JP6977295B2 - Fluid transfer amount measuring device, fluid transfer amount measuring method, fluid transfer system, fluid transfer method, and method for manufacturing individual fluid inclusion bodies - Google Patents

Description

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a fluid transfer amount measuring device, a fluid transfer amount measuring method, a fluid transfer system, a fluid transfer method, and a method for manufacturing a fluid individual inclusion body.

In the fields of medical treatment, pharmaceuticals, and food manufacturing, many fluid transfer operations such as dividing fluids such as chemicals and seasonings into multiple containers and dispensing them are performed, and various technologies related to fluid transfer are developed accordingly. ing. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a transfer system for transferring a fluid stored in a tank to a plurality of storage bags. In this transfer system, automatic transfer is performed using a conductivity sensor that detects the conductivity of the fluid, a remote control pinch valve, a control unit that controls the operation of the pinch valve, and the like.

Japanese Patent No. 5043035

However, the transfer system described in the above patent document has a problem that it is difficult to improve the accuracy of the fluid transfer amount. That is, the fluid transfer performance is greatly affected by the transfer environment such as the viscosity, temperature, and humidity of the fluid, as well as the equipment environment such as the resistance of the pipes constituting the transfer path and the performance of the transfer pump. Even if the above-mentioned automatic transfer is carried out without considering the influence of the transfer environment and the equipment environment, the transfer amount tends to vary among the storage bags, and there arises a problem that the accuracy of the transfer amount cannot be ensured. Further, the above-mentioned transfer system assumes a liquid transfer of several liters (L) or several tens of liters (see paragraphs [0024], [0032], etc. of Patent Document 1), and is described as several mL or several tens of mL. When applied to transfers with a small capacity and high accuracy requirements, it is presumed that the transfer amount to each storage bag cannot be accurately controlled, and it is difficult to obtain the transfer amount as specified.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been made in view of the above points, and are a fluid transfer amount measuring device, a fluid transfer amount measuring method, a fluid transfer system, a fluid transfer method, and a fluid individual that can improve the accuracy of the fluid transfer amount. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an enclosure.

The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above problems, and to give an example thereof, the fluid transfer amount measuring device is a fluid transfer amount measuring device for measuring the fluid transfer amount, and transfers the fluid. The relationship between the possible measurement path, the visible portion provided on the measurement path and the fluid to be transferred can be visually recognized from the outside, and the volume of the specific section of the visible portion and the length of the specific section is shown. It is characterized by having a display unit.

According to the present disclosure, the accuracy of the fluid transfer amount can be improved.

(A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a fluid transfer amount measuring device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of (a). It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 1 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 1 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 1 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 2 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. (A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modification 3 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY of (a). (A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modification 4 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ZZ of (a). (A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example 5 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device, and (b) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example 6 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 7 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 8 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 9 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 10 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 11 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 12 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 13 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 14 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification 15 of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. (A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example 16 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line SS of (a). It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 2nd Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 3rd Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 4th Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 1st Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the opening and closing state of each cock at the time of fluid transfer. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 2nd Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of the 2nd Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of the 2nd Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 3rd Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 4th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 5th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 6th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 7th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 8th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 9th Embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the tenth embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the eleventh embodiment of a fluid transfer system. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the moving speed adjustment device. It is a schematic diagram which shows the relationship between the intensity of transmitted light and the height of a suspension with respect to the sedimentation state of a granular material. It is a schematic diagram which shows the identification of a boundary surface.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a fluid transfer amount measuring device, a fluid transfer amount measuring method, a fluid transfer system, a fluid transfer method, and a method for manufacturing an individual fluid enclosure according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

First, an embodiment of a fluid transfer amount measuring device and a fluid transfer amount measuring method using the device will be described.

<First Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device and the fluid transfer amount measuring method>
1A is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a fluid transfer amount measuring device, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1A, and an arrow of FIG. 1A. Indicates the fluid transfer direction (from left to right). The fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a fluid transfer system, and is used to accurately grasp the fluid transfer amount.

As described above, the fluid transfer performance is greatly affected by the fluid transfer environment and the equipment environment, and the transfer amount is likely to vary. However, in medical, pharmaceutical and food manufacturing sites, even if it is a large-capacity transfer such as several liters or tens of liters, or a small-capacity transfer such as several mL or tens of mL, the transfer amount is as specified. It is required to be transferred accurately. Therefore, as a result of intensive research, the present inventors measure the amount of fluid transfer in consideration of the influence of the transfer environment and the equipment environment, and perform the fluid transfer based on the measurement result to transfer as specified. It was found that the amount can be reliably secured and the accuracy of the fluid transfer amount can be improved.

The fluid referred to in the present invention includes a liquid and a gas. Examples of the fluid include suspensions containing particles and granules such as cells and solids, liquid chemicals, seasonings such as soy sauce and dripping, and daily necessities such as detergents and shampoos. Liquid drugs include electrolyte infusions such as physiological saline, sugar injections such as glucose, blood preparations, antibiotics, proteinaceous drugs such as antibodies, low molecular weight proteins, peptide drugs such as hormones, and nucleic acid drugs. , Cellular drugs, vaccines to prevent various infectious diseases, steroids, insulin, anticancer agents, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretic analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents, anesthetics, fat emulsions, antihypertensive agents, vasodilators, Examples thereof include injection solutions for correcting electrolytes such as heparin sodium chloride and potassium lactate, vitamins, and contrast agents.

In addition, liquids are required to have safety and therapeutic effects when ingested by the body, regardless of the medical field, the pharmaceutical field and the food field. Therefore, unlike the dispensing of large-capacity concrete, it is required to control the weight and capacity at the level of several g or several mL, and it is important that the transfer is carried out with high accuracy and the work load is low. Is. Especially in the case of pharmaceutical products, strict control is most beneficial because the volume and the number of particles greatly affect the therapeutic effect.

In this embodiment and the following embodiments, the fluid is referred to as a liquid chemical (hereinafter referred to as chemical solution C) unless otherwise specified. The method of transferring the chemical solution C is to extrude the chemical solution C by using a gas such as sterilized air or sterile air.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 can visually recognize the measurement path 10 at which the chemical solution C can be transferred and the chemical solution C provided on the measurement path 10 and transferred. It is provided with a visual recognition unit 11 and a display unit 12 showing the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 11 and the length of the specific section.

The measurement path 10 is formed by a cylindrical pipe having the same diameter, but may be formed by a pipe such as an elliptical cylinder or a square cylinder. Then, when the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10 is A1, it is preferable that the condition of ^{A1 ≦ 100 mm 2 is satisfied.} This means that, for example, the visible scale width (that is, the distance between the scales) on the display unit 12 described later is at least about 1 mm, and when the transfer amount of the chemical solution C is 10 mL, the variation in the transfer amount is suppressed to 1% or less. It was set in consideration of this. In this way, even with a small amount of chemical solution C, the smaller the cross-sectional area, the longer the section filled with the chemical solution C. Therefore, a slight difference in the volume of the chemical solution C is reflected as the difference in the length of the section. Cheap. Then, by accurately confirming the position of the length of the section, the volume can be confirmed with high accuracy, so that the measurement accuracy can be improved. The cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10 is obtained based on its radius in the case of a circular cross-section, its semi-major axis and semi-minor axis in the case of an elliptical cross-section, and its width and height in the case of a rectangular cross-section. Further, in the present invention including the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area or diameter of the measurement path represents the cross-sectional area or diameter of the path shape perpendicular to the transfer direction of the fluid formed in the measurement path unless otherwise specified. ..

The material of the measurement path 10 may be any material having little influence on the chemical solution C, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin, polyethylene, silicon resin, fluororesin, and polyamide resin. In the longitudinal direction of the measurement path 10 (that is, the transfer direction of the chemical solution C), a part of the side wall of the measurement path 10 is cut off, and a transparent or translucent acrylic resin plate is fitted therein to visually recognize the window shape. It forms part 11.

A display unit 12 extending over the entire length of the visual recognition unit 11 is arranged at a position close to the visual recognition unit 11. The display unit 12 is made of a label or a sticker on which a scale is printed, and is attached to the outer wall of the measurement path 10 with an adhesive or the like. The scale of the display unit 12 shows the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 11 and the length of the specific section. The specific section may be a part of the viewing portion 11 length, or may be the entire range of the viewing portion 11 length.

Here, the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section is, for example, if there is a proportional relationship between the volume and the length of the specific section, the proportional relationship, or even if there is no proportional relationship, between the two. If there is a predetermined regularity, it refers to that regularity. In the present embodiment, since the measurement path 10 is a cylindrical pipe having the same diameter, the scale of the display unit 12 showing the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section is the volume of the specific section and the scale. It shows a proportional relationship with the length of a specific section and has the same interval. On the other hand, when the cross-sectional area of the measurement path changes according to a predetermined rule, the measurement path 45 is composed of a diameter-expanded tube whose diameter is gradually expanded along the transfer direction of the chemical solution C, for example, as shown in the modification 16 described later. In some cases, the volume of the specific section, the length of the specific section, and the predetermined regularity are shown. That is, since the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 45 increases toward the rear (on the right side in FIG. 1) along the transfer direction of the chemical solution C, the interval between the scales also decreases toward the rear, in other words, the scale increases toward the rear. Becomes finer.

In the present embodiment, the scale is drawn with a solid line, but it may be drawn with a different line type such as a broken line or a long-dashed line, or it may be drawn in combination with these line types. In addition, the thickness, continuity, shape (for example, straight line, wavy line), hue, saturation, lightness, and the like of the line to be a scale may be changed as needed. Further, the scale may be formed so that the color of the portion reached by the chemical solution C changes. By doing so, it becomes easier to confirm the position where the chemical solution C has reached. For the color change, a well-known technique such as discoloration due to temperature or discoloration due to pressure sensitivity can be used.

The fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 having such a structure is directly connected to the transfer path of the fluid transfer system without using a connection member such as a branch connector or a connection connector (the first of the fluid transfer systems described later). (Refer to 1 Embodiment), that is, it may be used in a state of being integrated with the transfer path, or in a state of being indirectly connected to the transfer path of the fluid transfer system via a connection member such as a branch connector or a connection connector. It may be used (see the second embodiment of the fluid transfer system described below) or it may be used independently of the fluid transfer system. Here, integration means that the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is preliminarily incorporated into the fluid transfer system as a part of the fluid transfer system. Further, the indirectly connected state means using a connecting member such as a branch connector or a connecting connector in parallel (see, for example, FIGS. 24 and 25) or in series (see, for example, FIG. 26) with the transfer path of an existing fluid transfer system. ) Means to attach so as to connect.

In the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 of the present embodiment, the visible unit 11 in which the transferred chemical solution C can be visually recognized from the outside, and the display showing the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visible unit 11 and the length of the specific section. Since the unit 12 is provided, the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be actually measured in the same transfer environment and equipment environment as the transfer system, and the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be grasped in advance. Then, by transferring the chemical solution C based on the measured result, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount. Therefore, according to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 in consideration of the influence of the transfer environment and the equipment environment, even a large capacity transfer such as several liters or several tens of liters has a small capacity such as several mL or several tens of mL. Even in the case of transfer, the transfer amount as specified can be accurately transferred.

As a measuring method using the above-mentioned fluid transfer amount measuring device 1, for example, after connecting the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 to a fluid transfer system having a pump, the chemical solution C is transferred by rotating the pump once. At that time, the change in the position of the chemical solution C before and after the transfer is grasped through the visual recognition unit 11 and the display unit 12, and the transfer distance of the chemical solution C per one rotation of the pump (that is, the length of the specific section) is measured. Can be done. Since the transfer distance is associated with the volume by the display unit 12, the transfer amount (that is, the volume) can be calculated based on the transfer distance. Alternatively, after the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is connected to a transfer system having a pump, the chemical solution C is transferred by driving the pump for a predetermined time. At that time, the change in the position of the chemical solution C before and after the transfer is grasped through the visual recognition unit 11 and the display unit 12, and the transfer distance of the chemical solution C per unit time is measured. Since the transfer distance is associated with the volume by the display unit 12, the transfer amount (that is, the volume) can be calculated based on the transfer distance. By doing so, the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be easily and accurately grasped.

When measuring the transfer distance of the chemical solution C based on the scale of the display unit 12 with the tip surface of the chemical solution C as a reference surface, if the tip surface of the chemical solution C stops between the scales, for example, the tip is subjected to image processing. The ratio of the position of the surface to the interval of the scale may be calculated and divided according to the ratio, or may be rounded down or rounded up depending on the situation. Further, when the tip surface of the chemical solution C becomes concave due to the meniscus, the tip surface may be converted into an approximate straight line by image processing and treated as a straight line, or the determination is made at the cutting edge in contact with the wall surface of the measurement path 10 of the chemical solution C. Or it may be judged by the concave bottom surface.

Various modifications can be considered for the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1. Hereinafter, a modified example thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 18.

