Reagent container cap, reagent container unit, and kit

Abstract

A reagent container cap (116) is disclosed, which is adapted to be mounted to a reagent container and is adjustable between an open state and a closed state at least after an initial opening of the cap (116), wherein the reagent container cap (116) defines a cap interior space (109) and has a cap opening (116o) allowing access to the cap interior space (109) from above when the cap (116) is in the open state; and wherein in the closed state of the cap (116) the cap interior space (109) is only open towards a bottom side (116b), wherein the reagent container cap (116) comprises a main part (116m) and an insert part (116i) which are fixedly connected to each other and made of different materials, wherein when the cap (116) is in the closed state the cap interior space (109) comprises a region (109t) which is completely and exclusively delimited circumferentially and towards an upper side of the region by a surface of the insert part (116i).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reagent container cap, and more particularly to a reagent container cap for use in automated analyzers, for example, in the fields of clinical chemistry or immunochemistry, wherein the cap is adapted to be installed into a reagent container and is adapted to be adjustable between an open state and a closed state, at least after the initial opening of the cap. Background Technology

[0002] The reagent container lid defines an internal space and has a lid opening that allows access to the internal space from above when the lid is in the open state; and wherein, in the closed state, the internal space of the lid opens only toward the bottom side of the lid and thus opens to the reagent container.

[0003] Throughout this application, whenever direction or orientation is mentioned, it refers to a closed reagent container cap under normal operating conditions, the cap being vertically oriented such that the cap opening faces upward.

[0004] Different types of such reagent container caps are disclosed, for example, in documents WO 2011 / 020885 A1 (description of hinged caps) and EP 0564970 A2 (description of perforated caps).

[0005] Conventionally, those covers are formed in one piece by injection molding from a single suitable thermoplastic material such as polypropylene.

[0006] Known caps are used to reliably and repeatedly open and close associated reagent containers containing a variety of clinical samples and different chemicals.

[0007] While polypropylene is cost-effective and provides the mechanical properties necessary for achieving, for example, reliable hinges or stable attachments to reagent containers, it can be damaged by some of the more corrosive solvents used in certain tests. On the other hand, plastics that are more resistant to these solvents may be quite expensive and / or do not provide the required mechanical properties. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In this context, the objective of this invention is to improve known reagent container caps from the perspective of optimizing the overall cost and performance of the caps.

[0009] This problem is solved by a reagent container cap having the features of claim 1. According to the invention, the reagent container cap includes a main portion and an insert portion, preferably consisting of a main portion and an insert portion, which are permanently connected to each other and made of different materials, wherein when the cap is in the closed state, the interior space of the cap includes a region that is completely and exclusively defined circumferentially by the surface of the insert portion and facing upward toward the region.

[0010] This makes it possible that when the cap is installed onto the reagent container and closed, only the insert of the cap connects to the interior of the reagent container. Due to this construction, the materials for the different parts of the cap can be selected from the perspective of providing a cost-effective solution while meeting the specific performance requirements of each part.

[0011] In this context, "permanent connection" should be understood as the insertion part being unable to detach from the main part without damaging the cover.

[0012] According to one specific embodiment of the invention, in order to improve the chemical stability and / or sealing properties of the cap without affecting its mechanical properties, the main portion comprises a main portion material and the insert portion comprises an insert portion material, which is more resistant to a given solvent, particularly a given organic solvent or a mixture of a given organic solvent and water, and / or more flexible than the main portion material. The given organic solvent may be selected from the group consisting of: methanol (MeOH), ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile (ACN), ethyl acetate, chloromethane (MeCl), benzene, n-heptane, isooctane, acetone, polyethylene, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), preferably methanol (MeOH) or acetonitrile (ACN). The main portion material may be selected primarily based on mechanical requirements, such as sufficient rigidity.

[0013] Specifically, the main part (or "hard" component) may be made entirely of the main part material, while the insert (or "soft" component) may be made of one or more insert materials, each of which is more resistant to a given solvent and / or more flexible than the main part material.

[0014] According to one specific embodiment of the invention, the main material is polypropylene (PP), such as Purell HP548N, and the insert material is thermoplastic olefin (TPO) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE), such as Purell 2007H. Those skilled in the art will understand that the main and insert materials are selected based on the requirement of achieving a strong bond between the two materials during thermoplastic injection molding.

[0015] The cap can be manufactured, for example, through multi-material injection molding.

[0016] The main part and the insertion part may have an interlocking structure adapted to engage with each other so that the insertion part can be securely attached to the main part even if they are made of different materials that do not bond well.

[0017] To improve the seal between the reagent container cap and the reagent container, the reagent container cap may include an annular gap formed between the insert and the main body, which is adapted to receive the upper end of the reagent container. Furthermore, this construction makes it less likely that a portion of the reagent container cap, made of the main body material, will come into contact with the contents of the lidped reagent container.

[0018] To facilitate assembly, the main body of the reagent container cap may include an attachment structure, particularly a snap-fit ​​or threaded structure, which is adapted to attach the reagent container cap from the outside to the peripheral wall of the reagent container.

[0019] In particular, the attachment structure formed in the main body may include an arrangement of snap hooks protruding into the interior space of the cap below the peripheral gap. When the reagent container cap is installed onto the reagent container, the arrangement of the snap hooks is adapted to hold the edge of the upper end of the reagent container within the peripheral gap. This arrangement is particularly suitable for glass bottles with rolled edges.

