JPH07225235A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a dispenser in which only a chip for testing a test sample is selected to supply it for dispensing work and prior removal, etc., of excessive chips is unnecessitated with simple structure. CONSTITUTION:In a dispenser in which a plurality of nozzles 14 connecting with a suction/discharge mechanism are pressed in a chip 3 and desired liquids 5 and 6 are dispensed to a plurality of points 9 by means of the chip 3, it is provided with a squeezing member 17 having a step, and unnecessary chips 3 out of the chips 3 which are once pressed in the nozzles 14 are detached by the member 17, then the liquid is dispensed by using remaining chips 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sample using a chip,
The present invention relates to a dispensing device that divides and supplies a predetermined liquid such as a reagent or a buffer solution to a plurality of desired places such as a test tube.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, when a desired reagent or the like is added to a sample for testing, in order to prevent mutual mixing, the dispensing tip in contact with the sample is of a disposable type. The device generally presses a horizontally movable and vertically movable nozzle connected to a suction and discharge mechanism into a chip vertically and horizontally arranged in a chip stocker, lifts this together with the nozzle, and lifts liquid from a suction liquid container. Aspirate, further lower the nozzle into the hole of the microplate, operate the microcylinder to eject the liquid sucked into it, and then insert the comb-shaped detachment tool onto the flange of the tip fitted to the nozzle on the waste box. Using the difference in outer diameter between the nozzle and the tip, the nozzle is squeezed down to separate the tip.

[0003] However, there are various methods for testing a sample. For example, when testing the agglutination reaction of blood, a microplate (usually one column with 8 holes and one row with 12 holes) is often used. ), And put the negative and positive control sera used for comparison of the agglutination reaction of the sample and the sample in a predetermined column by hand, set this on the device, and insert the chips from the chip stocker in a row unit (hereinafter As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical arrangement A in the drawing will be described as a column, and the horizontal arrangement B will be described as a row) and the buffer solution is sucked into the holes of the normal sample row of the microplate. Add the liquid and perform serial dilution up to the nth column, and then inject the sensitized blood cells from a certain dilution sample hole at the specified dose, but for the holes of the negative and positive control sera, only in the specific dilution series Dispensed create blood cell minute, and the other columns in the negative, in the hall of the positive control serum is often to inspect without dispensing the sensitized blood cells.

In this case, since the nozzles integrally move up and down in units of one row, the nozzles of one row are all attached to the nozzle, and the liquid is sucked by the tips to be dispensed into all the holes. It is not possible to dispense only specific holes. Therefore, conventionally, the row of tips on the tip stocker was replaced with the row of tips for normal sample holes.
Negative / positive control Serum Hall chips are divided into two columns for preparation and dispensing. For example, if the holes are 8 rows and a normal sample is placed in the holes in the 1st to 6th rows of a certain column, and negative / positive control sera is placed in the remaining 7th to 8th rows, in order to make the chips correspond to these. Must be placed only in rows 1-6 of one column of the chip stocker and only in rows 7-8 of another column. However, in order to do so, unnecessary chips in separate rows must be removed in advance, and preparation is extremely complicated. Moreover, since the buffer-dispensing chip array for dispensing to all rows must also be deployed at the same time, it is extremely complicated to preset the chips of the chip stocker to correspond to the dispensing positions. Is also likely to occur. Furthermore, even if there is only one row of holes on the microplate, the row on the chip stocker must be divided into two rows, one for normal specimens only and one for negative / positive control sera. The number of rows is large, and a large chip stocker is required, which is not compact and has a large nozzle movement stroke. In addition to the special inspection described above, in general, there are many cases in which the aspirating solution is not dispensed into a specific hole of the microplate, and it is extremely complicated to sort out unnecessary chips each time. .

[0005]

It is an object of the present invention to select only the chips necessary for the inspection of the specimen with a simple structure and supply them to the dispensing work, without the need for removing extra chips in advance and producing this kind of work. It is intended to provide a compact device with improved performance.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The gist of the present invention is that a plurality of nozzles connected to a suction / ejection mechanism are pressed into a chip and a desired liquid is dispensed to a plurality of locations through the chip. The dispensing device is provided with a squeezing member having a step, and the squeezing member causes unnecessary chips to be removed from the chips once the chips have been press-fitted into the nozzle, and the remaining chips are dispensed. A pouring device, in particular, the ironing member is affixed to the nozzle in a state in which it can be engaged with the tip fitted to each nozzle, and the step is at least for the completion of tip removal by the ironing member that contacts the tip. The dispenser is characterized in that the interval is not less than the required stroke width.

