WO2014163120A1

WO2014163120A1 - Cap for reagent bottle, and reagent container

Info

Publication number: WO2014163120A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/059777
Authority: WO
Inventors: 陽介村瀬; 弘和村主
Original assignee: 協和メデックス株式会社
Priority date: 2013-04-05
Filing date: 2014-04-02
Publication date: 2014-10-09
Also published as: JP2014211437A; JP6294735B2

Abstract

Provided are a cap for a reagent bottle, and a reagent container, which are each have a function of closing slits which enable an extraction member to press and open an inner lid and to be inserted into the bottle. A cap for a reagent bottle is provided with: an outer lid (20) having an opening (28) formed at the radial center thereof, and a circular plate-like inner lid (30) formed from an elastic member and sealing the opening (68) of the reagent bottle (60) when mounted to the mouth (62) of the reagent bottle (60). The inner lid (30) is provided with a peripheral edge (32) and a shutter (36) which is divided by slits (34) formed rotationally symmetrically and extending outward radially from the radial center of the inner lid (30). The slits (34) are formed so that an extraction member which presses and opens the shutter (36) can be inserted into the mouth (62). When the outer lid (20) is engaged through threads with an outer thread (64) provided on the mouth (62), the peripheral edge (32) of the inner lid (30) is pressed by the mouth (62), closing the reagent bottle.

Description

Reagent bottle cap and reagent container

The present invention relates to a reagent bottle cap and a reagent container, and more particularly to a reagent bottle cap and a reagent container for storing a reagent used in an immunoassay device.

An insoluble carrier particle, primary antibody, labeled secondary antibody, and specimen are injected into a reaction container as an immunoassay apparatus used in an immunoassay for measuring a measurement target substance in a specimen by antigen-antibody reaction, and an insoluble carrier is injected. An immune complex consisting of a primary antibody, a substance to be measured, and a labeled secondary antibody is formed on the particle, and the amount of the label in the immune complex is detected to measure the substance to be measured in the sample. There is a measuring device.

Various configurations have been proposed for reagent containers filled with liquid reagents used in such immunoassays to prevent evaporation within the range that does not impede extraction by a dispensing nozzle, or to prevent deterioration due to contact with air. ing.

For example, a reagent comprising a sealing body made of an elastic body in which slits are radially formed from the center toward the outer periphery, and an opening / closing member that presses from above to open the sealing body downwardly along the slits. Containers (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2) have been proposed.

JP 2004-177254 A JP 2005-324832 A

However, in the reagent containers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the shape of the slit of the elastic sealing body that has been pressed and expanded is restored by the elastic force by releasing the pressing, and the reagent container It is configured to be closed. In this configuration, the slit of the sealing body is sealed only by the elastic force of rubber.

In addition, when supplying a reagent to the user, the opening of the reagent container is sealed with a cap dedicated to sealing, and the user removes the cap dedicated to sealing the reagent container when using the reagent (when opening), It is necessary to replace the cap described above. Therefore, when the cap is replaced, there is a possibility that a contamination accident such as contamination (contamination) of the reagent contained in the reagent container or leakage of the reagent and adhesion to the outside may occur.

In the above configuration, the force acting in the direction of sealing the slit is only the elasticity of the member forming the sealing body, and the slit cannot be completely sealed.

In view of the above facts, the present invention has an object to provide a reagent bottle cap and a reagent container having a function of closing the slit that allows the extraction member to be inserted into the bottle by pushing the inner lid open with the extraction member. To do.

