JP4496035B2 - centrifuge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a centrifuge for preventing a sample from being infected by sterilizing or sterilizing a working chamber of the centrifuge.

  In recent years, cells have been cultivated in various ways, such as by using patient's own stem cells to differentiate into muscles, nerves, etc., or by substituting and increasing cells such as skin and cartilage. When separating from a culture solution or the like, it is necessary to prevent a cell of another patient from being mixed with a cell of another patient or being infected with various bacteria such as bacteria and viruses.

Conventionally, as a centrifuge capable of being sterilized, for example, a sterilizing lamp is installed in the rotor chamber and irradiated with ultraviolet rays to sterilize the rotor chamber contaminated with other cells and various bacteria. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
JP 2001-79455 A

  When sterilizing with a sterilizing lamp, there is a problem that there is a place where the sterilizing process is not sufficiently performed because ultraviolet rays may not be sufficiently distributed in the rotor chamber depending on the location of the sterilizing lamp. In addition, the rotor chamber is mirror-finished so that the ultraviolet rays emitted from the sterilization lamp can reach the rotor chamber as much as possible, and the entire rotor chamber can be sterilized as much as possible. Again, there was a problem that it was insufficient. Furthermore, in the conventional centrifuge, it was impossible to perform autoclave sterilization, gas sterilization such as ozone and EOG, sterilization processing, and the like on the entire rotor chamber from the viewpoint of the sealing mechanism of the rotational drive part.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge capable of reliably preventing infection by variously sterilizing and sterilizing only the entire rotor chamber.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a rotor that rotates by attaching a centrifuge tube that holds a sample to be centrifuged to a tube holder, a rotor chamber that houses the rotor, a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotor, The rotary drive mechanism includes a lift air cylinder that lifts and lowers the rotary drive mechanism, and a cover that houses the rotary drive mechanism and the lift air cylinder. The rotary drive mechanism rotates the rotary spindle coupled to the bottom of the rotor, and the rotary spindle. A rotation drive motor that rotates the rotor by causing the rotor chamber to have a gas introduction port for introducing gas and a gas discharge port for discharging gas from the rotor chamber, At the top, the rotating spindle is lowered by the elevating air cylinder so as to be in close contact with the bottom of the rotor to isolate the rotor chamber from the cover. With a seal portion of the order, it was only the rotor chamber constitutes a centrifugal separator which enables to perform a disinfection and sterilization treatment with gas.

  Here, in order to prevent contaminants in the cover from entering the rotor chamber during the centrifugal separation operation, it is preferable to install a suction pump in the cover.

  In order to determine the origin position of the rotor, it is preferable to provide a positioning detection plate and a positioning sensor for detecting the origin position of the positioning detection plate at the bottom of the rotating spindle.

As described above, the centrifuge of the present invention operates the above-described lift air cylinder to lower the rotation main shaft so that the seal part of the cover and the bottom of the rotor are brought into close contact with each other, and the rotor chamber and the rotation chamber are rotated and driven. since the device components etc. can be isolated and the cover which houses, by introducing the gas inlet of the various gases of the high-temperature high-pressure steam and ozone autoclave rotor chamber, the autoclave only the rotor chamber it is possible to perform various disinfection and sterilization process and ozone sterilization and the like, the rotation driving mechanism that is housed inside a housing of various gases such as high-temperature high-pressure steam and ozone by preventing gas flowing from the rotor chamber into the cover Ya The elevating air cylinder can be protected, and deterioration of components such as the rotational drive mechanism can be prevented. After the sterilization and sterilization processing is completed, the sterilization or sterilization gas in the rotor chamber is exhausted from the gas exhaust port, and after the gas exhaust is completed, air is introduced into the rotor chamber from the gas introduction port, and the lift air cylinder is raised. The centrifugation operation can be performed again.

  Further, since the origin of the rotor can be positioned, the sample container can always be taken out at the same place even with a robot hand, and automation of cell culture and the like is facilitated.

  FIG. 1 is an overall view of the main part of a centrifuge according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a rotary drive mechanism and the like during sterilization / sterilization processing of the centrifuge are sealed.

  A rotor 1 includes a plurality of tube holders 1a capable of holding a centrifuge tube 2 containing a sample to be centrifuged. The rotor 1 is accommodated in the rotor chamber 10, and even if a chemical solution is spilled during a series of operations of the centrifugal operation, it is possible to keep the contamination only in the rotor chamber.

  The rotor 1 is coupled to the rotary main shaft 11 at the center. The rotary main shaft 11 has a pulley 9b attached to the lower portion thereof and is connected to the pulley 9a by a belt. The pulley 9a is connected to the rotary drive motor 9. . Thereby, when the rotary drive motor 9 rotates, the rotor 1 also rotates and performs centrifugal separation. In addition, in order to absorb the vibration at the time of centrifugal operation, the vibration isolating rubber 3 is provided.