<Modification 1>
In the modification 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the display unit 13 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1A is integrated with the visual recognition unit 11. Specifically, the display unit 13 is provided on the visual recognition unit 11, and the scale thereof is directly printed on the acrylic resin plate constituting the visual recognition unit 11. Here, in addition to direct printing, a scale may be formed by laser printing or digging a groove in an acrylic resin plate.

The scales of the display unit 13 have the same spacing, but are formed so as to gradually become longer in the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction as the scale advances to the right along the transfer direction of the drug solution C for easy identification. ing. Then, when using this fluid transfer amount measuring device 1A, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, it is the tip surface (that is, the boundary surface between the liquid and the gas) of the chemical solution C (see the gray part), and the gas-liquid interface. After arranging (also referred to as) on the start line provided on the visual recognition unit 11, the chemical solution C is transferred by pump drive.

When the tip surface of the chemical solution C after transfer does not reach the target scale (see FIG. 2B), the shortage can be easily calculated by the number of scales up to the target scale. On the other hand, when the tip surface of the chemical solution C reaches the target scale (see FIG. 3A), it can be seen that the transfer amount is appropriate. On the other hand, when the tip surface of the chemical solution C exceeds the target scale (see FIG. 3B), the excess can be easily calculated by the number of scales up to the target scale.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1A of the first embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the visual recognition unit 11 and the display unit 13 are integrated as in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to prevent misalignment of the scale and prevent the positional deviation between the visual recognition unit 11 and the display unit 13.

When the chemical solution C is transferred by extruding it with a gas such as air, a gas-liquid interface is also formed on the rear end surface of the chemical solution C. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the measurement may be performed with reference to the rear end surface of the transferred chemical solution C. Specifically, the measurement is started when the rear end surface of the chemical solution C is located at the start line provided on the visual recognition unit 11 (FIG. 4A), and the rear end surface reaches the target scale at the end of transfer. , It can be seen that the transfer amount is appropriate (FIG. 4 (b)).

<Modification 2>
In the second modification shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 14 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1B is provided separately from the visual recognition unit 15. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a state in which the display unit 14 and the visual recognition unit 15 are separated. The display unit 14 is composed of a plate-shaped member having a scale, and is formed wider than the visual recognition unit 15. The visual recognition unit 15 is formed in a cylindrical shape, has a cross section of the same size as the measurement path 10, and is connected to these measurement paths 10 so as to be sandwiched between the measurement paths 10. The visible portion 15 is made of a transparent or translucent material.

When using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1B having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 5B, the relative positions of the viewing unit 15 are fixed so as to be located in front of the display unit 14. Since the visual recognition unit 15 is formed of a transparent or translucent material, the scale of the display unit 14 can be confirmed from the visual recognition unit 15 side as well. Here, when the display unit 14 is also formed of a transparent or translucent material, the display unit 14 may be positioned in front of the visual recognition unit 15. When the display unit 14 is made of a transparent or translucent material and is used so as to be located in front of the visibility unit 15, the visibility unit 15 does not have to be entirely transparent or translucent, for example, the first. As shown in the first embodiment or the first modification, a transparent window portion may be provided.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1B of the second modification, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and since the display unit 14 is provided separately from the visual recognition unit 15, the display unit is provided when measuring. It is possible to fix the 14 to the visual recognition unit 15 or remove the display unit 14 after the measurement is completed. Further, since the display unit 14 can be easily replaced when the scale becomes dirty, it has an effect of enhancing the durability of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1B.

<Modification 3>
In the modified example 3 shown in FIG. 6, the visual recognition portion 16 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1C is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its diameter is smaller than that of the measuring path 10. Specifically, the visual recognition unit 16 is arranged coaxially with the measurement path 10, and both ends thereof are connected to the measurement path 10 via the diameter-expanded portion 10a. Here, the specific section of the visual recognition unit 16 is the entire range of the length of the visual recognition unit 16. On the other hand, the display unit 17 is directly attached to the visual recognition unit 16 and its scale is in the shape of a broken line.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1C of the modification 3, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and by making the diameter of the visual recognition unit 16 smaller than the diameter of the measurement path 10, the transfer can be performed. The smaller the cross-sectional area, the longer the specific section filled with the chemical solution C. Therefore, it is easy to reflect a slight difference in the volume of the chemical solution C as the difference in the length of the specific section. The accuracy of measurement can be improved. Further, as compared with the case where all the diameters of the measurement path 10 including the visual recognition portion 16 are reduced, the total length of the measurement path 10 is reduced by reducing the diameter of only the portion (that is, the specific section) corresponding to the transfer amount to be measured. Can be suppressed from becoming too long.

<Modification example 4>
In the modified example 4 shown in FIG. 7, the measurement path 18 and the visual recognition unit 19 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1D each have a square cylinder shape (for example, a square cylinder shape). In the vertical direction shown in FIG. 7B, the width of the visual recognition portion 19 is smaller than the width of the measurement path 18 excluding the visual recognition portion 19. The visual recognition portion 19 is formed of a transparent or translucent material, and is connected to the measurement path 18 via the enlarged diameter portion 18a so that the bottom surface thereof is located on the same plane as the bottom surface of the measurement path 18. Here, the specific section of the visual recognition unit 19 is the entire range of the length of the visual recognition unit 19. On the other hand, the display unit 30 is directly attached to the visual recognition unit 19, and its scale is in the shape of a broken line. In addition, in FIG. 7A, the display unit 30 seems to be attached only in the lateral direction, but is actually attached above the visual recognition unit 19. That is, the display unit 30 can be confirmed from either the lateral direction or the upward direction of the visual recognition unit 19. Further, since the width of the fluid that can be visually recognized is wider in the direction from above than in the lateral direction of the visual recognition unit 19, the measurement becomes easier.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1D of the modification 4, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the width of the visual recognition unit 19 is made smaller than the width of the measurement path 18, so that the transfer can be performed. The smaller the cross-sectional area, the longer the specific section filled with the chemical solution C. Therefore, it is easy to reflect a slight difference in the volume of the chemical solution C as the difference in the length of the specific section. The accuracy of measurement can be improved. Further, by reducing the width of only the portion corresponding to the transfer amount to be measured (that is, the specific section), it is possible to prevent the total length of the measurement path 18 from becoming too long. Further, since the measurement path 18 and the visual recognition portion 19 are formed in a square tubular shape and have a flat surface portion as compared with the case of a cylindrical shape, the measurement path 18 can be easily fixed and the visual recognition portion 19 can be easily confirmed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the load of the fixing work of the measurement path 18 and the confirmation work of the visual recognition unit 19.

<Modification 5>
In the modified example 5 shown in FIG. 8A, the display unit 31 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1E is composed of a plate-shaped member having a scale, and is detachably provided with respect to the measurement path 10 and the visual recognition unit 11. There is. The display unit 31 is arranged close to the outer wall of the measurement path 10 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the measurement path 10. Then, in the longitudinal direction of the display unit 31, a scale is printed at least on the portion corresponding to the visual recognition unit 11.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1E of the modification 5, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the display unit 31 is detachably provided with respect to the visual recognition unit 11, so that when measuring. The display unit 31 can be arranged on the outer wall of the measurement path 10, or the display unit 31 can be removed after the measurement is completed. As a result, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1E can be easily stored, and for example, when the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1E is used in a state of being integrated with the transfer path of the fluid transfer system, the display unit 31 is displayed after the measurement is completed. By removing it, it is possible to prevent it from interfering with the transfer work or the like.

<Modification 6>
In the modification 6 shown in FIG. 8B, the display unit 32 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1F has a plurality of ring-shaped elastic members (for example, for example) fitted in the portion of the measurement path 10 provided with the visual recognition unit 11. It is composed of a rubber band) 32a and a guide portion 32b extending along the measurement path 10 and guiding the elastic member 32a. The guide portion 32b has a long shape and is detachably provided with respect to the measurement path 10. The guide portion 32b is arranged close to the outer wall of the measurement path 10. On the side of the guide unit 32b facing the measurement path 10, a plurality of recesses 321 showing the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 11 and the length of the specific section are formed with predetermined regularity. .. The elastic member 32a is arranged so as to match the position of each recess 321 of the guide portion 32b. That is, the elastic member 32a serves as a scale, and its position is determined by the guide portion 32b. Here, instead of the guide portion 32b, the plate-shaped member of the above-mentioned modification 5 may be used. Further, a metal ring-shaped member may be used instead of the ring-shaped elastic member. Further, instead of the above-mentioned ring-shaped member, a partially fixed form such as a clip may be used. In that case, it is not necessary to provide a ring-shaped elastic member all around the measurement path 10, and the member Can be saved.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1F of the modification 6, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and since a ring-shaped member is used, for example, when the transfer amount is to be significantly changed or the scale is used. When it is desired to change the position, the position of the ring-shaped member can be easily moved as compared with the case of printing the scale.

<Modification 7>
In the modification 7 shown in FIG. 9, the display unit 33 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1G is configured to display the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 11 and the length of the specific section by changing the color. .. Specifically, the display unit 33 does not have a scale, and represents the above relationship with various colors such as purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Here, instead of a large number of colors, a single color may be used and displayed by the change in the density.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1G of the modification 7, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section is displayed by a color change. By distinguishing the meaning of the display by color, for example, to indicate that the chemical solution C is overfilled when it reaches the red section, which is easily noticeable, it is not only operated as a system but also intuitive to the operator. The configuration can be easily understood, and the work load can be reduced.

<Modification 8>
In the modified example 8 shown in FIG. 10A, the display unit 35 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1H changes the shape of the visual recognition unit 34 to show the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 34 and the length of the specific section. It is designed to be displayed with. Specifically, the visual recognition unit 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape, has the same cross-sectional area as the measurement paths 10, and is connected to these measurement paths 10 so as to be sandwiched between the measurement paths 10. The visible portion 15 is made of a transparent or translucent material.

In the transfer direction of the chemical solution C, a front groove portion 34a and a rear groove portion 34b along the circumferential direction are provided on the outer walls of both ends of the visual recognition portion 34, respectively. Here, the front groove portion 34a indicates the start position of the display portion 35, the rear groove portion 34b indicates the end position of the display portion 35, that is, the front groove portion 34a and the rear groove portion 34b serve as scales. The section from the front groove portion 34a to the rear groove portion 34b is a specific section of the visual recognition portion 34. The cross-sectional area of the position corresponding to the front groove portion 34a and the rear groove portion 34b in the visual recognition portion 34 may be formed so as not to be changed by the installation of the front groove portion 34a and the rear groove portion 34b, and is changed by the installation of these grooves (these groove portions). For example, it may be formed so as to reduce the diameter).

Here, a protruding portion may be provided instead of the groove portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the outer walls at both ends of the visual recognition portion 34 are provided with a front protruding portion 34c and a rear protruding portion 34d protruding from the outer wall, respectively. The front protrusion 34c indicates the start position of the display unit 35, the rear protrusion 34d indicates the end position of the display unit 35, that is, the front protrusion 34c and the rear protrusion 34d serve as scales. The section from the front protruding portion 34c to the rear protruding portion 34d is a specific section of the visual recognition portion 34. It should be noted that the cross-sectional area of the position corresponding to the front protrusion 34c and the rear protrusion 34d in the visual recognition portion 34 may be formed so as not to change depending on the installation of the front protrusion 34c and the rear protrusion 34d, and these protrusions may be formed. It may be formed to change depending on the installation (for example, to increase the diameter).

Here, a groove portion may be provided on one outer wall of both end portions of the visual recognition portion 34, and a protrusion portion may be provided on the other outer wall. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), a front groove portion 34a is provided on the front outer wall and a rear protrusion 34d is provided on the rear outer wall of both ends of the visual recognition portion 34. In this case, the front groove portion 34a indicates the start position of the display portion 35, the rear protrusion portion 34d indicates the end position of the display portion 35, that is, the front groove portion 34a and the rear protrusion portion 34d serve as scales. The section from the front groove portion 34a to the rear protrusion portion 34d is a specific section of the visual recognition portion 34. The cross-sectional area of the position corresponding to the front groove 34a and the rear protrusion 34d in the visual recognition portion 34 may be formed so as not to change due to the installation of the front groove 34a and the rear protrusion 34d, and the front groove 34a and the rear protrusion 34d may be formed. It may be formed so as to change depending on the installation of the 34d (for example, the diameter of the position corresponding to the front groove 34a is reduced and the diameter of the position corresponding to the rear protrusion 34d is increased).

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1H of the modified example 8, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and further, the following operation and effect can be obtained. That is, it is more resistant to stains than when the scale of the display unit is printed. Further, when the gas-liquid interface is confirmed by increasing the diameter of the display unit 35, the moving speed of the gas-liquid interface slows down momentarily as the diameter increases, so that it is difficult to overlook the change. Further, since the scale is provided at one position in the front and rear, it is possible to directly measure whether the transfer amount is larger or smaller than the specified value. Furthermore, the resolution of the transfer performance can be improved by also measuring the transfer time between the two scales.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the diameter of the position corresponding to these grooves in the visual recognition portion 34 is reduced by installing the front groove portion 34a and the rear groove portion 34b, the diameter does not change as compared with the case where the diameter does not change. The change in volume can be measured more accurately. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the diameter of the position corresponding to these protrusions in the visual recognition portion 34 is increased by installing the front protrusion 34c and the rear protrusion 34d, the diameter does not change. In comparison, the transfer speed of the chemical solution C is slowed down, and the possibility that the operator overlooks the change can be reduced.

