangement | positioning, etc. of a component are specified to the said embodiment. However, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

10 Dispensing device 11 Main body (holding mechanism)
12 Body support frame (holding mechanism)
14 Head frame (holding mechanism)
16 Dispensing head 18b Large diameter nozzle 18s Small diameter nozzle 36 Dispensing head BNA Arrangement area BNG Large diameter nozzle group BT Large diameter tip C Dispensing head center position SNA Arrangement area SNG Small diameter nozzle group ST Small diameter tip d Center distance

Claims (4)

A dispensing head in which nozzles extending downward are arranged in a vertical and horizontal manner,
As the nozzle, a large-diameter nozzle and a small-diameter nozzle having different diameters are arranged,
The center interval between adjacent large diameter nozzles of the large diameter nozzle group composed of the large diameter nozzles and the center interval between adjacent small diameter nozzles of the small diameter nozzle group composed of the small diameter nozzles are the same,
The dispensing head, wherein the large-diameter nozzle group and the small-diameter nozzle group have nozzle positions shifted vertically and horizontally, and the arrangement areas of both nozzle groups are shifted and overlapped. The center of the small-diameter nozzle is located at the center of a rectangular region where the centers of the four large-diameter nozzles adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are located,
2. The center of the large-diameter nozzle is located at the center of a rectangular region in which the centers of the four small-diameter nozzles adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and two in the horizontal direction are positioned. The dispensing head described in   3. The component according to claim 1, wherein the large-diameter nozzle group and the small-diameter nozzle group are arranged so as to be offset in opposite directions from the center position of the dispensing head as viewed from the lower surface side. Note head. The dispensing head according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A holding mechanism for holding the dispensing head so that vertical and horizontal position adjustment of the dispensing head is possible;
A dispensing device characterized by comprising:

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