Reagent container with binding member, and inspection device
The reagent container with a detachable binding member integrates multiple containers for efficient, contamination-free handling, addressing the inefficiencies and contamination risks of conventional instruments.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Conventional biological sample analysis instruments require time-consuming manual handling of reagent containers, which increases the risk of contamination due to direct contact.
A reagent container equipped with a detachable, band-shaped binding member that integrates multiple containers, allowing for integrated operation and preventing contamination through vertical stacking and easy attachment/detachment of the binding member.
Enables efficient, contamination-free handling of multiple reagent containers by integrating them with a binding member, facilitating smooth operation and reducing the risk of contamination during handling and storage.
Smart Images
Figure 0007894452000001 
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a reagent container with a bundling member and an inspection device.
Background Art
[0002] As a device for inspecting a biological sample, for example, a device that analyzes a biological sample using a reagent is known.
[0003] In such an inspection device, for example, a plurality of reagent containers are stored together in advance so that a large number of inspections can be efficiently performed.
[0004] As a device capable of storing a plurality of reagent containers as described above, for example, a biological sample analysis instrument equipped with a plate loading assembly capable of storing a large number of reagent containers by individually placing each of a plurality of plate-shaped reagent containers on a nest of a plate track has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] However, in the conventional biological sample analysis instrument as described above, since each plate is set on the nest of the plate track while being held one by one, not only does it take time to set, but there is also a risk of contaminating the reagent when the user operates the plate.
[0007] The present invention has been made based on the circumstances described above, and its purpose is to provide a reagent container with a binding member that allows for the integrated operation of multiple reagent containers and prevents contamination of reagents without direct contact with the reagent containers, and a testing apparatus using the same. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] One aspect of this disclosure is, Multiple reagent containers arranged in series and in contact with each other, This reagent container with a binding member is equipped with a detachable, band-shaped binding member that integrally surrounds multiple reagent containers.
[0009] Another aspect of this disclosure is: An inspection device capable of loading the aforementioned reagent container with binding member, The storage rack has an opening at the top into which the reagent containers with the binding members are inserted, and allows the insertion of the reagent containers with the binding members so that each of the plurality of reagent containers is stacked vertically. The storage rack is an inspection device provided with an opening that allows the binding members of the reagent containers with binding members attached to be attached and detached from the outside. [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] The present invention provides a reagent container with a binding member that allows for the integrated operation of multiple reagent containers and prevents contamination of reagents without direct contact with the reagent containers, as well as a testing apparatus using the same. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the reagent container, with a portion of the lid cut out. [Figure 3] This is a schematic block diagram showing a second embodiment. [Figure 4A] It is a schematic perspective view showing the reagent container storage part of FIG. 3. [Figure 4B] It is a schematic perspective view showing the reagent container storage part of FIG. 3. [Figure 4C] It is a schematic perspective view showing the reagent container storage part of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the usage state of the second embodiment, showing a state where a reagent container with a bundling member is inserted into a storage rack. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the usage state of the second embodiment, showing a state where the bundling member is being removed. [Figure 7] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the usage state of the second embodiment, showing a state where the bundling member has been removed. [Figure 8] It is a schematic side view showing a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a schematic perspective view showing a modified example of the second embodiment, showing the reagent container storage part. [[ID=A gene testing device can be composed of, for example, a reagent container storage unit for storing reagent containers, a biological sample storage unit for storing biological samples, a dispensing unit for dispensing the reagent in the reagent container and the biological sample in the biological sample storage unit to generate a nucleic acid-containing solution, an amplification unit for amplifying the generated nucleic acid-containing solution, and an inspection unit for inspecting the amplified nucleic acid-containing solution.
[0015] The reagent container with a bundling member of the present disclosure can be used, for example, as a reagent container stored in the above-described reagent container storage unit. Further, the inspection device of the present disclosure can be used, for example, as the above-described gene testing device.
[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the reagent container with a bundling member and the inspection device will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited only to the embodiments described in the drawings.
[0017] <Reagent container with a bundling member> The reagent container with a bundling member of the present disclosure includes a plurality of reagent containers arranged in series and in contact with each other, and a detachable belt-like bundling member that integrally surrounds these plurality of reagent containers. Hereinafter, the reagent container with a bundling member will be described in detail.
[0018] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the reagent container 1 with a bundling member is generally composed of a plurality of reagent containers 11 and a bundling member 21.
