JPH09236756A - Plastic slide for optical microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to uniformly maintain the thickness of a sample (liquid phase) at all times regardless of its characteristic by disposing struts having a special structure in cells. SOLUTION: The width of the cover 3 of a plastic slide 1 is narrower than the longitudinal width of the base 2. The base 2 and the cover 3 are disposed at a prescribed spacing and the right and left thereof are closed by partitions 4. The cells 6 are composed of the base 2, the cover 3 and the partitions 4. The struts 19 molded integrally with the base are disposed at the centers of the base 2 and the top ends of the struts 19 are formed to a spherical surface shape so as to be provided with clearances from the cover 3. Further, the cover 3 is provided with grooves 5, 7 on the base 2 along the longitudinal edges thereof. When the sample is injected into the groove 5, the sample is instantaneously filled into the cells 6 by capillarity through the slits 8 between the base 2 and the cover 3. The internal air is released through the slits 10 in the rear part at the time of injecting the sample into the cells 6 but the liquid injected into the cells 6 hardly leaks outside even if the base 2 is inclined.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a plastic slide for an optical microscope.
The base and cover of the slide are made of plastic integrally, and it is mainly used for observing liquid samples, and when the sample is injected into the cell, the cover cannot bend and the bubbles do not remain inside the cell. I have.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an optical microscope is used, glass is conventionally used as a base and a cover of a slide for holding and observing a sample. Since it is quite difficult to process the surface of glass into a shape other than a flat surface, the surfaces of the base and the cover are almost flat. Therefore, a sample is dropped on a drop base and a cover glass is placed on it to observe with a microscope.However, since the thickness of the liquid phase of the sample changes slightly each time, a complicated operation is required to keep this constant. Met. Further, since the sample is also attached to the periphery of the cover glass, it is difficult to avoid the sample from attaching to the fingertip.

With the recent development of plastic molding technology,
Plastic slides are now made. A base plate and a cover that are integrally molded in one piece are also commercially available. The thickness of the liquid phase was constant because of integral molding, but the thickness was 80 to 100 μm, which was unsuitable for observation at high magnification. Further, the liquid was apt to leak to the outside, and it was inevitable that the liquid would adhere to the hand of the spectroscope. Especially in recent medical examinations, since the body fluid is used directly for the sample, harmful viruses that may cause infection may be mixed in, so prevent the sample leaking from the slide from adhering to the speculum operator. There is a need.

Further, although a scale line is formed on the outer surface of the cover, the scale line cannot be observed together with the sample, as is clear from the relationship with the depth of focus described later. Actual Kaihei 4-21451
No. 9 discloses a plastic slide for an optical microscope having a gap for sample injection in the front part of the cell and a gap for releasing gas at the time of sample injection in the rear part.

[0005]

A slide for an optical microscope comprising a plastic-molded base and cover is capable of keeping the thickness of the liquid phase of the sample constant, and the sample during the microscopic operation. There is no risk that the oil will leak and adhere to the human body. However, when the sample is injected due to the action of the surface tension and adhesive force of the sample or the capillary phenomenon, the central part of the thin plastic cover bends as shown in Fig. 4 (b),
The liquid phase in that portion becomes thin, which may be an obstacle to observation. Incidentally, when the injection amount of the sample is smaller than the volume of the cell, the phenomenon remarkably appears.

For this reason, attempts have been made to provide a column inside the cell in order to prevent the thin cover from flexing. For example, when a sample is injected, air bubbles sometimes remain around the column as shown in FIG. 5 (c). It was Since the column is usually provided at the center of the cell, the presence of air bubbles significantly hinders microscopic observation. In view of these problems of the plastic slide, the present invention is capable of keeping the thickness of the liquid phase constant regardless of the sample and does not leave bubbles inside the cell during sample injection. It is intended to serve slides.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventor has studied a structure in which a bubble is not left inside a cell when a sample is injected into the thin cell. When the sample is poured into a thin cell, the plastic cover is extremely thin and is easily deformed by the surface tension of the liquid. When a column is installed inside the cell to prevent the sample solution from bending due to external force such as adhesion to the cover, the column is blocked because the column is in contact with the cover during the liquid permeation process. As a result, air bubbles often remain around the columns because the flow of the liquid is obstructed. However, it has been found that when a slight clearance is provided between the upper end of the column and the cover, the liquid does not remain in the cell because the capillary phenomenon is not interrupted, and the liquid fills the inside of the cell. When the sample fills the inside of the cell, the upper end of the column and the cover may be in contact with each other, but the clearance between the upper end of the column and the cover provided in advance is very small, so the deflection caused by this is small. I confirmed that it hardly interferes with the speculum. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

