Temperature treatment device

Abstract

To provide a temperature treatment device that can vary a temperature of a sample at high speed.SOLUTION: A temperature treatment device includes: a heating part that includes a first heater block composed of a thermally conductive material, a second heater block composed of a thermally conductive material disposed at a side of the first heater block with a space from the first heater block, and two heater elements capable of independently heating the first heater block and the second heater block to control the respective blocks to different temperatures; a container holding part that holds a sample container with a sample storage part at a lower end so that the sample storage part is disposed between the first heater block and the second heater block; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the heating part and the container holding part relative to each other in a horizontal plane so that the first heater block and the second heater block come into contact with the sample storage part in a temporally alternating sequence.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature treatment apparatus for performing a temperature treatment for varying the temperature of a sample.

Background Art

[0002] PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is often used to amplify genes in a sample, and containers for performing PCR have also been proposed (see Patent Document 1). It is desired to perform a process such as PCR at high speed, and for that purpose, it is necessary to vary the temperature of the sample at high speed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As temperature treatment using a container as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to vary the temperature of the sample accommodated in the container, the output of a heater for heating the container is changed at regular intervals, or a plurality of heating units controlled to different temperatures are prepared and the container is moved to each heating unit. However, both methods have limitations in varying the temperature of the sample at high speed.

[0005] In addition, when performing a chemical reaction by heating a general container, the container may be placed on a heat source such as an aluminum block and the temperature of the heat source may be adjusted. In that case, since it takes time to control the temperature rise and fall of the aluminum block itself, there are limitations in controlling the sample temperature variation in a short time. In addition, since the sample in the container is also exposed to temperatures between high and low temperatures up to the temperature for promoting the reaction, the chemical reaction may not be properly performed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a temperature treatment apparatus capable of accurately and rapidly varying the temperature of a sample.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The temperature treatment apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for controlling the rise and fall of the sample temperature, and includes a first heater block made of a heat conductive material, a second heater block made of a heat conductive material disposed at a side of the first heater block with a space therebetween, and a heating unit having two heater elements capable of being controlled to different temperatures by heating the first heater block and the second heater block independently of each other; a sample container having a sample housing portion at a lower end, and a container holding portion for holding the sample container in a state where the sample housing portion is disposed between the first heater block and the second heater block; and a rotation mechanism for relatively rotating the heating unit and the container holding portion in a horizontal plane so that the first heater block and the second heater block alternately come into contact with the sample housing portion in time sequence. By this mechanism, the control of the rise and fall of the sample temperature can be quickly performed by rotational movement between two heaters set to different temperatures.

[0008] The rotation mechanism may be configured to rotate the heating unit in a horizontal plane.

[0009] Further, the first heater block and the second heater block may have side surfaces facing each other, and the outer peripheral surface of the sample housing portion of the sample container may contact the side surfaces to heat the sample housing portion.

[0010] Further, each of the two heater elements may be a heating wire disposed directly below the first heater block and the second heater block.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] The temperature treatment apparatus according to the present invention relatively rotates a heating unit and a container holding unit in a horizontal plane so that a first heater block and a second heater block are brought into contact with a sample accommodation unit of a sample container held by the container holding unit alternately in time sequence, thereby varying the sample accommodation unit of the sample container. Therefore, it is possible to accurately and rapidly vary the temperature of the sample.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the temperature treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] First, the temperature treatment apparatus 1 used in the temperature treatment apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the sample container 1 includes a container body 100 and a cap 200. The container body 100 is a container having an open upper surface 102, and the opening of the upper surface 102 of the container body 100 is sealed by attaching the cap 200 to the upper part of the container body 100.

[0016] At the lower end of the container body 100, a sample storage portion 104 having an internal space 106 for storing a sample liquid containing a sample is provided. The area of the horizontal cross-section of the internal space 106 of the sample storage portion 104 becomes smaller as it goes downward, and the shape of the vertical cross-section of the internal space 106 is substantially triangular.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the sample storage portion 104 has a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. Since the internal space 106 has the above-described shape, heat convection in the internal space 106 is likely to occur, and the temperature change in the internal space 106 when heat is applied from the outer peripheral surface of the sample storage portion 104 to the internal space 106 is made at high speed.

[0018] The container body 100 includes, above the sample storage portion 104, a funnel portion 108 having a funnel shape in which the inner diameter and the outer diameter become smaller as it goes downward. The sample storage portion 104 extends downward from the lower end of the funnel portion 108 and is provided so as to form a part of a cylinder sharing the central axis with the funnel portion 108. A solidified reagent layer 110 is fixed in the funnel portion 108. The reagent layer 110 is liquefied, for example, when heated to 50 degrees Celsius or higher. The reagent layer 110 includes, for example, a layer (upper layer) of a PCR reagent for performing a PCR process for amplifying a gene in a sample and a layer (lower layer) of paraffin. By filling the lower layer with a liquid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the upper layer, it is possible to efficiently promote the replacement of the reagent when the reagent layer 110 is liquefied.

[0019] The outer peripheral surface of the container body 100 is provided with blade portions 112 extending in the horizontal outer direction. The blade portions 112 are for holding the sample container 1 in a certain posture. Note that the blade portions 112 may be provided on the cap 200. A screw 114 for attaching the cap 200 is provided on the upper outer peripheral surface of the container body 100.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 1, a skirt portion 206 that extends downward so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the cap 200 is provided in the middle portion of the cap 200. A screw 208 that engages with the screw 114 of the container body 100 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt portion 206. The cap 200 is attached to the container body 100 by screwing the screw 114 of the container body 100 and the screw 208 of the cap 200 together.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the lower part of the cap 200 is inserted into the container body 100 when the cap 200 is attached to the container body 100. A sample holding portion 204, which is a recess for holding a sample, is provided at the lower end of the cap 200, and the sample holding portion 204 reaches the reagent layer 110 in the container body 100 when the cap 200 is attached to the container body 100. A sample such as saliva is introduced into the container body 100 while being held in the sample holding portion 204 at the lower end of the cap 200 and comes into contact with the reagent layer 110.

