JPS5975154A - Automatic dispensing device for liquid sample - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the storage capacity of container arrangement parts by providing a group of sample container arrangement parts to a rotatable sample table along plural arcs. CONSTITUTION:A pipet part 3 which sucks and drops a liquid sample is provided movably along a horizontal circumference L which has a center X and a radius R and contains a dropping position Z, and the sample table 1 which is freely rotatable around a point Y in a horizontal surface is provided in the area where the pipet part 3 is movable. Groups 20 of plural container arrangement parts 2 are arranged along alternate arcs M1 of plural circumferential arcs M and groups 40 of plural pipet chip storage parts 4 are arranged along other arcs M2. The arcs M coincide with the circumference L along which the pipet part 3 moves at plural rotation positions of the sample table 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid sample analysis element pressure for chemically analyzing a liquid sample, and a liquid sample automatic dispensing device for sucking and dropping a liquid sample to be analyzed. .

In general, it is often necessary to chemically analyze liquid samples, including body fluids from the human body.

Dry methods and wet methods are known as chemical analysis methods for liquid samples. Of these, the dry method is simpler than the wet method in that it does not require preparation steps such as diluents. be. In this dry method, a thin layer body impregnated with a specific reagent is sandwiched between a mount (2) and a liquid sample to be analyzed (1) is supplied dropwise to a sample analysis element. A method of reacting with a sample and examining the progress or result of the reaction, for example, color change due to the reaction, using an optical analysis device, etc., and thereby determining whether or not a specific component is contained in the liquid sample, or its content, etc. It is.

However, in order to efficiently analyze a large number of liquid samples,
An automatic liquid sample dispensing device is required to dropwise supply a liquid sample to be analyzed to a liquid sample analysis element. Conventionally, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of liquid sample container placement sections (hereinafter referred to as "container placement sections") 2 for arranging liquid sample containers are arranged in a line along the periphery thereof. , an apparatus using a sample stage 1 rotatably provided along a horizontal plane is known. In an example of the dispensing method using the sample stage 1, for example, the pipette section 3 for aspirating the entire liquid sample in the container arrangement section 2 and dropping it into the liquid sample analysis element or the liquid sample reaction section is placed in the container arrangement section. (3) suction on the region through which the liquid sample analysis element or liquid sample reaction section is placed; The liquid sample analysis element placed in the dropping position BE is provided in the drive mechanism 31 so that the pipette part 3 is lowered at the suction position A to suck the liquid sample in the container placement part 2, and then raised and rotated. Alternatively, one dispensing is performed by dropping the liquid sample into the liquid sample reaction section, and the dispensing of the liquid sample in the containers placed in each container placement section 2 is performed by rotating the sample stage 1. be exposed.

FIG. 2 shows another example of the sample stage 1 in the conventional apparatus. Each section 2 has a pipette tip storage section 4 that accommodates a pipette tip attached to the tip of the pipette section 3, which is provided corresponding to the radially inward side of the sample stage 1. It is rotatably provided. In an example of a dispensing method using this sample stage 1, the pipette tip storage section 4 is installed at position C on the area where it passes, the suction position A is on the area where the container placement section 2 passes, and the liquid sample analysis element or The pipette part 3 is moved along a linear movement path connecting the dripping point #B on the area where the liquid sample reaction part is placed, and the pipette part 3 is attached to the position clci! Attach the pipette tip in the pipette tip storage section 4 to the pipette section 3, and then aspirate the liquid sample in the container placed in the container placement section 2 corresponding to the pipette tip by suctioning the internal pressure of the pipette tip to the liquid sample analysis element or the liquid. Drop the sample reaction part,
Furthermore, dispensing is performed 91 times by discarding the used pipette tip, and by rotating the sample stage 1, the liquid sample in the container placed in each container placement section 2 is dispensed.

However, in the above-mentioned apparatuses, the container power distribution section 2 or the pipette tip storage section 4 are arranged in a line along the periphery of the sample stage 1, so if the number of these is increased, the sample stage 1 becomes larger. In addition, there is a drawback that a large space is wasted (5) because there is no container placement section 2, etc. in the center of the sample stage 1.

