JPH03505176A - Adhesion device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Adhesion device The present invention relates to an apparatus for depositing a substance onto a substrate, and more particularly, to an apparatus for depositing a substance onto a substrate. The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming on a substrate discontinuously and closely.

The need for discontinuously close deposits of materials on a substrate has been recognized in both science and industry. Although it has occurred in many areas of the industry, it has recently become particularly important in the medical sector. In various assay techniques, such as fluorescent or luminescent assays, test substances are Several microscope slides attached in close proximity are used. For example, tissue or cells In direct immunoassays that detect antigens (substances that stimulate antibody production) in A sample suspected of containing an antigen is attached and fixed on a microscope slide and exposed to fluorescence. is contacted with the corresponding antibody conjugated to a photopigment. Next, wash the slides and remove any unreacted material. The material is removed and inspected by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

The area where the antigen-antibody reaction occurs and the fluorescence becomes stronger indicates the presence of the suspected antigen or antibody. Indicates presence.

This or other similar techniques use a variety of antigens or antibodies. It is often necessary to perform many tests. This means that several slides can be displayed on one slide. It can be conveniently done by making an attachment, and recently it has been A new technique for attaching kimono in the form of "micro-dots" has become known. It has become to. This technology uses a single-sided coating by drilling holes in the Teflon coated surface. A slide with a large number (usually 18) of round holes is used. Diameter of each hole Usually a few millimeters. This "micro-dot" technology uses multiple holes in each hole. A number of small deposits are formed, for example 4 or 9, with each deposit in each hole touching each other. It may be made of different substances. Next, this slide is similar to the old one. used in In other words, a test substance is added to the slide to react with the deposits. After that, the slides are cleaned and inspected.

At present, attachment to the holes is done individually by hand using a Matupingben. Ru. This is clearly laborious and time consuming, and requires a large number of deposits on a single slide. This detracts from the benefits of having one.

According to the present invention, a plurality of deposits of one or more substances disposed at discontinuous intervals are provided. A device for coating a substrate in a manner such that the substrate follows a prespecified path. means for inducing relative motion between the plate and the plurality of substance applicators; means for defining a plurality of designated relative positions of the substrate and the applicator along the path; and the at least one applicator is operative to apply the substance to the substrate. , the distance between the deposits in the lengthwise and/or transverse direction of the path is The distance between each applicator may be less than the distance between each designated applicator. A device is provided characterized in that it is arranged relative to a position.

A second aspect of the invention also provides a method for applying one or more substances to a substrate. An apparatus having a plurality of applicators for applying to a board, the board and the applicator Guide the data with your finger in advance.

means for following a defined linear or circular path of relative motion; and a series of fingers on said substrate. means for defining a home position relative to the applicator; At least one applicator is used to apply a substance to the substrate, each applicator The applicators are arranged to deposit at different points on the substrate. To provide a device featuring: Preferably, said position is in said at least one The deposits formed by the applicator at successive locations are and/or spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction along the path. . Movement of the substrate around the path can be done manually, e.g. by means of suitable mechanical connections, or It is best to do this using a motor.

Said applicators are positioned within their respective designated locations so as to be spaced apart. may be shifted by different amounts.

At each designated location, a number of applicators are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array. . The distance between the applicators is the same for each array and is relative to each designated position. The relative positional deviation of each array is such that the position of the application performed by the applicator in each array is shifted. It can be done.

Preferably, the device forms said deposits in a plurality of spaced groups. each group has a plurality of discontinuous deposits, and each group has a plurality of discrete deposits; A number of applicators are used to form the deposit in the group and the applicator The licators are distributed to their respective designated positions. For convenience, each attachment within one group The kimono is formed at different designated positions by different applicators, and each designated position One or more applicators are provided at the location. Preferably, different groups of A plurality of applicators (60, 61, 6 2, 63) are placed and one attachment of each group is created at each designated position. A sufficient number of applicators are inserted.

The distance between the specified positions is approximately equal to the dimensions of the substrate, e.g. if the substrate is on a microscope slide. In this case, it is best to space the width of the slide in the direction of the relative movement of the substrate and applicator. preferable. However, the deposits are divided into groups and are not necessarily all at each designated location. If you do not attach to all groups, the spacing between the specified positions will be the same as that of the group. The distance can also be approximately equal to the distance between the two.

In another embodiment, multiple applicators are placed at each designated location to A plurality of deposits are formed in one or more groups at a location, and preferably all Multiple deposits are formed in the group.

Preferably, the device is adapted to hold a plurality of slides as said substrate; The slide has parallel long sides. The relative movement between the support and the applicator is This is done by moving the support parallel to the width of the slide.

an applicator is held on a mount provided for reciprocating movement to the substrate; The reciprocating movement of the mounting platform is conveniently achieved by mechanical coupling means between the support and the substrate. Used to affect relative motion. The reciprocating movement of the mounting platform is Performed by structural connection - used to perform relative movement between the support and the substrate . This linkage ensures that the substrate completes its movement to the next designated position before the applicator makes contact. However, it may be designed to remain stationary when the applicator makes contact.

