JP2022025638A - Inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an inspection device capable of sucking liquid of a reaction vessel where the liquid remains even if some of the liquid of the reaction vessel becomes empty when a plurality of suction nozzles is connected to one suction pump and suction is simultaneously performed from the plurality of reaction vessels in parallel.SOLUTION: An inspection device includes: a suction nozzle for sucking liquid in a reaction vessel, piping having one base end part and a plurality of branch piping parts which is branched from the base end part and whose tips are connected by the suction nozzle. In each branch piping part and a part of the suction nozzle, a small diameter part is provided having an inner diameter which is smaller than an average diameter of the inner diameter of the entire path of the piping and the suction nozzle, and smallest in the inner diameter of the branch piping part and the suction nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The technique of the present disclosure relates to an inspection device.

Conventionally, as a device for automatically inspecting samples such as blood, body fluid, and feces, a sample is added to a reaction vessel into which a reagent has been dispensed, and the reaction occurring between the reagent and the sample in the reaction vessel is optically measured. Inspection devices for measuring are known. In such an inspection device, the mixed solution in the reaction vessel for which the optical measurement has been completed is sucked and discharged, and the washing liquid such as detergent or washing water is injected and sucked to perform cleaning, and the reaction vessel is repeated. We are using.

Therefore, the inspection device includes a suction nozzle for sucking the liquid to be discharged from the reaction vessel and a discharge nozzle for injecting a liquid such as a cleaning liquid into the empty reaction container. The suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle are moved up and down by the vertical mechanism between the lower position where the tip of the nozzle is located in the liquid reservoir of the reaction vessel and the upper position where the tip of the nozzle is retracted from the liquid reservoir of the reaction vessel. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-002099 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 08-062226

With respect to the suction nozzles, in such an inspection device, a plurality of suction nozzles are provided in order to perform cleaning of a plurality of reaction vessels in parallel at the same time. The suction pump connected to the suction nozzle is preferably a tube pump because it has good stain resistance and maintainability and is low in cost.

The tube pump is equipped with a tube through which the fluid passes and a roller that squeezes the tube, and the waste liquid sucked from the reaction vessel passes only inside the tube and does not come into contact with other parts of the pump, so it has good stain resistance. Is. Further, when the tube is contaminated, only the tube can be easily replaced, so that the maintainability is good. Further, the tube pump has a simple structure of sucking and discharging the fluid by the above-mentioned tube and roller, so that the cost is low. However, the tube pump has a characteristic that the suction force is weaker than that of other pumps such as a diaphragm pump.

When multiple suction nozzles are connected to one suction pump, the suction resistance applied to each nozzle is about the same when the liquid is stored in all of the multiple reaction vessels, so the liquid should be sucked from all the reaction vessels. Can be done. However, when the liquid in some of the reaction vessels of the plurality of reaction vessels becomes empty, the suction resistance of the nozzle of the empty reaction vessel becomes low, so that the suction force of the suction pump concentrates on the nozzle of the empty reaction vessel. It ends up. As a result, the suction force of the nozzle of the reaction vessel in which the liquid remains is reduced, and the problem of poor suction that the liquid in the reaction vessel in which the liquid remains cannot be sucked arises. Such a problem of poor suction becomes remarkable when a pump having a low suction force such as a tube pump is used.

None of the inspection devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have taken any measures against such a problem of poor suction.

In the technique of the present disclosure, when a plurality of suction nozzles are connected to one suction pump and suction is performed from a plurality of reaction vessels in parallel at the same time, even if the liquid in some of the reaction vessels is emptied, the liquid can be discharged. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection device capable of sucking the remaining liquid of the reaction vessel.

The inspection device of the present disclosure is a suction nozzle for sucking liquid in a reaction vessel, one base end portion, and a plurality of branch piping portions branching from the base end portion, and a branch in which a suction nozzle is connected to the tip. A pipe having a pipe portion and a suction pump connected to the base end portion are provided, and each branch pipe portion and a part of the suction nozzle are smaller than the average diameter of the inner diameters of all the paths of the pipe and the suction nozzle. Moreover, it has a small diameter portion with the smallest inner diameter among the inner diameters of the branch piping portion and the suction nozzle.

