JPH0593675A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a dispenser which can easily produce a series of dilution of sample. CONSTITUTION:A stage number memory 2 stores a number N of stages of a series of dilution, while an excessive sucked amount memory 4 stores an excessive sucked amount (v) of sucked solution into a syringe 12 which is not discharged at the time of dispensing but left in the syringe 12. An input part 6 makes the stage number memory 2 store the number N of the stages and makes the excessive sucked amount memory 4 store the excessive sucked amount (v). A dispensing control part 8 discharges (V-v) with respect to a sucked amount V of the syringe according to a stage of a series of dilution by a plurality of times and also makes a display part 14 display the order for dispensing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a liquid sample, and more particularly to a dispenser suitable for preparing a dilution series in which a sample is diluted in a plurality of stages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A dispensing device is equipped with a syringe and a driving mechanism for sucking and discharging a sample and a reagent. When a sample is diluted using a dispenser to create a dilution series having multiple levels of concentration, the sample and diluent are aspirated independently and dispensed into the same sample container. At this time, the following two methods can be considered as the dispensing method. (1) A method in which a syringe is aspirated all at once, and a designated amount is dispensed into a sample container, and (2) A designated amount is aspirated into a syringe and the aspirated liquid is dispensed into one sample container at a time.

[0003]

When making a dilution series, it is necessary to carry out the dispensing operation while counting the number of dispensing in any of the above methods. for that reason,
If a counting error occurs on the way, the sample will be wasted. Also,
The total number of operations, including the number of times of suction and the number of times of dispensing, is increased, and there is a problem that work efficiency is poor. An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device that can easily prepare a dilution series of a sample.

[0004]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The stage number storage unit 2 stores the stage number N of the dilution series,
The extra suction amount storage unit 4 stores the extra suction amount v of the liquid sucked into the syringe 12, which is left in the syringe 12 without being discharged during dispensing. The input unit 6 stores the number N of stages in the number-of-stages storage unit 2 and the extra suction amount v in the excess suction amount storage unit 4. The dispensing control unit 8 sets (V
-V) is ejected in a plurality of times according to the stage of the dilution series, and the display unit 14 displays the order to be dispensed. 10 is a syringe 1 in response to an instruction from the dispensing control unit 8.
2 is a syringe drive mechanism that drives the suction operation and the discharge operation of No. 2.

[0005]

The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Let V be the maximum suction amount of the syringe that aspirates the sample and the diluent, and let v be the excess suction amount, and create an N-stage dilution series. N
And v are input from the input unit 6 and registered in the stage number storage unit 2 and the extra suction amount storage unit 4, respectively. 0, 1 / N, 2 /
It is the essence of the present invention to effectively make a dilution series of N, ... M / N, ... N / N. First, the tip of the dispensing nozzle is applied to the sample, and the sample of V is sucked into the syringe. In the sample V, v is kept (V-
Dispense v) in several stages. The most effective is
This is a method in which (Vv) is divided and dispensed twice for each suction.

There are the following two types of dispensing methods. (1) (V-v) / (N + 1) and (V
-V) Divide into N / (N + 1) and dispense into the 1st and Nth sample containers, respectively. (Vv) 2 for the second suction
/ (N + 1) and (Vv) (N-1) / (N + 1) are divided and dispensed into the second and (N-1) th sample containers, respectively. During the Mth suction, (V-v) M / (N + 1) and (V-v) (N
Divide into -M + 1) / (N + 1) and dispense into the M-th and (N-M + 1) -th sample containers, respectively. This is M ≦ (N−
M), that is, M ≦ N / 2 is repeated.

(2) At the first suction, (Vv) / N
And (Vv) (N-1) / N and dispensed into the first and (N-1) th sample containers, respectively. For the second suction
Divide into (Vv) 2 / N and (Vv) (N-2) / N and dispense into the second and (N-1) th sample containers, respectively. (V-v) M / N and (V-v) (NM) / N at the Mth suction
Dispense into the M-th and (NM) -th sample containers respectively. This is repeated until M ≦ (N−M), that is, M ≦ N / 2. Perform the above operations for the sample and diluent. However, the order of the sample container for dispensing the sample and the sample container for dispensing the diluting liquid is completely opposite.

