Dispensing device, dispensing method, and dispensing program

Abstract

This dispensing device comprises: a dispensing head that is configured to be capable of suctioning a liquid from a suction / discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to a tip attachment part and discharging the liquid inside the dispensing tip, and forms droplets at the suction / discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging unit that is capable of imaging the droplets formed at the suction / discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging unit. The control device includes: a calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of the state of the droplets formed at the suction / discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging unit, a first distance at which a storage unit and the droplets can be brought into contact with each other; and a dispensing head control unit that controls the dispensing head so that the liquid in the dispensing tip is moved to the storage unit in a state in which the storage unit and the suction / discharge port are spaced away from each other by the first distance.

Description

Dispensing device, dispensing method and dispensing program

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispensing device, a dispensing method, and a dispensing program.

[0002] In recent years, various dispensing systems capable of improving dispensing accuracy have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system in which, when aspirating liquid from a container, the tip of an attached tip is imaged and the dispenser to which the tip is attached is lowered based on the image of the dispensing tip. According to Patent Document 1, when aspirating liquid into the tip, it is possible to keep the tip shallow from the liquid surface, thereby reducing liquid adhering to the outer periphery of the tip and suppressing the occurrence of dry suction (gas suction).

[0003] In order to improve the dispensing accuracy of a dispensing system, it is important to improve the accuracy of not only the operation of aspirating liquid into a dispensing tip, but also the operation of dispensing the liquid from the dispensing tip into a container. A well plate containing multiple wells is often used as the container into which the liquid is dispensed. Examples of well plates include plates used in matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization (MALDI) techniques.

[0004] International Publication No. 2016 / 181572

[0005] The plates used in the MALDI method are generally flat, planar plates. Therefore, when the distance between the tip of the tip containing the liquid and the wells is large and the liquid in the tip is ejected, the liquid may splash out of the desired well. In this case, the liquid may be mixed into wells other than the well into which it was ejected. Furthermore, the liquid may adhere to surfaces of the plate where no wells are formed. For these reasons, it is not easy to properly dispense liquid into the wells of the plate.

[0006] In a dispensing device that dispenses aliquots into plates used in the MALDI method, accurate dispensing is achieved by having an operator, such as a field engineer, change the settings of the dispensing operation of the device. For example, an operator changes the settings of the dispensing device to adjust the distance between the tip of a tip containing liquid and a well when discharging the liquid. Because handling a dispensing device is not easy for an operator, changing the settings of the dispensing device requires skill.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device, a dispensing method, and a dispensing program that are capable of realizing a more accurate dispensing operation even if the operator is not an expert.

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage portion that can hold liquid, the dispensing device comprising: a dispensing head that has a tip attachment portion and is configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment portion and to be able to discharge the liquid in the dispensing tip, and that forms droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging portion that is able to image the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging portion, the control device including a calculation portion that calculates a first distance at which the droplet can come into contact with the storage portion, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging portion; and a dispensing head control portion that controls the dispensing head to move the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage portion while the storage portion and the aspiration and discharge port are separated by the first distance.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a dispensing method in a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage section that can hold liquid, the dispensing device having a tip attachment section and configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment section and to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, the dispensing head comprising: a tip attachment section; a dispensing section that forms droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging section that can image the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging section, the dispensing method including the steps of: calculating a first distance at which the storage section and the droplet can come into contact, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging section; and moving the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage section while the storage section and the aspiration and discharge port are separated by the first distance.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a dispensing program for controlling a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage portion that can hold liquid, the dispensing device having a tip attachment portion and configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment portion and to be able to discharge the liquid in the dispensing tip, the dispensing device comprising: a dispensing head that forms droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging portion that can image the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging portion, the dispensing program causing a computer to execute the following processes: a process for calculating a first distance at which the droplet can be brought into contact with the storage portion, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging portion; and a process for controlling the dispensing head so as to move the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage portion while bringing the droplet into contact with the storage portion and maintaining a first distance between the storage portion and the aspiration and discharge port.

[0011] The present invention is also directed to a mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the dispensing head.

[0012] According to the present invention, even if the operator is not an expert, it is possible to achieve a more accurate dispensing operation.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a dispensing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the device configuration of a control device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control device of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the dispensing operation performed by each component of the control device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the dispensing operation. FIG. 12 is a side view illustrating a dispensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control device of a dispensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the dispensing operation and adjustment operation performed by each component of the control device. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control device of a dispensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a dispensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 17 is a front view showing the support structure of a head support unit and a dispensing head. FIG. 18 is a side view showing the support structure of a head support unit and a dispensing head. Figure 19 is a diagram showing the adjustment mechanism for the pitch direction of the dispensing head. Figure 20 is a diagram showing the adjustment mechanism for the pitch direction of the dispensing head. Figure 21 is a diagram showing the adjustment mechanism for the roll direction of the dispensing head. Figure 22 is a view from below of the plate fixed with screws. Figure 23 is a diagram showing the adjustment mechanism for the yaw direction of the dispensing head.

[0014] Hereinafter, a dispensing device, a dispensing method, and a dispensing program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] (1) Dispensing Device Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a dispensing device according to one embodiment. To clarify the positional relationships, arrows are attached in Figure 1 to indicate the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions. The X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0016] The dispensing device 100 includes a dispensing head 10, an imaging unit 20, and a control device 30. The dispensing head 10 includes an aspirating and dispensing mechanism 11, multiple tip mounting units 12, and a driving mechanism 13. The dispensing head 10 is supported by the driving mechanism 13 so as to be movable in the X, Y, and Z directions. This configuration allows the dispensing head 10 to move three-dimensionally. The dispensing head 10 is used to dispense liquid into multiple wells WL of a well plate WP fixed on a stage St by a fixing member Fc. In the example shown in FIG. 1, multiple well plates WP are arranged on the stage St. The fixing member Fc is capable of fitting the well plates WP and has a shape that follows the outer edge of the well plates WP. The shape of the fixing member Fc is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the wells WL are arranged in a matrix of 4 rows and 12 columns in the well plate WP. The well plate WP is a plate used, for example, in the MALDI method, and has a substantially flat, plate-like shape.

