JPH0663150U - Unreacted component removal device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide an unreacted component removal device capable of accurately removing unreacted components while improving the processing speed while downsizing the device. [Structure] Of the outer peripheral surface of the magnet 2, a magnet unit 10 is formed by covering a magnetic material 11 in a U-shape on three surfaces other than the surface M facing the reaction container. The magnetic material 11 is made of permalloy having a high magnetic permeability. Since the magnetic flux lines emitted from the surface M of the magnet 2 are converged by the magnetic material 11, the magnetic flux density of the surface M can be increased and the magnetic force of the surface M can be increased. B
The magnetic portion of the antibody can be strongly attracted by bringing the surface M of the magnet 2 into contact with the reaction container during the / F separation process, so that the accuracy of the B / F separation process can be improved and the processing speed can be improved. Can be achieved. Further, in order to obtain the same magnetic force as that of only the magnet 2, the magnet unit 10 can be downsized, so that the device can be downsized.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 According to the present invention, a reagent in which a reactive component having magnetism, which reacts with a target component in a sample, is dispersed, is dispensed into the sample in the reaction container to react, and then the magnetic property in the reaction solution is A so-called bind / free (B / F) separation in which unreacted components in the reaction container are removed by suctioning unreacted components in the reaction container while attracting the components from outside the reaction container with a magnet. The present invention relates to a device for removing unreacted components, and particularly to a structure of a magnet used for B / F separation.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 For example, in an immunoassay or the like, a reagent in which magnetic microbeads having an antibody (reactive component) that reacts with a measurement antigen (component to be measured) in a sample, which is a sample, is dispersed is dispensed to the above-described sample, and a predetermined amount After the reaction time has elapsed, B / F separation is performed to remove unreacted components.

This will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 which are conventional examples of an unreacted component removing device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a sample and a reagent are reacted in a reaction container, and FIG. 5 (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a magnet is in contact with the reaction container for B / F separation. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the reaction liquid is sucked by the nozzle.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a reaction container, and this reaction container 1 has a sample containing a measurement antigen SK or an antigen SK ′ other than a measurement antigen, and an antibody KT that reacts with the measurement antigen SK. The reagent in which the magnetic microbeads are dispersed is dispensed, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, as shown in the figure, the measurement antigen SK and the antibody KT react in the reaction solution HE.

In order to separate the reaction solution HE by B / F, first, as shown in FIG. 5A, a magnet 2 is brought into contact with the reaction container 1 from outside the reaction container 1 so that the magnetic portion JB of the antibody KT is separated from the magnet. Aspirate at 2. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the nozzle 3 is inserted into the reaction container 1 to suck the reaction liquid HE. As a result, the measurement antigen SK reacting with the antibody KT is attracted by the magnet 2 and thus remains in the reaction container 1, while unreacted components such as the antigen SK ′ other than the measurement antigen are attracted together with the reaction solution HE. , Will be removed.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems. In order to remove unreacted components with high accuracy, it is necessary to strongly attract all the measurement antigen SK that has reacted with the antibody KT by the magnet 2 as described above. It is necessary to increase the magnetic force.

Further, in order to increase the processing speed of the unreacted component removal processing, it is necessary to similarly increase the magnetic force of the magnet 2.

In order to increase the magnetic force of the magnet 2, it is sufficient to make the magnet 2 larger, and then the unreacted component removing device must be made larger, and accordingly, the unreacted component removing device must be made larger. For example, immunoassay devices and other analytical devices themselves must be enlarged, which is contrary to the desire to downsize the devices.

Further, when the magnet 2 is made large, the magnetic force of the surfaces other than the surface M facing the reaction container 1, especially the magnetic force of the back surface M ′ is also increased, and this magnetic force reaches the adjacent reaction container, There are adverse effects such as delaying the reaction in the adjacent container.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to remove unreacted components with high accuracy while improving the downsizing of the unreacted components removal device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an unreacted component removing device capable of achieving the above.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, according to the present invention, a reagent in which a reactive component having magnetism, which reacts with a measurement target component in a sample, is dispersed, is dispensed into the sample in the reaction container to cause the reaction, and then, in the reaction solution. In the unreacted component removal device that removes unreacted components from the reaction solution by attracting the unreacted components in the reaction container while attracting the magnetic components from outside the reaction container with a magnet. The magnet for attracting components has two side surfaces sandwiching the surface facing the reaction container and three back surfaces of the surface facing the reaction container covered with a magnetic material.

