Heating device and heating method

Abstract

A heating device (230) is provided with: a first heating unit (231); a second heating unit (232); and a heat transfer part (238) capable of abutting a cartridge (100), the first heating unit (231), and the second heating unit (232). The heat transfer part (238) includes: a first surface (233d) with which the first heating unit (231) is in contact; and a second surface (234f) with which the second heating unit (232) is in contact. The first surface (233d) and the second surface (234f) are located on different planes.

Description

Heating device and heating method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating device and a heating method.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been known a heating device for a biological sample reaction cartridge (hereinafter simply referred to as a cartridge) having an internal flow path through which a specimen, which is a biological sample, flows (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cartridge is used to fill with a sample for gene detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the heater is used to heat the cartridge after the sample has been filled.

[0004] JP 2010-213649 A

[0005] A heating device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a heating device for a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, and comprises a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit that can abut against the first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the cartridge, wherein the heat transfer unit has a first surface that contacts the first heating unit and a second surface that contacts the second heating unit, and the first surface and the second surface are located on different planes.

[0006] A heating device according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for heating a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, which comprises preparing a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit, abutting the heat transfer unit against the cartridge, abutting the first heating unit against a first surface of the heat transfer unit, and abutting the second heating unit against a second surface of the heat transfer unit that is located on a different plane from the first surface, and performing heating using the first heating unit and the second heating unit.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a nucleic acid testing system including a heating device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side view, seen from the front, showing a cartridge and a bottle connected to the cartridge. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side view, seen from the front, of a channel chip. FIG. 5 is a schematic view, seen from the front, showing the internal structure of a testing device. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a side view, seen from the left, showing a heating device and a cartridge to be heated. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged upper end of a heat transfer unit of the heating device. FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the heat transfer unit and the arrangement of each heater relative to the heat transfer unit, as viewed from above. FIG. 10B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the heat transfer unit and the arrangement of each heater relative to the heat transfer unit, as viewed from the front. FIG. 11A is a view equivalent to FIG. 10A showing a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11B is a view equivalent to FIG. 10B showing a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12A is a view equivalent to FIG. 10A showing a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12B is a view equivalent to FIG. 10B showing a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13A is a view equivalent to FIG. 10A showing a third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13B is a view equivalent to FIG. 10B showing a third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 14A is a view equivalent to FIG. 10A showing a second embodiment. FIG. 14B is a view equivalent to FIG. 10B showing a second embodiment. FIG. 15A is a view equivalent to FIG. 10A showing a second modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 15B is a view equivalent to FIG. 10B showing a second modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a view equivalent to FIG. 4 showing another embodiment.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples that embody the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0009] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a nucleic acid testing system 1 including a heater 230 for a cartridge 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. This nucleic acid testing system 1 amplifies and tests nucleic acids having a specific gene sequence contained in saliva (hereinafter referred to as a specimen), which is an example of a biological sample. Here, the biological sample may be saliva, urine, sweat, nasal mucus, blood, cells, etc. collected from the body of a subject, or may be soil and water collected from a test object such as the ground, a river, or the ocean. Alternatively, the specimen may be a deposit collected from the surface of a test object such as a handrail, a door, clothing, shoes, or a toilet. Furthermore, the subject is not limited to a human and may be any living organism, such as a mammal, a bird, a reptile, or an amphibian. Nucleic acids may be amplified by a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) reaction, a NEAR (Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction) reaction, a LAMP (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification) reaction, a TMA (Transcription Mediated Amplification) reaction, or a NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification) reaction. The nucleic acid testing system 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing all steps from sample collection to testing within a single system 1.

[0010] Specifically, the nucleic acid testing system 1 includes a cartridge 100 connected to a bottle 50 for collecting a sample, a testing device 200 to which the cartridge 100 is detachably attached, a testing terminal 300 communicatively connected to the testing device 200 via short-range communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and a testing server 400 configured to be communicable with the testing terminal 300 via an internet line 500.

[0011] The bottle 50 is a cylindrical member having a sampling hole 50b at its tip. The bottle 50 may be configured, for example, so that a sample can be collected through the sampling hole 50b by inserting it into the oral cavity of a subject. However, the bottle 50 is not limited to this configuration as long as it can collect a sample from the subject. The cartridge 100 has an internal testing flow path 102a (corresponding to a flow path portion) into which the sample collected by the bottle 50 flows. The testing device 200 divides the testing flow path 102a in the cartridge 100 into multiple temperature regions (in this example, two, a first flow path region R1 and a second flow path region R2) and heats each to a different target temperature while circulating the sample through the testing flow path 102a to promote an amplification reaction of nucleic acids in the sample. The testing device 200 acquires an optical image corresponding to the amount of nucleic acid by binding the amplified nucleic acid to an optical marker. Here, the optical marker may be, for example, a fluorescent marker, a phosphorescent marker, or a colored marker. The following describes the case where a fluorescent marker is used, but this is not limiting. The inspection device 200 then transmits the acquired optical image to the inspection terminal 300. The inspection terminal 300 is configured, for example, as a smartphone, and transmits the optical image received from the inspection device 200 to the inspection server 400. The inspection server 400 detects the amount of nucleic acid having a specific gene sequence based on the optical image and generates a predetermined inspection result based on the detected amount of nucleic acid. The inspection server 400 transmits information about the generated inspection result to the inspection terminal 300. The inspection terminal 300 displays the information about the inspection result received from the inspection server 400 on the display screen 300a.

[0012] [Configuration of Cartridge and Bottle] Next, the cartridge 100 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a side view seen from the front side showing the cartridge 100 and the bottle 50 connected to the cartridge 100. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2.

[0013] In the following drawings, directions such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are shown, but these directions are defined based on the cartridge 100. Note that these direction definitions are for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the contents of the present disclosure.

[0014] The cartridge 100 includes a channel chip 102 having a test channel 102 a and a housing case 103 for housing the channel chip 102 .

[0015] The channel chip 102 may be plate-shaped, but is not limited thereto, and may be any shape, such as a rectangular column, or may be any shape, such as a circle or a diamond. The entire channel chip 102 may be made of a light-transmitting material, or at least a portion of the channel chip 102 may be made of a light-transmitting material. The following description will be given of an example in which the entire channel chip 102 is made of a light-transmitting material, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When at least a portion of the channel chip 102 is made of a light-transmitting material, at least a portion of the channel chip 102 that forms the reservoir 102e may be made of a light-transmitting material. The testing channel 102a is formed inside the channel chip 102. Details of the testing channel 102a will be described later.

[0016] The storage case 103 has a front case portion 103F and a rear case portion 103R (see FIG. 3).

[0017] The front case portion 103F may be a case-like member having a rectangular parallelepiped storage recess 103c that opens to the rear. The bottom surface (vertically extending wall surface) 103d of the storage recess 103c forms a seating surface for the channel chip 102. An opening 103e that communicates with the upper end of the storage recess 103c is formed at the upper end of the front case portion 103F. The opening 103e is rectangular when viewed from the front to rear direction. The opening 103e may also have any shape, such as a circular, elliptical, or diamond shape. The opening 103e may be a tapered hole whose opening area increases from the rear to the front (from left to right in FIG. 3 ). In other words, the four wall surfaces that form the inner surface of the opening 103e are each inclined outward from the rear to the front. This opening 103e forms the observation hole 106, which will be described later. The observation hole 106 is formed so that the opening area increases as it approaches a heat transfer section 238 (see FIG. 7) described later.

[0018] The front case portion 103F may further have at least one opening 103g (see FIG. 2 ). Here, the opening 103g may be an opening of a hole communicating in the front-rear direction of the front case portion 103F, or may be an opening of a recess located on the front side of the front case portion 103F.

[0019] The opening 103g may have a shape that extends in one direction. For example, the opening 103g may have a shape that extends in one direction along the up-down direction of the front case portion 103F. While FIG. 2 illustrates a case in which there is one opening 103g, there may be multiple openings 103g. When there are multiple openings 103g, the multiple openings 103g may be positioned side by side in one direction. For example, the multiple openings 103g may be positioned side by side in one direction along the up-down direction of the front case portion 103F. Here, when the cartridge 100 abuts against a heat transfer portion 238 having multiple heat transfer bodies (described later), for example, the opening 103g may be positioned between a region where one heat transfer body and the cartridge 100 contact each other and a region where a heat transfer body different from the one heat transfer body and the cartridge 100 contact each other. For example, when the cartridge 100 abuts against a heat transfer section 238 having a first heat transfer body 233 described later and a second heat transfer body 234 described later, the opening 103g may be located between the area where the first heat transfer body 233 and the cartridge 100 contact and the area where the second heat transfer body 234 and the cartridge contact.

