JPH02208538A - Method and apparatus for sealing specimen - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the sealing of a substrate coated with a sample automatically by supplying a reactive synthetic resin onto the transparent substrate. CONSTITUTION:As directed by a controller 21, a transparent substrate 30 which is laminated in a recess 13a is moved onto a receiving plate 18 with the rotation of rollers 15-17 and the movement thereof is detected with a sensor 20 so that the substrate 30 with a synthetic resin being supplied from a resin nozzle 19 is pressurized by grasping with a conveying roller 22 and a pressure roller 15. With such an arrangement, a smoothing of the surface of the resin and the removal of bubbles are performed while the substrate 30 is conveyed near an ultraviolet lamp 26 being attached onto a conveying belt 2 to harden the synthetic resin. Then, the substrate 30 having the resin hardened reaches a peeling roller 23 which is adapted to vary a direction of conveying with the belt 24 under a reduction of sticking force of the resin. Thus, a specimen into which a sample 31 is sealed with a transparent resin is peeled off to be discharged at a discharge port 13b.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a specimen encapsulation method and its encapsulation device, and particularly to a specimen encapsulation method and a method for preparing a specimen by encapsulating a substrate smeared with a biological sample such as blood. Regarding the encapsulating device.

[Prior Art] In general, morphological examination of various body fluid components such as blood and urine in hospitals etc. involves smearing a sample of the body fluid on a slide glass, and observing this sample by a clinical laboratory technician using a microscope, etc. It is done by doing.

In the prior art, in order to prevent the spread of disease germs from the sample exposed during the microscopic examination to the operator and to protect the sample during storage, a cover glass is placed over the dry and fixed sample and the slide glass is placed over the sample. Specimens were prepared by injecting mounting medium between them.

This specimen is usually 76 mm x 2 as shown in Figure 5.
Sample 2 was smeared on a 6 mm rectangular 1.0 to 1.5 mm thick glass plate to a thickness of about 0.05 mm or less,
A cover glass 4 is bonded thereon with an adhesive 3.

The cover glass 4 is O,
Thicknesses of 1 mm to 0.2 mm are used.

An example of an apparatus for automatically performing the above-mentioned adhesion is the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 157536/1983.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The method for manufacturing a specimen using a slide glass requires a thin and fragile cover glass and adhesive work is performed to prevent air bubbles from entering, which makes each work complicated and laborious for the operator. There were problems such as the risk of damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a specimen encapsulation method and an encapsulation device thereof that can automatically encapsulate a substrate on which a sample has been smeared, in order to solve the problems of the prior art.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the specimen encapsulation method according to the present invention supplies a transparent and fluid reactive synthetic resin to a sample on a transparent substrate, and coats the surface of the synthetic resin. It was designed to harden after smoothing.

The reactive synthetic resin produced by this encapsulation method is a synthetic resin that undergoes a curing reaction upon physical or chemical stimulation from outside the system. As a specific example, a photocurable resin is suitable. Further, the transparent substrate may be a flexible film.

In addition, the specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention includes a delivery means for continuously transporting a plurality of transparent substrates smeared with samples, and a fluid reactive synthetic resin on the transparent substrates delivered by the delivery means. The present invention includes a resin supplying means for supplying the resin, a smoothing means for smoothing the surface of the resin, and a resin curing means for curing the smoothed synthetic resin.

Furthermore, this device consists of a resin supply unit that supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin to the transparent substrate coated with the sample, a conveyance roller, and a pressure roller, and these rollers rotate while holding both sides of the transparent substrate. A smoothing mechanism for smoothing the surface of the reactive synthetic resin, and a peeling roller on which an endless belt is hung between the conveying roller and the transparent substrate with the smoothed surface are coated with the reactive synthetic resin. It includes a conveyance mechanism that adheres to the endless belt using adhesive force and conveys it, and a resin curing means that hardens the synthetic resin on the transparent substrate conveyed by the conveyance mechanism.