<Variations 9 to 11>
In the modified example 9 shown in FIG. 11, the display unit 36 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1J is formed by a single straight line having a predetermined length. That is, the display unit 36 shows the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 11 and the length of the specific section by the length of a straight line. Then, when using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1J, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A, the tip surface of the chemical solution C is positioned at the beginning of a straight line, and then the chemical solution C is driven by a pump or the like for a predetermined time. Transfer.

When the tip surface of the chemical solution C after transfer reaches the end of the straight line (see FIG. 11B), it can be seen that the transfer amount is appropriate. On the other hand, if the tip surface of the chemical solution C does not reach or exceeds the end of the straight line, it is found that the transfer amount is not appropriate, and the shortage or excess can be determined based on the length of the straight line.

Further, instead of the straight line, a diagonal line is displayed on the display unit 37 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1K (modification example 10) as shown in FIG. 12, and a display of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1L (modification example 11) is displayed as shown in FIG. A curved line (for example, a spiral curve) may be used for the portion 38.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring devices of the modified examples 9 to 11, the same action and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the following action and effect can be further obtained. For example, when observing changes due to the transfer of chemical solution C using an image pickup device, it may be difficult to distinguish the scales due to the change in light, which makes the scales appear thinner and thinner than when the scales are provided. Even if it is difficult to confirm due to the adhesion of dust, by tracking the change in the chemical solution C transfer with the image pickup device, basically by capturing the change at the beginning and end of the above-mentioned straight line, diagonal line or curve, The system can be made easy to respond to changes in the environment, and it becomes easy to grasp the degree of achievement of the target.

<Modification 12>
In the modified example 12 shown in FIG. 14, the measurement path 10 and the visual recognition portion 11 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1M are formed so as to have a straight portion and a curved portion by being partially bent into an O shape. ing. Here, in the transfer direction of the chemical solution C, the first connecting position between the straight line portion and the curved line portion (the connecting position between the straight line portion and the curved line portion located in front in FIG. 14) is the start position of the display unit 39, and the straight line next to it. The end position of the display unit 39 indicates the connection position between the portion and the curved portion (in FIG. 14, the connection position between the straight portion and the curved portion located at the back).

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1M of the modified example 12, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and for example, when observing the change accompanying the transfer of the drug solution C using an image pickup device, a measurement path is obtained. Even when the total length of the 10 is long, the measurement path 10 can be accommodated in one screen of the image pickup device, so that the operator can easily grasp the state at a glance and suppress the increase in the number of image pickup devices. Can be done.

<Modification 13>
In the modification 13 shown in FIG. 15, the display unit 40 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1N is set as an invisible section, and the measurement path 10 in the front-rear direction is set as a visible section with the display unit 40 invisible. The display unit 40 is painted black, for example, while the measurement path 10 is made of a transparent or translucent material. Then, when measuring using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1N, the transfer of a predetermined volume is confirmed by measuring until the chemical solution C enters the black-painted display unit 40 and becomes visible again. be able to.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1N of the modification 13, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and for example, the entire black-painted display portion is peeled off as compared with the case of having a plurality of scales. Can reduce the possibility of unexpected errors.

<Modification 14>
In the modified example 14 shown in FIG. 16, the display unit 41 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1P is set as an invisible section, and the measurement path 10 in the front-rear direction is set as a visible section with the display unit 41 interposed therebetween. The display unit 41 is composed of a connecting member such as a connecting connector, and is made of a metal material or a resin material that cannot be visually recognized from the outside to the inside. On the other hand, the measurement path 10 is formed of a transparent or translucent material. Then, when measuring using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1P, the transfer of a predetermined volume can be confirmed by measuring while the chemical solution C is transferred in the display unit 41.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1P of the modification 14, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the measurement can be performed by using the existing transfer path and the connecting member, so that the cost is high. Can be reduced.

<Modification 15>
In the modified example 15 shown in FIG. 17, the measurement path 42 and the visual recognition unit 43 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1Q each have a cylindrical shape. The visual recognition portion 43 is made of a transparent or translucent material. The specific section of the viewing unit 43 is the entire range of the length of the viewing unit 43. Further, the visual recognition unit 43 is directly provided with the scale of the display unit 44. On the other hand, the measurement paths 42 in the front-rear direction across the visual recognition portion 43 are all painted in black to indicate a section that cannot be visually recognized.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1Q of the modification 15, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and since the measurement path 42 is all painted black, the transferred fluid is exposed to external light or the like. On the other hand, when it is delicate or reactive to external light, the external light is blocked in addition to the measurement, so that the quality of the transferred fluid can be maintained.

<Modification 16>
In the modified example 16 shown in FIG. 18, the measurement path 45 is formed by a diameter-expanding tube whose diameter is gradually increased from the front to the rear along the transfer direction of the chemical solution C. A part of the side wall of the measurement path 45 is cut off, and a transparent or translucent acrylic resin plate is fitted therein to arrange a window-shaped visual recognition portion 47. The display unit 46 is provided on the visual recognition unit 47, and the scale thereof is directly printed on the acrylic resin plate constituting the visual recognition unit 47. Since the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 45 increases toward the rear along the transfer direction of the chemical solution C, the distance between the scales of the display unit 46 also decreases toward the rear, in other words, the scale becomes finer toward the rear. There is.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1R of the modification 16, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the scale interval of the display unit 46 is larger in the front side, so that the same scale interval can be obtained. Compared with the display unit 12 of the first embodiment, the front side is easier to recognize the same volume difference of the chemical solution C as the difference in the scale, so that the effect of improving the measurement accuracy is exhibited particularly at the start of the measurement. Further, by providing an auxiliary scale capable of measuring a finer volume in the portion where the scale interval is wide, it becomes possible to measure the transfer amount more finely. Although the scale of the display unit 46 is drawn by a solid line in FIG. 18, it may be drawn by a different line type such as a broken line or a long-dotted chain line as in the first embodiment described above, or these line types may be drawn. It may be drawn together. Further, the line thickness, continuity, shape, hue, saturation, lightness, etc. of the line to be a scale may be changed as needed.

Here, it is preferable that the display unit 46 displays the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 47 and the length of the specific section by changing the color. For example, in addition to the above-mentioned scales, the display unit 46 may display each scale interval in various colors such as purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, or may use a single color to darken the intervals. It may be displayed by the change of the color. Alternatively, instead of the scale, the display unit 46 has a volume of a specific section of the visual recognition unit 47 and the specific section in various colors such as purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red as in the above-mentioned modification 7. The relationship with the length of may be displayed. By distinguishing the meaning of the display by color or color depth in this way, the configuration can be configured so that the operator can intuitively understand it, and the work load can be reduced.

Further, the color of the portion of the visual recognition unit 47 or the display unit 46 that the chemical solution C reaches may be changed. By doing so, it becomes easier to confirm the position where the chemical solution C has reached. For the color change, a well-known technique such as discoloration due to temperature or discoloration due to pressure sensitivity can be used. In addition, "the display unit 46 is made to display the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit 47 and the length of the specific section by color change" described in this modification, "the visual recognition unit 47 or The fact that the color of the portion of the display unit 46 that the chemical solution C reaches is changed is also applied to the above-mentioned modifications and embodiments.

The modified example of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned modified example. For example, the display unit may be formed to display a change in the internal pressure of a specific section of the visual recognition unit using a pressure sensor or the like, or may be transferred in a specific section of the visual recognition unit using a strain gauge or the like. It may be formed so as to display the position of the chemical solution C by deformation.

<Second Embodiment of Fluid Transfer Amount Measuring Device and Fluid Transfer Amount Measuring Method>
FIG. 19 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device. The difference between the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that an image pickup unit and a control unit are provided without providing a visual recognition unit and a display unit. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 of the present embodiment includes a measurement path 10 capable of transferring the chemical solution C, an imaging unit 24 for imaging the chemical solution C flowing in a specific section of the measurement path 10, and a fluid. It includes a control unit 20 that controls the entire transfer amount measuring device 2.

The image pickup unit 24 is composed of, for example, a camera, is arranged directly above a specific section of the measurement path 10, captures an image of the chemical solution C flowing in the specific section, and transmits the captured image to the image detection unit 21 described later. The image of the chemical solution C captured includes all the appearances of the chemical solution C flowing in the specific section. Therefore, for example, when a predetermined amount of the chemical solution C is transferred, the entire state from the front end surface to the rear end surface of the chemical solution C is imaged.

The camera used in the image pickup unit 24 may be a visible light camera that captures a visible light image, or an infrared camera or an ultraviolet camera that captures an invisible light image. When a visible light camera is used, at least a specific section of the measurement path 10 may be formed of a transparent or translucent material, or as in the first embodiment, a window-shaped window made of a transparent acrylic resin plate. A visual recognition unit 11 may be provided, and the chemical solution C flowing from the visual recognition unit 11 may be imaged. On the other hand, when an infrared camera or an ultraviolet camera is used, it is not necessary that the specific section of the measurement path 10 is formed of a transparent or translucent material.

The control unit 20 is mainly composed of a computer including, for example, a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and controls each operation of the entire device including the image pickup timing of the image pickup unit 24 based on a control program stored in advance. There is. The control unit 20 has an image detection unit 21 for detecting an image captured by the image pickup unit 24, and a volume of a specific section and a length of the specific section based on the result detected by the image detection unit 21. It has a calculation unit 22 for calculating a relationship and a display 23 for showing a calculation result of the calculation unit 22.

In the present embodiment, the image detection unit 21 may perform image processing on the image captured by the image pickup unit 24 to detect an image of the front end surface or the rear end surface of the chemical solution C to be transferred, and the suspension may be transferred. Images such as specific particles in the turbid liquid may be detected. The image detection unit 21 is connected to the calculation unit 22, and the detected result is transmitted to the calculation unit 22.

For example, when detecting an image of a specific particle in a suspension to be transferred, first, the state in which the suspension containing the particles (chemical solution C) is transferred to the installation location of the imaging unit 24 is set as the starting position, and then the starting position is set. The pump is operated to perform the transfer, and the image pickup unit 24 captures a moving image of the transfer. Next, the image detection unit 21 performs image processing. The control unit 20 tracks the flow of specific particles based on the result of image processing, and measures the transfer distance of the particles at a fixed time. Here, if the display unit having a scale is imaged together with the transfer state, the transfer distance of the particles can be easily measured. The calculation unit 22 calculates the transfer distance per unit time based on the measured transfer distance of the particles. The particles are distinguished by their characteristics such as shape, roundness, size, protrusion state, hue, saturation, and lightness.

In the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 having the above configuration, the image detection unit 21 detects an image of the gas-liquid interface (front end surface or rear end surface of the chemical solution C) or a specific particle from the image captured by the image pickup unit 24. Since the calculation unit 22 calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the detection result of the image detection unit 21, the transfer amount of the chemical solution C is actually measured in the same transfer environment as the transfer system. It is possible to grasp the transfer amount of the chemical solution C in advance. Then, by transferring the chemical solution C based on the measurement result, it becomes possible to improve the measurement accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount. Further, since the result calculated by the calculation unit 22 is displayed on the display 23, the operator can easily confirm the result. The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 will be described later.

<Third Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device and the fluid transfer amount measuring method>
FIG. 20 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device. The difference between the fluid transfer amount measuring device 3 of the present embodiment and the second embodiment is that a pressure detecting unit 25 for detecting a change in the internal pressure in a specific section is provided instead of the image detecting unit 21. Since other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the pressure detection unit 25 detects a change in the internal pressure of the specific section by flowing the fluid through the specific section of the measurement path 10 via the sensor 26 provided therein, and further detects the detection result. It is transmitted to the calculation unit 22. The sensor 26 is installed inside the measurement path 10. Examples of the pressure detection unit 25 include a weight type pressure gauge, a U-shaped manometer, a diffusion type semiconductor strain gauge, and a resonant sensor. On the other hand, the calculation unit 22 calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the pressure result transmitted from the pressure detection unit 25. For example, the calculation unit 22 calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the change in the internal pressure at the front end surface or the rear end surface of the chemical solution C, or the chemical solution C is calculated according to the change in the internal pressure. Calculate the compression rate of the content of. On the other hand, the control unit 20 informs the operator of the result calculated by the calculation unit 22 via the display 23.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 3 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned second embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 3 is the same as the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 described later, the description thereof will be omitted.

