JP3605640B2 - Liquid test sample storage container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid test sample storage container used for inspecting, analyzing, and measuring a liquid test sample or a minute test object dispersed in a liquid medium.
[0002]
[Problems to be solved by the prior art and the invention]
When the test sample is a liquid, a container such as a test tube may be used as a container for storing the test sample liquid. However, if the observation and measurement means is a measurement method and a measurement device capable of observation and measurement even in a state where the liquid sample is held in the test tube, for example, when trying to observe a liquid sample with an optical microscope, the observation and measurement means are held in the test tube. It cannot be observed as it is. In such a case, only a small amount of the sample liquid was collected on the preparation and observed. Also, the sample can be set only in a certain direction so that the liquid does not spill, and it is not possible to observe the sample in a tilted direction. There was no way to rotate and observe in all directions.
[0003]
As an example of using such a liquid as a subject, research and observation of various biological reactions including DNA research are one of the cases that have recently increased. For example, so-called bio-related studies, such as culture tests of osteoblasts and the like, have become active. In general, bio-related research depends on the research method, but a considerable number of subjects are prepared and often observed continuously over a long period of time. To explain this, for example, using a cell culture test as an example, the conventional observation method is to collect a sample together with a culture solution from a culture vessel in which cells are cultured, prepare the sample, and set the sample on an optical microscope or the like to observe. However, even if the work up to the setting is taken, not only is considerable skill and labor required, but it is extremely laborious to repeat this process continuously for many subjects. This is a serious obstacle to research activities, and is one of the obstacles to efficient research.
[0004]
In addition, even for samples carefully set on a preparation, etc., once collected on the preparation, the environment of the incubator cannot be maintained forever, and there is naturally a limit to continue observation with only one prepared sample. Yes, it cannot be observed for a very long time. That is, in order to continue the observation over time, it is necessary to collect the sample from the incubator in which the culture has been performed, and to set it each time. The number of observation specimens to be prepared increases by the number of time-lapse observation samples to be investigated, and the amount of work to repeatedly prepare is a heavy burden. That is, the work load that had to rely on such a work mode was never small.
[0005]
Further, as an example of using a liquid as a subject, there is a water quality survey of river water in addition to the above-described biological reaction. There is a collection of the local water quality to be investigated, confirmation of microbes in the water quality environment living there, and observation of its ecology. Alternatively, there is collection and observation of micro-organisms such as plankton generated in water quality.
In these surveys, if biological subjects are used as subjects, it is necessary to bring them back to the laboratory, maintain and manage them as close to the environment as possible, and observe them. With the method, it was difficult to maintain such a test sample for a long time in the same manner as the environment in which it was collected. Observations have therefore been forced to collect and set a new sample each time.
[0006]
Alternatively, when performing spectral analysis of a liquid sample with high light absorption, it was known that measurement could be performed by reducing the thickness of the liquid layer and increasing the light transmittance to some extent. No convenient liquid sample storage container has been developed to respond to the above-mentioned requirements, and such analysis has been difficult for liquids.
[0007]
In other words, in the measurement and observation techniques using a liquid as a test subject, the observation method has various problems because the test sample is a liquid and because there are many cases involving biotechnology. It has been desired to develop a versatile storage container free of such inconvenience. The present invention aims to provide a versatile liquid test sample storage container whose use is not limited by the measuring means unless otherwise specified, that is, a sample set once. Can be continuously observed and measured for a relatively long time, and therefore can be efficiently and accurately observed without the need to set each time as compared with the conventional measurement work. An object of the present invention is to provide a container for storing a liquid test sample.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Therefore, the present inventor has conducted intensive studies and found that the container for storing the test liquid has a container structure having a flat space with a narrow flat gap formed of a transparent material and a flat shape. The liquid stored in the flat capillary space can be observed from outside, without any inconvenience such as liquid leakage, and the light transmittance is good, and the sample once set is held in a closed state. Can be maintained for a long time from where it is, can be used for observation and measurement for a relatively long time, and can be continuously observed efficiently, thereby greatly contributing to research activities. It is intended to provide a sample storage container.
[0009]
That is, the first solution of the present invention is to provide a liquid test sample storage container with (1) both ends.Protrudingly mounted on the containerA liquid test sample storage container having a flat capillary space having a liquid injector tip end insertion port and being connected to the insertion port and storing and holding a liquid sample in a thin film form; With the insertion opening structure of the liquid injector tip insertion port, the inserted liquid injector tip comes into close contact with the inlet from the inlet side that has a wide opening into which the liquid injector tip can be inserted freely. With a structure tapered to the back side with a narrow opening, the material of the container, at least the capillary space area where the liquid test sample is stored and held, is made of a transparent material so that it can be observed from the outside It is characterized by having.
