WO2012111287A1

WO2012111287A1 - Specimen container and nozzle tip volume regulator

Info

Publication number: WO2012111287A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/000883
Authority: WO
Inventors: 俊一瀬戸
Original assignee: 富士フイルム株式会社
Priority date: 2011-02-14
Filing date: 2012-02-09
Publication date: 2012-08-23
Also published as: JP2012167991A

Abstract

[Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a specimen container capable of inexpensively and easily minimizing the residual sample inside the specimen container, while also ensuring sufficient capacity at the bottom of the specimen container. [Solution] Provided are: a container body (11) with a cylindrical shape; and a minute center accommodation part (12) that is provided in a recessed manner at the bottom center of the container body, and has a size that allows insertion of the proximal end of the nozzle tip that suctions the specimen.

Description

Sample container and nozzle tip volume adjuster

The present invention relates to a container for storing a small amount of liquid for sampling, and in particular, a sample container used for storing a small amount of sample and a nozzle for adjusting the volume in a nozzle chip for sucking the sample from the sample container for sampling. The present invention relates to a chip volume adjuster.

Generally, samples used for blood analysis, genes, and the like have a sampling amount for one reagent test as small as about 10 microliters, and it is necessary to manage the amount of the sample in a minute unit. However, since most of the conventional specimen containers have a cylindrical shape with a bottom that forms a gentle round bottom or a flat bottom with a much larger capacity for such a small sampling amount, As the sample is sequentially aspirated from the sample container to perform the test, the sample remains shallow in the sample container so as to cover the entire bottom surface, or in the case of a sample container having a flat bottom, the sample is the sample container It remains in the bottom corner. For this reason, for example, if a very small amount of sample of about 100 microliters remains in the recess of the sample container, the tip of the suction nozzle cannot be inserted into the sample to a sufficient depth during suction. It has been difficult to accurately suck a desired amount of liquid, for example, surrounding gas is sucked. In other words, even if the amount of specimen that can be used for the test is stored in the concave portion of the specimen container, the specimen that cannot be aspirated remains in the container. Usually, the remaining specimen is discarded, and the valuable specimen is wasted.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, the devices shown in

Patent Documents

1 and 2 have been devised. In Patent Document 1, the specimen container has a shape having a concave portion whose sectional area decreases toward the bottom, the tip of the suction nozzle has a shape whose outer sectional area decreases toward the tip, and There has been disclosed a liquid dispensing device that is configured to be inserted to the deepest part of a specimen container. According to such a liquid dispensing device, the recess depending on the minimum cross-sectional area of the deepest part of the concave part of the specimen container is sucked by inserting the opening at the tip of the suction nozzle to the deepest part of the concave part of the specimen container. The remaining amount of suction can be reduced.

In Patent Document 2, the specimen container is tilted and held, and the tip of the suction nozzle is aspirated along the inner surface of the specimen container, so that the specimen remaining in the corner portion on the bottom is aspirated. An apparatus capable of reducing the residue is disclosed.

On the other hand, when a small amount of sample is sucked into a nozzle tip that is detachably attached to the tip of the suction nozzle, and a desired amount of the sucked sample is ejected, the temperature and humidity in the nozzle tip cause a space in the nozzle tip. As the sample evaporates, the gas in the nozzle tip increases, and the amount of the sample that is actually ejected is larger than the desired amount of the sample, causing a problem that an accurate amount of the sample cannot be ejected. For this reason, in general, a small amount of sample is aspirated and discharged by preparing a dedicated nozzle chip for a small amount of sample.

JP 2003-149093 A JP 2003-302411 A

However, as described in Patent Document 1, in the case where the sample container has a shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as the shape of the entire bottom portion moves toward the bottom portion, the cross-sectional area increases as the edge portion of the bottom portion also moves toward the bottom portion. Due to the decreasing shape, a sufficient capacity could not be secured in the periphery of the bottom. Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 1, not only the shape of the sample container but also the shape of the tip of the suction nozzle is such that the outer cross-sectional area decreases as it goes toward the tip, and the deepest portion of the sample container In the case of a shape that can be inserted up to, it is necessary to manufacture both the specimen container and the tip of the suction nozzle, so that it could not be manufactured at low cost.

In addition, as in Patent Document 2, when a device is provided with a mechanism that tilts and holds the sample container in the device itself and drives the suction nozzle along the tilted sample container, a complicated mechanism is newly added to the device. Therefore, the burden on the economy and time for setting up a new device was large.

