JPH09325100A - Auto-sampler of analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent clogging at a needle, etc., with a septum piece and to suppress degradation in sealing. SOLUTION: At a position except for a sucking position (a), a sample bottle 10 is displaced from a hole 6, and the opening of sample battle 10 is sealed with a septum. The sample bottle 10 at a turn to inject a sample into an analyzer is moved by a transportation mechanism to the sucking position (a) and positioned, and an internal box is pressed by a sample bottle moving mechanism 14b, so that the sample bottle 10 is moved to the position of hole 6. Then, A needle 4 is lowered and, through the hole 6, inserted in the sample bottle 10, and a sample is sucked to the needle 4. After the sample is sucked, the needle 4 comes out of the sample bottle 10 and moves to the position of an injection part 32, for discharging the sample. The sample bottle 10, after the sample is sucked, is pressed by a sample bottle-moving mechanism 14a to be displaced from the hole 6, and sealed with the septum again.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an autosampler for injecting a sample into an analyzing device such as a liquid chromatograph, a gas chromatograph, a capillary electrophoresis device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an autosampler for an analyzer, a sample bottle holding mechanism for holding a plurality of sample bottles containing a sample, transferring a predetermined sample bottle to a suction position and positioning it, and a suction of the sample bottle holding mechanism. There is a sample injection mechanism that inserts a needle or the like into the sample bottle at the position to suck the sample and inject it into the sample injection position of the analyzer.

The sample bottle has an opening opened upward, the opening is closed by a septum for sealing, and the septum is fixed to the sample bottle by a cap having an open central portion. The septum is, for example, a silicone resin coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. The sample is placed in the sample bottle and sealed with a septum. When a sample is sucked, a hole is made in the septum with a suction needle or the like to penetrate the septum, and the needle or the like is allowed to reach the sample for suction. After that, the needle or the like is pulled out from the septum and injected into the sample injector or the like of the analyzer.

[0004]

If the sample bottle is not closed, the sample will be vaporized and lost, or the sample components will change. In addition, the environment of a room such as a laboratory where the analyzer is installed is contaminated. The septum seals the sample bottle in order to prevent such inconvenience, but if a hole is formed through the septum at each sample injection with a needle or the like, the hermeticity deteriorates during repeated injections.

Further, when the needle or the like opens a hole in the septum, there is a problem that the septum piece blocks the needle or the like. In the case of an electrophoresis apparatus using a glass capillary, one end of the glass capillary is inserted into the sample in the sample bottle to inject the sample into the glass capillary, but the glass capillary itself has a hole in the septum and penetrates it. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a protective member such as a stainless pipe on the outside of the capillary.

The septum is not limited to being penetrated by the needle, but various types such as a glass capillary may be used depending on the analyzer. The present invention is applicable not only to needles but also to glass capillaries and the like, and when they are collectively referred to as needles and the like. An object of the present invention is to provide an autosampler which prevents clogging of a needle or the like due to a septum piece and can be applied to a weak material such as a glass capillary, and which suppresses deterioration of hermeticity. Is.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the septum is not fixed to the sample bottle but is supported movably along the lower surface of the septum while pressing the opening of the sample bottle against the septum. Make a hole in the septum to let the needle pass through in advance,
By moving the opening of the sample bottle between the position of the hole and the position deviated from the hole, it is possible to switch between the state in which the sample can be sucked into the needle and the like and the state in which the sample bottle is sealed by the septum.

That is, according to the present invention, there are provided a sample bottle holding mechanism for holding a plurality of sample bottles containing a sample, transferring a predetermined sample bottle to a suction position and positioning it, and a sample bottle at the suction position of the sample bottle holding mechanism. This is an autosampler equipped with a sample injection mechanism that inserts a needle, etc. to suck the sample and injects it into the sample injection position of the analyzer.The sample bottle holding mechanism has a hole for inserting a needle, etc. Hold the septum on the top and press the opening of the sample bottle against the bottom of the septum from below to hold the opening of the sample bottle so that it can move between the position of the septum hole and the position away from the hole. Holds the sample bottle holding container and multiple sample bottle holding containers, transfers the specified sample bottle holding container to the suction position, and the septum hole of the sample bottle holding container comes to the insertion position of the needle etc. by the sample injection mechanism To position A transfer mechanism for, and the sample bottle in the sample bottle holding container is positioned in the suction position and a sample bottle moving mechanism for moving between a position and a position deviated from that of the hole in the septum.

