JP3354434B2 - Multiple tip holder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multiple tip holder which is mounted on a nozzle of a multiple pipettor or the like so that tips used when dispensing a large number of liquid samples at once can be held at predetermined intervals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the fields of biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine, clinical examination, etc., it is necessary to quantitatively dispense a liquid sample such as a reagent at a level of several milliliters to 1 microliter. A dispensing device such as a piston-type pipettor capable of accurately dispensing a fixed amount is used.

[0003] A tip of such a dispensing apparatus is mounted with a chip which sucks and discharges a liquid sample by directly touching the same, and mixing of the different liquid samples is prevented by exchanging tips.

[0004] In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the working efficiency, it is necessary to dispense a large number of the same liquid sample at the same time.
A multiple pipettor having a plurality of nozzles provided at intervals of the 96-well microplate is used.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing the configuration of such a multiple pipettor. For convenience of explanation, only the plate 6 is shown in a sectional view. A tip insertion section 2 provided with a number of nozzles 3 is attached to the tip of the piston section 1. Then, a tip 20 is mounted on the nozzle 3.

As a result, the piston 5 is moved upward to suck the liquid sample into the tip 20, and then the multiple pipetter is moved onto the plate 6 to move the piston 5 downward. As a result, the liquid sample is discharged to the recess 7 of the plate 6 to perform the dispensing process.

The mounting of the tip 20 on the nozzle 3 is performed as follows.
The tip 20 is set in the tip rack in advance, and then the dispensing device is moved in the direction of the tip 20 to move the nozzle 3 to the tip 2.
This is done by inserting it into 0.

[0008]

However, when a large number of nozzles 3 are inserted into and mounted on the chip 20, there are the following problems.

That is, when the chip 20 is usually mounted on the nozzle 3, the chip 20 is placed upright in a chip rack 9 as shown in FIG. 9, and then the nozzle 3 is inserted after heat treatment for sterilization. I have. Note that FIG.
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view when the wire is broken so as to include the following.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 10, the tip 20 is composed of a head 21 and a liquid portion 22, the diameter of the head 21 is very small (about 0.5 cm) and the length is several centimeters. The liquid portion 22 has a hole 23 through which a liquid sample enters and exits.

The tip of the tip 20 is not held from the viewpoint of preventing contamination by the tip rack 9 and the like.

Due to such circumstances, it is necessary to take great care when setting the chips 20 in the chip rack 9 and to set them vertically, and to carry out heat treatment while maintaining the state. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, an inclined chip 20a also exists among many chips 20.

Therefore, when the dispensing device is moved in the direction of the tip 20 (the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 9) with respect to the tip 20 to insert the nozzle 3 into the tip 20, the inclined tip 20a In some cases, the nozzle 3 is not properly inserted into the nozzle, and a failure such as an incorrect mounting of the chip 20 or breakage of the nozzle 3 or the chip 20 may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple chip holder capable of reducing the trouble of setting chips in a chip rack and preventing the chips from being tilted.

[0015]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of chips mounted on a nozzle of a dispensing apparatus and used for dispensing a liquid sample. Two storage units with storage units
Holding member, one of the holding members is provided with an engaging portion,
The other holding member has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion.
Then, the chip is stored in the storage part, and the engaging part and the engaged part are
Multiple chips can be held at once by engaging
Characterized in that way the.

That is , the present invention is characterized in that a predetermined number of individually formed chips can be integrally held while maintaining a predetermined interval.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the holding member is formed of polypropylene, polycarbonate or heat-resistant silicone rubber, so that when the chip is sterilized, it can be sterilized while holding the chip. The multiple chip holder according to claim 1, wherein

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there are provided two holding members.
Are provided separately from each other, and the engaging portion and the engaged
Chip that is provided and held between adjacent storage units
The number of storage sections can be adjusted by cutting according to the number of
It is characterized by being provided as possible .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there are provided two holding members.
Are connected at one end, and the other end is
Engagement parts are provided, respectively, to store a predetermined number of chips
It is characterized by being held between parts .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing device comprising:
Used for dispensing liquid samples
A ring in which the tips are inserted at a predetermined interval, and the ring
With a connecting member to tie, according to the number of chips to be held
And the connecting member is provided so as to be cuttable.

[0021]

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, since the tip 20 and the dispensing device are the same as those of the conventional configuration, the description will be omitted by using the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a case where a plurality of chips 20 are held by using the multiple chip holder 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 (a) shows an area A shown in FIG. 2
(B) is a figure which expanded and showed each B area | region shown in FIG. FIG. 3A shows the multiple chip holder 1.
FIG. 3 is a top view when the chip 20 is held by 0, FIG.
(B) shows a side view at that time.

