KR101645417B1 - Apparatus for controlling humidity for staining equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a humidity control apparatus for a dyeing apparatus having improved humidity control and humidity control performance. The apparatus for adjusting the humidity of a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a humidifying unit and a chamber unit. Here, the humidifier has a table on which the slide is placed on the upper surface, and a water storage unit provided below the table and containing water to be evaporated. The chamber portion has a fence provided to surround the outer periphery of the humidifying portion and a cover selectively opened and closed on the upper portion of the fence.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a humidity control apparatus for dyeing equipment,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a humidity control apparatus for a dyeing apparatus, and more particularly, to a humidity control apparatus for a dyeing apparatus having improved humidity control and humidity control performance.

Tissue biopsy is generally performed to clinically confirm the current status of patients with some cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. However, such a biopsy is difficult to repeatedly performed depending on time, cost, and condition of a patient, and there is a disadvantage that side effects may cause infection or bleeding.

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are a primary tumor tissue, a small number of tumor cells that move away from a primary carcinoma and circulate in the blood. According to statistics, about 90% of cancer patients are known to die from metastatic cancer.

Blood tumor cells range from one to several thousand per ml of blood, depending on the type of cancer, and recent advances in technology have made it possible to effectively isolate blood tumor cells.

For example, blood tumor cells can measure cell mobility in real time using fluorescence analysis, which can identify the causal relationship between cell changes and migration phenomena. In a device for performing cell staining, Precise humidity control is required.

However, in the conventional humidity control apparatus for dyeing equipment, the upper surface of the cartridge on which the cell-cultured slide is placed is formed into a flat flat plate shape. Therefore, the lower surface of the slide placed on the cartridge is in a completely close contact state with the upper surface of the cartridge. In such a configuration, when the slide is exposed to water vapor, the difference in temperature between the upper and lower surfaces of the slide becomes large, so that the time for lifting the cultured cells to the desired temperature range is increased.

In addition, a conventional humidity control device for dyeing equipment was installed in an open state on a dyeing machine, and water vapor was supplied by a spray method. Therefore, the supplied water vapor easily spreads to the outside of the region of the humidity control device, so that it is difficult to stably maintain the humidity in the humidity control region including the slide.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a humidity control apparatus for a dyeing apparatus having improved humidity control and humidity control performance.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling dyeing equipment for dyeing cells, comprising: a table on which a slide is placed; a water storage unit provided below the table and containing water to be evaporated; ; And a chamber portion having a fence provided to surround an outer periphery of the humidifying portion and a cover selectively positioned on the fence to open and close the humidifying portion, wherein the table is spaced apart along one direction, And a groove formed between the bed and through which a plurality of holes are formed so that water vapor can pass through the bed.

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In one embodiment of the present invention, the bed has a supporting end for supporting a side lower portion of the slide and a retaining jaw for restricting a side portion of the slide supported by the supporting end, and at an interval corresponding to the width of the slide And a locking protrusion for restricting one end of the slide that is seated on the seating protrusion.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the humidifier may further include a heater provided below the table and selectively generating heat to evaporate the water contained in the water storage unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the water storage unit includes: a receiving plate formed on an upper surface thereof with a receiving groove and a lower surface formed to be in surface contact with the upper surface of the heater; and a container detachably attached to the receiving groove, .