[0020] This invention can be readily applied to hinged covers widely used in automated analyzers.

[0021] Therefore, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the reagent container cap includes a cap body and a sealing cap, the sealing cap being hinged to the cap body so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis between a closed position and an open position, thereby adjusting the cap between the closed and open states; the cap body includes a main body portion and a main body insertion portion, the sealing cap includes a sealing cap portion and a sealing cap insertion portion, wherein the main body portion of the reagent container cap includes or is composed of the main body portion and the sealing cap portion, and wherein the insertion portion of the reagent container cap includes or is composed of the main body insertion portion and the sealing cap insertion portion.

[0022] The main body and the cover can be integrally formed from the same main body material, such as polypropylene, and can be connected to each other by integrally formed sheet-like hinges.

[0023] The main body insertion portion may include a neck defining a cap opening, and the cap insertion portion may include a plug portion that is inserted into the neck when the cap is pivoted to the closed position to tightly seal the reagent container on which the cap is mounted.

[0024] The invention can also be applied to perforated caps, which are another widely used type of reagent container cap.

[0025] Therefore, according to another specific embodiment of the invention, the insertion portion of the reagent container cap has a closing portion adapted to be pierced and / or opened by the needle of the pipetting device of the analytical instrument so as to adjust the cap to the open state, and the closing portion is also adapted to automatically adjust the cap to the closed state after the needle is removed.

[0026] Conventional analyzers typically use reagent kits, which include a support structure that supports a single reagent container or a given number of reagent containers required for a specific test. Therefore, the reagent container cap (preferably the cap body in the case of a hinged cap) can also be adapted, preferably by a snap-fit, to be mounted to the support structure, which is adapted to accommodate at least one reagent container.

[0027] The applicant also seeks to protect a reagent container unit comprising a reagent container having a top-side opening according to the invention described above and an associated reagent container lid, the reagent container lid being mounted to or being mountable to the reagent container.

[0028] Especially when intended for use with corrosive solvents, the reagent container can be made of glass, but of course plastic or other materials are also possible.

[0029] Furthermore, a reagent kit is claimed, comprising a support structure and a single reagent container unit or multiple reagent container units housed on the support structure, each reagent container unit comprising a reagent container and an associated reagent container cap mounted to or installable to the reagent container, wherein at least one of the single reagent container unit or multiple reagent container units, according to some embodiments, is a reagent container unit according to the invention as described above.

[0030] In many cases, for ease of handling, a given number of reagent container units required to perform a specific test, such as three reagent container units, are housed on a common support structure.

[0031] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the reagent container cap of at least one of a single reagent container unit or a plurality of reagent container units is adapted to fit from above (e.g., snap-fit ​​or press-fit) to a support structure, and the kit includes a keyway connector located between the reagent container cap and the support structure.

[0032] The keyway connector includes a key portion disposed on one element of the support structure and the reagent container cap, and a groove portion disposed on another element of the support structure and the reagent container cap. The key portion protrudes vertically from an adjacent area of ​​one element, and the groove portion has two vertical surface portions facing each other and adapted to receive the key portion between the two vertical surface portions when the reagent container cap is mounted to the support structure from above.

[0033] In this way, keyway joints are adapted to reduce the rotational movement of the corresponding reagent container cap about the vertical axis relative to the support structure, thereby minimizing or avoiding unwanted rotational movement due to manufacturing tolerances.

[0034] Alternatively or additionally, the reagent container cap of at least one of a single reagent container unit or multiple reagent container units may be adapted for top mounting, particularly snap-fit ​​into a support structure, wherein one element of the reagent container cap and the support structure includes a deformable protrusion arrangement, and another element includes a deformable area associated with the deformable protrusion arrangement, wherein the associated deformable area is adapted to deform by the deformable protrusion arrangement when the reagent container cap is mounted to the support structure. Thus, the deformable protrusion arrangement and the deformable area provide localized and defined deformation to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the vertical direction.

[0035] The height of the protruding portions is typically less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, and can be in the range of, for example, from 0.05 mm to 1 mm. Their dimensions in the lateral direction or their diameter can be in the range of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. The deformable area can be a horizontal boss with a thickness (in the vertical direction) in the range of 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0036] According to one specific embodiment that can be used in many tests, the kit includes three reagent container units arranged in a row along a connecting line, wherein one of the reagent container units, preferably the foremost reagent container unit, includes a reagent container cap according to the invention as described above (i.e., the reagent container cap has a main portion and an insert portion made of different materials) and a reagent container preferably made of glass; the other two reagent container units include a reagent container cap made of a single plastic material and a reagent container also made of plastic material.

[0037] Incidentally, the applicant considers protecting the aspects of reducing rotational movement and adapting to vertical manufacturing tolerances as described above with reference to original claims 14 and 15, and also protects kits that only have a reagent container cap according to the invention, which is not necessary as described with respect to claim 1, i.e., kits as described in the following items.

[0038] 1. A reagent kit comprising:

[0039] - Supporting structure,

[0040] - A single reagent container unit or multiple reagent container units housed on a support structure, each reagent container unit comprising a reagent container and a reagent container cap mounted to or installable onto the reagent container.

[0041] The reagent container cap of at least one of the single or multiple reagent container units is adapted to fit (preferably snap-fit ​​or press-fit) from above to a support structure, and the kit includes a keyway connector located between the reagent container cap and the support structure.