[0012]

[Action]

 The operation of the present invention is as follows. In the present invention, since the magnetic material covers the two sides of the outer peripheral surface of the magnet that sandwich the surface facing the reaction container and the back surface of the surface facing the reaction container, the magnetic flux generated from the surface facing the reaction container is covered. Since the lines are converged by the magnetic material, the magnetic flux density on the surface facing the reaction vessel can be increased and the magnetic force on that surface can be increased.

[0013]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure of a magnet unit used in an unreacted component removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this magnet unit 10 has a configuration in which three surfaces of the outer peripheral surface of the magnet 2 other than the surface M facing the reaction container are covered with a magnetic material 11 having a U-shape. The three surfaces of the magnet 2 may be in contact with the magnetic material 11 or may be separated from the magnetic material 11 with a slight gap, but the back surface of the surface M facing the reaction vessel is magnetic. It is preferable to be in contact with the material 11. The magnetic material 11 is made of, for example, iron or permalloy having high magnetic permeability.

By constructing the magnet unit 10 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 2, the magnetic flux 11 is polarized into N, S or S, N and emitted from the surface M facing the reaction vessel by the magnetic material 11. Since they are converged, the magnetic flux density of the surface M facing the reaction container can be increased, and the magnetic force of the surface M can be increased.

For example, when the magnetic material 11 of FIG. 1 is not provided and only the magnet 2 having a height H of 15 mm, a thickness D of 5 mm and a width W of 21 mm, the magnetic flux density of the surface M facing the reaction vessel is 2.2 kGauss. On the contrary, when the magnetic material 11 having a height JH of 25 mm, a thickness J D of 3 mm and a width JW of 21 mm is covered on three predetermined surfaces of the magnet 2 as shown in FIG. The magnetic flux density of the surface M facing the reaction container was 4.3 kGauss, and the magnetic force could be doubled as compared with the case of only the magnet 2.

Therefore, when the B / F separation treatment is performed, the surface M of the magnet 2 constituting the magnet unit 10 is brought into contact with the reaction container 1 as shown in FIG. Since the magnetic portion JB can be attracted, the accuracy of the B / F separation process can be improved and the processing speed thereof can be improved.

It should be noted that when the lower end of the magnet 2 is aligned with the bottom of the reaction vessel 1 or located slightly above it, the reacted magnetic microbeads are less likely to be lost when unreacted components are removed. It is preferable from the viewpoint of accuracy. This distance is preferably about 0 to 5 mm.

By the way, by setting the height H of the magnet 2 to 20 mm, the thickness D to 20 mm, and the width W to 21 mm, the magnetic force of the surface M of the magnet facing the reaction vessel 1 can be set to 4.2 kGauss. Therefore, the magnet unit 10 described above can have substantially the same magnetic force. That is, in order to make the accuracy and the processing speed of the B / F separation processing the same as in the case of only the magnet 2, the size of the magnet unit 10 can be made half or less than that in the case of only the magnet 2. Therefore, by using such a magnet unit 10, the device can be downsized.

[0019]

[Effect of device]

 As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, two side surfaces of the outer peripheral surface of the magnet that sandwich the surface facing the reaction vessel and the back surface of the surface facing the reaction vessel are covered with a magnetic material. As a result, the magnetic flux lines emitted from the surface facing the reaction vessel are converged by the magnetic material, so the magnetic flux density on the surface facing the reaction vessel can be increased, and the magnetic force on that surface can be increased without increasing the magnetic force on the other surface. Can be stronger. Therefore, the accuracy of the B / F separation process can be improved, the processing speed can be improved, and the device can be downsized.

Further, since the magnetic force can be exerted in a concentrated manner on the reaction vessel facing the magnet, it is possible to avoid the adverse effect on the adjacent reaction vessel caused by the leakage of the magnetic force.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a magnet unit used in an unreacted component removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of magnetic flux lines from the surface of the magnet unit used in the example facing the reaction container.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a magnet unit is brought into contact with a reaction container for B / F separation.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a sample and a reagent are reacted in a reaction container.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a magnet is in contact with a reaction container for B / F separation. (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the reaction liquid is sucked by the nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Reaction container 2 ... Magnet 10 ... Magnet unit 11 ... Magnetic material SK ... Measurement antigen SK '... Antigen other than measurement antigen KT ... Antibody

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A reagent in which a reaction component having magnetism, which reacts with a component to be measured in a sample, is dispersed, is dispensed into the sample in a reaction container to react, and then the reagent in the reaction solution is In the unreacted component removing device that removes unreacted components from the reaction solution by sucking the unreacted components in the reaction container while attracting the magnetic components with a magnet from the outside of the reaction container, The unreacted component removing device is characterized in that the attracting magnet has two side surfaces sandwiching a surface facing the reaction container and three back surfaces of the surface facing the reaction container are covered with a magnetic material.