In one embodiment of the present invention, a heat dissipating member for dissipating the heat of the heater may be further provided on the upper surface of the heater.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the controller may further include a temperature sensor provided in the humidifier and a controller for controlling the operation of the heater by receiving temperature and humidity information measured by the humidity sensor.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover may further include a conveyance portion for reciprocally conveying the cover to open and close the upper portion of the humidification portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the conveyance unit may include a pair of support frames provided on one side of the humidifier unit in the direction of the humidifier unit, one side of the support frames being coupled to the support frame and the other side being coupled to the cover, A pair of guide rails for guiding reciprocating movement in the fence direction, and a power providing unit coupled to the guide rails and providing power for reciprocating the cover.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may further include a controller for controlling the operation of the transfer unit to move the cover to adjust the amount of opening and closing of the humidifying unit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the internal humidity of the chamber portion may be maintained at 50 to 70%.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, water vapor that has been moved to the bottom surface of the bed among the steam vapor upwardly moved through the holes of the groove can contact the lower surface of the slide placed on the seat projection. In addition, since some of the water vapor can come into contact with the upper surface of the slide, both the upper surface and the lower surface of the slide can come into contact with water vapor. Therefore, the temperature difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of the slide hardly occurs, and the time for lifting the cultured cells to the desired temperature range can be shortened.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the chamber portion has a fence provided to surround the outer surface of the humidifying portion, and a cover selectively positioned on the fence and capable of opening and closing the humidifying portion. Therefore, the chamber portion can be kept completely covered with the humidifying portion, so that the adjustment and maintenance of the required humidity can be made more stable and accurate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to adjust or maintain the humidity of the humidifier, the controller may control the operation of the heater, control the operation of the heat radiation member, or control the number and area of the reservoir . In addition, the control unit controls the operation of the power generating unit to move the cover, thereby further adjusting the opening and closing amount of the humidifying unit, thereby more quickly adjusting the humidity in the humidifying unit.

It should be understood that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects and include all effects that can be deduced from the detailed description of the present invention or the configuration of the invention described in the claims.

1 is a front view showing a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view of a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the humidifying part of the humidity control device for dyeing equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention is sealed by the chamber part.
4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the humidifying unit of the humidity controller for dyeing equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened.
5 is a sectional view taken along line AA in Fig.
6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of Fig.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of Fig.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are operation examples of a humidity controller for dyeing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected" . Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements, not excluding other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, the humidity control apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in a dyeing apparatus 10 for dyeing cells.

The dyeing apparatus 10 includes a dosage unit 20 for administering a reagent to the slide S that is seated on the humidity control apparatus 100 and a reagent and cells on the slide S that are seated on the humidity control apparatus 100 The cleaning unit 30 may further include a cleaning unit 30 for washing. The dyeing equipment 10 may further include a transfer unit 40 for reciprocating the dosing unit 20 and the cleaning unit 30 in the first direction and the second direction.

The humidity control device 100 may be provided on the base plate 50. The humidity controller 100 accommodates a plurality of slides S and is capable of effectively regulating and maintaining adequate humidity for cell culture on the slides S. [

Meanwhile, the slide S may be made of various materials including glass, resin, and the like. In addition, the slide S may include everything where the cells are laid. For example, the slide S may include not only a plate but also a structure having a holding, supporting and collecting function, a chip on which a cell is placed, etc., and the shape and size of the slide S may vary .

The dyeing in the dyeing equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used for dyeing nuclei, chromosomes, cytoplasm, blood cells, mitochondria, etc. of cells. In addition, only specific proteins within the characteristic organelles, cells or tissues may be stained. As the dyeing solution, acetic acid carmine, methylene blue, eosin, sapranin, etc. may be used, and the dyeing may include fluorescent dyeing.

Hereinafter, the humidity controller 100 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the humidifying unit of the humidity adjusting apparatus for dyeing equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention is sealed by the chamber unit, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the humidity adjusting apparatus for dyeing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of a humidity controller for a dyeing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 to 9, the humidity controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a humidifier 200 and a chamber 300.

The humidifying unit 200 may have a table 210 on which the slide S is placed and a water storage unit 270 in which water for supplying water vapor is received.

In addition, the humidifying unit 200 may further have a heater 240 selectively driven.

Here, the heater 240 may be a planar plate heater. The heater 240 may be provided on the mount 241 provided on the base plate 50 (see FIG. 1), and the mount 241 may prevent the heat of the heater 240 from being transmitted to the base plate .

A temperature sensor 255 may be provided below the heater 240 and a temperature sensor 255 may be provided on the upper surface of the mount 241. [

A support block 242 may be provided on the heater 240 and a support block 242 may be provided on each corner of the heater 240.

In addition, the support block 242 can be made of a material having a low heat transfer rate, whereby the heat of the heater 240 can be effectively prevented from being directly transferred to the table 210.

