JPH0680176U - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus equipped with a useful preheating mechanism when dispensing a small amount of a sample or the like. [Structure] A constant temperature water circulating means is attached to the outer circumference of the suction pipe to heat the suction pipe appropriately.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a dispensing device used for an automatic biochemical analyzer, a blood coagulation measuring device and the like, and more particularly to a preheating mechanism of the dispensing device.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Biochemical automatic analyzers and blood coagulation analyzers are configured so that samples or reagents are sequentially introduced into a plurality of reaction tubes arranged on a turntable by a dispenser. In order to proceed efficiently, the sample etc. is preheated.

As a general configuration for such preheating, as shown in FIG. 5, a probe 22 of a probe (sample suction pipe) 20 of a dispensing device is wound around a heater 22 (FIG. 5 (a)), There is known a configuration (FIG. 5B) in which the sucked sample or the like is passed through the heating block 23.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the conventional configuration, the sample or the like at the tip of the probe cannot be heated in any of the configurations, so that a problem occurs when a minute amount of a few 100 μl is dispensed.

In order to eliminate such an obstacle, it may be considered that the sample or the like is once drawn to the heating portion during the microdispensing and then the dispensing is performed. However, when the sample or the like passes through the probe during ejection, Had the drawback of getting cold.

Further, in the configuration of FIG. 5A, the probe pipe 21 and the heater 22 are in metal contact with each other, so that the transmission of temperature is slow. For example, it took 20-40 seconds to preheat a volume of 100 μl. In particular, when a new sample was aspirated, the probe had to be washed with washing water, so the probe was cold and took a lot of time to warm up.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device equipped with a preheating mechanism which is useful especially when a small amount of a sample or the like is dispensed.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized in that a constant temperature water circulating means is attached to the outer periphery of the suction pipe as a preheating mechanism.

Here, the suction pipe refers to a pipe having an inner diameter of several mm, which is made of a material such as SUS or Teflon because it is inserted into a container containing the sample and sucks up the sample and the like. The suction of the sample or the like into the pipe is performed by connecting a syringe, a rotary pump or the like to the pipe.

The constant temperature water circulating means may have any structure as long as it can heat the pipe by circulating constant temperature water around the outside of the suction pipe. For example, the suction pipe has a double structure and is It includes anything that circulates constant temperature water between the outer pipes and one that wraps a constant temperature water circulation pipe around the outer circumference of the suction pipe. The constant temperature water itself can be supplied and collected using a known pump or syringe.

[0011]

[Action]

 In the present invention, the suction pipe is appropriately heated by the constant temperature water circulating means provided around the outside of the suction pipe.

[0012]

【Example】

 A schematic view of the dispensing device of the present invention is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a hollow sample suction pipe, for example, made of SUS and having an outer diameter of 1-1. Use a 5 mm one with an inner diameter of 0.6 to 1.2 mm. This sample suction pipe 1 is inserted into a hollow outer cylinder pipe 2 (outer diameter 6 mm, inner diameter 5 mm) made of the same material, and its upper and lower parts are attached by a flange 5 and a sleeve 6. The tip (1 ') of the sample suction pipe 1 is tapered.

Two more pipes 3 and 4 (SUS, outer diameter 1.5 mm, inner diameter 1.2 mm) are connected to the flange 5, and the tip of the pipe 3 is outside the sample suction pipe 1 and outside. The pipe 4 is located below the pipe 2, and the tip of the pipe 4 is located outside the sample suction pipe 1 and above the pipe 2. In order to show the relative relationship between the sample suction pipe 1, the outer pipe 2, and the pipes 3 and 4, FIG. 2 shows an AA sectional view and a BB sectional view of FIG.

The pipes 3 and 4 are connected to the constant temperature water supply unit 7 through the pipe 10. Among the pipes 3 and 4, the pipe 3 serves as a constant temperature water discharge pipe and the pipe 4 serves as a constant temperature water suction pipe. . The constant temperature water supply unit 7 is composed of a water tank storing water set to a constant temperature, a liquid feed pump connected to the pipe of the pipe 3, and a suction pump connected to the pipe 4. The sample suction pipe 1 is connected to a metering pump 8 via a tube 11. The metering pump 8 includes a syringe pump 12 connected to the tube 11 and a washing water supply tube 13 connected to the syringe pump 12. The washing water supply tube 13 includes a pressurizing pump 14, a valve 15, and a washing water reservoir 16.

In the above structure, the sample is dispensed as follows.

The sample suction pipe 1 and the outer cylinder pipe 2 which are integrated are moved to a position (not shown) where the sample cup is provided by a moving means (not shown), and the sample suction pipe 1 has a tip 1 ′. Into a sample cup (not shown). Then, the syringe pump 12 is operated to suck the sample into the sample suction pipe 1. At this time, the constant temperature water is operated so that the constant temperature water is circulated in the outer pipe 2, so that the constant temperature water 9 is supplied from the pipe 3 and the constant temperature water 9 is sucked from the pipe 4.

When a certain amount of suction is completed, the sample suction pipe 1 and the outer cylinder pipe 2 are moved to a position (not shown) where a reaction tube (not shown) is arranged, and the syringe pump 12 is operated. And discharge the sample into the reaction tube. Even during this operation, the constant temperature water 9 is naturally circulated in the outer pipe 2.

After the sample is discharged, the sample suction pipe 1 and the outer cylinder pipe 2 are moved to the waste liquid position (not shown), and the washing water is fed into the sample suction pipe 1 by the operation of the pressure pump 14. The inside of the suction pipe 1 is washed. At this time, the circulation of constant temperature water is stopped. When the washing is completed in one cycle as described above, the sample suction pipe 1 and the outer cylinder pipe 2 are again moved to the position where the sample cup is arranged, and the sample is sucked.

In the above description, the sample suction pipe 1 is inserted into the outer cylinder pipe 2 to configure the constant temperature water circulation mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and for example, FIG. As shown, a constant temperature water circulation pipe 3 ′ may be directly wound around the sample suction pipe 1.

Further, when the electrostatic liquid level sensor is attached to the dispensing device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the sample suction pipe 1 has a double structure of a shield pipe 17 and an insulating tube 18, and an outer cylinder. By dropping the pipe 2 to the ground, it is possible to see the liquid level by the change in the capacitance of the sample suction pipe 1. Reference numeral 19 in the figure denotes an electrostatic liquid level sensor detection mechanism, which is connected to the sample suction pipe 1.

[0021]

[Effect of device]

 According to the present invention, since the temperature is controlled using constant temperature water, the efficiency is high, the preheat time can be shortened, and the processing capacity is high.

Further, since the temperature is adjusted close to the tip of the sample suction pipe, preheating can be performed even with a small amount of dispensing (20 μl to 200 μl).

Further, since heating can be performed even while the sample suction pipe is moving, high-speed processing is possible when continuously processing samples.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispensing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an AA cross section and a BB cross section of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a modified embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an electrostatic liquid level sensor attached to the dispensing device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing conventional preheating.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Sample suction pipe 2: Outer pipe 3,4: Pipe 7: Constant temperature water supply unit

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 28, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 1

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A dispenser having a mechanism for preheating a sample or the like sucked into a suction pipe of the dispenser, wherein a constant temperature water circulating means is attached to the outer periphery of the suction pipe as a preheating mechanism. Dispensing device.