JP4910728B2 - Inspection device and method of using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a test apparatus that performs quantitative and qualitative analysis by adding a reagent to a sample (sample) and reacting it, for example, a test apparatus for performing tests such as general biochemical tests and immunological tests. More specifically, using a droplet discharge head with the same mechanism as the ink jet head used in an ink jet printer, a test that dispenses a chemical solution or sample for sample testing into a test chip for reacting the sample with the test solution The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for using the apparatus.

As described in Patent Document 1, the inspection apparatus includes a reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent from a reagent container to a reaction container, a sample dispensing mechanism that dispenses a specimen from a sample container to a reaction container, and a reaction An optical measuring unit for measuring the reaction state between the sample and the reagent in the container is provided. In biochemical tests and clinical tests, the amount of an object to be detected in a sample is measured by a colorimetric reaction, absorbance, or the like. Therefore, it is necessary to control the dispensing amount of the sample and the reagent with high accuracy. For this reason, generally expensive syringe pump type dispensers are used for reagent dispensing and specimen dispensing. The dispenser needs to be thoroughly cleaned each time the sample to be tested or the test reagent to be used is changed, and the waste liquid generated by the cleaning must be processed.
JP 2002-311036 A

  In the conventional dispensing mechanism, an expensive syringe pump or the like for controlling a minute dispensing amount with high accuracy is used, which is disadvantageous in reducing the cost of the inspection apparatus. The syringe pump has a complicated structure because the piston slides and moves on the inner cylinder, and there is a big problem in durability. In addition, since it is necessary to perform the cleaning operation of the dispenser carefully so that contamination does not occur every time the reagent, the sample, etc. are changed, the inspection operation efficiency is low and it is not suitable for performing various inspections in a short time.

  In view of these points, the problem of the present invention is that a minute amount of reagent can be accurately dispensed without using an expensive syringe pump or the like, and the washing operation of the dispensing mechanism can be performed when the sample and the reagent are changed. The object is to propose an inspection apparatus which has become unnecessary, and a method of using the inspection apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, the inspection apparatus of the present invention provides:
A liquid droplet ejection head capable of ejecting liquid droplets from the nozzle and capable of sucking liquid into the interior through the nozzle;
A head carriage that transports the droplet discharge head to a standby position, a droplet discharge position for discharging a droplet from the nozzle, and a liquid suction position for sucking a liquid from the nozzle;
A liquid storage section storing liquid sucked by the droplet discharge head at the liquid suction position;
An inspection table on which an inspection chip for attaching droplets ejected from the droplet ejection head at the droplet ejection position is mounted;
A head suction pump for supplying the droplet discharge head with a suction force necessary to suck the liquid from the nozzle;
The droplet discharge head is
It has a nozzle cartridge and a drive unit,
The nozzle cartridge includes the nozzle, a storage part for storing the liquid sucked through the nozzle, and a pressure generation flow path communicating between the nozzle and the storage part. ,
The drive unit is configured to change the internal volume of the pressure generating flow path of the nozzle mounting unit mounted on the cartridge mounting unit and the cartridge mounting unit mounted in a state where the nozzle cartridge is detachable. And an actuator that generates pressure fluctuations for discharging droplets.

  In the present invention, when the nozzle cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the drive unit mounted on the head carriage, a droplet discharge head having the same mechanism as that of the inkjet head of the inkjet printer is configured. Also, an expensive actuator such as a piezoelectric element is mounted on the drive unit side, not on the nozzle cartridge side. In order to dispense the chemical liquid, the liquid droplet ejection head is moved to the liquid storage section, where the head suction pump is used to aspirate the amount of chemical liquid necessary for the specimen test from the nozzle to the storage section of the nozzle cartridge, After that, it is only necessary to move to the liquid discharge position and discharge the chemical solution from the nozzle toward a predetermined portion of the test chip to which the specimen is supplied.

  According to the present invention, a mechanism similar to that of the ink jet head is employed, and the chemical liquid is dispensed by discharging droplets from the nozzle, so that the amount of the chemical liquid dispensed can be controlled with high accuracy. Therefore, the specimen test can be performed with high accuracy. Further, when the inspection is performed by changing the reagent or the sample, it is only necessary to remove the nozzle cartridge from the drive unit and replace it with a new nozzle cartridge, and there is no need for a cleaning operation of the dispensing mechanism. Furthermore, since the used nozzle cartridge removed from the drive unit is not equipped with an expensive actuator, the nozzle cartridge can be constructed at a low cost, and even if it is disposable, the cost efficiency is not lowered. Furthermore, since there is no site | part which slides like the inner cylinder and piston of a syringe pump, it is excellent also in durability.

  Here, since it is not desirable from the viewpoint of environmental pollution to dispose of the used nozzle cartridge with the chemical liquid remaining, it is not desirable from the viewpoint of environmental pollution. Therefore, the nozzle is sucked at the standby position and the liquid in the nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected. It is desirable to arrange a waste liquid recovery unit for the purpose.