In addition, in order to prepare a dedicated nozzle chip for the problem that the amount of the sample to be discharged is smaller than the amount of the aspirated sample when a small amount of sample is aspirated and discharged, the frequency of handling a small amount of sample is low. Even in this case, it is necessary to manufacture a dedicated nozzle tip, which is expensive to manufacture.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a sample container capable of suppressing a residual sample in a sample container to a small amount easily and inexpensively while ensuring a sufficient capacity at the bottom of the sample container. Is. Another object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle tip volume adjuster capable of minimizing the amount of a sample present as a gas in the suction nozzle.

A specimen container according to the first invention of the present application includes a cylindrical container body, a central container provided in a concave shape at the center of the bottom surface of the container body, and a size capable of inserting a tip of a nozzle tip for sucking the specimen. It is characterized by comprising.

Here, “cylindrical” includes any shape as long as it has a cylindrical shape, and includes, for example, a polygonal column shape such as a cylinder or a truncated cone shape. In addition, the bottom surface of the cylindrical container main body is uneven if the amount of the specimen stored in the container main body is formed so that the remaining specimen gathers in the central housing section by gravity when the amount is reduced by aspiration. Or a slope. The “bottom center” where the central container is provided in the container main body is disposed at a position where the nozzle tip is inserted when the sample container is disposed at the suction position of a device using a sample container such as a spotting device. As long as it is a position, it may be any position near the center of the cylindrical container body.

The central container portion of the sample container according to the first invention of the present application is a suction of a nozzle chip that aspirates the sample in a state in which a sample of an amount of which there is a fear of remaining in a general-purpose sample container, for example, about 100 μl of the sample is stored in the sample container. Any depth may be used as long as the necessary depth is secured.

Further, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application is preferably provided with a locking portion for locking to the upper edge of the other sample container at the upper edge of the container body.

Such a locking portion includes any shape that can be locked to the upper edge of another sample container. For example, the locking portion may have a flange shape, or a protruding shape provided at a position to be locked to the upper edge of the sample container. May be.

Further, when the locking portion is provided as described above, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application has a shape in which the outer peripheral portion of the container main body is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the other sample container. Is preferred.

Further, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application is provided with a convex portion having a height of 1.0 mm or less at a position where the central accommodating portion comes into contact with the tip of the nozzle tip for inhaling the specimen in the central accommodating portion. It may be.

The height of the convex portion can be designed to a different height as long as a sufficient depth is maintained in the central housing portion for suction by the nozzle tip. One or a plurality of convex portions may be provided, and any shape may be used as long as it forms a gap through which the sample to be sucked passes between the tip of the nozzle tip and the bottom surface of the sample container.

In the sample container according to the first invention of the present application, the central container preferably has a volume of 150 microliters or less, more preferably a volume of 125 microliters or less, and still more preferably 100 The volume is preferably microliter or less.

In the above case, the inner diameter of the upper opening of the central housing portion may be approximately 4 to 5 millimeters.

In addition, the nozzle tip volume adjuster according to the second invention of the present application is disposed in a nozzle tip that is detachably attached to the tip of a suction nozzle that sucks a small amount of liquid specimen, and occupies most of the volume in the nozzle tip. A plug body, the plug body including a vent passage through which gas passes from the nozzle side to the tip of the nozzle chip in a state where the plug body is disposed in the nozzle chip. It is.

Here, the “large portion of the volume in the nozzle tip” means at least a half or more of the volume in the nozzle tip.

In addition, the air passage can be of any size as long as it allows gas to pass from the nozzle side to the tip of the nozzle tip and allows the nozzle tip capacity to be reduced as desired. Any number of shapes and shapes can be provided.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body according to the second invention of the present application, the plug body preferably has a volume of 70% or more of the volume in the nozzle tip.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body according to the second invention of the present application, the plug body may have any shape as long as it can be arranged in the nozzle tip, but is in a shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip. For example, if the inner wall of the nozzle tip is a substantially truncated cone, the plug body preferably has a substantially truncated cone shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip, and the inner wall of the nozzle tip has a polygonal column shape. If it is, it is preferable that it is the substantially polygonal column shape along this polygonal column shape.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjuster according to the second invention of the present application, the air passage may be formed by unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the stopper. For example, it is conceivable to form a groove by a recess provided on the outer periphery of the plug.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjuster according to the second invention of the present application, the vent path may be a through hole provided inside the stopper.