The applicator often has a matting pen tip, and when the pen tip touches the board, it will come off the board. The mounting base is designed so that it can move more or less in the direction of separation, that is, it has "resilience". It is preferably held loosely. This "elasticity" refers to the length of the pen tip. This means that sufficient adhesion can be achieved even if the values are different.

The device may be constructed to automatically and continuously attach to the substrate. This is preferred Alternatively, continuous supply of substrate to the applicator and motor or computer A controller-controlled motor moves the applicator and directs the applicator between designated actuation positions. This can be carried out by relative movement between the data and the substrate. The board is a microscope When using slides, if the slide supply device and deposition device are used in conjunction with the present invention, Alternatively, slides can be wrapped and labeled automatically for complete automation. It becomes possible to

According to the present invention, multiple discontinuous and closely spaced deposits can be formed relatively quickly and easily. can be achieved. Narrowing the spacing between deposits in this way reduces the distance between deposits. This is possible by performing the deposition at a number of different designated locations over a wider distance. Ru. at each of the different designated locations so that a large number of close deposits are formed. , the applicator is placed in a slightly different position, e.g. offset on the slide. be done.

The invention will be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. Attachment Attached drawings: FIG. 1 is a partial front view of one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 5 is a bottom view of the embodiment of Figure 1; East Figure 6 is a rear view of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view of the magazine used in the illustrated embodiment; FIG. 7 is a side view of the applicator used in the embodiment of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the magazine shown in FIG. 6. is a plan view of one part; and East Figure 10 is a front view corresponding to Figure 9.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device 1 includes a base unit 2, and a base unit 2. A reciprocating motion is carried out on a collar 6 running on two guide columns 5 and 7 on the seat 2. Ben carrier 3 is installed. Bencarrier 3 is an applicator... ・In this example, it has multiple swarms to receive the Matupingben destination... It consists of a plate. This Bencarrier 3 has a handle 15 that allows the base unit to be Perform perspective movement to point 2.

The handle 15 is hingedly attached to the upright column 2a at the rear 16 of the base unit. and connected to the Ben carrier by a shaft 17, the shaft 17 having each ball at both ends. It is connected to the handle and the Ben carrier by joints 19.21. Benkyari A3 is wound around two columns 22 arranged in parallel near the guide column 5.7. The attached springs 23 and 24 urge it in the direction away from the base unit 7). , is held on the column by a removable retainer 25.

Expansion units 11 are attached to both sides of the base unit (only one side is shown in the figure). (shown complete but identical to each other), the top of this expansion unit is together with the upper surface 13 of the storage unit, the magazine carrying the slide to which the substance is to be deposited; forming a track or passageway 9 for the operation. The expansion unit 11 is a base unit 2 by a locking mechanism 27 (FIG. 5). The locking mechanism is It has a finger 12 attached to the knit, which connects the sleeve 44 and the shaft 45. It meshes with hole 47. When the lock lever 27 is turned, the shaft 45 is connected to the sleeve. It moves in the axial direction of the sleeve 44 and works in the direction in which the hole in the sleeve deviates from the hole in the shaft. and is arranged so as to catch the fingers 12 of the expansion unit 11.

Although this locking mechanism has been shown to be reliable and simple, other locking mechanisms Of course, it is also possible to use a structure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pen carrier 3 runs on the column 22.5.7 and -? It is composed of a support part 3b1 connected to the title 15 and a plate with holes 3a. It will be done. The pen plate 3a fits into the hole of the support portion 3b and is held by its own weight.

The holes may be slotted or have stepped edges to support the plate. plate A semicircular cutout 6 is provided at each end of the hole to facilitate lifting of the Ru. This arrangement allows for quick and easy interchange of plates with different hole patterns. The same equipment can be used to form different deposit patterns. becomes possible.

The hole 4 in the Bencarrier 3 is sized and shaped depending on the type of applicator used. is determined. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the applicator is A mating ben tip, which has a capillary tube 60 supported by a body 62 and has an attached A liquid is supplied from a storage section 63 containing a deposited substance. The diameter of the trunk 62 is 0.25+am Therefore, in this embodiment, the diameter of the hole in the pen plate 3a is 0.25+a. A simple cylindrical hole slightly larger than m, the pen can slide freely inside the hole, but the body It is adapted to be supported by a shoulder between 62 and reservoir 63. pen is penp The ability to move freely within the range means that when using the pen plate, the pen is This means that it can be lowered a little closer to the board than the distance it initially touches the board. . This applies to all pen plates, despite differences in nib length. Make sure that the pen touches the board and operates reliably, and that the pen is sensitive to its own weight and the weight of the material in the reservoir. This means that the substrates are brought into contact with each other with only a small amount of pressure generated.

