JPH02151769A - Reaction container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable automatic analysis without need of complex and troublesome operation such as centrifugation by a method wherein only liquid can be taken out through an opening in the bottom when pressure is applied from an upper opening of a container or suction is performed from a lower opening. CONSTITUTION:A container consists of a cylinder 3 having openings 1, 2 on an upper and a lower portions, a partition 4 provided on the bottom of the cylinder 3 and a solid phase carrier 5 held on the partition 4. The partition 4 is formed by a member having water repellency while it has numerous fine through holes. The size of the through hole is specified in a degree that liquid cannot pass through due to summation of the carrier 5 or reaction solution or penetration force such as capillary force but the liquid can pass through when pressure larger than said forces is applied. Thus, only liquid can be taken out from the opening 2 by applying pressure from the opening 1 or suction from the opening 2, thereby enabling automatic analysis without need or troublesome operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a reaction vessel used in an automatic analyzer that automatically chemically analyzes a predetermined component contained in a sample such as serum or urine.

[Prior art] Among chemical analyses, enzyme immunoassay is a method that uses enzyme activity as a marker to determine the degree of antigen-antibody reaction, and then quantifies the amount of antigen or antibody.
Depending on whether or not bone separation is performed, it is classified into a separation method (heterogeneous) and a non-separation method (homogeneous). Non-separation methods do not physically separate the bound part (bound, B) produced by the binding of antigen and antibody as a result of the antigen-antibody reaction from the unbound free part (frae, F). Since nj is determined by , the n1 constant time is fast and the operation is simple, but there are drawbacks such as the measurement result may show a low unit even though it is a high unit, and the n1 constant sensitivity is low. The separation method physically separates and measures the bound part, which is produced when the antigen and antibody bind, and the unbound free part, as a result of the antigen-antibody reaction.
It is characterized by high constant sensitivity. However, since the operation is very complicated and troublesome, it has conventionally been performed manually.

[Problem 8 to be solved by the invention] For example, when performing analysis by a separation method using a solid phase method in ordinary enzyme immunoassay, the separation between a solid phase antibody (solid phase carrier) and a target component (antigen) is necessary. After the first reaction, contaminant components are discarded, after the second reaction between the target component (antigen) and the labeled antibody, excess labeled antibody is discarded, and after the third reaction, colorimetric detection is performed. As the solid phase carrier, beads or gel with a small diameter are used so that the number of times of contact with the sample or reagent is increased so that the reaction proceeds quickly and the analysis time is shortened.

In the flow of such immunoassays, it is necessary to wash the solid phase carrier after the first reaction and after the second reaction to remove unnecessary components in the liquid. For this washing, for example, when a solid phase carrier is placed in a test tube and reacted, a washing liquid is added for washing, the solid phase carrier is sedimented by centrifugation, and the supernatant is removed. operations such as these are required. Furthermore, after the third reaction, it is necessary to centrifuge and remove the supernatant in order to detect the reaction solution by colorimetry or the like. In this way, it took a long time to reach 3g/1 constant because it was necessary to use the centrifuge many times. It is not impossible to assemble a device that automates this process as is, but a centrifuge must be built into the device, and a mechanism for removing the solid phase carrier and supernatant after centrifugation must also be provided. This results in a device that is difficult to put into practical use.

An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and provide a reaction container that does not require complicated and troublesome operations such as centrifugation and allows automatic analysis.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the reaction container of the present invention contains a liquid and a solid phase carrier in the container, and is provided with an opening at the bottom of the container for taking out the liquid. A partition plate made of a water-repellent material with many fine passage holes is provided between the solid support and the liquid from the bottom opening when pressure is applied from the top opening of the container or suction is performed from the bottom opening. It is characterized by being configured so that the chisel can be taken out.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts showing an example of a reaction vessel in which the present invention is implemented. In the figure, the reaction vessel includes a cylinder 3 having openings 1.2 at the top and bottom, a partition plate 4 provided at the inner bottom of the cylinder 3, and a granular solid phase held on the partition plate 4. It is composed of a carrier 5. The partition plate 4 is made of a material that repels water, that is, is water repellent, and
It has many fine passage holes. The size of this passage hole is such that the liquid will not pass through depending on the weight of the solid support 5 and the reaction liquid or the osmotic force such as capillary force, but if a sufficiently larger pressure is applied, the liquid will pass through. It is set to about. Therefore, only the liquid inside the container can be taken out from the lower opening 2 by applying pressure from the upper opening 1 of the container or suctioning from the lower opening 2.

Therefore, as mentioned above, when discharging unnecessary liquid after the first reaction and the second reaction, when discharging the waste liquid after washing the solid phase support, or when discharging the waste liquid after the third reaction, When taking out the reaction liquid to send it to a detection device such as a colorimeter, pressurize the container from the upper opening 1 or pressurize it from the lower opening 2.
The liquid can now be taken out from the lower opening 2 by suction.

In this example, enzyme immunoassay was described, but it can also be used as a reaction vessel not only for enzyme and immunoassay but also for general chemical analysis.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, by using the reaction vessel according to the present invention, there is no need for complicated and troublesome operations such as centrifugation for washing the solid phase support or transferring the reaction solution, and it is possible to transfer the liquid very easily. It is now possible to take out the

And since it is no longer necessary to equip a centrifuge,
It has become possible to put into practical use automatic analyzers that perform separation methods based on solid-phase methods in enzyme immunoassays.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a reaction vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Upper opening 2: Lower opening 3; Cylindrical body 4: Partition plate 5: Solid phase carrier

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a reaction vessel used in a chemical analysis device, a liquid and a solid phase carrier are placed in the vessel, and an opening is provided at the bottom of the vessel to take out the liquid. A partition plate made of a water-repellent material having passage holes is provided so that only liquid can be taken out from the bottom opening when pressure is applied from the top opening of the container or suction is applied from the bottom opening. Characteristic reaction vessel.