This dispenser has a row of vertically movable nozzles connected to a suction and discharge mechanism and vertically movable. This nozzle is normally installed on a stage and is connected to a head that can move in the XYZ axis directions, and moves, and at least can move in the vertical and horizontal directions. Although the nozzle is described as a movable body in the present specification, it is naturally possible to fix the nozzle and move other parts, and the relationship between them is only relative, and naturally, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is a range. These operations are controlled by a computer inputted in advance or a program by a sequence control or the like. The suction / discharge mechanism connected to the nozzle is usually a microcylinder, but may be a pump mechanism. In principle, the nozzles are arranged in a row in the row direction of the chips.

The nozzles are guided by the head according to a preset program and are press-fitted into the chips arranged vertically and horizontally in the chip stocker row by row, and the nozzles are lifted together with the nozzles and moved onto the suction liquid container. The liquid is sucked, then moved to a hole such as a microplate, and the buffer liquid sucked therein is discharged by a discharge device such as a microcylinder. Press-fitting is a state in which the nozzle is forcibly fitted into the tip and the tip does not drop naturally. Further, the tip is a cylindrical body that penetrates vertically and is tapered toward the lower end and has a flange with a diameter larger than that of the body portion formed at the upper end opening. It has a gradual taper to fit.

Therefore, in the present invention, the ironing member which can be loosely fitted or engaged with the tip fitted to each nozzle in a engageable state is attached with a step, and the ironing member of the tip once press-fitted by the ironing member. Of these, unnecessary chips are removed, returned to the original position of the chip stocker, and dispensed with the remaining chips.The step is defined as a stroke width greater than the stroke width required for completion of chip removal by the ironing member in contact with the chips. ing. Note that the splicing includes a case where the ironing member is relatively movable with respect to the nozzle and is close to or adjacent to the nozzle, and in any case, the ironing member is fitted into the nozzle when the nozzle or the ironing member moves from the splicing position. It is in a state that it can engage with the tip and squeeze it.

This ironing member includes a pipe which is always fitted in the nozzle loosely and a comb-tooth-shaped comb tooth portion which is abutted as required. In addition to the members located around or on both sides of the nozzle, members may be attached to one side or one point as much as possible for squeezing. Further, the ironing member may be a bar-shaped member having a step or a tuning-fork-shaped member arranged on one side or both sides parallel to the row of nozzles. Further, the ironing member includes both the one constantly attached to the nozzle and the one temporarily attached by the control means, and any method such as rotation or horizontal movement may be used as the temporary attachment. Of course, the ironing member can be replaced.

Normally, two steps are required for the steps of the ironing member, but more steps may be provided if necessary. In this case, by changing the stroke of the nozzle, it is possible to squeeze the tip of the nozzle that abuts different steps with one squeezing member. Further, in this step, the portion that first comes into contact with the chip does not need to be held by the chip, and the number of corresponding chips covered by this portion is 1
One or more are included, and two or more cases are both positioned in a continuous manner and plural cases are arranged in a discontinuous manner. In this way, the number and position of the ironing members that come into contact with the tip first change depending on the place where dispensing is not required.

In the case of an ironing member composed of comb teeth, a plurality of U-shaped recessed holes having a width equal to the number of nozzles and smaller than the flange of the chip are formed between a pair of comb teeth. Is larger than the diameter of the tip body or the diameter of the nozzle. Further, the comb tooth portion is provided with a first comb tooth portion which comes into contact with the fitted tip first and a second comb tooth portion which is provided with a step at a position which does not come into contact with the flange of the tip during the tip detaching operation by the first comb tooth portion. Consists of. That is, the comb tooth portion fits into the nozzle and stops, the lower surface of the first comb tooth portion contacts the upper surface of the flange of the chip, the nozzle is pulled up in a certain stroke, the chip comes off, and the rise of the nozzle is stopped. Until then, the second comb tooth portion is provided at a position where it does not contact the nozzle.

That is, the step difference between the two is set to a distance equal to or greater than the stroke, and they are positioned so as not to contact the flange of the chip. As long as this condition is satisfied, the second comb tooth portion is above the first comb tooth portion. Or below. The first comb tooth portion may be formed by connecting a similar comb tooth portion with a screw or the like under a part of the comb tooth portion. A computer that moves part of the ironing member to the nozzle above the tip pressed into the nozzle when the number of dispensing points is less than the number of nozzles, and moves the nozzle by a certain stroke within the range of the step difference of the ironing member. Or, program control means such as sequence control is provided. Further, the ironing member removes the tip fitted therein by moving in the opposite direction of the nozzle, and when the nozzle moves up and down, it is rotatably supported by a horizontally moving nozzle box or the like. Only when the tip is removed, the nozzle is rotated at a predetermined position according to a program input in advance and abuts on the nozzle.

