JPS6053850A - Washing apparatus for medical microplate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve workability, by conveying used microplates to a washing part in the upright state, and performing washing of both surfaces. CONSTITUTION:A washing jet nozzle block 36, which is provided in a pre-washing unit 14, is communicated to a water tank 44 through a tube 42 and a pump 43. Waste liquid can be discharged to a waste liquid tank 46 through a tube 45. A disinfectant liquid nozzle block 38 provided in a disinfectant unit 15 is communicated to a disinfectant liquid tank 49 through a tube 47 and a pump 48. The disinfectant liquid can be recovered through a tube 50. A washing liquid jet nozzle block 40 of a main washing unit 16 is communicated to a wshing liquid tank 52 through a tube 51 and a pump 52. The washing liquid tank 52 through a tube 51 and a pump 52. The washing liquid after the washing is recovered to the washing liquid tank 44 through a tube 54 and used again after the pre- washing.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a cleaning device for medical microplates, and in particular, to a cleaning device for a medical microplate, in which a large number of reaction vessels can be used for biochemical analysis based on a particle agglutination reaction. This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning plates for reuse.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Apparatuses for cleaning used titration plates are known, for example, for example, in Publication No. 1, a plurality of upright titration plates are set side by side, and a When taking out the sheets one by one, they are rotated 90 degrees to form the four reaction parts, and are transported to the cleaning section by the transport mechanism in a horizontal state with the use side facing downward. After cleaning, they are stacked in a horizontal state and stored in jp7. A cleaning device for titration plates is described.

In such conventional plate cleaning equipment, the brake l- is transported horizontally when passing through the cleaning section, so the plate must be set so that the surface to be used faces downward.
i, and be careful when setting the used plate [
It has the disadvantage that α needs to be paid, making the work cumbersome. Furthermore, since the washed plates are stacked and stored in a water droplet state, there is a drawback that the cleaning liquid remaining on the plate surface drips and contaminates the plate below. Furthermore, since it does not have a drying section, it is necessary to transfer the plate to a dryer in order to reuse it, which has the disadvantage of low work efficiency. In addition, since the above-mentioned air-draining is performed only on one side where the four reaction parts are formed, a large amount of washing water remains on the back side, that is, the side facing upward, which has the disadvantage that it takes time to dry. be. In order to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantage that setting used plates is troublesome, it is possible to install cleaning mechanisms on both sides of the plate conveyance path, but for example, when the used side is facing upward, Since the cleaning liquid accumulates in the four reaction parts, the cleaning efficiency deteriorates, and even if water is drained with air, the cleaning liquid tends to remain in the four reaction parts, resulting in the problem that drying takes a long time.

The applicant has developed a microplate for use in a biochemical analysis device based on a particle agglutination reaction.As shown in FIG. A large number of reaction vessels 2 each having a circular Φ-shaped bottom surface 2a are arranged in a matrix, and a large number of fine steps or grooves are formed on the conical bottom surface to form a stable layer of sedimented particles. This is what I did. It is difficult to effectively clean this 6t microplate using the conventional cleaning device a mentioned above. The reason is that in the cleaning position, the reaction vessel 2
1: Sea urchins must be set front and back in advance, and after washing they are stacked one above the other for storage, so the back side of the plate, that is, the side facing upward, may get dirty.
This is because if the cleaning liquid Q drips, there is a risk that an error will be mixed into the photoelectric detection of the particle pattern when it is reused. This photoelectric detection normally projects illumination light from one side of the plate and receives the light from the other side, so if the back side of the plate is dirty or has cleaning fluid on it, accurate measurements cannot be made. 71". Also, regarding the above-mentioned conventional device, if the plate is washed from above and below as in the example above, when the reaction vessel is turned to one side, the cleaning effect will be reduced and the cleaning solution will be considerably deep. This results in the disadvantage that there is a greater possibility that the product will remain in the reaction vessel. The cleaning effect decreases because the cleaning solution remains in the reaction vessel, which obstructs the injection of new cleaning solution.
This is because the jet of cleaning liquid does not effectively hit the bottom surface of the reaction vessel. As mentioned above, this reduction in cleaning effectiveness is significant because a step is formed on the bottom surface and particles tend to adhere thereto.

Purpose The purpose of the present invention is to effectively eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks,
Microplates can be easily set without paying attention to their vertical orientation, and cleaning can be performed extremely effectively, with no residual cleaning solution and no interference between washed microplates. The present invention aims to provide a cleaning device for medical microplates.

Summary The cleaning device for a medical microbranch (1--1) of the present invention holds a plurality of used microblades (1--1) each having a plurality of reaction vessels, and sequentially supplies them for cleaning. a washing section that transports the microplates supplied from the microplate supply section in an upright state along a washing line, and includes a washing device installed in the washing line; The apparatus is characterized by comprising a storage part that receives washed microplates supplied through the storage part and holds a plurality of microplates in an upright position.