[0042] The keyway connector includes a key portion disposed on one element of the reagent container cap and the support structure, and a groove portion disposed on the other element of the reagent container cap and the support structure.

[0043] The bond portion protrudes vertically from the adjacent area of ​​the element, and the groove portion includes two vertical surfaces facing each other and adapted to receive the bond portion between the two vertical surfaces when the reagent container cap is fitted into the support structure from above.

[0044] 2. A reagent kit comprising:

[0045] - Supporting structure,

[0046] - A single reagent container unit or multiple reagent container units housed on a support structure, each reagent container unit comprising a reagent container and a reagent container cap mounted to or installable onto the reagent container.

[0047] The reagent container lid of at least one of the single or multiple reagent container units is adapted to be mounted from above to the support structure.

[0048] The reagent container lid of at least one of the single reagent container units or multiple reagent container units is adapted to be mounted from above to a support structure, wherein one element of the reagent container lid and the support structure includes a deformable protrusion arrangement, and another element includes a deformable area associated with the deformable protrusion arrangement, wherein the associated deformable area is adapted to deform by the deformable protrusion arrangement when the reagent container lid is mounted to the support structure.

[0049] The dimensions of the deformation zone and the deformation protrusion can be as described above.

[0050] In both of the above cases, the reagent container cap can be, for example, a hinged cap or a perforated cap similar to those previously described, but these caps can be formed from a single material. Attached Figure Description

[0051] The invention will be described below with respect to several embodiments shown in the following figures.

[0052] Figure 1 A first embodiment of the reagent container cap according to the invention is shown, wherein the cap is in the fully open position in different views of illustrations a), b), and c), where illustration a) is a bottom view, illustration b) is a perspective view, and illustration c) is a top view.

[0053] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The theme is the same, but the inserts for the main body and the cover have been removed.

[0054] Figure 3Perspective views of the separate inserts of the cap body and the lid are shown in illustrations a) and b) respectively.

[0055] Figure 4 A perspective section view taken along the axial plane is shown. Figure 3 The theme.

[0056] Figure 5 Shown in partial cross-sectional view Figure 1 The theme of illustration b).

[0057] Figure 6 It is a section taken along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction of the hinge of the cover. Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the reagent container cap, with the cap in the fully closed position.

[0058] Figure 7 Illustrations a) through e) show Figure 1 Different views of the reagent container cap: illustration a) is a side view, illustration b) is a rear view, illustration c) is a bottom view, illustration d) is a front view, and illustration d) is a top view.

[0059] Figure 8 A first embodiment of the kit according to the present invention is shown in perspective.

[0060] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the subject matter according to claim 8, taken along the vertical longitudinal center plane of the kit, is shown.

[0061] Figure 10 It shows Figure 9 A magnified view of the central region X.

[0062] Figure 11 It shows along Figure 8 Section XI-XI is cut from Figure 8 An enlarged cross-sectional view of only a portion of the support structure of the kit.

[0063] Figure 12 It shows Figure 8 A perspective view of one of the two rear reagent container caps of the kit.

[0064] Figure 13 It shows the use in Figure 8 A perspective view of the plastic reagent container in the kit.

[0065] Figure 14 It shows the use in Figure 8 A perspective view of the glass reagent containers in the kit.

[0066] Figure 15A cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a reagent container cap according to the invention is shown, the reagent container cap being in the form of a hinged cap to be threaded onto a reagent container.

[0067] Figure 16 A cross-sectional view of a third exemplary embodiment of a reagent container cap according to the present invention is shown, the reagent container cap being in the form of a perforated cap.

[0068] Figure 17 With Figure 2 The view corresponding to the view in illustration c) shows only the cap body and the main part of the cap of the reagent container cap with slight modifications to the first embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0069] In the following, refer to Figures 1 to 7 A first exemplary embodiment of the reagent container cap according to the present invention is described.

[0070] In this embodiment, the reagent container cap 116 (hereinafter referred to as the "cap") is a hinged cap and includes a cap body 120 and a sealing cap 122, which is hinged to the cap body 120 so as to... Figure 1 The fully open position shown and as Figure 7 The cover 116 can be pivoted between the fully closed positions shown, thereby adjusting the cover between the open and closed states.

[0071] The appearance of the cover body 120 and the cap 122 will mainly refer to Figure 1 describe.

[0072] In the upper region, the cover body 120 includes a generally cylindrical neck 121 and a hinge support structure 123, the neck defining a circular cover opening 116o, the hinge support structure supporting a sheet-like hinge 117 integrally formed with the cover body 120 and the cover 122.

[0073] The cylindrical neck 121 extends downward into the interior space 109 of the cover (see...) Figure 6 It is integrally formed with a sealing ring 121s, which is located at the lower end of the neck 121 (visible in the bottom view of illustration a). Optional notches 121n may be arranged on the inner surface of the sealing ring 121s.

[0074] Two vertical ribs 121r may be provided at opposite positions on the outer peripheral surface of the neck 121. One of the ribs 121r is a remnant of the mold's feeding channel, in which the neck 121 is formed as part of the insertion portion 120i of the cap body 120; the other rib 121r is a remnant of a test channel for measuring the pressure in the aforementioned mold during injection molding (see...). Figure 1 b)).

