Liquid suction and discharge device

Abstract

To provide a liquid suction and discharge device in which a plurality of nozzles efficiently suck and discharge a liquid from a container formed by arranging a plurality of storage portions for storing the liquid.SOLUTION: The liquid suction and discharge device 2 comprises: a container support means 3 that supports a culture container 1 formed by arranging a plurality of housing portions 1a; and a nozzle support means 5 that supports a plurality of nozzles 4 with their tips facing downward. The nozzle support means 5 comprises a nozzle support member 21 that swingably supports the plurality of nozzles 4 with a required portion as a fulcrum, and also comprises a nozzle tilting means 6 for tilting each of the nozzles 4 with respect to the nozzle support member 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid suction and discharge device, and more particularly to a liquid suction and discharge device that uses a plurality of nozzles to suction and discharge liquid into a container in which a plurality of storage sections for storing liquid are formed in an aligned manner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when culturing cells, a container in which multiple storage compartments for holding liquids are arranged in an array is used, and, for example, the culture fluid is aspirated from the storage compartment in which the cells and culture fluid are stored, and then the aspirated culture fluid is discharged back into the storage compartment. During such culturing, the aspirating and discharging of liquid from the container is performed manually by an operator using a tool such as a pipette. However, in recent regenerative medicine, when the cultured cells are to be used for treatment, it is necessary to culture larger quantities of cells, and there is a demand for an efficient liquid aspirating and discharging device in the automated culturing device that performs these culturing tasks automatically. Known devices for aspirating or discharging the above-mentioned liquid are configured to use multiple nozzles to simultaneously aspirate or discharge liquid from multiple wells in a container such as a well plate in which multiple wells (reservoirs) are formed (Patent Documents 1 to 3). Of these, the device in Patent Document 1 has a row of multiple nozzles with their tips facing downward, and a container tilting means for tilting the container is provided below the aligned nozzles, and liquid is aspirated from one row of storage sections while the container is tilted. The device in Patent Document 2 also has a row of nozzles with their tips facing downward, and is equipped with a nozzle tilting means for tilting the row of nozzles together in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction, and discharges liquid into one row of storage sections in the container with the row of nozzles tilted. The device in Patent Document 3 has multiple rows of nozzles with their tips facing downwards, and varies the length of the nozzles in the row direction to match the difference in height of the storage sections in the row direction of the container supported at an angle, thereby sucking liquid from the storage sections in multiple rows while the container is tilted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3413418 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4962213 [Patent Document 3] JP 2003-302411 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the devices in Patent Documents 1 and 3 are both configured to use multiple nozzles to aspirate liquid from multiple storage compartments into a container in which multiple storage compartments are aligned, and are intended to aspirate all of the liquid without waste by tilting the container. However, the device in Patent Document 1 only has one row of nozzles, and when a container has multiple rows of storage sections, the suction operation must be performed multiple times depending on the number of rows, which is not efficient. Furthermore, although the device in Patent Document 3 can aspirate liquid from storage units aligned in multiple rows at once, the containers are supported at an angle from the start of suction, and depending on the amount of liquid contained, liquid may spill when the nozzle is inserted. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the containers is fixed, and the lengths of the nozzles, which vary in the row direction, are fixed to match the inclination angle of the containers, so there is little freedom in moving the nozzles within the storage units, and the device lacks versatility. On the other hand, the device in Patent Document 2 is configured to use multiple nozzles to eject liquid into multiple storage sections of a container in which multiple storage sections are aligned, but like Patent Document 1, it is not efficient as it only has one row of nozzles. In view of these problems, the present invention provides a liquid suction and discharge device that enables efficient suction and discharge of liquid using multiple nozzles from a container formed with multiple storage sections aligned to hold liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] That is, the liquid suction and discharge device according to the invention of claim 1 is a liquid suction and discharge device comprising: a container support means for supporting a container formed with a plurality of storage sections for storing liquid aligned; and a nozzle support means for supporting a plurality of nozzles aligned corresponding to the plurality of storage sections with their tips facing downwards, The nozzle support means supports the plurality of nozzles at a required portion of each nozzle as a fulcrum. On the same plane The nozzle support member supports the nozzles so as to be capable of swinging, and the nozzle support member further includes a nozzle tilting means for tilting each of the nozzles relative to the nozzle support member. 、 the nozzle tilting means comprises a nozzle tilting member which supports a required portion of each nozzle at a predetermined distance from the fulcrum so that the portion can slide on the same plane, and a translation means which translates the nozzle tilting member with respect to the plane on which each nozzle is supported; The nozzle tilting means maintains each nozzle supported by the nozzle support member vertically, and the parallel movement means moves the nozzle tilting member, thereby tilting each nozzle simultaneously in the same direction with the tip height aligned. It is characterized by the following. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the above invention 、 When aspirating or dispensing liquid Tilt each nozzle in the same direction at the same time, aligning the height of the tip. It is also possible to easily provide multiple rows of nozzles and configure each row to be inclined, making it possible to efficiently aspirate or discharge liquid from multiple rows of storage sections. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a liquid suction and discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] A front view of the main part of the liquid suction and discharge device [Diagram 3]Enlarged view for explaining nozzle tilting means [Figure 4] Side view of nozzle tilted [Diagram 5] Front view of nozzle tilted [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view of a state in which the nozzle support member and the culture vessel are tilted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The illustrated embodiment will now be described. FIG. 1 shows a liquid aspirating and discharging device 2 for aspirating and discharging liquid from a culture vessel 1 serving as a vessel. Nowadays, various tasks are required to culture cells. For example, tasks such as culture medium replacement, which involves changing the culture medium, passaging, which involves transferring the cells being cultured to a number of other culture vessels 1, and recovery, which involves recovering the cells after culture, all involve the operation of aspirating liquid from the culture vessel 1 and then discharging the aspirated liquid. Conventionally, such tasks involving the aspirating and dispensing of liquids have been performed manually by an operator who would hold the pipette and petri dish, position the tip of the pipette at the required position on the petri dish, and aspirate or dispensing the liquid. On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a need to culture large quantities of cells for purposes such as treatment, and in order to perform efficient culture, it is necessary to automatically aspirate and discharge liquid from the culture container 1 by using a liquid aspirating and discharging device 2 such as that of this embodiment. The liquid suction and discharge device 2 of this embodiment is capable of suctioning and discharging liquid into the culture container 1 in a sterile environment, and furthermore, in the sterile environment, it is possible to perform other culture tasks in the area adjacent to the liquid suction and discharge device 2.

