Electrophoresis equipment

Abstract

In order to provide an electrophoresis device that simplifies the system configuration of an autosampler, this electrophoresis device separates and analyzes a sample by electrophoresis, and is characterized by comprising: a transport unit that transports a container containing the sample and a buffer solution to a target position; a contact part with which a jig mounted on the transport part or a part of the transport unit comes into contact when the transport unit moves to the target position; and a control unit that records, as a calibration value, the distance from a position when the jig or the part of the transport unit contacts the contact part to an origin, and controls movement of the transport unit on the basis of the calibration value.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrophoresis apparatus, and relates to position calibration when transporting a container that contains a sample or a buffer solution. [Background technology]

[0002] An electrophoresis apparatus is a device that separates fluorescently labeled samples by electrophoresis in capillaries and analyzes the samples by detecting the fluorescence induced by irradiating them with excitation light. Many electrophoresis apparatuses are equipped with an autosampler that transports containers containing samples and buffer solutions to predetermined positions. Since misalignment of the containers transported by the autosampler can cause problems with sample injection into the capillaries, highly accurate position calibration is required.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an autosampler that calibrates the position of a needle based on image data captured from above of the tip of the needle that draws in and ejects the sample and the sample container, and uses the pulse signal generated as the needle moves from the initial position to the target position as the calibration value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 162921 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 requires an imaging device for capturing image data for position calibration, which complicates the system configuration of the electrophoretic device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrophoresis apparatus with a simplified system configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electrophoresis apparatus for separating and analyzing a sample by electrophoresis, characterized in that it comprises a transport unit that transports a storage container containing the sample and buffer solution to a target position, a contact unit that a jig mounted on the transport unit or a part of the transport unit comes into contact with when the transport unit moves to the target position, and a control unit that records the distance from the position when the jig or part of the transport unit comes into contact with the contact unit to the origin as a calibration value and controls the movement of the transport unit based on the calibration value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrophoresis apparatus with a simplified system configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of an electrophoresis device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a movable jig and a fixed jig according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing contact between a movable jig and a fixed jig. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an excitation waveform of a motor. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a fixed-side jig according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a view showing another example of the fixed jig of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a pin and a through hole of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the electrophoresis apparatus of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The electrophoresis apparatus separates fluorescently labeled samples by electrophoresis and analyzes the samples by detecting the fluorescence induced by irradiating them with excitation light. [Example]

[0011] An example of the overall configuration of the electrophoresis apparatus of Example 1 will be described using Figure 1. The electrophoresis apparatus includes a transport unit 101 that transports a container 102 containing a sample or a buffer solution to a target position 103 that is a position accessed by a capillary tip 104, and a control unit 105 that is a computer that controls each unit. The sample or buffer solution is injected into the capillary from the capillary tip 104 and used for analysis.

[0012] If the container 102 transported by the transport unit 101 deviates from the target position 103, a malfunction occurs in the injection of a sample or the like into the capillary, and therefore high-precision position calibration is required. In Example 1, high-precision position calibration is performed by recording, as a calibration value, the distance from the position when the jig mounted on the transport unit 101 contacts a contact portion provided at the target position 103 to the origin. The recorded calibration value is used to control the movement of the transport unit 101 to the target position 103.

[0013] 2, an example of a movable jig 201 that is a jig mounted on the transport unit 101 and a fixed jig 202 that is a jig placed at the target position 103 will be described. The transport unit 101 slides on rails that extend in the directions of the X and Y axes by the driving force of a motor, and moves between the origin 200 and the target position 103. The motor generates a holding force that holds the transport unit 101 in its position when it is not energized, i.e., when it is in a non-excited state.

[0014] Movable jig 201 is a jig that is mounted on transport section 101, and has protrusion 201A that protrudes upward. Protrusion 201A is in the shape of a prism having surfaces that are perpendicular to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0015] The fixed-side jig 202 is a jig to be placed at the target position 103, and has a shape in which part of a rectangular parallelepiped is cut into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the surface formed by the cutting is the contact portion 202A. The contact portion 202A is the surface with which the protrusion portion 201A of the movable-side jig 201 comes into contact. The fixed-side jig 202 may have a peephole 202B. The peephole 202B is used to visually check the position of the movable-side jig 201.

[0016] An example of the processing flow of the first embodiment will be described step by step with reference to FIG.

[0017] (S301) The motor that drives the transport unit 101 is turned off. Note that the movable jig 201 is mounted on the transport unit 101 in advance, and the fixed jig 202 is placed at the target position 103.

[0018] (S302) The transport unit 101 is moved toward the target position 103. The movement of the transport unit 101 is performed manually by an operator, for example. Although a holding force is generated by the motor, the transport unit 101 can be moved manually.