[0014]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, when all the chips in one row of the chip stocker are used, such as when diluting liquid is dispensed into all the holes, the ironing member does not operate initially. , In that case, all the nozzles are pressed into the chip and move together with the nozzles, and perform necessary work such as suction and dispensing on the reagent solution container and the microplate, respectively, and then move to the waste box and remove the squeezing member with steps. All of the chips are located above the chips, and by raising the nozzle from that position, the ironing member hits the flanges of all the chips and all the chips are ironed off.

Next, the nozzle is returned to the top of the chip stocker, and a predetermined chip is selectively removed. The ironing member composed of comb teeth will be described below. First, the nozzle descends, is press-fitted into the chip, and ascends. The nozzle stops at a certain height, and then the step portion of the ironing member close to the tip is located first on the flange of the tip. When the nozzle is pulled up, the tip of the chip is prevented from rising due to the engagement between the bottom of the immovable step portion and the flange of the chip, and the chip is disengaged from the nozzle and dropped directly to the original position of the chip stocker. It is sufficient that the stroke width of the nozzle for detaching the tip is about 3 mm, and the step difference of the ironing member is set further, for example, 5 mm. For example, in the case of the comb tooth portion, the nozzle located in the second comb tooth portion also rises in the concave hole at the same time, but the ascending distance is within the range of the step, and the flange of the chip does not contact the second comb tooth portion. Do not leave. After the tip under the first comb tooth portion is detached, the movement path of the nozzle connected to the tip is opened, so that the comb tooth portion is inverted and reset.

When the second comb tooth portion is lower than the lower surface of the first comb tooth portion, the first comb tooth portion is fitted to the nozzle when the first comb tooth portion is fitted.
The comb teeth are fitted so as to be located above the chip flange and the second comb teeth are located below the flange of the chip. In this case, when the nozzle is slightly pulled up, the tip under the first comb tooth portion is disengaged due to the engagement with the comb tooth portion, but the other tips are lifted as they are without making contact and sent to the suction work. When the ironing member is a pipe, it always fits loosely in the nozzle and moves with the movement of the nozzle, but only when the tip is removed, the tip that comes into immediate contact with the ironing member is removed due to the rise of the nozzle, and the work is performed. When finished, it rises with the nozzle. In either case, finally, on the waste box, the comb tooth portion is fitted over the tip and lifted off the nozzle to be separated and dropped into the box.

The nozzle fitted with only the tip of the row corresponding to the hole of the normal sample moves to a predetermined hole row of the microplate after sucking the sensitized blood cells and dispenses into the hole of the normal sample, for example. The diluting factor is moved to a different row, the same dispensing is repeated, and then it is moved to the waste box, and the ironing member hits the flanges of all the chips and all the chips are ironed off. Furthermore, the nozzle returns to the tip stocker, descends into the row of tips that have been ironed down, press fits into the remaining tips, suctions the sensitized blood cells from the liquid tank through the tips, and moves onto the microplate,
Dispense into the hole of the negative / positive control serum line. In this case, the ironing member does not operate because no chip removal is required. After that, the chips move to the waste box, the ironing members hit the flanges of all the chips, and the chips are ironed off.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Explained below with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, 1 is a dispensing apparatus main body, 2 is a stage, and chips are arranged on the stage 2 in the order of 7 rows and 7 columns in the vertical and horizontal directions. Chip stocker 4 containing 3 aligned and stored, diluent 5
And the sensitized blood cells 6 are separately stored in the liquid tank 7, and like the chip 3 of the chip stocker 4, the holes 8 are arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions in seven rows and seven lines.
A row of microplates 9 and a waste box 10 are arranged. 11 is a holder for the microplate 9, 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a flange formed on the upper end of the tip 3 and having a larger diameter than the body portion 13.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a nozzle having seven nozzles in one row connected to a head 15 containing a microcylinder (not shown).
It is possible to move vertically and horizontally on the stage 2. Reference numeral 16 is a head cover that moves in the horizontal direction together with the head 15, and reference numeral 17 is a comb tooth portion that is an example of an ironing member that is connected to the lower end of an arm 18 pivotally supported by the head cover 16 at a right angle. A U-shaped concave hole 1 having a width equal to the number of nozzles 14 and larger than the diameter of the body portion 13 of the nozzle 14 and smaller than the flange 12 of the tip 3 is formed in the comb tooth portion 17.
9 is formed between the comb teeth 20, and the comb tooth portion 17 is further divided into a first comb tooth portion 21 and a second comb tooth portion 22.
1 has a lower surface 23 lower than the second comb tooth portion 22 to form a step.