The cover 4 houses a rotation drive mechanism such as the rotation main shaft 11 and the rotation drive motor 9 , a lift air cylinder 5 and a plurality of lift guide shafts 6 .

  In order to prevent contaminants in the cover 4 from entering the rotor chamber 10 during the centrifugal separation operation, and to ensure a clean air downflow flow by HEPA or the like, it is connected to the cover 4. It is also preferable to suck the inside of the cover 4 with a suction pump.

The elevating air cylinder 5 can move the rotary drive mechanism accommodated in the cover 4 and the rotor 1 accommodated in the rotor chamber 10 up and down along a plurality of elevating guide shafts 6.

  A seal portion 7 is provided on the upper portion of the cover 4, and as shown in FIG. 2, the bottom of the rotor 1 is brought into close contact with the seal portion 7 by lowering the elevating air cylinder 5. Can be isolated. For example, an O-ring is used for the seal portion 7 and a material that can withstand high temperatures or various gases is selected.

  In the sterilization and sterilization process, the centrifugal tube 2 is taken out of the rotor chamber 10 after the centrifugal separation operation is finished, and the elevating air cylinder 5 is lowered as shown in FIG. 2 so that the bottom of the rotor 1 and the seal portion 7 are completely brought into close contact with each other. 10 and the cover 4 are separated, the lid of the rotor chamber 10 (not shown) is closed to close the rotor chamber, and the rotor chamber 10 is sealed from a gas inlet provided on the wall of the rotor chamber 10 (not shown). This is performed by introducing sterilization or sterilization gas into the rotor chamber 10. In order to improve the adhesion between the bottom of the rotor 1 and the seal portion 7, it is also preferable to suck the inside of the cover 4 with a suction pump.

  After completion of sterilization and sterilization processing, the sterilization or sterilization gas in the rotor chamber 10 is exhausted from a gas exhaust port provided on the wall of the rotor chamber 10 (not shown), and after the gas exhaustion is completed, air is supplied from the gas inlet to the rotor. By introducing it into the chamber 10 and raising the elevating air cylinder 5, the centrifugal separation operation can be performed again. Note that air is also introduced into the cover 4 after the gas exhaust is completed.

  Here, the O-rings used for the cover 4 and each component in the rotor chamber 10 and the seal portion 7 can be handled by changing the thickness, material, etc. of each material depending on the temperature, pressure, introduced gas, etc. for sterilization / sterilization Is possible.

  Further, the centrifuge tube can be accurately stopped at a predetermined position by the positioning detection plate 8a and the positioning sensor 8 attached to the bottom of the rotating spindle 11. This facilitates automatic removal of the centrifuge tube using the robot hand. The positioning detection plate 8a is cut, for example, so as to be detected by the positioning sensor 8.

Overall view of the main part of the centrifuge according to the present invention Sectional view of the state where the rotary spindle is lowered and the bottom of the rotor is in close contact with the bottom of the rotor when the centrifuge is sterilized and sterilized

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, Rotor 1a, Tube holder 2, Centrifugal tube 3, Anti-vibration rubber 4, Cover 5, Lifting air cylinder 6, Lifting guide shaft 7, Sealing part 8a, Positioning detection plate 8, Positioning sensor 9, Rotation drive motor 9a, 9b , Pulley 10, rotor chamber 11, rotating spindle

Claims (3)

A centrifuge tube that holds a sample to be centrifuged is attached to a tube holder and rotates, a rotor chamber that houses the rotor, a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the rotor, and a lift air cylinder that moves the rotation drive mechanism up and down The rotary drive mechanism and a cover for accommodating the lift air cylinder, the rotary drive mechanism comprising: a rotary spindle coupled to the bottom of the rotor; and a rotary drive motor for rotating the rotor by rotating the rotary spindle. The rotor chamber includes a gas inlet for introducing gas and a gas outlet for discharging gas from the rotor chamber, and the upper portion of the cover is rotated by the elevating air cylinder. A seal part for lowering the main shaft so as to be in close contact with the rotor bottom part and separating the rotor chamber from the cover; Only data room possible to perform sterilization and sterilization by gas and centrifuge.   The centrifuge according to claim 1, wherein a suction pump is mounted in the cover in order to prevent contaminants in the cover from entering the rotor chamber during the centrifugation operation.   The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a positioning detection plate and a positioning sensor for detecting the origin position of the positioning detection plate are provided at the bottom of the rotary spindle to determine the origin position of the rotor.

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