The table 210 may be provided on the upper portion of the support block 242 so that the table 210 may be positioned at a predetermined interval from the heater 240 on the upper side of the heater 240. Therefore, a space is formed between the table 210 and the heater 240, and the storage unit 270 can be inserted into the space.

The water storage unit 270 may have a support plate 271 and a container 275, and the support plate 271 may be formed in a flat plate shape.

The upper surface of the receiving plate 271 may be provided with a receiving groove 272 through which the container 275 receiving the water can be seated. A plurality of the seating grooves 272 can be formed, so that the plurality of containers 275 can be stably mounted on the receiving plate 271. [

Since the seating groove 272 is formed in a groove shape, the container 275 can be attached and detached, so that the operator can easily take out the container 275 from the receiving plate 271 and store or discard the water can do.

A handle 273 may be further provided on the backing plate 271 to allow the operator to grip the backing plate 271 so that the operation of inserting or removing the backing plate 271 into the space between the table 210 and the heater 240 is performed by the user Can be stably performed.

The distance between the table 210 and the heater 240 may be greater than the height of the container 271 in which the container 275 is seated and thus the distance between the table 210 and the heater 240 The water storage unit 270 can be freely inserted into or withdrawn from the space.

When the heater 240 is operated after the storage unit 270 is inserted into the space between the table 210 and the heater 240 and positioned on the upper surface of the heater 240, So that water vapor is generated in the vessel 275.

At this time, since the heater 240 is a flat plate-shaped plate heater and the support plate 271 is formed in a flat plate shape, the lower surface of the support plate 271 can be in surface contact with the upper surface of the heater 240. Therefore, the heat of the heater 240 can be efficiently transmitted to the receiving plate 271.

The support plate 271 and the container 275 may be made of a material having a high heat transfer rate so that the heat of the heater 240 can be transferred to the container well.

The table 210 may have a bed 220 and a groove 250.

The bed 220 may be formed on the upper surface of the table 210 so as to be spaced apart along one direction and have a plurality of slides S thereon.

Specifically, the beds 220 may be formed at predetermined intervals along the first direction. In addition, the grooves 250 may be formed to be long in the second direction between the respective beds 220.

The bed 220 may have a seating protrusion 221 and a locking projection 225.

The support protrusion 221 may have a support end 222 and a retaining protrusion 223 and the support end 222 may be formed to support the lower side of the slide S. [

The supporting end 222 may be formed to have a length substantially corresponding to the length of the slide S so that the slide S can be stably supported.

The seating protrusions 221 may have supporting ends 222 formed on both sides of the locking protrusions 223 depending on the positions formed on the bed 220 or may be provided with a supporting protrusion 222 formed on one side of the locking protrusions 223 As shown in FIG.

Further, the stopping jaw 223 may be stepped on the support end 222. The stopping jaw 223 may protrude in the longitudinal direction of the support end 222 to constrain the side portion of the slide S supported by the support end 222 so that the slide S is moved in the lateral direction It can be prevented from moving.

In addition, the seating projections 221 may be arranged at intervals corresponding to the width of the slides S. [ More specifically, a plurality of the seating projections 221 may be arranged along the second direction so that the interval between the engaging protrusions 223 corresponds to the width of the slide S.

The locking protrusions 225 may be formed at one side edge of the upper surface of the bed 220 in a direction (second direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the seating protrusions 221.

The locking protrusion 225 may be formed to have a height corresponding to the locking protrusion 223 of the locking protrusion 221 and the locking protrusion 225 may be formed at one end of the slider S You can arrest them. Accordingly, the three sides of the slide S placed on the bed 220 can be restrained and stably placed.

The grooves 250 may be formed between the beds 220.

The groove 250 may be formed at a height lower than the bottom surface 227 of the bed 220 and a plurality of holes 251 may be formed through the groove 250 along the longitudinal direction of the groove 250.

Accordingly, the water vapor generated in the water storage unit 270 can be moved to the upper side of the table 210 through the holes 251 formed in the grooves 250.

