JP6169402B2 - Micro tube array set - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a microtube array set used for storing and storing a large number of samples. The microtube array set has, for example, uses for storing and storing drug discovery samples in the drug discovery field, and for storing and storing samples and specimens that hold genetic information such as DNA in the medical field.

In research and development of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, storing and storing a large number of samples in a storage tube is widely performed. For example, a large number of samples whose conditions and composition are changed little by little for comparative control experiments are produced and stored and stored while managing them over a necessary period.
As described above, two types of sample storage systems are known in the prior art for storing and storing a large number of types of samples at the same time in a divided manner.

  The first type is a well plate type sample storage tube block type. The well plate type sample storage block is a sample storage tube block called a well plate in which a large number of wells are provided in a single plastic block. The well plate type sample storage tube block is also called an assay block. A well plate type sample storage tube block is a plastic block in which a large number of depressions (wells) corresponding to the inner wall of a test tube are provided. For example, a predetermined number of wells such as 96 or 364 are provided in an array. It has become. Such a well plate type sample storage tube block can store and store a large number of samples efficiently.

  The second type is a microtube array set in which a large number of microtube type sample storage tubes are arranged and storage racks are arranged. Some microtube arrays store and store small sample containers called individual microtubes arranged in an array on a storage rack. Microtubes are plastic storage tubes with a height of several centimeters. Each tube is independent, and can be used alone or as a sample storage body, or stored in an array on a storage rack. By doing so, it can also be used as a microtube array for storing and storing a large number of samples at the same time.

  In the case of a microtube array, since each microtube is an independent sample storage body, it is necessary to individually identify each storage body. Attention has been focused on a technique for writing a bar code or a two-dimensional code in which various data or management information is coded, and reading and managing the bar code or the two-dimensional code in the management process.

FIG. 8 is a view showing each microtube of a conventional microtube array. A part of the structure of the internal microtube is also shown by a broken line for easy understanding of the mechanism.
The storage rack 40 is provided with a frame that forms an outer periphery and a large number of lattice frames partitioned within the frame. Each of the lattice frames serves as a storage space 41 in which each microtube is stored. ing. The upper opening of the microtube is sealed with a lid 32.
The height of the frame of the storage rack 40 and the height of the lattice frame are substantially the same, the storage rack 40 has a bottom, and each lattice frame is like a square cylinder. Is functioning as a so-called “partition plate”.

  Many microtubes are made of glass or plastic, which is a transparent or translucent material, in order to visually check the storage state of the sample sealed inside. However, in order to avoid changes due to external light, it is necessary to block external light in order to maintain a good storage state of the sample enclosed inside. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the outer surface of the microtube has been devised to create and cover a jacket that is an exterior body with a dark black polypropylene material that does not easily transmit light. There is.

  The exterior body can be used as a medium for writing necessary management information using a white color laser marking technique in addition to light shielding. In recent years, the size of a microtube has become compact and its height has been decreasing. However, in order to secure a large amount of information to be written in an exterior body, it has become necessary to increase the length of the exterior body as much as possible. Therefore, the design which coat | covers with the exterior body to the whole side surface of a microtube, and also the bottom part vicinity has increased.

  On the other hand, when the entire microtube is designed to be covered with an exterior body, the structure of the exterior body is often provided with a window in order to fully observe the state of the sample in the microtube. In particular, the window should be close to the top of the exterior body so that the sample inside the microtube can be easily seen because it is necessary to visually check the change in the upper surface of the sample and the occurrence of a supernatant, and to visually check for the presence of precipitation at the bottom. It is necessary to provide it over the entire side surface from the vicinity to the lower end.

JP 2002-159284 A JP 2001-246267 A

As described in the above prior art, from the request to secure a large amount of information to be written in the outer package, when the length of the outer package is increased and the entire microtube is designed to be covered with the outer package, In order to fully observe the state of the sample, the window needs to be provided over the entire side surface from the vicinity of the upper end to the vicinity of the lower end of the exterior body.
Due to problems in the manufacture of the exterior body, and also in terms of cost, the window provided in the exterior body has to be just an opening, and a double structure in which transparent glass or plastic is embedded in the opening is not Not realistic. That is, the peripheral portion of the window portion is a simple opening having nothing but the thickness of the outer casing made of a dark black polypropylene material.