The cap for the reagent bottle according to the first aspect is formed of an outer lid having an opening formed in the central portion in the radial direction and an elastic member, and the opening of the reagent bottle is attached to the mouth of the reagent bottle. A disc-shaped inner lid for sealing, and the inner lid is divided by a peripheral edge portion and a slit provided in a rotationally symmetrical manner from the radial center to the radial outer side of the inner lid. And the slit is formed so that an extraction member that pushes the shutter portion can be inserted into the mouth portion, and the outer lid is screwed to an external screw provided in the mouth portion. And the peripheral part of the said inner lid is formed so that it may close when it is pressed by the said opening part.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the first aspect, the inner lid is pushed open by inserting the extraction member between the slits, and the extraction member is inserted into the mouth of the reagent bottle. Further, the slit is formed so that when the outer lid is screwed to the external screw provided in the mouth portion, the peripheral portion of the inner lid is closed by being pressed against the bottle mouth portion. By screwing the outer lid onto the outer screw, a force for closing the slit can be generated in the inner lid, and the opening of the reagent bottle can be sealed. The term “closed” as used herein is not particularly limited as long as the opening of the reagent bottle is sealed to such an extent that the evaporation of the reagent inside the reagent bottle can be suppressed. This includes not only the state in which the two are in close contact with each other, but also a state in which a minute gap remains to the extent that the evaporation of the reagent inside the reagent bottle can be suppressed.

The reagent bottle cap according to the second aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to the first aspect, wherein the slit is narrower as it is closer to the center of the inner lid.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the second aspect, when the bottle mouth portion and the outer lid press the peripheral edge portion of the inner lid, the radially outer edge portions of the slit hardly interfere with each other, so that the slit can be smoothly closed. It can be carried out.

The reagent bottle cap according to the third aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to the first aspect, wherein the slit has a constant width.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the third aspect, when the bottle mouth portion and the outer lid press the peripheral edge portion of the inner lid, the radially outer edge portions of the slit hardly interfere with each other, so that the slit can be closed smoothly. It can be carried out.

A reagent bottle cap according to a fourth aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the slit has an S-shape passing through the center of the inner lid. It is provided.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the fourth aspect, when the slit is closed, the inner lids divided by the slit urge each other toward the radial center, so that the slit can be more reliably closed. it can.

A reagent bottle cap according to a fifth aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the shutter portion has a radial center directed toward the mouth portion. It is characterized by being convex or concave.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the fifth aspect, even when the shutter parts divided by the slits interfere with each other when the slits are closed, the mouth part can be sealed without being deformed in a plan view.

A reagent bottle cap according to a sixth aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the inner lid is provided integrally with the outer lid. It is characterized by.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the sixth aspect, by integrating the inner lid with the outer lid, when the peripheral edge of the inner lid is compressed, the radial center position of the inner lid deviates from the mouth portion. The mouth portion can be sealed without any problem.

A reagent bottle cap according to a seventh aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the inner lid forms an annular groove on an outer peripheral surface, The outer lid is provided with a flange portion that protrudes radially inward from an inner peripheral surface, and that engages with the annular groove and presses the peripheral edge portion of the inner lid against the mouth portion.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the seventh aspect, the flange portion of the outer lid is engaged with the annular groove of the inner lid, so that when the peripheral portion of the inner lid is compressed, the inner lid The center position in the radial direction is difficult to shift, and the mouth can be sealed more reliably.

A reagent bottle cap according to an eighth aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein at least one of the outer lid and the mouth portion is provided with the peripheral edge portion. Is provided with a stopper for regulating the diameter at the outer end in the radial direction.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the eighth aspect, the stopper that restricts the peripheral edge of the inner lid at the radially outer end is provided, thereby preventing the inner lid from expanding radially outward and more reliably. The shutter part can be sealed.

A reagent bottle cap according to a ninth aspect is the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, and is provided with an upper lid that fits and seals the opening. It is characterized by.

In the reagent bottle cap according to the ninth aspect, the container can be surely sealed before opening by sealing the opening of the outer lid with the upper lid.