[0019] The plurality of reagent containers 11 are arranged such that the reagent containers 11 are in series and in contact with each other. Each reagent container 11 can be composed of, for example, a container body 111, a reagent 121, and a lid 131, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0020] The container body 111 stores the reagent 121. Specifically, the container body 111 has, for example, a well 111a for storing a single aliquot of the reagent 121. The well 111a is composed of a concave container having an opening at the upper part.
[0021] The container body 111 typically has a large number of wells 111a arranged in it to efficiently examine a large number of biological samples. The arrangement of the wells 111a in the container body 111 is not particularly limited. The large number of wells 111a may be arranged, for example, in a matrix.
[0022] Reagent 121 is stored in each well 111a. The stored reagent 121 is not particularly limited. Examples of reagent 121 include reagents for amplifying genes, reagents necessary for nucleic acid extraction, and reagents containing magnetic particles.
[0023] The lid 131 is a component that covers the opening of the well 111a. The lid 131 is formed of a material that has light-shielding and oxygen-impermeable properties, for example. The lid 131 can be made of a film-like material, for example. The lid 131 is fixed to the container body 111 in a state that allows it to be peeled off or punctured. When dispensing reagents, the lid 131 is peeled off or punctured from the container body 111, thereby allowing the reagent 121 to be removed from the well 111a. Examples of materials that can form the lid 131 include metal materials such as aluminum, and multilayer composite materials made by bonding thin layers of aluminum and polypropylene.
[0024] The binding member 21 is a detachable, strip-shaped member that integrally surrounds multiple reagent containers 11. Specifically, the binding member 21 can be composed of, for example, a longitudinal strip having both ends (hereinafter also referred to as "binding band 21").
[0025] The cable tie 21 fastens multiple reagent containers 11 together by wrapping it integrally around them along the circumferential direction in which they are stacked (see dashed line 21 in Figure 2). The cable tie 21 is provided with connecting portions 211a at appropriate locations to prevent the reagent containers 11 from separating from each other. The strip-shaped members constituting the cable tie 21 are connected at the connecting portions 211a, thereby enclosing the multiple reagent containers 11 in a ring shape and fixing these reagent containers 11 together.
[0026] Examples of connection methods at the connecting portion 211a include connection using adhesive or bonding agent, connection by overlapping and welding (heat sealing) the cable ties 21 together, and connection using hook-and-loop fasteners. Among these, connection by welding (heat sealing), which does not require other materials, is preferred. This further reduces contamination of the reagent 121.
[0027] The fastening member 21 of this embodiment has a gripping portion 211d that protrudes outward and is capable of gripping. Specifically, the gripping portion 211d may be provided, for example, by extending the end of the fastening band 21 outward from the connecting portion 211a, away from the reagent container 11.
[0028] In this embodiment, the binding member 21 has a gripping portion 211d, so for example, the binding member 21 can be removed (attached) from multiple reagent containers 11 by pulling one end of the binding member 21 on the protruding gripping portion 211d. Furthermore, even when multiple reagent containers 1 with binding members attached are stacked on top of each other, since the gripping portion 211d protrudes outward, the desired binding member 21 can be easily removed by pulling the protruding gripping portion 211d (see Figure 6).
[0029] Furthermore, the bundling member 21 may be equipped with a label such as a barcode so that the type of reagent, manufacturing lot number, etc., can be identified.
[0030] The material constituting the binding member 21 is not particularly limited as long as it can integrally enclose the multiple reagent containers 11. Examples of such materials include resin materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). By using such materials, the reagent containers 11 can be easily bound together (for example, by heat sealing), and a desired detachable connecting portion can be reliably formed.
[0031] The reagent container 1 with the binding member is operated, for example, by the user grasping the gripping portion 211d of the binding member 21. The reagent container 1 with the binding member has multiple reagent containers 11 bound together as one. Therefore, the user can handle it (for example, transporting the reagent containers 11) without directly touching the reagent containers 11 by grasping only the gripping portion 211d.
[0032] Furthermore, the binding member 21 is designed to be detachable. Therefore, when using the reagent container 11, the binding member 21 can be removed from the reagent container 1 with the binding member by releasing the connection at the connecting portion 211a. A specific example of applying the reagent container 1 with the binding member to the testing apparatus will be described in detail in the section on "<Testing Apparatus>".