  Therefore, in the microtube, the outer diameter of the portion where the window is provided is different from the outer diameter of the portion where the window is not provided. In particular, since the window is provided on the two surfaces of the front surface and the rear surface so that the inside of the microtube can be visually observed from any direction, the difference in the outer diameter between the two is further increased.

FIG. 8 is a diagram simply showing that in the microtube, the outer diameter of the portion where the window is provided is different from the outer diameter of the portion where the window is not provided.
In FIG. 8, the outer diameter of the tube inside the microtube is a, the outer diameter of the outer package is b, and the thickness of the outer package is d.
In the state shown in FIG. 8, the outer diameter of the AA cross section of the microtube is the outer diameter in which the window of the microtube is provided, and is the same as the outer diameter a of the inner tube. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the BB cross section of the microtube is the outer diameter of the portion where the window is not provided, and is the same as the outer diameter b of the exterior body. As shown in FIG. 8, the outer diameter a of the portion where the window is provided and the outer diameter b of the portion where the window is not provided are different from twice the thickness d of the exterior body, that is, 2d.

The microtube is surrounded and held by the lattice frame of the rack housing. In general, the height of the microtube is sufficiently higher than the height of the lattice frame so that the microtube can be easily taken out and the lid can be easily removed, and the microtube is located above the lattice frame. It is held in a protruding state.
Therefore, depending on the state of insertion of the microtube, as shown in FIG. 8, there may be a portion that contacts the lattice frame at the portion where the window of the microtube is provided.

  In order to store the microtube smoothly, the inner diameter of the lattice frame must be set to the inner diameter matched to the outer diameter b of the exterior body. When the inner diameter of the lattice frame is “b”, a gap 2d, which is twice the thickness d of the outer package, is left in the portion where the microtube window is provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the state of being housed in the storage rack, the microtube has a 2d gap generated between the window and the lattice frame. There is a problem that it becomes an unstable state that swings and shakes.

  If the window is made smaller, there will be no gap at least near the upper end of the lattice frame, and the wobble problem as described above will be eliminated. However, since the window becomes smaller than the height of the lattice frame and becomes much smaller, there arises a problem that a sufficient area for visually observing the state of the sample inside the microtube cannot be secured.

  In addition, as the area where the state of the sample inside the microtube is visually observed, it is important to visually observe the state of sedimentation of the sample, and a window is necessary even at the bottom of the microtube. The problem that a 2d gap is left between the grid portion and the lattice frame is a problem that can also occur near the bottom of the microtube. That is, as shown in FIG. 8 (c), even in the vicinity of the bottom of the microtube, the portion where the window is provided has a 2d gap formed between the lattice frame and the wobbling motion. The problem of becoming a stable state may occur.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by providing the exterior body long from the side surface to the bottom surface of the microtube, while ensuring a large amount of information to be written on the exterior body, the window is near the upper end of the exterior body. To the bottom end of the microtube, satisfying the condition that the state of the sample in the microtube is sufficiently visible, and it is difficult for gaps to form between the lattice frame even at the part where the window is provided Another object of the present invention is to provide a microtube array set that enables microtube storage in a storage rack in a stable state.

In order to achieve the above object, the microtube array set of the present invention is a microtube array set including a microtube and a storage rack that can store the microtubes in a lattice frame. The microtube array set includes: A tube having a height higher than the height of the lattice frame of the storage rack; and an exterior body that is always externally mounted on the tube ; and the microtube is attached to the storage rack while the external body is attached to the tube. In the structure that can be stored and taken out, at least one crosspiece structure that crosses the window portion is provided in the window provided on the side face of the exterior body , and the side face of the microtube and the side by the crosspiece structure. A microtube characterized in that a gap generated between the lattice body is suppressed to be small Is an example set.

In the state where the microtube is stored in the storage rack, the window portion is provided at a position higher than the upper end of the lattice frame, and at least one of the crosspiece structures is provided near the upper end of the lattice frame, It is preferable that the window portion is provided so as to be large above the lattice body.
If no crosspiece structure is provided in the window, the diameter of the exterior body will be reduced by the thickness of the exterior body at the height where the window is present. And a gap between the lattice frames of the storage rack. However, in the above configuration, the crosspiece structure can prevent the thickness of the exterior body from being reduced and maintain the diameter of the exterior body at the location where the crosspiece structure is provided in the window portion. In particular, the outer diameter of the outer cross section of the exterior body at the height at which the crosspiece structure is provided is the same as the outer diameter of the outer cross section of the outer body at a height without the window portion, and the inner diameter of the lattice body If it is slightly small, the microtube can be stored in a stable state with a small gap with the lattice of the storage rack while providing a large window from the top to the bottom of the microtube.

