JPH0536211Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention is applicable to bipolar polarization electrodes, such as the oxygen immunoelectrode used when measuring the concentration of albumin in urine by the oxygen immunoelectrode method. A membrane configured to perform a prescribed measurement by removably fitting a prescribed membrane chip, such as an oxygen fixing membrane, onto the tip electrode part of a measuring electrode body consisting of a hydrogen peroxide electrode, etc. Concerning improvements to removable measurement electrodes.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional measuring electrode of this type with a detachable membrane was constructed as shown in FIG. 6, for example. That is, in this figure, x is the measuring electrode body with the electrode part y at the tip, and c is a predetermined membrane, such as an oxygen fixing membrane cut into an appropriate size, which can be freely attached to and detached from the electrode part y. It will be installed.

That is, during measurement, the membrane c itself is applied to the end surface response part of the electrode part y, and then the fixing ring member d made of synthetic resin is placed around the outer peripheral surface of the electrode part y. The membrane c was fixed to the electrode part y by being fitted so that it was sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the electrode part y and the inner peripheral surface of the fixing ring member d.

When removing the membrane c from the electrode section y for cleaning up after the measurement or replacing it with a new membrane for the next measurement, remove the fixing ring member d from the outer peripheral surface of the electrode section y, and then: The membrane c itself is peeled off from the response end face of the electrode section y.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional membrane-attached and removable measurement electrode, the membrane c itself must be handled by itself, requiring considerable care in its storage and requiring a large space.

The attachment and detachment of the membrane c to and from the electrode part y must be done through the complicated manual operations described above, which not only causes the inconvenience of easily staining the membrane c and the response part of the electrode part y; In the case of an oxygen immunoelectrode, etc., in which the membrane c needs to be replaced for each specimen, the attachment and detachment operations are extremely troublesome.

In addition, as described above, by fitting the fixing ring member d onto the outer peripheral surface of the electrode part y with the membrane c itself in contact with the end surface response part of the electrode part y, the membrane c can be attached to the electrode part y. Since it is fixed to part y, it is almost impossible to always set the tension of membrane c constant. Therefore, when re-measuring the same membrane c, the attachment state of membrane c and even the measurement There was a problem that the reproducibility of the results became extremely poor.

The present invention has been made with the above-mentioned considerations in mind, and its purpose is to provide a useful membrane-attached and removable measuring electrode that solves the above-mentioned problems at once.

In order to achieve the above object, the membrane-removable measuring electrode according to the present invention includes a measuring electrode main body having an electrode part at the lower end of a support, and one end surface of a cylindrical body that can be fitted to the electrode part. The membrane chip has a predetermined membrane integrally held on the side thereof, and has an operating knob on the support, and is spaced apart from the membrane chip fitted to the electrode part. , a releaser member always urged upwardly by a spring is provided so as to be movable up and down; the releaser member is pushed down against the urging force of the spring to come into contact with the membrane chip; By pressing down,
The feature is that the membrane chip is configured to be detached from the electrode section.

[Effect]

In the above-mentioned membrane-removable measurement electrode, by integrally holding a predetermined membrane on one end surface of the cylindrical body to form a membrane chip, the membrane can be handled as a whole membrane chip. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to handle the membrane itself separately as in the past, and it has become possible to store it easily and in a small space.

Furthermore, since the cylindrical body, which is a peripheral component of the membrane chip, is configured to have a shape and size that allows it to be inserted into and removed from the electrode part of the measurement electrode main body, The insertion and removal of the membrane can also be done by pressing the electrode part of the measurement electrode body against the membrane chip (and vice versa) without requiring the complicated and troublesome operation of handling the membrane itself and the fixing ring separately as in the past. (possible), the membrane chip can be fitted without touching the membrane chip at all, and it can be done with a very simple one-touch operation compared to, for example, a screw-in type. The fitting operation can now be performed easily and reliably without the risk of contaminating the response part of the electrode part.

When removing the membrane chip fitted to the electrode section, the releaser member, which is always biased upward by the spring, is pressed down against the biasing force of the spring to bring it into contact with the membrane chip. let me touch you,
Furthermore, since it is only necessary to push down the membrane chip, the membrane chip can be easily and reliably removed in the same way as when it was fitted.

Therefore, it is very convenient especially in the case of an oxygen immunoelectrode, etc., where the membrane needs to be replaced for each sample, and it is possible to adjust the fitting position (fitting depth) of the membrane chip to the electrode part of the measurement electrode body. By keeping the tension constant, it is easy to set the membrane tension to a constant value, which can greatly improve measurement accuracy and reliability, and even when re-measuring the same membrane. It has become possible to ensure high reproducibility.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of an oxygen immunoelectrode as an example of a membrane-attached and removable measuring electrode. This oxygen immunoelectrode is used, for example, when measuring the concentration of albumin in urine by the oxygen immunoelectrode method. It is a member that can be fitted and removed (fitted and removed), and is composed of a membrane chip Z as shown in FIG.