[0020] The rear case portion 103R is a cover member that covers the rear side of the front case portion 103F and includes a rectangular plate portion 103f, an opening 103a formed at the upper end of the rectangular plate portion 103f, and a protruding tubular portion 103b that protrudes forward from the periphery of the opening 103a. The opening 103a may be rectangular. Alternatively, the opening 103a may have any shape, such as a circular, elliptical, or diamond shape. The edge of the opening 103a is chamfered at approximately 45°. The protruding tubular portion 103b may have a rectangular cross section. Alternatively, the protruding tubular portion 103b may have any shape, such as a circular, elliptical, or diamond shape. The protruding tubular portion 103b may be formed so that the opening area increases from the rear side to the front side, or so that the opening area decreases from the rear side to the front side. In this embodiment, the protruding tubular portion 103b is formed so that its opening area decreases from the rear side to the front side. The change in opening area from the rear side to the front side of the protruding tubular portion 103b (from left to right in FIG. 3 ) may be smaller than the change in opening area of ​​the opening hole 103e from the rear side to the front side (from left to right in FIG. 3 ). The opening area of ​​the protruding tubular portion 103b from the rear side to the front side (from left to right in FIG. 3 ) may be substantially the same. The rear case portion 103R is fixed to the front case portion 103F with the tip surface of the protruding tubular portion 103b abutting against the flow channel chip 102. The flow channel chip 102 is thus sandwiched and fixed between the tip surface of the protruding tubular portion 103b of the rear case portion 103R and the bottom surface 103d of the accommodating recess 103c of the front case portion 103F. The opening 103a and the inner surface of the protruding tube portion 103b form an illumination hole 105, which will be described later.

[0021] The bottle 50 is connected to the center in the left-right direction at the bottom end of the container case 103 (see FIG. 2). The bottle 50 is made of a rod-shaped member extending in the vertical direction. The top end of the bottle 50 is connected to the bottom end of the channel chip 102 via a channel connecting member 104.

[0022] A sampling flow path 50a (see FIG. 3) for sampling a specimen is formed inside the bottle 50. The sampling flow path 50a passes through the bottle 50 in the vertical direction.

[0023] The lower opening of the sampling flow path 50a forms a sampling hole 50b for sampling a specimen from the oral cavity and introducing it into the sampling flow path 50a. This sampling hole 50b opens into the surface of the lower end of the bottle 50. This surface is formed into a smooth arc shape that tapers in diameter toward the tip.

[0024] An upper end opening 50c of the collection flow channel 50a is connected to the specimen supply port 102b of the flow channel chip 102 via a connection flow channel 104a formed inside the flow channel connection member 104. The connection flow channel 104a has a flow channel that extends linearly upward from the upper end opening 50c, and a flow channel that bends forward from the upper end of the flow channel and is connected to the specimen supply port 102b.

[0025] [Configuration of Channel Chip] Next, the channel chip 102 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side view of the channel chip 102 as viewed from the front. Because the channel chip 102 is made of a light-transmitting material as described above, the internal testing channel 102a can be seen from the outside, and therefore the testing channel 102a is shown by a solid line in Fig. 4.

[0026] The channel chip 102 has a specimen supply port 102b that opens to the rear side of the lower end thereof, and a testing channel 102a that is formed inside the channel chip 102 and communicates with the specimen supply port 102b.

[0027] The testing channel 102a is a so-called microchannel, and is formed throughout the entire channel chip 102. Here, a microchannel is defined as a channel having a width and height of, for example, 1 μm to several hundred μm. The testing channel 102a is not limited to a microchannel, and may be a channel of any scale. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the testing channel 102a is not limited to a circle, and may be any shape.

[0028] The inspection flow path 102a may be located along a predetermined plane P (a plane parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 4, see FIG. 10A described later). In other words, the inspection flow path 102a may be formed along the predetermined plane P.

[0029] The testing flow path 102a has an inlet flow path section 102c connected to the sample supply port 102b, a reaction flow path section 102d connected to the downstream end of the inlet flow path section 102c, and a storage section 102e connected to the downstream end of the reaction flow path section 102d.

[0030] The reaction channel section 102d may be configured with a channel group having one or more channels 102f. The channel group may have, for example, four channels 102f. The channel group may be formed in a zigzag pattern across multiple rows in the left-right direction. That is, the channel group may be configured with three rows: a left channel group array g1, a central channel group array g2, and a right channel group array g3.

[0031] The inlet flow path section 102c may have a flow path 102g that communicates with the sample supply port 102b, and branch flow paths 102h that branch in two stages in a tree shape from the downstream end of the flow path 102g and are each connected to four flow paths 102f that constitute the reaction flow path section 102d.

[0032] The reservoir 102e may have reservoir chambers 102i connected to each of the channels 102f constituting the reaction channel section 102d and configured to store the liquid that has flowed through each channel 102f. The reservoir 102e may have one or more reservoir chambers 102i, provided that the number of reservoir chambers 102i is the same as the number of channels 102f. The reservoir chambers 102i may extend in the vertical direction and be spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0033] The testing flow path 102a configured as described above may have a first flow path region R1 in which the target temperature of the analyte in the flow path is a first predetermined temperature, and a second flow path region R2 in which the target temperature of the analyte in the flow path is a second predetermined temperature. The first predetermined temperature may be different from the second predetermined temperature. For example, the first predetermined temperature may be lower than the second predetermined temperature.

[0034] Specifically, the first flow path region R1 may be configured to include the right flow path array g3 and the central flow path array g2 in the reaction flow path section 102d, and the reservoir section 102e.

[0035] The second flow path region R2 may be located upstream of the first flow path region R1. The second flow path region R2 may include the left flow path array g1 in the reaction flow path section 102d. Note that the symbol L in the figure indicates a virtual line (hereinafter referred to as a temperature boundary line) extending in the vertical direction and passing through the boundary position between the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2.

[0036] The second flow path region R2 is a flow path region in which a denaturation reaction occurs, separating double strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, an example of nucleic acid) contained in the sample into single strands. An enzyme reagent for promoting this denaturation reaction is applied to the flow path wall surface of the second flow path region R2 in advance. The second predetermined temperature is a temperature at which this denaturation reaction can occur, and is set to 95°C in this example.

[0037] Note that the second predetermined temperature is not limited to 95°C because the modification reaction occurs in a temperature range of 60°C to 95°C. For example, the second predetermined temperature may be 60°C. Furthermore, the second predetermined temperature is not limited to a specific temperature, and may be a temperature within a range, such as 80°C to 95°C or 60°C to 70°C.

[0038] The first flow path region R1 is a region in which an annealing reaction occurs in which a primer binds to the DNA sequence that is the amplification target in the single strand of DNA separated by the denaturation reaction, and an extension reaction occurs in which the bound primer is extended to amplify the nucleic acid.

[0039] The primers are short nucleic acid fragments that contain the sequences at both ends of the DNA to be amplified. A fluorescent marker is pre-labeled (bound) to the primers. The primers are pre-positioned on the channel wall of the reaction channel section 102d in a portion corresponding to the first channel region R1. The primers bound to the target DNA sequence by the annealing reaction are extended in the reservoir section 102e located at the downstream end of the first channel region R1, thereby amplifying the target DNA (an example of a nucleic acid). At this time, the fluorescent marker labeled on the primer functions as an optical probe by binding to the amplified DNA and emits fluorescence when exposed to light of a predetermined wavelength. The first predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the above-mentioned annealing reaction and extension reaction can occur, and is set to 41°C in this example. The annealing reaction occurs in a temperature range of 45 to 55°C, while the extension reaction (amplification reaction) requires 41°C, so the first predetermined temperature is set to 41°C in this example.

[0040] The temperature control of the sample in the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2 is performed by a heater 230, which will be described later.

[0041] [Configuration of Inspection Apparatus] Next, details of inspection apparatus 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of inspection apparatus 200 as seen from the front side, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 6.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the inspection device 200 has a cartridge holder 215, a bottle heating and pressurizing device 220, a heating device 230, a first imaging device 240, a second imaging device 250, a cooling fan 260, and a casing 210 that houses these.

[0043] The casing 210 may be a hollow case member extending in the vertical direction. An insertion port 210a is formed in the ceiling wall of the casing 210, into which the cartridge 100 with the bottle 50 is inserted.

[0044] The cartridge holder 215 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 5) holds the cartridge 100 inserted into the casing 210 through the insertion port 210a at a predetermined mounting position (the position shown in FIG. 5). The cartridge holder 215 will be described in detail later.

[0045] The bottle heating and pressurizing device 220 heats the bottle 50 to a predetermined pre-treatment temperature with the cartridge 100 set in the predetermined mounting position, and then compresses and pressurizes the bottle 50 from the radially outer side.