That is, the sample holding and observing cell of the optical microscope is composed of a base, a cover, a partition wall and a support. The base and the cover are transparent plastic plates, and the partition wall seals the left and right sides of the cell, and the cell side surface of the base. Has at least one strut, and has a structure in which a clearance is provided between the upper end of the strut and the cover, and the front and rear parts of the cell are provided with a slit through which a sample can be injected or a gas can flow. It is a plastic slide for optical microscopes. It is also possible to adopt a structure in which the shape of the plastic plate of the cover is formed so as to bulge outward and the height of the pillar is the same as that of the partition wall.

Here, at least one pillar is integrally molded and attached to the cell-side surface of the base, and a structure is provided in which a clearance is provided between the upper end of the pillar and the cover. Grooves are provided on the base along the edges, and the slits between the front and rear grooves of the base and the cover serve as the sample inlet and the gas flow port, respectively, and are partitioned by the left and right partition walls and the front and rear grooves. At least two cells are provided adjacent to each other by a partition wall, and a taper portion is provided at the front and rear portions of the base so that the distance between the plate and the cover gradually increases toward the outside. A groove is provided on the base outside the part along the front and rear edges of the cover, and there is a sample inlet at the front edge of the base that communicates with the groove. A slit that allows gas to pass through but does not allow liquid to pass through is formed between at least two cells, and at least two cells partitioned by left and right partition walls and front and rear grooves are provided adjacent to each other by a partition wall. Are also included in the present invention. Further, a scale line may be provided on the cell-side surface of the base.

Here, the plastic slide for an optical microscope means an instrument including a plastic base plate and a cover plate which have substantially the same shape and function as a conventional glass slide glass for an optical microscope. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The plastic used for the plate and cover is preferably highly transparent and also has high optical isotropy, which is particularly important when observing at a high magnification of 1000 times or more. In general, many thermoplastics have crystallinity and exhibit birefringence by stretching, so it is necessary to take care so that birefringence does not occur during molding.

In recent years, plastic lenses have been developed, plastics having high transparency and optical isotropy have been developed, and those having higher light transmittance by coating treatment on the surface are used. Acrylic resins are mainly used as materials for these optical plastics. These plastics are also suitable as a material for the slide of the present invention.

Further, the base and the cover may be plastics having the same composition or different materials may be used. The material of the partition wall is not particularly limited, but it may be possible to integrally mold it with the base by using a plastic of the same composition, but since the plastic slide of the present invention has a column inside the cell, the base, It is difficult to integrally mold the cover, partition walls, and columns. base,
A suitable method is to integrally form the partition walls and columns and then join the covers with a binder or the like. Alternatively, an adhesive strip or adhesive may be used as the partition.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the present invention, at least one column must be provided inside the cell in order to prevent the cover of the plastic slide from bending. Further, the structure must have a clearance between the upper end of the column and the cover. When a liquid sample is injected into the cell as described above, the thin plastic cover bends due to the interrelationship between the cohesive force of the liquid and the adhesive force to the cover, and the capillary phenomenon that appears due to the thinness of the cell, causing the cover to cover at the center of the cell. Since the space between the bases becomes narrow, the thickness of the liquid phase on the observation surface becomes non-uniform, which hinders microscopic observation. Further, when the injection amount of the sample is smaller than the volume of the cell, there is a phenomenon that the deflection of the cover becomes larger.

For this reason, in order to prevent the cover from bending, an attempt has been made to provide a column inside the cell in order to keep the space between the base and the cover. However, when the sample was injected, the phenomenon that bubbles often remained on the downstream side in the direction in which the liquid flows with respect to the position of the support pillar occurred. Fig. 5 is a cell with a strut in contact with the cover, and shows the flow of liquid over time when the sample is injected from the top to the bottom of the figure (a) → (b) → (c). Is. Since the column is usually provided at the center of the cell, if bubbles remain in such a position, it becomes a serious obstacle to microscopic observation.