[0009] The liquid suction and discharge device 2 includes a container support means 3 for supporting the culture container 1, a nozzle support means 5 for supporting a plurality of nozzles 4 with their tips facing downward, a nozzle tilt means 6 for tilting the nozzle 4 of the nozzle support means 5, a total tilt means 7 for tilting the nozzle support means 5, and a total lifting means 8 for lifting and lowering the nozzle support means 5, which are controlled by a control means (not shown). Here, Figs. 1 and 2 show a side view and a front view of the nozzle 4 facing vertically downward, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view for explaining the nozzle support means 5 and the nozzle tilt means 6, Figs. 4 and 5 show a side view and a front view of the nozzle 4 tilted by the nozzle tilt means 6, and Fig. 6 shows a front view of the nozzle support member 21 supporting the nozzle 4 and the culture container 1 tilted by the total tilt means 7.

[0010] The culture vessel 1 used in this embodiment is a conventionally known well plate, and a plurality of storage sections 1a are formed aligned in a plurality of rows in one culture vessel 1. The culture vessel 1 in this embodiment is provided with two rows of three storage sections 1a each, for a total of six storage sections 1a, or three rows of two storage sections 1a each, for a total of six storage sections 1a. The bottom surface of the storage section 1a formed in the culture vessel 1 is flat, and a vertical inner wall surface is formed so as to surround the flat bottom surface. The storage section 1a having such a shape is suitable for culturing cells that have the property of growing in a state of contact with the flat surface. As the above culture vessel 1, one having a different configuration may be used, and it may be a culture vessel 1 having more storage sections 1a formed therein, or a culture vessel 1 in which the bottom surface of the storage section 1a is formed in a spherical shape.