[0046] The heater 230 heats the cartridge 100 while the cartridge 100 is set in the predetermined mounting position. Specifically, the heater 230 controls the heating of the cartridge 100 so that the sample flowing through the first flow path region R1 of the testing flow path 102a in the cartridge 100 reaches the first predetermined temperature, and so that the sample flowing through the second flow path region R2 of the testing flow path 102a reaches the second predetermined temperature. Note that because the testing flow path 102a is a microflow path, the sample flowing therethrough can be considered to be heated instantaneously to the wall temperature, i.e., at a speed that can be considered to have virtually no time lag. Therefore, the first and second predetermined temperatures can be considered to be the target temperatures of the sample, which is a biological sample, as well as the target temperatures of the flow path wall.

[0047] The first imaging device 240 emits light to the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 when the cartridge 100 is set at the predetermined mounting position, and captures an optical image through the observation hole 106. That is, the first imaging device 240 may emit light for exciting the optical probe to the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 when the cartridge 100 is set at the predetermined mounting position, and capture an optical image of the fluorescence of the channel chip 102 through the observation hole 106.

[0048] The second imaging device 250 has a second imaging camera 251, which captures an image of the identification code affixed to the surface of the cartridge 100. The identification code may be any code containing identification information of the cartridge 100, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a two-dimensional code. Examples of two-dimensional codes include barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks). While the following describes the case of a QR code, this is not limiting. The second imaging device 250 transmits the captured image of the QR code to the testing server 400 via the testing terminal 300. The testing server 400 acquires identification information of the cartridge 100 based on the received QR code image and executes a predetermined process according to the acquired identification information. An example of this predetermined process is transmitting an application required for testing to the testing terminal 300.

[0049] The cooling fan 260 is disposed at the bottom of the casing 210 and cools the devices inside the casing 210 by drawing in air from the outside.

[0050] The procedure for nucleic acid testing using the testing device 200 and cartridge 100 configured as described above is as follows. First, the subject inserts the tip of the bottle 50 connected to the cartridge 100 into the oral cavity and collects a sample in the collection flow path 50a inside the bottle 50. Then, the cartridge 100 is inserted into the casing 210 through the insertion port 210a of the testing device 200 and set in the predetermined mounting position. After the cartridge 100 is set, the testing device 200 is turned upside down. Then, when a test start button provided on the testing device 200 is pressed in this state, the bottle 50 is heated and then compressed by the bottle heating and pressurizing device 220. As a result, the sample in the bottle 50 is supplied to the testing flow path 102a of the cartridge 100. The sample flows through the testing flow path 102a, promoting the nucleic acid amplification reaction described above, and an optical image of the amplified nucleic acid is acquired by the first imaging device 240.

[0051] [Details of First Imaging Device] Next, the detailed structure of the first imaging device 240 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0052] The first imaging device 240 has an illumination section 240A and an imaging section 240B. The illumination section 240A has a light source 241 that emits light toward the illumination hole 105, a condenser lens 242 that condenses the light emitted from the light source 241, and a first bandpass filter 243 that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength band from the light emitted from the light source 241. When the optical probe is a fluorescent probe, the first bandpass filter 243 may transmit light of a predetermined wavelength required to excite the fluorescent probe.

[0053] The light source 241, the condenser lens 242, and the first band-pass filter 243 are arranged in this order from the rear side to the front side.

[0054] The light source 241 is attached to the upper end of the substrate 244 with its optical axis facing the front-to-rear direction. The light source 241 may be an LED (light-emitting diode). The condenser lens 242 is located coaxially with and in front of the light source 241. The light source 241 and the condenser lens 242 are covered by a cylindrical light-shielding cover 245 that opens to the front.

[0055] The first bandpass filter 243 is positioned so as to cover the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 when viewed from the front-rear direction. More specifically, the first bandpass filter 243 is positioned so that the illumination hole 105 is included within the effective diameter of the first bandpass filter 243 when viewed from the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to reduce the incidence of light outside the wavelength band that the first bandpass filter 243 is intended to transmit into the imaging unit 240B.

[0056] The imaging unit 240B has a first imaging camera 246 that captures an image of the fluorescence generated in the storage portion 102e of the testing flow path 102a through the observation hole 106 of the cartridge 100, and a second band-pass filter 247 that transmits light in a predetermined wavelength band. The second band-pass filter 247 may be, for example, a filter that transmits light in a wavelength band of fluorescence generated by excitation of the fluorescent probe.

[0057] The first imaging camera 246 may be configured, for example, by a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) camera. The first imaging camera 246 and the light source 241 may be positioned facing each other. More specifically, the first imaging camera 246 is attached to the upper end of the substrate 248 with its optical axis coaxial with the optical axis of the light source 241. A first heat conductor 233 (part of the heat conductor section 238) provided in the heating device 230 abuts against the front side of the cartridge 100, as described below. The first heat conductor 233 has an opening 233g formed therein that overlaps with the observation hole 106. The first imaging camera 246 captures an image of the fluorescence through the opening 233g and the observation hole 106. The first imaging camera 246, the opening 233g, and the light source 241 may be aligned in a line. In other words, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the first imaging camera 246, the opening 233g, and the light source 241 are positioned on the same straight line. This allows the first imaging camera 246 to capture an optical image of the cartridge 100 through the opening 233g. Furthermore, the first imaging camera 246, the opening 233g, the observation hole 106, and the light source 241 may be aligned in a row. In other words, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the first imaging camera 246, the opening 233g, the observation hole 106, and the light source 241 are positioned on the same straight line. This allows the first imaging camera 246 to capture an optical image of the channel chip 102 through the opening 233g and the observation hole 106.

[0058] The second bandpass filter 247 is positioned coaxially with the first imaging camera 246. The second bandpass filter 247 is positioned so as to cover the opening 233g of the first heat transfer body 233 when viewed from the front-rear direction. More specifically, the second bandpass filter 247 is positioned so that the opening 233g is included inside its effective diameter when viewed from the front-rear direction. This allows all of the light that has passed through the opening 233g of the first heat transfer body 233 to be incident on the second bandpass filter 247.

[0059] The light source 241 and the first imaging camera 246 face each other across an opening 233g formed in the first heat transfer body 233.

[0060] The light source 241, the cartridge 100 set in the predetermined mounting position, the first heat transfer body 233, and the first imaging camera 246 are arranged in this order from the rear side to the front side.

[0061] At least a portion of the optical axes of the light source 241, the condenser lens 242, the first bandpass filter 243, the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 set in the predetermined mounting position, the observation hole 106 of the cartridge 100, the opening 233g of the first heat transfer body 233, the second bandpass filter 247, and the first imaging camera 246 may be positioned on an approximately straight line. An error of several percent may be allowed for this "approximately straight line." Light emitted from the light source 241 can be irradiated onto the channel chip 102 in the cartridge 100, and the optical information emitted as a result can be acquired by the first imaging camera 246.

[0062] Furthermore, the optical axis position of the light source 241, the optical axis position of the condenser lens 242, the center position of the first band-pass filter 243, the center position of the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 set in the predetermined mounting position, the center position of the observation hole 106 of the cartridge 100, the center position of the opening 233g of the first heat conductor 233, the center position of the second band-pass filter 247, and the optical axis position of the first imaging camera 246 may be located on the same straight line. An error of several percent may be allowed for the position being approximately on a straight line. The optical axis position of the light source 241, the optical axis position of the condenser lens 242, the center position of the first band-pass filter 243, the center position of the illumination hole 105 of the cartridge 100 set in the predetermined mounting position, the center position of the observation hole 106 of the cartridge 100, the center position of the opening 233g of the first heat conductor 233, the center position of the second band-pass filter 247, and the optical axis position of the first imaging camera 246 are aligned when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. A match in the front-to-back direction can be tolerated with an error of a few percent.

[0063] Therefore, the first bandpass filter 243 and the second bandpass filter 247 are positioned so that their centers (center positions of their effective diameters) coincide with each other when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, which allows the light emitted from the light source 241 to be irradiated onto the channel chip 102 in the cartridge 100 without bias, and allows the optical information emitted as a result to be acquired without bias by the first imaging camera 246.

[0064] [Details of Cartridge Holder] Next, the cartridge holder 215 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.

[0065] 6, the cartridge holder 215 has an upper horizontal plate 215b having an upper positioning hole 215a, a lower horizontal plate 215d having a lower positioning hole 215c, a cylindrical connecting plate 215e extending vertically and connecting the upper and lower horizontal plates 215b and 215d, an upper frame 215f protruding from the upper surface of the upper horizontal plate 215b, and a bottomed cylindrical portion 215g connected to the periphery of the lower positioning hole 215c in the lower horizontal plate 215d. A bottle insertion hole 215k is formed in the bottom wall of the bottomed cylindrical portion 215g.