Here, when the tube that fits inside the outer casing of the microtube is a so-called test tube structure having a cylindrical body portion and a spindle-shaped bottom portion whose diameter decreases, the window portion of the outer casing Is preferably provided below to a position covering a part of the bottom of the tube. This is because it can be confirmed whether or not precipitation occurs at the bottom of the sample. As described above, when the bottom portion has a spindle shape and the window portion is provided up to the position of the bottom portion, the second crosspiece structure that crosses the window portion is provided on the spindle-shaped bottom portion. preferable.
With the above configuration, the gap generated between the second crosspiece structure and the microtube at the lower portion of the lattice body can be suppressed.

  In particular, it is effective that the height at which the second crosspiece structure is provided is near the lower end of the trunk. In other words, the gap created between the microtube and the grid of the storage rack can be kept very small near the top end and the bottom end of the grid where the microtube contacts the grid frame. The microtube can be stored in a stable state.

  Here, the exterior body is made of, for example, a black opaque material and has a light shielding property except for the window portion, while the first crosspiece structure and the second crosspiece structure are made of a transparent or translucent material, A configuration is also possible in which the inside of the tube body can be visually observed in the entire window region including the first crosspiece structure and the second crosspiece structure. That is, the exterior body is a black opaque material, but only the first crosspiece structure or the second crosspiece structure is formed as a transparent or translucent material. While playing the role as a structure, the visual field of the window portion is not obstructed, and a wide visible range can be secured.

The microtube of the microtube array set of the present invention is a concept that includes a state in which an identification code by laser marking has not yet been written, and also includes a state in which an identification code by laser marking has been written. .
Furthermore, the microtube of the microtube array set of the present invention may have a configuration in which an information writing medium is separately provided on the bottom surface or lid surface of the storage container. In addition to the identification code of the microtube array set on the side surface, by providing the identification code separately on the bottom surface or lid surface of the microtube, the degree of freedom of the reading posture is improved.

  According to the microtube array set according to the present invention, by providing at least one crosspiece structure in the window portion, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the thickness of the exterior body, and to reduce the diameter of the exterior body without the window portion. It can be maintained in the same manner as the diameter. In particular, the outer diameter of the outer cross section of the exterior body at the height at which the crosspiece structure is provided is the same as the outer diameter of the outer cross section of the outer body at a height without the window portion, and the inner diameter of the lattice body If it is slightly small, the microtube can be stored in a stable state with a small gap with the lattice of the storage rack while providing a large window from the top to the bottom of the microtube.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the microtube array set of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific application, shape, number, etc. shown in the following examples.

A microtube array set according to Example 1 of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram simply showing the structure of a microtube 100 in the microtube array set of the present invention. 1 (a) is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is a right side view, FIG. 1 (c) is a plan view, FIG. 1 (d) is a bottom view, FIG. 1 (e) is an exploded view, and FIG. ) AA is a cross-sectional view.
FIG. 2 is a diagram simply showing the tube body 120 and the exterior body 130 taken out of the configuration of the microtube 100.
FIG. 3 is a diagram simply showing the structure of the storage rack 200 in the microtube array set of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the storage rack 200 with the microtube 100. FIG. 3A is a front view, FIG. 3B is a right side view, and FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB.
FIG. 4 is a diagram simply showing the structure of the microtube array set 300 of the present invention. The microtube 100 is stored in the storage rack 200. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a right side view, and FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the microtube array set 300 includes a microtube 100 and a storage rack 200 that can store the microtubes 100 side by side.

Hereinafter, first, the microtube 100 will be described.
The microtube 100 is a container for storing a sample. As shown in FIG. 1, the microtube 100 includes a lid body 110, a tube body 120 inside, and an exterior body 130.