  In addition, when foreign matter or the like adheres to the empty nozzle cartridge, the specimen or reagent may be contaminated thereby, and the inspection accuracy may be reduced. In view of this, it is desirable to arrange in the liquid storage section a chemical liquid storage section that stores a chemical liquid for specimen testing and a cleaning liquid storage section that stores a cleaning liquid for cleaning the liquid discharge head. . In this case, the inside of the nozzle cartridge can be cleaned by sucking the cleaning liquid into the nozzle cartridge and sucking and discharging the cleaning liquid to the outside in the waste liquid recovery section.

  Next, the head carriage moves the droplet discharge head along a linear head movement path from the standby position to the liquid suction position via the droplet discharge position. it can.

  In this case, if the inspection table to which the inspection chip is supplied by the inspection chip supply mechanism can be moved in a direction different from the head moving path, for example, a direction orthogonal to the head movement path, the nozzle and the inspection chip of the liquid discharge head The relative position of can be set arbitrarily.

  On the other hand, in the specimen test, a plurality of types of chemical solutions are often used. For this reason, the liquid droplet ejection head is configured to include a plurality of the drive units and the nozzle cartridges, and at least the number of liquid storage portions corresponding to the nozzle cartridges are disposed in the liquid storage portion, What is necessary is just to store a different chemical | medical solution in a storage part.

  Here, the liquid ejection head used in the present invention may employ the following configuration. That is, the nozzle cartridge includes a mounting portion that is detachably mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the drive unit, and the pressure generating flow path and a part of the pressure generating flow path are provided in the mounting section. A flow path side diaphragm capable of vibrating in a prescribed out-of-plane direction is formed. The drive unit is disposed at a position facing the drive-side diaphragm in the mounting hole, a mounting hole which is the cartridge mounting portion, a drive-side diaphragm disposed in the mounting hole and capable of vibrating in the out-of-plane direction. And the piezoelectric element as the actuator. The drive-side diaphragm is disposed at a position where it can contact the flow-path-side diaphragm of the mounting portion inserted into the mounting hole, and vibrates by the piezoelectric element. Further, the elastic member is disposed at a position where the elastic member is elastically deformed by the mounting portion inserted into the mounting hole, and the mounting portion can be urged toward the driving diaphragm by an elastic restoring force.

Next, the present invention is a method of using the inspection apparatus including the waste liquid recovery unit and the cleaning liquid storage unit among the inspection apparatuses having the above-described configuration,
The droplet discharge head is configured by mounting the empty nozzle cartridge in the drive unit at the standby position,
Moving the droplet discharge head to the liquid absorption position, and sucking the cleaning liquid from the nozzle;
The droplet discharge head is returned to the standby position, and the cleaning liquid in the nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected to the waste liquid collection unit through the nozzle,
The droplet discharge head is moved to the liquid suction position, and the amount of the chemical liquid required for sample inspection is sucked from the nozzle and stored in the storage unit,
Move the droplet discharge head to the liquid discharge position, discharge the chemical from the nozzle to the inspection chip,
The droplet discharge head is returned to the standby position.

  Here, when exchanging the nozzle cartridge mounted on the drive unit, the chemical solution remaining in the nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected in the waste liquid collection unit via the nozzle at the standby position, After that, it is desirable to remove the nozzle cartridge from the drive unit and discard it.

  In the inspection apparatus of the present invention, a liquid droplet is ejected from a nozzle by using a liquid droplet ejection head having a mechanism similar to that of an ink jet head used in an ink jet printer. Therefore, the amount of the drug solution dispensed can be controlled with high accuracy, and the sample test can be performed with high accuracy.

  Further, when the inspection is performed by changing the reagent or the sample, it is only necessary to remove the nozzle cartridge from the drive unit and replace it with a new nozzle cartridge, and there is no need for a cleaning operation of the dispensing mechanism.

  Furthermore, since the actuator is not mounted on the used nozzle cartridge removed from the drive unit, the nozzle cartridge can be configured at low cost, and even if it is disposable, the cost efficiency is not lowered. Furthermore, since the actuator is not configured to slide, it is excellent in durability.

  On the other hand, in the method of using the inspection apparatus of the present invention, the chemical solution remaining in the used nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected in the waste liquid collecting unit, and the used nozzle cartridge that has been emptied is discarded, causing environmental pollution There is an advantage that there is nothing.

  In addition, when a new empty nozzle cartridge is installed, before the chemical liquid is sucked, the cleaning liquid is sucked and discharged to remove foreign matters and the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adverse effects such as contamination of the specimen or reagent by the foreign matter adhering to the empty nozzle cartridge, and a decrease in inspection accuracy.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a clinical testing apparatus will be described as an example of a testing apparatus to which the present invention is applied with reference to the drawings.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a clinical testing apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part cut along line III-III in FIG. It is. The overall configuration of the clinical examination apparatus will be described with reference to these drawings.

  The clinical test apparatus 1 has a test table 3 that can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction (Y direction) attached to the bottom center part of a rectangular frame-shaped apparatus frame 2. On the inspection table 3, one inspection chip 4 to which a sample is supplied in advance is placed. The inspection chip 4 is housed in a chip magazine 5 attached to the rear center part of the apparatus frame 2. Details of the inspection chip 4 will be described later (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  A head carriage 6 that can reciprocate in the left-right direction (X direction) via the inspection table 3 is attached to the apparatus frame 2. The carriage 6 moves in the X direction by a carriage driving mechanism including a carriage motor 8a, a timing belt 8b, a pulley 8c, and the like along the carriage guide shaft 7 spanned in the X direction. The head carriage 6 is equipped with a droplet discharge head 10 for dispensing a chemical solution for specimen inspection onto the inspection chip 4.