[0011] The container support means 3 comprises a plate-shaped container support member 11 that supports the culture container 1, a base portion 12 fixed to a required installation surface, a container moving means 13 that moves the container support member 11, and a container tilting means 14 that tilts the container support member 11. The container support member 11 is provided with a positioning member 15 for positioning the culture container 1 at a predetermined position, and the culture container 1 is set by a robot (not shown) or an operator. The container moving means 13 is composed of a conventionally known XY table, and is capable of horizontally moving the culture container 1 supported by the container support member 11. Note that the container moving means 13 is not limited to an XY table, and may be a conveying device equipped with a tilt function.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the container tilting means 14 is composed of a hinge 16 that rotatably connects the ends of a fixed plate 11A fixed to the container moving means 13 and the container support member 11, an air cylinder 17 equipped with a cam follower 17a at the tip of a rod that moves back and forth, and a cam 18 having a cam groove formed therein that engages with the cam follower 17a of the air cylinder 17. In Figure 2, the hinge 16 is provided at the left end portion of the fixed plate 11A and one end portion of the container support member 11, thereby allowing the container support member 11 to rotate up and down relative to the fixed plate 11A around the hinge 16, with the right end portion of the other end portion as the swing end. The container support member 11 is formed into a rectangle when viewed in a plane, and a hinge 16 is provided on one side of the rectangle at the above-mentioned one end side, which serves as the center of rotation, and the culture container 1 is supported so that a row of three storage sections 1a is arranged parallel to this side. The air cylinder 17 is fixed to the fixed plate 11A so as to face in a direction perpendicular to the edge of one end of the container support member 11 on which the hinge 16 is provided, and by extending the rod in a direction away from that end, the cam follower 17a is caused to reciprocate horizontally. The cam 18 is formed in a plate shape and is fixed to the lower surface of the container support member 11 so as to hang down parallel to the advancing and retracting direction of the rod of the air cylinder 17, and a cam groove with which the cam follower 17a engages is formed along the advancing and retracting direction of the rod of the air cylinder 17. The cam groove has an inclination that descends in the direction in which the rod of the air cylinder 17 extends. With this configuration, when the air cylinder 17 retracts the rod and pulls the cam follower 17a toward the end of the container support member 11 where the hinge 16 is provided, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the container support member 11 becomes horizontal and the culture container 1 is maintained horizontal. From this horizontal state, when the rod of the air cylinder 17 is extended as shown in Figure 6 and the cam follower 17a is positioned away from the end side of the container support member 11 where the hinge 16 is provided, the container support member 11 is pushed up via the cam 18 as the cam follower 17a moves and rotates upward around the hinge 16, so that the one end side of the container support member 11 of the culture vessel 1 where the hinge 16 is provided is lower and the other end side is higher.

[0013] The nozzle 4 is composed of a cylindrical member 4a supported by the nozzle support means 5 and a conical tip 4b provided at the lower end of the cylindrical member 4a, and the tip 4b can be replaced after use. In this embodiment, the nozzles 4 are provided in a total of six, that is, two rows with three nozzles per row or three rows with two nozzles per row, corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of storage sections 1a formed in the culture vessel 1. The number and arrangement of the nozzles 4 can be appropriately changed according to the number and arrangement state of the storage sections 1a of the culture vessel 1, and it is also possible to align the nozzles 4 in a single row instead of in multiple rows. In the above explanation, a row refers to a line of multiple storage units 1a and nozzles 4, and the front-to-rear direction of the line is referred to as the row direction. However, if necessary, the direction in which the three storage units 1a shown in cross section in the side view of Figure 1 are aligned (left-right direction in Figure 1) may be referred to as the "row direction", and the direction in which the two storage units 1a shown in cross section in the front view of Figure 2 are aligned (left-right direction in Figure 2) may be referred to as the "direction perpendicular to the row direction", and the alignment direction of the nozzles 4 corresponding to each storage unit 1a may also be described in a similar manner. Each of the nozzles 4 is connected to suction means 19 consisting of a pump or the like. When the suction means 19 is activated, the same amount of liquid is sucked into each nozzle 4, and when the suction is released, the liquid in the nozzles 4 can be discharged.