A case where a 10-step dilution series is prepared will be considered as a concrete example. According to the method (1), suction is performed 5 times for dispensing 1 and (10), 2 and 9, 3 and 8, 4 and 7, 5 and 6.
According to the method (2), suction is performed 6 times for performing the dispensing of 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, 5, (10). Also, when making a 5-step dilution series,
According to the method (1), suction is performed three times for dispensing 1 and (5), 2 and 4, and 3. (2)
According to the method (1), suction is performed three times for performing the dispensing of 1, 4, 2, 3 and (5).

After all, when the number of stages of the dilution series is even, (1) requires less one time, and when it is odd, the number is the same. However, parenthesized (10),
If it is not necessary to dispense (5) particularly accurately, the number of times is the same when the number is even and the number of times (2) is less when the number is odd. It may be set so that either (1) or (2) can be selected when N is input. When aspirating the sample or the diluting liquid, a message of "aspirate" is displayed, and when dispensing, the sequence number to be dispensed is displayed. Therefore, the dispensed sample container is dispensed.

When the discharge is performed twice for one suction, the tip of the nozzle is brought into contact with the sample for suction of the next sample and suction is performed. Since the v sample remains in the syringe, the suction amount after the second time is (Vv). When the last discharge is completed, the extra suction amount v of the sample is washed out with the cleaning liquid. Since the display of the serial number to be dispensed for the diluting liquid is the reverse of that for the sample, whether to manually switch between dispensing the sample first and diluting liquid, or
Alternatively, it may be automatically displayed whether the sample or the diluted solution is dispensed. When the sample is 0 in the dilution series and when the diluent is 0 (only the sample),
Since it is considered that there are sufficient diluent and sample, these two types do not need to be prepared as a dilution series. As a countermeasure when there is not enough, the total amount required for one sample may be displayed when Nv is input. Further, by repeating the above operation a plurality of times, it is possible to prepare a serial dilution series having an amount of Vv or more.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 3 shows an example of a mechanical portion of a dispensing device to which the present invention is applied. Reference numeral 20 is a nozzle for sucking and discharging the sample and the diluent, 22 is a syringe for sucking and discharging the sample, and 24 is a syringe for sucking and discharging the diluent. The syringe 22 is directly connected to the nozzle 20, and the syringe 24 is connected to the nozzle 20 via a three-way electromagnetic valve 26. A flow path for the cleaning liquid 28 is further connected to the three-way solenoid valve 26. The solenoid valve 26 is connected in the direction indicated by the solid line. The volume of the flow path from the tip of the nozzle 20 to the syringe 22 is set smaller than the maximum suction amount V of the syringe 22.

A case where a dilution series is created using the syringe 24 will be described. When dispensing the sample and diluent,
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the three-way solenoid valve 26
Is set in the direction in which the nozzle 20 and the syringe 24 are connected. The sample is aspirated by the syringe 24, and the (Vv) sample is divided into two corresponding ratios according to the stages of the dilution series and dispensed into the respective sample containers. After the dispensing of the sample at each stage is completed, the diluent is dispensed in the same manner.

When cleaning is performed, as shown in FIG. 4C, the three-way solenoid valve 26 is switched to the direction in which the syringe 24 and the cleaning liquid 28 are connected to suck the cleaning liquid, and then (D).
As shown in FIG. 3, the three-way solenoid valve 26 is switched to connect the syringe 24 and the nozzle 20 to discharge the cleaning liquid.
The operations of sucking and discharging the cleaning liquid are repeated. When the dispensed amount is small, the syringe 22 may be used to dispense the sample and the diluent in the same manner as described above, and the washing may be performed using the syringe 24.

[0014]

In the present invention, the extra suction amount v is left in the syringe when the sample is dispensed, so that the sample can be prevented from being diluted with the washing solution. Since a single suction amount is divided into a plurality of portions and dispensed, a dilution series can be efficiently and easily created.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of operation.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a dispensing device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of the example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 step number storage unit 4 extra suction amount storage unit 6 input unit 8 dispensing control unit 10 syringe drive mechanism 12 syringe 14 display unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A number-of-stages storage unit that stores the number of stages N of the dilution series, and an extra-aspiration amount storage unit that stores an extra-aspiration amount v of the liquid aspirated in the syringe, which is left in the syringe without being discharged during dispensing. , (V-v) for the suction amount V of the syringe and the input unit for storing the number N of stages in the number-of-stages storage unit and the extra suction amount v in the excess suction amount storage unit, depending on the stage of the dilution series And a dispensing control unit that displays the order to be dispensed on the display unit.