A reagent container according to a tenth aspect includes the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and a reagent bottle having an external screw formed in a mouth portion. And

Since the reagent container according to the tenth aspect uses the reagent bottle cap according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the reagent bottle can be reliably secured by tightening the outer lid of the reagent bottle cap. Bottles can be sealed.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to provide a reagent bottle cap and a reagent container having a function of pushing the inner lid open with the extraction member and closing the slit that allows the extraction member to be inserted into the bottle.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a basic configuration of a reagent container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the AA cross section of FIG. 2 showing the structure of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a circle A portion of FIG. 3 showing the structure of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of a reagent container cap and a reagent bottle according to a modification. FIG. 5A is a plan view showing a slit shape of the inner lid of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a plan view showing a slit shape of the inner lid of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5C is a plan view showing a slit shape of the inner lid of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5D is a plan view showing a slit shape of the inner lid of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5E is a plan view showing the slit shape of the inner lid of the reagent container cap according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The reagent container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a reagent container 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 show a reagent container cap of the present invention. The reagent container 10 includes a bottle-shaped reagent bottle 60 having a mouth portion 62 provided with an opening 68, an outer lid 20 having an opening 28 screwed into an outer screw 64 of the mouth portion 62, and a groove portion 22 of the outer lid 20. The upper lid 50 is fitted with a claw 52 and seals the opening 28.

An extraction member such as a dispensing nozzle is inserted into the mouth 62 of the reagent bottle 60. The end face of the mouth 62 is a ring-shaped opening end 66. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer lid 20 includes an inner lid 30 that seals the opening 28, and doublely seals the opening 68 of the reagent bottle 60.

The inner lid 30 is a substantially disk-shaped member made of a flexible material having elasticity such as an elastomer, and is provided with slits 34 from the radial center to the outside to form a plurality of shutter portions 36. Yes. The slit 34 may be processed after the inner lid 30 is formed, but may be formed from the beginning by injection molding or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, a flange portion 24 is provided in the opening 28 of the outer lid 20 inward in the radial direction, and a pressing surface 38 (FIG. 3) facing the opening end 66 is provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 24. 4). The peripheral edge portion 32 of the inner lid 30 wraps around the reagent bottle 60 side (lower side in the figure) from the flange portion 24.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, and an enlarged view of the one-dot chain line A in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the peripheral edge portion 32 of the inner lid 30 is between the pressing surface 38 which is the lower surface of the flange portion 24 of the outer lid 20 and the cross section of the mouth portion 62 of the reagent bottle 60, that is, the opening end 66. It is pinched.

The flange portion 24 of the outer lid 20 is engaged with and integrated with the annular groove 42 provided on the outer periphery of the inner lid 30, so that the relative position of both does not shift even when the outer lid 20 is tightened. Has been. That is, since the flange portion 24 of the outer lid 20 is in contact with the annular groove 42 of the inner lid 30 on the upper and lower surfaces, a frictional force is generated, and deformation of the inner lid 30 is prevented when the outer lid 20 is tightened.

The outer lid 20 and the inner lid 30 may be separately formed and assembled, but the inner lid 30 may be formed in advance, and the outer lid 20 may be formed by injection molding around this. By integrating them at the time of formation, the radial centers of the inner lid 30 and the outer lid 20 can be matched more accurately.

The outer lid 20 has an inner screw 26 on the inner peripheral surface, and is fixed to the reagent bottle 60 by fitting with the outer screw 64 of the mouth portion 62 at the time of shipment. At this time, the flange portion 24 approaches the open end 66 of the reagent bottle 60 by tightening the outer lid 20. For this reason, while pressing the peripheral edge 32 of the inner lid 30 between the opening end 66 and the pressing surface 38 provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 24 and facing the opening end 66, the reagent is obtained by covering the upper lid 50 from the outside. The opening 68 of the bottle 60 is securely sealed.

Reagent container 10 is shipped with a liquid reagent sealed inside and unpacked by the user. When unpacking, the upper lid 50 is removed, and only the inner lid 30 covers the opening 68 of the reagent bottle 60. The reagent container 10 unpacked and set in an immunoassay device or the like can suck the internal reagent by inserting an extraction member (such as a dispensing nozzle) (not shown) into the opening 68.