[0014] The nozzle support means 5 is configured to support the multiple nozzles 4 so that they can swing about a required portion with their tips facing downward, thereby allowing the tips of the nozzles 4 to move within a concave range. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the nozzle support means 5 comprises a plate-shaped nozzle support member 21 having a plurality of through holes formed therein in accordance with the positions of the aligned nozzles 4, and fulcrum spherical bearings 22 that are provided in the through holes of the nozzle support member 21 and support each nozzle 4 so that it can swing about a required part of the nozzle 4 as a fulcrum. In this embodiment, the nozzle support member 21 is composed of two plate-like members, and the nozzle support member 21 is supported by the overall tilting means 7 by connecting with the lower plate-like member 21a. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, in the normal state, the nozzle support member 21 is held horizontally by the overall tilting means 7, and when necessary, it can be swung and tilted as a whole, as shown in Figure 6. The centers of the six through holes drilled in the nozzle support member 21 are arranged to coincide with the center of the storage section 1a of the culture vessel 1 supported by the vessel support member 11, and the central axis of each nozzle 4 supported vertically by the nozzle support member 21 coincides with the center of each storage section 1a of the culture vessel 1.

[0015] The fulcrum spherical bearings 22 are provided in the through holes formed in the upper plate-like member 21b of the nozzle support member 21, respectively, and are provided on the same plane in the nozzle support member 21. Each fulcrum spherical bearing 22 is composed of an inner ring 22a attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical member 4a of the nozzle 4 via a fixing cylinder, and an outer ring 22b fitted into the through hole of the upper plate-like member 21b, and the inner ring 22a is freely rotatable in all directions inside the outer ring 22b. With this configuration, the nozzle 4 is capable of swinging around the center position of the inner ring 22a as a fulcrum, whereby the nozzle 4 is tilted and the tip of the nozzle 4 away from the fulcrum moves within a concave range.

[0016] The nozzle tilting means 6 is composed of a movable frame 23 movably mounted on the upper surface of a plate-shaped member 21a below the nozzle support member 21, a plate-shaped nozzle tilting member 24 movably mounted on the upper surface of the movable frame 23, a plain bearing 25 that slidably supports each nozzle 4, a tilting spherical bearing 26 that axially supports the plain bearing 25 so that it can swing, and a parallel movement means 27 that moves the nozzle tilting member 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the movable frame 23 is composed of a lower frame 23a and an upper frame 23b arranged above and below, and legs 23c arranged between the lower frame 23a and the upper frame 23b, and the lower frame 23a and the upper frame 23b are arranged in parallel. The lower frame 23a is disposed so as to surround the upper plate-like member 21b, and the upper frame 23b is disposed so as to surround all the nozzles 4 supported by the nozzle support member 21 so as not to interfere with them.

[0017] A first rail 28 is provided on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 21a below the nozzle support member 21 in the row direction of three nozzles 4, and a second rail 29 is provided on the upper surface of the upper frame 23b in a direction perpendicular to the first rail 28. The first rails 28 are arranged at four locations around the upper plate-shaped member 21b, and support the movable frame 23 so that it can move relative to the nozzle support member 21, and the second rails 29 are arranged at the front and rear of the row direction of the nozzles 4, and support the nozzle tilt member 24 so that it can move relative to the nozzle support member 21 and the movable frame 23. With this configuration, the movable frame 23 and the nozzle tilting member 24 supported by the movable frame 23 are capable of moving in the row direction of the nozzles 4 along the first rail 28, and the nozzle tilting member 24 is capable of moving in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4 along the second rail 29. Moreover, with the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to move the nozzle tilting member 24 parallel to the arrangement plane of the plurality of fulcrum spherical bearings 22 supported by the plate-like member 21b above the nozzle support member 21.