The water vapor moved to the bottom surface 227 of the bed 220 among the water vapor upwardly moved through the holes 251 of the groove 250 in the humidity control apparatus 100 according to the present invention is discharged to the slide (S). In addition, since some of the water vapor can come into contact with the upper surface of the slide (S), both the upper surface and the lower surface of the slide (S) can come into contact with water vapor. Therefore, the temperature difference between the upper surface and the lower surface of the slide hardly occurs, and the time for lifting the cultured cells to the desired temperature range can be shortened.

The bed 220 having the seating protrusions 221 and the locking protrusions 225 and the groove 250 can be formed by machining the upper surface of the table 210 to be engraved.

A heat sink 257 may be further provided on the upper surface of the heater 240 and the heat dissipating member 257 may function to lower the temperature by radiating heat of the heater 240. A plurality of heat dissipating members 257 may be provided.

Meanwhile, the chamber part 300 may have a fence 310 and a cover 320. Here, the fence 310 may be provided to surround the outer periphery of the humidifier 200.

The cover 320 may be selectively positioned on the top of the fence 310 to open and close the humidifier 200. When the cover 320 is positioned above the fence 310, the chamber 300 can cover the humidifier 200, thereby allowing the water vapor to be confined in the chamber 300. Thus, the adjustment and maintenance of the required humidity can be made more stable, accurate, and quick.

The fence 310 and the cover 320 may be made of a transparent material through which the inside of the chamber part 300 can be observed from the outside.

In order to adjust the humidity of the interior of the chamber 300, the humidity controller 100 for dyeing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a controller 500.

The humidifier 200 may further include a humidity sensor (not shown) together with a temperature sensor 255. The controller 500 may include a temperature sensor 255 and temperature and humidity information measured by the humidity sensor And the operation of the heater 240 can be controlled.

In the present invention, the internal humidity of the chamber part 300 is preferably maintained at 50 to 70%. To this end, the control unit 500 may control the heater 240 to selectively operate. For example, if the internal humidity of the chamber part 300 can be maintained at 50 to 70% by natural evaporation of water at room temperature, the control part 500 can control the heater 240 not to operate. However, when the internal humidity of the chamber part 300 can not be maintained at 50 to 70% by only natural evaporation of moisture at room temperature, the controller 500 can control the heater 240 to operate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one chamber 300 is provided, but two or more chambers may be provided. For example, two chambers are provided, each chamber having four cartridges, and each cartridge can be equipped with ten slides. In this case, one chamber portion may be a high temperature chamber and the other chamber portion may be a room temperature chamber. The high temperature chamber is a structure in which the inlet is closed after the cartridge enters the sliding state while the temperature and humidity are maintained, And the cover on the upper side of the high-temperature chamber slides and closes.

The apparatus for controlling humidity of dyeing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a transfer unit 400.

Here, the transfer unit 400 may reciprocally transfer the cover 320 so that the cover 320 opens and closes the upper portion of the humidifying unit 200.

The transfer unit 400 may have a support frame 410, a guide rail 420, and a power providing unit 430.

The support frame 410 may be provided on one side of the humidifier 200. The supporting frames 410 may be provided in pairs, and may be provided in the direction of the humidifier 200, that is, in the first direction.

The support frame 410 may have a first frame 411 coupled to the base plate 50 and a second frame 412 coupled to the first frame 411 and provided in the height direction. However, the first frame 411 and the second frame 412 may be integrally formed.

In addition, the guide rails 420 may be coupled to the respective support frames 410, and accordingly, the guide rails 420 may also be provided as a pair.

The guide rail 420 includes a first rail 421 coupled to the second frame 412, a second rail 422 coupled to a side surface of the cover 320, a first rail 421 coupled to the first rail 421, May have a rail bar 423 that is slidably coupled to the rail 422.

The first rail 421 and the second rail 422 may be symmetrical to each other and the rail bar 423 may be coupled between the first rail 421 and the second rail. The rail bar 423 can be slidably engaged with the first rail 421 while the first rail 421 is fixed to the second frame 412. Accordingly, 1 rail 421 in the longitudinal direction. The second rail 422 can be slidably engaged with the rail bar 423 so that the cover 320 coupled with the second rail 422 can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the rail bar 423 Can be reciprocated. The rail bar 423 can be coupled by the first rail 421 and the second rail 422 and the bearing 424.

