JPS6337114Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention is a sample collection device (cell harvester) that collects samples such as blood, cells, lymphocytes, etc., which have been dispensed into a large number of holes arranged in a titration plate into a filter. The present invention relates to an improvement in a dispensing and dispensing device in a sample collecting device, etc., which is used to dispense and dispense washing water to wash out a sample in the holes of a titration plate.

The dispensing and dispensing device used in conventional specimen collection devices, etc., has a dispensing head installed in the machine, and a nozzle that combines a discharge nozzle (or dispensing needle) and an aspiration nozzle (or suction needle) is aligned with the titration plate. The discharge nozzle of each nozzle is connected and communicated with a distribution tank, and the suction nozzle of each nozzle is connected and communicated with a vacuum pump. The liquid is fed into the distribution tank for a certain period of time, and the liquid is distributed and fed from the distribution tank to each discharge nozzle facing each hole (or one row of holes) of the titration plate. The liquid dispensed into each hole of the titration plate is collected by suction from a suction nozzle facing each hole.

By the way, in the conventional means having such a configuration, the suction state of the suction nozzles of the nozzles arranged in line with the dispensing head may differ depending on the suction nozzles, etc. due to clogging of the suction nozzles. This causes a difference in the amount of liquid that collects in each hole, and in holes where the suction nozzle is clogged, liquid overflows from the hole and flows into the adjacent hole, disrupting the dispensing and dispensing. There is a problem with this.

In order to solve this problem, a large number of holes are formed on the bottom side of the dispensing head, which are connected to the top surface of the titration plate by the downward movement of the dispensing head, and aligned on the top side of the titration plate. A seal member is provided to seal each open port, and the discharge port of the discharge nozzle and the suction port of the suction nozzle installed in the dispensing head are connected to the inner cavity of the titration plate hole on the lower surface side of the seal member. By leaving an opening in the titration plate, liquid is supplied to each hole in the titration plate by the negative pressure generated in the hole by suction from the suction nozzle while the hole is sealed with a sealing member. was found to be effective. However, if this is done, the lower end surface of the sealing member will come into contact with the sample in the hole and become contaminated.
Another problem arises in that the sealing member must be cleaned before dispensing liquid to each hole in the other titration plates, and cleaning the sealing member is extremely troublesome.

The present invention was developed to solve this problem, and the cleaning of the sealing member for sealing the opening of each hole of the titration plate during the dispensing process of the liquid prevents the liquid from being washed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new means that allows cleaning of a suction channel for suction and recovery at the same time.

For this purpose, in the present invention, a plate mounting table on which a titration plate is installed is installed below the dispensing head mounted on the machine body so as to be movable left and right or front and back. By bonding to the top surface of the titration plate,
A sealing member for sealing the upper openings of the holes arranged in the upper surface of the titration plate is installed, and the lower surface of the sealing member faces the inner cavity of each hole of the titration plate. The discharge port of the discharge nozzle and the suction port of the suction nozzle installed in the dispensing head are respectively opened, and the lower side of the sealing member is being cleaned with washing liquid below the plate mounting table as the dispensing head is lowered. The present invention proposes a dispensing and dispensing device for a specimen collection device, etc., which is equipped with a washing tank that can be immersed in the washing tank.

Next, an example in which the present invention is applied to a sample collection device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view of a sample collection device (cell harvester) A that can implement the present invention, 1 is its body, 1
0 is a plate mounting table installed on the machine body 1 so as to place the titration plate B, a is a dispensing head arranged above the plate mounting table 10 and mounted on the machine body 1 so as to be able to move up and down, and 11 is a dispensing head. A distribution tank storage is provided on one side of the machine body 1, a filter mounting table 12 is provided on the other side of the machine body 1 to place a filter F for sample collection, and b is arranged above the filter mounting table 12. c is a control panel installed on the upper part of the machine body 1; g is a washing tank arranged below the plate mounting table 10 and mounted on the machine body 1; It shows.