  The droplet discharge head 10 includes a triple drive unit 11 (1) to 11 (3) mounted on the carriage 6 and a mounting hole 12 for each of these drive units 11 (1) to 11 (3). (1) -12 (3) are provided with three nozzle cartridges 13 (1) -13 (3) which are detachably mounted from above.

  As can be seen from FIG. 3, the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) have an upper half portion serving as a storage portion 31 for storing a chemical solution, and a lower half portion serving as mounting holes 12 (1) to 12 (12). The mounting portion 32 can be mounted in (3). A nozzle 33 for discharging liquid droplets is formed at the tip of the mounting portion 32, and pressure generation for generating a pressure fluctuation necessary for discharging droplets from the nozzle 33 is provided inside the mounting portion 32. A working channel 34 is formed. One end of the pressure generating flow path 34 communicates with the nozzle 33, and the other end communicates with the storage portion 31. Details of the droplet discharge head 10 will be described later (see FIGS. 8 to 13).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the suction flow path plate 14 is attached to the head carriage 6 so as to be detachable so as to cover the three nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3). ing. On the upper surface of the suction flow path plate 14, three suction flow paths 14 a to 14 c communicating with the storage portions 31 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) sealed with a film (not shown) are formed. Yes. As can be seen from FIG. 3, one end of each of the suction channels 14a to 14c communicates with the inside of the storage portion 31 of each nozzle cartridge 13 (1) to 13 (3). The other ends of these suction flow paths 14a to 14c are drawn out along a flexible wiring board 15 that is curved and bridged in a U shape between the head carriage 6 and the apparatus frame 2. The suction port (not shown) of the head suction pump 16 mounted on the back surface of the apparatus frame 2 is connected via a suction tube.

  A three-way solenoid valve (not shown) is disposed between the suction tube and the suction port. By switching the three-way solenoid valve, the inside of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) can be sucked by the head suction pump 16. Further, the space between the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) and the head suction pump 16 can be cut so that the inside of the storage portion 31 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) can be opened to the atmosphere. .

  Next, a waste liquid recovery unit 17 is disposed on one side of the inspection table 3 at the bottom of the apparatus frame 2. The waste liquid recovery unit 17 includes a cap 18 for covering the tip of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) where the nozzle 33 is formed, a waste liquid recovery pump 19 such as a tube pump, and a waste liquid recovery pump 19. And a recovery unit (not shown) for sucked waste liquid. The cap 18 is put on the tip of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (39 and the waste liquid recovery pump 19 is driven, so that the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) The liquid can be discharged and collected outside.

  A liquid storage unit 21 is disposed on the other side of the inspection table 3 at the bottom of the apparatus frame 2. The liquid storage unit 21 includes a well plate 23 in which liquid storage wells 22 are formed in a matrix, and an elevating unit 24 for elevating and lowering the well plate 23. For example, wells 22 (1, 1) to 22 (3, 5) in 3 rows and 5 columns are formed, and the intervals between the rows correspond to the nozzles 33 of the three nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3). It is said that it was an interval.

  For example, three wells 22 (1, 1) to 22 (3, 1) for one row are cleaning liquid storage portions in which the cleaning liquid is stored. The remaining wells are chemical reservoirs, the four wells 22 (1, 2) to (1, 5) in the first row are reagent reservoirs in which reagents (indicators) are stored, and the second row The four wells 22 (2, 2) to 22 (2, 5) are reactive drug reservoirs in which the reactive drugs are stored, and the four wells 22 (3, 2) to 22 (3, 5) in the third row. ) Is a buffer storage part in which the buffer is stored.

  As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, an analysis unit 25 for measuring or analyzing the reaction result of the sample on the test chip 4 is disposed at a site below the placement position of the test chip 4 on the test table 3. ing. A liquid feed pump unit 26 is also arranged.

  Here, the movement position of the droplet discharge head 10 mounted on the head carriage 6 will be described with reference to FIG. The droplet discharge head 10 includes a standby position 10A in which each nozzle 33 faces the waste liquid recovery unit 17, a dispensing position 10B (droplet discharge position) that faces the inspection chip 4 on the inspection table 3, and a liquid reservoir. The cleaning liquid storage position 10C facing the cleaning liquid storage wells 22 (1, 1) to 22 (3, 1) in the section 21 and the four chemical liquid suction positions 10D facing the other well rows are passed through. It is conveyed along the head movement path. 2 shows a state in which the nozzles 33 of the droplet discharge head 10 are located in the wells 2 (1, 3) to 2 (3, 3) in the third row, and FIG. The state where the ejection head 10 is located at the standby position 10A is shown.