A specimen container according to the first invention of the present application includes a cylindrical container body, a central container provided in a concave shape at the center of the bottom surface of the container body, and a size capable of inserting a tip of a nozzle tip for sucking the specimen. When the specimen container contains a sample exceeding the capacity of the central container, a sufficient capacity is secured in the cylindrical container body, and the specimen is less than the capacity of the central container. Since the sample can be concentrated in the capacity of the central container, the sample can be concentrated in the central container even if a small amount of sample remains in the sample container. A depth sufficient for suction can be ensured. That is, it is possible to keep a small amount of the residual sample in the sample container with a simple structure while ensuring a sufficient capacity at the bottom of the sample container. Further, there is no need to change other existing devices such as nozzle tips and the products used for the devices, and it is only necessary to manufacture only the sample container, which is cost-effective.

In addition, if the sample container according to the first invention of the present application is provided with a locking portion for locking to the upper edge of another sample container at the upper edge of the container body, a general-purpose sample container is arranged in an existing apparatus. The aspirating operation can be performed by locking the sample container of the first invention of the present application to a general-purpose sample container. That is, by using another sample container as a support for the sample container of the first invention of the present application, it is possible to perform the aspiration operation without changing the existing apparatus, and it is not necessary to set up a new apparatus. High cost.

Further, when the locking portion is provided as described above, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application has a shape in which the outer peripheral portion of the container body is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of another sample container. Since the locking portion can be more stably locked to the upper edge of the other sample container and the central housing portion can be stably positioned at a predetermined position, the suction operation can be performed satisfactorily.

Further, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application is provided with a convex portion having a height of 1.0 millimeter or less at a position where the central accommodating portion comes into contact with the tip of the nozzle tip for inhaling the specimen in the central accommodating portion. In this case, the tip of the nozzle tip abuts against the bottom surface of the sample container and the suction path of the nozzle tip is not blocked, and the suction operation can be performed satisfactorily.

In addition, the sample container according to the first invention of the present application cannot be inhaled satisfactorily with respect to the suction nozzle when a general-purpose sample container is used when the central container has a volume of 150 microliters or less. Since the volume of the sample to be stored is approximately equal to the volume of the central container, when using a general-purpose sample container, it is possible to perform the suction work well with respect to the volume of the sample that remains without being sucked into the nozzle tip. It can be carried out.

Further, in the above case, when the inner diameter of the upper opening of the central housing portion is about 4 to 5 millimeters, it has an inner diameter that can be sufficiently inserted into a general-purpose nozzle tip. It can be carried out.

In addition, the nozzle tip volume adjuster according to the second invention of the present application is a stopper that is arranged in a nozzle tip that is detachably attached to the tip of a suction nozzle that sucks a small amount of liquid specimen and occupies most of the volume in the nozzle tip. Therefore, the volume in the nozzle tip can be easily reduced simply by placing the nozzle tip volume adjusting body in the nozzle tip, and the influence on the discharge liquid volume due to evaporation of the sample in the nozzle tip. Can be suppressed. As a result, a very small amount of sample can be aspirated and discharged with high accuracy.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjuster according to the second invention of the present application, when the stopper is a volume of 70% or more of the volume in the nozzle tip, the space in which the aspirated specimen volatilizes can be further reduced. The amount of the specimen existing as gas in the suction nozzle can be further suppressed.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body according to the second invention of the present application, when the stopper has a substantially truncated cone shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip, the nozzle tip can be stably positioned in the nozzle tip and along the inner wall of the nozzle tip. Thus, the volume in the nozzle tip can be effectively reduced, and the amount of the specimen existing as gas in the suction nozzle can be suppressed.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body according to the second invention of the present application, when the ventilation path is formed by the unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the stopper, the suction path can be formed with a simple structure and easy to manufacture. It is.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body according to the second invention of the present application, the air passage may be a through hole provided in the plug body. The suction path can be defined with a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

Schematic mechanism diagram showing a spotting mechanism of an analyzer for using a sample container according to an embodiment of the present invention Front view and AA sectional view of the sample container used in the present embodiment Example of use of sample container in this embodiment Modified example of the sample container in the present embodiment Modified example of the sample container in the present embodiment Nozzle tip volume adjuster plan view and side view in this embodiment Nozzle cross-sectional view for explaining how to use the nozzle tip volume adjuster in the present embodiment The top view and side view of the nozzle tip volume adjustment body in the modification of this embodiment

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, for easy visual recognition, the scale of each component in the drawings is appropriately changed from the actual one.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a spotting mechanism 100 in which the sample container 1 and the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of each embodiment described in the present specification are used, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of the sample container 1 of the present embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are a front view and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA. FIG.

A spotting mechanism 100 in the analyzer shown in FIG. 1 performs suction and discharge of a liquid. A suction nozzle 2 and a pipette-like nozzle tip that is detachably attached to the tip of the suction nozzle 2 and accommodates the liquid. 3. At the center of the suction nozzle 2, there is an air passage 2a that penetrates in the axial direction and opens at the tip, and an air circuit (not shown) from the suction / discharge pump 4 is connected to the air passage 2a. FIG. 1 shows a part of the nozzle 2 in a cross-sectional view for explanation.