[0066] The cartridge 100 inserted into the casing 210 is regulated in its front-to-rear and left-to-right positions by engaging with the upper positioning hole 215a and the lower positioning hole 215c. The up-down position of the cartridge 100 is regulated, for example, by the tip of the bottle 50 abutting against an abutting member (not shown). Thus, the cartridge 100 is held in a predetermined installation position by the cartridge holder 215.

[0067] A heating device 230 having a heat transfer section 238 is positioned between the inner wall surface of the cylindrical connecting plate section 215e of the cartridge holder 215 and the cartridge 100. In this case, the heat transfer section 238 may be positioned so as to abut against at least a part of the cartridge 100.

[0068] The heat transfer section 238 may be configured to surround at least a portion of the cartridge 100. As an example, as shown in FIG. 10A , the heat transfer section 238 may be formed to surround an area extending from the front side surface of the cartridge 100 to both left and right side surfaces. In the example of FIG. 10A , the heat transfer section 238 is positioned along the front side surface, which is an example of one side surface in the thickness direction (front-rear direction in the example of FIG. 10 ), which is a direction perpendicular to a predetermined plane P of the cartridge 100, and along both side surfaces in the width direction (left-right direction in the example of FIG. 10 ), which is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the cartridge 100. The heat transfer section 238 may have one or more heat transfer bodies. When multiple heat transfer bodies are present, the heat transfer bodies may be in contact with each other or may be spaced apart as in the second embodiment described below. In this example, the heat transfer section 238 is composed of a first heat transfer body 233 and a second heat transfer body 234, and the first heat transfer body 233 and the second heat transfer body 234 may be located apart from each other. In other words, the first heat transfer body 233 and the second heat transfer body 234 may not have a portion in contact with each other. In this case, the first heat transfer body 233 and the second heat transfer body 234 may be located apart by a predetermined distance, and the predetermined distance may be constant or may vary depending on the location.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 7, the inner wall surface of the cylindrical connecting plate portion 215e is formed with a plurality of protrusions 215h for pressing the cartridge 100 against the front wall portion of the heat transfer portion 238 (only the front wall portion 233a of the first heat transfer body 233 is shown in Fig. 7). The plurality of protrusions 215h are positioned at intervals in the vertical direction. Each protrusion 215h is formed in a hemispherical shape, and the tip of each protrusion 215h comes into contact with the rear side surface of the cartridge 100, thereby pressing the cartridge 100 against the heat transfer portion 238.

[0070] 7, an opening 215i penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the upper end of a rear wall 215j of the cylindrical connecting plate portion 215e. This opening 215i is formed to include the illumination hole 105 formed in the cartridge 100 inside when viewed from the front-rear direction. The rear wall 215j of the cartridge holder 215 faces the front wall portion of the heat transfer portion 238. The rear wall 215j is located between the first bandpass filter 243 and the cartridge 100.

[0071] [Details of the Heating Device] Next, details of the heating device 230 will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a side view from the front showing the heating device 230 and the cartridge 100 to be heated. Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing an upper end of the heat transfer section 238 of the heating device 230.

[0072] The heating device 230 has a first heater 231 (corresponding to a first heating section) that mainly heats the first flow path region R1, a second heater 232 (corresponding to a second heating section) that mainly heats the second flow path region R2, a heat transfer section 238 that transfers heat generated by the heaters 231, 232 to the cartridge 100, a first temperature sensor 235, a second temperature sensor 236, and a controller 237 that controls the heaters 231, 232. The first heater 231 and the second heater 232 may be positioned so as to be in contact with the heat transfer section 238.

[0073] The first temperature sensor 235 is configured by, for example, a temperature thermistor. The first temperature sensor 235 may measure the surface temperature of the first heater 231, or may measure the temperature of the first heat transfer body 223. In other words, the first temperature sensor 235 may measure any temperature as long as it is correlated with the temperature of the flow path wall surface of the first flow path region R1. The first temperature sensor 235 transmits the measured temperature information to the controller 237.

[0074] The second temperature sensor 236 is configured by, for example, a temperature thermistor. The second temperature sensor 236 may measure the surface temperature of the second heater 232 or the temperature of the second heat transfer body 234. In other words, the second temperature sensor 236 may measure any temperature as long as it is correlated with the temperature of the flow path wall surface of the second flow path region R2. The second temperature sensor 236 transmits the measured temperature information to the controller 237.

[0075] Fig. 10A is an explanatory diagram of the heat transfer section 238 as seen from above, and Fig. 10B is an explanatory diagram of the heat transfer section 238 as seen from the front. Note that Figs. 10A and 10B are merely explanatory diagrams, and the aspect ratio and the like may differ from the actual ones. Also, the cartridge 100 is not shown in Fig. 10B.

[0076] The heat transfer unit 238 may have one or more heat transfer bodies. That is, the heat transfer unit 238 may have, as the multiple heat transfer bodies, for example, a first heat transfer body 233 to which the first heater 231 is attached and a second heat transfer body 234 to which the second heater 232 is attached. The volume of the first heat transfer body 233 may be larger than the volume of the second heat transfer body 234. The dimensions of the first heat transfer body 233 and the second heat transfer body 234 in the vertical direction may be set to be the same, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the first heat transfer body 233 when viewed from above may be set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second heat transfer body 234. The heat transfer unit 238 is made of a metal material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper.

[0077] The heat transfer portion 238 may be positioned so as to abut against at least a portion of the cartridge 100. In this case, the heat transfer portion 238 may abut against at least a portion of the cartridge 100 via a rear side surface 233c positioned on the rear side of the heat transfer portion 238. The heat transfer portion 238 may be positioned so as to surround at least a portion of the cartridge 100. For example, the heat transfer portion 238 may be positioned so as to surround at least a portion of the front side, right side, and left side of the cartridge 100.

[0078] For example, the heat transfer section 238 may have a front wall portion 233a and a left wall portion 234b that are angled relative to each other. In this case, the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b may be positioned at an angle so as to surround the cartridge. For example, the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b may be angled so that the angle on the side where the cartridge is located is 60° to 120°. Furthermore, for example, the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b may be perpendicular to each other. In this specification, the phrase "there is an angle between each other" refers not only to cases where the two wall portions intersect with each other at an angle, but also to cases where the two wall portions are positioned apart from each other and are not parallel but are angled.

[0079] Here, the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b may be located on the same heat transfer body as in this embodiment, or may be located on different heat transfer bodies as will be described later in Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, the front wall portion 233a is located on the first heat transfer body 233, and the left wall portion 234b is located on the second heat transfer body 234.

[0080] The heat transfer unit 238 may also have an opening 233g that exposes the storage unit 102e of the testing flow path 102a through the observation hole 106 of the cartridge 100. The storage unit 102e corresponds to an example of a predetermined location. The opening 233g is formed so that its periphery exactly overlaps the periphery of the observation hole 106. The opening 233g may be positioned so that the entire storage unit 102e is exposed through the observation hole 106. The shape of the opening 233g may be any shape, such as a circle, an ellipse, or a diamond. The shape of the opening 233g may be, for example, a rectangle. When the heat transfer unit 238 has a first heat transfer body 233 and a second heat transfer body 234, the opening 233g may be positioned in the first heat transfer body 233.

[0081] The first heat transfer body 233 may be positioned so as to surround at least a portion of the front side surface of the cartridge 100 to the right of the temperature boundary line L (the boundary line between the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2; see FIG. 4 ) (i.e., the portion corresponding to the first flow path region R1) and the right side surface of the cartridge 100. For example, the first heat transfer body 233 may be made of an L-shaped cross-section member disposed from the front side surface of the cartridge 100 to the right of the temperature boundary line L (the boundary line between the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2; see FIG. 4 ) (i.e., the portion corresponding to the first flow path region R1) to the right side surface of the cartridge 100.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B , the first heat transfer body 233 has a front wall portion 233a that abuts against the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The first heat transfer body 233 may further have a right side wall portion 233b that is connected to the front wall portion 233a. The front wall portion 233a and the right side wall portion 233b may be connected at an angle (with an angle). In this case, the front wall portion 233a and the right side wall portion 233b may be connected at an angle so as to surround the cartridge. For example, the front wall portion 233a and the right side wall portion 233b may be angled so that the angle on the side where the cartridge is located is 60° to 120°. Furthermore, for example, the front wall portion 233a and the right side wall portion 233b may be connected perpendicularly.

