JP3052267B2 - Analysis container and method of using the same - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a reaction container for containing a test solution such as a sample and a reagent in a reaction container and analyzing the test solution by photometry.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when such analysis is performed, for example, a light-transmissive reaction vessel is step-transferred along a predetermined reaction line by a transfer mechanism, and at each step, dispensing of a sample and a reagent, stirring, photometry, and reaction of a reaction vessel are performed. Processing such as washing or disposal is performed.

By the way, when dispensing a sample, a sample dispensing probe is used to aspirate the sample from the sampler and dispense it into the reaction vessel using a dispenser, and when dispensing a reagent, the reagent dispensing probe is used. In general, it is generally used to dispense into a reaction vessel for reaction. Each probe needs to be washed using a large amount of washing solution every time the sample or the reagent changes. As for the method of stirring the test solution, a stirring rod is inserted into the test solution in the reaction vessel to perform stirring.

As another analysis method, there is an automatic analysis method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-12345. In this method, a lower part of a reaction vessel is made flexible as a stirring means and a push-up press for pressing this part. The test solution is stirred using a mechanism. In addition, in order to reduce the amount of test solution used for analysis, the lower part of the reaction vessel is crushed by a push-up pressing mechanism at the time of photometry so that the test solution is pushed up to the photometric position in the reaction vessel.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in these cases, a probe for the sample and a probe for the reagent are required, respectively, and these transfer means are required in the transfer mechanism, respectively, so that the mechanism becomes complicated.

Also, when dispensing, since the dispensing is performed via the probe from the opening at the top of the reaction vessel, it is necessary to increase the opening to some extent in relation to the positional accuracy when transferring the probe, and the reaction vessel is downsized. Can not do. For this reason, there is a problem that the space of the reaction line becomes large. Moreover,
Since the size of the reaction container cannot be reduced, the amount of the test solution cannot be reduced, and the amount of blood collected from the patient cannot be reduced. In addition, the amount of reagent cannot be reduced, so that the test cost cannot be reduced. still,
In the latter conventional technique described above, the amount of the test solution can be made relatively small, but a problem arises in that the mechanism is complicated and the inspection cost is increased because a push-up pressing mechanism and a drive motor are required at the time of side light. .

Further, there is a problem that a large amount of cleaning liquid or water is required for cleaning each probe, and the amount of waste liquid is increased.

Further, in the above-described conventional example, a mechanism for stirring is separately required, and in the former case, the test solution adheres to the stirring rod,
It is necessary to wash the stirring rod, and there is a problem that the test solution still attached after the washing adversely affects the analysis accuracy in another analysis. In the latter case, a pressing mechanism for stirring and a drive motor are required, which leads to complication of the mechanism and an increase in cost.

In addition, there is a disposable (disposable) probe for the sample and a reaction container, respectively, but since these are configured separately, the analysis cost is increased.

In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of using an analysis container which achieves a trace amount of a sample and has a simple analysis operation.

[Means for solving the problem]

The method of using the analytical container according to the invention is at least 2
A housing having a wall surface for foot light facing the surface, a pressure supply opening provided in communication with a part of the housing and connected to an appropriate dispenser and capable of introducing pressure, And a small-diameter introduction pipe section provided in communication with a position different from the pressure supply opening section for guiding a sample and a reagent to the storage section, and the pressure supply section is provided at the introduction pipe section. An opening portion at the tip of the introduction tube portion having an inner diameter such that the analysis liquid introduced into the storage portion does not drop due to surface tension even when the opening portion is not connected to the dispenser. An analysis container formed with a probe portion that can be immersed in the sample and the reagent including the opening portion is connected to the sample dispenser and the reagent dispenser in an airtight manner while exchanging both dispensers, Supplying suction pressure while immersing the introduction tube in the sample and the reagent An analysis target is introduced into the storage unit, and an optical measurement of the analysis target is performed through a measurement wall surface of the storage unit. Here, as a method of using the analysis container, it is preferable that the analysis container is discarded for each test, and a series of processes from the reaction with the sample and the reagent to the measurement are performed while changing each analysis container. .