[0019] (S303) It is determined whether or not the protrusion 201A of the movable jig 201 mounted on the transport unit 101 has come into contact with the contact portion 202A of the fixed jig 202. If there is contact, the process proceeds to S304, and if there is no contact, the process returns to S302.

[0020] The contact between the movable jig 201 and the fixed jig 202 will be described using Fig. 4. Fig. 4 illustrates a state in which a protrusion 201A of the movable jig 201 located below the fixed jig 202 is in contact with a contact portion 202A of the fixed jig 202. Since the state in which the two are in contact cannot be visually confirmed, the presence or absence of contact is determined, for example, by the operator's sense of touch.

[0021] (S304) The motor is turned on. Immediately after the motor is turned on, the transport unit 101 may be slightly moved so that the movable jig 201 moves away from the fixed jig 202. Such slight movement can prevent damage to the protrusion 201A and the contact portion 202A.

[0022] (S305) The control unit 105 controls the transport unit 101 so that it returns to the origin 200. Whether the transport unit 101 has returned to the origin 200 is detected by an optical sensor or the like installed at the origin 200.

[0023] (S306) The control unit 105 records, as a calibration value, the distance from the contact position where the protrusion 201A comes into contact with the contact portion 202A to the origin 200. The distance from the contact position to the origin 200 is calculated based on the number of drive pulses to the motor that are counted during the time that the transport unit 101 returns from the contact position to the origin 200.

[0024] 3, the distance from the position where protrusion 201A contacts contact portion 202A to origin 200 is recorded as a calibration value, enabling highly accurate position calibration. Control unit 105 uses the recorded calibration value to move transport unit 101 from origin 200 to target position 103. Furthermore, since the calibration value can be recorded without using an imaging device, the system configuration of the electrophoresis device can be simplified.

[0025] It should be noted that the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 202A of the fixed-side jig 202 is not limited to the protrusion 201A of the movable-side jig 201. For example, a part of the transport portion 101 may come into contact with the contact portion 202A of the fixed-side jig 202.

[0026] The calibration value may also be recorded over time. By recording the calibration value over time, the control unit 105 can calculate and present the inspection time for the electrophoresis device. In other words, based on the change in the calibration value over time, the control unit 105 can predict the time when the calibration value will exceed a predetermined threshold as the inspection time. [Example]

[0027] In the first embodiment, it has been described that the transport unit 101 carrying the movable jig 201 is manually moved toward the target position 103, and contact between the protrusion 201A and the contact portion 202A is determined by touch. In the second embodiment, it will be described that the transport unit 101 is moved by driving a motor, and the presence or absence of contact is determined by utilizing loss of synchronization of the motor. Note that some of the configurations and functions described in the first embodiment can be applied to the second embodiment, and therefore the same configurations and functions will be designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] An example of the processing flow of the second embodiment will be described step by step with reference to FIG.

[0029] (S501) The control unit 105 turns on the motor that drives the transport unit 101. A movable jig 201 is mounted on the transport unit 101, and a fixed jig 202 is placed at the target position 103.

[0030] (S502) The control unit 105 sends an instruction signal to the motor so that the transport unit 101 carrying the movable jig 201 moves toward the target position 103 .

[0031] (S503) The control unit 105 determines whether the movement signal to the target position 103 has ended. If it has ended, the process proceeds to S305, and if it has not ended, the process returns to S502. That is, the control unit 105 continues to move the conveying unit 101 toward the target position 103 until the motor loses synchronization.

[0032] If the transport unit 101 continues to move while the protrusion 201A is in contact with the contact portion 202A, the input signal to the motor will lose synchronization with the rotation of the motor, causing a loss of synchronization. In other words, when the motor loses synchronization, it can be determined that the protrusion 201A has come into contact with the contact portion 202A.

[0033] When the motor is a stepping motor, the excitation method may be any of two-phase excitation, one-two-phase excitation, and one-phase excitation. However, to reduce damage caused by contact between the protrusion 201A and the contact portion 202A, one-phase excitation, which has a relatively low moving torque, is preferable.

[0034] Figure 6 shows an example of waveforms when a stepping motor is rotated with one-phase excitation. Of the five waveforms, the first is a clock pulse 600, and the second to fifth are one-phase excitation waveforms 601 that excite each of the four stator coils of the stepping motor. The second and fourth stator coils are arranged opposite each other, and the third and fifth stator coils are arranged opposite each other. Furthermore, by exciting with a modulation waveform 602 that has a lower peak value and a narrower pulse width, the holding force of the stepping motor is reduced, making it more susceptible to step-out.

[0035] (S305) The control unit 105 controls the transport unit 101 to return to the origin 200, as in the first embodiment. Note that the transport unit 101 may be slightly moved so that the movable jig 201 moves away from the fixed jig 202.

[0036] (S306) The control unit 105 records the distance from the position where the motor steps out to the origin 200 as a calibration value.