[0083] The front wall portion 233a may have any shape, but may be formed, for example, as a plate extending vertically (in the depth direction of the drawing) along the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The shape of the front wall portion 233a may be, for example, a rectangular plate extending vertically (in the depth direction of the drawing) along the right side of the front side surface of the cartridge 100. A rear side surface 233c (corresponding to the fourth surface) of the front wall portion 233a is in contact with the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The rear side surface 233c may be parallel to and face a predetermined plane P. At least a portion of the rear side surface 233c of the front wall portion 233a may be positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the first flow path region R1 located to the right of the temperature boundary line L when viewed from a direction (the front-rear direction in this example) perpendicular to the predetermined plane P (a plane defining the two-dimensional flow path structure of the testing flow path 102a) along the testing flow path 102a. For example, at least a portion of the front wall portion 233a may be positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the central flow passage group array g2 and / or the right flow passage group array g3.

[0084] The right side wall portion 233b may have any shape, and may be formed, for example, in the shape of a plate extending in the vertical direction (depth direction in the paper) along the right side surface of the cartridge 100. The shape of the right side wall portion 233b may be, for example, a rectangular plate extending in the vertical direction (depth direction in the paper) along the right side surface of the cartridge 100.

[0085] The right side wall portion 233b may be in contact with the cartridge 100 or may be positioned apart from the cartridge 100. In this embodiment, the right side wall portion 233b is positioned apart from the right side surface of the cartridge 100, but is not limited to this.

[0086] The second heat transfer body 234 may be positioned so as to surround at least a portion of the front side surface of the cartridge 100 to the left of the temperature boundary line L (i.e., the portion corresponding to the second flow path region R2) and at least a portion of the left side surface of the cartridge 100. For example, the second heat transfer body 234 may be an L-shaped cross-section member that is disposed from the front side surface of the cartridge 100 to the left of the temperature boundary line L (i.e., the portion corresponding to the second flow path region R2) to the left side surface of the cartridge 100.

[0087] As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B , the second heat transfer body 234 has a front wall portion 234a that abuts against the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The second heat transfer body 234 may further have a left side wall portion 234b that is connected to the front wall portion 234a. The front wall portion 234a and the left side wall portion 234b may be connected at an angle (with an angle). In this case, the front wall portion 234a and the left side wall portion 234b may be connected at an angle so as to surround the cartridge. For example, the front wall portion 234a and the left side wall portion 234b may be angled so that the angle on the side where the cartridge is located is 60° to 120°. Furthermore, for example, the front wall portion 234a and the left side wall portion 234b may be connected perpendicularly.

[0088] The front wall portion 234a may have any shape, and is formed, for example, in the shape of a plate extending in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper) along the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The shape of the front wall portion 234a may be, for example, a rectangular plate extending in the vertical direction (depth direction into the plane of the paper) along the left side of the front side surface of the cartridge 100. A rear side surface 234c (corresponding to the third surface) of the front wall portion 234a abuts against the front side surface of the cartridge 100. The rear side surface 234c may face parallel to a predetermined plane P.

[0089] When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P (the front-to-rear direction in this example), at least a portion of the rear side surface 234c of the front wall portion 234a may be positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the second flow path region R2 located to the left of the temperature boundary line L. For example, at least a portion of the front wall portion 234a may be positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the left flow path group array g1.

[0090] The left side wall 234b may have any shape, and may be formed, for example, in the shape of a plate extending in the vertical direction (depth direction in the paper) along the left surface of the cartridge 100. The shape of the left side wall 234b may be, for example, a rectangular plate extending in the vertical direction (depth direction in the paper) along the left surface of the cartridge 100.

[0091] The left side wall 234b may be in contact with the cartridge 100 or may be spaced apart from the cartridge 100. For example, if the second heater 232 is located on the left side wall 234b, the left side wall 234b may be spaced apart from the left side surface of the cartridge 100. In this embodiment, the left side wall 234b is spaced apart from the cartridge 100. The left side wall 234b may be spaced apart from the cartridge 100 by a distance greater than a predetermined length. Furthermore, the left side wall 234b and the cartridge 100 may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance. For example, the right side surface 234e of the left side wall 234b may extend in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) parallel to the left side surface of the cartridge 100. In other words, the gap dimension between the left side wall 234b and the cartridge 100 may be constant regardless of the vertical position (perpendicular to the paper surface).

[0092] The controller 237 is a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is housed in the casing 210 of the inspection device 200 .

[0093] The controller 237 controls the power supplied to the first heater 231 based on the temperature information received from the first temperature sensor 235, and controls the temperature of the flow path wall surface of the first flow path region R1 in the cartridge 100 (= the temperature of the sample) to the first predetermined temperature.

[0094] The controller 237 controls the power supplied to the second heater 232 based on the temperature information received from the second temperature sensor 236, and controls the temperature of the flow path wall surface of the second flow path region R2 in the cartridge 100 (= the temperature of the sample) to a second predetermined temperature.

[0095] [Details of heater arrangement relative to heat transfer unit] The first heater 231 and the second heater 232 may be positioned so as to be in contact with the heat transfer unit 238. The first heater 231 and the second heater 232 may be positioned so as to be in contact with the same heat transfer body as shown in embodiment 2 described below, or may be positioned so as to be in contact with different heat transfer bodies as shown in Figures 10A and 10B of this embodiment. That is, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, for example, the first heater 231 may be in contact with the first heat transfer body 233, and the second heater 232 may be in contact with the second heat transfer body 234. When the surface where the first heater 231 and the heat transfer unit 238 contact is referred to as the first surface and the surface where the second heater 232 and the heat transfer unit 238 contact is referred to as the second surface, the first surface and the second surface may be positioned on different planes. In other words, it is sufficient that plane A on which the first surface is located and plane B on which the second surface is located are different surfaces. The first surface and the second surface may be flat, but may also be curved or uneven. When the first surface and the second surface are curved or uneven, plane A or plane B may be a virtual plane that is an average surface of the first surface or the second surface, or may be a predetermined surface selected from the first surface or the second surface. In this case, the predetermined surface may be a surface that occupies the majority of the first surface or the second surface.

[0096] Here, when the heat transfer portion 238 has a front wall portion 233a and a left wall portion 234b that are angled relative to each other, the first surface may be located on the front wall portion 233a, and the second surface may be located on the left wall portion 234b. In this case, the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b may be located so as to contact the same heat transfer body, or may be located on different heat transfer bodies. For example, the first surface may be located on the first heat transfer body 233, and the second surface may be located on the second heat transfer body 234. In other words, the first heat transfer body 233 may have the first surface, and the second heat transfer body 234 may have the second surface.

[0097] The first heater 231 may be located so as to contact a front side surface 233d, which is an example of the first surface, facing the rear side surface of the first heat transfer body 233. The first heater 231 may be located so as to contact, for example, the front side surface 233d of the front wall portion 233a.

[0098] In this case, the first heater 231 may be in contact with the front side surface 233 d. For example, the first heater 231 may be positioned such that at least a portion of the first heater 231 overlaps at least a portion of the first flow path region R1 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P.

[0099] The first heater 231 may be located at a position different from the opening 233g in the front wall 233a of the first heat transfer body 233. The first heater 231 may be attached below the opening 233g in the front wall 233a of the first heat transfer body 233. In this example, the first heater 231 is configured as a ceramic heater, but is not limited thereto and may be a thermocouple or the like. The first heater 231 may have any shape, and may be a rectangular plate that is elongated in the vertical direction. The first temperature sensor 235 is embedded in the front wall 233a in an area facing the first heater 231. In other words, the first temperature sensor 235 may be located between the front wall 233a and the first heater 231.

[0100] The second heater 232 is attached to the left side wall portion 234b of the second heat transfer body 234. The second heater 232 is configured as a ceramic heater, but is not limited to this and may be a thermocouple or the like. The second heater 232 may have any shape, for example, a rectangular plate shape that is long in the vertical direction. The second temperature sensor 236 is embedded in the left side wall portion 234b in an area facing the second heater 232. In other words, the second temperature sensor 236 may be located between the left side wall portion 234b and the second heater 232.

[0101] The second heater 232 is in contact with a left side surface 234f (i.e., the surface of the left side wall 234b opposite to the cartridge 100 side) which is an example of the second surface located on the left side wall 234b. The left side surface 234f intersects with an extension plane of the rear side surface 234c which is in contact with the cartridge 100.

[0102] [Explanation of Heat Transfer Distance] Next, the heat transfer distance from each of the heaters 231 and 232 to the cartridge 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 10A.

[0103] In this specification, the heat transfer distance is defined as, for example, a distance required for heat transfer or a distance correlated with that distance. As an example, the distance from the center position C1 of the first heater 231 to the center position C2 of the contact area of ​​the first heat transfer body 233 with the cartridge 100 (e.g., the distance of the shortest path through the first heat transfer body 233 connecting the center positions C1 and C2) is defined as the low-temperature heat transfer distance, and the distance from the center position C3 of the second heater 232 to the center position C4 of the contact area of ​​the second heat transfer body 234 with the cartridge 100 (e.g., the distance of the shortest path through the second heat transfer body 234 connecting the center positions C3 and C4) is defined as the high-temperature heat transfer distance. The low-temperature heat transfer distance is shorter than the high-temperature heat transfer distance. In other words, the heat transfer distance from the first heater 231 to the cartridge 100 via the first heat transfer body 233 is shorter than the heat transfer distance from the second heater 232 to the cartridge 100 via the second heat transfer body 234.