Since the rail bar 423 and the second rail 422 can move independently in the state where the first rail 421 is fixed, the cover 320 can prevent the length of the first rail 421, It is possible to freely reciprocate within a length range equal to the length of the bar 423.

Further, the power providing unit 430 may be coupled to any one of the guide rails 420. The power providing unit 430 may have a power generating portion 431, a first bracket 432, and a second bracket 433.

The power generating unit 431 may be operated by hydraulic pressure, for example, an air cylinder operated by air pressure. The power generating portion 431 may be coupled to the second frame 412 by the first bracket 432. [

One end of the second bracket 433 may be coupled to the side of the cover 320 and the other end may be coupled to the rod 434 of the power generating unit 431.

8 (a) and 9 (a), when the rod 434 of the power generating portion 431 is advanced, the second bracket 433 moves forward together with the rod 434 The cover 320 can be moved forward. The forwardly moved cover 320 covers the upper portion of the fence 310 to seal the humidifying portion 200.

8 (b) and 9 (b), when the rod 434 of the power generating portion 431 is moved backward, the second bracket 433 is moved backward with the rod 434 The cover 320 can be moved backward while moving to open the humidifier 200.

This operation of the power generating section 431 can be controlled by the control section 500. [

The control unit 500 can control the operation of the power generating unit 431 and move the cover 320 to further adjust the opening and closing amount of the humidifying unit 200. [ In other words, the control unit 500 may control the operation of the power generating unit 431 to move the cover 320 so that the humidifier 200 can be completely opened, completely closed, or partially opened.

That is, the control unit 500 can control the operation of the heater 240 or control the operation of the heat radiation member 257 in order to adjust or maintain the humidity of the humidification unit 200, The humidity in the humidifier 200 can be adjusted more quickly by controlling the opening / closing degree of the humidifier 200.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be distributed and implemented, and components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

100: Leave humidity control
200: Humidifier
210: Table
220: Bed
240: heater
250: Groove
270: Water storage unit
300: chamber part
310: Fence
320: cover
400:
500:

Claims (11)

A humidity control device for a dyeing device for dyeing cells,
A humidifier having a table on which a slide is placed on an upper surface and a water storage unit provided on a lower side of the table and storing water to be evaporated; And
A fence provided to surround an outer periphery of the humidifying unit and a chamber selectively disposed on the fence and having a cover for opening and closing the humidifying unit,
The table includes:
A bed formed spaced apart along one direction and formed so that a plurality of slides are laid thereon; and a groove formed between the bed and through which a plurality of holes are passed to allow water vapor to pass therethrough.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The bed comprises:
A plurality of seating projections each having a supporting end for supporting a side lower portion of the slide and a retaining jaw for restraining a side portion of the slide supported by the supporting end and corresponding to the width of the slide;
And a locking protrusion for restricting one end of the slide that is seated on the seating protrusion.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the humidifier further comprises a heater provided below the table for selectively generating heat to evaporate the water contained in the water storage unit.
5. The method of claim 4,
The water storage unit includes:
A receiving plate formed on an upper surface thereof and having a bottom surface formed to be in surface contact with the upper surface of the heater,
And a container which is detachably attached to the mounting groove and accommodates water.
5. The method of claim 4,
And a heat dissipating member for radiating heat of the heater is further provided on the upper surface of the heater.
5. The method of claim 4,
And a controller for controlling the operation of the heater by receiving temperature and humidity information measured by a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor provided in the humidifying unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cover further comprises a conveying portion for reciprocatingly conveying the cover to open and close the upper portion of the humidifying portion.
9. The method of claim 8,
The transfer unit
A pair of supporting frames provided on one side of the humidifying unit in the direction of the humidifying unit,
A pair of guide rails coupled to the cover at one side and guiding the cover to reciprocate in the fence direction;
And a power supply unit coupled to the guide rail and providing power to reciprocate the cover.
9. The method of claim 8,
Further comprising a control unit for controlling the operation of the conveyance unit to move the cover to adjust an amount of opening and closing of the humidifying unit.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an internal humidity of the chamber portion is maintained at 50 to 70%.

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