[0010]
According to a second solution of the present invention, in the liquid sample storage container according to the first solution, (2) the flat capillary space is formed by a narrow gap suitable for observation. It is a feature.
[0011]
A third solution is the liquid sample storage container according to the first solution, wherein (4) the transparent material is made of glass or plastic. is there.
[0012]
A fourth solution is the liquid sample storage container according to the third solution, wherein (4) the plastic is an amorphous polyolefin resin.
[0013]
The container of the present invention has a structure having a flat and narrow capillary space, and as is apparent from the structure in which a liquid sample is stored in this space, when using this container, a specific injection means is required. There must be. That is, a liquid sample to be sampled is collected by injecting a sample liquid into a liquid injector having a matching tapered tip, which almost corresponds to the shape of the insertion port such as a syringe, a dropper, or a pipette, and press-fitting this into a capillary space. Inject into container. The sample liquid is stored as it is, and is integrated with the container and stored as a measurement and observation sample.
[0014]
Here, the technical significance of the requirements described in the above (1) is that a transparent material is selected as the material of the container so that it can be observed from outside, and the liquid sample is placed in the flat capillary space. Is thinly sealed, ensuring light transmission and making it easier to ensure that the sample pieces dispersed in the liquid to be observed do not overlap, and that they are independently dispersed. This makes it possible to secure an easy-to-use state.
[0015]
In addition, the technical significance of the tapered structure of the insertion opening of the liquid injector tip insertion port attached to both ends is that when the sample liquid is injected into the flat capillary space with a narrow gap, At the time of the injection, bubbles may be mixed in, and this is to be prevented.
That is, the structure of the insertion port with respect to the tip portion of the liquid injector is tapered from the inlet portion having a wide opening to the deep portion having a narrow opening so that the insertion of the tip portion can be easily and freely performed. By setting to, the relationship between the inserted tip of the liquid injector and the insertion port can be brought into close contact with each other, so that the sample liquid is pressed at once, so that no bubbles are mixed. It is.
[0016]
Although the cause of the inclusion of bubbles will be described in detail later, the following is briefly considered here. That is, when injecting a liquid into a narrow flat capillary space by operating a liquid injector, in addition to the flat capillary, which is a structure in which liquid is extremely difficult to flow, the tip of the liquid injector, which is a means for injection, is tapered. Even if you try to insert the liquid by simply inserting it into the injection port, which is not provided with an injection opening, and trying to press-in the liquid, the close contact of the liquid injector is not ensured, and almost no pressure is applied to the sample flowing into the capillary. And the inflow speed of the liquid decreases due to the fluid resistance of the capillary. On the other hand, the wettability of the liquid and the inner wall of the container differs depending on the subtle differences depending on the location of the cleanliness of the inner wall of the container and local differences in the shape such as the center or end of the capillary. The shape of the liquid surface at the forefront of the flowing liquid tends to be curved, reflecting such a difference in wetness. If the flow rate of the liquid is low, the curvature of the liquid level at the forefront increases, eventually resulting in the inclusion of bubbles.
[0017]
In fact, when there is no taper, that is, when it is based on the insertion port of the cylindrical structure having the same inner diameter, there is a high probability that air bubbles are mixed. In particular, in the case of a syringe with a needle, bubbles were likely to be mixed due to entrainment of the above-mentioned bubbles. However, when the container of the present invention in which the structure of the insertion port is set to a tapered structure is used, that is, FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention described later, or a diagram showing a part thereof in an enlarged manner. As shown in FIG. 2, the taper 7 allows the container and the liquid injector to be easily adhered to each other, and the sample liquid can be forcibly injected at a high speed by pushing the piston 8 of the liquid injector 3. The liquid injection can be completed quickly before the phenomenon that the shape of the liquid surface at the forefront of the liquid flowing into the container advances, and the intrusion of bubbles can be prevented. After the liquid injection operation, if necessary, the liquid injector is left as it is, otherwise, the tip of the liquid injector is removed from the container. At this time, since the taper portion 7 is in contact with the container, the direction of inserting the liquid injector is as follows. By simply pulling out in the opposite direction, the close contact between the tip of the liquid injector and the container port can be easily eliminated, so that the removal operation can be easily performed.
[0018]
In addition, the bubbles once mixed are an obstacle to observation, as a matter of course. In addition, it is not only extremely difficult to remove the foam once it has entered the narrow capillary space, but once the bubble has entered, the sample value is reduced by half because it is not suitable for use as observation means. However, it has to be disposed of together with the expensive container. From the above, it can be said that the significance of solving the bubble mixing problem by taking a simple means of setting the structure to a tapered structure is very large.