[0018] The nozzle tilt member 24 is formed with two rows of three through holes each, totaling six through holes, in accordance with the arrangement of the nozzles 4 supported by the nozzle support member 21. As a result, when the moving frame 23 is positioned at the center of the movement range of the first rail 28 and the nozzle tilting member 24 is positioned at the center of the movement range of the second rail 29, each nozzle 4 supported by the nozzle support member 21 is positioned at the center of the corresponding through hole of the nozzle tilting member 24 and maintained vertically. A sliding bearing 25 is provided in each through hole of the nozzle tilting member 24 via the tilting spherical bearing 26, and the cylindrical member 4a of each nozzle 4 supported by the nozzle support member 21 corresponding to the position of each through hole is supported by the corresponding sliding bearing 25 so as to be able to slide freely. The tilt spherical bearing 26 is composed of an inner ring 26a attached to the outer periphery of the sliding bearing 25 and an outer ring 26b fitted into the inside of the through hole of the nozzle tilt member 24, and the inner ring 26a is freely rotatable in any direction inside the outer ring 26b.

[0019] With this configuration, the tilt spherical bearings 26 and the plain bearings 25 are supported by the nozzle tilt member 24 and arranged in the same plane, and by moving the nozzle tilt member 24 parallel to the nozzle support member 21, the nozzles 4 are pressed horizontally via the plain bearings 25, as shown in Figure 3(b). When the nozzle 4 is pressed parallel to the nozzle support member 21, the pressed part becomes the point of action, and the rotation center part of the fulcrum spherical bearing 22 supported by the nozzle support member 21 in the nozzle 4 becomes the fulcrum, so that the tip of the nozzle 4 swings in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the nozzle tilting member 24, and each nozzle 4 becomes tilted in the same direction. Here, the nozzle tilting member 24 presses the part of the nozzle 4 that is the point of action in the tangential direction against the nozzle 4 that oscillates around the fulcrum spherical bearing 22. However, by supporting each nozzle 4 via a sliding bearing 25, the nozzle 4 can be tilted smoothly while sliding against the sliding bearing 25. Furthermore, since the positional relationship between each of the multiple through holes in the nozzle tilting member 24 and the positional relationship between each of the multiple through holes in the nozzle support member 21 do not change, it is possible to tilt all of the nozzles 4 supported by the nozzle support means 5 in the same direction simultaneously by the nozzle tilting means 6.

[0020] The parallel movement means 27 is provided on the plate-shaped member 21a below the nozzle support member 21 and is composed of the first rail 28 that guides the movement of the moving frame 23, a first motor 30 that moves the moving frame 23 along the first rail 28, the second rail 29 that is provided on the upper frame 23b of the moving frame 23 and guides the movement of the nozzle tilting member 24, and a second motor 31 that moves the nozzle tilting member 24 along the second rail. The first motor 30 is fixed to the upper surface of a plate-shaped member 21a below the nozzle support member 21, and rotates a screw shaft 30a arranged parallel to the first rail 28, and a nut member 30b that screws into the screw shaft 30a is provided on the lower frame 23a of the moving frame 23. On the other hand, the second motor 31 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper frame 23b of the moving frame 23 and rotates a screw shaft 31a arranged parallel to the second rail 29, and the nozzle inclination member 24 is provided with a nut member 31b that screws into the screw shaft 31a. With this configuration, by moving the moving frame 23 forward and backward with the first motor 30, the nozzle tilting member 24 can be moved back and forth in the row direction of the nozzles 4, and by moving the nozzle tilting member 24 forward and backward with the second motor 31, the nozzle tilting member 24 can be moved back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4. This allows the nozzles 4 to be tilted simultaneously in the row direction in which they are respectively aligned or in a direction perpendicular to the row direction. Furthermore, by linking the first motor 30 and the second motor 31, it is possible to move the nozzle tilt member 24 in a two-dimensional compound direction, thereby allowing the tip of each nozzle 4 to move not only in a straight line, but also in a circular or curved trajectory.