[0017] The plurality of tip mounting parts 12 are provided on the underside of the aspirating and dispensing mechanism 11, which will be described later. Each tip mounting part 12 is, for example, a nozzle. The plurality of tip mounting parts 12 are arranged in a matrix of multiple columns and rows in a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the plurality of tip mounting parts 12 are arranged in a matrix of 4 rows and 12 columns, similar to the plurality of wells WL of the well plate WP. A dispensing tip Tp is attached to each of the tip mounting parts 12. The dispensing tip Tp attached to the tip mounting part 12 includes an aspirating and dispensing port SP capable of aspirating and dispensing liquid. When the dispensing tip Tp is attached to the tip mounting part 12, the aspirating and dispensing port SP faces downward.

[0018] The suction and discharge mechanism 11 includes, for example, a plurality of syringes corresponding to a plurality of tip mounting portions 12, and by adjusting the pressure of the syringes, it is possible to suction liquid into the dispensing tip Tp attached to the tip mounting portion 12 and discharge liquid from the dispensing tip Tp.

[0019] A rectangular groove Gv is formed in the stage St. An upper cover Uc is fitted into the opening Op of the groove Gv. The upper surfaces of the stage St and the upper cover Uc are located on approximately the same plane. The upper cover Uc is made of, for example, transparent glass. An imaging unit 20 is housed within the groove Gv. The imaging unit 20 is a camera that has a lens LZ facing upward and generates image data capturing an image of the situation above. In this embodiment, the lens LZ is arranged to face the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp attached to the dispensing head 10.

[0020] The control device 30 controls the operations of the dispensing head 10 and the imaging unit 20. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of the control device 30. The control device 30 is composed of a CPU 301, RAM 302, ROM 303, a storage unit 304, an operation unit 305, a display unit 306, and an input / output I / F 307. The CPU 301, RAM 302, ROM 303, storage unit 304, operation unit 305, display unit 306, and input / output I / F 307 are connected to a bus 308.

[0021] The RAM 302 is used as a working area for the CPU 301. The ROM 303 stores a system program. The storage unit 304 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory, and stores a dispensing program. The dispensing program may be stored in the ROM 303 or another external storage unit. A CD-ROM 309 is detachably attached to the storage unit 304.

[0022] The operation unit 305 is an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel. The input / output I / F 307 is connected to a network. The storage medium for storing the program executed by the CPU 301 is not limited to a hard disk or semiconductor memory, but may be an optical disk (MO (Magnetic Optical Disc) / MD (Mini Disc) / DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)), an IC card, an optical card, a mask ROM, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or other semiconductor memory medium. Furthermore, the CPU 301 may download a dispensing program from a computer connected to the network and store it in the storage unit 304, or the computer connected to the network may write the dispensing program to the storage unit 304.

[0023] (2) Configuration of the control device 30 Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 30 of Figures 1 and 2. The control device 30 includes a dispensing head control unit 31, a command unit 32, an image acquisition unit 33, and a calculation unit 34. The functions of the multiple components (31 to 34) of the control device 30 are realized by the CPU 301 of Figure 2 executing a dispensing program stored in the storage unit 304. Note that some or all of the multiple components (31 to 34) of the control device 30 may be configured by hardware such as electronic circuits.

[0024] The dispensing head control unit 31 controls the operation of the dispensing head 10. Specifically, the dispensing head control unit 31 controls the drive mechanism 13 of the dispensing head 10, thereby enabling the dispensing head 10 to move. Furthermore, the dispensing head control unit 31 controls the suction and discharge mechanism 11 of the dispensing head 10, thereby enabling the suction of liquid into the dispensing tip Tp attached to the tip attachment unit 12 and the discharge of liquid from the dispensing tip Tp. The command unit 32 commands the imaging unit 20 to capture an image. The image acquisition unit 33 acquires image data captured by the imaging unit 20. The calculation unit 34 calculates a first distance based on the state of the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP in the image data captured by the imaging unit 20. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 34 includes a measurement unit 34a and a determination unit 34b. The measurement unit 34a, the determination unit 34b, and the first distance will be described later.

[0025] (3) Dispensing Operation Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the dispensing operation performed by each component of the control device 30. Figures 5 to 11 are diagrams illustrating the dispensing operation. Below, the dispensing operation performed by each component of the control device 30 will be explained using Figure 4 and Figures 5 to 11. As mentioned above, the plate used in the MALDI method is a substantially flat, plate-like plate. Therefore, in the well plate WP in Figures 5 to 11, the areas corresponding to the wells WL are indicated by diagonal lines.

[0026] Before the dispensing operation is performed, a plurality of dispensing tips Tp supported by a support member (not shown) are attached to the tip attachment portion 12. Then, the liquid to be dispensed is aspirated into the dispensing tips Tp. In this embodiment, the liquid to be dispensed is a volatile liquid, such as ethanol.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, with liquid contained in the dispensing tips Tp attached to the tip attachment part 12, the dispensing head control part 31 moves the dispensing head 10 to a predetermined imaging position (step S1 in Figure 4). The imaging position is a position where the imaging part 20 can image the suction and discharge ports SP of the dispensing tips Tp. In this embodiment, the imaging position is above the imaging part 20. The imaging position may be a position where the imaging part 20 can image the suction and discharge ports SP of all dispensing tips Tp attached to the dispensing head 10, or a position where the imaging part 20 can image some of the dispensing tips Tp attached to the dispensing head 10.