The suction pump is preferably a tube pump.

The suction pressure of the suction pump is preferably larger than 0 MPa and 0.2 MPa or less.

The number of branch piping portions is preferably 3 to 6.

The upper limit of the inner diameter of the pipe path is preferably 0.2 mm or more and 13 mm or less.

The inner diameter of the small diameter portion is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, and more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less.

The length of the small diameter portion is preferably larger than 0 mm and 150 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

It is preferable that the inner diameter of the branch pipe portion is 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, and the length of the branch pipe portion is 1000 mm or less. The length of the branch pipe portion is more preferably 200 mm or more and 400 mm or less.

The reaction container may be a container for storing the sample solution for the fecal occult blood test.

According to the technique of the present disclosure, when a plurality of suction nozzles are connected to one suction pump and suction is performed simultaneously and in parallel from a plurality of reaction vessels, even if the liquid in some of the reaction vessels becomes empty. It is possible to provide an inspection device capable of sucking the liquid in the reaction vessel in which the liquid remains.

It is an external view of the fecal occult blood test apparatus. 2A is an external view of the sample container, FIG. 2A shows a state in which the container body and the cap are separated, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the cap is attached to the container body. It is a schematic block diagram of a fecal occult blood test apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of a reaction vessel and a reaction vessel unit. It is a schematic block diagram of a measuring part. It is a perspective view of a nozzle unit. It is a perspective view of a discharge nozzle and a suction nozzle. It is a block diagram of a suction nozzle and a suction pump. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the suction force of the suction nozzle at the time of suction in the conventional method, FIG. Indicates that the container is empty. It is a figure for demonstrating the state of the suction force of the suction nozzle at the time of suction, FIG. Indicates the state of becoming.

[Configuration of fecal occult blood test device]
Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a fecal occult blood test device for inspecting whether or not blood is mixed in the feces of a subject will be described as an example of the test device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown as an example in FIG. 1, the fecal occult blood test device 1 includes a base portion 101 in a lower portion and a main body portion 102 in which the housing 100 rises upward behind the base portion 101. The main body 102 is provided with a touch panel 19. The touch panel 19 functions as an operation screen for inputting an operation instruction, a display unit for displaying an inspection result, and an input unit for inputting an operation instruction.

The base portion 101 projects in front of the housing 100. The sample container 22 is set in the base portion 101. The upper surface of the base portion 101 is a lid that can be opened and closed at two locations on the left and right, and inside the lid, a sample container installation section 101a and a sample container take-out section 101b are provided as shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later. ing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sample container 22 includes a container body 23 for accommodating feces as a sample, and a cap 24 detachably provided on the container body 23. The container body 23 is, for example, transparent or translucent. The liquid in which the sample is suspended is contained in the sample container 22, and the feces as the sample are contained in the form of a suspension dispersed in the liquid.

A collection rod 24a for collecting feces as a sample is attached to the cap 24. When the subject collects a sample, the cap 24 is removed from the container body 23, and the tip of the collection rod 24a traces the surface of the sample feces to attach the feces to the collection rod 24a. Then, the collection rod 24a is inserted into the container body 23, and the cap 24 is closed. The sample container 22 is set in the fecal occult blood test device 1 in this state.

A laminating film 23a is attached to the bottom surface of the container body 23. In the fecal occult blood test apparatus 1, a sample is collected by breaking the laminating film 23a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reagent table 10, the reaction tank 11, the sample container transfer mechanism 12, the measuring unit 13, the cleaning mechanism 14, the reagent dispensing mechanism 15, and the reagent table 10 are contained in the fecal occult blood test apparatus 1. It includes a sample dispensing mechanism 16, a control unit 17, and an analysis unit 18.

A plurality of sample containers 22 are set in the sample container installation unit 101a in a state of being housed in a plurality of elongated racks 21. The sample container transfer mechanism 12 is provided in the sample container installation unit 101a, and a plurality of racks 21 for accommodating the sample container 22 are installed on the sample container transfer mechanism 12. The sample container transfer mechanism 12 has, for example, an extrusion portion for extruding the rack 21, and transfers the plurality of racks 21 one by one along the direction of the arrow A. The rack 21 is transferred by the sample container transfer mechanism 12 in the direction of arrow A by the arrangement pitch of the sample container 22. Each time the transfer of the rack 21 is stopped, the sample solution is sucked from the sample container 22 of the rack 21 by the sample dispensing mechanism 16.