The lid 110 has a lid structure that opens and closes an opening on the upper surface of the tube body 120 described later.
In this configuration example, the lid 110 includes an outer peripheral portion 111, a lid lower portion 112, and an upper surface recessed portion 113.
The attachment of the lid 110 to the tube body 120 may be either a screwing method or a pushing method, and is not particularly limited. This configuration example is an example of attachment by a screwing method, and a male screw is engraved on the lid lower portion 112. Further, the outer peripheral portion 111 of the lid 110 is provided with a notch so as to be easily grasped. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (f), a recess 113 is provided on the inner side of the lid 110 so that the robot arm can be easily attached and detached, and the inner side of the recess 113 is also inscribed.
The lid 110 may be made of plastic having high chemical resistance (for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, etc.), natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone, or the like. A material obtained by selecting and blending a plurality of materials may be used as a raw material. Moreover, the polymer alloy which consists of 2 or more types of resin may be sufficient. In this embodiment, the material is polypropylene. Polypropylene is a chemically stable material, has high chemical resistance and high transparency, and is a suitable material as one member of the sample container.

The tube body 120 is a test tubular container having an upper surface opening on the upper surface and accommodating a sample. In this configuration example, the tube body 120 is an example of a test tubular cylindrical shape, but may have other shapes depending on the application.
The material of the tube body 120 is preferably made of glass or plastic which is a transparent or translucent material in order to visually check the storage state of the sample sealed inside.
As the transparent plastic material for the tube body 120, as with the lid body 110, plastics with high chemical resistance (eg, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, etc.), natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone, etc. good. A material obtained by selecting and blending a plurality of materials may be used as a raw material. That is, the transparent plastic material may be a polymer alloy composed of two or more kinds of resins.
In this embodiment, the transparent plastic material is polypropylene. Polypropylene is a chemically stable material, has high chemical resistance and high transparency, and is a suitable material as one member of the sample container.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tube body 120 has a shape like a so-called test tube, and has a structure of an opening 121 at the upper end, a body portion 122 of a cylindrical body, and a bottom portion 123 having a spindle shape. Yes. In this configuration example, it is assumed that a female screw for attaching the lid 110 is carved on the inner peripheral wall surface near the opening 121 at the upper end.
The height of the tube body 120 is assumed to be higher than the height of the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200 as shown in FIG. As will be described later, in a state where the microtube 100 is stood and stored in the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200, the tube body 120 is held in a state of protruding from the upper end of the lattice frame 210. Since the microtube 100 is repeatedly stored and taken out from the storage rack 200, the upper portion of the microtube protrudes upward from the lattice frame 210 so that it can be easily taken out by hand or a robot arm. .

The exterior body 130 is a member attached to the outer surface of the tube body 120.
As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior body 130 has a hollow cylindrical body as a whole, and its inner peripheral diameter matches the outer peripheral diameter of the body portion 122 of the tube body 120. The exterior body 130 is attached to the outer peripheral wall surface of the tube body 120 like a jacket.
The exterior body 130 includes a window portion 131, at least one crosspiece structure 132 that traverses the window portion 131, and an information writing area 133. In particular, in the microtube array set of the present invention, it is important that at least one crosspiece structure 132 is provided in the exterior body 130. The function of the crosspiece structure 132 will be described in detail later. First, the basic role of the exterior body 130 will be described first.

There are at least two roles of the exterior body 130.
The first role of the exterior body 130 is to write various information such as identification information given to the microtube 100.
Giving identification information to the microtube 100 is widely performed. A large number of microtubes 100 are simultaneously stored and stored in the storage rack 200. Also, a plurality of storage racks 200 are often stored simultaneously in a storage device such as a refrigerator. Therefore, how to identify each microtube 100 is important. Although there may be a method of managing by the storage position etc. in the storage rack 200, a plurality of microtubes 100 may be taken out at the same time to check the state of the sample, and the microtubes 100 are individually stored in a predetermined position. Is difficult to repeat. Therefore, it is necessary to identify each microtube 100 by giving identification information to each microtube 100 itself and reading the identification information. Although a means for giving information is not specified, here, an example is given in which information is given by writing a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code to the exterior body 130 of each microtube 100 by a laser marking technique.

  However, the writing of information may be performed by using the side surface of the outer package 130 as an area for writing, the bottom surface of the outer package 130 as a writing area, the upper surface of the cover body as a writing area, You may combine. In this configuration example, as shown in FIG. 2, a writing area 133 is provided on the side surface of the exterior body 130, and a writing area 134 is also provided on the bottom surface of the exterior body 130.

