JPH11223636A - Automatic dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic dispensing device capable of saving a space, reducing an installation cost and improving the efficiency of testing work. SOLUTION: At automatic dispensing device 1 provides separate injection of liquid sample including chemicals or specimens into a plate 4 with a sample storage recess in a lattice form. The device 1 includes a dispensing stage 10 on which the plate 4 is placed to store the sample to perform separate injection, a robot 20 to carry the plate 4 or a chip container 5 onto/out of the dispensing stage 10 and a first separate injection head 14 and a second dispensing head 16 to share the dispensing stage 10 as a common working area. The first dispensing head 14 and the second dispensing head 16 are provided with plural dispensing chips 15 arranged in a lattice form and with plural dispensing chips 15 arranged in lines, respectively. In this way, various dispensing operation for which two types of dispensing heads should be used separately is performed on the same dispensing stage 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid sample such as a drug or a specimen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic dispensing apparatus is known as an apparatus used for systematically conducting a test such as a biochemical reaction of a substance. This automatic dispensing apparatus automatically performs operations such as taking out and transferring medicines and samples in a sample storage plate. The sample storage plate is provided with a large number of small recesses in a lattice shape, and various kinds of liquid samples in the recesses are sucked and discharged by the dispensing tip mounted on the dispensing head. Note operation is performed.

When dispensing the liquid in the plate by the dispensing head, all the concave portions of the plate are subject to the dispensing operation at once, and only a part of the concave portion of the plate is used for the dispensing operation. May be targeted. For this reason, the dispensing head is equipped with a number of dispensing tips corresponding to the arrangement of the concave portions of the plate in a grid pattern, and the dispensing tips are mounted in a row for the concave row of a part of the plate. These dispensing heads are properly used depending on the contents of the dispensing operation.

[0004]

In the course of the above-mentioned test, it is usually necessary to repeat the above dispensing operation many times, and it is necessary to use a different dispensing head each time. However, the conventional automatic dispensing apparatus is provided with a dedicated dispensing head in which the dispensing tip arrangement is fixed, and when it is necessary to use the dispensing head properly as described above, a plurality of dispensing heads are provided. An automatic dispensing device was installed, and a plate was delivered between them using a robot or the like.

[0005] Therefore, in order to automatically perform a series of operations using a conventional automatic dispensing apparatus, a dispensing system must be configured by combining a plurality of apparatuses, and thus space is required. In addition to the problem that the equipment cost is high, there is a problem that the efficiency of the test operation is low because the plate must be transferred many times between individual devices separated from each other.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic dispensing apparatus capable of saving space, reducing equipment costs, and improving the efficiency of a test operation.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid sample such as a drug or a specimen onto a plate having a concave portion for accommodating the sample in a lattice shape. A dispensing stage for performing a dispensing operation by placing a plate containing a sample, a transport unit for loading and unloading the plate to and from the dispensing stage, and a dispensing stage having a common work range. A plurality of dispensing heads including at least a first dispensing head and a second dispensing head.

[0008] The automatic dispensing apparatus according to the second aspect is the first aspect.
4. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the first dispensing head is provided with a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a lattice, and the second dispensing head is provided with a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a row. Dispensing tip is attached.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of dispensing heads having a common dispensing stage as a work area are provided, thereby saving space and reducing equipment costs.
Testing efficiency can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a lattice are mounted on the first dispensing head, and a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a row on the second dispensing head. Since the dispensing tip is mounted, various dispensing operations can be performed in the same dispensing stage, and the test efficiency can be improved.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic dispensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2A and 2B are partial perspective views of a dispensing head of the automatic dispensing apparatus, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the automatic dispensing apparatus, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the automatic dispensing apparatus, FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the automatic dispensing apparatus, FIG. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a plate of the automatic dispensing apparatus.

First, the overall structure of the automatic dispensing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, the automatic dispensing apparatus 1 includes a frame 2 configured by combining mold members and a base plate 3 fixed to the frame 2. The automatic dispensing apparatus 1 is divided into three parts, i.e., a dispensing section A, a stock section B, and a processing section C by a frame 2 and a base plate 3. The dispensing section A is provided on the base plate 3 and performs a dispensing operation on a plate containing a sample.
The stock section B stocks plates and dispensing tips used in the dispensing section A. The processing section C is sent to another device such as an incubator after the dispensing operation, and performs processing such as analysis and washing of the returned plate.

Next, the dispensing section A will be described with reference to FIG. On the base plate 3, three stages on which the plate 4 is placed, that is, a dispensing stage 10, a buffer stage 11, and a standby stage 12 are provided. On the dispensing stage 10, a plate 4 of a drug or a sample to be dispensed is placed. The buffer stage 11 serves as a buffer for temporarily placing the plate 4 placed in the dispensing stage 10. The standby stage 12 is provided with a transfer hole 3 provided in the base plate 3.
This is a stage for waiting for the plate 4 to be transported to the lower processing section C via the line a.