When the sample has a pillar inside the cell when the sample is injected, the liquid does not spread uniformly inside the cell as shown in the figure, but spreads in a shape avoiding only the periphery of the pillar, and air bubbles are often formed around the pillar. It will remain. Once air bubbles are generated inside the cell, the air bubbles inside will not be eliminated even if a sample is additionally injected and the liquid leaks to the outside. The size of the bubbles varies depending on the hydrophilicity of the material, the properties of the sample, and the injection conditions, but it can take various shapes from a circle with a diameter of about 1.0 mm to a square of about 5 × 5 mm.

Therefore, in order to promote the permeation of the sample into the cell, a structure in which no bubbles remain inside the cell at the time of injecting the sample was examined, including application of a surfactant to the inner surface of the cell. As a result, since the plastic cover is extremely thin and easily deformed, as described above, the correlation between the cohesive force of the sample and the adhesive force to the cover, the cover based on the integrated external force such as the capillary phenomenon generated by the thin cell, etc. Bending is inevitable. In order to prevent this, it is conceivable to provide a column inside the cell, but in the structure where the upper end of the column is in contact with the inner surface of the cover, bubbles often remain inside so that the structure of the cell I studied relationships. As a result, it was found that bubbles can be prevented by providing a slight clearance between the upper ends of the columns and the cover in advance.

When the inside of the cell has such a structure, the liquid during the sample injection smoothly spreads inside the cell and bubbles do not remain around the columns. When the liquid fills the inside of the cell, the upper end of the column and the cover may come into contact with each other.However, since the clearance between the upper end of the column and the cover provided in advance is very small, the deflection caused by this is almost impossible. It was also confirmed that it did not hinder the speculum. For example, when the cell thickness is 50-60 μm, if the clearance between the upper end of the column and the cover is 5-10 μm, almost no air bubbles remain. still,
If the amount of sample injected is smaller than the volume of the cell, the bending of the cover tends to increase, so a cell having such a structure is suitable.

If the clearance and the support columns are appropriately arranged in consideration of the bending of the cover, when the sample is injected, the clearance is about the maximum at the bending of the cover. For example, in the above case, when the cell thickness is 50 to 60 μm, the cell thickness is 45 to 50 μm at the portion where the deflection is greatest. With such a change in thickness, even when observing a dyed sample, color unevenness is hardly noticed. On the other hand, when bubbles remain in the central part of the cell, it is in a state that cannot withstand observation at all.

Further, in order to prevent the deformation of the cover due to the bending, the bending is taken into consideration in advance, and the cross section of the cover is molded in a gentle arc shape at the time of molding, and if the column is set to the same height as the thickness of the cell, the sample is When injected, the cover has a shape that is extremely close to a flat surface, which is more preferable. Even when the cover is molded flat or the cross section is arcuate, the shape of the cover after sample injection is slightly deformed compared to before injection, so this deformation does not affect the optical isotropy of the cover. Care must be taken to keep it within the range of retention.

Since the curved surface generated when the cover is bent is composed of innumerable catenary-shaped curves with the partition walls and the supporting columns as fulcrums, when there is one supporting column, near the center of the cell,
In the case of three pieces, the arrangement as shown in FIG. 5 is preferable in order to prevent the cover from being bent during the injection of the sample and to release the air inside. If the cover has a thickness of 0.3 to 0.4 mm, if one column is provided within 10 mm square of the surface area of the cell,
The amount of flexure can be suppressed to a range that does not hinder microscopic observation.

The shape of the supporting column is not particularly limited, and a conical shape, a truncated cone, a hemispherical shape or the like can be used, but it is preferable that the top of the supporting column is a spherical section from an optical point of view.
In addition, the diameter of the column is preferably 0.5 mm or less in consideration of not hindering the visual field as much as possible.