[0021] The overall tilting means 7 comprises a horizontally arranged drive shaft 7a which is rotated by a servo motor (not shown), and a oscillating member 7b attached to the drive shaft 7a, and supports the lower plate-like member 21a of the nozzle support member 21 by horizontally connecting it to the oscillating member 7b. As a result, by rotating the drive shaft 7a forwards and backwards, the nozzle support member 21 and the nozzle tilting member 24 can be moved back and forth on an arc-shaped trajectory perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4 centered on the drive shaft 7a, making it possible to tilt the multiple nozzles 4 together with the nozzle support member 21. The overall lifting means 8 is driven by an actuator (not shown), such as a motor or a drive cylinder, to lift and lower the overall tilting means 7, thereby enabling the nozzle support member 21 and the nozzle tilting member 24 to move up and down, and the multiple nozzles 4 are lifted and lowered together with the nozzle support member 21.

[0022] The operation of the liquid suction and discharge device 2 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described below. As an example, the operation when recovering cells cultured in the culture container 1 will be described. The cells grow while attached to the bottom of the storage section 1a, and in order to recover the cells, it is first necessary to drain the liquid around the attached cells to detach them, and then to aspirate the culture liquid in which the detached cells are suspended and recover them. First, there will be described the operations performed when peeling off cells adhering to the bottom of each storage section 1a of the culture vessel 1. The following operations are registered in advance in the control means and are performed automatically. When setting the culture vessel 1 containing cells in the liquid suction and discharge device 2, the nozzle support member 21 is retracted upward by the overall lifting and lowering means 8, and when the culture vessel 1 is set in the required position on the vessel support member 11 by the positioning member 15, the overall lifting and lowering means 8 lowers the nozzle support member 21 via the overall tilting means 7 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the tip of each nozzle 4 is inserted into each storage section 1a of the culture vessel 1. At this time, in order to prevent damage to the cells contained in the storage section 1a, the amount of descent by the overall lifting means 8 is adjusted so that the tip of the nozzle 4 is spaced above the bottom surface of the storage section 1a and stopped at a position where it is immersed in the culture medium.

[0023] Next, the suction means 19 is operated to suck a predetermined amount of culture fluid into each nozzle 4, so that almost the entire amount of culture fluid contained in each container 1a is contained in each nozzle 4. Thereafter, the parallel movement means 27 of the nozzle tilting means 6 is activated, and the moving frame 23 and the nozzle tilting member 24 are moved in the row direction of the nozzles 4 by driving the first motor 30, thereby tilting the nozzles 4 in the row direction so that the tip of each nozzle 4 faces the peripheral edge of the bottom surface, as shown in Figure 4. In the example of Figure 4, the moving frame 23 and the nozzle tilting member 24 are moved a predetermined amount so as to be attracted to the first motor 30, thereby tilting the upper part of each nozzle 4 above the fulcrum toward the first motor 30, and pointing the tip of the nozzle 4 in the opposite direction to the upper part. Furthermore, from this state, the first and second motors 30, 31 are linked together, and the first motor 30 is driven to reciprocate the moving frame 23 a predetermined distance in the row direction of the nozzles 4, while the second motor 31 is driven to reciprocate the nozzle tilt member 24 a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4. By such a combined operation, the nozzle tilting member 24 can be moved in a circular trajectory, and in addition, by the container moving means 13 moving the culture container 1 in a rotating manner, each nozzle 4 tilts with the part supported by the nozzle support member 21 as a fulcrum, and the tip of each nozzle 4 moves in a circular trajectory along the inner circumference of each storage section 1a. The control means registers the movement trajectories of the nozzle tilting member 24 and the container support member 11 so that the circular trajectory of the tip of the nozzle 4 moves in a circular shape along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the storage section 1a of the culture container 1. In this manner, while the tip of each nozzle 4 is moved along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the storage section 1a, the suction by the suction means 19 is released to discharge the culture fluid that had been sucked into the nozzle 4, thereby detaching the cells adhering to the bottom surface of the storage section 1a. The operation of tilting the nozzle 4 and moving the tip of the nozzle 4 along the periphery of the bottom surface of the storage section 1a is a reproduction of an actual operation performed by an operator. However, while an operator processes the storage sections 1a one by one, the liquid suction and discharge device 2 of the present invention can process all of the storage sections 1a aligned in multiple rows simultaneously.