The body 1 is formed into a U-shape when viewed from the side, as shown in FIG. The control panel c is mounted on the front surface of the arm portion 13. Further, the above-mentioned dispensing head a is supported by a support arm 16 which is installed in the front of a rising portion 15 rising at the rear of the machine body 1 so as to be movable up and down. Also,
The plate mounting table 10 is supported by a guide 18 provided on a table portion 17 of the body 1 so as to be freely inserted and removed in the front and rear directions.

FIG. 3 shows details of the dispensing head a. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes the main body part of the dispensing head a supported by the above-mentioned support arm 16, which is formed into a plate shape. Columnar seal member 21...
are each hole 30 of the titration plate B placed on the upper surface of the plate mounting table 10 below the dispensing head a.
It is arranged and placed vertically to correspond to... Although only three seal members 21 are shown in the drawing because the main body part 20 is partially shown and most of them are omitted, they correspond to all of the holes 30 provided in the titration plate B. There are as many as (96) installed. However, hole 3 of titration plate B
In some cases, the seal members 21 are provided in a row corresponding to the horizontal or vertical rows of holes 30 .

Each sealing member 21... is vertically slidably fitted into a through hole 22 formed in the main body part 20 corresponding to each hole 30... of the titration plate B described above, and is fitted into an engaging flange 23a. By screwing the upper end side to the nozzle holding fitting 23 whose downward movement from a predetermined position is restricted by
The main body part 20 and the sealing member 21 are supported by the main body part 20 so as to move up and down in the through hole 22 together with
It is biased downward by a spring 24 provided between the upper end surface of the holder and the upper end surface of the holder. The lower end 21a of each sealing member 21 is opened at the upper opening 30a of each hole 30 of the titration plate B placed on the plate mounting table 10 as shown in FIG. 3 when the dispensing head a is lowered.
It is formed into a cone shape so as to fit into the opening 30a of the upper part of the opening 30a.

A discharge nozzle 25 is attached to the nozzle holding fitting 23.
(or a dispensing needle) and a suction nozzle 26 (or a suction needle) are respectively held, but the discharge nozzle 25 is held so as to vertically penetrate through the axial center of the nozzle holding fitting 23. The lower end side of the seal member 21 passes through the axial center of the seal member 21 and projects downward from the center portion of the lower end 21a of the seal member 21, and an opening 25a serving as a suction port is opened at the lower end of the protrusion. In addition, in the case of the suction nozzle 26, a cavity is formed at the peripheral edge of the nozzle holding fitting 23, the lower end of which surrounds the discharge nozzle 25 with the inner cavity of the nozzle holding fitting 23. 27, and a cavity 28 formed in the center of the sealing member 21 so as to extend the cavity 27, and a lower end portion 21a of the sealing member 21 forming a cone shape from the cavity 28.
The lower end of the sealing member 21 is connected to the opening 26a provided in the inclined surface via a conduit 29 facing the inclined surface. When the upper opening 30a of the hole 30 of the titration plate B is sealed in the portion 21a, the hole 30 is opened.

The suction nozzles 26, which are mounted and held on the main body 20 of the dispensing head a, are arranged in line with the sample collection head b, as shown in FIG. 4, through flexible tubes 40, respectively. The filter holders 41 which also serve as discharge ports are connected and communicated with each other, and the filter holders 41 are aligned on the filter mounting table 12 in correspondence with the filter holders 41 when the sample collection head b is lowered. A tank 44 and its tank 4 are connected and communicated with the installed intake ports 42 through tubes 43 by respectively joining them.
The vacuum pump P1 is connected to the vacuum pump P1 through the recovery tanks 45, 45, which are connected to the vacuum pump P1.
By operating the vacuum pump P1, suction is drawn from the opening 26a.

Each of the discharge nozzles 25 is connected to a distribution tank e installed in the distribution tank storage 11 as shown in FIG. 5 through a flexible tube 50 and a metering cylinder d, respectively. , and communicates with the washing water tank f via the distribution tank e.