<Fourth Embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device and the fluid transfer amount measuring method>
FIG. 21 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the fluid transfer amount measuring device. The difference between the fluid transfer amount measuring device 4 of the present embodiment and the second embodiment is that a deformation detecting unit 27 for detecting the deformation of a specific section is provided instead of the image detecting unit 21. Since other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

The deformation detection unit 27 detects the deformation (here, the strain of the measurement path 10) caused in the specific section of the measurement path 10 by the fluid flowing through the specific section of the measurement path 10. In the present embodiment, the deformation detection unit 27 detects the strain of the measurement path caused by the flow of the fluid via the strain gauge 28 provided therein, and transmits the detected result to the calculation unit 22. The strain gauge 28 is arranged so as to be in close contact with the outer wall of the measurement path 10 in the specific section. The calculation unit 22 calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the result of the strain transmitted from the deformation detection unit 27. For example, the calculation unit 22 calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the strain on the front end surface or the rear end surface of the chemical solution C. The control unit 20 informs the operator of the result calculated by the calculation unit 22 via the display 23.

According to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 4 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned second embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 4 is the same as the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 described later, the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, embodiments of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method will be described.

<First Embodiment of Fluid Transfer System and Fluid Transfer Method>
FIG. 22 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the first embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The fluid transfer system 50 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a pharmaceutical field, and has a plurality of second containers having a relatively small volume of chemical liquid C stored in a first container 51 having a relatively large volume. It is a system for uniformly transferring (that is, dispensing) to 52 in a sterile environment.

In the fluid transfer system 50, in addition to the above-mentioned first container 51 and a plurality of second containers 52, the chemical liquid C stored in the first container 51 by connecting the first container 51 and each second container 52, respectively, is provided. It includes a plurality of transfer paths 56 to be transferred to the second container 52, and a fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 directly connected to the transfer path 56.

The first container 51 is a sterile bag or a sterile bag that has been sterilized, and is, for example, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), or polycarbonate having low adsorption and low elution with respect to the chemical solution C. (PC), Polyethylene (PS), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Cycloolefin polymer (COP), Cycloolefin copolymer (COC), Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ), Polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene acetate copolymer resin, fluororesin, silicon resin, ABS resin, polyamide resin and the like. The first container 51 may be made of a material such as glass or metal.

The first container 51 has an outlet port 51a for taking out the chemical solution C stored in the container 51 to the outside. The outlet port 51a is provided with an opening / closing cock inside and can be opened / closed. In addition to the chemical solution C, the transfer gas G is also stored inside the first container 51. As the transfer gas G, for example, gas sterilized by gamma rays or the like, aseptic air passed through an aseptic filter, or the like can be used. Further, although not shown, the first container 51 may have a vent provided with an aseptic filter and may communicate with the external space via the aseptic filter.

The first container 51 is arranged so that the vertical posture can be changed by the switching unit 58 so as to sequentially deliver the chemical solution C and the transfer gas G stored in the container 51. The switching unit 58 has a structure that can be turned upside down with the first container 51 fixed, for example, and the posture of the first container 51 is a chemical liquid transfer posture in which the outlet port 51a is located below the chemical liquid C (FIG. 22). (See the solid line portion) and the gas transfer posture in which the outlet port 51a is located above the chemical solution C (see the two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 22).

The second container 52 of the present embodiment is, for example, a sterile or sterilized soft bag, and is made of the same material as the first container 51 described above. At one end of the second container 52, a take-out port 52a for taking out the chemical solution C filled inside the second container 52 to the outside, and an air vent for discharging the air in the second container 52 to the outside. A 52b and an injection tube 52c for injecting the drug solution C into the inside by connecting to the transfer path 56 are provided, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 22, these second containers 52 are suspended so that the take-out port 52a, the air vent 52b, and the injection pipe 52c face downward. The second containers 52 are arranged in parallel and are connected to the first container 51 via the above-mentioned transfer path 56.

In the present embodiment, the transfer path 56 is formed by a plurality of pipes 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, 53e, branch connectors 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, and a connection connector 55, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be formed of a metal material without using a connector. As shown in FIG. 22, the transfer path 56 is connected to each second container 52 while being branched in four stages. Therefore, in each transfer path 56, in order from the first container 51 side, the first pipe 53a, the first branch connector 54a, the second pipe 53b, the second branch connector 54b, the third pipe 53c, the third branch connector 54c, It has a fourth pipe 53d, a fourth branch connector 54d, a fifth pipe 53e, and a connection connector 55.

The first branch connector 54a, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d each have a T-shape and are formed of the same material and the same size. Then, the two second pipes 53b branched by the first branch connector 54a, the two third pipes 53c branched by the second branch connector 54b, and the fourth pipe 53d branched by the third branch connector 54c, The fifth pipe 53e branched by the fourth branch connector 54d is formed of the same material, the same length, and the same diameter. Further, these pipes are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each branch connector and are arranged without twisting.

In the present embodiment, the connection between the first container 51 and the first pipe 53a, the connection between the pipes 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, 53e and the branch connectors 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, the connection connector 55 and the fifth pipe 53e And the connection with the injection tube 52c is an aseptic connection.

The material used for these pipes, branch connectors and connection connectors may be any material having little influence on the chemical solution C, for example, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin, polyethylene, silicon resin, fluororesin, polyamide. , Polypropylene, polystyrene, ABS resin and the like, or may be a material such as glass or metal.

Although not shown, the first branch connector 54a has a built-in opening / closing cock that selectively communicates the second pipes 53b branched by the second pipe 53b with the first pipe 53a. Similarly, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d also have a structure having an opening / closing cock.

A pump 57 is arranged in the middle of the second pipe 53b of the transfer path 56. As the pump 57, a centrifugal pump, a propeller pump, a viscous pump (also referred to as a friction pump), a reciprocating pump, a rotary pump, or the like may be used, or a finger pump, a perista pump (registered trademark), etc. widely used in the medical field may be used. May be used. When considering the hygiene of the chemical solution C to be transferred, a finger pump or a perista pump that does not come into direct contact with the chemical solution C is preferable.

The fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is directly connected to the second pipe 53b of the transfer path 56 without using a connecting member such as a branch connector or a connecting connector. That is, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is preliminarily incorporated in the fluid transfer system 50 as a part of the fluid transfer system 50, and is integrated with the transfer path 56. In the present embodiment, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is arranged at a position immediately after the pump 57 in order to investigate the influence of the performance of the pump 57 on the transfer (that is, the influence of the equipment environment).

Here, when the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10 (that is, the second pipe 53b) of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is A1, and the cross-sectional area of the first container 51 is A2, the condition of 1 <A2 / A1 is satisfied. Is preferable. By doing so, even if a small amount of the chemical solution C is transferred, the smaller the cross-sectional area, the longer the section in which the chemical solution C is filled. Therefore, a slight difference in the volume of the chemical solution C can be seen in the measurement path 10. It is easy to reflect as the length of the section, and by confirming the position accurately, the volume can be confirmed with high accuracy, and the accuracy of measurement can be improved. The cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10 is obtained based on its radius in the case of a circular cross-section, its semi-major axis and semi-minor axis in the case of an elliptical cross-section, and its width and height in the case of a rectangular cross-section. The cross-sectional area of the first container 51 is the cross-sectional area of the portion for storing the chemical solution C.

Further, when the cross section of the measurement path 10 and the cross section of the first container 51 are approximately circularly approximated, the condition of 1 <D2 / D1 is set when the diameter of the measurement path 10 is D1 and the diameter of the first container 51 is D2. It is preferable to meet. By doing so, even if a small amount of the chemical solution C is transferred, the smaller the diameter, the longer the section filled with the chemical solution C. Therefore, a slight difference in the volume of the chemical solution C is used as the length of the section. It is easy to reflect, and by confirming the position accurately, the volume can be confirmed with high accuracy, and the accuracy of measurement can be improved. The cross section of the measurement path 10 is the cross section of the inner diameter portion of the measurement path 10, and the cross section of the first container 51 is the cross section of the portion excluding the thickness of the outer wall of the first container 51. Here, the circle approximation refers to approximating the internal shape of the measurement path by the method of least squares.

Here, a method for confirming the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the display unit 12 according to the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 and the length of the specific section will be described. For example, 10 mL of the drug solution C that is surely guaranteed is prepared twice, first, the 10 mL of the drug solution C for one time is put into the first container 51, and the drug solution C for the one time is transferred by the drive of the pump 57. Then, when the chemical solution C passes through the visual recognition unit 11 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1, it is confirmed whether the gas-liquid interface of the chemical solution C reaches the scale corresponding to 10 mL in the display unit 13. Next, after putting 10 mL of the chemical solution C for two doses into the first container 51, the chemical solution C for the two doses is transferred by driving the pump 57. Then, it is confirmed whether the gas-liquid interface of the total 20 mL of the drug solution C reaches the scale corresponding to 20 mL in the display unit 13 in one dose.

According to the fluid transfer system 50 having the above configuration, the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be actually measured by using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1, and the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be grasped in advance. .. Then, by transferring the chemical solution C based on the measured result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount. By doing so, even if the transfer environment or equipment environment of the chemical solution C changes, the measurement is performed in consideration of all of these effects, so that the transfer amount as specified can be easily and surely secured. As a result, even a small volume transfer such as several mL or several tens of mL can be transferred accurately as specified.

In addition to the above-mentioned second pipe 53b, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 may be installed in the first pipe 53a, the third pipe 53c, the fourth pipe 53d, and the fifth pipe 53e. Further, the fluid transfer system 50 of the present embodiment is also applied to the above-described modifications and the fluid transfer amount measuring devices 2, 3 and 4 of the second to fourth embodiments.

The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 50 includes a measurement step of measuring the transfer amount of the drug solution C using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1, a setting step of setting the transfer amount of the drug solution C based on the measurement result, and setting. It includes a transfer step for transferring the drug solution C based on the result.

In the measurement step, first, a predetermined amount (for example, 10 mL) of the chemical solution C is sent to a predetermined position of the visual recognition unit 11 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 via the switching unit 58, and the display corresponding to the tip surface of the chemical solution C at that time is displayed. Record the scale of part 12. Subsequently, a predetermined amount of the chemical solution C is transferred by rotating the pump 57 once. The position of the tip surface of the chemical solution C after the operation of the pump 57 is confirmed via the visual recognition unit 11, and the scale of the display unit 12 corresponding to the position is recorded.

Next, the transfer distance per rotation of the pump 57 is calculated based on the scale before and after the operation of the pump 57. Subsequently, the transfer amount (that is, the volume) is calculated based on the transfer distance and the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10. Further, the weight of the chemical solution C and the weight of the particles in the chemical solution C may be calculated as needed. The predetermined amount of the chemical solution C used for the measurement may be returned to the first container 51 by rotating the pump 57 in the reverse direction, or may be discharged to the outside.

In the setting step, the rotation speed of the pump 57 is calculated based on the result measured in the measurement step and the amount of the chemical solution C transferred to the second container 52 (for example, 30 mL), and the calculation result is set as the rotation speed of the pump 57. ..

In the transfer step, the lower right of the plurality of second containers 52 shown in FIG. 22 is further controlled to switch between the chemical liquid transfer posture and the gas transfer posture via the switching unit 58 based on the set rotation speed of the pump 57. The chemical solution C is first transferred to the second container 52 of the above. At this time, the open / closed state of the cocks of the first branch connector 54a, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d is as shown in FIG. As a result, the chemical solution C is transferred to the second container 52 along the path shown in gray in FIG. 23, and is filled inside the second container 52 from below. By filling the chemical solution C from below in this way, the effect of suppressing the foaming of the chemical solution C due to the influence of gravity is obtained.

Next, while adjusting the open / closed state of the cocks of the first branch connector 54a, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d, each of them arranged in parallel based on the rotation speed of the pump 57 described above. The chemical solution C is sequentially transferred to the second container 52.

According to the fluid transfer method of the present embodiment, the transfer amount of the chemical solution C is measured by using the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 in the measurement step, and the chemical solution C to the second container 52 is measured based on the above-mentioned measurement result in the setting step. The transfer amount is set, and transfer to each second container 52 is performed based on the above-mentioned setting result in the transfer step. Since the transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be confirmed in advance in this way, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the transfer amount of the chemical solution C. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent variations in the transfer amount of the chemical solution C.

<Second Embodiment of Fluid Transfer System and Fluid Transfer Method>
FIG. 24 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 60 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the measurement path of the fluid transfer amount measuring device is indirectly connected to the transfer path via the branch connector. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the measurement path 10 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is branched from the transfer path 56 and is connected in parallel to the second pipe 53b via the branch connector 61. The branch connector 61 is provided with an opening / closing cock inside like the first branch connector 54a. Here, the measurement path 10 is formed so as to have the same material and the same diameter as the pipes 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, 53e. Further, the open end of the measurement path 10 communicates with the external space via the aseptic filter 62.

According to the fluid transfer system 60 having the above configuration, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained, and the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 can be used in the transfer path of the existing fluid transfer system by using the branch connector 61. Can be easily attached by retrofitting, so that the influence on the cost due to the installation of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 can be suppressed.