[0024] Next, we will explain the operation of aspirating cultured cells from the culture vessel 1 using the liquid aspirating and discharging device 2. At this time, the cells cultured in the culture vessel 1 are detached from the bottom surface of each storage section 1a and suspended in the culture solution. First, as shown in FIG. 2, each nozzle 4 is maintained vertically so that its tip is above the bottom surface of the storage section 1a and immersed in the culture fluid. In this state, the suction means 19 is operated to aspirate the culture fluid containing a predetermined amount of cells into each nozzle 4, so that almost the entire amount of the culture fluid containing the cells is stored in each nozzle 4. However, since the culture medium containing the cells still remains in each of the storage sections 1a, it is necessary to cause each nozzle 4 to aspirate this remaining culture medium as well. Therefore, from the above state, as shown in Figure 5, the nozzle support member 21 is raised by the overall lifting means 8 to temporarily position each nozzle 4 above each storage section 1a, and then the second motor 31 of the parallel movement means 27 that constitutes the nozzle tilting means 6 is operated to move the nozzle tilting member 24 a predetermined amount in a direction away from the second motor 31. As a result, the portion above the fulcrum of each nozzle 4 is tilted in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4 and away from the second motor 31, so that the tip of each nozzle 4 faces in the opposite direction to the upper portion. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle support member 21 is tilted by the overall tilting means 7 in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the nozzles 4, which is opposite to the direction in which the nozzles 4 were previously tilted, so that the attitude of each nozzle 4 that it supports becomes approximately vertical.

[0025] Meanwhile, in the container support member 11 supporting the culture vessel 1, the air cylinder 17 of the container tilting means 14 is activated, the piston rod is extended, and the cam follower 17a is moved in a direction away from the air cylinder 17, thereby tilting the culture vessel 1 together with the container support member 11. In other words, the inclination direction of the container support member 11 in this case is the same as the direction in which the nozzle support member 21 is inclined in order to make each nozzle 4 vertical. As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the culture vessel 1 is tilted downward toward the hinge 16, and in this state, each storage section 1a is tilted in a direction perpendicular to the row direction, with the row closer to the hinge 16 being lower and the row furthest from it being higher. As a result, in each of the storage sections 1a of the inclined culture vessel 1, the culture fluid containing the cells collects in the lowest part of the storage section 1a.

[0026] Moreover, at the same time as tilting the container support member 11, the container moving means 13 is operated to move the container support member 11 in the same direction as the movement direction of the tip of each nozzle 4 when the nozzle support member 21 is tilted by the entire tilting means 7 to make each nozzle 4 vertical. As a result, the lowest part of each storage section 1a is positioned directly below the tip of each nozzle 4 that has been placed in a vertical position above the culture vessel 1, and the tip of each nozzle 4 and the corresponding storage section 1a are relatively aligned. With the positioning thus performed, the entire lifting means 8 is operated to lower each nozzle 4 together with the nozzle support member 21 in the tilted state, so that the tip of the nozzle 4 corresponding to the lowest part of each storage section 1a of the tilted culture vessel 1 is brought close to it, and in this state the suction means 19 is operated to aspirate the culture fluid containing the remaining cells, thereby aspirating all of the liquid in each storage section 1a. The operation of tilting the culture vessel 1 in this manner and aspirating the liquid with the tip of the nozzle 4 positioned at the lowest part of the storage section 1a also reproduces the actual operation performed by an operator, but while an operator would process the storage sections 1a one by one, the liquid aspirating and discharging device of the present invention can process all of the storage sections 1a arranged in multiple rows.