[0019]
The technical significance of the requirements described in (2) is that, for the container described in (1), if the setting of the flat capillary space, which is a component requirement, is not set too large, the sample can be developed thinly and can be used for observation. Since it is suitable, it is set to be narrow in consideration of this point. The setting range of the gap is preferably up to about 0.5 mm. Exceeding this, the sample liquid cannot be developed thinly, so that a merit as a general-purpose observation instrument such as microscopic observation cannot be expected. However, this numerical value is a numerical value as an embodiment when versatility is considered, and is not intended to limit the present invention.
That is, as long as the object of the invention is not changed, it is natural that a setting exceeding this is included in the embodiment, and in that case, it should be distinguished from a mere storage container such as a normal bottle.
[0020]
The technical significance of the requirements described in (3) is that the amount of liquid to be injected can be set higher than the upper end surface of the capillary section by providing the tip end insertion port of the injector so as to protrude from the container. This is to completely fill the capillary with the amount of liquid to be injected. In other words, this is to prevent the liquid non-storage void from being formed in the capillary.
[0021]
The technical significance of the requirements described in (4) is to disclose the selection of specific materials for realizing the container described in (1) so that the sample in the container can be observed from the outside.
[0022]
Embodiments and Examples of the Invention
Hereinafter, the liquid test sample storage container of the present invention and its use mode will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a liquid test sample storage container having a narrow capillary space 5 made of a transparent material and having a narrow gap, and an insertion port 1 for inserting a distal end portion 4 of a liquid injector 3 is provided in the container. 2 are provided at both ends. One space from one insertion port 1 to the other insertion port 1 forms one continuous space via the flat capillary space 5. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a plug-in mounting relationship between the distal end portion 4 of the liquid injector 3 and the insertion port 1 of the container 2, and the insertion port 1 is connected to a narrow passage from an inlet side having a wide opening. It is set to have a structure with a taper 7 toward the back side, so that it can be attached in close contact with a simple operation of inserting the tip 4 of the liquid injector 3 into the insertion port 1. That is, the liquid injector 3 is airtightly attached to the container 2, and is capable of pressing the liquid 6 into the capillary space 5 of the container 2. The setting of the taper 7 may be, for example, a shape that is in close contact with the injection needle mounting portion 4 of a commercially available standard luer-type liquid injector (syringe) 3.
However, it is not limited to this.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a liquid sample sealed in the container.
[0023]
The length and width of the capillary are not particularly limited and may be arbitrarily set, but may be determined according to the observation purpose and observation equipment used.
The thickness of the wall of the container is also basically not particularly limited, but a certain thickness is required from the point of strength, and thus may be determined in consideration of this point.
[0024]
First, a liquid test sample 6 is collected in the liquid injector 3, and the tip 4 of the liquid injector 3 is inserted into the tapered portion 7 of the insertion port 1. The amount of insertion is such that the distal end directly contacts the taper and the liquid injector and the container are air-tightly contacted. Next, the liquid sample 6 is forcibly injected into the capillary 5 while applying pressure. For example, when a needle (not shown) is attached to the distal end portion 4 of the liquid injector 3 and inserted into the insertion port 1 of the container to inject a liquid sample, or when the insertion port 1 is simply provided with the same inner diameter. If it is set to be cylindrical and not set to a tapered structure as in the present invention, it is difficult to maintain the close contact between the liquid injector 3 and the container 2, and as a result, (0015) to (0015) [0017] As described in (0017), a bubble generation phenomenon occurs due to the inclusion of air at the time of injection, which results in halving the value as a storage sample for observation.
[0025]
That is, when the relationship between the container 2 and the liquid injector 3 is not abutted in a sufficiently close state, the pressure of the liquid sample flowing into the narrow capillary space is hardly applied, and only the capillary is applied. Of the liquid acts, and as a result, the inflow speed of the liquid decreases. In addition, since the way in which the liquid 6 and the inner wall of the container get wet is different depending on a subtle difference depending on the degree of cleanliness of the inner wall of the container and a difference in local shape such as the center or end of the capillary, The shape of the liquid surface at the forefront of the liquid flowing into the capillary 5 at the time of liquid injection tends to be curved, reflecting such a difference in the way of wetting. If the flow rate of the liquid is low, the curvature of the liquid level at the forefront increases, eventually resulting in the inclusion of bubbles. In fact, the conventional injection method has a high probability that air bubbles are mixed.