[0075] In the intermediate region, the cover body 120 includes a frame structure 125 having a horizontal top wall 125t and two generally vertical side walls 125s to provide stability to the cover. Furthermore, the frame structure 125 can be used in conjunction with suitable positioning and / or retention devices of the analyzer.

[0076] Specifically, the recess 120r of the cap body 120 provided on the side wall 125s of the frame structure can be used to cooperate with such a positioning device, while the top wall 125t can be used to cooperate with a retention device that prevents the reagent container cap or the reagent container unit or reagent kit attached thereto from moving upward when the cap is opened.

[0077] In the lower region of the frame structure 125, groove portions 181 for keyway joints between the reagent container lid 116 and the support structure are provided on the front and rear sides of the lid 116, which will be referred to later. Figures 8 to 14 The kit shown provides a more detailed description of this slot section.

[0078] A basic cylindrical container receiving structure 137 is partially housed within a frame structure 125 but protrudes downwards from it. In the upper region of the container receiving structure 137, a snap hook 199 is arranged, serving as an attachment structure 196 for securing the upper edge 118r of the reagent container 118. Furthermore, to attach the reagent container cap 120 to the kit support structure, a mounting plate 129 is provided at the lower end of the container receiving structure 137, and a snap window 137w is arranged in the container receiving structure 137 near the mounting plate 129.

[0079] Deformation areas 194 in the form of horizontal bosses 195 are provided on the front and back sides of the mounting plate 129. The function of the deformation areas 194 will be explained later. Figures 8 to 14 The kit shown will be explained in more detail.

[0080] The cap 122 includes a plate portion 143 having a top side 143t and a bottom side 143b. It should be noted that the orientation and direction indication are related to the normal operating orientation of the reagent container cap 120 when closed, thus, for example, as Figure 1 Illustration a) shows a bottom view of the reagent cap 120, indicating the top side 143t of the plate portion 143 of the cap 122 in the fully open position, while... Figure 1 The top view shown in illustration c) shows the bottom side 143b of the plate portion 143.

[0081] The cap 122 also includes a plug portion 122p extending vertically from the bottom side 143b of the plate portion 143, wherein the plug portion 122p is adapted to be inserted into the neck 121 of the cap body 120 when the cap 122 is closed.

[0082] Several ribs 122r extending parallel or orthogonal to the pivot axis P are provided on the top side 143t of the plate portion 143, and define the arrangement of several rectangular regions 122f.

[0083] An eccentric spring 119 or pull band (German for "Zugband") connecting the cap 122 and the cap body 120 is used to bias the cap 122 according to its initial position. Figure 7 The fully or nearly closed positions shown, and Figure 1 The fully open position.

[0084] Finally, the cap 122 includes two strip-shaped engagement protrusions 144 that protrude horizontally from the plate portion 143 on both sides and are adapted to cooperate with external devices to open / close the reagent container.

[0085] In terms of materials, such as Figure 6 and Figure 10 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the cover 116 includes a main portion 116m and an insert portion 116i or is composed of the main portion 116m and the insert portion 116i, which are made of different materials but are permanently connected to each other, so that the cover 116 forms an integral unit.

[0086] More precisely, in this embodiment, both the cover body 120 and the cover 122 include main portions 120m and 122m and insertion portions 120i and 122i, or are composed of main portions 120m and 122m and insertion portions 120i and 122i, wherein the main portions and insertion portions are made of different materials and are fixedly connected to each other.

[0087] The arrangement of the main body insertion portion 120i and the cap insertion portion 122i is such that when the cap 120 is in the closed position, i.e., when the cap 116 is in the closed state, the upper region 109t of the cap's internal space 109 is exclusively defined by the surface of the cap insertion portion 116i, that is, by the surfaces of the main body insertion portion 120i and the cap insertion portion 122i. In other words, when the cap 116 is in the closed state, the cap's internal space includes region 109t, which is exclusively and completely defined circumferentially and upwardly by the surface of the insertion portion 116i.

[0088] Therefore, when the cap 116 is mounted on the reagent container 118 and the seal 122 is closed, such as Figure 10 As shown, only the insertion portion 116i of the reagent container cap 116 is in fluid contact with the interior 118i of the container 118.

[0089] Therefore, the insert is preferably made of materials such as thermoplastic olefins or low-density polyethylene, which are also resistant to more corrosive solvents and have good sealing properties due to their high elasticity, while the main part can be made of more cost-effective and mechanically strong materials such as polypropylene.

[0090] In this exemplary embodiment, the insertion portion 120i of the cover body 120 includes a cylindrical neck 121 with an integral sealing ring 121s, while the main portion 120m of the cover body 120 includes a hinge support structure 123, a frame structure 125, and a container receiving structure 137 with a mounting plate 129.

[0091] The main portion 122m of the cap 122 includes the main portion 143m of the plate portion 143, the rib 122r, and the engaging protrusion 144, while the insertion portion 122i of the cap 122 includes the plug portion 122p and the insertion portion 143i of the plate portion 143. The sheet-like hinge 117 and the eccentric spring 119 can be associated with the cap body 120 and / or the main portion of the cap 122 because they are manufactured as a single piece.

[0092] Figures 2 to 6 It shows how the main body 120m and the main body insertion part 120i, and the cover main body 122m and the cover insertion part 122i, can be fixedly connected to each other.