On the side of the dispensing stage 10, a slide table 13 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the dispensing stage 10. A first dispensing head 14 and a second dispensing head 16 are mounted on the slide table 13, and the first dispensing head 14 and the second dispensing head 16 are mounted on the slide table 13.
Are individually moved on the dispensing stage 10 along the slide table 13 by driving means (not shown). That is, the dispensing stage 10 is the first dispensing head 14
And the second dispensing head 16 has a common working range.

Next, the dispensing tip 15 and the plate 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The dispensing tip 15 is a tapered nozzle part that is tapered and is a so-called disposable part that is attached to the dispensing head in a replaceable manner and is replaced each time it is used. As shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of dispensing tips 15 are mounted on the first dispensing head 14 in a lattice shape (in the present embodiment, 8 × 12 rows, 96 in total). ,
Also, as shown in FIG. 2B, the second dispensing head 16 has a plurality of dispensing tips 15 in a row (8 in this embodiment).
Pieces) are attached. In FIG. 2, the number of dispensing tips 15 is omitted for ease of drawing.

The tips of these dispensing tips 15 are shown in FIG.
Recesses 4a provided in a grid on plate 4 shown in FIG.
By sucking the liquid medicine or the specimen into the recess 4a of the other plate 4,
Perform various dispensing operations such as transferring samples between samples. First
By using the dispensing head 14, the samples in all the recesses 4a of the plate 4 can be dispensed at once. Also, by using the second dispensing head 16,
It is possible to select an arbitrary row of the plate 4 and dispense only the sample in the concave portion 4a constituting the row.

As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the dispensing tip 15 is housed in a chip container 5 having the same lattice-like arrangement as the plate 4, and the dispensing head 14, By lowering 16, the dispensing tip 15 is automatically mounted. After use, the dispensing heads 14 and 16 are moved up and down on the tip removing mechanism 19 (see FIG. 1) provided in the dispensing section A, so that the dispensing heads 14 and 16 are moved to the comb-like plate of the tip removing mechanism 19. The dispensing tip 15 is locked and automatically removed from the dispensing heads 14 and 16. In addition, at the end on the opposite side of the slide table 13 on the base plate 3,
A lid removal unit 18 is provided. The lid removing unit 18 removes a lid that covers the plate 4 when the plate 4 is stocked.

Next, the stock section B will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG.
, A plate stocker 30 is provided. A Z-axis table 31 having a motor 31 a is fixed to the frame 2, and a back plate 33 is connected to a slider 32 of the Z-axis table 31. The back plate 33 has a plurality of shelves 3
4 are provided in a plurality of rows.
Is placed. A row of shelves to be placed is specified according to the type of the plate 4, and as shown in FIG.
A dilution plate 4A containing a diluent is provided in 4A and 34B.
Drug plates 4 containing drugs are provided on the shelf rows 34C and 34D.
B, and a sample plate 4C containing a sample is placed on the shelf rows 34E and 34F. By driving the motor 31a of the Z-axis table 31, any plate 4 placed on the shelf 34 can be raised and lowered to a height at which a transfer head (described later) can clamp.

A chip stocker 35 is disposed opposite to the plate stocker 30. The plate stocker 30 is configured by connecting a stock table 37 to a Z-axis table 36 provided vertically with a motor 36a. On the stock table 37, the chip containers 5 are stacked and stocked. By driving the Z-axis table 36, the stocked chip containers 5 can be raised and lowered to a height at which a transfer head (described later) can clamp.

Next, with reference to FIG. 1, a ceiling transport robot 20 which is a transport means will be described. Ceiling transport robot 2
Numeral 0 comprises a Y-axis table 21, an X-axis table 23, an elevating and lowering rotation unit 24, and a transfer head 26. The Y-axis table 21 is disposed in the longitudinal direction on the end frame 2, and the X-axis table 23 is driven at one end by the Y-axis table 21, and the other end is connected to the guide rails 22 arranged on the frame 2. Supported. The lifting / lowering rotation unit 24 is driven by the X-axis table 23, and a transfer head 26 is mounted on the lower end of an arm 25 that hangs from the lifting / lowering rotation unit 24.

The ceiling transport robot 20 transports the plate 4 and the chip container 5 between the dispensing section A and the stock section B or between the dispensing section A and another device. That is, the plate 4 on the shelf 34 of the plate stocker 30 and the chip container 5 on the stock table of the chip stocker 35 are
It is clamped by the transfer head 26, transported to a predetermined position, and placed.