[0027] In particular, in the present invention, each of the multiple nozzles 4 is supported in a swingable manner relative to the nozzle support member 21 so that it can be tilted. Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 4, each nozzle 4 can be tilted in the same direction with the tip height aligned relative to multiple storage sections 1a lined up in the row direction of the culture vessel 1 supported by the horizontal vessel support member 11. This makes it possible to incline the tips of all the nozzles 4 aligned in a plurality of rows in the same manner, and allows liquid to be discharged simultaneously into all the containers 1a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, for multiple storage sections 1a aligned in the tilted direction of the culture vessel 1 supported by the tilted vessel support member 11, multiple nozzles 4 aligned in the row direction (in this embodiment, the row direction perpendicular to the row direction) are tilted relative to the nozzle support member 21 so that their tips point downwardly of the tilted vessel support member 11, and the nozzle support member 21 can be tilted in the same direction as the vessel support member 11 by the above-mentioned overall tilting means 7. This allows the tip of each corresponding nozzle 4 aligned in the column direction to be directed toward the lowest part of the bottom surface of each storage section 1a, which is inclined and has a different height in the column direction, and liquid can be simultaneously sucked from all storage sections 1a.

[0028] As described above, according to the liquid suction and discharge device 2 of this embodiment, each of the multiple nozzles 4 is pivotally supported by the nozzle support means 5 so that the tip of each nozzle 4 can be moved within a concave range, making it possible to reproduce complex tasks performed by an operator. Here, the above-mentioned operation is just one example, and according to the liquid suction and discharge device 2 of this embodiment, it is possible to reproduce various operations performed by various institutions by registering them in advance in the control means. Furthermore, since a plurality of nozzles 4 are supported on the nozzle support means 5, it is possible to carry out the above-mentioned complicated operations on a plurality of storage sections 1a of the culture vessel 1 simultaneously.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the nozzle support means 5 supports the nozzle 4 so that it can swing around a required portion as a fulcrum, and the nozzle tilting means 6 presses the portion above the fulcrum as a point of action, thereby tilting each nozzle 4. In contrast to this, the part that is pressed as the point of action may be a part below the fulcrum, or, without pressing the point of action, for example, the fulcrum spherical bearing 22 in the nozzle support means 5 may be rotationally driven by a required driving means using a non-contact power such as an actuator such as a motor or an air cylinder, or magnetic force. This makes it possible to configure the drive means as the nozzle tilting means 6 which directly rotates the fulcrum portion to swing the nozzle 4 . [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Culture vessel 1a Storage section 2 Liquid suction and discharge device 3 Container support means 4 Nozzle 5 Nozzle support means 6 nozzle tilt means 7 whole tilt means 8 Overall lifting means 14 Container tilting means 21 nozzle support member 22 fulcrum spherical bearing 24 Nozzle inclination member 25 Plain bearing 26 Inclined spherical bearing 27 Parallel movement means

Claims

1. A liquid suction and discharge device comprising: a container support means for supporting a container formed with a plurality of storage sections for storing liquid arranged in an aligned manner; and a nozzle support means for supporting a plurality of nozzles arranged in correspondence with the plurality of storage sections with their tips facing downward, the nozzle support means comprises a nozzle support member which supports the plurality of nozzles so that the nozzles can swing in the same plane with a required portion of each nozzle as a fulcrum, and further comprises nozzle tilting means which tilts each of the nozzles with respect to the nozzle support member; the nozzle tilting means comprises a nozzle tilting member which supports a required portion of each nozzle at a predetermined distance from the fulcrum so that the portion can slide on the same plane, and a translation means which translates the nozzle tilting member with respect to the plane on which each nozzle is supported; A liquid suction and discharge device characterized in that each nozzle supported by the nozzle support member is maintained vertically by the nozzle tilting means, and the parallel movement means moves the nozzle tilting member, thereby tilting each nozzle in the same direction and aligning the tip height of each nozzle at the same time.

2. 2. The liquid suction and discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle support member includes a plurality of fulcrum spherical bearings for supporting the nozzles, the fulcrum spherical bearings being aligned in the same plane.

3. 3. The liquid suction and discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle tilting member includes a sliding bearing that supports each of the nozzles, and a plurality of tilting spherical bearings that support the sliding bearings in a swingable manner and are aligned in the same plane.

4. a total tilting means for tilting the nozzle support means, and a container tilting means for tilting the container supported by the container support means, 4. The liquid suction and discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the overall tilting means tilts the nozzle support means in the same direction as the container.

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