[0093] The reagent container cap 116 is manufactured using a multi-material injection molding process, wherein the main parts 120m and 122m of the cap body 120 and the cap 122 are first integrally formed from a main part material such as PP, and then the insert parts 120i and 122i of both the cap body 120 and the cap 122 are formed in a mold from an insert part material such as TPO or LDPE, which is partially formed from the surface of the main parts 120m and 122m and partially formed from a separate mold surface (not shown).

[0094] In this way, interlocking structures of 120 ml, 120 il, 122 ml, and 122 il (see...) Figure 6 The main parts and insertion parts 120m, 120i, 122m, and 1221 of the cover body 120 and the cover 122 can be provided, and the interlocking structures 120il and 120ml and the interlocking structures 122il and 122ml engage with each other so as to fix the insertion parts 120i and 122i to the corresponding main parts 120m and 122m, even if these parts are made of different materials that cannot be well bonded.

[0095] More specifically, in this embodiment, the interlocking structure 120ml disposed on the main body 120m includes an inner edge 151 disposed on the horizontal top wall 125t of the frame structure 125. Two opposing grooves 153 in the form of annular segments are disposed adjacent to this inner edge 151 on the bottom side of the top wall 125t of the frame structure 125 (see...). Figure 2 and Figure 6 ).

[0096] Correspondingly, the interlocking structure 120il provided on the main body insertion portion 120i includes an annular upper flange 161 and two opposing lower flanges 162 in the form of annular segments that sandwich the inner edge 151 in the middle. The lower flanges 162 have axial protrusions 163 at their distal ends, which protrude upward into the annular groove 153, so that a fixed rigid connection is formed between the main body portion 120m and the main body insertion portion 120i.

[0097] The interlocking structure 122ml provided on the main part 122m of the cap includes a shallow recess 155 and a plurality of through holes 156 arranged in the bottom side 143mb of the main part 143m of the plate part 143, which connect the bottom side 143mb and the top side 143mt of the main part 143m of the plate part 143, such as Figure 2 The best view is in the middle.

[0098] The corresponding interlocking structure 122il of the cap insertion part 122i (see) Figure 6 The recess 153, through hole 156 and selected area 122fs of area 122f on the top side of the cover 122 are filled and the insertion portion 143i of plate portion 143 of cover 122 is basically formed.

[0099] Figure 17 The diagram shows a slightly modified arrangement of the through hole 156 in the main portion 143m of the plate portion 143 of the cover 122. This modified arrangement of the through hole 156 results in a modified arrangement (not shown) of the interlocking structure provided on the cover insertion portion and the main portion of the cover.

[0100] In addition, such as Figure 6 and Figure 10 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the reagent container cap 116 includes an annular gap 116g, which is located between a sealing ring 121s formed at the lower end of the cylindrical neck 121 and the main portion 120m of the cap body 120, and is adapted to receive the upper end 118t or edge 118r of the reagent container 118.

[0101] In the following text, refer to Figures 8 to 14 The reagent container unit 103 and the reagent kit 110 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention are described.

[0102] The reagent container unit 103 includes, as previously referred to, Figures 1 to 7 The described reagent container cap 116 and reagent container 118 are in the form of a conventional glass vial, the reagent container including a circular opening 118o and a cylindrical peripheral wall 118w.

[0103] like Figure 14 As shown, the reagent container may include a bottom wall 118b (which is, for example, slightly curved upwards), a neck 118n with a reduced diameter, and an upper edge 118r located at the upper end.

[0104] In order to assemble the reagent container unit 103, the reagent container 118 is inserted from below into the cylindrical container receiving structure 137 and thus into the inner space 109 of the cap, until the upper edge 118r has been secured by the snap hook 199 in the peripheral gap 116g between the sealing ring 121s and the main part 120m of the cap body 120.

[0105] The reagent container receiving structure 137 and the reagent container 118, which is in the form of a conventional glass vial, are assembled together (snap-fit) with a minimum force of 25 N and a maximum force of 75 N, so as to reach the reagent container unit 103 via the snap hook 199. Preferably, the reagent container receiving structure 137 and the reagent container 118, which is in the form of a conventional glass vial, are assembled together (snap-fit) with a force of 40 N to 60 N via the snap hook 199.

[0106] To accommodate the deformation of the sealing ring 121 when it is inserted into the opening 118o of the reagent container 118 without affecting its sealing properties (by avoiding wrinkling of its sealing surface), a regularly spaced arrangement of longitudinal notches 121n may be optionally provided on the inner side of the sealing ring 121. However, depending on the material chosen for the main body insertion portion 120i, these notches may also be omitted.

[0107] like Figure 8 The reagent kit 110 shown includes three reagent container units 103, 103', which are arranged in a row along the connecting line C such that their cap pivot axis P is orthogonal to the connecting line C and all reagent container units 103 are mounted on a common support structure 114.

[0108] Only the foremost reagent container unit 103 includes the reagent container cap 116 according to the invention, and is therefore the reagent container unit 103 according to an embodiment of the invention, while the other two reagent container units 103' have conventional reagent container caps 116' made of a single plastic material.

[0109] It should be noted that features of reagent container unit 103′ corresponding to features of reagent container unit 103 are indicated by the same reference numerals with apostrophes attached thereto, and reagent container units 103′ are described primarily only in the areas where they differ from reagent container unit 103.