In this example, the pens are easily filled at the beginning of the deposition operation and they are Refills as needed when empty.

However, in other embodiments, the pen is connected to a continuous source of material and, of course, Alternatively, each pen can be connected to a different substance.

The pen plate 3 shown in Fig. 3 is equipped with 4 arrays each having 18 holes. . Assuming pens are placed in all holes, this plate is shown in Figure 3a. From 18 groups each having 4 discrete deposits 16, as shown in The attachment will be carried out. Each arrangement with 18 holes on the pen plate A column is one designated location at which one deposition of each deposit group is made.

The designated positions are separated by a distance W corresponding to the width of one slide, and the handle 15 During one descent, the slide moves this distance to reach the next designated position. child The four arrays of are each shifted in position with respect to the one slide placed between them. One slide passes under the plate and deposits are made at each designated location. Eighteen groups of four discrete deposits each are then formed. moreover Specifically, if d is the desired distance between each deposit in the deposit group, then The center of each hole at the second specified position is a distance W from the center of each corresponding hole at the first specified position. An interval of +d is placed. Therefore, at the first designated position (as shown in Figure 3A) The upper left deposit (i) is shaped into each group by the upper right deposit (if) at the second specified position. will be accomplished. Each hole in the third specified position is a slide transfer from the corresponding hole in the second specified position. The position is shifted by a distance w1 in the direction of movement, and a distance d in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. A lower left deposit (tii) is formed in each group. Each hole at the 4th designated position is the 3rd The slide moves by a distance w-d from the corresponding hole at the specified position, but the direction of movement of the slide is There is no displacement in the vertical direction, and the deposit (iv) on the bottom right is formed in each group. Ru. Using different Venn carriers allows you to change the pattern, number of groups, and number of deposits. Obviously, various modifications are possible.

However, deposits may form at several different designated locations, and the applicator may form at each designated location. Due to the principle of slightly shifting the position of the applicator, the physical Regardless of the size of the target, deposits can be formed closely together.

As mentioned above, the slide on which deposits are formed is placed in the magazine as shown in FIG. Supported by The slide has its long side perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magazine along path 9. The movable strip 57 ensures that the magazine is in place. Retained. Strips can be removed to narrow passages or tighten slides It has become a Noh performance. In addition, the slide has spring 51 (Fig. 9.10) By pushing the stop 59 toward the other end of the magazine, it is pressed against the stop 58. Therefore, it does not slip along the magazine in the longitudinal direction.

The magazine may be made of plastic so that it is disposable.

FIG. 2 shows more clearly the path 9 along which the magazine runs.

The passageway is formed by a flat floor 10 and two parallel ribs or walls 12 .

In this embodiment, vertical movement of the handle 15 lowers the pen plate towards the board. The movement is also used to move the magazine along the path 9. This is the second. This is done by the mechanism shown in Figure 4.5. The vertical motion of Ben Carrier 3 is a stud 34 attached to a plate 32 connected to a collar 6 supporting the Horizontal movement is achieved by interlocking plates 35 formed on one side with grooves 37, usually diagonal. is converted to The plate 35 is a horizontal plate located at the rear of the base unit 2. It is attached by a runner 39 that freely runs in the groove 41.

Therefore, when the handle 15 moves vertically, the plate 35 is moved by the stud 34. moved horizontally. The motion of the plate 35 is transmitted to the magazine by the ratchet mechanism. be reached. This mechanism consists of two triangular cutouts 54 in the edge of the magazine 56. It consists of a spring-loaded lever 4o. The end of the lever 4o is cut at an appropriate angle. , when the plate 35 moves in a certain direction, the magazine is urged to move along the path. and move in the opposite direction (when moving, it will come out of the magazine cutout and along the edge of the magazine). Then, the process moves backward until the next cutout is reached.

At the bottom of the guide column 5.7, two adjustable rubber braces 10 are provided. and adjust the downward movement of the pen carrier.

As shown in FIG. 4, the grooves 37 of the plate 35 extend from the slow moving part 37a and the straight moving part 37b. It has become. The length and angle of the slow moving portion 37a are adjusted each time the handle 15 is lowered. This movement should be done so that the base moves horizontally by exactly the width of one slide. is set to complete before the pen in the print carrier touches the slide. Also, When the pen approaches and contacts the slide, the orthogonal portion 37b causes the downward movement of the handle. At the end, the magazine remains stationary. That is, the pen touches the slide. Since the slide is stationary when the It is dripped accurately. When using slides of different sizes, A different plate 35 may be attached to the device.