The control unit 20 sends a drive signal to the pump drive unit 21 to control the suction / discharge pump 4 and creates a drive signal for moving the nozzle up and down and laterally in the nozzle drive unit 22 to move the moving unit 22a. To control. In addition, information for specifying the sample container is input to the control unit 20. Then, an operation amount (motor drive amount) of a piston member (not shown) corresponding to the input type of the sample container, the amount of liquid sucked into the nozzle tip 3 and the amount of liquid discharged from the nozzle tip 3 is set. A drive signal is output.

The suction / discharge pump 4 is a syringe pump or the like that generates a negative pressure and a positive pressure with little pulsation change, and is driven by a pump drive unit (motor) 21. In the case of the suction / discharge pump 4 using the illustrated syringe pump, a negative pressure (suction pressure) and a positive pressure (discharge pressure) are moved by moving a piston member (not shown) according to the forward or reverse drive of the motor in the pump drive unit 21. The generated pressure is introduced into the inside of the nozzle tip 3 by the air circuit 5 through the air passage 2 a inside the suction nozzle 2.

Further, the suction nozzle 2 is attached so as to be vertically movable and laterally movable by an elevating mechanism and a laterally moving mechanism of the moving part 22a, and the operation of the vertically moving and laterally moving is controlled by the nozzle driving part 22. The suction nozzle 2 is provided, for example, so as to suck the sample 8 from the sample container 1 and spot a predetermined amount on the dry analysis element 10 when spotting the dry analysis element 10. In the spotting to the dry analysis element 10, the same specimen 8 is successively spotted sequentially using one nozzle chip 3 for a plurality of dry analysis elements 10.

The nozzle tip 3 has a pipette shape as a whole, and has a tip opening 3a for sucking and discharging liquid at the lower end, and the liquid is accommodated in a volume portion connected to the opening 3a. The upper part of the nozzle tip 3 is closely fitted to the tip of the suction nozzle 2, and the tip is inserted by the downward movement of the suction nozzle 2, and the nozzle tip 3 is attached to the suction nozzle 2 by the fitting force. Is done. The pressure of the air passage 2a is introduced into the nozzle chip 3 by the fitting of the nozzle chip 3 and the suction nozzle 2, the liquid is sucked into the nozzle chip 3 by the suction pressure, and the liquid in the nozzle chip 3 is discharged by the discharge pressure. To do. The used nozzle tip 3 is removed after being disengaged. Although details will be described later, the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 of the present invention is used by being disposed in the nozzle tip 3.

2 and 3A, the sample container 1 of the present embodiment set in the spotting device will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sample container 1 according to the present embodiment is provided in a concave shape in the center of a cylindrical container body 11 (hereinafter, cylindrical container body 11) and a bottom surface 15 of the container body, and aspirates the sample. And a central housing portion 12 having a size that allows the tip of the nozzle tip 3 to be inserted.

In the present embodiment, the cylindrical container body 11 has a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to this, and may be any shape as long as it has a bottom surface 15. It may be trapezoidal. Further, the bottom surface 15 of the cylindrical container body 11 is formed such that when the amount of the sample stored in the cylindrical container body 11 is reduced by aspiration, the remaining sample is collected in the central storage unit 12 by gravity. . The bottom surface 15 of the cylindrical container body 11 is formed so that when the amount of the sample stored in the cylindrical container body 11 is reduced by aspiration, the remaining sample is collected in the central storage unit 12 by gravity. For example, the bottom surface may be provided with unevenness or inclination.

The capacity of the cylindrical container body 11 may be designed to be suitable for the purpose of measurement and the device configuration. Here, the capacity of the cylindrical container body 11 is set to 500 μl or less, which is smaller than 5 to 10 ml of a general vacuum blood collection tube used for accommodating a specimen.

The “bottom center” where the central housing portion 12 is provided in the cylindrical container body 11 is inserted into the nozzle tip 3 when the sample container 1 is placed at the suction position of a device that uses the sample container 1 such as a spotting device. Any position in the vicinity of the center of the cylindrical container body 11 may be used as long as it is a position to be disposed at the position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the center accommodating portion 12 in the present embodiment has a truncated cone shape. Without being limited to the present embodiment, the central housing portion 12 may be formed in any shape as long as it has a concave shape in which the depth into which the nozzle chip 3 for sucking the specimen can be inserted is secured. Preferably, in order to maintain a satisfactory depth at which the nozzle tip 3 can be inserted even with a small amount of specimen, the central housing portion 12 is preferably elongated in the depth direction. Further, in order to concentrate the specimen at the lowermost part of the central housing part 12, the vicinity of the bottom surface of the central housing part 12 is preferably in a shape having an inclination that decreases toward the lowermost part of the central housing part 12. For example, a shape that is elongated in the depth direction, such as a cone, a truncated cone, a cylinder, or a shape that forms a paraboloid of revolution, is preferable. A shape that forms a cone, a truncated cone, a hemisphere, or a paraboloid of revolution, etc., having a lower slope is preferred.