[0110] The common support structure 114 is generally box-shaped and includes a front wall 114f, a rear wall 114r, and two side walls 114s. When the reagent container units 103, 103' are inserted into the support structure 114 from above, the support structure 114 may include a bottom wall or may be opened at the bottom side.

[0111] Part 114e (for example, a label for marking the contents of reagent kit unit 110 may be provided thereon) may be arranged on any of the aforementioned walls of the common support structure 114.

[0112] According to an embodiment, a tag or RFID chip / antenna or a combination of a tag and an RFID chip / antenna (combined tag) for marking the contents of the reagent kit unit 110 can be disposed on the front wall 114f or the rear wall 114r of the common support structure 114.

[0113] Labels used to mark contents can be human-readable labels, barcode labels, or a combination of human-readable labels and barcode labels.

[0114] According to a preferred embodiment, the tag and RFID chip / antenna (combined tag) can be disposed on the front wall 114f, and the tag can be disposed on the rear wall 114r of the common support structure 114.

[0115] The combination tag consists of a tag covering an RFID chip and an antenna with a size of 65mm (+ / -0.2mm) to 16mm (+ / -0.2mm), and the tag has a size of 14.5mm to 14.5mm and a thickness of 0.3mm to 0.4mm.

[0116] The two sidewalls 114s of the common support structure 114 have recesses 114e on which labels for marking the contents of the kit unit 110 can optionally be placed. The recesses 114e on the sidewalls 114s have flat surfaces.

[0117] In the upper region of the side wall 114s, a snap hook 114h is provided for engaging with the mounting plate 129 and snap window 137w of the reagent container cap 116 of the foremost reagent container unit 103, as well as the mounting plate 129' provided on the reagent container 118' of other reagent container units 103'.

[0118] The three reagent container units 103, 103' are assembled (snap-fitted) in the common support structure 114 with a minimum force of 50N and a maximum force of 135N, passing through the snap hook 114h. Preferably, the three reagent container units 103, 103' are assembled (snap-fitted) in the common support structure 114 with a force of 70N to 125N, passing through the snap hook 114h. Figure 8 ).

[0119] The three positions of the shared support structure 114—the rear position (facing 114r), the middle position, and the front position (facing 114f)—can be assembled with reagent container units 103 and 103′ in any combination. Figure 8 An example of a combination is shown.

[0120] The reagent container units 103, 103' assembled in the common support structure 114 are oriented by two rod-shaped joint protrusions 144 that protrude horizontally from the plate portion 143 toward the front side 114f on both sides of the cap 122.

[0121] like Figure 9 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the reagent container support structure 114 can be divided into three compartments 143 by partition walls 141, each compartment being adapted to accommodate a single reagent container unit 103 or 103'.

[0122] In addition, the reagent kit 110 includes several specific structures adapted to accommodate several types of manufacturing tolerances between the support structure 114 and the reagent container caps 116, 116'.

[0123] Specifically, the reagent kit 110 may include several keyway joints 170, 170' between the support structure 114 and the reagent container caps 116, 116'.

[0124] like Figure 8 and for example Figure 7 As shown in illustration d), the keyway connector 170 includes a rectangular key portion 171 disposed on the front wall 114f of the support structure 114 and a groove portion 181 disposed on the front side of the reagent container cap 116. The key portion 171 protrudes vertically from the adjacent area of ​​the front wall 114f; and the groove portion 181 has two vertical surface portions 181f facing each other and adapted to receive the key portion 171 between the two vertical surface portions when the reagent container cap 116 and the rest of the reagent container unit 103 are snapped into the support structure 114 from above.

[0125] from Figure 7 A comparison of illustrations b) and d) clearly shows that another similar or structurally identical groove portion 181 is provided on the back side of the reagent container cap 116. This groove portion 181 cooperates with the bond portion 171 provided on the corresponding internal partition wall 141 of the support structure 114. It should be noted that the bond portions 171, 171' provided on the partition wall 141 cooperate with the groove portions 181, 181' of both the reagent container caps 116, 116' installed next to it.

[0126] The resulting keyway joint 170 reduces the rotational movement of the reagent container cap 116 about the vertical central axis A of the corresponding cap opening 116o (see...). Figure 9 ).

[0127] A corresponding keyway connector 170' is also provided between the support structure 114 and the reagent container cap 116' of the reagent container unit 103'.

[0128] The rotational movement of each of the reagent container caps 116, 116' relative to the support structure 114 about the vertical central axis A can be from + / -0.5° to + / -3°.

[0129] The rotational movement of each of the reagent container caps 116 and 116' relative to the support structure 114 about the vertical central axis A is preferably no greater than + / - 1°.

[0130] The support structure also includes several deformable protrusions 190, each of which includes several (here, two) small vertical protrusions 191 that protrude, for example, from corresponding horizontal support ribs 193, which may be located on the inner side of the front wall 114f, the inner side of the back wall 114r, and on both sides of the partition wall 141 (see...). Figure 10 In this embodiment, the height of the protrusions 191 is approximately 0.3 mm, and their lateral dimensions (in...) Figure 11 The horizontal dimension is approximately 0.6 mm.

[0131] The reagent container caps 116, 116' have associated deformable areas 194 in the form of horizontal bosses 195. The arrangement of the deformable protrusions and the selection of the position and size of the associated deformable areas are such that when the reagent container cap 116 snaps into the support structure 114, the associated deformable areas 194 deform through the protrusions. In this way, vertical manufacturing tolerances can be accommodated. In this embodiment, the thickness (vertical dimension) of the deformable area 194 is approximately 1 mm, and... Figure 10 In its cross-section, it protrudes approximately 0.95 mm from the container receiving structure 137.