Embodiment FIGS. 2 and 8 are a diagrammatic plan view and a diagrammatic sectional view showing the structure of an embodiment of the medical microplate of the present invention. The washing device is broadly divided into a used microplate supply section 11, a washing section 12, and a washed microplate storage section 13. The supply unit 11 stores and holds a plurality of used microplates 1 in a transportable manner,
The configuration is such that these can be supplied to the cleaning section 12 one after another. The washing section 12 has a mechanism for transporting the microplate 1 supplied from the supply section 11, and sequentially transports the microplate through the pre-washing unit 14, the erasure unit 15, and the main washing unit 16. It has become. The washed microplate is then sent to the storage section 13,
It is stored and maintained here. The storage section 13 is equipped with a microplate holding and conveying mechanism that is almost the same as the supply section 11, and is also used for drying washed microplates. In the present invention, it is important to transport and hold the microplate in an upright state at least in the co-washing section 12 and the storage section 13, but in this embodiment, the microplate is also held in an upright state in the supply section 11. ing.

As shown in FIG. 3, each unit 14 and 15 of the cleaning section 12
．． 16 is connected to a fluid system for a cleaning liquid or a disinfectant and an air system for draining water, and a drying air system is connected to the storage section 18, the details of which will be described later.

4 and 5 show a microplate holding and transporting mechanism provided in the supply section 11. FIG. It is provided with a microphone 07' rate holding conveyance mechanism & endless belt 2], and is configured to be stretched between a pair of rollers 22 and 23 and rotated intermittently in the direction not shown by the arrow. The endless belt 21 has a micro play I shown in FIG.
Holders 24 are fixed at predetermined intervals. A notch 24aE is formed on the main surface of this boulder 24 to facilitate insertion and removal of the microplate 1, and a long opening 24b is formed on one side. In addition, the thickness of the holder 24 is made slightly larger than the thickness of the microplate], and the width is made slightly larger than the length of eight microplates 1 arranged in a row, so that the eight microplates 1 are arranged in a row. Enter in line. Configure L sea urchin. In Figure 4, arrow P
As shown, when the used microplate 1 is inserted into the holder 24 from above, the microplate is conveyed counterclockwise as the belt 21 rotates. A guide plate 25 is provided along the holder conveyance path so that the microplate 1 does not escape from the holder 24 at this time. The microplate 1 stored in the holder 24 facing downward falls due to its own weight at the position indicated by the arrow Q, and is transferred to the transport mechanism provided in the cleaning section 12.
It comes to be discharged from the holder 24 through the opening 2+b provided on the side surface. This ejection operation will be further explained later.

6 and 7 show the structure of the cleaning section 12. FIG. The cleaning section 12 includes a transport mechanism for the microplate 1, which consists of an endless belt 83 stretched between a pair of rollers 31 and 32, and a pin 34 fixed to the belt.
a and 34b, and a guide mechanism. As clearly shown in FIG. 7, the guide mechanism includes a pair of guide plates 35a and 35b that can hold the microplate 1 in an upright position.
and a groove 350 defined between these guide plates, and a pin 84 fixed to the belt 38 within the groove 350.
a, 84 and b are made to protrude.

Therefore, by rotating the belt 38, the pin 8
4a and 84b come into contact with the side surfaces of the microplate 1 and guide the microplate 1 to the guide plates 85a and 85.
It can be transported by sliding between the parts b. That is, the fourth
The microplate 1 which has partially fallen from the holder 24 of the supply section 11 (not shown) is attached to a pair of guide plates 8fia and 35b.
A pin 34a is inserted between the cleaning parts and fixed to the belt 38 of [2].

84b, and is discharged from the holder 24 through the opening 24b. As shown in FIG. 1, the direction of the belt 21 of the supply section 11 and ? il[1M12
Since the direction of the belt 88 is perpendicular to each other, (J
(As shown in FIG. 6, the microplates 1 supplied from the supply section 11 are conveyed in the washing section 12 in an upright state in a line.

As shown in FIG. 6, pre-cleaning units 1+, ? 1Ltli unit] 5 and the main washing unit 16 form a compartment, and an opening through which the microplate 1 passes is formed in the partition wall between them. In the pre-cleaning unit 14+, cleaning liquid injection nozzle blocks 86a and 36b each having a large number of nozzles for spraying a cleaning liquid, water in this example, onto the microplate 1 at high pressure are arranged facing each other across the passage of the microplate. Air injection nozzle blocks 37a and 87b having air nozzles for spraying high-pressure air to remove cleaning liquid from the microplate are also disposed facing each other across the microplate passage. Disinfection unit] 5 has a similar structure, but here sprays disinfectant instead of cleaning solution. Further, the structure of the main cleaning unit 16 is exactly the same as the pre-cleaning unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cleaning liquid injection nozzle block 36 provided in the pre-cleaning unit 14 is connected to a water tank 44 via a -1-use 42 and a pump 43, and waste liquid is discharged to a waste liquid tank 46 via a tube 45. Configure it so that you can. A disinfectant spray nozzle block 38 provided in the disinfection unit 15 is connected to a disinfectant tank 49 via a tube 47 and a pump 48, so that the disinfectant solution can be recovered via a tube 50. The cleaning liquid injection nozzle block 40 of the main cleaning unit 16 includes a tube 51 and a pump 5.
2 to a cleaning liquid tank 53, and the cleaning liquid after cleaning is collected into the cleaning liquid tank 44 through a tube 54 and reused in the pre-cleaning.