The reactive synthetic resin may be a photocurable resin that is cured by light, and the resin curing means may be an ultraviolet irradiation lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays.

[Operations] The above specimen encapsulation method supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin to the specimen on a transparent substrate and hardens it after smoothing, thereby eliminating the need for a relatively expensive cover glass that is inconvenient to handle the specimen. Encapsulated specimens can be easily prepared.

Furthermore, by using a photocurable resin as the synthetic resin, the fluid resin can be easily cured by ultraviolet rays.

In addition, by using a flexible film as the transparent substrate, it is lighter and space-saving compared to using slide glass, which is not only useful for preserving the large number of specimens that are increasing every day, but also allows for the preservation of the entire specimen. The other effect of being combustible is that the entire specimen, including the germs, can be incinerated.

Further, in the specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention, the resin supply means supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin to the transparent substrate sent out by the delivery means, and after the resin surface is smoothed by the smoothing means, the resin curing means hardens the resin. This makes it possible to easily encapsulate the sample.

In addition, in this device, the resin supply section supplies reactive synthetic resin to the transparent substrate fed out from the storage groove by the feed roller, and the conveyance roller and pressure roller of the smoothing conveyance mechanism smooth the resin surface of the transparent substrate. By curing the synthetic resin by the resin curing means while being transported by the endless belt, the transparent substrate can be smoothed and transported with a simple configuration consisting of a plurality of rollers and the endless belt. The reactive synthetic resin is preferably a photocurable resin, and in this case, the resin curing means is preferably an ultraviolet irradiation lamp.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of a specimen encapsulation method and a specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, the specimen enclosing method according to the present invention is applied to a transparent substrate, such as a slide glass 5, on which a sample 6 such as blood shown in FIG. 3 is smeared.
A transparent and fluid reactive synthetic resin 7 is supplied on top, and a smooth sheet (not shown) made of a polyolefin resin or fluorine resin with low adhesion (not shown) is placed over the surface of the reactive synthetic resin 7. 300-4 from the top of the sheet
After smoothing the surface by uniformly applying a load of 0.00 g, the reactive resin 7 is cured to prepare a specimen in which the sample is encapsulated.

The curing work of the synthetic resin 7 is performed using, for example, an ultraviolet curing resin Aronix UV3810 manufactured by Toagosei Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.
When about 5 to 10 microliters of this resin 7 is flowed up onto the sample, the smooth sheet is placed over the sample, and then ultraviolet rays are irradiated with a 6 watt cold cathode black light, for example, it takes about 10 seconds. It can be done with Further, air bubbles formed between the sample 6 and the synthetic resin 7 are discharged to the outside from the fluid reactive synthetic resin 7 by being pressurized through the smooth sheet.

Therefore, this method uses a low-cost reactive resin instead of an expensive cover glass, prevents the inclusion of air bubbles in a safe and extremely simple manner, and allows the preparation of specimens with protected surfaces for storage. can.

Although the reactive synthetic resin was described in the above embodiment, it may be replaced with a thermosetting resin, and in this case, the resin curing means is preferably an electric heater or an exothermic lamp.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was shown in which a glass slide was used as the transparent substrate, but even when a flexible film is used as the transparent substrate, the specimen can be prepared by the same procedure. As a flexible film, 1, for example, 7
6mm x 26mm rectangle with 0.125~0.
Appropriate rigidity can be obtained by using a polyester film with a thickness of about 185 mm.

The specimen prepared in this way has a thickness of 0.2 mm or less and a weight of about 0.5 g, which is 1152 mm in thickness and about 1710 mm in weight, compared to the conventional method. Compared to using slide glass, it is lighter and space-saving.
Not only is this useful for preserving the large number of specimens that are increasing every day, but by making the entire specimen flammable, it has the effect of allowing the entire specimen, including disease bacteria, to be incinerated. Additionally, since no breakable glass material is used, the work can be done safely. Furthermore, due to the flexibility and breakage resistance of the film, when used in an automatic specimen device, the structure of the automatic feeding mechanism etc. can be simplified and troubles can be reduced.