Further, it is preferable that the capacity of the central accommodating portion 12 is set to be equal to or less than the capacity of the sample remaining in the general-purpose sample container 1. In this embodiment, the capacity of the central housing portion 12 is 150 μl. Further, the inner diameter 12b of the upper opening of the central housing portion 12 is approximately 4 to 5 mm, and the depth 12a is 10-15 mm. The capacity of the central housing portion 12 is more preferably 125 μl, and more preferably 100 μl. It should be noted that the upper opening of the central housing portion 12 has an appropriate margin with respect to the size in which the nozzle tip can be inserted according to the positioning accuracy of the nozzle tip of the apparatus using the specimen container 1 when the specimen is aspirated. Is preferred.

Further, in the present embodiment, the bottom area of the central housing portion 12 is 30% or less of the bottom area of the cylindrical container body 11. Here, the central container 12 maintains the depth at which the nozzle tip 3 can be inserted even if it is a very small amount of specimen. It is preferable that the capacity of the central accommodating portion 12 is relatively small with respect to the capacity. For this reason, it is preferable that the area of the opening of the central housing portion is 30% or less, more preferably 20% or less, and even more preferably 10% or less with respect to the bottom area of the cylindrical container body 11.

In addition, the central container 12 is secured to a depth that allows the nozzle tip 3 for sucking the sample to be inserted in a state in which the amount of sample that is likely to remain in the general-purpose sample container 1 is stored in the sample container 1. Any depth is acceptable.

In this embodiment, the upper edge of the cylindrical container body 11 is provided with a locking portion 13 that locks to the upper edge of another sample container 7. The locking portion 13 has a flange shape, and the flange portion is provided with a width that can be locked to the upper edge of a general vacuum blood collection tube having a capacity of 5 to 10 ml used for accommodating a specimen.

The engaging portion 13 may have any shape as long as it can be engaged with the upper edge of another sample container 7. For example, the protrusion shape provided in the position latched on the upper edge of the sample container 1 may be sufficient.

Further, the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container body 11 in the present embodiment is provided in a shape that fits to the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the above-described general 5 to 10 ml vacuum blood collection tube. As shown in FIG. 3A, in the cylindrical container of the present embodiment, the locking portion 13 is locked to the upper edge of the vacuum blood collection tube, and the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container body 11 is placed inside the upper end of the vacuum blood collection tube. It can be placed on the upper end of the vacuum blood collection tube by fitting it to the peripheral surface. Since the sample container 1 is arranged at the upper end of the vacuum blood collection tube mounted on the above-described spotting device, the suction nozzle 2 operates in the normal suction operation in the case of the vacuum blood collection tube except that the vertical movement distance is different. Is almost the same. That is, the nozzle chip 3 is inserted into the central housing portion 12 to a depth necessary for aspiration, and the specimen housed in the central housing portion 12 is aspirated.

The specimen container 1 in the present invention is manufactured by molding a synthetic resin. Any material can be used as the material of the specimen container 1 as long as it can produce a general-purpose specimen container 1 such as glass or synthetic resin. The method is applicable.

FIG. 4 is a view of a modification of the sample container 1 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the central container 12 by the sample container 1 of the present embodiment has a height of 1.0 mm or less at a position in contact with the tip of the nozzle chip 3 for inhaling the sample in the central container 12. A convex portion 14 may be provided. The example of FIG. 4 shows an example in which 2-3 protrusions having a height of 0.5 mm are provided. However, the height of the convex portion 14 is not only 0.5 mm, but also 1.0 mm, 0.8 mm, and 0.6 mm as long as the depth sufficient for the suction by the nozzle tip 3 is maintained in the central housing portion 12. , 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.2 mm, and can be arbitrarily designed at different heights of 1.0 mm or less. One or a plurality of convex portions 14 may be provided, and any shape that forms a gap through which the sample to be sucked passes between the tip of the nozzle tip 3 and the bottom surface of the sample container 1 may be used.

