JPS5813338Y2 - Liquid sample dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a liquid sample dispensing device, and particularly to a liquid sample dispensing device that can simultaneously dispense a small amount of sample to a large number of sample cells.

A recently developed clinical automated biochemical analyzer uses a microcuberatra as a sample cell (reaction tube) to dispense one serum sample into multiple microcubents, allowing it to test multiple items at once. However, from one serum sample, 30 serum samples should be placed in any microcuvette.
The use of this device was not very high because the operation of dispensing minute amounts of samples, such as 0Ωμ, accurately at the same time was complicated, and cleaning the dispensing device itself after dispensing was also troublesome.

There are also some that use a syringe method for dispensing operations,
This is expensive, and the metering tube method has problems such as increased pollution.

This idea was devised in view of the above problems.1
A plurality of switching cocks, a plurality of metering tubes connected to each of these cocks, a suction mechanism that suctions liquid through these cocks and metering tubes, an inflow tube for expelling fluid connected to each cock, and each cock. and an outflow pipe connected to the sample cell and opening into the sample cell, and these cocks, in their switching position, communicate all of the respective metering tubes, and in the other switching position, communicate the metering tube between the inflow and outflow tubes. This is a liquid sample dispensing device configured so that the pipes are connected simultaneously and the liquid dispensed into one quantitative tube is dispensed into each sample container via each outflow pipe, and will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of this invention. A is a pipe with an inner diameter of 2 rran. After filling the pipe a with liquid, a section of the pipe with a length of 15.92 mm is cut out. The amount of liquid in the pipe was approximately 50 μt.
becomes.

Therefore, by filling a thin pipe with liquid and instantaneously cutting it over a certain length, a predetermined amount of liquid can be extracted, and this idea aims to inject the liquid from this cut pipe into the cell. It is.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of this invention based on the principle of Fig. 1 above, and a is a pipe (pipe line) through which the liquid sucked by the suction mechanism (e.g., a vacuum bottle) C flows; A plurality of switching cocks d are provided at regular intervals in the length direction.

At this time, assuming that the length of the pipe portion (metering tube) b between the cocks is 15.92 mm5 and the inner diameter of the pipe is 2 mm, the amount of liquid in this metering tube cut by the cock will be approximately 50 μt.

e is an inflow pipe for a purging fluid, such as air or diluent, connected to each cock, and f is an outflow pipe that opens opposite the sample cell g.

A suction nozzle h is provided at the tip of the via "a. This nozzle h is inserted into the liquid sample tank 11 or the diluent tank j, and the suction mechanism C sucks the sample etc. into the pipe a each time.

Note that Xg ym Z indicates a flow path provided in the cock as shown in the figure.

The moving body of this dispensing device will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

When a sample is aspirated from the liquid sample tank i by the suction mechanism C in the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the flow path y in the cock communicates with the pipe a at this cock switching position. The sample is aspirated by the suction mechanism C, and the quantitative tube is filled with the sample.

In addition, for the following explanation, the liquid sample tank i side of the vibe a metering tube will be referred to as the upstream side.

At this time, when each cock is switched as shown in Fig. 3B, the upstream side of the metering pipe is connected to the inflow pipe e and 1
The downstream side of the metering tube is connected to the outflow tube f of the cock through the flow path 2 in the cock on the downstream side, and the sample in each metering tube is expelled to the sample cell g with expelling air or diluent. Therefore, it will be dispensed.

After this dispensing is completed, each inflow pipe, outflow pipe, metering pipe, and channel in the cock can be washed by further flowing a diluting solution or a washing solution.

Of course, during this cleaning, the sample cell is removed from the opening of the outflow tube.

When the cleaning is completed, the cock is returned to its original position as shown in Figures 2 and 3A, and the suction nozzle is inserted into the diluting liquid tank j or the cleaning liquid tank (not shown) to clean the pipe a and the flow path inside the cock. y can be washed.

With the above configuration, it is possible to reliably dispense a small amount of a fixed amount of liquid sample into a large number of sample cells (microcuvettes) at the same time. It can also be used for dilution, and the cleaning operation is easy and reliable, with little contamination.

Furthermore, since only one suction nozzle is inserted into the sample liquid, contamination caused by this is also reduced.

Furthermore, the interior of the pipe can be easily dried by suctioning air using a suction mechanism or the like.

In addition, FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of this invention.
It uses a direction switching device.

In this figure, the same parts as in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals.

When the cock is in the switching position shown in the solid line as shown in FIG. 4, the sample can be dispensed into the metering tube in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

Then, by switching the cock to the switching position indicated by the dotted line, the metering tube b& is also communicated with the inlet tube e and the outlet tube f, so that the sample in the metering tube is dispensed into one sample cell g.

Note that washing and drying operations can also be performed in the same manner as in the above embodiments.

The embodiments of this invention have been described above. 1. Since it is difficult to exactly match the volume of each metering tube, a flexible metering tube is used and a pinch cock or the like is used.
It is also possible to finely adjust the volume by pinching this metering tube.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of this invention. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an embodiment of this invention and explaining its operation.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment. a... Pipe, b... Metering tube (pipe part), C... Suction mechanism, d... Switching cock, e... Inflow pipe, f...outflow pipe, g...sample container (cell), h...suction nozzle, i...liquid sample tank, j...・・・・・・
Dilution tank, Xs ym Z... Channel inside the cock.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A plurality of switching cocks and a plurality of metering tubes connected to each of these cocks, a suction mechanism that suctions liquid through these cocks and metering tubes, an inflow tube for expelling fluid connected to each cock, and each metering tube connected to each of these cocks. outflow tubes connected to the stopcocks and opening into the sample cell, these cocks in all switching positions communicate all of the respective metering tubes, and in other switching positions there is a metering connection between the inflow and outflow tubes. A liquid sample dispensing device configured to be simultaneously switched to connect the tubes and to dispense the liquid dispensed into the metering tube into each sample container via each outflow tube.