Next, the basic configuration of a specimen encapsulation device that implements this specimen encapsulation method without relying on human hands will be explained using FIG. 1. This apparatus includes a storage mechanism 40 that stores a plurality of transparent substrates (not shown) on which samples are smeared, and a transparent substrate 30 that is connected to the storage mechanism 40.
a feeding mechanism 8 that continuously feeds out one sheet at a time, a resin supply section 9 that feeds a transparent and fluid reactive synthetic resin onto the transparent substrate conveyed by the feeding mechanism 8, and a resin supply section 9 that smooths the surface of this resin. a smooth transport mechanism 10 that transports the transparent substrate for a predetermined period of time while the resin is being cured; a resin curing section 11 that hardens the resin during transport by the smooth transport mechanism 10; A resin supply unit 9 supplies reactive synthetic resin to the sent-out transparent substrate, and a smoothing conveyance mechanism 10 smooths the transparent substrate and hardens the resin during conveyance for a predetermined time. The unit 11 operates to harden the resin to form a protective coating for the sample, and after preparing the specimen, the discharge mechanism 12 discharges it to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the specific structure of this specimen encapsulation device is as follows: a recess 13a for stacking and storing a plurality of transparent substrates 3o smeared with samples, and a notch 1 opened on the lower surface of the recess 13a.
3c, a presser 14 that presses the laminated transparent substrate 3o, a feed roller 15 that feeds out the transparent substrate 30 located in and in contact with the notch 13c, and a single transparent substrate 3o that is fed out by the roller 15. The two-sheet feed prevention roller 17 and insertion roller 16 that feed out two sheets at a time, and the transparent substrate 30 supplied by these rollers 16 and 17 are placed on a receiving plate 18.
a sensor 20 for detecting that the second point has been reached;
A resin nozzle 19 that supplies a predetermined amount of photocurable synthetic resin to a sample on a transparent substrate 30 upon detection of o, and a pressure that clamps and presses the transparent substrate 3o supplied with the resin to smooth the surface of the supplied resin. It is wound around the roller 25 and the conveying roller 22, and the conveying roller 22 and the peeling roller 23, and the roller 22
and an endless conveyor belt 24 which attaches and conveys the transparent substrate 3o to its lower surface using the pressure applied by pressure 25 and the adhesive force of the resin; The figure shows an ultraviolet irradiation lamp 26 that irradiates ultraviolet rays to harden the resin, an ejection port 13b that uses a peeling roller 23 to peel off the transparent substrate 30 whose adhesive strength has decreased due to the curing, and discharges it to the outside, and the delivery roller l5. A motor 32 that is rotationally driven by a belt that does not have a
A motor 33 that rotationally drives the sheet feed prevention roller 17 and the conveyance roller 22 by a belt (not shown), and the motor 3
2, 33 and a controller 2l that controls the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 26, and a housing 13 that houses these mechanisms.
Equipped with. Further, the photocurable synthetic resin preferably has an acrylic acid or acrylic acid ester structure in its molecular structure.

The two-sheet feeding prevention roller l7 and the insertion slot roller 16 prevent two-sheet feeding of the transparent substrate 30 by rotating the roller 17 counterclockwise and the roller 16 clockwise, and the resin nozzle 19 is a tank 34 as shown in FIG.
The synthetic resin 35 stored in the tank is supplied from the nozzle 19 by opening and closing a valve 36.

Further, the conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 25 serve to smooth the resin surface and push out air bubbles by pinching and pressing both sides of the transparent substrate 30 supplied with the resin from the ends thereof.