The cleaning liquid tanks 44:Ii, 1: and 58 can be supplied with cleaning liquid through valves 55, 91: and 56'f, respectively. Further, the waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 46 can be extracted to the outside via the pump 57. An air injection nozzle block 87 is installed in the pre-cleaning unit 14, disinfection unit 1545 and main cleaning unit 16.
．． 80 and! +, 1.4:! Chu 7'5 each
It is commonly connected to an air pump 61 via 8, 50 and 60.

FIG. 8 shows the structure of the storage section 18 for storing and transporting the microplate 1 after washing, and its basic structure is the same as that of the supply section 11. Zunawara (11) A plurality of holders 74 are attached at predetermined intervals to an endless belt 78 stretched between a pair of rollers 71 and 72, and eight washed microplates are stored and held in each of these holders 74. The structure is such that it can be transported while Guide plate 35a of cleaning section 12.

The three microplates 1 that have been slid and transported between 35b are placed in the holder 74 at the microplate delivery position.
It is inserted through an opening formed on the side of the holder. Next, as the belt 73 rotates, the microplate 1 inserted into the holder 74 is conveyed counterclockwise in FIG. 8. In this case, a guide member 75 is provided in the storage section along the movement path of the holder 74 so that the microplate once inserted into the holder 74 does not fall due to its own weight. A space surrounded by the guide member 75 and the broken line acts as a drying chamber, and dry air is supplied from a proa fan 76 to this space. A filter 77 is provided at the inlet of the proa fan 76 to remove dust in the air. The washed microplate 1 is dried while being transported inside the storage section 13, and is moved toward the holder 7 as indicated by the arrow R.
4 and can be reused.

The invention is limited only to the embodiments described above! It is not intended to be modified, and numerous modifications and changes may be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the microplate supply section also requires a mechanism for supplying the microplates in which the microplates (1/-) are vertically stacked one above the other to the washing section in an upright state. In addition, the cleaning department performs pre-cleaning, disinfection, and main cleaning.
IlCf The disinfection step is performed next, but the disinfection step can also be omitted.

Effects In the medical microplate cleaning device of the present invention,
Used microplates are transported through the washing section in an upright position and are washed from both sides.
There is no need to pay attention to the direction of -1., which improves work efficiency. Furthermore, when the reaction vessel is washed in an upright position, the washing liquid does not remain in the reaction vessel, so that the washing effect of spraying the washing liquid can be sufficiently exerted, and effective washing can be performed in a short time. Furthermore, the cleaning solution can be efficiently removed from the microplate using air. Furthermore, since the microplate after washing is stored and held in an upright state, even if the washing liquid remains on the microplate, this will not have an adverse effect on other washed microplates. Further, the washing solution remaining on the microplate after washing can be drained well, and drying can be carried out effectively in a short time. As described above, the cleaning device of the present invention has high cleaning efficiency, so it can effectively clean microplates used for analysis based on particle aggregation reactions, such as the one shown in Figure 1. It is possible to save the time and labor required for cleaning in clinical laboratories and the like where a large number of cleaning devices are used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a microblate notebook used for analysis based on particle aggregation reactions, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the microblate cleaning device of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is the same. 4 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the supply section, FIG. 5 is a perspective view 1 showing the microplate holder installed in the supply section, and FIG. 6 is a cleaning guide. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the structure of the storage part with a part cut away; 1... Microplate 11... Supply section 12...
・Cleaning section 18... Storage section 14... Pre-cleaning unit) ・15... Disinfection unit 1
6... Main cleaning unit 21... Endless belt 24... Holder 33... Endless belt 84a
, 341b...BI> 8fia, 851)
・Plate 850...Groove 86, 40...Cleaning liquid injection nozzle block 88...
・Extinguisher liquid injection nozzle blocks 37, 30, 41・
...Air injection nozzle block 48, 4B, 52
, 57... Pump 44, 58... Cleaning liquid tank 46... Waste liquid tank 49... Extinguishing liquid tank 73.
...Endless belt 74...Holder 75...Guide portion 76...Proa fan. Patent applicant: Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A microplate supply section that holds a plurality of used microplates, each having a number of reaction vessels, and sequentially supplies them for washing, and a state in which the microplates supplied from this microplate supply section are held upright. A washing section equipped with a washing device is installed in this washing line, and the washed microplates are received through this washing section, and multiple microplates are placed in an upright position. A cleaning device for a medical microplate, comprising: a storage section for holding a medical microplate.