The present invention was made under these circumstances, and although it is small, the storage capacity of the container arrangement part etc. is large.
Moreover, the purpose is to provide an automatic liquid sample dispensing device with a simple configuration, and its features include a freely rotatable sample stage and a sample stage with a specific radius. and a group of liquid sample container arrangement portions arranged along each of a plurality of circular arcs.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the pipette part 3 for aspirating and dropping the liquid sample is moved along a horizontal circle centered on point X and having radius R and including the dropping point tZ. It will be set up as follows. Here, the dropping position is the area where the liquid sample analysis element or the liquid sample reaction section is placed, and the liquid sample from the pipette section 3 is dropped into the liquid sample analysis element or the liquid sample reaction section. It's the location. A sample stage 1 (6) is provided so as to be rotatable about a point Y along a horizontal plane in the area where the pipette section 3 is moved. This sample stage 1 has an angle zXY of 9 in this example.
Rotated around point Y where 0 degree, distance XY is R,
It is constituted by a disc whose peripheral edge extends along the circumference of a circle having a radius r smaller than the radius R of the circle. Further, on the sample stage 1, there are groups 20 each consisting of, for example, four container arrangement portions 2 along every other arc MK of a plurality of arcs M extending from point Y toward the periphery and lined up along the circumferential direction. At the same time, groups 40 each consisting of, for example, four pipette tip storage sections 4 are arranged along arcs M other than the arc M in which the groups 20 of container arrangement sections 20 are arranged. Here, the container arrangement part 2
For example, the hole may include a hole into which a container is fitted. The arc M coincides with the circumference of the circle related to the pipette section 3 at each of a plurality of rotational positions of the sample stage 1, and is specifically drawn as follows, for example. That is, if the circular arc M that coincides with the circumference of the above-mentioned circle on the sample stage 1 in the rotational position shown in FIG. The four pipette tip storage units (7) 4 (48 to 4D) are arranged at positions such that the angles formed between point X and point 2 are θl, θ2, θ3, and θ4, respectively. The relationships among the angles θ1, θ2, θ1, and θ4 are, for example, θ2=θ1+χ, θ3=θ++2χ, θ4-01+3
It is assumed to be χ. Then, define a point X' on the circumference N of a circle with radius R centered on point Y, where the angle xyx' is Wl, and this point
Draw a circle with a radius R centered at , and define an arc M that coincides with the circumference of the circle on the sample stage 1 as an arc, and draw four head pressures from the periphery of the sample stage 1 toward the center Y along this arc M2. The angles formed by the container placement portions 2 (28 to 2D) at point X' with the tangent to the circle passing through point X' are θ1, θ2, θ3, respectively.
Place it at a position where θ4. Furthermore, a point X" where the angle xyx' is W2 is defined on the circumference N of the circle, and this point
Draw the circumference of a circle with a radius R centered on , define an arc M that matches the circumference of the circle on the sample stage 1, and similarly arrange the group 40 of pipette tip storage units 4 along this arc. , In this way, draw the following arcs Ms, Ms・−,
Similarly, the groups 40 of pipette tip storage sections 40 and the groups 20 of container arrangement sections 2 are arranged alternately.

Here, a specific example of the pipette section 3 and the drive mechanism provided in connection therewith will be explained. As shown in FIG. 5, the pipette section 3 is attached to the tip of an arm 32 extending from an arm support member 33. The arm support member 33 is provided with a bearing on a drive shaft 34 provided in a portion 35 so as to be movable up and down. The drive shaft 34 is connected to a vertical movement motor (not shown) for vertically moving the drive shaft 34 through, for example, a gear mechanism, and is also connected to a vertical motor (not shown) that rotates the drive shaft 34 through, for example, a gear mechanism. It is connected to a rotation motor (not shown) for movement.

In an embodiment with such a configuration, first, the sample stage 1 is
The arc M (Ms) is made to stand still at a position where it coincides with the circumference of the circle related to the pipette section 3, and in this state, the pipette section 3 is moved from the dropping position 2 at the point X toward the sample stage 1 at an angle θ.
By positioning K at a position displaced by l, arc M
40 groups of pipette tip storage sections 40 lined up along (Ml)
Pipette tip storage section 4 (4A
9) Place it on top. Next, after attaching the pipette tip in the pipette tip storage section 4 (4A, ) to the pipette section 3,
By rotating the sample stage 1 by an angle W1 in the direction of arrow 1 from the rotational position shown in FIG.
t> on the outermost liquid sample storage section 2 (2 people) of the group 20 of container arrangement sections 2 lined up along the pipette section 3, and the container arrangement section 2 (2A) Aspirate the liquid sample in each vessel placed in the container. Thereafter, the pipette section 3 is moved to the dropping position 2, and the liquid sample in the pipette section 3 is dropped onto, for example, a liquid sample analysis element previously placed at the dropping position 2, and the used pipette tip is discarded. A first dispensing operation is performed.