[0104] [Operation and Effect of First Embodiment] As described above, the warming device 230 includes the first heater 231, the second heater 232, and the heat transfer portion 238 that can come into contact with the first heater 231, the second heater 232, and the cartridge 100. The heat transfer portion 238 has a front side surface 233d (corresponding to the first surface) with which the first heater 231 comes into contact, and a left side surface 234f (corresponding to the second surface) with which the second heater 232 comes into contact, and is located on a plane different from the front side surface 233d and the left side surface 234f.

[0105] According to this configuration, by positioning the front side surface 233d in contact with the first heater 231 and the left side surface 234f in contact with the second heater 232 on different surfaces of the heat transfer section 238, it is possible to make it difficult for the parts heated by the heaters 231, 232 to affect each other. This reduces the difficulty of controlling different parts of the cartridge 100 (in this example, the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2) to different temperatures by the heaters 231, 232, respectively.

[0106] For example, in a conventional heating device shown in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-213649), a single flow path through which a specimen (biological sample) flows is divided into multiple flow path regions with different heating temperatures, and each flow path region is heated by a different heating device (heating unit). However, in this case, the portions heated by each heating unit may thermally influence each other, making it difficult to control the temperature of each flow path region. With this configuration, this problem can be avoided by positioning the front side surface 233d in contact with the first heater 231 and the left side surface 234f in contact with the second heater 232 on different surfaces of the heat transfer unit 238. In addition, in this embodiment, the heat transfer portion 238 has a front wall portion 233a (corresponding to the first wall portion) and a left side wall portion 234b (corresponding to the second wall portion) which are angled relative to each other, and the front side surface 233d which contacts the first heater 231 is located on the front wall portion 233a, and the left side surface 234f which contacts the second heater 232 is located on the left side wall portion 234b.

[0107] According to this configuration, the first heater 231 and the second heater 232 are positioned on the front wall portion 233a and the left wall portion 234b, respectively, which are arranged at an angle to each other, thereby making it less likely that the areas heated by each heater 231, 232 will affect each other compared to, for example, when both heaters 231, 232 are positioned on a single plane without an angle.

[0108] In this embodiment, the front wall portion 233 a on which the first heater 231 is provided abuts against the cartridge 100 , and the left wall portion 234 b on which the second heater 232 is provided is located away from the cartridge 100 .

[0109] According to this configuration, because the front wall portion 233a abuts against the cartridge 100, the heat generated by the first heater 231 is directly transmitted to the cartridge 100 via the front wall portion 233a. On the other hand, because the left side wall portion 234b is positioned away from the cartridge 100, the heat generated by the second heater 232 is not directly transmitted to the cartridge 100 via the left side wall portion 234b, but is transmitted in a roundabout manner via another portion (the front wall portion 234a in this example). Therefore, excessive heating by the second heater 232 can be reduced. This in turn reduces the influence of the portion heated by the second heater 232 on the portion heated by the first heater 231.

[0110] In addition, in this embodiment, the flow path within the cartridge 100 includes an inspection flow path 102a, which is a flow path portion along a predetermined plane P, and the front wall portion 233a is positioned opposite the predetermined plane P and is positioned so as to overlap the inspection flow path 102a when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P.

[0111] According to this configuration, the front wall portion 233a on which the first heater 231 is located can be disposed so as to overlap the testing flow path 102a in the flow path chip 102 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 10B ). This makes it easier to transfer heat from the first heater 231 to the specimen in the testing flow path 102a. This in turn makes it easier to control the temperature of the specimen.

[0112] In this embodiment, the heat transfer portion 238 includes a first heat transfer body 233 (corresponding to the first heat transfer body) having a front side 233d with which the first heater 231 contacts, and a second heat transfer body 234 (corresponding to the second heat transfer body) having a left side side 234f with which the second heater 232 contacts.

[0113] According to this configuration, by positioning the first heater 231 and the second heater 232 on different heat transfer bodies 233 and 234, it becomes easy to adjust the temperatures of the heat transfer bodies 233 and 234 to different temperatures. Therefore, it becomes easy to adjust the temperature of each part of the cartridge 100 that comes into contact with the heat transfer bodies 233 and 234.

[0114] In this embodiment, the first heat transfer body 233 and the second heat transfer body 234 are positioned apart from each other.

[0115] According to this configuration, the first heat transfer body 233 on which the first heater 231 is located and the second heat transfer body 234 on which the second heater 232 is located are located apart from each other, which reduces the transfer of heat between the heat transfer bodies 233 and 234. This makes it easier to adjust the temperature of the cartridge 100 for each part that comes into contact with the heat transfer bodies 233 and 234.

[0116] In this embodiment, the second heat transfer body 234 is positioned opposite the predetermined plane P and further has a rear side surface 234c (corresponding to the third surface) that can abut against the cartridge 100 so as to overlap the inspection flow path 102a when viewed in a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P. A left side surface 234f that comes into contact with the second heater 232 is formed so as to intersect with an extension plane of the rear side surface 234c.

[0117] According to this configuration, the heat generated by the second heater 232 can be transferred from the left side surface 234f of the second heat transfer body 234 around to the rear side surface 234c that is the surface that comes into contact with the cartridge 100. Therefore, the heat generated by the second heater 232 can be transferred to the cartridge 100 while the second heater 232 is disposed at a position as far away as possible from the first heater 231. This further reduces the mutual influence of the heated portions of the heaters 231, 232.

[0118] In this embodiment, the first heat transfer body 233 is positioned opposite the predetermined plane P and further has a rear side surface 233c (corresponding to the fourth surface) that can abut against the cartridge 100 so as to overlap the inspection flow path 102a when viewed in a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P. The front side surface 233d that comes into contact with the first heater 231 is the surface that faces the rear side surface 233c and is positioned so as to overlap the inspection flow path 102a when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0119] According to this configuration, the front side surface 233d of the first heat transfer body 233 that contacts the first heater 231 and the rear side surface 233c that contacts the cartridge 100 face each other, so that the heat generated from the first heater 231 can be transmitted in a substantially straight line (without taking a detour) toward the cartridge 100. Therefore, the heat generated by the first heater 231, which is more likely to be insufficiently heated than the second heater 232, can be easily transmitted to the cartridge 100. This reduces the risk of insufficient heating by the first heater 231.

[0120] In this embodiment, the heat transfer section 238 has an opening 233g (corresponding to a flow path exposure section) that can expose the storage section 102e (corresponding to a predetermined location) inside the cartridge 100. Note that the flow path exposure section may include elements other than the opening 233g.

[0121] According to this configuration, by exposing the storage section 102e required for testing from the opening 233g, the heat transfer section 238 is brought into contact with the cartridge 100, and the cartridge 100 is heated by the first heater 231 and the second heater 232, while optical measurement (in this embodiment, measurement of the amount of luminescence associated with the nucleic acid amplification reaction) can be performed through the opening 233g.

[0122] In this embodiment, the first heater 231 and the second heater 232 are positioned at a location different from the opening 233 g in the heat transfer portion 238 .

[0123] According to this configuration, by arranging each heater 231, 232 in a location different from the opening 233g, it is possible to perform heating control by each heater 231, 232 and the optical measurement through the opening 233g in parallel.

[0124] In this embodiment, the opening 233 g is provided in the first heat transfer body 233 , and the first heat transfer body 233 has a larger volume than the second heat transfer body 234 .

[0125] According to this configuration, by making the volume of the first heat transfer body 233 that contacts the first heater 231 larger than the volume of the second heat transfer body 234, the heat capacity of the first heat transfer body 233 can be increased compared to the second heat transfer body 234. Therefore, it is possible to minimize temperature changes in the region of the cartridge 100 heated by the first heater 231. In this embodiment, this heated region is the first flow path region R1, and since the annealing reaction and extension reaction take place in the first flow path region R1, which have narrower allowable temperature ranges than the second flow path region R2, a configuration that reduces such temperature changes is particularly useful.

[0126] In this embodiment, the flow path within the cartridge 100 includes an inspection flow path 102a, which is a flow path portion along a predetermined plane P, and the first heater 231 is positioned so as to overlap with the cartridge 100 when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P, and the second heater 232 is positioned at a different location from the cartridge 100 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0127] According to this configuration, the first heater 231, which generates less heat than the second heater 232, can be positioned so that it overlaps the cartridge 100 to reduce insufficient heating, and the second heater 232, which generates more heat than the first heater 231, can be positioned in a location different from the cartridge 100 to reduce excessive heating.