(Dispensing operation)
Next, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are explanatory diagrams mainly showing a chemical solution dispensing operation among the operations in the clinical testing apparatus 1.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the mounting holes 12 (1) to 12 (3) of the drive units 11 (1) to 11 (3) mounted on the head carriage 6 waiting at the standby position 10 A. Each of the empty nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) is mounted to constitute the droplet discharge head 10. Further, the suction flow path plate 14 is attached on each of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the inspection table 3 is pulled forward, and the inspection chip 4 taken out from the chip magazine 5 is placed on a predetermined position on the inspection table 3. After placing the inspection chip 4, the inspection table 3 is pulled back to the original position.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4B, the droplet discharge head 10 is moved to the cleaning liquid suction position 10 </ b> C by the head carriage 6. At the cleaning liquid suction position 10C, the well plate 23 is raised by the elevating unit 24, and the tip portion where the nozzle 33 of each of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) is formed is a well 22 (1, 1) Insert into the cleaning liquid stored in 22 (3, 1). In this state, the head suction pump 16 is driven to bring the inside of the storage portion 31 of each of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) into a negative pressure state. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid is sucked into the storage portions 31 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) through the nozzles 33.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, the droplet discharge head 10 is returned to the standby position 10A by the head carriage 6, the cap 18 of the waste liquid recovery unit 17 is raised, and each of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) -13. The nozzle 33 of (3) is covered in a sealed state (see FIG. 3). In this state, the waste liquid recovery pump 19 is driven, and the cleaning liquid is sucked and recovered from the inside of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) via the nozzles 33. Thereby, the inside of the storage part 31, the flow path 34 for pressure generation, and the nozzle 33 in each nozzle cartridge 13 (1) -13 (3) are wash | cleaned.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5A, the droplet discharge head 10 is moved to the chemical liquid suction position 10D by the head carriage 6, and the nozzles 33 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) are moved to the chemical liquid. It positions in either of the 2nd-5th well row | line | columns as a storage part. In this state, the well plate 23 is raised by the elevating unit 24, and each nozzle 33 is inserted into the chemical solution stored in each well. Next, the head suction pump 16 is driven, and the inside of the storage portion 31 of each of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) is brought into a negative pressure state. Thereby, a chemical | medical solution is attracted | sucked inside the storage part 31 of each nozzle cartridge 13 (1) -13 (3) through each nozzle 33. FIG. For example, the index medicine, the reactive medicine, and the buffer medicine are sucked into the storage portions 31 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3), respectively.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the droplet discharge head 10 is moved to the dispensing position 10 </ b> B by the head carriage 6, and the chemical liquid is discharged from the nozzles 33 to the inspection chip 4 as many times as necessary. Thereby, each chemical | medical solution is dispensed to the test | inspection chip 4. FIG. For example, the nozzles 33 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) of the droplet discharge head 10 are sequentially positioned at the discharge position of the test chip 4, and the chemical liquid is discharged from each nozzle 33. The positioning of each nozzle 33 and the ejection position of the inspection chip 4 is performed by moving the inspection table 3 in the Y direction. Thereafter, the droplet discharge head 10 is returned to the standby position.

  By repeatedly performing the sample introduction in FIG. 4A, the chemical solution suction in FIG. 5A, and the chemical solution dispensing operation in FIG. 5B, each chemical solution is dispensed onto the test chips 4 of the required number. Can be noted.

  After the dispensing of the same type of chemical solution is completed, the droplet discharge head 10 is returned to the standby position as shown in FIG. Then, the cap 18 of the waste liquid recovery unit 17 is raised to cover the nozzles 33 of the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) in a sealed state (see FIG. 3). In this state, the waste liquid recovery pump 19 is driven to suck out and recover the chemical liquid remaining in the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) via the nozzles 33. The used nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) that have become empty are removed from the drive units 11 (1) to 11 (3) and discarded.

(Inspection chip)
An example of the inspection chip 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. 6A and 6B are a perspective view showing the inspection chip 4 and a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state of being placed on the inspection table 3, and FIGS. 7A to 7C are plan views of the inspection chip 4. FIG. They are a front view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view.

  The test chip 4 includes a flat rectangular substrate 41, and a flat surface 42 of the substrate 41 has a circular specimen and buffer drug introduction hole 43, a circular indicator drug introduction hole 44, and a circular shape. The reaction agent introduction hole 45 and the oval reaction chamber 46 are formed. Communication grooves 47, 48, and 49 are connected to the introduction holes 43, 44, and 45, respectively, and these communication grooves 47 to 49 are joined at intermediate positions and connected to the reaction chamber 46. The reaction chamber 46 is connected to a measurement cell 51 formed inside the substrate 41 through a communication groove 50.

  An index drug, a reactive drug, and a buffer drug are respectively dispensed into the introduction holes 43 to 45 of the test chip 4 placed on the test table 3 by the droplet discharge head 10. In this example, as described above, the indicator drug is discharged from the nozzle 33 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1), the reactive agent is discharged from the nozzle 33 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (2), and the nozzle cartridge 13 (3) A buffering agent is discharged from the nozzle 33. The chemical solution dispensed into these introduction holes 43 to 45 moves to the reaction chamber 46 along the communication grooves 47 to 49 by capillary force. A specimen (eg, plasma) that has moved to the reaction chamber 46 along with the buffering agent now reacts with the reactant.