[0028] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the dispensing head control unit 31 controls the suction and discharge mechanism 11 to form droplets Dp at the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp (step S2 in Figure 4). The droplets Dp are drops of liquid formed at the suction and discharge port SP by maintaining the pressure inside the dispensing tip Tp at a predetermined pressure. The shape and size of the droplets Dp vary depending on the physical properties of the liquid contained in the dispensing tip Tp, the type of dispensing tip Tp, the amount of liquid in the dispensing tip Tp, the value of the pressure applied inside the dispensing tip Tp, and other factors. The physical properties of the liquid include, for example, the viscosity and surface tension of the liquid.

[0029] In this state, the command unit 32 commands the imaging unit 20 to capture an image of the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp located above it (step S3 in FIG. 4). The image acquisition unit 33 also acquires image data captured by the imaging unit 20 (step S4 in FIG. 4). FIG. 7 shows an example of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 33. The image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 33 includes the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp as seen from the imaging unit 20 in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 7, the droplet Dp is spherical, but the size and shape of the droplet Dp vary depending on the physical properties of the liquid.

[0030] Next, the measurement unit 34a calculates the size (hereinafter referred to as the maximum dimension) of the droplet Dp in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 33 (step S5 in FIG. 4). FIG. 8 shows an example of calculating the maximum dimension of the droplet Dp. To calculate the maximum dimension by the measurement unit 34a, the droplet Dp is first divided into equal intervals in a direction perpendicular to one direction. In the example of FIG. 8, the droplet Dp is divided into three regions D1 to D3. The number of divided regions is not limited to three. Next, the maximum dimensions R1 to R3 of the droplet Dp in one direction are measured in each of the divided regions D1 to D3. The dimensions R1 to R3 are measured, for example, by detecting the edge of the droplet Dp and measuring based on the number of pixels in one direction for each of the dimensions R1 to R3. The largest dimension among the dimensions measured in the divided regions D1 to D3 is calculated as the maximum dimension. In the example of FIG. 8, the maximum dimension of the droplet Dp is dimension R2.

[0031] The determiner 34b determines the first distance based on the maximum dimension of the droplet Dp (step S6 in FIG. 4). The first distance will now be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the first distance in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the first distance OD1 is a distance that allows the droplet Dp to contact the well WL while keeping the suction / discharge port SP and the well WL apart. In other words, the first distance OD1 is a distance that allows the droplet Dp to contact the well WL without causing the suction / discharge port SP to contact the well WL when the dispensing tip Tp is positioned above the well WL.

[0032] The determiner 34b determines the first distance OD1 based on the dimension R2, which is the maximum dimension calculated by the measurer 34a. The first distance OD1 may be any value greater than 0 and smaller than the maximum dimension R2. For example, the determiner 34b determines the first distance OD1 to be a value obtained by subtracting 10% of the dimension R2 from the maximum dimension R2. The first distance OD1 may also be determined by other methods.

[0033] Next, the dispensing head control unit 31 dispenses the droplet Dp (step S7 in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 10, when dispensing the droplet Dp, the dispensing head control unit 31 moves the dispensing head 10 so that the well WL and the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp are separated by a first distance OD1. This causes the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp to contact the well WL. When the dispensing head 10 moves upward in this state, as shown in FIG. 11, the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp moves onto the well WL, thereby completing the dispensing of the droplet Dp onto the well WL. Note that when dispensing liquid into the well WL, the dispensing head control unit 31 may control the suction and discharge mechanism 11 to dispense the liquid in the dispensing tip Tp while the well WL and the droplet Dp are in contact (the state shown in FIG. 10).

[0034] (4) Effects of the Embodiments According to the dispensing device 100 of the above-described embodiment, an image of the droplet Dp is captured when the droplet Dp is formed at the suction / discharge port SP of the dispensing tip Tp, and the first distance OD1 is calculated based on the captured image of the droplet Dp. Furthermore, the liquid can be dispensed into the well WL while the droplet Dp is in contact with the well WL and the well WL is spaced the first distance OD1 from the suction / discharge port SP. In this case, the liquid in the dispensing tip Tp can be dispensed while the droplet Dp is in contact with the well WL, thereby suppressing the splashing of the liquid when dispensing the liquid from the dispensing tip Tp. This allows an appropriate amount of liquid to be transferred from the dispensing tip Tp to the well WL.

[0035] Furthermore, because the liquid to be dispensed is volatile, the liquid volatilizes within the dispensing tip Tp. In this case, the pressure inside the dispensing tip Tp increases, which can change the size of the droplet Dp formed at the suction and discharge port SP. With the dispensing device 100, the first distance OD1 is calculated based on the state of the droplet Dp immediately before dispensing, which is captured in real time by the imaging unit 20. This eliminates the need to consider changes in the size of the droplet Dp due to the evaporation of the liquid within the dispensing tip Tp. As a result, it is possible to automatically perform dispensing operations with greater accuracy.

[0036] Furthermore, the size of the droplet Dp in the captured image is measured, and the first distance OD1 is determined based on the measured size of the droplet Dp. Therefore, the first distance OD1 can be easily calculated.

[0037] (5) Other Embodiments (5-1) In the above embodiment, the imaging unit 20 is provided in the groove Gv of the stage St, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a dispensing device 100a according to another embodiment. In the dispensing device 100a, the imaging unit 20 is provided on the side. In the dispensing device 100a, the state of the droplet Dp is imaged from the side. The image acquisition unit 33 acquires image data including the dispensing tip Tp, the droplet Dp, and the well WL imaged from the side. The measurement unit 34a measures, for example, the maximum dimension Ra of the droplet Dp and the distance Ds1 between the bottom end of the droplet Dp and the top surface of the well plate WP from the image data. Furthermore, the determination unit 34b in FIG. 3 may determine the distance by which the dispensing head 10 is lowered by adding a predetermined value (e.g., 10% of the maximum dimension Ra of the droplet Dp) to the distance Ds1. This facilitates control of the dispensing head 10 by the dispensing head control unit 31.