Next, the processing section C will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, an analyzer 40 and a washer 41 are provided below the base plate 3. Analyzer 40
Performs analysis such as various measurements on the sample stored in the plate 4. The washer 41 performs washing of the plate 4 on which necessary analysis has been completed. A waste liquid tank 49 is provided beside the cleaning device 41. The waste liquid tank 49 is supplied from a treatment water tank (not shown), and stores used treatment waste water used in the cleaning process by the cleaning device 41.

Next, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG.
The second transport unit that transports the plate 4 between the processing unit C and the processing unit C will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a Y-axis table 42 is provided on the lower surface outside the opening 3 a of the base plate 3, and a Z-axis table 43 having a motor 43 a is provided on the Y-axis table 42. They are joined vertically. A vertical transfer arm 44 having two L-shaped claws is mounted on the Z-axis table 43. The vertical transfer arm 44 moves up and down by driving the motor 43a. The vertical transfer arm 44 is located at the same position as the opening 3a, and mounts the plate 4 and transfers the plate 4 in the vertical direction parallel to the Z-axis table 43.

A slide unit 45 is provided on the lower surface of the base plate 3 in parallel with the Y-axis table 42, and a horizontal transfer arm 48 is mounted on a slider 46 of the slide unit 45 via a connecting member 47. Have been. The horizontal transfer arm 48 extends over the base plate 3 through the opening 3a, and transfers the plate 4 on the base plate 3 in the horizontal direction. Slide unit 45
To move the horizontal transfer arm 48 to the vertical transfer arm 44.
The plate 4 placed on the horizontal transfer arm 48 is positioned between the two claws of the vertical transfer arm 4.
4 move up. Next, the plate 4 is transferred onto the vertical transfer arm 44 by retracting the slide unit 45 with the vertical transfer arm 44 raised and the plate 4 raised.

Thereafter, the motor 43a of the Z-axis table 43 is driven to lower the plate 4 on the vertical transfer arm 44, and the Y-axis table 42 is further driven. Handed over. A disposal box 39 is provided on the side of the stock section B. After the used dispensing tip 15 is stored in the chip container 5, the used dispensing tip 15 is transported by the ceiling transport robot 20, dropped on the chute 38, and collected in the disposal box 39.

Next, the arrangement of the stages in the dispensing stage 10 of the dispensing section A will be described with reference to FIG. As the dispensing stage 10, six stages from 10A to 10F are set as shown in FIG. 4, and the type of the plate 4 placed on each stage is specified. A sample plate 4C is placed on the stages 10A and 10B, a dilution plate 4A is placed on the stage 10C, and a drug solution plate 4B is placed on the stage 10D. A chip container 5 in which a dispensing chip 15 is set is placed on the stage 10E.

This automatic dispensing apparatus is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. 3, the chip containers 5 stocked in the chip stocker 35 are held by the transfer head 26 and mounted on the stage 10E of the plate stage 10. Next, the first dispensing head 14 and the second dispensing head 16 are sequentially positioned on the chip container 5 of the stage 10E, and then lowered with respect to the chip container 5, so that the first dispensing head 14 and The dispensing tip 15 is mounted on the second dispensing head 16. At this time, if the dispensing tip used in the previous dispensing operation has already been attached to the first dispensing head 14 or the second dispensing head 16, prior to attaching the dispensing tip 15. The dispensing tip already mounted is removed by the tip removing mechanism 19.

In parallel with this, the stages 10A, 10B
The sample plate 4C containing samples from the shelf rows 34E and 34F of the plate stocker 30 is
A dilution plate 4A containing a diluting liquid is stored in C, and a medicine plate 4B is conveyed and placed on each stage of the plate stocker 30 on the stage 10D.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the second dispensing head 16 will be described.
The operation of creating a dilution series performed using is described.
First, a predetermined amount of the drug solution is sucked from the drug plate 4B on the stage 10D by a row of the pipetting tips 15 provided on the second pipetting head 16, and the recesses in the first row of the dilution plate 4A on the stage 10C are recessed. 4a, dispensing tip 1
5 stirs the inside of the recess 4a. As a result, the chemical is mixed with the diluent already contained in the concave portion 4a of the dilution plate, and a diluent with a predetermined dilution ratio is created.

Next, the diluted drug solution is again inhaled by the dispensing tip 15 of the second dispensing head 16 by a specified amount, and
The solution is injected into the second row of recesses 4a of the same dilution plate 4A. As a result, in the second row of concave portions 4a, a diluted chemical solution is further created by further diluting the diluted chemical solution in the first row of concave portions 4a by a predetermined dilution factor. By repeating the same operation, a plurality of rows of diluted drug solutions obtained by diluting the same drug at different dilution ratios, that is, a dilution series, are created on the dilution plate 4A.