[0128] In this embodiment, the heat transfer distance from the first heater 231 to the cartridge 100 via the heat transfer portion 238 is shorter than the heat transfer distance from the second heater 232 to the cartridge 100 via the heat transfer portion 238 .

[0129] This configuration makes it easier to achieve the above-described advantageous effects of reducing insufficient heating by the first heater 231 and reducing excessive heating by the second heater 232 .

[0130] In addition, in this embodiment, the flow path within the cartridge 100 includes an inspection flow path 102a, which is a flow path portion along a predetermined plane P, and the heat transfer section 238 is positioned along one side surface of the cartridge 100 in the thickness direction, which is perpendicular to the predetermined plane P, and both side surfaces of the cartridge 100 in the width direction, which are perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0131] According to this configuration, the heat transfer section 238 is positioned so as to surround the cartridge 100 in a U-shape. This enhances the heat retention effect of the heat transfer section 238 on the cartridge 100, and reduces temperature changes in the heated regions of the cartridge 100 (the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2 in this embodiment).

[0132] In addition, in this embodiment, the first heater 231 is a heater for heating the specimen in the testing flow path 102a to a first predetermined temperature, and the second heater 232 is a heater for heating the biological sample in the testing flow path 102a to a second predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature.

[0133] According to this configuration, the first heater 231 and the second heater 232 can generate the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2 in one testing flow path 102a, so that nucleic acid testing can be performed by simply flowing the sample through one testing flow path 102a, without having to repeatedly perform a low-temperature heating step and a high-temperature heating step, thereby reducing the testing time required for nucleic acid testing.

[0134] In this embodiment, the cartridge 100 is detachable from the warming device 230 .

[0135] This configuration simplifies the configuration of the warming device 230 compared to when the cartridge 100 and the warming device 230 are integrated. In addition, the cartridge 100 becomes easier to carry, which improves convenience when an individual performs a nucleic acid test, for example.

[0136] In this embodiment, the testing flow path 102a in the cartridge 100 includes a first flow path region R1 in which the target temperature of the analyte flowing through the testing flow path 102a is the first predetermined temperature, and a second flow path region R2 in which the target temperature of the analyte flowing through the testing flow path 102a is the second predetermined temperature. The rear side surface 234c (corresponding to the third surface) of the second heat transfer body 234 in the heat transfer unit 238 is positioned so as to overlap the second flow path region R2 when viewed from the vertical direction, and the rear side surface 233c (corresponding to the fourth surface) of the first heat transfer body 233 in the heat transfer unit 238 is positioned so as to overlap the first flow path region R1 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0137] With this configuration, it is possible to more easily control the heating of the first flow path region R1 via the first heat transfer body 233 by the first heater 231, and to more easily control the heating of the second flow path region R2 via the second heat transfer body 234 by the second heater 232.

[0138] 11A and 11B are views corresponding to FIGS. 10A and 10B, illustrating a first modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, the configuration of the flow path exposed portion provided in the heat transfer portion 238 differs from that of the first embodiment. In the following modifications, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0139] That is, in this modified example, the flow path exposure portion is configured by a rectangular cutout portion 233h that opens upward, which is different from the second embodiment in which the flow path exposure portion is configured by an opening portion 233g.

[0140] In the heating device 230 of this modified example, the flow path exposed portion is configured by a cutout portion 233h rather than a frame-shaped opening, which reduces the processing difficulty for forming the flow path exposed portion compared to embodiment 1, and ultimately reduces processing costs.

[0141] Furthermore, according to the warming device 230 of this modification, the front side surface 233d that contacts the first heater 231 and the left side surface 234f that contacts the second heater 232 are located on different planes, so that the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0142] 12A and 12B are views corresponding to Fig. 10A and 10B showing a second modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, the configuration of the first heat transfer body 233 is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0143] That is, in the heating device 230 of this modification, the first heat transfer body 233 is composed only of the rectangular plate-shaped front wall portion 233a, and does not have the right side wall portion 233b as in embodiment 1. Therefore, the shape of the first heat transfer body 233 can be simplified, and material costs and processing costs can be reduced.

[0144] Furthermore, according to the warming device 230 of this modification, the front side surface 233d that contacts the first heater 231 and the left side surface 234f that contacts the second heater 232 are located on different planes, as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0145] 13A and 13B are views corresponding to FIGS. 10A and 10B showing a third modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, the configuration of the second heat transfer body 234 and the position of the second heater 232 are different from those in the first embodiment.

[0146] That is, in this modification, the second heat transfer body 234 is formed only by a rectangular plate-shaped front wall portion 234a, and does not have a left wall portion 234b as in the first embodiment. In addition, the front wall portion 234a protrudes farther to the left than the left side surface of the cartridge 100.

[0147] The second heater 232 is in contact with a portion of the rear side surface 234c of the front wall portion 234a that is to the left of the cartridge 100.

[0148] According to the heating device 230 of this modified example, the shape of the second heat transfer body can be simplified, thereby reducing material costs and processing costs.

[0149] Furthermore, according to the heating device 230 of this modified example, the front side surface 233d that contacts the first heater 231 and the rear side surface 234c that contacts the second heater 232 are located on different planes, so that the same effect as in embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0150] 14A and 14B are views corresponding to FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrating a second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the modifications in that the heat transfer section 238 is composed of a single member. In the following embodiments and modifications, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0151] That is, in this embodiment, the heat transfer section 238 is configured by a single heat transfer body 239 having an L-shaped cross section. The warming device 230 of this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the second modification of the first embodiment, in which the second heat transfer body 234 and the first heat transfer body 233 are integrally connected.

[0152] Specifically, the heat transfer body 239 has a front wall portion 239a that abuts against the front side of the cartridge 100, and a left wall portion 239b that is connected perpendicularly to the left edge of the front wall portion 239a.

[0153] The front wall portion 239a is formed to cover the entire front side surface of the cartridge 100. When viewed from above, the front wall portion 239a protrudes further to both sides in the left-right direction than the cartridge 100. A rear side surface 239c of the front wall portion 239a abuts against the front side surface of the cartridge 100. A first heater 231 is in contact with a front side surface 239d of the front wall portion 239a. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane P, the first heater 231 is positioned so as to overlap the first flow path region R1 of the inspection flow path 102a inside the cartridge 100. An opening 239g (equivalent to a flow path exposure portion) is formed in a portion of the front wall portion 239a corresponding to the storage portion 102e.

[0154] The left side wall 239b is positioned away from the left side surface of the cartridge 100. A right side surface 239e of the left side wall 239b extends in the up-down direction parallel to the left side surface of the cartridge 100. In other words, the gap dimension between the left side wall 239b and the cartridge 100 is constant regardless of the position in the up-down direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface).

[0155] The second heater 232 is in contact with a left side surface 239f of the left wall portion 239b (i.e., the surface of the left wall portion 239b opposite to the cartridge 100 side). The left side surface 239f intersects with an extension plane of the rear side surface 239c that is in contact with the cartridge 100.

[0156] According to the heating device 230 of this embodiment, the heat transfer section 238 is configured by a single heat transfer body 239, which reduces the number of parts and simplifies the structure, thereby reducing the number of assembly steps and the number of processing steps, thereby reducing costs.

[0157] Furthermore, according to the heating device 230 of this embodiment, the front side surface 239d to which the first heater 231 contacts and the left side surface 239f to which the second heater 232 contacts are located on different planes, so that the same effect as in embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0158] 15A and 15B are views corresponding to FIGS. 10A and 10B showing a modification of the second embodiment. In this modification, the configuration of the heat transfer body 239 and the position of the second heater 232 are different from those in the second embodiment.

[0159] That is, in this modification, the heat transfer body 239 is formed only by a rectangular plate-shaped front wall portion 239a, and does not have a left wall portion 239b as in the first embodiment. In addition, the front wall portion 239a protrudes farther to the left than the left side surface of the cartridge 100.

[0160] The first heater 231 is in contact with a front side surface 239d of the front wall portion 239a. The second heater 232 is in contact with a portion of a rear side surface 239c of the front wall portion 239a that is to the left of the cartridge 100.

[0161] According to the heating device 230 of this modified example, the shape of the heat transfer body 239 can be simplified, thereby reducing material costs and processing costs.

[0162] Furthermore, according to the heating device 230 of this modified example, the front side 239d that contacts the first heater 231 and the rear side 239c that contacts the second heater 232 are located on different planes, so that the same effect as in embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0163] Other Embodiments Although the warming device 230 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0164] (1) In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the testing flow path 102a is configured so that the sample passes through the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2 once each. However, this is not limited to this. That is, the testing flow path 102a may be configured so that the sample passes through the first flow path region R1 and the second flow path region R2 alternately, as shown in Fig. 16 . In the example of Fig. 5 , in order to achieve such testing, the reaction flow path section 102d is configured with multiple flow paths extending laterally and arranged at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction.