[0033] As described above, the reagent container 1 with the binding member has the above configuration, allowing multiple reagent containers 11 to be operated integrally, and preventing contamination of the reagent 121 without directly touching the reagent container 11.
[0034] <Inspection equipment> The inspection apparatus of this disclosure is an inspection apparatus capable of loading reagent containers with binding members, and has an input port at the top into which the reagent containers with binding members are loaded, and includes a storage rack into which the reagent containers with binding members are loaded such that each of the plurality of reagent containers is stacked vertically, and the storage rack is provided with an opening so that the binding members of the loaded reagent containers with binding members can be attached and detached from the outside. The inspection apparatus will be described in detail below with a gene testing apparatus as an example.
[0035] [Second Embodiment] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a second embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the testing device 101 is generally composed of a reagent container storage unit 31, a reagent container transfer unit 41, a biological sample storage unit 51, a dispensing unit 61, an amplification unit 71, and a testing unit 81.
[0036] The reagent container storage section 31 is the part into which the reagent container 1 with a binding member, configured as described above in the section on <reagent container with binding member>, is inserted and the reagent container 11 is stored. Specifically, the reagent container storage section 31 can be configured, for example, as shown in Figure 4A, with a storage rack 311 and a reagent container lifting mechanism 312. Here, we will describe an example using a reagent container 1 with a binding member having a gripping portion 211d, as shown in Figure 1.
[0037] The storage rack 311 has an opening 311a at its top into which the reagent containers 1 with binding members are inserted, and is a part into which the reagent containers 1 with binding members are inserted so that each of the multiple reagent containers 11 is stacked vertically. The storage rack 311 is provided with an opening 311b so that the binding members 21 of the inserted reagent containers 1 with binding members can be attached and detached from the outside.
[0038] The opening 311a of the storage rack 311 is sized to match the outer shape of the reagent container 11 when viewed from above. Inside the storage rack 311, there is an internal space s that allows the reagent container 1 with the binding member, which is inserted through the opening 311a, to pass vertically downwards, and that restricts the horizontal movement of the reagent container 1 with the binding member.
[0039] The shape of the storage rack 311 is not particularly limited, as long as it can store the reagent containers 1 with binding members attached in a predetermined location while they move vertically, and restrict the horizontal movement of the reagent containers 1 with binding members attached. Examples of storage racks 311 include a storage rack with three sides covered except for the side with the opening 311b (see Figure 4A), a storage rack with roughly L-shaped support columns 311c erected at the four corners in the horizontal direction (see Figure 4B), and a storage rack with support columns 311d erected around the perimeter in the horizontal direction (see Figure 4C).
[0040] Furthermore, to ensure that the inserted reagent containers 1 with binding members move smoothly and reliably, the storage rack 31 may have guide members (for example, rails that guide the reagent containers 1 with binding members in the vertical direction) to support the movement of the reagent containers 1 with binding members.
[0041] This embodiment includes a storage rack 311 with three sides covered, and an opening 311b provided on one side (see Figure 4A).
[0042] The shape of the opening 311b is not particularly limited as long as the fastening member 21 can be attached to and detached through the opening 311b. Examples of the shape of the opening 311b include a slit-shaped opening (see Figure 4A) in which the upper end is open and extends substantially vertically downward from this open upper end.
[0043] In this embodiment, a slit-shaped opening 311b, as shown in Figure 4A, is employed. This slit-shaped opening 311b allows the binding member 21 to always grip the reagent container 11 until it reaches the storage area within the storage rack 311, ensuring that the reagent container 11 is securely stored.
[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening 311b is provided such that a part of the binding member 21 can protrude to the outside of the storage rack 311 through the opening 311b. Specifically, for example, the gripping portion 211d of the binding member 21 may be made to protrude to the outside of the storage rack 311 through the opening 311b, so that a user can grip the gripping portion 211d outside the storage rack 311. This allows the binding member 21 to be easily manipulated and the binding member 21 to be smoothly removed (attached) from the reagent container 1 with the binding member attached.
[0045] The reagent container lifting mechanism 312 is a mechanism that lifts the reagent container 11 upward when removing the stored reagent container 11 from the input port 311a of the storage rack 311. As the reagent container lifting mechanism 312, for example, a cylinder-type lifter (see Figure 4A) installed directly below the storage rack 311 that can push the reagent container 11 upward, or a crane-type lifter (not shown) that can lift only the reagent container 11 located at the top of the storage rack 311 while sucking it up, can be used.