  Next, the measurement cell 51 is a passage having a very small width formed inside a light-transmitting protruding plate portion 52 protruding vertically from the back surface of the substrate 41. The measurement cell 51 communicates with a connection hole 53 opened in the end face of the protruding plate portion 52. The connection hole 53 is sealed with a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable film 54. For example, Gore-Tex (trade name) can be used as the film 54.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, a mounting recess 55 for the test chip 4 is formed on the upper surface of the test table 3, and the protruding plate portion 52 of the test chip 4 is inserted into the bottom center of the recess 55. A groove 56 is formed. In the inspection table 3, an analysis unit 25 including an optical measurement unit including a white laser light source 57 and a light receiving unit 58 disposed on both sides of the groove 56 is disposed. For example, the absorbance is measured by the analysis unit 25.

  When the inspection chip 4 is mounted on the inspection table 3, the connection hole 53 communicating with the measurement cell 51 of the inspection chip 4 is connected to a suction port (not shown) of the liquid feed pump unit 26 through the film 54. It becomes a state. When the liquid feeding pump unit 26 is driven to bring the measurement cell 51 into a negative pressure state, the sample and the chemical solution accumulated in the reaction chamber 46 communicating with the measurement cell 51 through the communication groove 50 are introduced into the measurement cell 51. Is done. The absorbance representing the reaction state of the introduced sample is measured by the measurement unit of the analysis unit 25.

(Droplet ejection head)
Next, the structure of the droplet discharge head 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The drive units 11 (1) to 11 (3) constituting the droplet discharge head 10 have the same structure, and the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) also have the same structure. Therefore, in the following description, the part of the droplet discharge head 100 including the drive unit 11 (1) and the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) will be described.

  8A and 8B are perspective views when the droplet discharge head 100 is viewed from the rear side and the front side. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the droplet discharge head 100 is separated. 10A and 10B are a front view and a longitudinal sectional view of the droplet discharge head 100. FIG. First, the main configuration of the droplet discharge head 100 will be described with reference to these drawings.

  The droplet discharge head 100 includes a drive unit 11 (1) in which a piezoelectric element 102 is incorporated as an actuator, and a nozzle cartridge 13 (1) having a nozzle 33 formed at the tip. The nozzle cartridge 13 (1) is mounted in a removable state with respect to the drive unit 11 (1).

  The nozzle cartridge 13 (1) includes a cylindrical storage portion 31 and a mounting portion 32 that protrudes coaxially from the distal end surface of the storage portion 31. A nozzle 33 is formed at the center of the distal end surface of the mounting portion 32, and a pressure generation flow path 34 communicating with the nozzle 33 is formed inside the mounting portion 32. One side surface of the pressure generating channel 34 is defined by a channel-side diaphragm 109 that can vibrate in the out-of-plane direction.

  The drive unit 11 (1) includes a mounting hole 12 (1) into which the mounting portion 32 is inserted in a detachable state. A part of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 12 (1) is defined by a drive-side diaphragm 112 that can vibrate in the out-of-plane direction. A piezoelectric element 102 made of a laminated piezoelectric element is disposed on the back side of the driving side diaphragm 112. When the piezoelectric element 102 is displaced, the driving side diaphragm 112 vibrates. Further, the inner peripheral surface portion of the mounting hole 12 (1) facing the drive side diaphragm 112 is defined by the elastic member 113.

  The drive side diaphragm 112 is disposed at a position where it can contact the flow path side diaphragm 109 of the mounting portion 32 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) inserted into the mounting hole 12 (1). The elastic member 113 is elastically deformed outward from the mounting hole 12 (1) by the inserted mounting portion 32, and the mounting portion 32 is biased toward the drive-side diaphragm 112 by the elastic return force. It has become. Therefore, the mounting portion 32 can be pulled out from the mounting hole 12 (1) against the urging force of the elastic member 113, and by pulling out the mounting portion 32, the nozzle is removed from the drive unit 11 (1) as shown in FIG. The cartridge 13 (1) can be separated.

  Next, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state where the drive unit 11 (1) and the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) are separated together with a longitudinal section, and FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1). 13 is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit 11 (1). The structures of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) and the drive unit 11 (1) will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

  First, the reservoir 31 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) has an opening 121 at the rear end thereof, and a hollow cup 122 of the reservoir 31 and a flat cup-shaped piston 123 inserted from the opening 121. A liquid storage chamber 124 in a liquid-tight state is formed. Here, the chemical liquid sucked from the nozzle 33 can be stored. The opening 121 is sealed with a cap 126, but the cap 126 and the piston 123 are open to the atmosphere via an air communication hole (not shown) formed in the cap 126. The piston 123 is located on the bottom surface 127 side when the liquid storage chamber 124 is empty. When the chemical solution is aspirated, it moves to the cap 126 side while keeping the liquid tight state. Further, as the chemical solution stored in the liquid storage chamber 124 is consumed, the liquid solution moves toward the bottom surface 127 while maintaining a liquid-tight state.

  As described above, the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) is covered with the suction flow path plate 14, and the suction flow path 14 a formed in the suction flow path plate 14 is connected to an air communication hole (not shown) of the cap 126. The communication state is established (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Accordingly, when the liquid storage chamber 124 is connected to the head suction pump 16 side and the head suction pump 16 is driven in this state, the liquid is sucked into the liquid storage chamber 124 from the nozzle 33 via the pressure generation channel 34. Is done.