The specimen encapsulation device configured in this way has a controller 2l.
The transparent substrate 30 laminated in the concave portion 13a is moved onto the receiving plate 18 by the rotation of the rollers 15 to 17 according to the instruction, and this movement is detected by the sensor 20, whereby the photocurable synthetic resin 35 is released from the resin nozzle 19. The supplied transparent substrate 30 is held and pressed by the transport roller 22 and the pressure roller 25, thereby smoothing the resin surface and removing air bubbles.

is attached to the conveyor belt 24 and conveyed near the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 26 to cure the photocurable synthetic resin 35. The transparent substrate 30 on which the resin 35 has been cured reaches the peeling roller 23 that changes the conveyance direction of the belt 24 in a state where the adhesive force of the resin 35 is reduced, so that the sample 31 encapsulated in the transparent resin 35 is transferred to the belt. 24 and discharged from the discharge port 13b.

As described above, the specimen encapsulation device according to the present embodiment sequentially transports the transparent substrate 30 on which the sample 31 has been smeared, supplies the photocurable resin 35, smooths it, and then hardens it. 35, it is possible to easily prepare an encapsulated specimen without containing air bubbles, and the following effects can also be obtained.

■Since the prepared specimen does not use a cover glass, it can be made thinner and storage space can be reduced.

■Since elastic resin is used as the sample coating, it is difficult to break and reduces the risk of breakage. This also prevents the spread of disease germs through cuts of workers in examination rooms within hospitals.

■Since the synthetic resin supplied to the transparent substrate is smoothed, it is possible to prevent the formation of shadows that would interfere with microscopic observation of the sample. In particular, according to this embodiment, the conveyance roller and the pressure roller smooth the resin surface, and at the same time remove air bubbles contained in the resin and adhere to the lower surface of the conveyance belt with a simple structure.

■Using synthetic resin, which is cheaper than conventional specimen encapsulation methods and devices that use cover glasses and adhesives,
The cost of specimen preparation can be reduced. There is no longer an economical need to use a small cover glass and a large, more expensive cover glass depending on the size of the sample, and it becomes sufficient to prepare one type of resin. Encapsulation work, which previously had to be performed only on specific samples due to problems in economy and efficiency, can now be performed on all samples, such as blood type identification, blood morphology, urine sediment, and cytology. .

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was explained in which a photocurable resin and an ultraviolet lamp were used, but the present invention is not limited to this. A heat source such as a heat irradiation lamp may be used instead. Other reactive synthetic resins such as ionizing radiation cured resins can also be used. Furthermore, a small amount of a solvent may be added to the resin to adjust the tackiness. However, with adhesives used in conventional technology, such as Canada Bum Sam and Biolite manufactured by Kouken Co., Ltd., in which a non-reactive thermoplastic resin solid is dissolved in a solvent, the solvent that occupies most of the volume evaporates and is lost. As a result, a smooth film having a protective function cannot be obtained by itself without using a cover glass.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the specimen encapsulation method of the present invention, a specimen can be easily prepared by supplying a fluid reactive synthetic resin onto a specimen, smoothing it, and then hardening it. can.

Further, by using a photocurable resin as the reactive synthetic resin, the resin can be easily and quickly cured by ultraviolet irradiation using a low power consumption ultraviolet lamp.

By using a flexible film as the transparent substrate, the specimen can be made lighter and space-saving. Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate the use of a glass plate that is non-flammable and cannot be incinerated, and which involves the risk of injury to the operator, making it possible to safely prepare a specimen that can be completely incinerated.

According to the specimen encapsulation apparatus of the present invention, the resin supply means supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin onto the transparent substrate sent out by the delivery means, and the smoothing means smoothes the resin surface. By doing so, the specimen encapsulation method of the present invention can be carried out using a simple device without requiring manual labor.

Further, the apparatus of the present invention can convey the transparent substrate with a simple structure by attaching the transparent substrate to the bottom surface of the endless belt using the adhesive force of the synthetic resin.

Furthermore, by providing a storage mechanism for storing the transparent substrates and a feed roller for transporting the transparent substrates stored in the storage groove one by one, it is possible to automatically and sequentially supply a plurality of transparent substrates.