  Next, the second role of the exterior body 130 is to reduce the influence of the outside world on the sample stored in the tube body 120, and to maintain the storage state of the sample well. For this reason, a dark black additive material that does not easily transmit light is added to the plastic material so that it can function to block outside light in order to block light from the outside world.

  Taking the above first and second roles into consideration, the exterior body 130 is made of a light-shielding black material, and a part of the black color is developed into a color with a high contrast ratio such as white by laser marking technology. It is preferable to write various information such as identification information.

Hereinafter, a black-colored additive material capable of producing a white color by laser marking technology will be described.
In order to develop color, the additive material needs to have photosensitivity or heat-sensitive characteristics with respect to the laser region wavelength. In other words, the additive material has a photosensitive characteristic or a thermal characteristic in which the physical state or the chemical state is changed and its color can be changed upon receiving laser light in a specific wavelength region.
Any known additive material can be used as long as it has this photosensitive characteristic or thermal characteristic. Here, as an example, carbon black, low-order titanium oxide, and a silicon-containing compound disclosed in JP-A-2006-305926 are included.
When an additive material containing a specific additive material containing carbon black, low-order titanium oxide, and a silicon-containing compound was used, laser marking was performed with the original black color as the background when irradiated with laser light of a specific wavelength. It is known that only a portion is vividly colored in a white color.

  In JP-A-2006-305926, the following guess is explained as the reason. That is, in the additive material containing carbon black, low-order titanium oxide, and a silicon-containing compound, while having the effect of coloring the ground color of the molded body to a black color with carbon black, and when irradiated with a laser beam, It is described that carbon black is decolorized and the formation of TiO2 as a white color material occurs due to the oxidation reaction of low-order titanium oxide, resulting in a whiter color. Furthermore, it also touches on the action of promoting the color development of the white color by containing a silicon-containing compound. In the present invention, the additive material actually has a photosensitive property or a thermal property that the physical state or the chemical state can be changed and the color can be changed upon receiving laser light in a specific wavelength region. It is possible to apply the present invention to the present invention, and the present invention can be realized and implemented without any particular deep recognition of the above-mentioned color development principle. The present invention can be easily implemented.

  In other words, as materials that have been developed, or materials that have not been developed yet, but will be developed in the future, those that develop color from black to white due to photosensitive characteristics, those that develop color from transparent to white, and thermal characteristics. Various things can be applied, such as those that develop color from black to white and those that develop color from transparent to white.

Furthermore, it is said that inorganic pigments, organic pigments, dyes, and the like can be added as other colorants, and by adding the colorant, the hue of the white color to be developed can be adjusted.
Moreover, a mold release agent, a stabilizer, an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, a reinforcing agent, and the like can be added as necessary.

Next, the structure of the shape surface of the exterior body 130 manufactured as described above will be described.
As described above, the exterior body 130 includes the window portion 131, at least one crosspiece structure 132 that crosses the window portion 131, and information writing areas 133 and 134.

The window 131 is an opening provided in a part of the exterior body 130 so that the state of the sample inside the tube body 120 accommodated in the opaque exterior body 130 can be viewed.
Here, in the microtube array set of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the window 131 provided in the exterior body 130 is widely opened from the vicinity of the upper side of the side surface of the tube body 120 to the bottom.
When viewing the change or state of the sample stored in the microtube 100, it is necessary to confirm the change in the upper surface or the supernatant of the sample. It must be visible. Further, it is necessary that the inside of the tube body 120 can be visually observed from the window portion 131 whether or not some kind of precipitation or precipitation of impurities has occurred in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the tube body 120. Taking these into consideration, it is preferable that the window 131 provided in the exterior body 130 is greatly opened from the vicinity of the upper part of the side surface of the tube body 120 to the bottom.
In this configuration example, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the window 131 is greatly opened from the vicinity of the top of the tube body 120 to the bottom.