  Next, the mounting portion 32 protruding coaxially from the tip of the storage portion 31 is mounted on the surface of the protruding plate 128 and a protruding plate 128 having a constant thickness and a constant width formed integrally with the storing portion 31. The flow path substrate 129 and the flow path side diaphragm 109 attached to the surface of the flow path substrate 129 are provided. The protruding plate 128 is integrally formed with a ridge 131 protruding vertically from the center of the back surface. As shown in FIG. 12, a recess 132 for mounting the flow path substrate 129 is formed on the surface of the protruding plate 128. A channel groove 133 for forming a pressure generating channel 34 is formed on the surface of the channel substrate 129, and a nozzle groove 134 for forming the droplet discharge nozzle 33 is formed at the tip of the channel groove 133. Communicating with A thin communication groove 135 is formed at the rear end of the flow channel 133, and the communication groove 135 passes through the bottom surface 127 of the liquid storage chamber 124 and is connected to the liquid supply hole 136 connected to the liquid storage chamber 124. Communicate.

  The flow path side vibration plate 109 attached to the surface of the flow path substrate 129 includes a thin outer peripheral edge portion 137 having a contour shape corresponding to the flow path substrate 129, and a thick center surrounded by the outer peripheral edge portion 137. A portion 138. The central portion 138 is formed in a region that is slightly smaller than the opening shape of the flow channel 133. The back surface side of the flow path substrate 129 having this configuration is a substantially flat surface, and the upper surface portion of the central portion 138 is an elongated rectangular flat surface, and the flat surface is in contact with the contact surface 139 that contacts the drive-side diaphragm 112. It has become.

  By attaching the flow path side diaphragm 109 to the surface of the flow path substrate 129, a communication path 140 communicating with the nozzle 33, the pressure generation flow path 34, and the liquid supply hole 136 is formed therebetween.

  The component including the storage portion 31 and the protruding plate 128 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) having this structure, the flow path substrate 129, and the flow path side diaphragm 108 are formed from various materials such as stainless steel, glass, silicon, and plastic. Can do. In the case of disposable, it is desirable to form at least the parts including the storage portion 31 and the protruding plate 128 from an inexpensive plastic material.

  Next, the structure of the drive unit 11 (1) will be described. The drive unit 11 (1) includes a unit case 141 in which a mounting hole 12 (1) is formed. The shape of the opening 142 on the insertion side of the mounting hole 12 (1) in the unit case 141 is complementary to the contour shape of the mounting portion 32 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1). The direction when the mounting portion 32 is inserted into the mounting hole 12 (1) is defined.

  The mounting hole inner peripheral surface portion facing the flow path side diaphragm 109 in the mounting portion 32 inserted into the mounting hole 12 (1) is defined by the drive side diaphragm 112 attached to the unit case 141. The drive-side diaphragm 112 includes a flat facing surface 143 that faces the flat contact surface 139 of the flow path-side diaphragm 109. In the part of the facing surface 143 in the region facing the contact surface 139, one projection 144 is formed at the upper end portion, and two projections 145, 146 are formed at the lower end portion. The projections 144 to 146 come into contact with the contact surface 139 of the flow path side diaphragm 108.

  The piezoelectric element 102 is disposed on the back side of the facing surface 143 of the drive side diaphragm 112. The piezoelectric element 102 is attached to a fixed plate 147 made of ceramic or the like, and the fixed plate 147 is attached to the unit case 141. The displacement surface 102 a of the piezoelectric element 102 is held in contact with the back surface of the facing surface 143 of the drive-side diaphragm 112. Therefore, the drive-side diaphragm 112 vibrates with the displacement of the piezoelectric element 102.

  On the other hand, an elongated rectangular parallelepiped-shaped elastic member 113 is disposed on the inner peripheral surface portion of the mounting hole 12 (1) opposite to the drive-side diaphragm 112, that is, on the portion facing the protrusion 131 in the mounting portion 32. ing. The surface of the elastic member 113 slightly protrudes inward of the mounting hole 12 (1), and is crushed outward by the inserted ridge 131, and the elastic restoring force generated thereby causes the mounting portion 32 to be pressed. The drive side diaphragm 112 on the opposite side is biased.

  Therefore, the contact surface 139 of the flow path side diaphragm 109 of the mounting portion 32 is pressed against the three protrusions 144 to 146 formed on the facing surface 143 of the drive side diaphragm 112 with a predetermined urging force. As a result, when the drive-side diaphragm 112 vibrates by the piezoelectric element 102, the high-rigidity central portion 138 of the flow path-side diaphragm 108 vibrates as a whole without being bent, and the pressure generating flow path 34. The internal pressure fluctuates as the volume increases and decreases.

  Note that an arcuate support plate 149 that projects an arc of approximately 180 degrees protrudes from an end surface portion 148 of the unit case 141 where the insertion-side opening 142 is formed. The outer peripheral surface portion on the distal end side of the storage portion 31 in the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) with the mounting portion 32 inserted in the mounting hole 12 (1) is held by the arc-shaped support plate 149, and the nozzle cartridge 13 (1). The rattle is prevented. A flexible cable 150 is attached to the side surface of the unit case 141, and a driving voltage is supplied to the electrodes of the piezoelectric element 102 through the flexible cable 150.

  The unit case 141 can also be formed of various materials such as stainless steel, glass, silicon, and plastic. In order to reduce the manufacturing cost, it is desirable to use a plastic injection molded product.