Next, the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 according to the present embodiment set in the analyzer will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a plan view and a side view of the nozzle tip volume adjusting body in the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle tip and the like for explaining how to use the nozzle tip volume adjusting body in the present embodiment. 7 is a plan view and a side view of a modified example of the nozzle tip volume adjusting body.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 according to the present embodiment is arranged in a nozzle tip 3 that is detachably attached to the tip of a suction nozzle that sucks a small amount of liquid specimen. The plug 6a occupies most of the internal volume, and the plug 6a allows the gas to pass from the nozzle side to the tip of the nozzle chip 3 with the plug 6a disposed in the nozzle chip 3. With. Note that “the majority of the volume in the nozzle tip” means at least a half of the volume in the nozzle tip. As shown in FIG. 6, the suction / discharge pressure of the nozzle 2 includes the air passage 2 a, the space 3 c between the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 and the nozzle tip, the air passage 6 b, the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 and the nozzle tip 3. It is transmitted to the tip 3a of the nozzle tip via the space 3b between the tip.

Further, the plug body 6a according to the present embodiment has a volume of 70% of the volume in the nozzle tip 3. The plug body 6a is preferably designed appropriately according to the volume of the nozzle tip 3 and the amount of the sample to be sucked, and is at least 50% or more of the volume inside the nozzle tip 3 and 70% or more. It is preferable that the volume is 80% or more, and the volume may be larger as long as the space for the aspirated specimen can be secured.

As shown in FIG. 6, the plug body 6 a according to the present embodiment has a substantially truncated cone shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip 3. That is, the outer periphery of the plug body 6a is configured to form a truncated cone having substantially the same size as the truncated cone formed by the inner wall of the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip 3 of the present embodiment has a substantially conical shape with an inner diameter of 0.5 mm at the tip, an outer diameter of 1 mm, an inner diameter of 5 mm at the opposite end of the tip, an outer diameter of 7 mm, and a length of 35 mm. 150 μl. In order to cope with this, the plug body 6a of the present embodiment has a diameter of 2 to 3 mm of the end surface 6d on the tip side of the nozzle tip of the plug body 6a, and has a cross-sectional area that matches the shape of the inner wall of the plug body 6a. The shape increases toward the nozzle side.

The plug body 6a may have any shape as long as the plug body 6a can be disposed in the nozzle tip 3. Moreover, it is preferable that the plug body 6a has a shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip 3. If the inner wall of the nozzle tip 3 has a polygonal column shape, the plug body 6a preferably has a substantially polygonal column shape along the polygonal column shape. .

The air passage 6b can be of any size as long as it allows gas to pass from the nozzle 2 side to the tip of the nozzle tip 3 so that the suction discharge pressure can be conducted and the capacity of the nozzle tip 3 can be reduced by a desired capacity. Any number of shapes and shapes can be provided.

Further, in the present embodiment, the air passage 6b is formed by unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the plug body 6a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the air passage 6b is formed in a groove shape by a recess provided on the outer periphery of the plug body 6a. In the present embodiment, the air passage 6b is provided so as to have a semicircular shape of about 0.3 mm in the radial direction of the nozzle tip when attached to the nozzle tip in a cross section orthogonal to the suction direction of the plug body 6a. It has been. For example, the air passage 6b may be a through hole provided inside the plug body 6a. As a modification of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the width of the groove of the recess provided on the outer periphery of the plug body 6a. May be provided larger than the width of the groove of the present embodiment. In other words, a protruding portion 6c may be provided on the outer periphery of the plug body 6a, and a gap may be formed between the plug body 6a and the nozzle chip 3, and this may be used as the air passage 6b. The gap between the plug 6a and the nozzle tip 3 acts as an air passage such as 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.2 mm in the radial direction of the nozzle tip when mounted on the nozzle tip, for example. Any size can be set as long as possible.

Hereinafter, the operation of the sample container 1 and the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 in this embodiment will be described.

According to the present embodiment, when the specimen container 1 contains a specimen exceeding the capacity of the central accommodation section 12, a sufficient capacity is ensured in the cylindrical vessel body and the specimen container 1 contains the specimen. As long as the sample can be concentrated in the central housing portion 12, even if a small amount of sample remains in the sample container 1, the sample container 1 is provided with a concave shape in the depth direction on the bottom surface. In the central accommodating portion 12, a depth that can be satisfactorily sucked by the nozzle tip 3 can be secured. That is, it is possible to keep a small amount of the residual sample in the sample container 1 with a simple structure while ensuring a sufficient capacity at the bottom of the sample container 1. Further, there is no need to change other existing devices such as nozzle tips and the products used for the devices, and it is only necessary to manufacture only the sample container, which is cost-effective.