First, the configuration of the measuring electrode main body X will be explained with reference to FIG. A platinum electrode 4 as an anode in the center, an annular silver electrode 5 as a cathode around the platinum electrode 4 as a cathode, and a thermal An electrode portion Y is disposed, which is composed of a temperature compensating electrode 6 molded with a highly conductive epoxy resin 6' or the like, and whose lower end surface is formed into a curved surface that protrudes outward toward the center.

Between the outer cylinder 1 and the outer frame cylinder 7 screwed thereon, a releaser member 8 equipped with an operating knob 9 is movable up and down, and is always urged upward by a spring 10. He is currently undergoing treatment. This releaser member 8 is an electrode part Y (hereinafter referred to as
Membrane chip Z fitted into the electrode part Y)
(described later) from the electrode part Y,
Normally, due to the upward biasing force of the spring 10, it is located above and away from the electrode part Y, as shown by the solid line in FIG. By pushing down as shown by the white dotted line arrow in the figure, it slides to the lower position shown by the dotted line in the figure, contacts the membrane chip Z fitted to the electrode part Y, and pushes it down.
It is configured to be separated from the electrode portion Y.

In addition, the outer periphery of the tip of the electrode portion Y (outer cylinder 1) is
A cutout step portion 11 corresponding to a bottom flange portion 16 as a position control mechanism P provided on the membrane chip Z
is formed, and on the outer peripheral surface directly above it, a slightly tapered taper surface 12 is formed. The outer diameter of the upper part of this tapered surface 12 is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the resin cylindrical body E that fits the membrane chip Z, so that when the membrane chip Z is fitted and attached to the electrode part Y, the elastic holding force of the cylindrical body E can be made large.

Next, the structure of the membrane chip Z will be explained with reference to FIG. It has an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of Y, and is formed so that its inner circumferential surface closely fits the outer circumferential surface of the electrode part Y, and is made of vinyl chloride, ABS,
A material such as nylon, tetron, acetate, etc., which is stretchable and hard to cause plastic elongation, is placed on one end side (lower side in this example) of a relatively low-height cylindrical body E made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate or polypropylene. A support net 13 made of an elastic material is stretched in advance by a clamping and fixing means 14 such as a ring member, and a predetermined film C (for example, cellulose acetate, polycarbonate, polypropylene, silicone, Teflon) is coated on this net 13. By placing a hydrophilic or hydrophilic-treated polymer film such as However, the membrane C is integrally held in the cylindrical body E.

An electrode portion Y is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the upper end of the cylindrical body E.
A tapered surface 15 for an inner guide when the electrode is inserted into the cylindrical body E is formed, and a tapered surface 15 is formed around the tip of the electrode part Y so as to protrude inward from the lower end of the cylindrical body E. A bottom flange portion 16 is formed which engages with the cutout step portion 11.

In addition, in FIG. 2B, S indicates the immune (antigen-antibody) reaction processing area on the membrane C.
Further, a membrane body may be used instead of the net body 13.

In this way, by configuring the membrane chip Z in which the cylindrical body E and the membrane C are integrated, it is not necessary to handle the membrane C itself alone as in the past, and the membrane chip Z as a whole can be It can be treated as

Furthermore, in this example, in the membrane chip Z, the mesh 13 is applied to one end surface of the cylindrical body E, and the ring body 14 is fitted onto the cylindrical body E in this state. The body 13 is stretched, and this net body 1
Since the membrane C is held on top of the membrane chip Z
When the mesh body 13 is fitted into the electrode part Y, the mesh body 13
Due to the large tension generated with the elongation of the membrane C
is strongly pressed against the electrode surfaces of the platinum electrode 4 and the silver electrode 5. Therefore, it is possible to ensure very good adhesion between the membrane C and the electrode surface, and since the membrane C itself is not stretched excessively, it is even better when re-measuring the same membrane. It is possible to ensure high reproducibility.

Now, in the membrane detachable measuring electrode constructed as described above, the membrane chip Z can be attached and detached from the electrode part Y very easily.

That is, regarding the fitting operation, as shown by the solid white arrow in FIG. By pressing and inserting the membrane chip Z to a depth where the stepped notch 11 on the electrode part Y side abuts and engages with the bottom flange part 16 on the membrane chip Z side, the membrane chip Z is inserted into the electrode part as shown by the dotted line in the figure. It can be automatically fitted into a predetermined position (fitting depth) in Y, and therefore, the membrane chip Z can be fitted very easily with one touch operation without touching the membrane chip Z at all.

Since the electrode part Y is formed into a curved shape in which the lower end surface protrudes outward toward the center, when the membrane chip Z is fitted, the electrode surfaces of the platinum electrode 4 and the silver electrode 5 and the membrane This effectively prevents air bubbles from entering between C and C.