Here, the relationship between the height of the opening 131 and the lattice frame 210 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a diagram simply showing a state in which the microtube 100 is stored in the storage rack 200 according to the present invention. 4A is a plan view and FIG. 4B is a right side view. FIG.4 (c) is a BB longitudinal cross-sectional view. As shown in FIG. 4, in the state where the microtube 100 is stored in the storage rack 200, the upper end of the window portion 131 is located further above the upper end of the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200. In other words, the window is greatly open to the top. In this configuration example, it is assumed that the lower end of the window 131 is provided up to a spindle-shaped portion at the bottom of the tube body 120. That is, the window is greatly open to the bottom. By opening in this way, the state of the upper surface of the sample and the state of the sediment sinking to the bottom of the sample can be visually observed.

On the other hand, the crosspiece structure 132 is a crosspiece-like structure provided so as to cross the window 131.
The shape of the crosspiece structure 132 may be a structure provided so as to cross the window 131, but in the configuration example of FIG. 1, the thickness of the portion of the exterior body 130 where the window 131 is not provided. It is provided with the same thickness as that of the window 131 and is connected to the edge of the window 131 without any boundary.
The number and location of the crosspiece structures 132 will be described.
The number of the crosspiece structures 132 is not limited, but if the number is too large, the area that blocks the field of view of the window portion 131 is increased. In this example, a first crosspiece structure 132A and a second crosspiece structure 132B are provided.

  In this configuration example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A is provided so as to be positioned near the upper end of the lattice frame 210 in a state where the microtube 100 is stored in the storage rack 200. The upper end of the first crosspiece structure 132A has substantially the same height as the upper end of the lattice frame 210. In this configuration, since the window 131 is provided at two positions on the front side and the back side, the first crosspiece structure 132A is also provided on the front side and the rear side.

  In this configuration example, the second crosspiece structure 132 </ b> B is provided near the lower end of the body portion 122 of the tube body 120. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the second crosspiece structure 132 </ b> B has substantially the same height as the lower end of the body portion 122 of the tube body 120. In this configuration, since the window 131 is provided at two positions in the front and rear, the second crosspiece structure 132B is also provided at two positions on the front side and the back side.

Next, height adjustment and outer diameter for providing the first crosspiece structure 132A and the second crosspiece structure 132B will be described.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how the holding posture of the microtube 100 in the storage rack 200 is stabilized by providing the crosspiece structure 132.
As described above, the thickness of the first crosspiece structure 132A and the second crosspiece structure 132B is provided with the same thickness as the thickness of the portion where the window 131 is not provided. It has a structure that is seamlessly connected to the edge of 131. Therefore, at the height at which the first crosspiece structure 132A and the second crosspiece structure 132B are provided, the first crosspiece structure 132A, It circulates via 2 crosspiece structures 132B.

  Here, the outer diameter of the exterior body 210 is the height at which the first crosspiece structure body 132A and the second crosspiece structure body 132B are provided, as is the case where the window portion of the exterior body 210 is not provided. It is assumed that the grid body 210 is adjusted to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter.

The crosspiece structure 132 having the above structure has at least two roles.
The first function is to improve the structural strength of the exterior body 130. Since the window 131 is provided with a large opening from the top to the bottom, the structural strength of the exterior body 130 is reduced. Therefore, the structural strength is improved by providing the crosspiece structure 132 so as to cross the window 131 in a part of the window 131. Provided that the crosspiece structure 132 is provided on the window 131, the visual work is not hindered as long as it does not block the field of view of the important part when viewing the change or state of the sample.

The second function is to keep the gap between the microtube 100 and the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200 small, and stabilize the holding posture of the microtube 100 in the storage rack 200.
As shown in FIG. 5, the microtube 100 is housed in the storage rack 200, and the exterior body 130 of the microtube 100 and the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200 come into contact with each other.
Here, the height at which the first crosspiece structure 132A is provided will be described.
The height at which the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A is provided is provided near the upper end of the lattice frame 210. Since the outer diameter of the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the storage portion 220, the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A is in contact with the upper end of the lattice frame 210 without generating a gap.
On the other hand, the height at which the second crosspiece structure 132 </ b> B is provided is provided near the lower end of the body portion 122. Again, since the outer diameter of the second crosspiece structure 132B is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the storage section 220, the second crosspiece structure 132B abuts without causing a gap near the bottom of the lattice frame 210.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the longitudinal section where the opening 131 is provided, the microtube 100 is firmly attached to the inner wall surface of the lattice frame 210 near the upper end of the lattice frame 210 by the crosspiece structure 132A. In contact with the inner wall surface of the lattice frame 210 by the crosspiece structure 132B in the vicinity of the lower portion, the microtube 100 is stabilized as a whole because the upper and lower portions are stabilized.
On the other hand, in the cross-sectional view on the right side and the cross-sectional view on the left side shown in FIG. 5B, since the writing area 133 is in full contact with the lattice frame 210, the posture of the microtube 100 is stabilized as a whole. ing.