[0038] (5-2) In the above embodiment, the dispensing device 100 has a function for executing a dispensing operation, but it may also have other functions. The relationship between the amount of droplet Dp dispensed into the well WL and the size of the area of ​​the desired peak in waveform data such as a chromatogram is known. For example, when the amount of droplet Dp dispensed into the well WL is small, the area of ​​the desired peak in the waveform data is small. Therefore, if the area of ​​the desired peak in waveform data such as a chromatogram is small, it can be determined that an appropriate amount of droplet Dp has not been dispensed into the well WL.

[0039] 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 30b of a dispensing device 100b according to another embodiment. The control device 30 according to the above embodiment differs from the control device 30b according to another embodiment in the following respects. The control device 30b further includes a chromatogram acquisition unit 35, a determination unit 36, and a correction unit 37.

[0040] In the dispensing device 100b, an adjustment operation is performed to properly dispense droplets Dp into the wells WL after the dispensing operation performed by the dispensing device 100 of the above embodiment. An analysis device 200 different from that used in the dispensing device 100b is used in the adjustment operation. In the dispensing operation, the liquid dispensed into each of the multiple wells WL of the well plate WP is analyzed by an analysis device 200 different from the dispensing device 100. The analysis device 200 is a device for analyzing liquid, such as a liquid chromatograph. The analysis device 200 may also be a mass spectrometer. The well plate WP (after the liquid has been dispensed into the wells WL) is manually supplied to the analysis device 200 by a user. The well plate WP may also be automatically supplied to the analysis device 200 using a transport robot.

[0041] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the dispensing and adjusting operations performed by the components of the control device 30b. Steps S1 to S7 are the same as those in FIG. 4. The chromatogram acquisition unit 35 acquires a chromatogram generated by the analysis performed by the analyzer 200 (step S8). The determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the peak area of ​​the substance resulting from the liquid dropped into the well WL in the chromatogram is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S9). If the peak area of ​​the substance is smaller than the predetermined value, the correction unit 37 corrects the first distance OD1 determined by the determination unit 34b to be smaller and transmits the corrected first distance OD1 to the dispensing head control unit 31. This allows the operations of steps S7 to S10 to be repeated while decreasing the distance between the suction / discharge port SP and the well WL until the peak area of ​​the substance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0042] As an example of the correction of the first distance OD1 by the correction unit 37, a value of 10% of the first distance OD1 is subtracted from the first distance OD1. Alternatively, the amount by which the first distance OD1 is reduced may be adjusted depending on the difference between the area of ​​the peak of the substance and a predetermined value. In step S9, if the area of ​​the peak of the substance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it is assumed that an appropriate amount of liquid has been dispensed into the well WL in the dispensing operation, and the process ends. According to this embodiment, the adjustment operation can be performed automatically, making it possible for even unskilled operators to easily operate the dispensing device 100b.

[0043] (5-3) In the above embodiment of the dispensing device 100, an example has been described in which the first distance OD1 is calculated and the droplet Dp is dispensed using the first distance OD1. However, the dispensing device 100 may also have a function capable of generating a learning model for determining the first distance OD1. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 30c of a dispensing device 100c according to another embodiment. The control device 30 according to the above embodiment differs from the control device 30c according to the other embodiment in the following respects. The control device 30c further includes an information acquisition unit 38 and a learning unit 39. The information acquisition unit 38 acquires dispensing information indicating information related to the dispensing operation. The dispensing information includes the physical properties of each liquid to be dispensed, the type of dispensing tip used in the dispensing operation, the amount of liquid contained in the dispensing tip during the dispensing operation, and the value of the pressure applied to the dispensing tip during the dispensing operation. In this embodiment, the dispensing information used in the input data is the physical properties of the liquid to be dispensed. The information acquisition unit 38 may acquire dispensing information input by the user using the operation unit 305 in FIG. 2, or may acquire dispensing information pre-stored in the storage unit 304 in FIG.

[0044] The learning unit 39 generates a trained model by machine learning a training model including a neural network. Specifically, the training unit 39 trains the training model by machine learning using the dispensing information acquired by the information acquisition unit 38 and the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 33 as input data and the first distance OD1 determined by the determination unit 34b as output data. This generates a trained model. In this case, simply inputting the dispensing information and image data into the trained model allows the trained model to output an appropriate first distance OD1. Therefore, a trained model that makes it easy to determine the first distance OD1 can be provided. Furthermore, the calculation unit 34 may calculate the first distance OD1 using the generated trained model. In this case, it is possible to quickly determine the first distance OD1.

[0045] (5-4) Attitude Adjustment Mechanism of Dispensing Head Next, an embodiment relating to the attitude adjustment mechanism of the dispensing head 10 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a dispensing device 100d equipped with an attitude adjustment mechanism for the dispensing head 10. As shown in FIG. 16, in the dispensing device 100d according to this embodiment, a forward direction F, a rearward direction B, a leftward direction L, a rightward direction R, an upward direction U, and a downward direction D are defined. The forward direction F, the rearward direction B, the leftward direction L, and the rightward direction R are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the upward direction U and the downward direction D are parallel to the vertical direction. The left-right direction is an example of a first direction according to one aspect of the present invention. The front-back direction is an example of a second direction according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0046] As shown in Figure 16, the dispensing device 100d includes a dispensing head 10. The dispensing head 10 is housed in a housing 101. A plurality of fixing members Fc are arranged in a grid pattern on the inner underside of the housing 101. As described in the above embodiment, well plates WP can be fitted into these fixing members Fc. In addition, the imaging unit 20 described in the above embodiment is arranged on the inner underside of the housing 101. As described in the above embodiment, the dispensing device 100d captures an image of the dispensing head 10 using the imaging unit 20. The control device 30 of the dispensing device 100d measures the size of the droplet Dp from an image of the droplet Dp formed at the bottom of the dispensing tip Tp.