[0026]
However, by making the structure of the insertion port 1 a structure with a taper 7, the two can be easily brought into close contact with the tapered portion 7 by simply inserting the tip 4 of the liquid injector 3 into the insertion port 1. The sample liquid can be forcibly injected at a high speed only by actuating the piston 8 of the liquid injector 3 and press-fitting, and the shape of the liquid surface at the forefront of the liquid flowing into the capillary 5 is curved. The injection can be completed quickly before the phenomenon progresses, and the incorporation of bubbles can be prevented. After the pouring operation, if necessary, the tip 4 of the pouring device may be left inserted in the insertion port 1 as it is, but it is usually removed and the insertion port 1 is sealed with a sealing material. Stop. At the time of this removal, since the distal end portion 4 and the insertion port 1 are in contact with each other while being inserted by the tapered portion 7, the abutting relationship between them is such that an excessive force can be obtained only by extracting in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. It can be easily disassembled without the need for and can be removed. In contrast to the case where removal is difficult without force, when removal requires excessive force, it may cause trouble such as sucking out liquid in the capillary. On the other hand, in the present invention, such a situation does not occur.
[0027]
As the material of the container, a hard and transparent material is appropriate, and examples thereof include quartz glass, various optical glasses, and plastics (polycarbonate, acrylic, polystyrene, and the like). In particular, when glass is used, the flat surface of the capillary portion can be optically polished so as to have a high smoothness, which is advantageous for observation of a sample with an optical microscope at high image quality, and further, in an ultraviolet light region. Can be measured. In addition, when plastic is used, there is an advantage that inexpensive containers can be mass-produced by molding.
[0028]
However, when plastic is used as the container material and the sample liquid is water or an aqueous solution, the plastic is generally different from glass and has a slight but permeable nature. Should pay close attention to this point.
The property indicating the moisture permeation of the plastic is “moisture permeability”, and the amount indicating the value is “moisture permeability”. Here, the “moisture permeability” is specified in the JIS standard (JIS Z 0208).
The moisture permeability according to this rule is g / m²-Expressed in the unit of 24Hr, 40 ° C, 90% RH.
That is, an area of 1 m in an environment of 40 ° C. and 90% relative humidity.²Is expressed by a value indicating the weight of water permeating through the plastic for 24 hours.
[0029]
Based on the moisture permeability defined above, the moisture permeability of the plastic when the thickness is 1 mm is specifically disclosed. For example, polycarbonate is about 4, polystyrene about 3, polypropylene about 0.3, and high density polyethylene 0.13. , In order of, and there is a considerable difference in moisture permeability depending on the plastic.
For example, the container is made of polycarbonate made of container material, the thickness of the container wall is 1 mm, and the surface area of the container is 0.001 m.²  (10cm²), 100 g / m of converted aqueous solution per unit area²From 500g / m²When the actual amount of the solution in the container is set to 0.1 g to 0.5 g, the water in the container is discharged to the outside through the container wall material, as a result of the above calculation based on the moisture permeability. The time required for the water to disappear was from 25 days to 125 days, which was generally consistent with the values experienced during long-term storage.
[0030]
That is, when using plastics, it is important to know the moisture permeability as a measure of the storage period.
The above-listed plastic resins are all very well-known transparent resins, and when selecting a container material from various plastics including these, consider long-term storage characteristics. In this case, moisture permeability should also be considered as one of the selection guidelines.
That is, a material suitable for a container for long-term storage of a liquid sample has a small moisture permeability (as a guide, the moisture permeability is 0.3 g / m when the thickness is 1 mm).²・ 24Hr, 40 ° C, 90% RH or less) Excellent optical transparency is required. As a result of examining the moisture permeability of various transparent plastic resins, those which are particularly suitable for the material of the container of the present invention Examples thereof include an amorphous polyolefin resin. Specific product names include APO of Mitsui Chemicals, Apel of the same company, and ZEONEX of Zeon Corporation. When the thickness of these products is 1 mm, the moisture permeability is 0.1 g / m.²-It reached 24Hr, 40 ° C, 90% RH or less, and it was found that these resins were very convenient in that they all had a small photoelastic coefficient and could form a container capable of measuring polarization.
[0031]
Examples of use and use of the liquid test sample storage container of the present invention include, but are not limited to, various use examples as described below.
Example of use 1; Example of use as a storage container for investigating water quality
Water is sampled from the rivers, lakes, marshes, and sea areas to be surveyed, and active plankton is put into the water for inspection and identification of the state of water quality. Observing this with a microscope, information on water quality can be obtained from the situation where the movement becomes inactive or dies.