[0046] Furthermore, after the reagent container 1 with the binding member is placed in a predetermined position within the internal space of the storage rack 311, the reagent container storage section 31 may have a binding member detector (not shown) capable of detecting the presence or absence of the binding member 21 on the stored reagent container 11 in order to prevent forgetting to detach the binding member 21 from the reagent container 1.
[0047] The reagent container transfer unit 41 transfers the uppermost reagent container 11, which has been lifted by the reagent container lifting mechanism 312, to the dispensing unit 61 independently. The reagent container transfer unit 41 can be configured with a transfer means such as a shuttle conveyor (not shown).
[0048] The biological sample storage unit 51 houses a sample container containing a biological sample solution containing nucleic acids to be tested. The dispensing unit 61 separates the reagent 121 from the reagent container 11 transferred by the reagent container transfer unit 41 and the biological sample solution from the sample container stored in the biological sample storage unit 51, and injects them into the reaction vessel. Note that the reagent 121 from the reagent container 11 may be dispensed after peeling off the lid 131, or after piercing the lid 131. The amplification unit 71 amplifies the nucleic acids contained in the biological sample solution in the reaction vessel by heating and cooling using a heater, Peltier element, etc. The testing unit 81 tests the amplified nucleic acids in the reaction vessel. Nucleic acid testing can be performed, for example, by analyzing the fluorescence emitted from the nucleic acid-containing solution upon irradiation with excitation light.
[0049] Furthermore, the reagent container transfer unit 41, the biological sample storage unit 51, the dispensing unit 61, the amplification unit 71, and the testing unit 81 can each employ known technologies.
[0050] Next, the method of using the reagent container 1 with a binding member in the inspection device 101 will be described. Here, an example of use will be given in which the reagent container 1 with a binding member 21 having a gripping portion 211d is used, and the container is placed into a storage rack 311 which has an open upper end and a slit-shaped opening 311b formed to extend substantially vertically downward from the open upper end.
[0051] First, the reagent container 1 with a binding member, containing the reagents 121 to be used for testing, is placed into the reagent container storage section 31. Specifically, for example, the user grasps the gripping portion 211d of the reagent container 1 with the binding member using one hand (for example, the thumb and index finger) and places the reagent container 1 into the storage rack 311 through the input opening 311a located at the top of the storage rack 311. Next, as shown in Figure 5, the reagent container 1 with the binding member is lowered to a predetermined position within the storage rack 311 while grasping one end of the gripping portion 211d protruding from the opening 311b. At this time, the container is moved along the opening 311b, which extends approximately vertically downward, while grasping the gripping portion 211d. This allows multiple reagent containers 11 (three reagent containers 11 are shown as examples in Figure 5) to be operated (moved) as a whole.
[0052] Next, another reagent container 1 with a binding member is placed into the reagent container storage section 31. The user operates the other reagent container 1 with a binding member in the same way as described above, placing it into the storage rack 311 so that the lower end of the other reagent container 1 with a binding member touches the upper end of the reagent container 1 that has already been placed in the storage rack 311. The above operation is repeated until a predetermined number of reagent containers 11 have been placed into the storage rack 311.
[0053] Next, the binding member 21 is removed from the reagent container 1 with the binding member attached. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, by gripping the gripping portion 211d and pulling the binding band 21 towards the user (separating the binding member 21 from the multiple reagent containers 11), the binding member 21 and the multiple reagent containers 11 are separated (the binding member 21 is detached). By sequentially repeating this operation for each reagent container 1 with the binding member attached, the reagent containers 11 become independent of each other, as shown in Figure 7, making it possible to operate each reagent container 11 individually. When the reagent containers 11 are transferred by the reagent container transfer unit 41, only the reagent container 11 located at the top, which has been lifted by the reagent container lifting mechanism 312, is transferred to the dispensing unit 61 by the transfer means.
[0054] As described above, the inspection device 101 has the above configuration, which allows for efficient storage of multiple reagent containers 11 in the storage rack 311. Furthermore, after placing the reagent containers 1 with binding members into the storage rack 311, the binding members 21 can be easily attached to and detached from the reagent containers 1 with binding members through the opening 311b. As a result, the storage of reagent containers 11 into the reagent rack 311 can be performed smoothly and efficiently.