Embodiment A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

1 (A) is a longitudinal sectional view of the reaction vessel 1, and FIG. 1 (B) is a sectional view of the reaction vessel 1 taken along the line II in FIG. 1 (A). In the drawing, reference numeral 2 denotes a reaction vessel section provided with a suction port 2a at the upper end to which a pipe of a pipetting device can be connected in an airtight manner and for storing a sample and a reagent, and the reaction vessel section 2 has a flat shape. , And a pair of opposing wide deflected planes 2b, 2b
Is formed as a light-transmitting photometric cell surface, and a lower end portion connected to a probe portion described later is formed on a tapered surface 2c. Reference numeral 3 denotes a probe section which is connected to the reaction vessel section 2 by a tapered surface 2c and whose inner diameter is formed so small that the test solution in the reaction vessel section 2 does not drop due to surface tension.

Although the diameter of the suction port 2a is smaller than the cross section of the reaction vessel section 2 in FIG. 1 (A), the cross section of the reaction vessel section 2 may be extended as it is. Further, the tip portion of the probe section 3 has a straight shape having the same inner diameter as the other end, but may have a tapered shape.

Further, the volume of the reaction container section 2 is changed to the suction port 2a when air is sucked and mixed in from the probe section 3 in a state where the test solution is stored.
It should have a size such that the test solution does not rise up to that point.

Next, an analysis procedure using the reaction vessel 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 showing the reaction vessel 1 for each step by a transfer mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, a case where a high-concentration reagent is used will be described.

First, at the first position of the reaction line, the pipe from the pipettor 4 is connected to the suction port 2a of the reaction vessel 1 in an airtight manner as shown in FIG.
The reagent is dispensed into the reaction container part 2 by suctioning with the dispenser 4 in a state where the tip of the reagent has entered. After the suction of the reagent, the pipe of the pipetting device 4 is disconnected, and the reaction vessel 1 is moved to the next step.

Next, in FIG. 3, a pipe of another dispenser 6 is airtightly connected to the suction port 2a, and the diluent in the diluent container 7 is dispensed from the probe unit 3 into the reaction container unit 2 by the dispenser 6. And mix with reagent.

The diluent container 7 is designed so that the diluent in the container is replaced for each analysis, and the outer portion of the probe section 3 is also washed with this diluent.

Next, the pipe of the dispenser 6 is connected to the suction port 2a,
The reaction container 1 is moved to a position where the probe unit 3 is separated from the diluent container 7. When the dispenser 6 is operated intermittently, air is sucked from the probe unit 3 as shown in FIG. Stir. At this time, the bubbles rise from the upper end of the probe section 3 along the tapered surface 2c in the reaction vessel section 2, so that the reagent is well stirred everywhere. Also, with regard to the intermittent operation of the dispenser 6, the speed and the operation amount are controlled so that the sucked air forms large bubbles on the tapered surface 2c.

Next, photometry is performed on the reaction vessel 1 of FIG. 5 from which the pipe of the dispenser 6 has been removed by a known method. That is, the photometric device (not shown) is configured to irradiate, for example, monochromatic light in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and to set the reaction container unit 2 on the paper surface so that the photometric cell surface 2b is orthogonal to the light. And the light is metered. This photometry may be a measurement of fluorescence or luminescence as in a known technique as long as it is a measurement utilizing translucency, and it is obvious that the tapered surface 2C side of the reaction vessel 2 can also be used as a photometric cell surface.

Further, the dispenser 7 is airtightly connected to the suction port 2a, and the sample in the sample cup 8 is sucked from the probe unit 3 as shown in FIG. In the next step shown in FIG.
Is connected to the suction port 2a, and the diluent in the diluent container 10 is sucked from the probe unit 3.

Note that the diluent container 10 is configured such that the liquid is replaced for each analysis, and that the outer portion of the probe unit 3 is washed with the diluent.

FIG. 8 shows a stirring state after suction of the diluent, and the probe section 3 is moved from the diluent container 10 while the pipe from the dispenser 9 is connected to the suction port 2a. As in the case, the dispenser 9 is operated intermittently, and air is sucked from the probe unit 3. Then, bubbles rise in the test solution in the reaction container section 2, whereby the test solution is sufficiently stirred.

When it is necessary to further dispense the second reagent or the like into the reaction vessel section 2, the steps of suction, dilution and stirring of the reagent shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are added.

By performing photometry in the same manner as in the step shown in FIG. 5, the optical characteristics of the test solution such as the absorbance can be measured.