  In the droplet discharge head 100 configured as described above, in the state where the mounting portion 32 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) is inserted into the mounting hole 12 (1) of the drive unit 11 (1), the mounting portion 32 causes the elastic member to move. 113 is elastically deformed, and the flow-path-side diaphragm 108 of the mounting portion 32 has three projections 144 to 146 of the drive-side diaphragm 112 on the drive unit 11 (1) side by the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 113. It is held in a state in contact with

  When the drive side diaphragm 112 is vibrated by the piezoelectric element 102, the flow path side diaphragm 109 held in contact with the drive side diaphragm 112 also vibrates together. That is, the highly rigid central portion 138 vibrates in the out-of-plane direction as a whole in a flat state, and the volume of the pressure generating flow path 34 varies. In this example, droplets are ejected by striking. For this purpose, first, the piezoelectric element 102 is contracted. As a result, the drive-side diaphragm 112 is displaced in the direction of retreating from the flow path-side diaphragm 109. Since the flow path side diaphragm 109 is pressed against the drive side diaphragm 112, it follows the drive side diaphragm 112 and is displaced toward the drive side diaphragm 112. As a result, the volume of the pressure generation flow path 34 temporarily increases. After that, the piezoelectric element 102 expands, the flow path side vibration plate 109 is pushed back, the volume of the pressure generating flow path 34 decreases, and the internal pressure temporarily increases. As a result, the liquid droplet of the chemical solution is discharged from the nozzle 33. To do.

  Here, the mounting portion 32 of the nozzle cartridge 13 (1) is held in the mounting hole 12 (1) of the drive unit 11 (1) by the elastic return force of the elastic member 113, against the urging force due to the elastic return force. The nozzle cartridge 13 (1) can be removed from the drive unit 11 (1) by a simple operation of pulling out the mounting portion 32 from the mounting hole 12 (1). Therefore, as described above, it is only necessary to replace the used nozzle cartridge 13 (1), and the expensive drive unit 11 (1) including the piezoelectric element 102 can be continuously used as it is. Is.

  As described above, in the clinical testing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the liquid medicine is dispensed from the nozzle 33 using the droplet discharge head 10 having the same mechanism as that of the ink jet head used in the ink jet printer. It is performed in the form of discharging droplets. Therefore, the amount of the drug solution dispensed can be controlled with high accuracy, and the sample test can be performed with high accuracy.

  In addition, when the inspection is performed by changing the reagent or the sample, the nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) are simply removed from the drive units 11 (1) to 11 (3) and replaced with new nozzle cartridges. Well, it doesn't need to clean the dispensing mechanism. Nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) are not equipped with piezoelectric elements and can be manufactured at low cost. Therefore, even if this is disposable, the cost efficiency does not decrease.

  Further, the chemical solution remaining in the used nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) is sucked and collected by the waste liquid collecting unit 17, and the used nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) which are emptied are discarded. Therefore, there is an advantage that it does not cause environmental pollution.

  Further, when new empty nozzle cartridges 13 (1) to 13 (3) are mounted, the cleaning liquid is sucked and discharged to remove foreign matters and the like before the chemical liquid is sucked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adverse effects such as contamination of the specimen or reagent by the foreign matter adhering to the empty nozzle cartridge, and a decrease in inspection accuracy.

(Other embodiments)
In the above example, the liquid droplet ejection head 10 of the ink jet system is used to dispense a chemical solution such as an indicator drug or a reactive drug. The sample can also be dispensed into the sample chip 4 using the droplet discharge head 10.

  Further, in the above example, the droplet discharge head 10 is a triple type, but it is needless to say that the structure may be two, one, or four or more.

  Furthermore, although the above example relates to a clinical examination apparatus, the present invention can be applied to other examination apparatuses as well. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an inspection apparatus such as gas chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that accurately injects a certain amount of sample or reagent.

It is a schematic block diagram of the principal part of the clinical test apparatus to which this invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a front view of the clinical examination apparatus of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing of the part cut | disconnected by the III-III line of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the dispensing operation | movement of the clinical test apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the dispensing operation | movement of the clinical test apparatus of FIG. It is the perspective view of a test | inspection chip | tip, and sectional drawing of the state with which the test | inspection table was mounted | worn. It is the top view of a test | inspection chip, a front view, and sectional drawing. It is a perspective view which shows the droplet discharge head of the clinical test | inspection apparatus of FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a separation state of the droplet discharge head of FIG. 8. It is the front view and longitudinal cross-sectional view of the droplet discharge head of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the separation state of the droplet discharge head of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the nozzle cartridge of the droplet discharge head of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the drive unit of the droplet discharge head of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clinical test | inspection apparatus, 2 Apparatus frame, 3 Test table, 4 Test chip, 5 Chip magazine, 6 Head carriage, 7 Carriage guide shaft, 8a Carriage motor, 8b Timing belt, 8c Pulley, 10 Droplet discharge head, 10A Standby position 10B Dispensing position, 10C Cleaning liquid suction position, 10D Chemical liquid suction position, 11 (1) to 11 (3) Drive unit, 12 (1) to 12 (3) Mounting hole, 13 (1) to 13 (3) Nozzle Cartridge, 14 Suction flow path plate, 14a-14c Suction flow path, 15 Flexible wiring board, 16 Head suction pump, 17 Waste liquid recovery unit, 18 Cap, 19 Waste liquid recovery pump, 21 Liquid reservoir, 22 (1, 1)- 22 (3, 5) well, 23 well plate, 24 lifting unit, 25 analysis unit 26, liquid feed pump, 31 reservoir, 32 mounting part, 33 nozzle, 34 liquid flow path, 41 substrate, 42 surface, 43-45 introduction hole, 46 reaction chamber, 47-50 communication groove, 51 measurement cell, 52 Projection plate part, 53 connection hole, 54 film, 55 mounting recess, 56 groove, 57 laser light source, 58 light receiving part, 100 droplet discharge head, 102 piezoelectric element, 102a displacement surface, 109 flow path side diaphragm, 112 drive side Diaphragm, 113 Elastic member, 121 Opening part, 122 Hollow part, 123 Piston, 124 Liquid storage chamber, 126 Cap, 127 Front end surface, 128 Projection plate, 129 Channel substrate, 131 Projection part, 132 Concave part, 133 Channel Groove, 134 nozzle groove, 135 communication groove, 136 liquid supply hole, 137 outer peripheral edge portion, 138 central portion, 139 Contact surface, 140 communication path, 141 unit case, 142 opening, 143 facing surface, 144-146 protrusion, 147 fixing plate, 148 end surface portion, 149 arc-shaped support plate, 150 flexible cable