The plastic slide or the like of the present invention is mainly used for liquid microscopic examination, and most commonly used for examination of blood, cells in body fluid, urine, etc. in medical institutions, such as water, physiological saline, ethylene glycol. It is often used by diluting or concentrating it with a medium used in the medical field such as dimethyl sulfoxide. Therefore, the cell can be provided with a narrow slit through which gas can flow but liquid cannot pass. Therefore, when the sample is injected, the air inside the cell is discharged to the outside through the narrow slit, the inside of the cell is replaced with the sample, and the sample is prevented from leaking to the outside. The width of the slit that allows only gas to pass differs depending on the hydrophilicity of the solution and the base or cover, the relationship between the adhesive force and cohesive force depending on the degree of hydrophobicity, and other physical properties such as the viscosity of the solution.
In some cases, even if it becomes about 1 mm, there is almost no leakage. However, it is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 100 μm or less. When the width of the slit is 5 μm, the air normally flows but the liquid cannot pass through it, and the solution hardly passes even when the gap becomes 10 or more μm.

[0024]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one embodiment of a plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention. FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along the line AA 'in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line BB'. For reference, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the sample is injected into a cell having no column therein, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which the sample is injected into a cell in which the upper end of the column is in contact with the cover.

This plastic slide is made integrally by joining a component made by integrally molding an acrylic resin base, partition walls and columns, and a component obtained by cutting a polycarbonate plate into a size of a cover with an adhesive. is there. The width of the cover 3 of the plastic slide 1 is narrower than the width of the front and rear of the base 2, and the space between the base 2 and the cover 3 is 50.
In μm, the left and right are closed by the partition wall 4, and the cell 6 is constituted by the base, the cover and the partition wall. The size of the cell is 18 × 18 mm, and a pillar 19 integrally formed with the base is provided at the center of the base.

When the column is not provided inside the cell, the cover is bent after the injection, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), which are sectional views before and after the injection of the sample. In addition, when the upper end of the column is in contact with the cover, air bubbles often remain inside the cell during sample injection, but if a slight clearance is provided between the upper end of the column and the cover, the air bubbles rarely remain. . The upper end of the pillar is spherical and a clearance 18 of 5 μm is provided between the pillar and the cover. FIG. 5 shows the flow of the liquid when the sample is injected into the cell in which the upper ends of the columns are in contact with the cover. In the figure, the flow of liquid inside the cell when the liquid is injected from above is as shown in Fig. (A) → (b) → (c). Figure (c) shows the state in which the bubbles 14 remain around the column.

In FIG. 1, the strip-shaped portion sandwiched between the partition walls 4 on both sides is a cell 6, and the transmitted light in this portion is observed by a microscope. The thickness of this portion, that is, the depth of the liquid phase of the cell, is 10 to 20 μm when considering the depth of focus and attenuation of transmitted light when observing with a microscope magnification of several hundreds or more. When observing blood, urine, cells, etc., which are frequently used in medical institutions, at a magnification of 200 to 400 times, a thickness of about 40 to 50 μm is appropriate. The area of the observed portion is appropriately selected depending on the purpose of use, but is often about 10 × 10 to 18 × 18 mm.

The thickness of the base and the cover is closely related to the performance of the condenser and objective lens of the microscope, and thus is specified by JIS, and the range is 0.5 to 1.5 m for the base.
m, the cover is 0.1 to 0.4 mm. Therefore, it is appropriately selected in consideration of usage conditions.

On the base along the front and rear edges of the cover 3,
Grooves 5 and 7 are provided, respectively. When the sample 15 is injected into the groove 5, it passes through the slit 8 between the base and the cover, and due to the capillary phenomenon, the cell 6 is instantaneously filled and the state shown in FIG. 3 is obtained. When the sample is accumulated in the groove 5, even if the sample is slightly evaporated, it is replenished from the groove to the cell 6 by a capillary phenomenon, so that no bubbles are generated inside the cell. Therefore, by using the plastic slide of the present invention, it is possible to prepare a sample for microscopy very easily.

When the sample is injected into the cell 6, the air inside is discharged through the slit 10 in the rear portion, but the liquid injected into the cell hardly leaks to the outside even if the base is tilted. Since the liquid phase inside the cell is thin, it is considered that the sample is held with a strong force in this region by the capillary phenomenon. When the adhesion of the sample to the cover is large, the capillary phenomenon appears remarkably, and the cover 3 may bend toward the inner surface of the cell. Further, even when the injection amount of the sample is smaller than the volume of the cell, the gover easily bends inside the cell due to the capillary phenomenon.