The sample dispensing mechanism 16 includes an arm 16a extending in the horizontal direction and a nozzle 16b attached to the tip portion of the arm 16a. The nozzle 16b sucks the sample from the sample container 22 and dispenses the sucked sample into the reaction container 30 described later in the reaction tank 11. The arm 16a rotates in a horizontal plane so that the nozzle 16b can access the sample container 22 housed in the rack 21 and the reaction tank 11. Further, the arm 16a can also move in the vertical direction in order to insert and remove the nozzle 16b with respect to the sample container 22 and the reaction container 30.

The sample container 22 is set in the rack 21 so that the laminating film 23a is on the upper side. At the time of sample dispensing, the nozzle 16b of the sample dispensing mechanism 16 breaks through the laminated film 23a, and the sample contained in the container body 23 in the form of a suspension is sucked.

The sample container 22 to which the sample has been dispensed is sequentially transferred to the sample container take-out unit 101b by the sample container transfer mechanism 12.

The reagent dispensing mechanism 15 dispenses the reagent from the reagent container 10a of the reagent table 10 into the reaction container 30. The reagent table 10 holds a plurality of reagent containers 10a.

The reagent dispensing mechanism 15 includes an arm 15a and a nozzle 15b attached to the tip end portion of the arm 15a to dispense the reagent. As shown in FIG. 3, the arm 15a rotates in a horizontal plane so that the nozzle 15b can access the reagent container 10a and the reaction tank 11 in the reagent table 10, similarly to the sample dispensing mechanism 16. Further, the arm 15a can be moved in the vertical direction in order to insert and remove the nozzle 15b with respect to the reagent container 10a and the reaction container 30, similarly to the sample dispensing mechanism 16.

As shown in FIG. 4, the reaction vessel 11 is a vessel in which a plurality of reaction vessels 30 are housed, and has a circular planar shape. In the reaction vessel 11, the plurality of reaction vessels 30 are arranged at a constant pitch along the circumferential direction. In this example, the reaction vessel 30 is attached to the holder 31, and is set in the reaction vessel 11 in the form of a reaction vessel unit 32 in which the reaction vessel 30 and the holder 31 are integrated. A plurality of (11 in this example) reaction vessels 30 are attached to one holder 31, and a plurality of such reaction vessel units 32 (5 in this example) are housed in the reaction vessel 11. To.

A measurement unit 13, a cleaning mechanism 14, a reagent dispensing mechanism 15, and a sample dispensing mechanism 16 are arranged around the reaction vessel 11. The reaction tank 11 is rotated by a driving means (not shown). By this rotation, each reaction vessel 30 arranged in the circumferential direction in the reaction vessel 11 is conveyed to each position of the measuring unit 13, the cleaning mechanism 14, the reagent dispensing mechanism 15, and the sample dispensing mechanism 16.

The reaction vessel 30 is a vessel having a capacity of several nL to several tens of μL, and is a transparent material that transmits 80% or more of the measurement light emitted from the measurement unit 13, for example, glass containing heat-resistant glass, or cyclic olefin. Synthetic resin such as polystyrene is used. The reaction vessel 30 is a square cylinder-shaped container having an opening 30b on the upper surface 30a and having a liquid storage portion 30c having a quadrangular horizontal cross section for accommodating the liquid.

The cleaning mechanism 14 cleans the reaction vessel 30 for which the measurement has been completed. The cleaning mechanism 14 includes a nozzle unit 40 and an elevating mechanism 60 for raising and lowering the nozzle unit 40. The elevating mechanism 60 includes a rail that guides the vertical movement of the nozzle unit 40, a rotary cam that moves up and down by contacting the nozzle unit 40, a motor that drives the rotary cam, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the measuring unit 13 is an optical system for optically measuring the liquid in which the reagent and the sample have reacted in the reaction vessel 30, and includes a light emitting unit 13a and a light receiving unit 13b. The measurement light ML emitted from the light emitting unit 13a passes through the liquid in the liquid storage unit 30c of the reaction vessel 30 and is received by the light receiving unit 13b. The light receiving unit 13b outputs the light amount signal of the received measurement light ML to the control unit 17.