In order to recover the chemical solution C used for the measurement, the fluid transfer system 60 is connected to the first container 51 by lengthening the measurement path 10 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 as shown in FIG. 25, for example. It may be configured in. In this case, the chemical solution C for measurement can be returned to the first container 51 by a normal rotation operation without performing the reverse rotation operation of the pump 57.

The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 60 includes a measurement step, a setting step, and a transfer step as in the first embodiment described above, but the operating time of the pump 57 is not controlled by the rotation speed of the pump 57. It is to control with.

In the measurement step, first, the opening / closing cock of the first branch connector 54a and the branch connector 61 so that the chemical solution C and the transfer gas G stored in the first container 51 flow only through the measurement path 10 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1. To adjust. Next, a predetermined amount (for example, 10 mL) of the chemical solution C is sent to a predetermined position of the visual recognition unit 11 of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 via the switching unit 58, and the display unit 12 corresponding to the tip surface of the chemical solution C at that time is sent. Record the scale. Subsequently, the pump 57 is operated for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) to transfer a predetermined amount of the chemical solution C. The position of the tip surface of the chemical solution C after the operation of the pump 57 is confirmed via the visual recognition unit 11, and the scale of the display unit 12 corresponding to the position is recorded.

Next, the transfer distance per unit time of the pump is calculated from the scale before and after the operation of the pump 57. Subsequently, the transfer amount (that is, the volume) is calculated based on the transfer distance and the cross-sectional area of the measurement path 10. Further, the weight of the chemical solution C and the weight of the particles in the chemical solution C may be calculated as needed.

In the setting step, the operating time of the pump 57 is calculated based on the result measured in the measuring step and the amount of the chemical solution C transferred to the second container 52 (for example, 30 mL), and the calculated result is set as the operating time.

In the transfer step, while controlling the set operating time of the pump 57 and the switching between the chemical liquid transfer posture and the gas transfer posture via the switching unit 58, the second container 52 at the lower right of the plurality of second containers 52 First, the chemical solution C is transferred. Next, while adjusting the open / closed state of the cocks of the first branch connector 54a, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d, each of them arranged in parallel based on the operating time of the pump 57 described above. The chemical solution C is sequentially transferred to the second container 52.

According to the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 60, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is connected in parallel to the transfer path 56 via the branch connector 61, but the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is connected to the transfer path 56 via the connection connector. May be connected in series. For example, in the fluid transfer system 80 shown in FIG. 26, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is connected in series to the transfer path 56 via two connector 81s. The fluid transfer system 80 configured in this way can obtain the same operation and effect as the fluid transfer system 60 of the second embodiment.

Further, although not shown, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 may be arranged independently of the fluid transfer system. That is, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 may be installed so as to be physically separated from the transfer path 56 without connecting the measurement path 10 to the transfer path 56. In this case, it is preferable that the equipment environment including the pump used for the measurement is the same as the equipment environment at the time of transfer.

Further, the measurement fluid used for the measurement does not necessarily have to be the same as the actual transfer fluid (here, the chemical solution C stored in the first container 51), and the measurement fluid and the transfer fluid may have similar components. May be different.

<Third Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 27 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the third embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 63 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2 is used instead of the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 20 controls each of the fluid transfer amount measuring devices 2 and also controls each configuration of the fluid transfer system 63 excluding the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2. Specifically, the control unit 20 switches the switching unit 58, operates the pump 57, and opens / closes the opening / closing cocks of the first branch connector 54a, the second branch connector 54b, the third branch connector 54c, and the fourth branch connector 54d. And so on. Further, the control unit 20 also sets the fluid transfer amount to the second container 52 based on the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2.

Since the transfer method of the fluid transfer system 63 having such a configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

The fluid transfer system 63 and the fluid transfer method thereof of the present embodiment can obtain the same functions and effects as those of the first embodiment described above, and also include a control unit 20 for controlling the entire system, so that a measurement step, a setting step, and a setting step are provided. Since the transfer step can be automatically performed, work efficiency can be improved.

<Fourth Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 28 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the fourth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 66 of the present embodiment and the third embodiment is that a verification means for verifying whether or not the transfer amount to the second container 52 is correct is further provided. Since other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer system 66 is a first detection unit that detects at least one change in the shape, weight, and internal pressure of the first container 51 in addition to the structure of the fluid transfer system 63 described in the third embodiment. 64 is further provided with a first verification unit 65 for verifying the accuracy of the transfer amount based on the result detected by the first detection unit 64 and the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2. The first detection unit 64 and the first verification unit 65 are incorporated inside the control unit 20 and operate in accordance with the command of the control unit 20.

In the present embodiment, the first detection unit 64 detects a change in the internal pressure of the first container 51 via a sensor (not shown) installed inside the first container 51, and the result is the first verification unit. Send to 65. For example, the first detection unit 64 detects the internal pressure before and after the transfer of the drug solution C to each second container 52, and transmits the detected result to the first verification unit 65.

The first verification unit 65 calculates each transfer amount based on the detection result of the first detection unit 64 and the result calculated by the calculation unit 22, further calculates the difference between the two, and stores it in advance. The accuracy of the transfer amount is verified by comparing with the threshold value. Then, when the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the first verification unit 65 transmits the result to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 stops the transfer work of the fluid transfer system 66, displays an error message on the display 23, and further informs the operator by issuing a warning sound or blinking a warning light with the provided speaker. .. The operator corrects the transfer amount by adjusting the rotation speed or rotation time of the pump 57 based on the result of the verification. For example, when the actual transfer amount is large, the rotation number or rotation time of the pump 57 is reduced so as to match the specified transfer amount, and when the actual transfer amount is small, the rotation number or rotation time of the pump 57 is increased.

According to the fluid transfer system 66 of the present embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned third embodiment can be obtained, and since the first detection unit 64 and the first verification unit 65 are provided, the first detection unit 64 and the first detection unit 64 and the first are provided. 1 The accuracy of the transfer amount can be verified via the verification unit 65. Therefore, the accuracy of the transfer amount to the second container 52 can be further improved, and a uniform transfer amount of the chemical solution C can be transferred to each second container 52. In addition to the change in the internal pressure of the first container 51 described above, the first detection unit 64 of the present embodiment may detect a change in the shape or a change in the weight of the first container 51 due to the transfer.

The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 66 further includes a verification step via the first detection unit 64 and the first verification unit 65, in addition to the above-mentioned measurement step, setting step, and transfer step. In the verification step, as described above, the first detection unit 64 detects the change in the internal pressure of the first container 51 before and after the transfer of the drug solution C, and the first verification unit 65 detects the detection result of the first detection unit 64 and the calculation unit. The accuracy of the transfer amount is verified based on the result calculated by 22. The verification step may be carried out at each end of the transfer of the drug solution C to the second container 52, or may be carried out at a predetermined frequency (for example, once for every 525 second containers).

According to the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 66, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned third embodiment can be obtained, and since the verification step is further provided, the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount can be further improved.

<Fifth Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 29 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the fifth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 69 of the present embodiment and the fourth embodiment is that the accuracy of the transfer amount to the second container 52 is verified based on the change caused in the second container 52 by the filling of the chemical solution C. be. Since other configurations are the same as those of the fourth embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer system 69 is a second detection unit that detects at least one change in the shape, weight, and internal pressure of the second container 52 in addition to the structure of the fluid transfer system 63 described in the third embodiment. 67 is further provided with a second verification unit 68 for verifying the accuracy of the transfer amount based on the result detected by the second detection unit 67 and the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device 2. The second detection unit 67 and the second verification unit 68 are incorporated inside the control unit 20 and operate in accordance with the command of the control unit 20.

In the present embodiment, the second detection unit 67 detects a change in the shape of each second container 52 via a sensor (not shown) installed on the outer wall of each second container 52, and obtains the detection result. 2 Send to the verification unit 68. For example, the second detection unit 67 detects the shape change generated in each of the second containers 52 due to the filling of the transferred chemical solution C, and transmits the result to the second verification unit 68.

The second verification unit 68 calculates each transfer amount based on the detection result of the second detection unit 67 and the result calculated by the calculation unit 22, further calculates the difference between the two, and stores it in advance. Verify the accuracy of the transfer volume against the threshold. Then, when the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the second verification unit 68 transmits the result to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 stops the transfer work of the fluid transfer system 69, displays an error message on the display 23, and further emits a warning sound or blinks a warning light with the provided speaker to inform the operator. Inform. The operator corrects the transfer amount by adjusting the rotation speed or rotation time of the pump 57 based on the result of the verification. For example, when the actual transfer amount is large, the rotation number or rotation time of the pump 57 is reduced so as to match the specified transfer amount, and when the actual transfer amount is small, the rotation number or rotation time of the pump 57 is increased.

According to the fluid transfer system 69 of the present embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned fourth embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 69 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment described above, the description thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the second detection unit 67 may detect a change in the internal pressure or a change in the weight of the second container 52 in addition to the above-mentioned change in the shape of the second container 52.

Further, the fluid transfer system 69 of the present embodiment may further include the first detection unit 64 and the first verification unit 65 of the fourth embodiment described above. By doing so, the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount to the second container 52 can be verified based on the changes in both the first container 51 and the second container 52, so that the accuracy of the transfer amount can be further improved. Can be enhanced.

<Sixth Embodiment of Fluid Transfer System and Fluid Transfer Method>
FIG. 30 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the sixth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 70 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that a stirring unit 71 for stirring the chemical liquid C stored in the first container 51 is further provided. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 30, the stirring unit 71 is formed in a seesaw shape, and is swingably supported by a base 72 installed on a horizontal installation surface and the base 72, and the first container 51. It has a mounting plate 73 on which a mounting plate 73 is mounted. Although not shown, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the upper surface of the mounting plate 73 to prevent the position of the first container 51 to be mounted from shifting. These protrusions are arranged around the first container 51 so as to match the shape of the first container 51 on which it is placed. Here, instead of the above-mentioned protrusion, a recess that fits the shape of the first container 51 and prevents the position shift of the first container 51 may be provided on the upper surface of the mounting plate 73.

According to the fluid transfer system 70 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment can be obtained, and since the stirring unit 71 is provided, the following operation and effect can be further obtained. That is, the chemical solution C stored by shaking the first container 51 using the stirring unit 71 can be agitated, and the uniformity of the components contained in the chemical solution C can be achieved. As a result, the uniformity of the components of the chemical solution C filled in each second container 52 can be maintained, and the variation of the components between the second containers 52 can be reliably prevented. In particular, when the fluid is a suspension containing particles or the like, the particles or the like are likely to settle, and by stirring the suspension with the stirring unit 71, the uniformity of the particles or the like is maintained in each second container 52. The suspension can be transferred.

The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 70 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the same effects can be obtained.

<Seventh Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 31 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the seventh embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 74 of the present embodiment and the sixth embodiment is the structural difference of the stirring unit. Since other configurations are the same as those of the sixth embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the stirring unit 75 according to the present embodiment is composed of a plurality of stirring bars 77 floating in the chemical solution C and a rotating unit 76 for rotating these stirring bars 77. The stirrer 77 is made of a magnetic material, and its specific gravity is substantially the same as that of the chemical solution C. Further, when the chemical solution C has particles, the size of the stirrer 77 is preferably larger than the particles of the chemical solution C. The rotating portion 76 is arranged outside the first container 51, and contains a magnet and a motor for rotating the magnet.

Since the specific gravity of the stirrer 77 is substantially the same as that of the chemical solution C, the stirrer 77 can be uniformly dispersed in the chemical solution C, and the chemical solution C can be agitated evenly.

Further, a filter 78 is installed in the middle of the first pipe 53a on the downstream side of the first container 51 to allow the passage of particles in the chemical solution C and prevent the passage of the stirrer 77. The installation location of the filter 78 is not limited to the first pipe 53a, and is not particularly limited as long as it is downstream from the first container 51 and up to the second container 52. However, since the transfer path 56 is branched more and the number of places where the filter 78 is installed increases as the container 52 approaches the second container 52, it is preferable to install the filter in the first pipe 53a in consideration of suppressing the cost increase.

In this embodiment, instead of the filter 78, a magnetic force removing unit that removes the stirrer 77 by a magnetic force may be provided. For example, an annular magnetic force removing portion is attached to the outer wall of the first pipe 53a at an intermediate position of the first pipe 53a, and the stirrer 77 in the chemical solution C to be transferred is attracted to the outer wall of the first pipe 53a and periodically. The stirrer 77 that has been adsorbed may be recovered.

According to the fluid transfer system 74 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned sixth embodiment can be obtained. Further, the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 74 is the same as that of the sixth embodiment described above, and the same effect can be obtained.

As the stirring unit for stirring the chemical solution C stored in the first container 51, in addition to the above-mentioned contents, for example, stirring by a stirring blade, stirring by vibration, or heating the chemical solution C so as to convect the chemical solution C. It can also be mentioned. Further, it is also conceivable to apply an external force to the first container 51 to deform the first container 51 for stirring, or to shake the first container 51 for stirring. Further, the chemical solution C to be transferred may be stirred by providing a stirring unit in the transfer path 56.