The sample contained in the sample bottle is pressed against the lower surface of the septum at the position where the opening of the sample bottle is out of the hole and is sealed until the time of sample injection. The sample bottle holding containers of the sample bottles in the order of injection into the analyzer are transferred to the suction position, and the opening of the sample bottle is moved to the position of the hole of the septum by the sample bottle moving mechanism. Then, a needle or the like is inserted through the hole of the septum to reach the sample in the sample bottle, and the sample is sucked and injected into the analyzer. Since the septum hole is opened from the beginning, it is not necessary to open it with a needle or the like each time. After the sample injection, the sample bottle moving mechanism is moved so that the opening of the sample bottle is removed from the position of the hole of the septum, and the sample bottle is closed again by the septum.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a sample bottle holding mechanism in detail, and FIG. 3 is one of the sample bottle holding mechanisms. 3 shows a sample bottle holding container of FIG. In FIG. 3, (A) is a plan view,
(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX 'line, (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY' line, and (D) shows the sample suction operation.
It is shown as a cross-sectional view taken along the line -X '.

The sample bottle holding mechanism 2 includes a sample bottle holding container 12
And a transfer mechanism (not shown) for the sample bottle holding container 12 and sample bottle moving mechanisms 14a and 14b. The sample bottle holding container 12 has a septum 8 on the upper surface of which a hole 6 for inserting the needle 4 is opened, and the opening of the sample bottle 10 is opened while pressing the opening of the sample bottle 10 against the lower surface of the septum 8 from below. It is movably held between the position 6 and the position out of the hole 6. The transfer mechanism of the sample bottle holding container 12 holds a plurality of sample bottle holding containers 12, transfers a predetermined sample bottle holding container 12 in the order of sample injection to the suction position a, and The septum hole 6 is positioned so as to come to the insertion position of the needle 4 by the sample injection mechanism. The sample bottle moving mechanisms 14a and 14b move the sample bottle 10 in the sample bottle holding container 12 positioned at the suction position between the position of the hole 6 of the septum and the position deviated therefrom.

The sample bottle holding container 12 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 3, a sample bottle (sample vial) 1
0 is fitted into the bottle holder 20 for stable holding, and the coil spring 22 is put under the bottle holder 20 in a compressed state and accommodated in the inner box 24. The sample bottle 10 has the coil spring 22. Is urged upward by. A septum 8 larger than the opening of the sample bottle 10 is provided on the upper surface of the outer box of the sample bottle holding container 12, and the septum 8 has a hole 6 for inserting the needle 4. Sample bottle holding container 1
The inner box 2 containing the sample bottle 10 on the lower surface of the outer box 2
Two guide rails 26 are provided for slidably supporting the slider 4. Sample bottle holding container 12
The outer box has wall surfaces 28 on both sides in the direction in which the inner box 24 moves along the guide rails 26, and both ends in the sliding direction are open. The sample bottle 10 is pressed against the lower surface of the septum 8 by the coil spring 22, and the opening of the sample bottle 10 can be slidably moved between the position of the hole 6 and the position deviated from the hole 6, and from the hole 6. At the disengaged position, the opening of the sample bottle 10 is sealed by the septum 8. At the sample suction position a, sample bottle moving mechanisms 14a and 14b such as an air cylinder or a solenoid for pushing the wall surface of the inner box 24 in order to slide and move the sample bottle 10.
Are arranged in the opening on the side surface of the outer box of the sample bottle holding container 12.

Sample bottle 1 at suction position a of sample bottle holding mechanism 2
A sample injection mechanism for inserting the needle 4 into the sample No. 0 to aspirate the sample and inject it into the sample injection position of the analyzer is schematically shown in FIG. The needle for sucking the sample and injecting it into the injection port 32 at the sample injection position of the analyzer 30 is attached to the tip of the arm mechanism 36, and the arm mechanism 36 is in the hole 6 of the sample bottle holding container 12 at the suction position a. And the position of the injection port 32, and also in the up-and-down direction to aspirate and discharge the sample.