The control unit 17 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and as shown in FIG. 2, controls the operation of each unit of the fecal occult blood test device 1 in an integrated manner. The control unit 17 executes the inspection based on the inspection start instruction input from the touch panel 19.

The analysis unit 18 is composed of, for example, a CPU or the like, and analyzes the presence or absence of blood in the sample based on the absorbance of the liquid in the reaction vessel 30 based on the amount of emitted light of the light emitting unit 13a and the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 13b. ..

As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle unit 40 includes a discharge nozzle 44, a suction nozzle 45, and a drying nozzle 46, which are held by a nozzle holding portion 41. The discharge nozzle 44 injects a cleaning liquid or the like. The suction nozzle 45 sucks and discharges the liquid in the reaction vessel 30. The drying nozzle 46 injects air to dry the inside of the reaction vessel 30. The cleaning mechanism 14 discharges the liquid from the reaction vessel 30 by the suction nozzle 45, and then discharges the cleaning liquid or the like into the reaction vessel 30 by the discharge nozzle 44. Then, the cleaning mechanism 14 sucks the injected cleaning liquid by the suction nozzle 45. The cleaning mechanism 14 cleans the inside of the reaction vessel 30 by repeating the cleaning operation of injecting and sucking the cleaning liquid a plurality of times. After that, the cleaning mechanism 14 injects air from the drying nozzle 46 to dry the inside of the reaction vessel 30. The reaction vessel 30 is reused after being washed by the washing mechanism 14.

There are three discharge nozzles 44 and three suction nozzles 45, and the nozzle holding portion 41 is provided with a total of three nozzle sets including one discharge nozzle 44 and one suction nozzle 45. .. Only one drying nozzle 46 is provided. The discharge nozzle 44 is connected to the discharge pump 70 via the pipe 76. The suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tube pump 71 via the pipe 80. The drying nozzle 46 is also connected to the tube pump 71 via the pipe 80. The tube pump 71 has the functions of both a suction pump and a discharge pump. The tube pump 71 functions as a suction pump when suction is performed by the suction nozzle 45, and functions as a discharge pump when injection is performed by the drying nozzle 46.

A set of nozzles of the discharge nozzle 44 and the suction nozzle 45 is inserted into one reaction vessel 30. The drying nozzle 46 is inserted into one reaction vessel 30 by itself. The three sets of nozzle sets and one drying nozzle 46 are arranged along an arcuate line in the circumferential direction, which is the arrangement direction of the reaction vessels 30 in the reaction vessel 11. Therefore, when the nozzle unit 40 is lowered, the three sets of nozzles and one drying nozzle 46 are simultaneously lowered toward each of the four reaction vessels 30. Therefore, when the nozzle unit 40 is lowered, one set of nozzle sets is inserted into each of the three reaction vessels 30, and a drying nozzle 46 is inserted into the other fourth reaction vessel 30. In addition, in the drawings such as FIG. 9 described later, in order to simplify the drawings, only the suction nozzle 45 of the nozzle set is shown in one reaction vessel, and the discharge nozzle 44 is not shown. ing.

As shown in FIG. 7, a set of discharge nozzles 44 and suction nozzles 45 are integrated by a sleeve 41a.

The discharge nozzle 44 is a tubular member having a flow path formed therein as a whole, and includes a main body portion 44a and a joint 44b attached to the proximal end side of the main body portion 44a. The joint 44b of the discharge nozzle 44 is connected to a discharge pump (not shown) via a pipe (not shown).

