Wireless power supply device and nucleic acid amplification device provided with same

Abstract

In order to provide a wireless power supply device capable of stably supplying power even if an imbalance occurs in load power between variable loads connected to a plurality of power reception coils and a nucleic acid amplification device equipped with the wireless power supply device, the wireless power supply device is configured as follows.　The wireless power supply device is characterized by comprising a power transmission coil, a plurality of power reception coils magnetically coupled to the power transmission coil, and a plurality of variable loads connected to the plurality of power reception coils, respectively, wherein a constant power load is connected, in parallel with a variable load, to at least the power reception coil having the largest coupling coefficient with the power transmission coil among the plurality of power reception coils. Also provided is a nucleic acid amplification device provided with the wireless power supply device.

Description

Wireless power supply device and nucleic acid amplification device equipped with the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless power supply device and a nucleic acid amplification device equipped with the same.

[0002] As a nucleic acid amplification device, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that can parallel-process a plurality of types of specimens with different protocols and can start processing of another specimen even if there is a process in progress. This device includes a rotating mechanism (specimen disk) on which a plurality of specimens can be placed, and in order to individually adjust the temperature of each specimen, a temperature adjustment mechanism having a heating / cooling function such as a Peltier element is provided for each specimen. The temperature adjustment mechanism provided in the rotating mechanism is generally powered by a movable contact part such as a slip ring, but mechanical wear of the movable contact part cannot be avoided, and there is a non-zero possibility of problems due to wear. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to avoid the occurrence of wear by applying a well-known wireless power supply device.

[0003] When applying a wireless power supply device to the power supply of the temperature adjustment mechanism of a nucleic acid amplification device, as described above, it is necessary to adjust the temperature for each specimen, and since the processing protocol is different for each specimen, the power supplied to the temperature adjustment mechanism changes with time (since the load of the temperature adjustment mechanism fluctuates with time, it can be called a "variable load"). In order to supply sufficient power to each of the plurality of temperature adjustment mechanisms, it is desirable to provide a power supply coil (power receiving coil) for each of the plurality of temperature adjustment mechanisms.

[0004] However, when a plurality of power receiving coils are arranged vertically side by side with respect to one power transmission coil, an imbalance occurs in the current value that can be extracted according to the respective coupling coefficients between the power receiving coil and the power transmission coil, and there is a possibility that sufficient power cannot be extracted from the power receiving coil with a low coupling coefficient. When such a wireless power supply device is applied to the power supply of the temperature adjustment mechanism of a nucleic acid amplification device, since the required power is not supplied to the temperature adjustment mechanism, the temperature cannot be adjusted as designed, and the accuracy and reliability of gene testing may decrease.

[0005] On the other hand, as a method for reducing current imbalance between AC loads, Patent Document 2 proposes a circuit configuration in which additional magnetic components are connected in series to each load to compensate for the current imbalance between loads. Similarly, by using additional magnetic components in the power supply coils of a wireless power supply device, it is possible to suppress current imbalance between coils.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-126421 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-44915

[0007] When the technology described in Patent Document 2 is applied to the wireless power supply device for a nucleic acid amplification device, it is necessary to add magnetic components on top of the rotating mechanism, which may lead to an increase in the device volume and a decrease in power supply efficiency due to increased losses. Therefore, challenges remain in miniaturizing and improving the efficiency of the wireless power supply device and the nucleic acid amplification device equipped with it.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a wireless power supply device that can stably supply power even when an imbalance occurs in load power between fluctuating loads connected to multiple power receiving coils, and a nucleic acid amplification device equipped therewith.

[0009] The configuration of the present invention for achieving the above objective is as follows.

[0010] A wireless power supply device comprising a power transmitting coil, a plurality of power receiving coils magnetically coupled to the power transmitting coil, and a plurality of variable loads connected to each of the plurality of power receiving coils, wherein a constant power load is connected in parallel with the variable load to at least one of the plurality of power receiving coils that has the largest coupling coefficient with the power transmitting coil. Also, a nucleic acid amplification device equipped therewith.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless power supply device that can stably supply power even when an imbalance occurs in load power between fluctuating loads connected to multiple power receiving coils, and a nucleic acid amplification device equipped therewith.

[0012] Electrical circuit diagram of the wireless power supply device according to Example 1. Perspective view of the power transmission coil. Configuration diagram of the power transmission coil and power receiving coil. Electrical circuit diagram of the wireless power supply device according to Example 2. Operating waveform of the wireless power supply device according to Example 2. Flowchart of the load controller according to Example 2. Operating waveform by the load controller according to Example 2. Electrical circuit diagram of the wireless power supply device according to Example 3. Flowchart of the switch controller according to Example 3. Electrical circuit diagram of the wireless power supply device mounted on a nucleic acid amplification device. Schematic configuration diagram of the nucleic acid testing device. Schematic configuration diagram of the nucleic acid amplification device. Schematic configuration diagram of the temperature control mechanism of the nucleic acid amplification device. Schematic configuration diagram of the nucleic acid amplification device to which the wireless power supply device is applied.