The multiple chip holder 10 includes a semicircular storage portion 15 as chip holding means made of polypropylene, polycarbonate, heat-resistant silicon rubber, or the like, and a connecting portion 1.
6 and a female member 12 having a semicircular storage portion 17 and a connecting portion 18.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 16 of the male member 11 is formed with a projection 13 which is an engaging portion whose tip is appropriately set larger than the body portion.
8 has an engagement hole 14 which is an engaged portion to be engaged with the projection 13.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the male member 11 or the female member 12 when the projection 13 or the engagement hole 14 is removed. The male member 11 and the female member 12
And a liquid storage part 19c for storing the liquid part 22.

Then, the chip 20 is sandwiched between the storage portions 15 and 17 of the male member 11 and the female member 12 and
The plurality of chips 20 are held by being inserted into and engaged with 4.

At this time, the lower surface 25 (see FIG. 10) of the head of the chip 20 is held so as to be in contact with the bottom surface 19b of the head storage portion 19a. As a result, the holding positions of the chips 20 in the longitudinal direction are regulated, and the tip positions of the plurality of chips 20 are aligned, so that even if one chip 20 is in contact with the liquid sample, the other chip 20 is not in contact. The inconvenience mentioned does not occur.

Further, since the lower surface 25 of the head of the chip 20 is in surface contact with the bottom surface 19b of the head storage portion 19a, the chip 2
0 is not tilted and held, so that an insertion error when trying to insert the nozzle 3 into the tip 20 can be prevented, and there is no variation in the insertion distance of the nozzle 3, and the tip 20 can be inserted into the nozzle 3 by a uniform fitting force. It becomes possible to insert in.

Further, since all the chips 20 are held without tilting, when the liquid sample is discharged into the recess, the chip 20 comes into contact with the side wall of the recess or the liquid sample spills out of the recess. And the like can be prevented.

Since the multiple chip holder 10 is formed of polypropylene, polycarbonate, heat-resistant silicon rubber, or the like, it can be easily cut with scissors, a cutter, or the like. Therefore, the male member 11 and the female member 12 can be separated and used according to the number of chips 20 to be held.

Further, since polypropylene, polycarbonate, heat-resistant silicone rubber, and the like are members that are strong against heat and chemicals, heat treatment such as autoclave sterilization and chemical cleaning treatment can be performed while holding the chip 20. become.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. FIG.
(A) shows the multiple chip holder 30 according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows a top view of holding the chip 20 by FIG.
FIG. 5B is a top view showing the holding state, and FIG. 5C is a side view showing the holding state.

Multiple chip holder 3 according to the present embodiment
Reference numeral 0 denotes a male member 31 made of polypropylene, polycarbonate, heat-resistant silicone rubber, or the like, having a semicircular storage section 38, a connecting section 37, and an engagement claw 33, which are chip holding means, and a semicircular storage section 35. , A female member 32 having a connecting portion 36 and a claw groove 34.

One end of the male member 31 and one end of the female member 32 are connected by these members so that the male member 31 and the female member 32 are not separated.

Then, a predetermined number of chips 20 are gripped so as to sandwich them, and the engaging claws 33 are engaged with the claw grooves 34 to hold the chips 20.

A storage section 35 for the male member 31 and the female member 32,
Since the reference numeral 38 has a predetermined thickness d (see FIG. 5A), even if the engagement between the male member 31 and the female member 32 is performed at one place by the engaging claw 33 and the claw groove 34, Can be held with a predetermined force, and the holding operation can be easily performed.

Also, as described in the first embodiment, since the storage portions 35 and 38 also have a surface in contact with the lower surface 25 of the head of the chip 20, the position of the chip 20 in the longitudinal direction is not changed. In addition to being restricted, the tip 20 is not held inclined. Therefore, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be achieved.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

The multiple tip holder described so far is
It has a configuration in which a male member and a female member are provided, and these grip and hold the chip 20. On the other hand, the invention according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which a number of rings into which the tip 20 is inserted are connected.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of such a multiple chip holder. The multiple chip holder has a configuration in which a number of rings 41 each having a predetermined inner diameter are connected by a bridge 42, and is formed of a heat-resistant member such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, or heat-resistant silicon rubber.

The inner diameter of the ring 41 at this time is
It is necessary to set according to the place where 0 is held. FIG.
Shows a side view of a case in which two multiple tip holders are used to hold the portion immediately below the head of the tip 20 and the vicinity of the tip of the tip 20. In such a case, two multiple tip holders in which the size of the ring 41 is set to the diameter immediately below the head of the tip 20 and the diameter near the tip end are prepared.