The distance between the lower surface of the first comb-tooth portion 21 and the lower surface of the second comb-tooth portion 22 is determined by the moving stroke of the nozzle 14 until the tip 3 comes into engagement with the first comb-tooth portion 21 and comes to a stop. Is taken greater than. In FIG. 3, the comb tooth portion 17 is the nozzle 1.
4 shows a state in which the two chips 3 on the left side are dropped when the nozzle 14 is pulled up in this state. The first comb tooth portion 21 is a series of comb tooth portions 17
On the other hand, the screw 24 or the like can be attached to a necessary portion. 5 and 6 and the following embodiments, the first comb tooth portion 21 is made lower than the second comb tooth portion 22 to form a step. The distance between the lower surface of the first comb-tooth portion 21 and the upper surface of the second comb-tooth portion 22 is set to be larger than the moving stroke of the nozzle until the tip 3 is engaged with the first comb-tooth portion 21 and the tip 3 is completely removed. There is. Since the chip 3 is inserted into the concave hole 19 of the second comb tooth portion 22, it is necessary to make the diameter larger than the diameter of the body portion 13 of the chip 3. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the squeezing member is a plurality of fixed pipes 25 that are constantly attached to the nozzle 14, and the opening edge 26 below the steps is a step having different heights.

[0021]

[Effects] As described above, in the present invention, the ironing member having the step difference removes the unnecessary tip out of the tips once the tip is press-fitted into the nozzle, and dispenses with the remaining tips. It is extremely simple, and it is not necessary to remove unnecessary chips from the chip stocker in advance by manual work or the like, and it is possible to achieve remarkable efficiency of the sample inspection work. In particular, if a different type of sample is contained in a hole in a row of the microplate and the reagent is placed in different places depending on the dilution ratio, the chips in the same row of the chip stocker should not be divided into two rows, Since it can be used as it is for dispensing a reagent to another type of sample, the number of rows of chips can be minimized and the device can be made compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the stage shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a comb tooth portion.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view showing a state where a nozzle connected to a chip is fitted in the comb tooth portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a comb tooth portion.

6 is a partial front view showing a state where a nozzle connected to a tip is fitted in the comb tooth portion of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial front view of a nozzle splicing state showing an embodiment in which the ironing member is a pipe.

[Explanation of sign]

1-dispensing device main body, 2-stage, 3-chip, 4-chip stocker, 5-diluting solution, 6-sensitized blood cell, 7-solution tank, 8-hole, 9-microplate, 10-disposal box, 11-holder, 12-flange, 13-body part, 14-nozzle, 15-head, 16-head cover, 17-comb tooth part, 18-arm, 19-recessed hole, 20-
Comb teeth, 21-first comb tooth portion, 22-second comb tooth portion, 23-lower surface, 24-screw, 25-pipe, 26-opening edge

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A dispensing apparatus for press-fitting a plurality of nozzles connected to a suction / ejection mechanism into a chip and dispensing a desired liquid to a plurality of locations through the chip, wherein a squeezing member having a step is provided. A dispenser characterized by using this squeezing member to remove an unnecessary tip out of the tips that have once been press-fitted into the nozzle and dispense with the remaining tips 2. The ironing member is affixed to the nozzle in a state in which the ironing member is engageable with the tip fitted to each nozzle, and the step is at least required for completion of tip detachment by the ironing member contacting the tip. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the interval is equal to or greater than the stroke width. 3. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the squeezing member is a comb-tooth-shaped comb tooth portion having a recessed hole therebetween. 4. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the comb tooth portion is connected to an arm rotatably attached to a nozzle box that moves together with the nozzle. 5. The step is characterized in that, when a part of the comb tooth portion contacts the chip, the lower surface of the comb tooth portion is located below the lower surface of the comb tooth portion which does not contact the chip. Dispensing device according to claim 3 6. The step is characterized in that, when a part of the comb-tooth portion contacts the chip, the lower surface of the comb-tooth portion is located above the upper surface of the comb-tooth portion which does not contact the chip. Dispensing device according to claim 3 7. The dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein a step is provided in the comb tooth portion by connecting a similar comb tooth portion under a part of the comb tooth portion. 8. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the squeezing member is a pipe loosely fitted in a nozzle. 9. When the number of dispensing points is less than the number of nozzles, a part of the ironing member is attached to the nozzle above the tip press-fitted into the nozzle, and the nozzle is located within the range of the step difference of the ironing member. The dispensing device according to claim 2, further comprising control means for moving only by a stroke. 10. A dispensing apparatus for press-fitting a plurality of nozzles connected to a suction / discharging mechanism into a chip and dispensing a desired liquid to a plurality of locations through the chip, wherein the chips of a chip stocker are arranged for each row. Dispensing device characterized by lifting with a nozzle, removing unnecessary chips from the nozzle by a squeezing member having steps, returning to the chip stocker, and dispensing with the remaining chips