When observing a sample at a high magnification, the sample (liquid phase) is generally thinned, so that a capillary phenomenon (adhesive force of the liquid to the base and the cover) remarkably appears, and the force for holding the liquid becomes stronger. , A force that narrows the gap between the base 2 and the cover 3 works. For precise observation at a higher magnification, a thin cover is required due to the design of the optical system of the microscope. The specific thickness of the cover varies slightly depending on the microscope and the manufacturer, but at 1000 times, the standard thickness is usually 0.16 mm. With this thickness, even if the cover is made of glass, it bends inward to some extent, and the liquid phase becomes thin in the center of the cell, but it is even more so in the case of plastic. FIG. 4 shows cross-sectional views of the cell before and after the sample is injected into a plastic cell having no support therein, and it can be seen that the cover is bent inward by the injection of the sample.

When the plastic slide in which the sample is injected into the cell is stored as a preparation, the preparation can be easily prepared by pouring molten paraffin into the grooves 5 and 7.

When a microscope is used, the transmitted light from the sample inside the cell and the base and cover is magnified and observed by the optical system of the microscope. Therefore, the base and the cover that occupy a part of the optical system are required to have high optical isotropy and flatness. However, at present, since the mold manufacturing technology and the plastic molding technology have progressed, it is possible to obtain a molded product with an accuracy comparable to that of glass.

Although the plastic slide of the present invention is made as one piece, it cannot be so-called integrally formed as a whole, as is clear from the cross sections shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Therefore, after the base portion and the cover portion are separately molded, for example, the partition wall 4 and the cover 3 or the partition wall 4 and the base 2 are fused by ultrasonic waves or bonded by an adhesive. It is created as a unit. In the present invention, “made integrally” refers to such a structure.

When actually making a plastic slide, the cover is formed by cutting a wide sheet into a predetermined rectangular shape,
It is most efficient to integrally mold the other parts (base, partition walls and columns) with a mold and fuse or bond between the cover 3 and the partition wall 4. A method of inserting the pillars inside the cells and bonding them is also possible, but considering that it is difficult to determine the bonding position of the pillars each time, or the pillars may fall off after bonding, the pillars are The method of integrally molding with the base is suitable.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of another embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention.
The plan view is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
This is the part corresponding to A '. Further, FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a slide in the case where one cell has three columns.

The material and structure of this plastic slide, the width and length of the cover 3 and the base 2, the distance between the cover and the base, etc. are the same as those of the slide of the first embodiment. In addition, the grooves 5 provided on the slide along the front and rear edges of the cover 3
And 7 and slits 8 and 10 have the same structure and function as in the first embodiment.
Is the same as

As shown in FIG. 6, the cover has a shape in which the cross section in the length direction of the slide bulges slightly outside the cell in a circular shape. As described above, when the sample is injected into the cell, the deflection of the cover becomes a catenary curve, so it is desirable to swell the cover slightly in advance to compensate for this, but it is a slight bulge. In reality, the same effect can be obtained with a circular shape. The bulge of the arc is 5
μm.

Unlike glass, plastic can be easily processed into a shape other than a flat surface. Therefore, by utilizing this characteristic, the central part of the cover having a uniform thickness is slightly arced outward as described above. If it is deformed, the central portion of the cover is pulled toward the base side due to the capillary phenomenon when the sample is injected and becomes a flat surface, and it is possible to keep the thickness of the liquid phase of the cell uniform rather than the glass cover.

The pillars are conical with a root diameter of 0.4 mm, and the height is 50 μm, which is the same as the cell thickness in the partition wall portion. Therefore, the clearance 18 between the top of the column and the cover is 5
μm. Moreover, the upper end of the column is a spherical section. Regarding the arrangement of the pillars, FIG. 6 is the center of the cell, and FIG. 7 is arranged at three points on the center line between the left and right partitions.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 8 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line CC ′ in FIG. 7, and FIG.
-D 'line is an enlarged cross-sectional view, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the EE' line.