[0022] Next, an embodiment of the temperature treatment device will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0023] The temperature treatment device 300 includes heater blocks 302 and 304, a heater substrate 306, heaters 308 and 310, a table 312, and a container holding portion 314. The heater blocks 302 and 304 are made of a metal material such as aluminum or brass with good thermal conductivity and are arranged facing each other. The heater blocks 302 and 304 have side surfaces facing each other, and those side surfaces have a curvature so as to be in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the funnel portion 108 of the sample container 1 and the outer peripheral surface of the sample holding portion 104.

[0024] The container holding portion 314 holds the wing portion 112 of the sample container 1 and maintains the state in which the sample accommodation portion 104 at the lower end of the sample container 1 is disposed between the two heater blocks 302 and 304.

[0025] Heaters 308 and 310 are embedded in heater substrate 306. Heater substrate 306 is disposed below heater blocks 302 and 304. Heater 308 contacts heater block 302, and heater 310 contacts heater block 304. Heater block 302 is heated by heater 308, and heater block 304 is heated by heater 310. Heaters 308 and 310 are driven independently of each other, whereby heater blocks 302 and 304 are heated to different temperatures. An example of heaters 308 and 310 is heating wires that generate heat according to the magnitude of the flowing current. Heater blocks 302, 304, heater substrate 306, heaters 308 and 310 constitute a heating unit for heating the sample accommodation section 104 of sample container 1.

[0026] Table 312 supports the heating unit composed of heater blocks 302, 304, heater substrate 306, heaters 308 and 310. Table 312 is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane by a motor or the like. Table 312 constitutes a rotation mechanism that relatively rotates sample container 1 held by container holding section 314 and the heating unit in a horizontal plane. Conversely, instead of this embodiment, table 312 may not rotate, and container holding section 314 may rotate in a horizontal plane so as to relatively rotate sample container 1 held by container holding section 314 and the heating unit in a horizontal plane.

[0027] An example of the procedure of a sample temperature treatment method using sample container 1 and temperature treatment apparatus 300 will be described.

[0028] First, a cap 200 with a sample attached to the tip sample holding part 204 is attached to the container main body 100. Then, the wing part 112 of the sample container 1 is held by the container holding part 314 of the temperature treatment device 300 and set, and the lower part of the sample container 1 is brought into surface contact with the heater blocks 302 and 304. In this state, currents are passed through the heaters 308 and 310 to set the temperatures of the heater blocks 302 and 304 to about 50°C. As a result, the reagent layer 110 in the sample container 1 is liquefied. When the reagent layer 110 contains a reagent layer and a paraffin layer, due to the difference in specific gravity between the reagent and the paraffin, as shown in FIG. 4, a paraffin layer P is formed on the sample liquid S which is a mixture of the sample and the reagent. As a result, the sample liquid S is accommodated in the internal space 106 of the sample accommodating part 104. The paraffin layer P functions to prevent the evaporation of the sample liquid S during the subsequent temperature treatment and improve the efficiency of the temperature treatment.

[0029] Thereafter, with the temperature of the heater block 302 adjusted to a first temperature and the temperature of the heater block 304 adjusted to a second temperature different from the first temperature, for example, the temperatures of the heater blocks 302 and 304 are set to about 55°C and 98°C respectively. Then, the table 312 is rotated 180 degrees at regular time intervals, and the heater blocks 302 and 304 are alternately brought into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sample accommodating part 104. As a result, the temperature of the sample liquid S accommodated in the sample accommodating part 104 alternately changes between the first temperature and the second temperature at regular time intervals. FIG. 5 shows the state where the table 312 is rotated 180 degrees from the state of FIG. 4.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows verification data obtained by analyzing the sample liquid after PCR by electrophoresis after performing PCR processing of a target gene using the above sample container 1 and temperature treatment device 300. In this verification, the temperature of one of the heater blocks 302 and 304 of the temperature treatment device 300 was set to 110°C, and the temperature of the other was set to 40°C, and the table 312 was rotated at 30 - second intervals to perform PCR processing for 30 minutes. As a result, it was confirmed that the amplification processing of the target gene was performed well.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0031] 1 sample container 100 container body 102 upper surface of the container body 104 sample storage section 106 internal space of the sample storage section 108 funnel section 110 reagent layer 112 fin section 114 screw 116 stopper 200 cap 202 protrusion 204 sample holding section 206 skirt section 208 screw 300 temperature treatment device 302, 304 heater block 306 heater substrate 308, 310 heater 312 table 314 container holding section

Claims

1. A temperature treatment apparatus for controlling the rise and fall of the sample temperature, comprising: a first heater block made of a heat conductive material, a second heater block made of a heat conductive material disposed at a side of the first heater block with a space therebetween, and a heating unit including two heater elements capable of controlling the first heater block and the second heater block to different temperatures by heating them independently of each other; a container holding unit for holding a sample container having a sample holding unit at a lower end thereof in a state where the sample holding unit is disposed between the first heater block and the second heater block; a rotation mechanism for relatively rotating the heating unit and the container holding unit in a horizontal plane so that the first heater block and the second heater block alternately contact the sample holding unit in time sequence; and the first heater block and the second heater block each have a side surface facing each other, and the temperature treatment apparatus, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the sample holding unit of the sample container contacts the side surface to heat the sample holding unit.

2. The temperature treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the heating unit in a horizontal plane.

3. The temperature treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the two heater elements is a heating wire disposed directly below the first heater block and the second heater block.

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