Claims (8)

A liquid droplet ejection head capable of ejecting liquid droplets from the nozzle and capable of sucking liquid into the interior through the nozzle;
A head carriage that transports the droplet discharge head to a standby position, a droplet discharge position for discharging a droplet from the nozzle, and a liquid suction position for sucking a liquid from the nozzle;
A liquid storage section storing liquid sucked by the droplet discharge head at the liquid suction position;
An inspection table on which an inspection chip for attaching droplets ejected from the droplet ejection head at the droplet ejection position is mounted;
A head suction pump for supplying the droplet discharge head with a suction force necessary to suck the liquid from the nozzle;
The droplet discharge head is
It has a nozzle cartridge and a drive unit,
The nozzle cartridge includes the nozzle, a storage part for storing the liquid sucked through the nozzle, and a pressure generation flow path communicating between the nozzle and the storage part. ,
The drive unit is configured to change the internal volume of the pressure generating flow path of the nozzle mounting unit mounted on the cartridge mounting unit and the cartridge mounting unit mounted in a state where the nozzle cartridge is detachable. An inspection apparatus comprising an actuator that generates pressure fluctuations for discharging droplets ,
The nozzle cartridge of the droplet discharge head includes a mounting portion that is detachably mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the drive unit, and the mounting portion includes the pressure generation flow path and the pressure generation flow path. And a flow path side diaphragm capable of vibrating in an out-of-plane direction defining a part of
The drive unit of the droplet discharge head includes a mounting hole that is the cartridge mounting portion, a driving-side diaphragm that is arranged in the mounting hole and can vibrate in an out-of-plane direction, and the driving-side diaphragm in the mounting hole. An elastic member disposed at a position opposite to the piezoelectric element, and a piezoelectric element as the actuator,
The drive-side diaphragm is disposed at a position that can contact the flow-path-side diaphragm of the mounting portion inserted into the mounting hole, and is configured to vibrate by the piezoelectric element,
The elastic member is disposed at a position where the elastic member is elastically deformed by the mounting portion inserted into the mounting hole, and the mounting portion can be urged toward the driving diaphragm by an elastic restoring force. Inspection equipment.   The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a waste liquid recovery unit that sucks the nozzle and sucks and collects the liquid in the nozzle cartridge at the standby position.   The liquid storage section includes a chemical liquid storage section storing a chemical liquid for specimen testing, and a cleaning liquid storage section storing a cleaning liquid for cleaning the liquid discharge head. Item 3. The inspection apparatus according to Item 2.   The head carriage moves the droplet discharge head along a linear head movement path from the standby position to the liquid suction position via the droplet discharge position. The inspection apparatus according to claim 3.   The inspection apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an inspection chip supply mechanism that moves the inspection table in a direction different from the head movement path. The droplet discharge head includes a plurality of the drive units and the nozzle cartridge,
The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid storage section includes at least the number of liquid storage sections corresponding to the nozzle cartridge. A method of using the inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
The droplet discharge head is configured by mounting the empty nozzle cartridge in the drive unit at the standby position,
Moving the droplet discharge head to the liquid absorption position, and sucking the cleaning liquid from the nozzle;
The droplet discharge head is returned to the standby position, and the cleaning liquid in the nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected to the waste liquid collection unit through the nozzle,
The droplet discharge head is moved to the liquid suction position, and the amount of the chemical liquid required for sample inspection is sucked from the nozzle and stored in the storage unit,
Move the droplet discharge head to the liquid discharge position, discharge the chemical from the nozzle to the inspection chip,
A method of using an inspection apparatus, wherein the droplet discharge head is returned to the standby position. When replacing the nozzle cartridge mounted on the drive unit, the chemical solution remaining in the nozzle cartridge is sucked and collected in the waste liquid collection unit via the nozzle at the standby position,
8. The method of using an inspection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein after that, the nozzle cartridge is removed from the drive unit and discarded.

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