The width of the cover 3 of the plastic slide 1 is narrower than the width of the front and rear of the base 2, the distance between the base 2 and the cover 3 is 60 μm, and the left and right are closed by the partition wall 4, and the cell 6 is formed by the base, the cover and the partition wall. It is configured.
The size of the cell is 18 x 18 mm, and the pillar formed integrally with the base is provided in the center of the base. The upper end of the pillar 19 is spherical, and a clearance 18 of 10 μm is provided between the pillar 19 and the base.

The relationship between the thickness of the cell and the observation magnification of the microscope, the area of the observation portion of the cell, the thickness of the base and the cover, the function of the sample being instantaneously filled in the cell due to the capillary phenomenon, and the method for producing the plastic slide. The description and the like are the same as the description related to FIGS. 1 to 3.

However, in this embodiment, a tapered portion 9 is provided between the cell 6 and the grooves 5 and 7 so that the distance between the slide and the cover gradually increases toward the outside. Here, the shape of the tapered portion may be, for example, a trumpet shape or any other shape as long as the liquid can be sucked into the center of the cell by the capillary phenomenon. Also, narrow slits 16 are provided between the base and the front and rear edges of the cover.
And 17. Although gas such as air circulates here,
This is because the liquid does not pass through. Further, a sample injection port 11 communicating with the groove 5 is provided. Furthermore, the front and rear edges of the base 1 are weirs 14.

When the sample is injected into the sample injection port 11, the groove 5
Then, the cells 6 are instantaneously filled by the capillary phenomenon. At that time, the air inside the cell is discharged to the outside from the slits 16 and 17. If the injection amount of sample 15 is appropriate,
It is held inside the cell 6 in the state shown in the figure.
As is clear from this figure, since the liquid is sucked and held in the center of the cell, when a small amount of sample evaporates, the sample is replenished from the taper 9 to the cell 6 due to the capillary phenomenon, and No bubbles are generated inside. Further, even if the injection amount of the sample is slightly large or small, some liquid is retained in the cell 6 and the taper 9 due to the capillary phenomenon and does not leak, and also leaks to the outside when the slide is tilted. There is no. This is one of the most important parts of the present invention.

Further, the sample leaks to the outside for some reason,
Even when it adheres between the slits 16 and 17 and the weir 14, it does not spill out due to the weir 14. Therefore, if the person who handles the sample holds the outside of the weir 14, the sample will not come into direct contact with the body. In recent medical examinations, it has become an important issue to prevent infection with harmful viruses such as hepatitis. By using the plastic slide of the present invention, it is possible to prevent infection with viruses and the like even in such an inspection. This is one of the great advantages of the present invention.

Further, when the sample injection amount is large and is accumulated in the grooves 5 and 7, if only the sample injection port is closed, only the slits 16 and 17 communicate with the outside air, and the slits are narrow and air flows. However, the liquid does not leak outside.

(Embodiment 4) FIGS. 12 and 13 show plan views of a plastic slide for an optical microscope in which scale lines are provided on a base.

The slide of the present invention can be provided with scale lines on the surface of the base 1 on the cell side. For example, it is a ridge-shaped scale line as shown in FIG. 12 or FIG. The ridge-shaped cross section of the scale line may have any shape. In order that the image of the scale line can be observed sharply, it is preferable that the cross section of the top be an acute angle, but it is preferable to crimp it when observing a sample that may have cell damage or the like.

The depth of focus of the microscope is 300 times and is about 5 to 8 μm.
, 700 times about 1.5-2.5 μm, 1000 times about 0.9-1
μm. Therefore, the graduation line is observed as a sharp straight line because it is within a very narrow range only when the focus is on the top of the graduation line. Even if the cross-sectional shape of the scale line is triangular, it looks like two parallel lines when the focus is on the middle side.

It should be noted that it is extremely difficult and extremely expensive for a slide glass to provide a ridge-like protruding portion on the inner surface of the cell. It is possible to engrave a groove-shaped scale line on the glass, but as described above, the scale cannot be effectively used due to the depth of focus. However, it is easy to reproduce a large number of molded products of plastic once the mold is processed in this way.