At this time, in the reagent container 10 according to the present embodiment, the opening 68 of the reagent bottle 60 is sealed with a plurality of shutter portions 36. Since the shutter portion 36 is formed of a material having elasticity such as an elastomer and is divided by the slit 34, when the extraction member such as a dispensing nozzle is inserted, the shutter portion 36 is particularly at the center in the radial direction. There is no resistance.

On the other hand, when an extraction member such as a dispensing nozzle is not inserted, such as during standby, the shutter portion 36 seals the opening 68, so that the internal reagent may deteriorate due to contact with the air, or foreign matter may enter from the outside. The influence which mixes in can be reduced.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the peripheral edge portion 32 of the inner lid 30 is sandwiched between the pressing surface 38 provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 24 of the outer lid 20 and the open end 66 of the reagent bottle 60. Yes. By tightening the outer lid 20, the pressing surface 38 and the opening end 66 approach each other, and the peripheral edge 32 is pressed in the thickness direction.

At this time, a stopper 40 is provided at the radially outer end of the pressing surface 38 to prevent the peripheral edge 32 that has been pressed from expanding radially outward. As a result, the radial force generated when the peripheral edge 32 is pressed in the thickness direction is directed to the direction in which the shutter 36 is urged radially inward.

The shutter portions 36 that are biased radially inward by tightening the outer lid 20 approach each other so as to close the slit 34. As a result, the possibility that the reagent inside the reagent bottle 60 is deteriorated by contact with air or foreign matters are mixed from the outside is reduced. On the other hand, the radial center side end of the shutter portion 36 is merely abutted with a thin tip of a material having elasticity such as an elastomer, so that there is no resistance when inserting / withdrawing a dispensing nozzle or the like.

Further, the shutter portion 36 may be shaped to be convex or concave with respect to the opening 68 toward the center in the radial direction. That is, there is an advantage that the shutter part 36 is easily closed because it is not flat but has a shape that is concave or convex in the vertical direction.

That is, when the shutter part 36 is closed, if the adjacent shutter parts 36 interfere with each other, there is a possibility that the shutter part 36 cannot move sufficiently toward the center in the radial direction. When the shutter part 36 is concave or convex in the vertical direction, the pressure due to the interference between the adjacent shutter parts 36 can be released in the vertical direction, so that the influence on the closing due to the interference between the shutter parts 36 is reduced. be able to.

Further, at this time, the width of the slit 34 is maintained at the same width regardless of the radial position as shown in FIG. 5C, rather than the so-called star shape that becomes narrower toward the radially outer side as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The shape has an advantage that the shutter portion 36 is easily closed when the peripheral edge portion 32 is pressed.

That is, when the shutter portion 36 is pushed from the outside in the radial direction and gathers in the center in the radial direction, if the width of the slit 34 is narrow at the outside in the radial direction, the shutter portions 36 interfere with each other at the outside in the radial direction. There is a risk of not touching.

For this reason, if the width of the slit 34 is the same regardless of the radial position, or the shape is such that the slit 34 spreads outward in the radial direction as shown in FIG. When they gather at the center in the radial direction, the possibility of interfering with each other is reduced. The width of the slit 34 should be determined by the physical properties (hardness, etc.) and thickness of the material of the inner lid 30.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5D, the slit 34 may be substantially S-shaped instead of a straight line. In this case, the shutter part 36 divided by the S-shaped slit 34 is urged toward the center in the radial direction when the peripheral edge part 32 is pressed, and the adjacent shutter parts 36 interfere with each other. If the slits 34 are linearly provided radially as shown in FIG. 5B, the interference between the shutter portions 36 becomes a pressing force in the circumferential direction, and a force is not applied in the thickness direction but in the direction of sealing the inner lid 30. There is a risk of running away.