Moreover, since the central accommodating part 12 by this embodiment is the truncated cone shape elongate in the depth direction, the depth which can insert the nozzle chip 3 is favorably maintained even if it is a trace amount specimen. be able to. Further, since the vicinity of the bottom surface of the central housing portion 12 has a truncated cone shape having a slope that decreases toward the lowermost portion of the central housing portion 12, the specimen can be suitably concentrated on the lowermost portion of the central housing portion 12, The depth at which the nozzle tip 3 can be inserted can be maintained better.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the central container 12 has a volume of 150 microliters or less, the sample that cannot be satisfactorily sucked into the suction nozzle and remains when the general-purpose sample container 1 is used. The volume of the central container 12 and the volume of the central housing portion 12 are substantially equal, and when the general-purpose sample container 1 is used, the suction operation can be satisfactorily performed with respect to the volume of the sample that cannot be satisfactorily sucked into the nozzle tip 3 and remains. It can be carried out.

Further, when the inner diameter of the upper opening of the central housing portion 12 is approximately 4 to 5 millimeters, the suction can be satisfactorily performed because the inner diameter is sufficiently insertable into the general-purpose nozzle tip 3. .

Moreover, since the area of the opening part of a center accommodating part is 30% or less with respect to the bottom area of the cylindrical container main body 11, the center accommodating part 12 by this embodiment is with respect to the capacity | capacitance of the cylindrical container main body 11. The capacity of the central accommodating portion 12 can be made relatively small, and the depth at which the nozzle tip 3 can be inserted can be maintained well even with a very small amount of sample.

In addition, the sample container 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a locking portion 13 that is locked to the upper edge of another sample container 7 at the upper edge of the cylindrical container main body 11, so that it is widely used in existing apparatuses. The sample container 1 is arranged, and the sample container 1 of the first invention of the present application is engaged with the general-purpose sample container 1 to perform the aspiration work. That is, by using another sample container 7 as a support for the sample container 1 of the first invention of the present application, the aspirating operation can be performed without changing the existing apparatus, and there is no need to install a new apparatus. Therefore, cost saving is high.

In addition, when the sample container 1 having the locking portion 13 as described above includes the locking portion 13 that locks the upper edge of another sample container 7, first, When the sample container 7 is set and a spotting operation is performed and the sample is reduced to an amount that cannot be aspirated by another sample container 7, the sample remaining in the other sample container 7 is transferred to the sample container 1 of the present invention by a syringe or the like. Instead, a method of using such as aspirating the remaining specimen can be considered. As a result, the sample container 1 provided with the locking portion 13 can be used in other environments depending on the type of specimen, the purpose of the test, and the like in a usage environment where the other sample containers 7 are frequently used. The sample container 7 and the sample container 1 of the present invention can be used flexibly.

Furthermore, since the outer peripheral part of the cylindrical container body 11 is shaped to fit the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the other sample container 7, the locking part 13 is more stably attached to the upper edge of the other sample container 7. Since it can be locked and the central housing portion 12 can be stably positioned at a predetermined position where the nozzle tip 3 is inserted, the suction operation can be performed satisfactorily.

Further, as a modification of the sample container 1 in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container main body 11 is arranged on the inner edge of each other sample container with respect to a plurality of types of other sample containers having different inner diameters. You may provide in the shape fitted to a surrounding surface. In FIG. 3B, the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container body 11 is provided in a shape that fits the inner peripheral surface of the upper edge of each of the other sample containers with respect to two other types of sample containers having different inner diameters. It is a figure showing an example. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the outer peripheral portion 11A of the cylindrical container body 11 is a sample container for both of two types of general-purpose sample containers whose inner diameters of the other sample containers are 12 mm and 15 mm, respectively. May be provided in a shape that fits into a sample container having an inner diameter of 15 mm, and the outer peripheral portion 11B may be provided in a shape that fits in a sample container having an inner diameter of 12 mm at the upper end of the sample container. In the modified example of the sample container 1 shown in FIG. 3B, when the other sample container 7 whose upper end has an inner diameter of 12 mm and the outer peripheral part 11B are fitted, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral part 11B of the cylindrical container body 11 is larger than the outer diameter. The upper portion of the cylindrical container body 11 having a diameter functions as the locking portion 13. Further, the flange portion provided on the upper edge of the cylindrical container body 11 functions as the locking portion 13 when the outer peripheral portion 11A is fitted to another sample container having an inner diameter of 15 mm at the upper end.

As described above, the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical container body 11 is provided in a shape that fits to the inner peripheral surface of the upper edge of each of the other sample containers with respect to a plurality of types of other sample containers having different inner diameters. In this case, since the sample container 1 can be stably locked to each of the upper edges of a plurality of sample containers having different inner diameters with a simple structure, the versatility of the sample container is excellent and the cost is reduced. high.