[0132] Regarding the reagent container units 103′, it should be noted that their reagent container caps 116′ differ primarily from those of the reagent container caps 116 according to the present invention in that they are made of a single material and that they are not suitable for direct mounting to the support structure 114, which is directly snapped into the lower mounting plate 129′ provided on the peripheral wall 118w′ of the corresponding reagent container 118′.

[0133] Furthermore, the way the reagent container cap 116' fits into the reagent container 118' can also be slightly different. Specifically, for example... Figure 12As shown, the cover body 120′ includes a snap-fit ​​window 120a′ disposed in a recess 120r′, which is used to engage with an intermediate mounting plate 126′ disposed on a reagent container 118′ above a lower mounting plate 129′.

[0134] The reagent container cap 116' and the reagent container 118', which is in the form of a polypropylene container, are assembled (click-fitted) together by the cooperative action of a window 120a' provided in the recess 120r' with a force of at least 80N and at most 150N. This window is used to engage with an intermediate mounting plate 126' provided on the reagent container 118'. Preferably, the reagent container cap 116' and the reagent container 118', which is in the form of a polypropylene container, are assembled (click-fitted) together by the cooperative action of a window 120a' provided in the recess 120r' with a force of at least 90N to 130N. This window is used to engage with an intermediate mounting plate 126' provided on the reagent container 118'.

[0135] Figure 13 The reagent container 118' shown is integrally formed from a suitable material such as PP, and includes an upper mounting plate 127' in addition to the lower mounting plate 129' and the middle mounting plate 126'.

[0136] The upper mounting plate 127' is adapted to abut against a stop element (not shown) of the cover 116, thereby ensuring that the cover 116' does not oppose... Figure 9 The diagram shows a further downward shift.

[0137] Figure 9 The diameter of the neck portion 121' of the reagent container cap 116' of the two reagent container units at the rear is shown. Although very similar in other respects, they can differ depending on the future contents of the respective container units. Some containers may be filled with substances including, for example, beads or other deposits, which must be periodically mixed within the respective reagent container 118' by a suitable mixing device. Since the diameter of such mixing device is typically larger than that of a pipette, the cap opening of the reagent container containing the substances that must be mixed can be larger than the cap opening of other reagent containers.

[0138] It should be noted that the support structure 114, reagent container 118' and reagent container cap 116' are very similar to those shown and described in WO 201I / 020885 A1, except for the keyway joint 170', deformation protrusion device 190' and deformation zone 194' as described above.

[0139] In such Figures 1 to 14 In the first exemplary embodiment of the reagent container cap, reagent container unit and reagent container box according to the present invention shown, the reagent container caps 116 and 116' are hinged caps that snap into the associated reagent containers 118 and 118'.

[0140] However, other possibilities exist, such as Figure 15 and Figure 16 The following examples illustrate, by way of example, second and third exemplary embodiments of a reagent container cap according to the invention, which can be used in place of the reagent container cap according to the foregoing first exemplary embodiment in a reagent container unit or reagent container box according to the invention. It should be noted that features of the second and third exemplary embodiments that are identical or corresponding to those of the first exemplary embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the second and third embodiments will be primarily described only in the scope of their differences from the first embodiment. Otherwise, refer to the description of the first embodiment described above.

[0141] like Figure 15 The main difference between the hinged reagent container cap 116 of the second exemplary embodiment and the first embodiment is that the cap body 120 is adapted to screw onto rather than snap onto a suitable reagent container (not shown), and therefore includes an internal thread 198 formed in the main body 120m as an attachment structure 196. Furthermore, it should be noted that the interlocking structures 120ml, 120il, 1221, and 122il are also slightly different from those in the first embodiment.

[0142] Figure 16 A reagent container cap 116 in the form of a perforated cap is shown as a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cap 116 (instead of a hinged cap) includes a funnel-shaped closure portion 187 adapted to be perforated and / or opened by a needle of a pipetting device of an analytical instrument (not shown) to adjust the cap to an open state. The closure portion 187 is also adapted to automatically adjust the cap to a closed state after the needle is removed.

[0143] For information on the initial perforation of this type of cap and its opening and closing, please refer to [reference needed]. Figures 6 to 10 And the corresponding description in existing technical document EP0564970 A2.

[0144] exist Figure 16 In one embodiment, the insertion portion 116i of the reagent container cap 116 is integrally formed of an insertion material such as TPO or LDPE, and includes a relatively short neck 121 defining a cap opening 166, a sealing ring 121s to be inserted into the container 118, and the aforementioned closing portion 187.

[0145] The main part 116m of the reagent container cap 116 mainly includes a container receiving structure 137 and a frame structure 125, which supports the insertion part 116i and is adapted to surround the neck 118n of the container 118.

[0146] Compared with the previous two embodiments, in Figure 16In the perforated cap, the region 109t of the cap interior space 109 (which is completely and exclusively defined by the surface of the insertion portion 116i along the circumference and towards the upper side of the region) is not the complete cylindrical upper end region of the cap interior space 109, but rather an annular space defined between the closing portion 187 and the sealing ring 121s.