In the distribution tank e, when the cleaning water supplied by the discharge pump P2 reaches a predetermined water level and the liquid level sensor S is activated, the solenoid valve SV is activated and the cleaning water in the distribution tank e is transferred to the cleaning tank f. At this time, the cleaning water that had been flowing into each metering cylinder d from the multiple inlets 60 provided at the upper part of the tube wall of each metering cylinder d is returned to the metering cylinder d. The remaining washing water is supplied to each discharge nozzle 25 provided in each dispensing head a, but the metering cylinder d is omitted and the distribution tank e is directly supplied to each discharge nozzle 25. ... may be connected via the tube 50.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a float that can be inserted into each of the above-mentioned metering cylinders d so that it can be raised and lowered. It is inserted into a through hole 82 formed in a plate 81 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and its shaft portion 70
A stopper 71 provided in the middle of the support plate 81 abuts against the lower surface of the support plate 81, thereby restricting the subsequent upward movement.
A valve part 72 is formed to close the discharge port at the bottom of each metering cylinder d..., and the shaft part serves as a display part that descends as the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in each metering cylinder d... falls and displays the state of the drop in the liquid level. 70, and by lowering the support plate 81 by operating the handle 80 and lowering the upper limit position of the lifting operation of the float 7, it is forcibly inserted into each metering cylinder d... , acts to overflow the cleaning liquid in each metering cylinder d... and adjust the amount of cleaning liquid to be weighed, and when the cleaning liquid in each metering cylinder d... is empty, the cleaning liquid on the bottom surface is The valve portion 72 is joined to the seat surface at the bottom of the lumen of the metering cylinder d to close the discharge port and prevent the suction nozzle 26 from sucking air when the cleaning liquid in the metering cylinder d is empty. It is set as.

Further, the washing tank g installed in the machine body 1 and arranged below the plate mounting table 10 described above is connected to the dispensing head a.
Each discharge nozzle 25... and suction nozzle 26 provided in
...and the sealing member 21... are formed in a size that allows the lower end portions of the sealing member 21 to be bent and received, and when the plate mounting table 10 is retracted from the position below the dispensing head a, the dispensing head a is moved to the third position. The cleaning position is further lowered than the washing position shown by the solid line in the figure, and the opening 25a of the discharge nozzle 25 almost reaches the upper surface of the bottom plate 90 of the washing tank g as shown by the chain line in FIG. The liquid level sensor 91 controls the discharge pump P3 to maintain the cleaning water at a water level where the lower end side of the seal member 21 provided in the dispensing head d warps and sinks into the dispensing head d.
is provided so that the cleaning water in the cleaning water tank 92 is always filled at the above-mentioned water level.

Each of the above-mentioned metering cylinders d... is arranged in the machine body 1 so that its bottom is located above the position of the opening 25a of the discharge nozzle 25 in the state position shown in FIG.
established in

The embodiment device constructed as described above operates as follows.

With a predetermined amount of washing liquid in each metering cylinder d of the distribution tank e, the dispensing head a is moved down to the state shown by the solid line in Figure 3, and the sample collection head is b is lowered, and the filter holder 41 holds the filter F placed on the upper surface of the filter mounting table 12 between the O-ring 41a on the lower surface of the filter holder 41 and the wire mesh 42a on the upper surface of the pull opening 42 provided on the filter holder 12. The vacuum pump P is held in between and connected and communicated through the intake port 42 and the filter F.
1, each hole 3 of titration plate B
By reducing the pressure inside 0, the cleaning water in each metering cylinder d... is discharged from the discharge nozzle 25... to each hole 30...
The cleaning water is sucked by the suction nozzles 26, and each hole 30 is cleaned. The washed out specimens are then collected at the portions of the filter F that are connected to the respective draw ports 42, respectively.