The suction nozzle 45 is also a tubular member having a flow path formed inside as a whole, and is attached to the throttle portion 45a, the main body portion 45b communicating with the throttle portion 45a, and the base end side of the main body portion 45b in order from the tip side. The joint 45c and the joint 45c are provided. The narrowing portion 45a is a small diameter portion whose diameter is narrowed with respect to the main body portion 45b. The joint 45c of the suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tube pump 71 via the pipe 80. The tube pump 71 is an example of a suction pump in the technique of the present disclosure.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the drying nozzle 46 is an annular member in which a flow path is formed as a whole, and has a main body, a joint attached to the base end side of the main body, and a tip of the main body. With a nozzle cap 75 attached to the. An air discharge hole 75a (see FIG. 8) is formed at the tip of the nozzle cap 75. The air discharge hole 75a has a smaller diameter than the flow path of the main body. The joint of the drying nozzle 46 is connected to the tube pump 71 via the pipe 80.

A set of discharge nozzles 44 and suction nozzles 45 are inserted into one reaction vessel 30. The drying nozzle 46 is inserted into one reaction vessel 30 by itself. Therefore, when the nozzle unit 40 moves downward, each nozzle is inserted into the four reaction vessels 30 at the same time. The nozzle unit 40 can clean the three reaction vessels 30 at the same time. After cleaning, the reaction vessel 30 is sequentially conveyed to the position corresponding to the drying nozzle 46 in the reaction vessel 11 and dried one by one.

[Suction nozzle and suction pump configuration]
As shown in FIG. 8, the tube pump 71 includes a tube 72 through which a fluid passes and a roller 73 that squeezes the tube 72. The roller 73 includes a main roller 73a and six sub-rollers 73b. The main roller 73a and the six sub rollers 73b are connected by a planetary gear mechanism. A sun gear is formed on the main roller 73a, and a planetary gear is formed on the sub roller 73b. The sub roller 73b revolves while rotating in accordance with the rotation of the main roller 73a.

The tube 72 is sandwiched between the side wall 71a formed in the housing and the sub-roller 73b. The tube pump 71 moves the fluid inside the tube 72 by squeezing the tube 72 by the rotation of the roller 73. One end of the tube 72 is connected to the pipe 80, and the other end is connected to the waste liquid tank 74.

By rotating the roller 73 toward the connection side of the waste liquid tank 74 of the tube 72, fluid can be sucked from the suction nozzle 45 and the drying nozzle 46. Further, by rotating the roller 73 toward the connection side of the pipe 80 of the tube 72, air can be discharged from the suction nozzle 45 and the drying nozzle 46. The suction pressure of the tube pump 71 is, for example, 0.1 MPa.

The three suction nozzles 45 and one drying nozzle 46 are connected to the tube pump 71 via the pipe 80. The pipe 80 includes a joint 81, a first pipe portion 82, a first branch joint 83, and two second pipe portions 84 in order from the proximal end side (that is, the side connected to the tube pump 71). It includes two second branch joints 85 and four third piping portions 86.

The joint 81 is a joint that connects the tube 72 of the tube pump 71 and the first piping portion 82. The first branch joint 83 is a branch joint that connects the first piping portion 82 and the two second piping portions 84. The second branch joint 85 is a branch joint that connects the second piping portion 84 and the two third piping portions 86.

A suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tips of the three third piping portions 86 among the four third piping portions 86. A drying nozzle 46 is connected to the tip of the remaining one of the three third piping portions 86 among the four third piping portions 86.

In the technique of the present disclosure, the "base end portion" means a portion where all the branches in the pipe 80 are integrated into one. In this example, the first branch joint 83 is an example of the base end portion of the pipe 80.

Further, in the technique of the present disclosure, the "branch piping portion" is a plurality of branch piping portions that branch from the first branch joint 83, which is an example of the base end portion, and the suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tip of the branch. Refers to the piping section. In the pipe 80, the third pipe portion 86 to which the suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tip is an example of the branch pipe portion.

Further, in the technique of the present disclosure, the "pipe" means a pipe connecting the suction nozzle 45 and the suction pump (tube pump 71 in this example).

Table 1 shows the inner diameter and length of each part of the tube 72, the pipe 80, and the suction nozzle 45 of the fecal occult blood test device 1.

The fecal occult blood test device 1 is smaller than the average diameter of the inner diameters of all the paths of the pipe 80 and the suction nozzle 45 and is branched into a part of each branch pipe portion (third pipe portion 86 in this example) and the suction nozzle 45. It has a small diameter portion with the smallest inner diameter among the inner diameters of the piping portion (third piping portion 86 in this example) and the suction nozzle 45.