[0047] The dispensing device 100d includes a mechanism for supporting the dispensing head 10 so that it can move left and right, front and rear, and up and down within the housing 101. The mechanism for supporting the dispensing head 10 so that it can move left and right is an example of a first support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention, the mechanism for supporting the dispensing head 10 so that it can move front and rear is an example of a second support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention, and the mechanism for supporting the dispensing head 10 so that it can move up and down is an example of a third support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0048] The dispensing device 100d also includes a mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the dispensing head 10 within the housing 101. Specifically, the dispensing device 100d includes mechanisms for independently rotating the dispensing head 10 about axes in the left-right direction and the front-to-back direction as mechanisms for adjusting the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head 10. The dispensing device 100d also includes a mechanism for independently rotating the attitude of the dispensing head 10 about an axis in the up-to-down direction. The mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 about an axis in the left-to-right direction is an example of a mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 in a pitch direction according to one aspect of the present invention. The mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 about an axis in the front-to-back direction is an example of a mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 in a roll direction according to one aspect of the present invention. The mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 about an axis in the up-to-down direction is an example of a mechanism for rotating the dispensing head 10 in a yaw direction according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 16 , two rails 51, 52 extending in the left-right direction are provided on the upper part of the housing 101. A support plate 53 is supported by the two rails 51, 52. The front end of the support plate 53 is supported so as to be slidable in the left-right direction relative to the rail 51. The rear end of the support plate 53 is supported so as to be slidable in the left-right direction relative to the rail 52. The support plate 53 is equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) and is movable in the left-right direction on the rails 51, 52 under the control of the control device 30. The support plate 53 is an example of a first moving member according to one aspect of the present invention. The drive mechanism for the rails 51, 52 and the support plate 53 is an example of a first support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 16 , a head support unit 54 is suspended from the lower part of the support plate 53. FIG. 17 is a front view showing the head support unit 54 suspended from the support plate 53. FIG. 18 is a side view showing the head support unit 54 suspended from the support plate 53. The head support unit 54 is suspended by rails 539, 539 provided on the lower part of the support plate 53 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The head support unit 54 is equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) and, under the control of the control device 30, is movable in the front-rear direction along the rails 539, 539 while suspended from the rails 539. The head support unit 54 is an example of a second moving member according to one aspect of the present invention. The rails 539, 539 and the drive mechanism for the head support unit 54 are an example of a second support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0051] 16 and 17 , the dispensing head 10 is supported on the lower part of the head support part 54 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The head support part 54 is equipped with left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R. The slide blocks 541L, 541R are fitted into rails 539 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. This supports the head support part 54 so as to be movable relative to the support plate 53 in the front-rear direction.

[0052] A plate 542 is attached to the lower parts of the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R. The plate 542 is fixed to the lower surfaces of the slide blocks 541L, 541R with screws. Left and right support plates 543L, 543R are fixed to the lower parts of the plate 542. A dispensing head drive mechanism 544 is provided between the left and right support plates 543L, 543R, and supports the dispensing head 10 so that it can move up and down.

[0053] With this configuration, the dispensing head 10 can be moved vertically relative to the head support unit 54 below the plate 542 under the control of the control device 30. As such, the head support unit 54 is configured to include left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R, the plate 542, support plates 543L, 543R, and a dispensing head drive mechanism 544. The left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R are an example of a first member according to one aspect of the present invention. The plate 542 is an example of a second member according to one aspect of the present invention. A third support mechanism is configured by the mechanism that supports the dispensing head 10 so that it can be moved vertically and the dispensing head drive mechanism 544.

[0054] With the above configuration, the dispensing head 10 can move left and right, front and rear, and up and down within the housing 101. By controlling the control device 30 to move the dispensing head 10 in three dimensions within the housing 101, it is possible for the dispensing head 10 to access the well plate WP placed below. Furthermore, by controlling the movement of the dispensing head 10 in three dimensions, it is possible to perform the aspirating or dispensing operation of the sample using the dispensing tip Tp.

[0055] (Pitch Direction Adjustment Mechanism) Next, the pitch direction adjustment mechanism of the dispensing head 10 will be described. Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing the rear end portion of the support plate 53 (an example of one end portion according to one aspect of the present invention). Fig. 20 is a left side view showing the rear end portion of the support plate 53. The rear end portion of the support plate 53 is bent upward to form an extension portion 531. As shown in Fig. 20, the extension portion 531 is formed in a generally L-shape when viewed from the side. A slide block 533 is attached to the extension portion 531 with four screws 532. The slide block 533 is a member having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0056] Four roll members 534 are attached to the slide block 533. The roll members 534 extend in the front-rear direction from the rear side of the slide block 533. The base ends of the roll members 534 are screwed to the slide block 533, and a cylindrical member that can rotate around an axis in the front-rear direction is attached to the tip end of the roll members 534. The rail 52 is sandwiched from above and below by two roll members 534 arranged vertically on the left side, and the rail 52 is sandwiched from above and below by two roll members 534 arranged vertically on the right side. This allows the slide block 533 to be supported slidably in the left-right direction relative to the rail 52. With this configuration, the support plate 53 is supported movably in the left-right direction relative to the rail 52.

[0057] The screw 532 threads into a threaded hole formed in the slide block 533. Meanwhile, the extension portion 531 has an elongated hole into which the screw 532 is inserted. The extension portion 531 can be fixed to the slide block 533 by fastening the screw 532 to the threaded hole of the slide block 533 through the elongated hole formed in the extension portion 531. The elongated hole formed in the slide block 533 extends in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to adjust the vertical position of the extension portion 531 by loosening the screw 532 and moving the extension portion 531 relative to the slide block 533 in the vertical direction. After adjusting the vertical position of the extension portion 531, the position of the extension portion 531 relative to the slide block 533 can be fixed by tightening the screw 532.