Here, for comparison, a configuration example in which the first crosspiece structure 132A and the second crosspiece structure 132B are not provided in the window portion 131 is shown. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the holding posture of the storage rack 200 of the microtube 100 becomes unstable when the crosspiece structure 132 is not provided.
As shown in FIG. 6A, in the longitudinal cross section where the window 131 is provided, the thickness of the exterior body 210 is between the tube body 120 of the microtube 100 and the lattice frame 210 of the storage rack 200. There is a gap. In other words, when the thickness of the exterior body 210 is “d”, the portion of the microtube 100 where the window 122 is provided is twice the thickness of the exterior body 210 between the microtube 100 and the storage rack 200. A certain “2d” gap is left open. That is, even in a state where the microtube 100 is stored in the storage body 200, an unstable state in which the microtube 100 swings as shown in FIG.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, in the microtube array set of the present invention, by providing a crosspiece structure 132 in which the position to be provided in the exterior body 130 of the microtube 100 is controlled, the vicinity of the upper end of the lattice frame 210 and the tube body The microtube 100 can be supported at two locations near the lower portion of the body 110, a large window portion 122 is provided from the top to the bottom of the microtube 100, and a gap between the storage rack 200 and the lattice 210 is provided. The microtube 100 can be stored in a small and stable state.

Next, a device for light transmittance in the crosspiece structure 132 will be described.
One of the roles of the exterior body 130 is a non-transparent material because it has a light shielding property as described above. This example has been described as an example of being formed of a black opaque material. Since the crosspiece structure 132 is a part of the exterior body 130, both the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A and the second crosspiece structure 132 </ b> B are the same as the parts of the other exterior body 130. It has been illustrated as an example formed of a black material.
Here, the exterior body 130 can be devised so that only the portion of the crosspiece structure 132 is formed of a transparent or translucent material while the whole is formed of a black opaque material. In plastic molding, it is possible to mold partly colored and partly transparent.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the first crosspiece structure 132A and the second crosspiece structure 132B are formed of a transparent material in the exterior body 130. As shown in FIG. 7, the first crosspiece structure 132 </ b> A and the second crosspiece structure 132 </ b> B are formed of a transparent material, so that the window 131 in FIG. 7 has a field of view as compared to the window 131 in FIG. 1. It can be seen that there is nothing to block and the state of the sample inside the tube body 120 can be more easily observed. When the height of the upper surface of the sample is accidentally positioned at the height of the first crosspiece structure 132A because of the amount of the sample enclosed, in the configuration example of FIG. 1, the first crosspiece structure 132A is an opaque black system. Since it is a material, there is a possibility that a part of the field of view on the upper surface of the sample may be obstructed. However, in the configuration example of FIG. 7, the first beam structure 132A is a transparent or translucent material, so A good field of view can be secured without being blocked.

Next, the information writing area 133 will be described.
When the information writing area 133 is irradiated with laser light for laser marking, the information writing area 133 absorbs laser light energy and develops a white color. At this time, heat is locally generated in the writing film layer 120.
In order to perform laser marking on the information writing area 133, the light wavelength for laser irradiation may be any light-sensitive or heat-sensitive characteristic that causes the writing film layer to develop a white color. For example, laser marking is performed using a laser irradiation apparatus that irradiates a laser beam having a beam diameter of 40 μm or less and a laser medium of yttrium vanadium tetroxide (YVO4).

  The laser beam used in the laser marking of the present invention may be a single mode laser beam or a multimode laser beam. In addition to a beam diameter of 20-40 μm, the beam diameter is 80-100 μm. It can be used for a wide range.

  In this configuration example, a simple example is shown in which a one-dimensional code is written in the information writing area 133 on the side surface of the exterior body 130 and a two-dimensional code is written in the information writing area 134 on the bottom surface of the exterior body 130. ing. As a result of the laser marking, an identification code pattern is written in the information writing area 133 and the information writing area 134. Here, the pattern is sufficiently thick and the surface of the information writing area 133 and the information writing area 134 is colored white. However, since the lower layer part remains the primary color of the black material, black appears to be superimposed under the white color, and as a result, the contrast ratio of the white colored identification code is increased, making it easier to recognize. .