<Eighth Embodiment of a fluid transfer system and a fluid transfer method>
FIG. 32 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the eighth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 82 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is arranged immediately before the second container 52. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. Further, since the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 82 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is arranged between the connection connector 55 and the second container 52, and is directly connected to the injection pipe 52c of the second container 52. According to the fluid transfer system 82 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment can be obtained, and the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is arranged immediately before the second container 52, so that the second container 52 can be obtained. The influence of the equipment environment such as piping and pumps from the 1st container 51 to the inlet of the 2nd container 52 and the transfer environment on the transfer can be easily verified and grasped. Then, when the influence of the equipment environment and the transfer environment occurs, the accuracy of the chemical liquid C transfer amount can be further improved by adjusting the transfer amount in consideration of the influence.

<Ninth Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 33 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the ninth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 83 of the present embodiment and the eighth embodiment is that the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is also arranged immediately after the first container 51. Since other configurations are the same as those of the eighth embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. Further, since the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 83 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer system 83 has two fluid transfer amount measuring devices 1, one is arranged immediately before the second container 52 as in the eighth embodiment described above, and the rest is the first. It is arranged immediately after the container 51. The fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 arranged immediately after the first container 51 is directly connected to the first pipe 53a and is located on the side closer to the switching portion 58. According to the fluid transfer system 83 configured in this way, the same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned eighth embodiment can be obtained, and the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 is arranged immediately after the first container 51. The influence of the equipment environment from the outlet port 51a of the first container 51 to the switching portion 58 on the transfer can also be grasped, and the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount can be further improved.

The number of fluid transfer amount measuring devices 1 may be appropriately increased as needed. Further, the fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 may be arranged only immediately after the first container 51.

<10th Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 34 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the tenth embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 84 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the fluid is transferred by gravity without using a pump. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Further, the fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 84 of the present embodiment is different from the above-mentioned first embodiment in that the transfer is performed by using gravity without using a pump, but the other aspects are the above-mentioned first embodiment. Since it is the same as the form, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

<Eleventh Embodiment of the fluid transfer system and the fluid transfer method>
FIG. 35 is a schematic configuration diagram shown in the eleventh embodiment of the fluid transfer system. The difference between the fluid transfer system 85 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that the liquid C to be transferred is discharged to the outside without having the second container 52. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.

Specifically, the fluid transfer system 85 includes a first container 51, a transfer path 86 for transferring the chemical liquid C stored inside the first container 51, a pump 57 arranged in the transfer path 86, and the like. It is provided with a fluid transfer amount measuring device 1 integrated with a transfer path.

The fluid transfer method using the fluid transfer system 85 of the present embodiment is different from the above-mentioned first embodiment in that the chemical liquid C transferred in the transfer step is discharged to the outside, but the other aspects are the above-mentioned first embodiment. Since it is the same as the form, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the sixth and seventh embodiments of the fluid transfer system described above, for stirring the chemical solution C stored in the first container 51 in order to maintain the uniformity of the components of the chemical solution C filled in each second container 52. An example of providing a stirring unit has been described. However, when the fluid stored in the first container 51 is a suspension having granules such as cells, the stirring unit may damage the granules such as cells. Therefore, the present inventors have further found that by adjusting the vertical movement speed of the granules in the suspension, the uniformity of the granules can be maintained without damaging the granules.

More specifically, in the case of a suspension having granules, the granules tend to settle due to gravity and accumulate at the bottom of the first container 51. Therefore, if the suspension is transferred as it is, it will be filled in the second container 52. The number and types of granules inside will change significantly, leading to non-uniformity of the components. As described above, especially in the field of pharmaceuticals, the number and types of particles containing particles greatly affect the therapeutic effect, and strict control of these is required. A method of providing a stirring unit is conceivable to solve this problem, but there is a possibility that the stirring member such as a stirrer or a stirring blade collides with the granules, which adversely affects the granules. In particular, when the granules are cells, they are damaged by colliding with the stirring member. Then, the present inventors calculate the current value of the vertical movement speed of the granular material, and when the difference between the calculated current value and the target value exceeds the allowable range, inject an adjusting substance for adjusting the vertical movement speed. However, it was found that the uniformity of the granular material is ensured by maintaining the current value of the vertical movement speed at the target value. Here, the vertical movement speed of the granular material (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “movement speed”) refers to the sedimentation / floating speed of the granular material.

FIG. 36 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a moving speed adjusting device, and the configuration of the fluid transfer system 50 is omitted in FIG. 36. The moving speed adjusting device 90 is provided in, for example, the fluid transfer system 50, and adjusts the vertical moving speed of the granular material R inside the suspension K stored in the first container 51. The movement speed adjusting device 90 is calculated by a storage unit 91 that stores a target value and an allowable width of the vertical movement speed of the granular material R, and a calculation unit 92 that calculates the current value of the vertical movement speed of the granular material R. When the determination unit 93 for determining whether the difference between the current value of the vertical movement speed and the stored target value exceeds the allowable range and the case where the difference between the current value and the target value is determined to exceed the allowable range. Is provided with an adjusting substance injection unit 94 for injecting an adjusting substance into the inside of the first container 51 to adjust the vertical movement speed of the granular material R. Further, it is preferable that the moving speed adjusting device 90 further includes a control unit 95 that controls the entire moving speed adjusting device 90.

Here, in the food field, the suspension K having the granular material R may be, for example, a liquid such as a beverage containing a fruit or a seasoning containing a solid material. In the pharmaceutical field, electrolyte infusions such as physiological saline, sugar injections such as glucose, blood preparations, antibiotics, proteinaceous drugs such as antibodies, low molecular weight proteins, peptide drugs such as hormones, nucleic acid drugs, cells. Pharmaceuticals, vaccines to prevent various infectious diseases, steroids, insulin, anticancer agents, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretic analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents, anesthetics, fat emulsions, antihypertensive agents, vasodilators, heparin chloride Examples of liquids such as electrolyte correction injections such as sodium and potassium lactate, vitamins, and contrast agents include suspensions containing various compounds that are insoluble in the liquid and granules such as various cells.

In this embodiment, the suspension K is preferably a suspension made of a biological material. The sedimentation rate of the granular material R in the suspension K is preferably 30 cm or less per hour, more preferably 6 cm or less, still more preferably 0.25 cm or less. This is set in consideration of the following. For example, when the suspension K is a beverage containing fruits and automatic filling is performed, if 200 L of the beverage is dispensed into a 500 mL × 400 dispenser container, 40 bottles are dispensed per minute to complete the dispensing. It takes 10 minutes. When the granular material R (that is, the fruit) settles in 10 minutes, the variation in the granular material R between the dispensing containers is large. Therefore, the concentration difference of the granular material R between the first and last dispensing containers is kept within a difference of about 5%. If this is the case, it is necessary to suppress the beverage having a height of 100 cm to a sedimentation of 5 cm or less. Therefore, the calculation is 5 cm or less in 10 minutes, that is, 30 cm or less per hour is desirable. Then, if the above-mentioned concentration difference is to be kept within about 1%, the sedimentation rate of the granular material R becomes 6 cm or less per hour.

On the other hand, when the suspension K is a drug containing a solid substance, for example, it takes 30 minutes in a clean booth to dispense from a bag or bottle in which 1 L of the drug is stored into a 20 mL × 50 dispensing container. If a bag or bottle that stores 1 L of drug is about 40 cm x 10 cm in size and the difference in the concentration of granular material R between the first and last dispensing containers is to be kept within a difference of about 5%, It is necessary to suppress the drug having a height of 40 cm to a sedimentation of 2 cm or less. It is desirable that the settling speed is 4 cm in 1 hour, and if the above-mentioned concentration difference is to be kept within about 1%, the settling speed of the granular material R will be 0.8 cm or less per hour.

Further, the suspension K is an infusion solution, for example, when a 250 mL infusion solution is infused over 1 hour, the 250 mL infusion solution bag has a size of about 25 cm × 15 cm, and the first and last granules R In order to keep the difference in concentration within about 5%, it is necessary to suppress the infusion solution for 25 cm in height to a sedimentation of 1.25 cm or less. Therefore, it is desirable that the sedimentation rate of the granular material R is 1.25 cm or less in one hour. Then, if the above-mentioned concentration difference is to be kept within about 1%, the sedimentation rate of the granular material R becomes 0.25 cm or less per hour.

Further, the viscosity of the suspension K is preferably 100 cp or less, and more preferably 10 cp or less. This is because it is desirable that the bubbles disappear quickly when the bubbles are generated in the suspension K, but the higher the viscosity, the longer the life of the bubbles, and the lower the viscosity, the faster the bubbles disappear. Further, when the transfer by the pump is taken into consideration, the suspension K is more likely to flow when the viscosity is low.

The diameter or maximum width of the granular material R contained in the suspension K is preferably 100 μm or more, which is a level at which the diameter or maximum width can be visually recognized. Is desirable.

The storage unit 91 stores the target value and the allowable width of the vertical movement speed of the granular material R set in advance, and also stores each program related to the movement speed adjusting device 90. The storage unit 91 is connected to the determination unit 93, and outputs the target value and the allowable width of the vertical movement speed of the granular material R to the determination unit 93 according to the command of the control unit 95.

The determination unit 93 is connected to the control unit 95, and determines whether or not the difference between the current value and the target value of the vertical movement speed of the granular material R calculated by the calculation unit 92 according to the command of the control unit 95 exceeds the allowable range. Then, the determination result is output to the control unit 95.

The adjusting substance injection unit 94 has, for example, a container in which a liquid adjusting substance is stored, and is configured to be able to inject a fixed amount of the adjusting substance into the inside of the first container 51 via an injection pipe 94a. .. Although not shown, the adjusting substance injection unit 94 has a structure capable of injecting 30 mL of the adjusting substance into the first container 51 with one piston, for example, like a syringe pump. The adjusting substance injection unit 94 is connected to the control unit 95 and performs injection work of the adjusting substance based on the command of the control unit 95.

The adjusting substance includes an inhibitor that suppresses the vertical movement speed of the suspension K if it is fast, and a promoter that promotes the speed if the vertical movement speed is slow. For example, if the suspension K is made of a biological material, the corresponding modifier is a suspension containing a component of the biological material such as edible saline or physiological saline, or biocompatibility. It is a suspension containing a component having. At this time, the suspension K as the adjusting substance may or may not contain the granular material R, but if the viscosity and resistance are adjusted, the fine granular material R may be contained. .. In the present embodiment, the suspension K as the adjusting substance contains the granular material R.

Further, it is desired that the adjusting substance is harmless to the biomaterial of the granular material R and the living body, has a composition that does not easily affect the biomaterial, has a composition that does not easily change, and has an additional role. ing.

More specifically, with respect to being harmless, when the density of particles (that is, particles) is higher than the density of the liquid, the liquid dissolves in the liquid a substance that does not have a significant adverse effect on the living body or the like. By increasing the concentration of the particles, or by increasing the amount of liquid such as water to dilute the concentration when the density of the particles is lighter, the particles ≒ liquid. That is, as a material for increasing or diluting the concentration, a substance that does not adversely affect the effect of the particles is used. It is good to adjust the concentration to suppress sedimentation, but the use of substances that cause worse than the effect (for example, deterioration of flavor in the case of beverages, deterioration of the medicinal effect in the case of pharmaceuticals) should be avoided.

The composition that does not easily affect the biomaterial is, for example, one having an osmotic pressure close to that of the biomaterial or one that does not change the pH of the liquid. Further, the composition is preferably one that does not promote agglutination between particles. This is because the particles become larger due to aggregation, and the sedimentation speed also increases. For example, when the particles are cells, it is preferable to contain a component that suppresses cell-cell aggregation, such as a chelating agent such as EDTA.

The composition that does not easily change is that it does not contain easily volatile components, and is composed of, for example, only a substance having a boiling point of 40 ° C. or higher, which is a boiling point of normal room temperature or higher. Further, in order to suppress the volatilization of the liquid, it is desirable that the adjusting substance contains a water-soluble substance having a boiling point higher than that of water, and polysaccharides such as sorbitol and carrageenan and polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin are suitable. Further, as a composition that does not easily change, for example, it may be mentioned that it does not contain a component that is easily oxidized.

Having an additional role means that it is highly useful for specific purposes as well as speed adjustment. For example, a composition that can be frozen, a composition that stabilizes pH, a composition that stabilizes a biomaterial, and the like can be mentioned. The composition that stabilizes the biomaterial is considered to function as a protective liquid for granules, for example.

Especially for foods, the adjusting substances include amino acids such as L-sodium aspartate and L-isoleucine, nucleic acids such as 5'-disodium inosinate, 5'-disodium uridylate, and calcium citrate. Examples thereof include organic acids such as sodium succinate and inorganic acids such as potassium chloride and tripotassium phosphate. On the other hand, in the case of pharmaceuticals, DMSO bovine serum, albumin and the like are mentioned as freezeable compositions, and MES, Bis-Tris, ADA, PIPES, ACES, MOPSO, BES and the like are mentioned as compositions for stabilizing pH. Examples of the composition that stabilizes the biological material include antioxidants (for example, thiol, ascorbic acid, polyphenol), polymerization inhibitors (radical scavengers, proton scavengers), oxygen scavengers, and the like.