[0032]
Example of use 2: Example of use as a storage container for identification and inspection of plankton species
Plankton is collected from the sea area where the red tide has occurred, or nearby seawater is collected, collected in the container of the present invention, stored, observed under a microscope, and red tide plankton is identified. Was used as the data for investigation and research. After the end of the study, keep the container tightly closed, or pour a preservative into the container with a liquid injector and save it as a sample sample.
[0033]
Example of use 3: Testing for microbial resistance to drugs
A diluted drug is prepared, mixed with microorganisms, collected in the container of the present invention, and observed under a microscope to continuously confirm the action and effect of the drug.
[0034]
Use example 4; Observation of self-renewal culture test of osteoblast
The osteoblasts cultured in the incubator are collected together with the culture solution in the container of the present invention, and the regenerative state is observed under a microscope for a long period of time, thereby obtaining information on the self-regeneration technology of the cells.
Here, the culture test of osteoblasts is described, but it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to culture tests of not only osteoblasts but also other various cells. As an example, collecting a culture test sample of a universal cell, which has recently attracted attention, and observing the sample is mentioned.
[0035]
Usage Example 5: Inspection of the time course of a chemical reaction in a solution having a high light absorption rate.
The reaction solution is collected in the container of the present invention, subjected to spectroscopic measurement, and the progress of the reaction is confirmed and examined by a spectroscopic spectrum, thereby obtaining reaction control technical information.
[0036]
Use Example 6: Inspection of effectiveness of photocatalyst.
In recent years, attention has been paid to the photocatalytic performance of titanium dioxide. One example is the photolysis reaction of organic substances. Photocatalytic particles such as titanium dioxide fine particles are dispersed in a solution mixed with an organic substance, collected in the container of the present invention, irradiated with light from the outside for a certain period of time, and the decomposition state of the organic substance is examined by spectrometry.
[0037]
The container of the present invention is particularly suitable for use examples 1 to 4 in which the observation method is mainly based on observation with a microscope, and a plurality of sample pieces appear to overlap or move in the depth direction of the microscope. It is a container that can prevent the sample from being out of focus, and can suppress the generation of bubbles that may hinder the sample observation due to the entrapment of air. I can say.
[0038]
In use examples 5 and 6, since the observation method is based on spectroscopic measurement of transmitted light, it is necessary to secure sufficient transmitted light for measurement in the measurement. The container of the present invention is made of a transparent material, and the liquid storage space is set as a capillary space with a flat narrow gap, so that the sample liquid can be held in a thin film with good light transmittance, The spectroscopic analysis can be performed. That is, it enables spectroscopic analysis of a liquid, which has been difficult so far, thereby greatly contributing to broadening the range of analysis. In the use example based on the spectroscopic analysis, it is needless to say that the presence of air bubbles hinders the measurement, and the present invention that solves the problem of air bubbles is extremely significant.
[0039]
In addition to the above example, the container of the present invention is generally a liquid sample, or a liquid sample in which a dispersion is dispersed in a liquid, uniformly developed into a thin liquid film without mixing bubbles, Needless to say, it can be widely used when it is necessary to perform optical observation or optical measurement.
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the container of the present invention, the liquid sample can be easily spread thinly and uniformly without introducing air bubbles, and can be stored in a state where optical observation and spectroscopic measurement can be easily performed. can do. The range of application and use is not limited at all, and provides a highly versatile observation container, and its significance is extremely large. This is expected to contribute not only to those involved in research and experimentation but also to the education industry and education industry widely by using it in teaching materials for science education.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a flat capillary container according to the present invention and its use.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a relationship between a tip portion of a liquid injector and a container insertion port.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Injection port
2 ... Flat capillary container
3 ・ ・ ・ Injector
4: Tip of liquid injector
5 ... inside the capillary
6 ... Liquid sample
7 ・ ・ ・ Tapered part
8 ... Piston

Claims (4)

A liquid test device having a flat capillary space that has a liquid injector tip insertion port protrudingly attached to both ends and is connected to the insertion port and in which a liquid sample is stored and held in a thin film shape. A sample storage container, wherein the insertion opening structure of the liquid injector tip insertion port is inserted from the inlet side having a wide opening into which the liquid injector tip can be freely inserted. Has a narrow opening that has a narrow opening that is in close contact with the container, and the material of the container is at least a capillary space area where the liquid test sample is stored and held so that it can be observed from the outside. A liquid test sample storage container comprising a transparent material. 2. The liquid sample storage container according to claim 1, wherein the flat capillary space is formed by a narrow gap suitable for observation. 3. The sample storage container according to claim 1, wherein the transparent material is made of glass or plastic. The plastic is an amorphous polyolefin resin. Three A storage container for a liquid test sample according to the above.

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