In the above example, laser marking is performed on the information writing area 133 and the information writing area 134 of the outer package 130, but it is also possible to affix a seal printed with an identification code.
In addition to the exterior body 130, the microtube 100 as a whole can be printed with an identification code on the upper surface of the lid 110, or can be affixed with a seal printed with the identification code.

As mentioned above, although the preferred example in the example of composition of the microtube array set of the present invention was illustrated and explained, it is understood that various changes are possible without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. Let's go.
The microtube array set of the present invention can be widely applied as long as it is a microtube array set for storing and managing samples.

It is a figure which shows simply the structure of the microtube 100 among the microtube array sets 300 of this invention. It is the figure which took out about the tube body 120 and the exterior body 130 among the structures of the microtube 100, and showed simply. It is a figure which shows simply the structure of the storage rack 200 of the microtube array set 300. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the storage rack 200 with the microtube 100. FIG. It is a figure which shows simply the structure of the microtube array set 300 which shows the state which accommodated the microtube 100 in the storage rack 200. FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the holding posture in the storage rack 200 of the microtube 100 is stabilized by providing the crosspiece structure 132. FIG. When the crosspiece structure 132 is not provided, the holding posture of the microtube 100 in the storage rack 200 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the holding posture becomes unstable. In the exterior body 130, it is a figure which shows the example which formed the 1st crosspiece structure 132A and the 2nd crosspiece structure 132B with the transparent material. It is the figure which showed the problem in the prior art microtube array and a prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Microtube 110 Cover body 111 Outer peripheral part 112 Cover body lower part 113 Upper surface recessed part 120 Tube body 121 Upper surface opening 122 Body part 123 Bottom part 130 Exterior body 131 Opening 132 Crosspiece structure 133 Writing area 134 Writing area 200 Storage rack 210 Grid frame 220 Storage unit 300 Micro tube array set

Claims (10)

A microtube array set including a microtube and a storage rack that can store the microtubes in a lattice frame.
The microtube includes a tube that is higher than the height of the lattice frame of the storage rack, and an exterior body that is always exteriorized on the tube, and the microtube is mounted with the exterior body attached to the tube. In the structure that can be stored and taken out from the storage rack ,
In the window provided on the side surface of the exterior body , at least one crosspiece structure that crosses the window is provided,
A microtube array set, wherein a gap generated between a side surface of the microtube and the lattice body is suppressed by the crosspiece structure.   In a state where the microtube is stored in the storage rack, the window is provided up to a position higher than the upper end of the lattice frame, and at least one crosspiece structure is provided near the upper end of the lattice frame, The microtube array set according to claim 1, wherein the window portion is provided so as to be large above the lattice body.   3. The microtube array set according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the exterior body is along an inner diameter of the lattice body at a location where the crosspiece structure is provided.   The exterior body is opaque, and the crosspiece structure is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material, thereby enabling visual observation of the tube body in all areas of the window portion including the crosspiece structure. The microtube array set according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The tube is provided with a barrel portion of a short cylinder and a spindle-shaped bottom portion whose diameter is reduced,
The window is provided below to a position that covers a part of the bottom of the tube, and a second crosspiece structure that crosses the window is provided above the position that covers the bottom, and the window is 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gap is provided to a lower portion of the bottom portion and the gap with the lattice body is suppressed to be small by the second crosspiece structure. Microtube array set.   6. The microtube array set according to claim 5, wherein a height at which the second crosspiece structure is provided is near a lower end of the trunk portion.   The microtube array set according to claim 5 or 6, wherein an outer diameter of the exterior body is along an inner diameter of the lattice body at a height at which the second crosspiece structure is provided. .   The exterior body is opaque, and the second crosspiece structure is formed of a transparent or semi-transparent material, so that the entire window region including the first crosspiece structure and the second crosspiece structure is formed. The microtube array set according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the inside of the tube body is visible.   The microtube array set according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an identification code can be printed or affixed on a side surface of the exterior body of the microtube.   The microtube array set according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an identification code can be printed or pasted on the bottom surface of the microtube or the top surface of the lid.

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