[0147] However, in all embodiments, the position and arrangement of the main portion 116m and the insertion portion 116i of the reagent container cap 116 are chosen such that when the cap 116 is in the closed state and installed on the reagent container 118, the interior of the reagent container 118 is only in communication with the insertion portion of the reagent container cap 116.

Claims

1. A reagent container cap (116) adapted to be installed on a reagent container (118), And it is adapted to be adjustable between an open state and a closed state, at least after the initial opening of the cover (116). The reagent container cap (116) defines an internal space (109) and has a cap opening (116o) that allows access to the internal space (109) from above when the cap (116) is in the open state and under normal operating conditions where the cap (116) is vertically oriented such that the cap opening faces upwards; and wherein, under normal operating conditions, when the cap (116) is in the closed state, the internal space (109) opens only toward the bottom side (116b). The reagent container cap (116) comprises a main portion (116m) and an insert portion (116i) permanently connected to each other and made of different materials. When the cap (116) is in the closed state, the internal space (109) of the cap includes a region (109t) that is completely and exclusively defined circumferentially by the surface of the insert portion (116i) and facing upwards towards that region under normal operating conditions. The cap (116) includes an annular gap (116g) formed between the insertion portion (116i) and the main portion (116m), the annular gap (116g) being adapted to accommodate the upper end (118t) of the reagent container (118). The reagent container cap (116) includes a cap body (120) and a sealing cap (122), the sealing cap being hinged to the cap body so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (P) between a closed position and an open position, thereby adjusting the cap (116) between the closed state and the open state. The cap body (120) includes a main body portion (120m) and a main body insertion portion (120i) fixedly connected to each other, and the cap (122) includes a cap main body portion (122m) and a cap insertion portion (122i) fixedly connected to each other. The main body portion (116m) of the reagent container cap (116) includes the main body portion (120m) and the cap main body portion (122m), and the insertion portion (116i) of the reagent container cap (116) includes the main body insertion portion (120i) and the cap insertion portion (122i). The main part (116m) comprises a main part material and the insert part (116i) comprises an insert part material, the insert part material being more flexible than the main part material.

2. The reagent container cap (116) according to claim 1, The main part is made of polypropylene, and the insert part is made of thermoplastic olefin or low-density polyethylene.

3. The reagent container cap (116) according to claim 1, The main part and the insertion part have interlocking structures (116ml, 116il, 120ml, 120il, 122ml, 122il), which are adapted to engage with each other to securely connect the main part (116m) and the insertion part (116i).

4. The reagent container cap (116) according to claim 1 The main part (116m) has an attachment structure (196) adapted to attach the reagent container cap (116) to the reagent container (118) from the outside.

5. The reagent container lid (116) according to claim 4, wherein The attachment structure (196) is a snap-fit ​​structure (199) or a threaded structure (198).

6. The reagent container cap according to claim 1, wherein the body insertion portion (120i) includes a neck (121) defining the cap opening (116o), and the cap insertion portion (122i) includes a plug portion (122p) to be inserted into the neck (121) when the cap (122) is pivoted to the closed position.

7. The reagent container cap (116) according to any one of the preceding claims, The reagent container cap (116) is also adapted to be mounted to a support structure (114) for accommodating at least one reagent container (118, 118').

8. A reagent container unit (103), the reagent container unit comprising: A reagent container (118) having a top-side opening (118o), The reagent container cap (116) according to any one of the preceding claims is mounted to or can be mounted to the reagent container (118).

9. The reagent container unit (103) according to claim 8, The reagent container (118) is made of glass.

10. A reagent kit (110), the reagent kit comprising: - Supporting structure (114), - A single reagent container unit or a plurality of reagent container units (103, 103') housed on the support structure (114), each reagent container unit (103, 103) comprising a reagent container (118, 118') and a reagent container cap (116, 116) mounted to or installable to the reagent container, wherein at least one of the single reagent container unit or the plurality of reagent container units (103, 103') is a reagent container unit (103) having the features described in claim 8 or 9.

11. The reagent kit (110) according to claim 10, The reagent container cap (116, 116') of the single reagent container unit or at least one of the plurality of reagent container units (103, 103') is adapted to fit from above into the support structure (114), and the reagent kit (110) includes a keyway connector (170, 170') located between the reagent container cap (116, 116') and the support structure (114). The keyway connector (170, 170') includes a key portion (171) and a groove portion (181). The key portion is disposed on one element (114) of the reagent container cap (116, 116') and the support structure (114), and the groove portion is disposed on the other element of the reagent container cap (116, 116') and the support structure (114). The bond portion (171) protrudes vertically from the adjacent region of the element (114), and the groove portion (181) includes two vertical surface portions (181f) facing each other and adapted to receive the bond portion (171) between the two vertical surface portions when the reagent container cap (116, 116') is fitted into the support structure (114).

12. The kit (110) according to claim 10 or 11, The reagent container cap (116, 116') of the single reagent container unit or at least one of the plurality of reagent container units (103, 103') is adapted to be mounted from above to the support structure (114), wherein one element (114) of the reagent container cap (116, 116') and the support structure (114) includes a deformable protrusion arrangement (190) and the other element (116, 116') includes a deformable region (194, 194') associated with the deformable protrusion arrangement (190, 190'), wherein when the reagent container cap (116, 116') is mounted to the support structure (114), the associated deformable region (194, 194') is adapted to be deformed by the deformable protrusion arrangement (190, 190').

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