[0058] The upper end of the extension portion 531 forms a horizontal portion 531U bent toward the rear. A threaded hole is provided in the horizontal portion 531U, into which an adjustment screw 535 is threaded. The lower end of the adjustment screw 535 contacts the upper surface of the slide block 533. With this configuration, the distance between the horizontal portion 531U and the upper surface of the slide block 533 can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment screw 535. This allows for further fine adjustment of the vertical position of the rear end of the support plate 53. In this way, the dispensing device 100d is capable of vertically adjusting the support position of the rear end (one end) of the support plate 53 relative to the rail 52. By adjusting the vertical support position of the rear end of the support plate 53, the horizontal orientation of the support plate 53 can be adjusted in the pitch direction. This allows the dispensing device 100d to adjust the horizontal orientation of the dispensing head 10 in the pitch direction.

[0059] (Roll direction adjustment mechanism) Next, the roll direction adjustment mechanism of the dispensing head 10 will be described. Figure 21 is an enlarged front view showing the head support part 54 suspended from the support plate 53. As described above, the slide blocks 541L, 541R are fitted into the rails 539, 539 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. A plate 542 is attached to the lower parts of the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R. The left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R and the plate 542 are fixed with screws 545. The lower surfaces of the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R and the upper surface of the plate 542 are in contact in a substantially horizontal plane.

[0060] 22 is a view of the plate 542 as viewed from below. In this embodiment, the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R and the plate 542 are fixed together with four screws 545 each. Threaded holes are formed in the undersides of the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R, and the screws 545 are threadedly engaged with the holes. The plate 542 is formed with screw insertion holes with a diameter larger than that of the screws 545. In this configuration, the plate 542 is clamped and fixed by fastening the eight screws 545 to the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R.

[0061] As shown in Figure 21, a shim S is inserted between the plate 542 and the left slide block 541L. The shim S is a thin plate-like member that is sandwiched between the plate 542 and the slide block 541L when the screw 545 is fastened. The shim S may be made of a metal such as stainless steel. By inserting the shim S between the plate 542 and the slide block 541L in this way, the horizontal position of the dispensing head 10 located below the head support part 54 can be adjusted in the roll direction.

[0062] In the example shown in Figure 21, a shim S is inserted between the plate 542 and the left slide block 541L. This makes it possible to adjust the horizontal posture of the dispensing head 10 counterclockwise in the roll direction. Conversely, to adjust the horizontal posture of the dispensing head 10 clockwise in the roll direction, a shim S can be inserted between the plate 542 and the right slide block 541R. Alternatively, a shim S can be inserted between the plate 542 and the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R, respectively, and the roll direction adjustment can be performed by varying the thickness of the left and right shims S.

[0063] (Yaw Direction Adjustment Mechanism) Next, the yaw direction adjustment mechanism of the dispensing head 10 will be described. As described above, the plate 542 has a screw insertion hole with a diameter larger than that of the screw 545. Therefore, by loosening the fastening of the screw 545 to the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R, the plate 542 can be rotated in the yaw direction, as shown in FIG. 23 . In other words, the plate 542 can be rotated in the circumferential direction in plan view. By tightening the screw 545 again after rotating the plate 542 in the yaw direction, the plate 542 is fixed to the left and right slide blocks 541L, 541R. In this way, the dispensing device 100d can adjust the relative position of the plate 542 with respect to the slide blocks 541L, 541R in the circumferential direction. This adjustment operation allows the attitude of the dispensing head 10 to be adjusted in the yaw direction.

[0064] In this way, to rotate the plate 542 in the yaw direction, as described above, the holes formed in the plate 542 for inserting the screws 545 may be designed to be larger in diameter than the screws 545. For example, the size of the screw insertion holes may be adjusted so that the plate 542 can rotate by approximately ±2 degrees in the horizontal plane. Alternatively, the screw insertion holes may be configured as arc-shaped elongated holes.

[0065] As described above, in the dispensing device 100d of another embodiment, the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head 10 can be adjusted in the pitch and roll directions. Furthermore, the attitude of the dispensing head 10 can be adjusted in the yaw direction. This allows the dispensing device 100d to accurately adjust the attitude of the dispensing head 10. This allows the imaging unit 20 in the dispensing device 100d to accurately capture images of the size of the droplets Dp formed in the dispensing tips Tp. Furthermore, the dispensing device 100d accurately performs operations on the wells WL, improving the accuracy of the suction and discharge operations. Using the above-described method, adjustments in the pitch, yaw, and roll directions can be made independently without affecting each other.

[0066] (6) Aspects It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following aspects.

[0067] (Item 1) A dispensing device according to one aspect is a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage portion that can store liquid, and includes: a dispensing head that has a tip attachment portion and is configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment portion and to be able to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and that forms droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging portion that is able to image the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging portion, wherein the control device includes: a calculation portion that calculates a first distance at which the droplet can be brought into contact with the storage portion, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging portion; and a dispensing head control portion that controls the dispensing head to move the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage portion while the storage portion and the aspiration and discharge port are separated by the first distance.

[0068] According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 1, a droplet is formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip, and the droplet is imaged. A first distance is calculated based on the image of the droplet. Furthermore, the liquid in the dispensing tip moves to the container when the droplet is in contact with the container and the container is separated from the suction and discharge port by a first distance. In this case, the liquid in the dispensing tip can be ejected while the droplet is in contact with the container, thereby suppressing the splashing of the liquid when ejecting the liquid from the dispensing tip. This allows an appropriate amount of liquid to be transferred from the dispensing tip to the container.

[0069] Furthermore, if the liquid to be dispensed is volatile, the liquid will volatilize within the dispensing tip. In this case, the pressure inside the dispensing tip increases, which can change the size of the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port. According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 1, the first distance is calculated based on the state of the droplets captured in real time by the imaging unit, eliminating the need to consider changes in droplet size due to the evaporation of the liquid within the dispensing tip. As a result, it is possible to achieve automatic dispensing operations with greater accuracy.