With respect to the reaction container 1 for which photometry has been completed in this manner,
If this is made disposable, the cleaning step can be omitted. If it is not disposable, the test solution in the reaction vessel 1 is discharged from the probe unit 3 in the next step, and the washing solution is sucked from the probe unit 3 to perform washing.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since all the steps can be covered by the reaction vessel 1, the operation of the transfer mechanism does not need to be complicated, and the number of components can be reduced. Therefore, the mechanism can be simplified and the size can be reduced. Further, since the probe section 3 is formed integrally with the reaction vessel section 2, almost no cleaning liquid is required in the middle of each step, so that the amount of waste liquid is small and the processing is easy.

In addition, since reagents and the like are dispensed from the probe unit 3 and directly introduced into the connected reaction container unit 2, the upper opening is formed according to the accuracy of the transfer position of the probe as in a conventional reaction container. There is no need to increase the diameter. Moreover, the reaction vessel part 2 has a pair of opposed flat photometric cell surfaces 2b, 2b.
, The reaction vessel section 2 is small, and the space for disposing the reaction vessel is smaller than before, and the wide reaction vessel section 2 has a sufficient reaction space and surface 2b as an accommodating section. As a result, a sufficient photometric volume from the entire surface (or the elongated optical path of the surface 2c) is secured, and as a result, the reaction vessel section 2 can be made smaller in volume than a conventional reaction vessel. Therefore, the amount of samples and reagents required for the test can be reduced.

In addition, the agitating of the test solution and the like can be sufficiently agitated by sucking air from the probe unit 3 with the pipetting device so that the air moves as bubbles in the sample and the like in the reaction container unit and can be sufficiently stirred. No mechanism or drive motor is required.

Furthermore, since the probe section 3 and the reaction vessel section 2 are integrated, when the reaction vessel 1 is made disposable, the probe for dispensing the sample and the reagent, the stirring rod, etc. for each test need not be washed as in the conventional case. Since it is good, the cost can be reduced.

In addition, the reaction container 1 can be discarded for each test, and all of the sample, reagent, diluent, air, etc. are sucked only in one direction of the probe. is there.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the method for using the analysis container according to the present invention, it is possible to easily perform photometry simply by connecting the analysis container to an appropriate pressure supply unit and guiding the analysis target into the storage unit. There is also an advantage that the amount of liquid can be reduced and the analysis operation can be simplified. Further, in the case where the analysis and the measurement are performed and replaced from the reaction to the measurement for each test and discarded, the operability can be improved since there is no carryover.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (A) is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of a reaction vessel according to the present invention, (B) is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. (A), and FIGS. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a reaction vessel in each step, FIG. 2 is a reagent dispensing step, FIG. 3 is a diluent dispensing step, FIG. 4 is a stirring step, FIG. 5 is a photometric step, and FIG. Sample dispensing process, FIG. 7 shows diluent dispensing process,
FIG. 8 shows a stirring step. 1 ... Reaction vessel, 2 ... Reaction vessel part, 2b ... Photometry cell surface, 3 ... Probe part.

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-61-164143 (JP, A) JP-A-55-26454 (JP, A) JP-A-48-48173 (JP, A) JP-A-63-229371 (JP) JP-A-57-111452 (JP, A) JP-A-51-108887 (JP, A) JP-A-52-43487 (JP, A) JP-A-62-213849 (JP, A) 1-167668 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model 1-87239 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 61-155034 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 62-49752 (JP, U)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An accommodating portion having at least two opposing photometric walls and a pressure supply opening provided in communication with a part of the accommodating portion and connected to an appropriate dispenser to be able to introduce pressure. And a small-diameter introduction tube portion provided in a part of the accommodation portion and communicated with a position different from the pressure supply opening portion to guide a sample and a reagent to the accommodation portion. The introduction tube tip has an inner diameter such that the analysis liquid introduced into the storage unit does not drop due to surface tension even when the pressure supply opening is not connected to the pipetting device in the tube. An analysis container having an opening portion and forming a probe portion that can be immersed in a sample and a reagent including this opening portion is exchanged between a sample dispenser and a reagent dispenser. Air-tightly connected while immersing the introduction tube in a sample and a reagent. A method of using an analysis container, wherein suction pressure is supplied while introducing an analyte into the storage section, and optical measurement of the analysis object is performed through a photometric wall surface of the storage section. 2. The analysis according to claim 1, wherein the analysis container is discarded for each test, and a series of processes from the reaction with the sample and the reagent to the measurement are performed for each analysis container. How to use the container.