[0037] 5, the distance from the position where the motor has stepped out to the origin 200 can be recorded as a calibration value without requiring any operator intervention. The recorded calibration value is used to control the movement of the transport unit 101 from the origin 200 to the target position 103, as in the first embodiment. Also in the second embodiment, the calibration value can be recorded without using an imaging device, which simplifies the system configuration of the electrophoresis device. [Example]

[0038] In the second embodiment, it has been described that the transport unit 101 is moved by driving a motor, and whether or not there is contact between the protrusion 201A and the contact unit 202A is determined by utilizing step-out of the motor. In the third embodiment, it will be described that a contact sensor that detects whether or not there is contact between the protrusion 201A and the contact unit 202A is provided in the fixed-side jig 202. Note that some of the configurations and functions described in the first and second embodiments can be applied to the third embodiment, and therefore, the same configurations and functions will be designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0039] An example of the fixed-side jig 202 of Example 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. As in Example 1, the fixed-side jig 202 has a shape in which part of a rectangular parallelepiped is cut into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has contact portions on the surfaces formed by the cutting, with contact sensors installed on the contact portions. Note that a contact sensor is installed on each surface perpendicular to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. A detection signal output from each contact sensor via a cable is amplified by an amplifier, converted into a digital signal by an AD converter, and transmitted to the control unit 105.

[0040] 7B, the contact sensor, an amplifier, an AD converter, and an SBC (Single Board Computer) may be integrated and installed at the contact section. The detection signal output from the contact sensor is amplified and AD converted, and then transmitted to the control unit 105 via a wireless connection.

[0041] The process flow of the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, except that in S503, the presence or absence of contact is determined based on a detection signal from a contact sensor, rather than using step-out of the motor.

[0042] In the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the distance from the position where the protrusion 201A contacts the contact portion 202A to the origin 200 can be recorded as a calibration value without requiring the operator's intervention. The recorded calibration value is used to control the movement of the transport unit 101 from the origin 200 to the target position 103. Furthermore, since the calibration value can be recorded without using an imaging device, it is possible to simplify the system configuration of the electrophoresis device. Comparative Example

[0043] In the first and third embodiments, the calibration value is recorded based on the position where the protrusion 201A of the movable jig 201 contacts the contact portion 202A of the fixed jig 202, and in the second embodiment, the position where the motor loses synchronization is used as the reference. As a comparative example to the first to third embodiments, the calibration value is recorded based on the position where the pin provided on the transport unit 101 penetrates the hole provided in the target position 103. Note that some of the configurations and functions described in the first to third embodiments can be applied to the comparative example, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the similar configurations and functions, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] 8 illustrates a pin 801 provided in the transport unit 101 and a through-hole 802 provided in the target position 103. The pin 801 has a cylindrical shape and protrudes upward. The through-hole 802 is a circular through-hole with an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the pin 801.

[0045] The operator moves the transport unit 101 to the target position 103 and visually confirms that the pin 801 and the through hole 802 are in a penetrating state. Thereafter, the transport unit 101 is returned to the origin 200, and the distance from the penetrating state position to the origin 200 is recorded as a calibration value. The recorded calibration value is used for control to move the transport unit 101 to the target position 103. In contrast to the comparative example in which the reference position is visually confirmed, in Examples 1 to 3 which use contact or step-out, the reference position can be easily detected, and the adjustment process is simplified.

[0046] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the components may be modified within the scope of the gist of the invention. Furthermore, multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. Furthermore, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 101: conveying part, 102: storage container, 103: target position, 104: capillary tip, 200: origin, 201: movable jig, 201A: protrusion, 202: fixed jig, 202A: contact part, 202B: peephole, 600: clock pulse, 601: one-phase excitation waveform, 602: modulation waveform, 801: pin, 802: through-hole

Claims

1. An electrophoresis apparatus for separating and analyzing a sample by electrophoresis, a transport unit that transports a container containing the sample and the buffer solution to a target position; a contact portion with which a jig mounted on the transport unit or a part of the transport unit comes into contact when the transport unit moves to the target position; an electrophoresis device comprising a control unit that records, as a calibration value, the distance from the position at which the jig or a part of the transport unit comes into contact with the contact portion and the motor that drives the transport unit loses synchronization to the origin, and controls the movement of the transport unit based on the calibration value.

2. 2. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces a peak value and a pulse width of a pulse waveform that excites the motor.

3. An electrophoresis apparatus for separating and analyzing a sample by electrophoresis, comprising: a transport unit that transports a container containing the sample and the buffer solution to a target position; a contact portion with which a jig mounted on the transport unit or a part of the transport unit comes into contact when the transport unit moves to the target position; a control unit that records a distance from a position when the jig or a part of the transport unit comes into contact with the contact unit to an origin as a calibration value and controls movement of the transport unit based on the calibration value; The control unit records the calibration value over time, and calculates and indicates an inspection time based on a change in the calibration value over time.

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