[0070] (2) In the dispensing device described in 1, the control device may further include an image acquisition unit that acquires image data of the droplet imaged by the imaging unit, and the calculation unit may include a measurement unit that measures the size of the droplet in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit, and a determination unit that determines the first distance based on the size of the droplet measured by the measurement unit.

[0071] According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 2, the size of the droplets in the captured image data is measured, and the first distance is determined based on the measured size of the droplets. Therefore, it is possible to more easily determine the first distance.

[0072] (3) In the dispensing device described in paragraph 1 or 2, the control device may further include a judgment unit that judges whether the area value of a desired peak in a chromatogram obtained by analyzing the liquid dispensed in the storage section using a liquid chromatograph is smaller than a predetermined value, and a correction unit that corrects the first distance based on the judgment result of the judgment unit.

[0073] According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 3, it is possible to determine whether the amount of liquid dispensed into the storage section is appropriate based on the area value of the desired peak. Furthermore, since the first distance can be corrected based on the determination result of the determination section, it is possible to determine the first distance more accurately.

[0074] (4) In the dispensing device described in paragraph 2, the control device may further include a learning unit that generates a trained model by machine learning a learning model using input data including the physical properties of each type of liquid and the image data, and output data including the first distance determined for each type of liquid.

[0075] According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 4, by inputting the physical properties of the first liquid and the image data, it is possible to generate a trained model that outputs the first distance. In this case, it is possible to easily calculate the first distance taking the physical properties of the liquid into consideration in a short time.

[0076] (Item 5) In the dispensing device described in Item 4, the calculation unit may calculate the first distance using the trained model.

[0077] According to the dispensing device described in the fifth aspect, it is possible to calculate the first distance more quickly without performing a complicated calculation process.

[0078] (Item 6) In the dispensing device of any one of items 1 to 5, the storage section may have a plurality of wells, and the dispensing head may have a plurality of tip mounting sections, and may be capable of aspirating liquid into a plurality of tips mounted on the plurality of tip mounting sections, and of ejecting liquid from the plurality of tips into the plurality of wells.

[0079] According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 6, it is possible to dispense liquid into a plurality of wells in a single dispensing operation.

[0080] (Item 7) A dispensing method according to another aspect is a dispensing method in a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage portion capable of containing liquid, wherein the dispensing device comprises: a dispensing head having a tip attachment portion and configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment portion and to be able to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and forming droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging portion capable of capturing an image of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging portion, and includes the steps of: calculating a first distance at which the storage portion and the droplet can come into contact, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip captured by the imaging portion; and moving the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage portion while the storage portion and the aspiration and discharge port are separated by the first distance.

[0081] According to the dispensing method of paragraph 7, a droplet is formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip, and the droplet is imaged. A first distance is calculated based on the image of the droplet. Furthermore, the liquid in the dispensing tip moves to the container while the droplet is in contact with the container and the container is spaced a first distance from the suction and discharge port. In this case, the liquid in the dispensing tip can be ejected while the droplet is in contact with the container, thereby suppressing the splashing of the liquid when ejecting the liquid from the dispensing tip. This allows an appropriate amount of liquid to be transferred from the dispensing tip to the container.

[0082] Furthermore, if the liquid to be dispensed is volatile, the liquid will volatilize within the dispensing tip. In this case, the pressure inside the dispensing tip increases, which can change the size of the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port. According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 1, the first distance is calculated based on the state of the droplets captured in real time by the imaging unit, eliminating the need to consider changes in droplet size due to the evaporation of the liquid within the dispensing tip. As a result, it is possible to achieve automatic dispensing operations with greater accuracy.

[0083] (Item 8) A dispensing program according to another aspect is a dispensing program for controlling a dispensing device that dispenses liquid into a storage portion capable of containing liquid, wherein the dispensing device comprises: a dispensing head having a tip attachment portion and configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment portion and to be able to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and forming droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging portion capable of capturing an image of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; and a control device for controlling the dispensing head and the imaging portion, and causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process for calculating a first distance at which the container portion and the droplet can come into contact, based on the state of the droplet formed at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip captured by the imaging portion; and a process for moving the liquid in the dispensing tip to the container portion while the container portion and the aspiration and discharge port are separated by the first distance.

[0084] According to the dispensing program described in paragraph 8, a droplet is formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip, and the droplet is imaged, and a first distance is calculated based on the image of the droplet. Furthermore, when the droplet and the container are in contact with each other and the container and the suction and discharge port are spaced a first distance apart, the liquid in the dispensing tip moves to the container. In this case, the liquid in the dispensing tip can be ejected while the droplet and the container are in contact with each other, thereby suppressing the splashing of the liquid when ejecting the liquid from the dispensing tip. This allows an appropriate amount of liquid to be transferred from the dispensing tip to the container.

[0085] Furthermore, if the liquid to be dispensed is volatile, the liquid will volatilize within the dispensing tip. In this case, the pressure inside the dispensing tip increases, which can change the size of the droplets formed at the aspiration and discharge port. According to the dispensing device described in paragraph 1, the first distance is calculated based on the state of the droplets captured in real time by the imaging unit, eliminating the need to consider changes in droplet size due to the evaporation of the liquid within the dispensing tip. As a result, it is possible to achieve automatic dispensing operations with greater accuracy.

[0086] (Item 9) The dispensing device according to item 1 may further include an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the attitude of the dispensing head by rotating the dispensing head in each of a pitch direction, a roll direction, and a yaw direction.

[0087] According to the dispensing device described in Item 9, the attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted accurately, and thus the state of the droplet can be accurately captured by the imaging unit.