Then, the tip 20 is inserted into the ring 41 from the tip of the tip 20, and the lower surface 2 of the head of the tip 20 is
5 is brought into contact with the ring 41. As a result, the insertion positions of the chips 20 in the longitudinal direction can be aligned, and the positions and intervals of the tip positions are also aligned.

In order to hold the tip 20 with a predetermined force, the diameter of the ring 41 inserted just below the head of the tip 20 is preferably set to be appropriately smaller than the diameter just below the head. .

As described above, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those according to the first and second embodiments described above.

In the above description, the case where the number of the multiple chip holders used for holding the chip 20 is two has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any number may be used as needed. Needless to say, this is possible.

[0047]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a chip is provided .
Formed by two storage members having storage portions for storing
In this case, one storage member has an engaging portion, and the other storage member has
Since the engaging portion and the engaged portion to be engaged are provided, it is possible to greatly reduce the labor for setting the chip in the chip rack and to prevent the set chip from tilting. , Mounting errors and the like can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the holding member is formed of a heat-resistant member such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, or heat-resistant silicon rubber, it takes time to set the chip on the chip rack. Can be significantly reduced, and the set chip does not tilt, so that mounting mistakes and the like can be prevented, and the chip can be used for heat treatment such as autoclave sterilization. The heat treatment can be performed while maintaining the temperature.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, two
The storage members are provided separately, and the engaging part and the engaged part
Of chips to be held between adjacent storage units
Two storage members can be cut according to the number.
So the number of chips held together can be changed
Become like

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, two
One end of the receiving member is connected, and the other end is
By providing each engaged portion, a predetermined number of chips
Can be held together with the pump interposed.

According to the invention of claim 5, the chip is
The ring to be inserted and the bridge connecting the rings
Connection part according to the number of chips to be held.
The material can be cut and used.

[0052]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of chips are held by a multiple chip holder applied to the description of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial detailed view of the multiple tip holder of FIG. 1,
(A) is a partial top view showing the configuration of a projection provided on the male member in detail, and (b) is a partial top view showing the configuration of an engagement hole provided on the female member.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing a case where a plurality of chips are held by the multiple chip holder of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 3A is a top view and FIG. 3B is a side view.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a storage section of FIG. 1;

5A and 5B are configuration diagrams of a multiple chip holder applied to the description of a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A is a top view showing a state in which a plurality of chips are held, and FIG. The top view when holding, and (c) is a side view.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a multiple chip holder applied to the description of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view when a plurality of chips are held by the multiple chip holder of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram when a liquid sample is dispensed by a dispensing device applied to the description of the conventional technique.

FIG. 9 is a diagram applied to the description of the problem of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a chip.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 30, 40 Multiple chip holder 11, 31 Male member 12, 32 Female member 13 Projection 14 Engagement hole 15, 17, 35, 38 Storage portion 16, 18, 36, 37 Connection portion 33 Engagement claw 34 Engage Groove 41 Ring 42 Bridge 20 Tip

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B01L 3/02 G01N 1/00 101 B01J 4/00-4/02

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A is attached to the nozzle of the dispensing device housed in a number of chips predetermined interval used for dispensing processing of liquid samples
Having two holding members provided with storage portions to be
The holding member is provided with an engaging portion, and the other holding member is provided with an engaging portion.
The member is provided with an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion,
The chip is stored in the storage section, and is engaged with the engagement section.
Holds multiple chips at once by engaging parts
A multiple tip holder characterized by being made possible. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said holding member is formed of polypropylene, polycarbonate or heat-resistant silicone rubber, so that when said chip is sterilized, said chip can be sterilized while holding said chip. 1
The multiple tip holder described. 3. The two holding members are separate from each other.
Provided that the engaging portion and the engaged portion are adjacent to each other.
Provided between the storage sections, according to the number of chips to be held
The number of the storage sections is adjustable by cutting
3. The multiple chip holder according to claim 1, wherein the multiple chip holders are provided. 4. The two holding members are connected at one end.
And the engaging portion or engaged portion is connected to the other end.
And a predetermined number of the chips are sandwiched between the storage portions.
The multiple chip holder according to claim 1, wherein the multiple chip holders are held by holding . 5. A liquid sample attached to a nozzle of a dispensing device.
Many chips used for dispensing process are inserted at predetermined intervals
And a connecting member for connecting the ring.
The connecting member can be cut according to the number of chips to be held.
A multiple tip holder characterized by being provided in a noh .