In this example, the slides are lined up in the magazine without gaps, and the handle is lowered. Each time you lower it, it moves exactly the width of one slide. There is a large difference in the width of each slide. (It is assumed that the position of the attached object will be inaccurate due to X. The precision of the glass slide is sufficient for the present purpose. However, For example, mark or mark the required force to achieve very close adhesion. It would also be possible to space the slides by a fixed distance.

The apparatus is equipped with illumination for the slide by a light bulb (not shown). This light bulb Illuminated through a translucent window 31, powered from the mains and controlled by a switch 30. be controlled. It is also equipped with an indicator lamp. This lighting is suitable for successful deposition. to check whether the for the purpose of monitoring the deposition process. Automated implementation of this device In an example, it is also possible to check for deposits with an electronic sensor.

A microswitch (not shown) is placed in passage 9, which controls the trailing edge of the magazine. It detects it, sounds the buzzer, and instructs you to load a new magazine.

Next, we will explain how to use this device. First, use a pen that matches the number and location of deposits required. Select a pen and place it in the Ben carrier and load it with a pen containing the desired substance for deposition. wear it. Next, place the desired number of slides into one or more magazines and Mount the magazine in the passageway of the extension 11 at the position where it is engaged by the first lever 40. I will post it. Then, when the handle 15 is continuously lowered, the magazine in which the slide is placed moves under the Ben carrier along path 9, forming a series of deposits in each group. Work is done. The buzzer sounds and the trailing edge of the magazine has passed the micro switch. If necessary, a second sequence will be performed. The descent of No. 1 (Continued) 1, the second magazine moves under the Ben carrier, and at the same time ↓ this first magazine The engine 1 then advances to the second extension 11 (partially shown in Figure 1.3) where it is lowered and Ride is removed.

The embodiments described above were basically described for manual operation. However, movement of the carrier and magazine (direction control, for example, combination tool) - It can be carried out using a motor under control. 1 in this example, Transmit the movement of the Ben carrier to the movement of the magazine so that only 51 motors are required; Scraping is convenient, but using two motors and controlling them separately by a controller. It is also possible to control the In addition to this example, each applicator may be It is also possible to continuously supply the same material by connecting the same material (turn Translation of the amendment document is proposed for an automatic slide feeding and depositing device that manually forms a large number of slides. Publication (Article 184-8 of the Patent Law) October 22, 1990

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. In the form of a plurality of deposits (16) of one or more substances arranged at discontinuous intervals A device for coating a substrate (8), which applies the coating to the substrate (8) so as to follow a pre-specified path. Relative movement between the substrate and the plurality of substance applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) means (11, 12) for guiding the substrate (8) and the applicator along the path; Means (3) for defining a plurality of specified relative positions of the ricators (60, 61, 62, 63) 5, 40), and at least one of the applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) serves to apply the substance to the substrate (8), along the length of the passageway and or the distance between the deposits (16) in the transverse direction is such that the distance between the deposits (16) 61, 62, 63). 60, 61, 62, 63) are placed relative to each specified position. The device used as a sign. 2. Applying a substance to the substrate (8) for applying one or more substances to the substrate (8) A device having a plurality of applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) that Guide the plate (8) and the applicator (60, 61, 62, 63) to the pre-specified direction. means for following the path of relative motion of a line or circle and a series of designations of said substrate (8); a hand defining the position relative to said applicator (60, 61, 62, 63); a step, at which position at least one applicator (60, 61, 62, 63) is used to apply a substance to the substrate (8), each applicator (60 , 61, 62, 63) are arranged so that they are deposited at different points on the substrate. A device characterized by: 3. The position is such that the at least one applicator (60, 61, 62, 63 ) deposits formed at successive locations along the length of the passageway and/or are arranged along the passageway so as to be transversely spaced apart from each other. or the device described in 2. 4. The applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) are 4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the device is offset positionally by different amounts. . 5. A plurality of the applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) are provided at each of the designated positions. 5. A device according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device is present. 6. forming said deposits (16) in a plurality of spaced groups (14); each of the groups (14) comprises a plurality of discrete deposits (1 6), wherein each deposit (16) in a group is Multiple applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) in different designated positions are used. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is used for the apparatus. 7. forming said deposits (16) in a plurality of spaced groups (14); an apparatus configured such that each of at least one of the groups (14) A plurality of applicators (16) are formed at each location. 60, 61, 62, 63) are arranged at each position. equipment. 8. The positions of the substrate (8) and the applicator (60, 61, 62, 63) Claim: wherein the relative movement between the substrates (8) is performed by sliding the substrate (8). 8. The device according to any one of 1 to 7. 9. A support part ( 11). The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: 11). 10. The applicators (60, 61, 62, 63) reciprocate toward the substrate. The reciprocating movement of the mounting base (3) 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plate (8) is moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocating movement. The device described in any of the above.