[0055] Thus, the testing device 101 can smoothly and efficiently accommodate multiple reagent containers 11. Therefore, the testing device 101 can be suitably applied to gene testing devices that handle a large number of reagent containers 11, such as those used to test biological samples containing nucleic acids.
[0056] This disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments described above, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims. Some of the configurations of the embodiments described above may be deleted or replaced with other configurations, or other configurations may be added to the configurations of the embodiments described above.
[0057] For example, in the first embodiment described above, a reagent container 1 with a binding member was described in which the binding member 21 has a gripping portion 211d. However, a reagent container with a binding member may also have a binding member that does not have a gripping portion that protrudes outward. As shown in Figure 8, an example of such a reagent container is a reagent container 2 with a binding member that does not have a protruding gripping portion, but has a connecting portion 221a in which a plurality of reagent containers 11 are integrally wound together and connected so that predetermined parts of the binding member 22 overlap.
[0058] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, an inspection device 101 was described that included a storage rack 311 having an opening 311b that is open at the upper end and extends substantially vertically downward from this open upper end. However, any shape of opening is acceptable as long as the binding members of the stored reagent containers with binding members can be attached and detached from the outside. As an example of such a storage rack, as shown in Figure 9, an inspection device 102 is provided with a storage rack 321 having openings 321b that are provided at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction to correspond to the positions where the binding members 21 of the inserted reagent containers 1 with binding members are located.
[0059] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, an example of an inspection device 101 using a reagent container 1 with a binding member having a gripping portion 211d was explained. However, the reagent container with a binding member used in the inspection device may be any of those described herein. For example, when using a reagent container 2 with a binding member as shown in Figure 8, the binding member 22 may be attached and detached by the user inserting their hand into the internal space of the storage rack through the opening of the storage rack.
[0060] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the testing apparatus 101 was explained using a gene testing apparatus as an example. However, the testing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any other testing apparatus as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. [Explanation of symbols]
[0061] 1,2 Reagent container with binding member 101,102 Inspection device 11 Reagent containers 21,22 Binding materials (cable ties) 211d Grip 311 Storage Rack 311a Inlet 311b opening
Claims
1. A reagent container for testing a biological sample, comprising a plurality of reagent containers stacked in series and in contact with each other, The system comprises a detachable, band-shaped binding member that integrally surrounds these multiple reagent containers in a ring shape, The fastening member has a gripping portion that can be grasped by the user and a connecting portion that secures the plurality of reagent containers in a ring-like arrangement. The gripping portion is located on the side of the plurality of reagent containers integrally surrounded by the binding member and includes at least a part of the connecting portion. Reagent container with binding mechanism.
2. The gripping portion is located at the upper end of the side surface of the plurality of reagent containers that are integrally surrounded by the binding member. A reagent container with a binding member as described in claim 1.
3. The aforementioned binding member is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material. The connecting portion includes the two parts of the fastening member that are overlapped and heat-sealed. A reagent container with a binding member as described in claim 1.
4. An inspection apparatus capable of loading a reagent container with a binding member as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, The device has an opening at the top into which the reagent containers with the binding members are inserted, and is equipped with a storage rack capable of storing the plurality of reagent containers so that they are stacked vertically. The storage rack restricts the horizontal movement of the reagent containers with the binding members that have been placed inside. The aforementioned storage rack has an opening on one side, The opening is configured such that, when the reagent container with the binding member is stored inside, the gripping portion can protrude outside the storage rack through the opening. Inspection device.
5. The storage rack has side walls that surround the stored reagent containers with binding members, The opening is formed in the shape of a slit on one side of the side wall, and its upper end communicates with the input opening. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.
6. The storage rack has a plurality of walls that are roughly L-shaped in plan view, which define the four corners surrounding the stored reagent containers with binding members. The opening is a space formed between two adjacent wall sections among the plurality of wall sections. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.
7. The storage rack has a plurality of support columns erected around the stored reagent containers with binding members, The opening is a space formed between two adjacent support columns among the plurality of support columns. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.
8. The storage rack has side walls that surround the stored reagent containers with binding members, The aforementioned openings are a plurality of openings arranged vertically in the side wall. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.
9. The inspection device further includes a binding member detector capable of detecting whether or not the binding member is provided on the reagent container with the binding member that is placed in the storage rack. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4.