The scale lines may be arranged only on a part of the cell or on the entire surface. The shape may be orthogonal or parallel line, or may be another shape depending on the purpose of observation. Further, in the present invention, a colored plastic can be used. Observation through a filter is often necessary depending on the nature of the sample and the purpose of observation. For example, a green filter is often used for observing cells. If a pre-colored plastic slide is used, it is not necessary to use a filter.

Glass slides can be colored in order to have the same function as a filter, but they are very expensive and rarely used. However, coloring a plastic is extremely easy and inexpensive.

Further, the plastic slide of the present invention is 1
It is possible to provide one cell on each base, and it is also possible to provide two or more cells. Recently, many microscopic examinations have been carried out in medical institutions and the like, so that by providing a large number of cells on one base, it is possible to greatly improve the examination efficiency.

[0056]

The plastic slide of the present invention is provided with a column having a special structure inside the cell,
There is a feature that the thickness can always be kept constant regardless of the properties of the sample (liquid phase). In addition, since the sample injected into the cell has a structure that is stably held inside it, there is no risk of leaking to the outside, and it can also be used when testing harmful samples that may be mixed with hepatitis virus etc. Therefore, it can be used for inspection of medical institutions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one embodiment of a plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB ′ of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows the case of injecting a sample into a cell having no support inside,
Cross-sectional views of the cell before and after injection are shown in Figures (a) and (b), respectively.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of liquid when a sample is injected into a cell having a structure in which the upper end of a column comes into contact with the cover, with time (a)
→ (b) → (c).

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the plastic microscope slide according to the present invention.

9 is a sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG.

10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D ′ of FIG.

11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line EE ′ of FIG.

FIG. 12 shows a plan view of one embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention in which scale lines are provided on the base.

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the plastic slide for an optical microscope of the present invention in which scale lines are provided on the base.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Plastic slide 2 Plastic base 3 Plastic cover 4 Cell partition 5, 7 Cell groove 6 Cell 8, 10 Slit between slide and cover 9 Tapered part between slide and cover 11 Sample inlet 12 Scale line 13 Air bubble 14 Weir 15 Specimen 16, 17 Narrow slit 18 Support and cover clearance 19 Support

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cell for holding and observing a sample of an optical microscope is composed of a base, a cover, a partition wall and a support, and the base and the cover are transparent plastic plates, and the partition wall seals the left and right sides of the cell, and the surface on the cell side of the base. Has at least one strut, and has a structure in which a clearance is provided between the upper end of the strut and the cover, and the front and rear parts of the cell are provided with a slit through which a sample can be injected or a gas can flow. Plastic slides for optical microscopes. 2. A plastic slide for an optical microscope according to claim 1, wherein the plastic plate of the cover is formed in a shape that bulges outward, and the height of the support pillar is the same as that of the partition wall. 3. A sample holding and observing cell of an optical microscope is composed of a base, a cover, a partition wall and a support. The base and the cover are transparent plastic plates, and the partition wall seals the left and right sides of the cell, and the surface on the cell side of the base. At least one pillar is attached by integral molding, and has a structure in which a clearance is provided between the upper end of the pillar and the cover, and a groove is formed on the base along the front and rear edges of the cover, The slits between the front and rear grooves of the base and the cover serve as the sample inlet and the gas flow port, respectively, and at least two cells partitioned by the left and right partition walls and the front and rear grooves are adjacent to each other by partition walls. Plastic for optical microscopes
slide. 4. A cell for holding and observing a sample of an optical microscope is composed of a base, a cover, a partition wall and a support. The base and the cover are transparent plastic plates, and the partition wall seals the left and right sides of the cell, and the cell side surface of the base. At least one pillar is attached to the base by integral molding, and a structure is provided in which a clearance is provided between the upper end of the pillar and the cover, and the distance between the plate and the cover gradually increases toward the outside at the front and rear parts of the base. A taper that widens is provided, a groove is provided on the base outside the taper along the front and rear edges of the cover, and there is a sample injection port leading to the groove at the front edge of the base. A slit is formed between the cover and the edges of the grooves in the rear and rear portions and the cover does not allow liquid to pass therethrough, and at least two or more partition walls are divided by the left and right partition walls and the front and rear grooves. Adjacent plastic slides for optical microscopes. 5. The plastic for an optical microscope according to claim 1, wherein a scale line is provided on the cell-side surface of the base.
slide.