In addition, in order to remove the membrane chip Z fitted into the electrode part Y from the electrode part Y, with the electrode part Y facing into the empty processing tray T, By pushing the knob 9 down an appropriate distance (towards the electrode section Y) as shown by the white dotted line arrow in FIG. When the operating knob 9 is pressed down in this state, the membrane chip Z automatically separates from the electrode portion Y and is housed in the processing tray T, as shown by the dotted arrow in the figure. Ru. After that, if you release the push on the operating knob 9, the spring 1
Due to the upward biasing force of 0, the releaser member 8
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 1A, it returns to the upper position away from the electrode portion Y.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment, in which a tapered surface 12 at the lower end of the electrode section Y is used as a position regulating mechanism P for uniquely (and constant) determining the fitting depth of the membrane chip Z into the electrode section Y. For example, two locking protrusions 17 are formed on the upper outer circumference of the membrane chip Z, and an engaging groove 18 corresponding to the locking protrusions 17 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body E in the membrane chip Z. It is something. In this case, the cutout step portion 11 of the electrode portion Y and the bottom flange portion 16 of the cylindrical body E of the membrane chip Z in the first embodiment are both omitted. The rest of the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, so members having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the main part (membrane chip Z) in each of the embodiments described above, in which the membrane C is directly bonded to one end surface of the cylindrical body E by means of bonding, heat fusion, or ultrasonic fusion. A plurality of holes 19 are bored around the cylindrical body E to allow a buffer solution such as a substrate solution to flow therethrough.

In each of the above embodiments, an oxygen immunoelectrode has been described as an example of a membrane-removable measurement electrode, but the present invention is not limited to this oxygen immunoelectrode, but can also be applied to, for example, a measurement electrode using an oxygen fixing membrane. In addition to so-called biosensors such as measurement electrodes using interference blocking membranes for direct measurement of biological components, the present invention can be widely applied to general membrane-attached and removable measurement electrodes, such as solid membrane ion electrodes and diaphragm-type ion electrodes.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, in the membrane-removable measurement electrode according to the present invention, a predetermined membrane is integrated in advance on one end surface side of the cylindrical body, which has a shape and size that can be attached and detached from the electrode part of the measurement electrode main body. Since the membrane chip is structured such that the membrane chip is held in place, the membrane chip can be handled as a whole and can be stored easily and in a small space.

Then, the membrane chip can be fitted to the electrode part by pressing the electrode part against the membrane chip, and conversely, when removing the membrane chip fitted to the electrode part, measurement is required. The membrane chip fits into the electrode part so that all you have to do is slide the releaser member with the operating knob provided on the electrode body toward the electrode part against the spring, bring it into contact with the membrane chip, and push it down. When removing the membrane chip, it can be done with a very simple one-touch operation without touching the membrane chip at all.
Therefore, when the membrane chip is inserted into and removed from the electrode part,
This prevents the membrane and the electrode surface of the electrode section from becoming contaminated, and is extremely convenient, especially in the case of oxygen immunoelectrodes, etc., where the membrane needs to be replaced after every sample.
Furthermore, by keeping the fitting position of the membrane chip on the electrode part constant, it is easy to always set the tension of the membrane at a constant value, which greatly improves measurement accuracy and reliability. Good reproducibility can be ensured even when re-measuring the same film.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 A and B are a partial cross-sectional side view and bottom view of the measuring electrode body, respectively, and FIG. 2 A and B are a membrane A vertical side view, a bottom view, and a bottom view of the chip are shown, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional overall side view for explaining the operation of the membrane-removable measuring electrode. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional overall side view of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5A and 5B are a longitudinal sectional side view and a bottom view showing a modified example of the membrane chip. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional overall side view showing the configuration of a conventional membrane-attached and removable measurement electrode. X... Measuring electrode body, 3... Support, 8... Releaser member, 9... Operation knob, 10... Spring, Y... Electrode part, Z... Membrane chip, 13... Supporting net , C... membrane, E... cylindrical body.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A measuring electrode main body having an electrode part at the lower end of a support, and a predetermined film on one end surface of a cylindrical body that can be fitted into and removed from the electrode part. It consists of a membrane chip held integrally with the membrane chip, has an operation knob on the support, and is always held upwardly by a spring so that it is separated from the membrane chip fitted to the electrode part. A releaser member biased by the spring is provided so as to be movable up and down, and the releaser member is pushed down against the biasing force of the spring to come into contact with the membrane chip, and by further pushing it down, the electrode portion is released. 1. A removable membrane measuring electrode characterized in that the membrane chip is detachable from the membrane tip. (2) The membrane detachable type according to claim (1) of the utility model registration, wherein the membrane chip is configured by directly fixing the predetermined membrane itself to one end surface of the cylindrical body. Measuring electrode. (3) To construct the membrane chip, a support net or membrane made of a stretchable elastic material is fixed to one end surface of the cylindrical body, and the support net or membrane made of a stretchable elastic material is fixed on one end surface of the cylindrical body. 2. A removable membrane measuring electrode according to claim (1) of the utility model registration, on which a predetermined membrane is mounted. (4) The membrane attachment/detachment according to any one of claims (1) to (3) of the utility model registration claim, wherein the end face of the electrode part is formed into a curved shape that protrudes outward toward the center thereof. formula measurement electrode.