As a result of adjusting the moving speed of the granular material R by injecting the adjusting substance, the difference in specific gravity between the granular material R and the liquid is preferably 1 or less, more preferably 0.1 or less.

The control unit 95 is mainly composed of a computer including, for example, a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and the calculation of the calculation unit 92 and the injection timing of the adjusting substance injection unit 94 are based on the control program stored in advance in the storage unit 91. It controls each operation of the entire device including the above.

On the other hand, the calculation unit 92 receives light by associating the irradiation unit 921 that irradiates the suspension K with light and the intensity of the light transmitted through the suspension K (hereinafter referred to as transmitted light) with the height of the suspension K. The height of the interface between the granular material R and the liquid is calculated based on the result of the light receiving portion 922, the intensity of the transmitted light, and the height of the suspension K, and the vertical movement speed of the granular material R at the interface. It has a calculation unit 923 and a calculation unit 923 for calculating the current value of.

The irradiation unit 921 is formed by, for example, a point-shaped, linear or planar light source. The light source may be natural light including a wavelength of visible light, light having a specific wavelength, or light having a wavelength other than visible light. When the granular material R easily absorbs, reflects, or scatters light having a specific wavelength, a light source containing the specific wavelength is desirable. Further, when a plurality of types of granular material R are contained or when the characteristics for light are different, a light source containing a plurality of wavelengths is desirable. In the present embodiment, the irradiation unit 921 is composed of a linear light source in which a plurality of LEDs are linearly arranged at predetermined intervals along the height direction (that is, the vertical direction), and is one side of the first container 51. It is erected (on the left side of the first container 51 in FIG. 36).

The light receiving unit 922 is a linear sensor in which a plurality of light receiving elements are linearly arranged along the height direction, and is on the opposite side of the irradiation unit 921 with the first container 51 interposed therebetween (the first container 51 in FIG. 36). It is erected on the right side of). The plurality of light receiving elements are arranged one-to-one with respect to the plurality of LEDs of the irradiation unit 921, and are located at the same height as each LED. In this way, when the light transmitted through the suspension K is detected by the light receiving element, the intensity of the transmitted light and the height of the suspension K are related. Here, the light receiving portion 922 may be formed by arranging the light receiving elements in a dot shape or a plane shape.

FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the intensity of transmitted light and the height of the suspension due to the sedimentation state of the granular material. In FIG. 37, the left side is the relationship between the sedimentation state of the granular material R and the time, and the right side is the light receiving light. The relationship between the intensity of the transmitted light detected in the part 922 and the height of the suspension K is shown. For example, as shown in FIG. 37 (a), at the start of measurement (that is, t = 0), the granular material R is dispersed in a substantially uniform state over the entire height direction of the suspension K, so that the light receiving unit 922 disperses the particles R in a substantially uniform state. The intensity of the detected transmitted light is low, and it becomes approximately one vertical line along the height direction of the suspension K.

After 5 minutes from the start of measurement (t = 5 minutes), as shown in FIG. 37 (b), between the granules R and the liquid (that is, the solvent) in the suspension K as the granules R settle. A boundary surface S is generated. Here, as a method of specifying the boundary surface S, for example, as shown by the broken line circle and the broken line in FIG. 38 (a), it is considered that there is no granular material R when light having a predetermined intensity or higher is transmitted (small granular material R). (Excluding the speed of one group), and the position at that time is the boundary surface. Alternatively, as shown by the broken line circle and the broken line in FIG. 38 (b), the height that is the median of the width in which the intensity of the transmitted light changes is defined as the position of the group of granules R, and the height above and below the median. Adopt the movement speed. The width here refers to the intensity from a certain predetermined value or less to another predetermined value or more.

In addition, the sedimentation speed of the granular material R is affected by the weight, size, volume, resistance, buoyancy, convection of the liquid, the shape of the container in which the liquid is stored, etc. It does not always settle quickly. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, a large one is settled quickly in order to avoid complication of explanation.

Then, as shown in FIG. 37 (b), the boundary surface S exhibits an inclined surface due to the difference in the sedimentation speed due to the size of the granular material R. Since there is no granular material R in the portion above the boundary surface S, the intensity of transmitted light is high, and in the portion below the boundary surface, the granular matter is accumulated, so that the intensity of transmitted light is low.

After 10 minutes have passed from the start of measurement (t = 10 minutes), as shown in FIG. 37 (c), the position of the interface S between the granular material R and the liquid is further lowered due to the further sedimentation of the granular material R. The degree of inclination of the boundary surface S also increases due to the difference in the sedimentation speed of the granular material R.

Regarding the intensity of the transmitted light detected by each light receiving element of the light receiving unit 922, all the intensities of the transmitted light detected by each light receiving element may be adopted as data as described above, or the height of the light receiving element may be adopted. The light receiving element is evenly divided into multiple sections along the vertical direction, and the average value of each section, the median value of each section, the lowest value (that is, the value that does not transmit light most) and the outliers to reduce the error. The value excluding the above may be adopted as the data.

In this embodiment, the first container 51 needs to be made of a light-transmitting material. The first container 51 is preferably formed of a transparent material, but even if the container is lightly cloudy if the transmittance is 90% or more for all wavelengths, the maximum value is first measured with water or the like. It is also possible to use it if you follow the change after that.

First, the calculation unit 923 calculates the height of the boundary surface S specified by the method as described above based on the result of the intensity of the transmitted light and the height of the suspension. Next, the calculation unit 923 calculates the current value of the vertical movement speed of the granular material on the boundary surface S. Specifically, the calculation unit 923 calculates the height of the boundary surface at at least two times (for example, start time A and end time B), and further, the difference between the boundary surfaces in the height direction / (BA). ) To calculate the current value of the moving speed of the granular material R.

When there are two or more measurement times, for example, when measuring five times at time A, B, C, D, and E at 1-minute intervals, A and E (the times are farthest apart from the viewpoint of seeing the overall behavior). That is, it is desirable to calculate the vertical movement speed of the granular material R based on the data of (the start time is A and the end time is E), but the start time and the end time are not necessarily limited to this.

However, regarding the start time, for example, when the flow inside the first container 51 is still strongly wound, the height of the boundary surface does not change much between AB, but gradually changes between BC, and Oita between CDs. It may change and stabilize between DEs. In such a case, if the sedimentation (floating) speed of the granular material R above a certain level cannot be measured, it does not have to be regarded as the start time, or the movement speed at each time is calculated and the change in the movement speed changes. It does not have to be regarded as the start time unless it is within a predetermined fixed value (for example, plus or minus 10%).

On the other hand, regarding the end time, for example, when the moving speed of the granular material R hardly changes at times C, D, and E, or when the granular material having a large volume is added at a high concentration and deposited, between AB. , BC, CD, and DE, respectively, and the difference in boundary surface height (movement distance) is calculated. The moving speed of the granular material R may be calculated between the time ACs, or the moving speed may be calculated between the times AB immediately before the time C from the viewpoint of safety.

Then, when all the processing related to the start time and the end time as described above is deviated, that is, when neither the start time nor the end time can be determined, the calculation unit 923 outputs the information to the control unit 95 and gives a warning sound or a warning message. It may be a structure that informs the operator by issuing a message or the like.

In addition to the above contents, a tracking method can be considered as a method for calculating the vertical movement speed of the granular material R. That is, in a state where the granular material R is observed from the upper surface (or lower surface) with a microscope or a microscope, the Z direction (that is, the height direction) of the microscope is moved up and down by a certain amount for one granular material in the image. This is a method of tracking the movement of the granular material R by applying auto-focus so as to be in focus, and directly calculating the vertical movement speed based on the change in the amount of movement of the microscope or the microscope in the Z direction and the elapsed time. When the tracking method is adopted, the container for storing the suspension K is not so high and flat when placed on the stage of a microscope or a microscope so that the suspension K can be easily tracked in the height direction. Things are desirable.

At this time, the moving speed of the granular material R exists in the three-dimensional direction, but only the vertical component thereof (that is, the Z direction or the height direction described above) is adopted. Further, as a method for separating the granular material R, the granular material is basically cut out by contour extraction, and each is determined as follows. For example, if the shape does not have a certain feature amount (eg, area is less than or equal to a predetermined value, longest diameter is less than or equal to a predetermined value), it is not recognized as a granular material R, or color information (eg, lightness, saturation, hue) is not available. If it is not in a certain range, it will not be recognized as a granular material R. Alternatively, in order to avoid the case where a plurality of granules R overlap, the granules are not recognized as granules unless the periphery of the granules R is within the range of the color information (eg, lightness, saturation, hue) on the back surface. Here, it is desirable to take a picture with a transparent liquid such as water before the measurement and use the pictured result as backside information. That is, if the back surface is a gray wall, it is judged as gray, but even if the back surface is a slightly complicated view of the room, the preliminary shooting result may be used as the back surface information.

When the tracking method is used, the moving speed of the granular material R is calculated as follows, for example. First, in step 1, the granular material R is specified by an autofocus microscope. At this time, it is desirable that there is one granular material R in the screen of the microscope, but if there are a plurality of particles R, one of them is specified as a target. In step 2, the position of the specified granular material R in the Z-axis direction at the time of observation is measured. In step 3, autofocus is executed by moving in the Z-axis direction after a predetermined fixed time (for example, after 10 seconds). In step 4, the position in the Z-axis direction after autofocus is measured. In step 5, the difference between the positions in the Z-axis direction measured in step 2 and step 4 is calculated, and the difference is divided by the time between them to obtain the moving speed of the granular material R. In the above calculation method, step 3 may be repeated a plurality of times, and step 5 may be performed based on the difference in position in the Z-axis direction measured in steps 2 and 4.

Then, when it is determined that the difference between the current value of the moving speed calculated by the calculation unit 923 and the target value exceeds the allowable range, the adjusting substance injection unit 94 of the first container 51 is based on the command of the control unit 95. The adjusting substance is injected into the inside to adjust the moving speed of the granular material R. When the conditioning material is injected into the first container 51, the moving speed of the granules R in the stored suspension K is improved. Here, the calculation unit 923 of the calculation unit 92 recalculates the current value of the movement speed after the improvement, outputs the result of the calculated current value to the determination unit 93, and the determination unit 93 outputs the current value and the target value after the improvement. It is determined again whether or not the difference between the two exceeds the allowable range.

Then, when it is determined that the difference between the current value and the target value of the improved moving speed still exceeds the allowable range, the control unit 95 instructs the adjusting substance injection unit 94 to inject the adjusting substance again. Then the adjustment will be carried out again. However, in the following cases, the adjustment may not be performed again. For example, if one adjustment can only be quantified such as 30 mL, the target value is 1 cm / min, and the allowable width is 0.1 cm / min, the moving speed before adjustment is 1.3 cm / min. It is assumed that the speed after one adjustment is 0.8 cm / min. That is, since the injection of the adjusting substance by the adjusting substance injection unit 94 is discrete, it may not fall within the allowable range. In that case, as an exception handling, even if the difference between the current value of the improved movement speed and the target value exceeds the allowable range, if the allowable range is exceeded, the adjustment should be terminated there. It's fine.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, the vertical movement speed of the granular material R in the suspension K is adjusted via the movement speed adjusting device 90 so that the vertical movement speed of the granular material R becomes 0. By doing so, the uniformity of the granular material R in the suspension K stored in the first container 51 can be maintained. Then, when the suspension K is transferred to the second container 52 in this state, the uniformity of the granular material R in the suspension K transferred to the second container 52 (that is, filled in the second container 52) is obtained. Can be kept. This makes it possible to control the number, weight, volume, etc. of the granular material R filled in the second container 52.

In particular, in foods and pharmaceuticals containing biological materials, for example, the size and weight of the pulp and cells vary widely, and in addition, the density often changes depending on the composition of the liquid, and a large amount of granular material R is filled. Therefore, the load is very high to calculate the moving speed by tracking the granular material R one by one. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a method of calculating the vertical movement speed of the granular material R by using the boundary surface between the granular material R and the liquid is useful, and based on the calculation result, the granular material R is injected by injecting the adjusting substance. By adjusting the vertical movement speed, it becomes possible to maintain the uniformity of the granular material R for a long time.

In this embodiment, the concentration of the granular material R takes into consideration the following circumstances. That is, in the food field where the number of granules R is relatively small, for example, in the case of a citrus-based fruit-containing beverage such as mandarin orange, there may be a beverage having 20% fruit grains, and further, for example, 0.2 g of grains per 1 mL. (Citrus) may be included. Here, although it depends on the type of citrus fruits, one citrus fruit is usually 30 g to 120 g, has 5 to 10 bunches of juice vesicles, and has 50 to 200 grains (juice vesicles) per bunch. If one 100 g has 10 bunches x 200 juice vesicles, one juice vesicle is 0.05 g, and 200 mL or 1000 mL of a beverage containing 4 granules per 1 g or 1 mL is filled and manufactured. .. If the tank for producing 1000 mL is 200 L, 200 × 1000 × 4 pieces are contained in one tank, and it is difficult to track the speed of each of these granules one by one to calculate the average speed.