The average diameter of the inner diameters of all the paths of the pipe 80 and the suction nozzle 45 is 1.53 mm as shown in the following formula when calculated based on the numerical values in Table 1.
(2.38 + 2.38 + 1.59 + 0.82 + 0.5) / 5 = 1.53

The inner diameter smaller than the average diameter of 1.53 mm and the smallest inner diameter among the inner diameters of the branch piping portion (third piping portion 86 in this example) and the suction nozzle 45 is the throttle portion 45a of the suction nozzle 45. In this example, the throttle portion 45a having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm corresponds to the narrow diameter portion.

A drying nozzle 46 is connected to the tip of one of the three third piping portions 86 among the four third piping portions 86. A nozzle cap 75 is attached to the tip of the drying nozzle 46. The inner diameter of the air discharge hole 75a of the nozzle cap 75 is 0.5 mm, which is the same as that of the throttle portion 45a.

[Action effect]
The fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment branches from a suction nozzle 45 that sucks the liquid in the reaction vessel 30, one proximal end portion (first branch joint 83 in this example), and the proximal end portion. A pipe 80 having a branch pipe portion (third pipe portion 86 in this example), which is a plurality of branch pipe portions and to which a suction nozzle 45 is connected to the tip, and a suction pump (tube in this example) connected to the base end portion. A pump 71) is provided, and each branch pipe portion and a part of the suction nozzle 45 are smaller than the average diameter of the inner diameters of all the paths of the pipe and the suction nozzle, and are the largest among the inner diameters of the branch pipe portion and the suction nozzle. It has a small diameter portion (in this example, a throttle portion 45a) having a small inner diameter.

In order to explain the effect of this configuration, first, a conventional method in which a small diameter portion is not provided will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, in the conventional method, the liquids in the three reaction vessels 30 are simultaneously and simultaneously sucked by the three suction nozzles 145 connected to one tube pump 71 (see FIG. 9A), 1 It is assumed that the liquid in the two reaction vessels 30 is emptied first (see FIG. 9B). The length of the arrow superimposed on each nozzle in FIG. 9 indicates the magnitude of the suction force.

The suction nozzle 145 (third from the left in the figure) in the reaction vessel 30 where the liquid is emptied has no liquid to be sucked, so that the suction resistance is lowered and the suction power is greatly improved. On the contrary, the suction nozzle 145 in the reaction vessel 30 in which the liquid remains has a large decrease in the suction force by the amount that the suction force of the suction nozzle 145 in the reaction vessel 30 in which the liquid remains is greatly improved. Therefore, there arises a problem of poor suction that the liquid in the reaction vessel 30 in which the liquid remains cannot be sucked.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, since the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment has a small diameter portion (throttle portion 45a in the figure), it is different from the conventional method in which the small diameter portion is not provided. In comparison, the suction resistance of the suction nozzle 45 itself becomes higher. Therefore, the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 when the suction nozzle 45 is put into the reaction vessel 30 containing the liquid is lower than that of the conventional method (see FIG. 10A). However, as in the third suction nozzle 45 from the left in FIG. 10B, even if the liquid in the reaction vessel 30 is emptied and there is no liquid to be sucked, the suction resistance of the suction nozzle 45 itself is high, so that suction is performed. The decrease in resistance is suppressed (see FIG. 10B).

Therefore, even if the liquids in the three reaction vessels 30 are sucked in parallel at the same time and the liquids in one reaction vessel 30 are emptied first, the emptied reaction vessels are compared with the conventional method. The suction force of the suction nozzle 45 in 30 does not improve. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 in the reaction vessel 30 in which the liquid remains. Therefore, even if the liquid in some of the reaction vessels 30 is emptied, the reaction vessel 30 in which the liquid remains can be suppressed. The liquid can be sucked.

In the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment, one tube pump 71 is connected to three suction nozzles 45 and one drying nozzle 46. In this case, by attaching the nozzle cap 75, which has the same function as the small diameter portion, to the drying nozzle 46, suction failure can be suppressed.

Further, since the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment uses the tube pump 71 as the suction pump, the stain resistance and maintainability are better than the case where a pump other than the tube pump 71 is used. Yes, and the cost can be reduced.