By using a photocurable synthetic resin as the reactive synthetic resin and using an ultraviolet irradiation lamp as the resin curing means, the resin can be easily cured with an inexpensive structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of the specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a specimen encapsulation device according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows the specimen prepared by the encapsulation method.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a resin supply mechanism applied to the specimen encapsulation device shown in the figure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specimen according to the prior art. 1: Transparent substrate, 2: Sample, 3: Adhesive, 4: Cover glass, 5: Transparent substrate, 6: Sample, 7: Synthetic resin, 8: Delivery mechanism, 9: Resin supply section, 10: Conveyance smooth section, 11: Resin curing part, 12: Discharge mechanism, 13: Housing, 13a:
recess, 13b: discharge port, 13c: notch, 14: presser, 15: feed roller, 16: insertion roller, 17:
2 sheet feed prevention roller, 18: receiving plate, 19: resin nozzle,
20: Sensor, 21: Controller, 22: Conveyance roller, 23: Peeling roller, 24: W1 feed belt, 25: Pressure roller, 26: Ultraviolet irradiation lamp, 32 and 33: Motor, 34: Tank, 35: Synthetic resin , 36: Valve.

Claims (8)

[Claims] (1) In a specimen encapsulation method in which a specimen is prepared by encapsulating a sample smeared on a transparent substrate, a transparent and fluid reactive synthetic resin is supplied to the specimen, and the surface of the synthetic resin is smoothed. A method for enclosing specimens that is characterized by hardening. (2) In a specimen encapsulation method in which a specimen is prepared by encapsulating a sample smeared on a transparent substrate, a transparent and fluid photocurable synthetic resin is supplied to the specimen, and the surface of the synthetic resin is smoothed. A method for enclosing specimens that is characterized by photocuring after (3) The method for enclosing a specimen according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transparent substrate is a flexible film. (4) In a specimen encapsulation device that prepares a specimen by enclosing a sample smeared on a transparent substrate, there is provided a sending means for successively sending out a plurality of transparent substrates smeared with a sample, and a transparent material sent out by the sending means. A resin supply means for supplying a fluid reactive synthetic resin to a substrate, a smoothing means for smoothing the surface of the resin, and a resin curing means for curing the smoothed synthetic resin. Characteristic specimen encapsulation device. (5) In a specimen enclosing device that prepares a specimen by enclosing a sample smeared on a transparent substrate, there is a resin supply section that supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin to the transparent substrate, a conveyance roller, and a pressure roller. The rollers include a smoothing mechanism that smoothes the surface of the synthetic resin by rotating while holding both sides of the transparent substrate, and a peeling roller on which an endless belt is hung between the conveying roller and the synthetic resin. A transport mechanism that transports a transparent substrate with a smoothed resin surface attached to a smooth endless belt using the adhesive force of the synthetic resin; and a resin curing means that hardens the synthetic resin on the transparent substrate transported by the transport mechanism. The resin supply unit supplies a fluid reactive synthetic resin to the transparent substrate, and the conveyance roller and pressure roller of the smoothing conveyance mechanism smooth the resin surface of the transparent substrate, and the resin hardens while being conveyed by an endless belt. A specimen encapsulation device characterized in that the means hardens a synthetic resin. (6) The specimen enclosing device according to claim 5, wherein the conveying mechanism for conveying the transparent substrate attaches the transparent substrate to the lower surface of the smooth endless belt by the adhesive force of the synthetic resin. (7) In a specimen encapsulation device that prepares a specimen by enclosing a sample smeared on a transparent substrate, a storage mechanism that stacks and stores a plurality of transparent substrates smeared with samples, and a transparent 7. The specimen enclosing device according to claim 5, further comprising a feed roller that comes into contact with one of the substrates and feeds the substrate. (8) The reactive synthetic resin is a photocurable resin that is cured by light, and the resin curing means is an ultraviolet irradiation lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays. Specimen encapsulation device.