As shown in FIG. 4, the central container 12 by the sample container 1 of the present embodiment has a height of 1.0 mm or less at a position where it abuts on the tip of the nozzle chip 3 for inhaling the sample in the central container 12. When the convex portion 14 is provided, the tip of the nozzle tip 3 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the sample container 1 and the suction path of the nozzle tip 3 is not blocked, and the suction operation can be performed satisfactorily. .

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 is disposed in the nozzle tip 3 that is detachably attached to the tip of a suction nozzle that sucks a small amount of liquid specimen, and has a volume within the nozzle tip 3. Since it consists of the plug body 6a that occupies most, the volume in the nozzle tip 3 can be easily reduced simply by disposing the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 in the nozzle tip 3, and the specimen evaporates in the nozzle tip. It is possible to suppress the influence on the discharge liquid amount due to the operation. As a result, a very small amount of sample can be aspirated and discharged with high accuracy.

Further, since the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 has a volume of 70% or more of the volume in the nozzle tip, the space for volatilizing the sample to be sucked can be further reduced, The amount of the specimen existing as a gas can be further suppressed.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of the present embodiment, since the plug body 6a has a substantially truncated cone shape along the inner wall of the nozzle tip 3, it can be positioned stably in the nozzle tip 3 and the inner wall of the nozzle tip 3 can be positioned. As a result, the volume in the nozzle tip 3 can be effectively reduced, and the amount of the specimen existing as a gas in the suction nozzle can be suppressed. Further, since the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of the present embodiment has a substantially truncated cone shape, the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 can be applied to the nozzle tip 3 having a substantially truncated cone shape having a different size within a range in which the capacity in the nozzle tip 3 can be reduced by a desired amount. It is. In other words, since the nozzle tip volume adjuster 6 that can be inserted into the nozzle tip 3 having such a different size is more versatile than the dedicated nozzle tip, the frequency of requests for reducing the capacity in the nozzle tip is low. For example, it is possible to save the cost and labor of manufacturing or purchasing a dedicated nozzle tip at a high price.

Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of the present embodiment, since the air passage 6b is formed by the unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the plug body 6a, the suction path can be defined with a simple structure and easy to manufacture. It is. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, when the air passage 6b is provided in a groove shape on the outer peripheral surface, the air passage 6b is easier to manufacture than the case where the air passage 6b is a penetrating work, further reducing the manufacturing cost. Can be provided. Further, in the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of the present embodiment, even when the air passage 6b is a through-hole provided inside the plug body 6a, the suction passage can be defined with a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

The sample container 1 and the nozzle tip volume adjusting body 6 of the present invention can be effectively applied to various devices such as a dispensing device, as long as each device sucks the sample with the nozzle tip.

Each embodiment and modification of this specification shall include arbitrary combinations and various modifications without departing from the essence of the present invention.

Claims

A cylindrical container body;
A sample container comprising: a central housing portion provided in a concave shape in the center of the bottom surface of the container main body, and having a size capable of inserting a tip of a nozzle chip for sucking the sample.
2. The specimen container according to claim 1, further comprising an engaging portion that engages with an upper edge of another specimen container at an upper edge of the container body.
3. The specimen container according to claim 2, wherein the outer peripheral part of the container main body has a shape fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of the other specimen container.
The central container is provided with a convex part having a height of 1.0 mm or less at a position in contact with the tip of a nozzle chip for inhaling a sample in the central container. The specimen container according to claim 1.
The specimen container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the central container has a volume of 150 microliters or less.
6. The specimen container according to claim 5, wherein an inner diameter of the upper opening of the central housing portion is approximately 4 to 5 millimeters.
A stopper that occupies most of the volume in the nozzle tip, which is disposed in a nozzle tip that is detachably attached to the tip of a suction nozzle that sucks a small amount of liquid specimen,
The nozzle tip volume adjuster according to claim 1, wherein the stopper includes an air passage through which gas passes from the nozzle side to the tip of the nozzle tip in a state where the stopper is disposed in the nozzle tip.
The nozzle tip volume adjuster according to claim 7, wherein the plug has a volume of 70% or more of the volume in the nozzle tip.
The nozzle tip volume adjuster according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the stopper has a substantially truncated cone shape along an inner wall of the nozzle tip.
The nozzle tip volume adjuster according to claim 9, wherein the air passage is formed by unevenness provided on an outer periphery of the stopper.
10. The nozzle tip volume adjuster according to claim 9, wherein the air passage is a through hole provided in the stopper.