Although not shown in the figure, the transfer mechanism for the sample bottle holding container 12 moves the sample bottle holding container 12 in the linear direction as shown by an arrow 40 to position it at the suction position a. Such a transfer mechanism may be a mechanism provided with a rack and a pinion, or may be a mechanism for transferring with a belt, and various conventionally used mechanisms can be adopted.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. A sample is put in the sample bottle 10 and set in the sample bottle holding container 12. At positions other than the suction position a, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, the sample bottle 10 is placed at a position separated from the hole 6, and the opening of the sample bottle 10 is separated by the septum 8.
Sealed. The sample bottle 10 in the order of injecting the sample into the analyzer is moved to the suction position a by the transfer mechanism and positioned. Next, the sample bottle moving mechanism 14
The inner box 24 is pushed by b, and the sample bottle 10 is moved to the position of the hole 6. After that, as shown in FIG. 3D, the needle 4 descends and is inserted into the sample bottle 10 through the hole 6, and the sample is sucked by the needle 4. After sample aspiration,
The needle 4 comes out of the sample bottle 10 and moves to the position of the injection port 32 to discharge the sample. After the sample is sucked, the sample bottle 10 is pushed by the sample bottle moving mechanism 14a to be removed from the position of the hole 6, and is again sealed by the septum 8.

Although the sample bottle 10 is housed in the inner box 24 in this embodiment, the sample bottle may be directly held in the sample bottle holding container 12 without using the inner box 24.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the sample bottle holding containers 12 accommodating the sample bottles 10 are arranged in a straight line and moved in the arrangement direction to be positioned at the suction position a, whereas in FIG. In this embodiment, the sample bottle holding containers 12 are arranged along the circumference of the turntable, and the sample bottle to be sucked is positioned at the suction position a by the rotation of the turntable.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the septum is not fixed to the sample bottle, but the opening of the sample bottle is pressed against the septum and supported movably along the lower surface of the septum. Since the opening of the sample bottle was moved in advance between the position of the hole and the position away from it, it is not necessary to open a hole through the septum for each sample injection with a needle etc. The sealing performance will not be deteriorated even if the above procedure is performed. Further, the problem that the septum piece blocks the needle or the like does not occur. The glass capillary itself can also penetrate the hole of the septum to suck the sample.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a sample bottle holding mechanism in detail.

3A and 3B show one sample bottle holding container in the sample bottle holding mechanism, in which FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG.
FIG. 6C is a sectional view taken along line XX ′, FIG. 7C is a sectional view taken along line YY ′, and FIG. 8D is a sectional view taken along line XX ′ representing the sample suction operation.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing in detail a sample bottle holding mechanism according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 sample bottle holding mechanism 4 needle 6 septum hole 8 septum 10 sample bottle 12 sample bottle holding container 14a, 14b sample bottle moving mechanism 30 analyzer 32 injection port 36 arm mechanism

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G01N 35/10 G01N 35/06 A

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Holding a plurality of sample bottles containing samples,
A sample bottle holding mechanism that transfers and positions a predetermined sample bottle to the suction position, and a needle is inserted into the sample bottle at the suction position of the sample bottle holding mechanism to suck the sample and inject it to the sample injection position of the analyzer. In an autosampler equipped with a sample injection mechanism, the sample bottle holding mechanism has a septum with holes for insertion of needles etc. on the upper surface and presses the opening of the sample bottle against the lower surface of the septum from below. A sample bottle holding container that holds the sample bottle opening movably between the position of the hole and the position separated from the hole, and a plurality of sample bottle holding containers, A transfer mechanism for transferring to the suction position and positioning so that the hole of the septum of the sample bottle holding container comes to the insertion position of the needle or the like by the sample injection mechanism; and a sample inside the sample bottle holding container positioned at the suction position. Autosampler analytical apparatus characterized in that it and a sample bottle moving mechanism for moving between the positions the bottle which deviates therefrom the position of the hole in the septum.