When the washing of this titration plate B is completed and another titration plate B is to be washed, the plate mounting table 10 is moved from the position below the dispensing head a, and the dispensing head a is lowered deeply. When the seal member 21 provided on the dispensing head a
Each discharge port 25 of the lower end portion of... and the discharge nozzle 25...
a... and each suction port 26a of the suction nozzle 26...
... is immersed in the washing water in the washing tank g provided below the plate mounting table 10, as shown by the chain line in FIG. Then, by operating the vacuum pump P1 mentioned above in this state, the cleaning water in the cleaning tank g is sucked into the suction nozzle 26 and collected into the collection tanks 45, 45 (at this time, the cleaning water in the cleaning tank g is Filter F has been removed).

That is, cleaning by immersing the outer surface of the sealing member 21 that seals the upper opening 30a of each hole 30 of the titration plate B in the cleaning liquid is carried out from the suction port 26a of each suction nozzle 26 to the filter holder 41.
This is done at the same time as the cleaning of the flow path.

As explained above, the dispensing and dispensing device in the sample collection device, etc. according to the present invention seals the upper opening 30a of each hole 30 of the titration plate B, and supplies liquid to each hole 30 through the suction nozzle. The outer surface of the sealing member 21 can be easily cleaned by lowering the dispensing head a and immersing it in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank g. Cleaning by immersion can be performed at the same time as cleaning the suction port 26a of the suction nozzle 26 and its suction channel, so that the outer surface of the seal member 21 is flushed with the hole 30 of the titration plate B.
This effectively eliminates the inconvenience of contamination with specimens in the holes 30... each time liquid is dispensed into the holes 30 of the titration plate B.
The suction nozzle 26 dispenses and distributes the liquid to 0...
This can be done by the suction operation of...

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of a sample collection device that can implement the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the same as above, Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of the dispensing head portion of the same as above, and Fig. 4 is a specimen of the same as above. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of the sampling head portion, and FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of the distribution tank portion. Explanation of drawing symbols, A... Sample collection device, B...
Titration plate, a...Dispensing head, b...Sample collection head, c...Control panel, d...Quantitative cylinder, e...Distribution tank, f...Washing water tank, g...Washing tank, 1... ...Airframe, 10...Plate mounting stand, 11...Distribution tank storage, 12...
...Filter mounting table, 13...Arm part, 14...
...Strut, 15... Standing part, 16... Support arm,
17... Base part, 18... Guide, 20... Main body part, 21... Seal member, 21a... Lower end part, 2
2...Through hole, 23...Nozzle holding fitting, 23a...
...Engagement collar, 24...Spring, 25...Discharge nozzle,
25a...Opening (discharge port), 26...Suction nozzle,
26a...opening (suction port), 27, 28...vacant room,
29...Pipe line, 30...Hole, 30a...Top opening, 40...Flexible tube, 41...
...Filter holder, 41a...O-ring, 42...
...Chute, 42a... Wire mesh, 43... Tube,
44...tank, 45...recovery tank, 50...
Flexible tube, 60... Inlet, 7...
Float, 70...Shaft part, 71...Stopper, 7
2... Valve portion, 80... Handle, 81... Support plate,
82...Through hole, 90...Bottom plate, 91...Liquid level sensor, 92...Washing water tank, P1...Vacuum pump, P2, P3...Discharge pump, S...Liquid level sensor, SV...Electromagnetic Valve, F...filter.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Plate mounting table 10 on which titration plate B is installed below dispensing head a mounted on machine body 1
is mounted so as to be movable left and right or front and back, and is arranged on the lower surface of the dispensing head a so as to be aligned with the upper surface of the titration plate B by joining it to the upper surface of the titration plate B. A sealing member 21 for sealing the upper open opening 30a of the hole 30 is installed, and a lower surface side of the sealing member 21 is provided at a portion facing the inner cavity of each hole 30 of the titration plate B.
The discharge port 25a of the discharge nozzle 25 and the suction port 26a of the suction nozzle 26 installed in the dispensing head a are respectively opened, and the seal is placed below the plate mounting table 10 by lowering the dispensing head a. A dispensing and dispensing device for a specimen collection device, etc., characterized in that it is equipped with a washing tank g in which the lower surface side of the member 21 is immersed in a washing liquid.