The suction pressure of the tube pump 71, which is an example of the suction pump, is 0.1 MPa, which is larger than 0 MPa and 0.2 MPa or less. In the case of a suction pump having a weak suction pressure of 0.2 MPa or less, the effect of suppressing suction failure by providing a small diameter portion in a branch pipe portion and a part of the suction nozzle 45 becomes remarkable. Further, since the suction pump having a suction pressure of more than 0.2 MPa is expensive, setting the suction pressure of the suction pump to 0.2 MPa or less, which is larger than 0 MPa, is advantageous for cost reduction.

Further, the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment has three branch piping portions, and is contained between three and six. When the number of branch piping portions is two, cleaning efficiency is deteriorated because cleaning can be performed only on two reaction vessels 30 at the same time. When the number of branch piping portions is 7 or more, the suction force of the suction pump may be too dispersed, resulting in poor suction. From the above, by increasing the number of branch piping portions from 3 to 6, it is possible to solve the problem of suction failure while maintaining the cleaning efficiency.

Further, in the fecal occult blood test apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the upper limit of the inner diameter of the pipe path is 6.0 mm (in this example, the inner diameter of the tube 72), which is 0.2 mm or more and 13 mm or less. If the upper limit of the inner diameter of the pipe path is less than 0.2 mm, the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 may be excessively reduced, resulting in poor suction. If the upper limit of the inner diameter of the pipe path exceeds 13 mm, it is necessary to connect a suction pump corresponding to the size of the inner diameter, which leads to an increase in size and cost of the device. Therefore, by setting the upper limit of the inner diameter of the pipe path to 0.2 mm or more and 13 mm or less, it is advantageous to reduce the size and cost of the device while maintaining the suction force of the suction nozzle 45.

Further, in the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is 0.5 mm, and the inner diameter thereof is 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. If the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is less than 0.1 mm, the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 may be excessively reduced, resulting in poor suction. When the inner diameter of the small diameter portion exceeds 2 mm, the effect of lowering the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 is weakened, and the effect of providing the small diameter portion is weakened. Therefore, by setting the inner diameter of the small diameter portion to 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less, the problem of suction failure can be effectively solved. If the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is 0.3 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less, better characteristics can be obtained.

Further, in the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment, the length of the small diameter portion is 25 mm, which is larger than 0 mm and contained in 150 mm or less. If the length of the small diameter portion exceeds 150 mm, the suction force of the suction nozzle 45 may be excessively reduced, resulting in poor suction. Therefore, by setting the length of the small diameter portion to be larger than 0 mm and 150 mm or less, the problem of poor suction can be effectively solved. If the length of the small diameter portion is 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less, better characteristics can be obtained.

Further, in the fecal occult blood test device 1 of the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the branch pipe portion is 1.59 mm, and the inner diameter is 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. Moreover, the length of the branch piping portion is 280 mm, which is kept within 1000 mm. By keeping the inner diameter and length of the branch piping part within the above range, appropriate suction resistance can be generated in the branch piping part as well, so compared to the case where the suction resistance is adjusted only in the small diameter part, The problem of poor suction can be effectively solved. If the length of the branch piping portion is 200 mm or more and 400 mm or less, better characteristics can be obtained.

Further, the reaction container 30 is a container for storing a sample solution for a fecal occult blood test. This makes it possible to apply it to the fecal occult blood test device 1 that performs a fecal occult blood test.

"Transformation example"
The technique of the present disclosure can also appropriately combine the above-described embodiment with various modifications.

For example, as the suction pump, other types of pumps such as a diaphragm pump may be used in addition to the tube pump 71.

Further, in the above embodiment, a plurality of suction nozzles 45 and a drying nozzle 46 are collectively connected to one tube pump having both functions of a suction pump and a discharge pump, but the suction nozzle 45 and the drying nozzle 46 are connected together. And may be connected to different pumps.

Further, the nozzle unit 40 may be provided with only the discharge nozzle 44 and the suction nozzle 45 without providing the drying nozzle 46.