Next, these diluted chemicals are collectively dispensed by the first dispensing head 14 to the sample plate 10C mounted on the stages 10A and 10B. Since the dispensing tips 15 are mounted on the first dispensing head 14 in accordance with the arrangement of the recesses 4a of the plate 4, it is possible to dispense diluted chemical solutions having different dilution ratios in one operation. it can.

As described above, by providing the first dispensing head 14 and the second dispensing head 16 having the plate stage 10 on which the plurality of plates 4 are placed as a common working range, different dilution ratios can be obtained. The operation of creating the diluted drug solution (dilution series) and the operation of collectively dispensing the created dilution series to the sample plate 4C can be performed in the same dispensing stage 10. Conventionally, these operations, which were performed by multiple dispensers, can be performed by the same dispenser, so a low-cost automatic dispenser that saves space can be realized and can be concentrated in the same stage. By performing the dispensing operation, the working efficiency can be improved.

After that, the sample plate 4C into which the predetermined diluting drug solution has been injected is carried out of the plate stage 10 by the transfer head 26 and transferred to another test device such as an incubator (not shown). The sample plate 4C that has completed the predetermined test operation is received again by the transfer head 26, is placed on the standby stage 12, and stands by. The sample plate 4C is transported to the processing section C through the opening 3a by the second transport means.

The operation at this time will be described. In FIG. 5, the waiting sample plate 4C is first placed on the horizontal transfer arm 48, then transferred to the vertical transfer arm 44 (arrow a), and lowered from the opening 3a (arrow b).
It is passed to the analyzer 40 (arrow c). Thereafter, among the sample plates 4C for which the predetermined analysis operation has been completed, those for which a further test operation is performed are again dispensed to the dispensing section A by the second transport means.
The sheet is then transported by the transfer head 26 to a predetermined shelf 34 of the plate stocker 30 in the stock section B, or to another test apparatus.

Further, the sample plate 4 after the test operation has been completed.
C is transferred to the cleaning device 41 of the processing unit C, and is stored in a predetermined shelf 34 of the plate stocker 30 after performing the cleaning process. At this time, the dispensing unit A and the processing unit C are in the same vertical position with respect to the same apparatus and are located very close to each other, so that the transport distance is short, and the time required for transport is shorter than that of the conventional automatic dispensing apparatus. As a result, the efficiency of the test operation can be greatly improved.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the first dispensing head and the second dispensing head are provided with a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a grid and a row, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to the arrangement of the dispensing tips, but may be a different arrangement other than the lattice and the row, and the dispensing tips having the same arrangement are mounted. It may have a plurality of dispensing heads. Even in these cases, by operating a plurality of dispensing heads in a common dispensing stage, it is possible to perform the work conventionally performed using a plurality of dispensing devices with the same dispensing device. This makes it possible to realize a low-cost automatic dispensing device that saves space and improve the work efficiency of the dispensing operation.

[0037]

According to the present invention, since a plurality of dispensing heads having a common dispensing stage as an operation range are provided, these operations conventionally performed by a plurality of dispensing apparatuses can be performed by the same dispensing apparatus. By using the dispensing device, a low-cost automatic dispensing device that saves space can be realized, and the work efficiency of the dispensing operation can be improved. Furthermore, a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a grid pattern may be mounted on the first dispensing head, and a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a row may be mounted on the second dispensing head. In addition, the operation of creating a drug dilution series and the operation of collectively dispensing a diluted drug solution onto a sample plate can be performed in the same dispensing stage. Therefore, the efficiency of the dispensing operation that requires the proper use of the dispensing head can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic dispensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is a partial perspective view of a dispensing head of an automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2B is a partial perspective view of a dispensing head of the automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; (C) A perspective view of a tip container of the automatic dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a plate of the automatic dispensing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 automatic dispensing device 3 base plate 4 plate 5 chip container 10 dispensing stage 14 first dispensing head 15 dispensing tip 16 second dispensing head 20 overhead traveling robot 21 Y axis table 23 X axis table 26 transfer head Reference Signs List 30 plate stocker 34 shelf board 35 chip stocker 40 analyzer 41 washer 42 Y-axis table 45 slide unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid sample such as a medicine or a specimen on a plate having concave portions for accommodating the sample in a lattice shape, wherein the plate containing the sample is placed and dispensed. A dispensing stage for performing a dispensing operation, conveying means for carrying the plate in and out of the dispensing stage, and at least a first dispensing head and a second dispensing head having the dispensing stage as a common work area An automatic dispensing device comprising a plurality of dispensing heads including: 2. A plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a lattice are mounted on the first dispensing head, and a plurality of dispensing tips arranged in a row are mounted on the second dispensing head. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the automatic dispensing device is mounted.