On the other hand, when the slit 34 is S-shaped, the interference between the shutter portions 36 becomes a pressure toward the center in the radial direction, and the generated pressure acts to close the inner lid 30 without escaping in the thickness direction. As a result, the inner lid 30 can be sealed with the adjacent shutter portions 36 brought into close contact with each other.

Further, the material of the upper lid 50 may be made to be electrically detectable by including carbon particles or the like and providing a sensor for detecting capacitance on the apparatus side where the reagent container is set. This makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of the upper lid 50 on the apparatus side. For this reason, it can also set to an apparatus with the upper cover 50 mounted | worn, and can also be provided with the fail safe function which avoids situations, such as contacting with a dispensing nozzle.

Further, in FIGS. 5B to 5E, the slit 34 divides the shutter portion 36 into six parts, but various division numbers such as four parts or eight parts as shown in FIG. 5A may be used. However, processing increases as the number of divisions increases, and contact resistance with an extraction member such as a dispensing nozzle may increase as the number decreases. For this reason, it is necessary to determine the number of divisions in consideration of the balance between the two.

As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to said Example at all, and can implement in a various aspect in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

For example, if the inner lid 30 has a shape that fits into the opening 68 of the reagent bottle 60 in addition to the structure formed integrally with the outer lid 20, in the process of screwing the outer lid 20. It can also be set as the structure with little possibility that the radial direction center of the inner cover 30 and the outer cover 20 may shift | deviate.

Alternatively, the peripheral portion 32 of the inner lid 30 may be thicker than the shutter portion 36, and the stroke that the shutter portion 36 moves to the center in the radial direction when the outer lid 20 is tightened may be increased. .

In the above embodiment, the stopper 40 is provided at the radially outer end of the pressing surface 38 of the outer lid 20 in order to prevent the pressed peripheral edge 32 from expanding radially outward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 4B, a ring-shaped stopper 41 may be provided on the end surface of the mouth portion 62 to prevent the pressed peripheral edge portion 32 from expanding radially outward.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Reagent container 20 Outer cover 22 Groove part 24 Flange part 26 Inner flange 28 Opening 30 Middle cover 32 Peripheral part 34 Slit 36 Shutter part 38 Pressing surface 40 Stopper 41 Stopper 42 Annular groove 50 Top cover 52 Claw 60 Reagent bottle 62 Mouth part 64 External screw 66 Open end 68 Opening

Claims

An outer lid in which an opening is formed in the central portion in the radial direction;
A disc-shaped inner lid that is formed of an elastic member and seals the opening of the reagent bottle when attached to the mouth of the reagent bottle;
The inner lid includes a peripheral edge portion, and a shutter portion divided by a slit provided in a rotationally symmetrical manner from the radial center portion of the inner lid to the radial outer side,
The slit is formed so that an extraction member that pushes the shutter part can be inserted into the mouth part,
A reagent bottle cap formed so that when the outer lid is screwed to an external screw provided in the mouth portion, the peripheral edge portion of the inner lid is pressed by the mouth portion.
2. The reagent bottle cap according to claim 1, wherein the slit is narrower as it is closer to the center of the inner lid.
The reagent bottle cap according to claim 1, wherein the slit has a constant width.
The reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slit is provided in an S shape passing through a central portion of the inner lid.
The reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shutter portion is convex or concave at a center in a radial direction toward the mouth portion.
The reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inner lid is provided integrally with the outer lid.
The inner lid forms an annular groove on the outer peripheral surface,
The outer cover includes a flange portion that protrudes radially inward from an inner peripheral surface, and that engages with the annular groove and presses the peripheral edge portion of the inner cover against the mouth portion. The reagent bottle cap according to any one of the above.
The reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the outer lid and the mouth is provided with a stopper for regulating the peripheral edge by a radially outer end.
The reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising an upper lid that fits and seals the opening of the outer lid.
A reagent bottle cap according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A reagent bottle with an external thread formed in the mouth;
A reagent container.