When the tube pump 71 is used as the suction pump, the tube 72 of the tube pump 71 is also regarded as a part of the pipe 80, and the average diameter of the inner diameters of the pipe 80 and the entire path of the suction nozzle 45 is calculated. , The average diameter of the inner diameters of all routes including the tube 72 may be calculated.

Further, in the above embodiment, the small diameter portion is provided at the tip of the suction nozzle 45, but it may be provided anywhere as long as it is a part of the branch piping portion and the suction nozzle 45.

The contents described and illustrated above are detailed explanations of the parts related to the technique of the present disclosure, and are merely an example of the technique of the present disclosure. For example, the description of the configuration, function, action, and effect described above is an example of the configuration, function, action, and effect of a portion of the art of the present disclosure. Therefore, unnecessary parts may be deleted, new elements may be added, or replacements may be made to the contents described above and the contents shown above within a range not deviating from the gist of the technique of the present disclosure. Needless to say. In addition, in order to avoid complications and facilitate understanding of the parts relating to the technology of the present disclosure, the description and illustrations shown above require special explanation in order to enable the implementation of the technology of the present disclosure. Explanations regarding common technical knowledge, etc. are omitted.

All documents, patent applications and technical standards described herein are to the same extent as if it were specifically and individually stated that the individual documents, patent applications and technical standards are incorporated by reference. Incorporated by reference in the book.

1 Fecal occult blood test device 10 Reagent table 10a Reagent container 11 Reaction tank 11a Fixing pin 12 Specimen container transfer mechanism 12a Specimen container mounting unit 12b Specimen container extraction unit 13 Measuring unit 13a Light emitting unit 13b Light receiving unit 14 Cleaning mechanism 15 Reagent dispensing mechanism 15a Arm 15b Nozzle 16 Specimen dispensing mechanism 16a Arm 16b Nozzle 17 Control unit 18 Analysis unit 19 Touch panel 21 Rack 22 Specimen container 23 Container body 23a Laminate film 24 Cap 24a Collection rod 30 Reaction container 30a Top surface 30b Opening 30c Liquid storage unit 31 Holder 32 Reaction vessel unit 40 Nozzle unit 41 Nozzle holding part 41a Sleeve 44 Discharge nozzle 44a Main body 44b Joint 45 Suction nozzle 45a Squeezing part 45b Main body 45c Joint 46 Drying nozzle 60 Lifting mechanism 70 Discharge pump 71 Tube pump 71a Side wall 72 Tube 73 Roller 73a Main roller 73b Sub roller 74 Waste liquid tank 75 Nozzle cap 75a Air discharge hole 76 Piping 80 Piping 81 Joint 82 First piping section 83 First branch joint 84 Second piping section 85 Second branch joint 86 Third piping section 100 Housing 101 Base part 101a Specimen container installation part 101b Specimen container take-out part 102 Main body part 145 Suction nozzle ML Measurement light

Claims (12)

A suction nozzle that sucks the liquid in the reaction vessel,
A pipe having one base end portion and a plurality of branch piping portions branching from the base end portion and a branch piping portion to which the suction nozzle is connected to the tip.
A suction pump, which is connected to the base end portion, is provided.
The inner diameter of each branch pipe portion and a part of the suction nozzle is smaller than the average diameter of the inner diameters of all the paths of the pipe and the suction nozzle, and is the smallest inner diameter among the inner diameters of the branch pipe portion and the suction nozzle. An inspection device with a small diameter part. The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the suction pump is a tube pump. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction pressure of the suction pump is larger than 0 MPa and 0.2 MPa or less. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number of branch piping portions is 3 to 6. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the upper limit of the inner diameter of the path of the pipe is 0.2 mm or more and 13 mm or less. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is 0.1 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The inspection device according to claim 6, wherein the inner diameter of the small diameter portion is 0.3 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less. The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the length of the small diameter portion is larger than 0 mm and 150 mm or less. The inspection device according to claim 8, wherein the length of the small diameter portion is 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The inner diameter of the branch piping portion is 1 mm or more and 2 mm or less.
The inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the length of the branch piping portion is 1000 mm or less. The inspection device according to claim 10, wherein the length of the branch piping portion is 200 mm or more and 400 mm or less. The test apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the reaction container is a container for storing a sample solution for a fecal occult blood test.

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