[0165] (2) In the above-described embodiments and modifications, DNA is used as an example of a nucleic acid to be amplified. However, the nucleic acid to be amplified is not limited to DNA, and may be, for example, RNA.

[0166] (3) In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the bottle 50 is connected to the cartridge 100, but the bottle 50 is not necessarily required. That is, without using the bottle 50, for example, a biological sample may be collected using a separately prepared dropper or the like, and the collected biological sample may be filled into the cartridge 100.

[0167] (4) The present disclosure also includes a heating method corresponding to the configuration of the heating device 230. That is, the present disclosure includes a heating method for a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, the heating method comprising: preparing a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit; abutting the heat transfer unit against the cartridge; bringing the first heating unit into contact with a first surface of the heat transfer unit; and bringing the second heating unit into contact with a second surface of the heat transfer unit that is located on a plane different from the first surface, and performing heating using the first heating unit and the second heating unit.

[0168] (5) The present disclosure also includes configurations that are any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications, and heating methods that correspond to such configurations.

[0169] [Summary] The specific embodiment described above mainly includes the following configurations.

[0170] (1) That is, a heating device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a heating device for a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, and is provided with a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit that can contact the first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the cartridge, and the heat transfer unit has a first surface that contacts the first heating unit and a second surface that contacts the second heating unit, and the first surface and the second surface are located on different planes.

[0171] (2) In the heating device of (1), the heat transfer section may have a first wall section and a second wall section that are angled with each other, and the first surface may be located on the first wall section, and the second surface may be located on the second wall section.

[0172] (3) In the warming device of (2) above, the first wall portion may be in contact with the cartridge, and the second wall portion may be positioned away from the cartridge.

[0173] (4) In the heating device of (2) or (3), the flow path may include a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the first wall portion may be positioned opposite the predetermined plane and overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

[0174] (5) In the heating device described in any one of (1) to (4), the heat transfer section may include a first heat transfer body having the first surface and a second heat transfer body having the second surface.

[0175] (6) In the heating device of (5) above, the first heat transfer body and the second heat transfer body may be positioned apart from each other.

[0176] (7) In the heating device of (5), the flow path may include a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the second heat transfer body may be positioned opposite the predetermined plane and further have a third surface that can abut against the cartridge so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and the second surface may be positioned so as to intersect with an extension plane of the third surface.

[0177] (8) In the heating device of (7), the first heat transfer body is positioned opposite the specified plane and further has a fourth surface that can abut against the cartridge so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the specified plane, and the first surface may be a surface opposite the fourth surface and positioned so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0178] (9) In any one of the heating devices (1) to (8), the heat transfer section may have a flow path exposure section that includes an opening or a notch that can expose a predetermined portion of the flow path.

[0179] (10) In the heating device of (9), the first heating section and the second heating section may be located at a position different from the flow path exposed portion in the heat transfer section.

[0180] (11) In the heating device of (9) or (10), the heat transfer section may include a first heat transfer body having the first surface and a second heat transfer body having the second surface, the flow path exposed portion may be located on the first heat transfer body, and the first heat transfer body may have a larger volume than the second heat transfer body.

[0181] (12) In any one of the heating devices (1) to (11), the flow path may include a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, the first heating portion may be positioned so as to overlap with the cartridge when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and the second heating portion may be positioned at a different location from the cartridge when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0182] (13) In any one of the heating devices (1) to (12), the heat transfer distance from the first heating unit to the cartridge via the heat transfer unit may be shorter than the heat transfer distance from the second heating unit to the cartridge via the heat transfer unit.

[0183] (14) In any one of the heating devices (1) to (13), the flow path may include a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the heat transfer portion may be positioned along one side surface of the cartridge in a thickness direction that is perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and both side surfaces of the cartridge in a width direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0184] (15) In any one of the heating devices (1) to (14), the first heating unit may have a first heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a first predetermined temperature, and the second heating unit may have a second heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a second predetermined temperature higher than the first predetermined temperature.

[0185] (16) In the heating device according to any one of (1) to (15), the cartridge may be detachable from the heating device.

[0186] (17) In the heating device of (8), the first heating unit has a first heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a first predetermined temperature, the second heating unit has a second heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a second predetermined temperature higher than the first predetermined temperature, the flow path includes a first flow path region in which the target temperature of the biological sample flowing in the flow path is the first predetermined temperature, and a second flow path region in which the target temperature of the biological sample flowing in the flow path is the second predetermined temperature, the third surface may be positioned so as to overlap the second flow path region when viewed from the vertical direction, and the fourth surface may be positioned so as to overlap the first flow path region when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0187] (18) A heating method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for heating a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, comprising the steps of: preparing a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit; abutting the heat transfer unit against the cartridge; abutting the first heating unit against a first surface of the heat transfer unit; and abutting the second heating unit against a second surface of the heat transfer unit that is located on a different plane from the first surface, and performing heating using the first heating unit and the second heating unit.

Claims

1. A heating device for a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, comprising: a first heating section; a second heating section; and a heat transfer section that can contact the first heating section, the second heating section, and the cartridge, wherein the heat transfer section has a first surface that contacts the first heating section and a second surface that contacts the second heating section, and the first surface and the second surface are located on different planes.

2. A heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer section has a first wall section and a second wall section that are angled with each other, the first surface being located on the first wall section, and the second surface being located on the second wall section.

3. A heating device according to claim 2, wherein the first wall portion abuts against the cartridge, and the second wall portion is positioned away from the cartridge.

4. A heating device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flow path includes a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the first wall portion is positioned opposite the predetermined plane and is positioned so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

5. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heat transfer section includes a first heat transfer body having the first surface and a second heat transfer body having the second surface.

6. A heating device according to claim 5, wherein the first heat transfer body and the second heat transfer body are positioned apart from each other.

7. A heating device according to claim 5, wherein the flow path includes a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the second heat transfer body is positioned opposite the predetermined plane and further has a third surface that is capable of abutting against the cartridge so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and the second surface is positioned so as to intersect with an extension of the third surface.

8. A heating device according to claim 7, wherein the first heat transfer body is positioned opposite the specified plane and further has a fourth surface that can abut against the cartridge so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the specified plane, and the first surface is a surface that faces the fourth surface and is positioned so as to overlap the flow path portion when viewed from the vertical direction.

9. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat transfer section has a flow path exposure section that includes an opening or a notch that can expose a predetermined portion of the flow path.

10. A heating device according to claim 9, wherein the first heating section and the second heating section are located at positions different from the exposed flow path portion in the heat transfer section.

11. A heating device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the heat transfer section includes a first heat transfer body having the first surface and a second heat transfer body having the second surface, the flow path exposed portion is located on the first heat transfer body, and the first heat transfer body has a larger volume than the second heat transfer body.

12. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the flow path includes a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, the first heating portion is positioned so as to overlap with the cartridge when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and the second heating portion is positioned at a different location from the cartridge when viewed from the vertical direction.

13. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the heat transfer distance from the first heating unit to the cartridge via the heat transfer unit is shorter than the heat transfer distance from the second heating unit to the cartridge via the heat transfer unit.

14. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the flow path includes a flow path portion along a predetermined plane, and the heat transfer portion is positioned along one side surface of the cartridge in the thickness direction, which is perpendicular to the predetermined plane, and both side surfaces of the cartridge in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the thickness direction.

15. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first heating unit has a first heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a first predetermined temperature, and the second heating unit has a second heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a second predetermined temperature higher than the first predetermined temperature.

16. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the cartridge is detachable from the heating device.

17. A heating device according to claim 8, wherein the first heating section has a first heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a first predetermined temperature, the second heating section has a second heater for heating the biological sample in the flow path to a second predetermined temperature higher than the first predetermined temperature, the flow path includes a first flow path region in which the target temperature of the biological sample flowing in the flow path is the first predetermined temperature, and a second flow path region in which the target temperature of the biological sample flowing in the flow path is the second predetermined temperature, the third surface is positioned so as to overlap the second flow path region when viewed from the vertical direction, and the fourth surface is positioned so as to overlap the first flow path region when viewed from the vertical direction.

18. A method for heating a cartridge having a flow path through which a biological sample flows, comprising: preparing a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a heat transfer unit; abutting the heat transfer unit against the cartridge; and heating by the first heating unit and the second heating unit while the first heating unit is abutted against a first surface of the heat transfer unit and the second heating unit is abutted against a second surface of the heat transfer unit that is located on a different plane from the first surface.

Images