Then, rotate the sample stage 1 by an angle W1 in the direction of the arrow 2, and
The pipette part 3 is returned to the rotational position shown in the figure, and in this state, the pipette part 3 is positioned at a position displaced by an angle θ2 from the dripping point 1tZ toward the sample stage 1 at point X. 4A) on the pipette tip storage section 4 (4B). Next, after attaching the pipette tip in the pipette tip storage section 4 (4B) to the pipette section 3 (10), the pipette tip in the pipette tip storage section 4 (4B) is attached in the same manner.
), the liquid sample in the container placed in the container placement part 2 (2B) is aspirated, and the liquid sample is dropped onto a new liquid sample analysis element, and then the pipette tip is discarded.
The second dispensing operation is then performed. In this way, the dispensing operation is repeated, and the innermost container arrangement section 2 (2D) in the group 20 of container arrangement sections 2 lined up along the arc M (M)
When dispensing a liquid sample in a container placed in
The sample stage 1 is brought to rest at a position rotated by an angle W22 in the direction of the arrow 1 from the rotational position shown in FIG.
The liquid samples placed in the containers placed in the container placement portions 2 arranged along the arc M (M4) are dispensed using the pipette tips in the container placement portions 2 arranged on the sample stage 1 in the same manner. The liquid sample in the container placed at 2 is dispensed.

In the above-described apparatus, the pipette tip storage section 40 is moved along an arc M that coincides with the circumference L(11) of the circle in which the pipette section 3 is moved at each rotational position of the sample stage 1.
Group 40 and container arrangement section 20 Since the group 20 is arranged, the pipette tip storage section 4 and the container arrangement section 2 are arranged from the vicinity of the periphery to the vicinity of the center of the sample stage 1, respectively, and the groups are arranged in the circumferential direction. Since the sample table 1 can be made small, the number of pipette tip storage sections 4 and container arrangement sections 2 can be increased, and the number of pipette tip storage sections 4 and container arrangement sections 2 can be increased.
is moved along the circumference of the circle and the sample stage 1 is rotated, and a liquid sample dispensing operation is performed by a combination K of these operations. This can be done by a reverse rotation operation, and therefore the structure of the mechanism for driving these can be simplified.

Here, a modification of the present invention will be described. The present invention can also be configured as follows.

1) A structure in which the container arrangement parts 2 and pipette tip storage parts 4 are arranged alternately along an arc M. 2) The distance from the center X of the circle related to the pipette part 3 to the rotation center Y of the sample stage 1 is a radius within the corresponding radius. 3) A configuration in which only the container placement portion 2 is provided on the sample stage 1 without providing the pipette tip storage portion 4. 4) Container placement portions 20 lined up along the arc M as shown in FIG. The groups 20 are sequentially arranged in the circumferential direction of the sample stage 10, and the sample stage 1
As described above, the present invention provides a configuration in which one container arrangement section 2 is provided on the arc M near the periphery of the sample stage. Since the number of container arrangement parts can be increased while making the sample stage small, for example, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the circumference of a specific circle can be set at each rotational position of the sample stage. By arranging the group of container placement parts along an arc that coincides with the circular arc and providing the pipette part so as to move along the circumference of the specific circle, the drive mechanism for the pipette part becomes simple. , finally according to the present invention,
Although it is small, the storage capacity of the container placement part is large (13
) It is possible to provide an automatic liquid sample dispensing device that is easy to use and has a simple configuration.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are explanatory plan views showing conventional devices, respectively;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the bivette tip storage section and the liquid sample storage section according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a pipette A perspective view showing an example of a unit and a mechanism for driving the unit,
FIG. 6 is an explanatory plan view showing a part of another embodiment of the present invention. l...Sample stage 2.2A, 2B, 2C, 2D...Container arrangement section 3.
...Pipette part 32...Arm 33...Arm support member 34...Drive shaft 35...Bearing is part 4.4
A, 4B, 4C, 4D... Pipette tip storage area L... Circumference of the circle )

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A rotatably provided sample stand and a
A liquid sample automatic dispensing device comprising: a group of liquid sample container arrangement sections arranged along each of a plurality of circular arcs having a specific radius.