On the other hand, the amount of granular material R is relatively large, and in the field of pharmaceuticals using cells, there are many cases where the number is 10 to the 4th or 5th power per 1 mL at the time of use, and 10 to the 6th or 7th power per 1 mL at the time of culturing. At this time, one container may contain 10 6 granules as 10 mL. Therefore, as the concentration of the number, it is often used at 4 or more per 1 mL, and in foods and pharmaceuticals, it is generally used at 10 7 or less. In particular, in a usage process in which the number is large, it is optimal to use 10 to the 4th power or more. Alternatively, the total number of granules per container or tank is often 100 or more, and particularly 10,000 or more, more preferably 1 million (10 to the 6th power) or more. Is the best.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the second and subsequent injections of the adjusting substance are required, the control unit 95 will inject from now on based on the result of the previous injection amount and the current value of the moving speed of the granular substance R after the improvement. It is preferable to control the injection amount of the adjusting substance in anticipation of the result of.

Here, the control of the adjusted substance injection amount includes the control of the amount and the control of the substance. The amount control is proportional to the difference in ABC between the current value A of the movement speed before adjustment, the current value B of the movement speed after adjustment, and the target value C, for example, for the nth adjustment (that is, the nth injection). Then, increase or decrease the injection amount. As an example, when the current value of the granular material R before adjusting the sedimentation rate is 20 cm / sec and the target value is 5 cm / sec, 100 mL of the adjusting substance is injected and the adjusted current value becomes 10 cm / sec. The result is that it takes 10 mL to lower by 1 cm based on a calculation of 100 mL / (20-10) cm. Therefore, since the difference up to the target of 5 cm is 10-5 = 5 cm, 10 mL × 5 = 50 mL will be injected.

In addition, the amount control can always use the immediately preceding information. For example, if the current value of the sediment R before adjustment is 20 cm / sec and the target value is 5 cm / sec, 100 mL of the adjusting substance is injected and the adjusted current value is 10 cm / sec. , The result is that it takes 10 mL to lower by 1 cm based on a calculation of 100 mL / (20-10) cm. Therefore, since the difference up to the target of 5 cm is 10-5 = 5 cm, 10 mL × 5 = 50 mL will be injected. However, for example, as a result of actual injection, it was only lowered to 8 cm, and when it was necessary to reach the target of 8-5 = 3 cm, the latest result (that is, the information immediately before) was that it was lowered by 2 cm with 50 mL. Therefore, if the previous result is used, 25 mL is injected to lower it by 1 cm, so it is necessary to inject 25 mL x 3 = 75 mL. In this way, by using the information immediately before, instead of always using the information from the previous multiple times, when targeting a particularly small volume, the increase in the target volume is neglected by repeatedly injecting the adjusting substance. It is suitable because there are many cases where it cannot be done and the effect may not be seen in proportion. Further, even when the pH of the liquid or the adjusting substance stored in the first container 51 is high or low and the aggregation of the granular material R progresses, the behavior may change each time the injection is performed. Therefore, it is desirable to use the information immediately before.

Further, the control unit 95 may control the upper limit and the lower limit of the allowable width so as not to suddenly exceed the allowable range or to reduce the number of adjustments (that is, the number of injections) instead of the target value. Or, depending on the situation, a value larger than the upper limit of the allowable width and a value smaller than the lower limit of the allowable width may be adjusted.

On the other hand, the control of the substance is different, for example, for the nth adjustment, in proportion to the difference in ABC between the current value A of the moving speed before adjustment, the current value B of the moving speed after adjustment and the target value C. It will be implemented by changing to.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the second and subsequent injections of the adjusting substance are required, the control unit 95 has adjusted the results by injecting the adjusting substance so far in addition to the results of the previous injection amount and the current value after improvement. It is more preferable to control the injection amount of the adjusting substance by anticipating the result of the injection from now on. In this case, for example, characteristics such as the specific gravity and viscosity of the suspension are recorded in the storage unit 91 as a database, and the number of adjustments can be reduced by applying the past adjustment results, or the suspension has a type ID. By applying the past adjustment results for each type ID, the number of adjustments can be reduced. Information in the database that, for example, by injecting what kind of conditioning material into what volume (or weight) of suspension K and how much volume (or weight) the conditioning could be properly completed. Etc. are accumulated.

Further, here, the adjustment may be performed by changing the type of the adjusting substance. For example, when the pre-adjustment current value of the sedimentation rate of the granular material R is 20 cm / sec and the target value is 5 cm / sec, 100 mL of the adjusting substance A is injected, and the adjusted current value becomes 10 cm / sec, which is the target 5 cm. For the difference of 10-5 = 5 cm, prepare the adjusting substance B, which is twice as effective as the adjusting substance A, and inject 25 mL of the adjusting substance B. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the sudden significant excess of the target value, suppress the injection amount from the second time onward, and prevent the adjusted solution from becoming a large volume.

Next, as a method for manufacturing the individual fluid inclusion body, a second container 52 in which the chemical solution C is encapsulated (hereinafter referred to as a chemical solution-encapsulated container 52) will be described.

The method for manufacturing the chemical solution-filled container 52 includes a measurement step of measuring the transfer amount of the chemical solution C using a fluid transfer amount measuring device, and the chemical solution C stored in the first container 51 based on the results measured in the measurement step. A setting step for setting the transfer amount of the drug solution C, a transfer step for transferring the chemical solution C to each second container 52 based on the result set in the setting step, and sealing each second container 52 to which the chemical solution C has been transferred. It is equipped with a sealing step.

Since the measurement step, the setting step, and the transfer step are the same as those in the first embodiment of the fluid transfer method described above, the overlapping description thereof will be omitted, but only the sealing step will be described below.

In the sealing step, the injection pipe 52c is removed from the connection connector 55 for each second container 52 to which the chemical solution C is transferred, and the end portion of the injection pipe 52c is sealed by heat welding or the like. As a result, the container 52 filled with the chemical solution is completed. According to such a manufacturing method, the accuracy of the chemical solution C transfer amount can be improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various designs are designed without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims. You can make changes. For example, the present invention is also applied to the combination of each of the above-described embodiments and modifications.

1,1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1J, 1K, 1L, 1M, 1N, 1P, 1Q, 1R, 2,3,4 Fluid transfer amount measuring device 10, 18, 42, 45 Measurement path 11, 15, 16, 19, 34, 43, 47 Visual recognition unit 12, 13, 14, 17, 30, 31, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 46 Display unit 20 Control unit 21 Image detection unit 22 Calculation unit 23 Display 24 Imaging unit 25 Pressure detection unit 26 Sensor 27 Deformation detection unit 28 Strain gauge 50, 60, 63, 66, 69, 70, 74, 80, 82, 83 , 84,85 Fluid transfer system 51 First container 52 Second container 56, 86 Transfer path 57 Pump 58 Switching unit 62 Sterile filter 64 First detection unit 65 First verification unit 67 Second detection unit 68 Second verification unit 71, 75 Stirring unit 72 Base 73 Mounting plate 76 Rotating unit 77 Stirrer 90 Moving speed adjustment device 91 Storage unit 92 Calculation unit 921 Irradiation unit 922 Light receiving unit 923 Calculation unit 94 Adjustment substance injection unit 95 Control unit C Chemical solution G Transfer gas

Claims (28)

A fluid transfer amount measuring device for measuring the fluid transfer amount.
A measurement path that allows fluid to be transferred, and
A visual recognition unit provided on the measurement path and capable of visually recognizing the transferred fluid from the outside,
A display unit showing the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit and the length of the specific section,
Equipped with
The display unit displays the relationship between the volume of the specific section of the visual recognition unit and the length of the specific section by changing the shape of the visual recognition unit, and displays the change in the internal pressure of the specific section of the visual recognition unit. Alternatively, a fluid transfer amount measuring device characterized in that the position of the fluid to be transferred in a specific section of the visual recognition unit is displayed by deformation. The fluid transfer amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein at least the width of the specific section of the visual recognition portion is smaller than the width of the measurement path excluding the visual recognition portion. The fluid transfer amount measuring device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein one end of the measurement path communicates with the outside through a sterile filter. A fluid transfer amount measuring device for measuring the fluid transfer amount.
A measurement path that allows fluid to be transferred, and
A detection unit that detects changes that occur in a specific section when the fluid flows in a specific section of the measurement path.
A calculation unit that calculates the relationship between the volume of the specific section and the length of the specific section based on the result detected by the detection unit.
Equipped with
The detection unit is a fluid transfer amount measuring device, characterized in that it detects a change in internal pressure in the specific section or detects deformation in the specific section. The fluid transfer amount measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the measurement path is A1, and ^{the condition of A1 ≤ 100 mm 2 is satisfied.} A method for measuring a fluid transfer amount, which comprises measuring a fluid transfer amount by using the fluid transfer amount measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. At least one first container in which the fluid is stored, and
A transfer route that enables the fluid stored in the first container to be transferred, and
The fluid transfer amount measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A fluid transfer system characterized by being equipped with. The fluid transfer system according to claim 7 , wherein the fluid transfer amount measuring device is integrated with the transfer path. The fluid transfer system according to claim 7 , wherein the measurement path of the fluid transfer amount measuring device is branched from the transfer path. The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 9 , wherein a pump is provided at least in the transfer path. The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 10 , further comprising a stirring unit for stirring the fluid transferred by the fluid transfer system. The fluid transfer system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring unit includes a base and a mounting plate that is swingably supported on the base and on which the first container is placed. The fluid transferred by the fluid transfer system is a liquid having particles and is a liquid.
The fluid transfer system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring unit includes a plurality of stirrers floating in the liquid and a rotating unit for rotating these stirrers. The fluid transfer system according to claim 13 , wherein the size of the stirrer is larger than the particles in the liquid. The specific gravity of the stirrer, the fluid transfer system of claim 13 or 14 wherein is substantially the same as the liquid. The fluid transfer according to any one of claims 13 to 15 , wherein a filter is provided on the downstream side of the first container to allow the passage of particles in the liquid and prevent the passage of the stirrer. system. The stirrer is a magnetic material and is
The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 13 to 15 , wherein a magnetic force removing portion for removing the stirrer by a magnetic force is provided on the downstream side of the first container. The fluid transfer system according to claim 11 , wherein the stirring unit is a heating unit that heats the fluid so as to convection the fluid. When the cross-sectional area of the measurement path of the fluid transfer amount measuring device is A1 and the cross-sectional area of the first container is A2, any one of claims 7 to 18 satisfying the condition of 1 <A2 / A1. The fluid transfer system described. In the case where the measurement path of the fluid transfer amount measuring device and the cross section of the first container are approximated by a circle.
The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 18 , wherein when the diameter of the measurement path is D1 and the diameter of the first container is D2, the condition of 1 <D2 / D1 is satisfied. Based on the first detection unit that detects at least one change in the shape, weight, and internal pressure of the first container, the result detected by the first detection unit, and the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device. The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 20 , further comprising a first verification unit for verifying the accuracy of the transfer amount. The item according to any one of claims 7 to 21 , further comprising a control unit that sets and controls the transfer amount of the fluid stored in the first container based on the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device. Fluid transfer system. The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 22 , further comprising a second container for accommodating the fluid transferred by the transfer path. The fluid transfer system according to claim 23 , wherein the second container is a plurality. The fluid transfer system according to claim 23 or 24 , wherein the first container to the second container are in a sterilized state. Based on the second detection unit that detects at least one change in the shape, weight, and internal pressure of the second container, the result detected by the second detection unit, and the result measured by the fluid transfer amount measuring device. The fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 23 to 25 , further comprising a second verification unit for verifying the accuracy of the transfer amount. A fluid transfer method for transferring a fluid using the fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 7 to 26.
A measurement step for measuring the amount of fluid transfer using the fluid transfer amount measuring device, and
A setting step for setting the transfer amount of the fluid stored in the first container based on the result measured in the measurement step, and a setting step.
Based on the result set in the setting step, the transfer step for transferring the fluid stored in the first container and the transfer step.
A fluid transfer method comprising. A method for producing an individual fluid inclusion body by transferring a predetermined amount of fluid stored in the first container to a second container and enclosing the fluid.
A measurement step for measuring a fluid transfer amount by using the fluid transfer amount measuring device in the fluid transfer system according to any one of claims 23 to 26.
A setting step for setting the transfer amount of the fluid stored in the first container based on the result measured in the measurement step, and a setting step.
A transfer step of transferring the fluid stored in the first container to the second container based on the result set in the setting step, and a transfer step.
A sealing step for sealing the second container to which the fluid has been transferred, and
A method for producing an individual fluid inclusion body.

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