[0088] (Item 10) The dispensing device described in Item 9 may further include a first support mechanism that supports a first movable member so that it can move in a first direction in a horizontal plane, a second support mechanism that supports a second movable member so that it can move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a horizontal plane relative to the first movable member, and a third support mechanism that supports the dispensing head so that it can move vertically relative to the second movable member, wherein the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the pitch direction by adjusting the horizontal attitude of the first movable member, the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the roll direction by adjusting the horizontal attitude of a member that constitutes the second movable member in the roll direction, and the attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the yaw direction by adjusting the attitude of a member that constitutes the second movable member in the yaw direction.

[0089] According to the dispensing device described in Item 10, the attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted by utilizing a mechanism that moves the dispensing head in three-dimensional directions.

[0090] (Item 11) In the dispensing device described in Item 10, the horizontal posture of the dispensing head may be adjusted in the pitch direction by adjusting the support position of one end of the first movable member by the first support mechanism in the vertical direction.

[0091] According to the dispensing device described in Item 11, the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the pitch direction by adjusting the support position of the mechanism that moves the dispensing head in the horizontal direction.

[0092] (Item 12) In the dispensing device described in Item 10, the second movable member includes a first member and a second member that are in contact in a substantially horizontal plane, and the horizontal position of the dispensing head may be adjusted in the roll direction by inserting a shim between the first member and the second member.

[0093] According to the dispensing device described in Item 12, the horizontal position of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the roll direction by adjusting the positions of the members of the mechanism that moves the dispensing head in the horizontal direction.

[0094] (Item 13) In the dispensing device described in Item 10, the second movable member may include a first member and a second member that are in contact in a substantially horizontal plane, and the attitude of the dispensing head may be adjusted in the yaw direction by adjusting the relative position of the second member with respect to the first member in a circumferential direction.

[0095] According to the dispensing device described in Item 13, the attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the yaw direction by adjusting the positions of the members of the mechanism that moves the dispensing head in the horizontal direction.

Claims

A dispensing device that dispenses a liquid into a container that can accommodate the liquid, a dispensing head having a tip attachment part, configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment part and to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and to form droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging unit capable of imaging the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip; a control device that controls the dispensing head and the imaging unit, The control device a calculation unit that calculates a first distance at which the container can be brought into contact with the droplet, based on the state of the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging unit; and a dispensing head control unit that controls the dispensing head so as to move liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage unit while the storage unit and the suction and discharge port are separated by the first distance. 　 The control device further including an image acquisition unit that acquires image data of the droplet captured by the imaging unit; The calculation unit a measuring unit that measures the size of the droplet in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit; The dispensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a determination unit that determines the first distance based on the size of the droplet measured by the measurement unit. 　 The control device a determination unit that determines whether or not the area value of a desired peak in a chromatogram obtained by analyzing the liquid dispensed in the storage unit with a liquid chromatograph is smaller than a predetermined value; The dispensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a correction unit that corrects the first distance based on a determination result of the determination unit. 　 The control device The dispensing device of claim 2, further comprising a learning unit that generates a trained model by machine learning a learning model using input data including the physical properties of each type of liquid and the image data, and output data including the first distance determined for each type of liquid. 　 The dispensing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the first distance using the trained model. 　 the container has a plurality of wells; 3. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing head has a plurality of tip mounting portions, is capable of aspirating liquid into a plurality of tips mounted on the plurality of tip mounting portions, and is capable of discharging liquid from the plurality of tips into the plurality of wells. 　 A dispensing method for a dispensing device that dispenses a liquid into a container that can contain the liquid, comprising: The dispensing device is a dispensing head having a tip attachment part, configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment part and to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and to form droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging unit capable of imaging the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip, calculating a first distance at which the container section and the droplet can come into contact with each other based on a state of the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging section; a step of moving the liquid in the dispensing tip to the receptacle while the receptacle and the suction / discharge port are spaced apart by the first distance. 　 A dispensing program for controlling a dispensing device that dispenses a liquid into a storage unit that can store the liquid, The dispensing device is a dispensing head having a tip attachment part, configured to be able to aspirate liquid from an aspiration and discharge port of a dispensing tip attached to the tip attachment part and to discharge liquid in the dispensing tip, and to form droplets at the aspiration and discharge port of the dispensing tip; an imaging unit capable of imaging the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip, a process of calculating a first distance at which the container section and the droplet can come into contact with each other, based on a state of the droplet formed at the suction and discharge port of the dispensing tip imaged by the imaging section; a process of moving the liquid in the dispensing tip to the storage portion while the storage portion and the suction / discharge port are separated by the first distance. 　 an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the attitude of the dispensing head by rotating the dispensing head in each of a pitch direction, a roll direction, and a yaw direction; The dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising: 　 a first support mechanism that supports a first moving member so as to be movable in a first direction within a horizontal plane; a second support mechanism that supports a second moving member so as to be movable relative to the first moving member in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction within the horizontal plane; and a third support mechanism that supports the dispensing head so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the second moving member. Furthermore, the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the pitch direction by adjusting the horizontal attitude of the first moving member in the pitch direction; the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head can be adjusted in the roll direction by adjusting the horizontal attitude of a member constituting the second moving member in the roll direction, The dispensing device according to claim 9 , wherein the attitude of the dispensing head is adjustable in the yaw direction by adjusting the attitude of a member constituting the second moving member in the yaw direction. 　 The dispensing device according to claim 10 , wherein the horizontal attitude of the dispensing head is adjusted in the pitch direction by adjusting the support position of one end of the first moving member by the first support mechanism in the vertical direction. 　 The second moving member is a first member and a second member that are in contact with each other in a substantially horizontal plane; Including, The dispensing device according to claim 10 , wherein the horizontal position of the dispensing head is adjusted in the roll direction by inserting a shim between the first member and the second member. 　 The second moving member is a first member and a second member that are in contact with each other in a substantially horizontal plane; Including, The dispensing device according to claim 10 , wherein the attitude of the dispensing head is adjusted in the yaw direction by adjusting the relative position of the second member with respect to the first member in a circumferential direction.

Images