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] As an example of a wireless power supply device according to the embodiment of the invention, a wireless power supply device is shown that supplies power to both variable loads that involve power fluctuations, such as Peltier elements and heaters (loads whose applied power constantly fluctuates in order to actively control the temperature of the object), and constant power loads that consume power steadily, such as cooling fans and light source lamps (loads that consume a constant amount of power without actively controlling the applied power after starting operation and reaching a steady state).

[0015] Figure 1 shows the electrical circuit diagram of a wireless power supply device. The wireless power supply device according to Embodiment 1 comprises a single-phase AC power supply 9, a power transmission device 20, and a power receiving device 30 to which power is supplied by the power transmission device 20.

[0016] The power transmission device 20 is connected to a single-phase AC power supply 9 and includes a rectifier circuit 21 that converts AC current to DC current, an inverter circuit 22 that converts DC voltage to high-frequency AC voltage and is connected to the rectifier circuit 21 via a smoothing capacitor 211, a power transmission coil (L1) 24, a resonant capacitor (Cr) 23 connected in series with the power transmission coil (L1) 24, a communication device 25 that communicates with the power receiving device 30, and a controller 26 that controls the inverter circuit 22. The inverter circuit 22 connects a series circuit of switching elements 221 and 222 to the rectifier circuit 21 via the smoothing capacitor 211.

[0017] The intermediate connection point between switching element 221 and switching element 222 is connected to resonant capacitor (Cr) 23. The inverter circuit 22 supplies AC power of several kHz to approximately 100 kHz to the resonant capacitor (Cr) 23. The communication device 25 communicates wirelessly with the communication device 34 of the power receiving device 30 and obtains the load voltage (Vout 3) of the receiving coil (L23) 331 which has the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil (L1) 24 detected by the power receiving device 30. The controller 26 calculates the operating frequencies of switching elements 221 and 222 of the inverter circuit 22 based on the load voltage (Vout 3) transmitted from the communication device 25.

[0018] The power receiving device 30 consists of a plurality of power receiving circuits 31, 32, and 33, a communication device 34 that communicates wirelessly with the power transmitting device 20, and a controller 35. In this embodiment, there are three power receiving circuits, but the number may be increased or decreased depending on the power capacity of the load. The power receiving circuits 31, 32, and 33 are equipped with power receiving coils L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331) that receive power wirelessly from the power transmitting device 20, rectifier circuits 312, 322, and 332 that convert the AC voltage output from the power receiving coils L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331) into DC voltage, variable loads 314, 324, and 334 connected to the rectifier circuits 312, 322, and 332 via smoothing capacitors 313, 323, and 333, and a constant power load 335.

[0019] The constant power load 335 is connected only to the receiving circuit 33 closest to the power transmission coil. The fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334 are loads that involve power fluctuations, such as Peltier elements and heaters. The constant power load 335 is a load that consumes power steadily, such as a cooling fan and a light source lamp. The communication device 34 communicates wirelessly with the communication device 25 of the power transmission device 20 and transmits the load voltage (Vout 3) detected by the detector 336 and the controller 35 to the power transmission device 20.

[0020] Here, the principle of suppressing current imbalance between receiving coils will be explained. Figures 2A and 2B show the configuration of the transmitting coil 24 and the receiving coil 40. Figure 2A shows a perspective view of the transmitting coil 24. The transmitting coil 24 is constructed by stacking a coil-shaped conductor plate (L1) 241 and a ferrite core 242 for magnetic shielding, which are provided on a printed circuit board 240. The coil-shaped conductor plate (L1) 241 is provided with a pair of terminals 243, and by applying a predetermined voltage to these terminals 243, it acts as a magnetic coil (electromagnet).

[0021] The receiving coil 40 is constructed by laminating coil-shaped conductor plates L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331), which have the same shape as the coil-shaped conductor plate (L1) 241 of the transmitting coil 24, via an insulating thermal conductive sheet 42. A ferrite core 41 for magnetic shielding is bonded to the top (opposite side of the transmitting coil 24). In the configuration shown in Figure 2B, the coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil (L1) 241 and the receiving coils L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331) is given by equation (1). k3>k2>k1 …(1) Here, k1 is the coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil (L1) 241 and the receiving coil (L21) 311, k2 is the coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil (L1) 241 and the receiving coil (L22) 321, and k3 is the coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil (L1) 241 and the receiving coil (L23) 331.

[0022] The voltage peak values ​​of the receiving coils (VL21peak, VL22peak, VL23peak) have the relationship shown in equation (2), and the voltage peak value of the receiving coil with the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil is the highest. VL23peak>VL22peak>VL21peak …(2) Let's consider the case where the outputs of each rectifier circuit 312, 322, and 332 in the power receiving device 30 are connected in parallel. Since each load voltage (Vout1, Vout2, Vout3) has the same value, the relationship shown in equation (3) holds. Vout3=Vout2=Vout1 …(3) Since the AC voltage of the receiving coil is smoothed to DC by the rectifier circuit, as shown in equation (4), the load voltage (Vout3) is smaller than or equal to the voltage peak value (VL23peak) of the receiving coil with the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil. VL23peak≧Vout3 …(4) Here, we assume that the load voltage (Vout3) is greater than the voltage peak values ​​(VL22peak, VL21peak) of the receiving coils, which have a low coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil, as shown in equation (5). Vout3>VL22peak>VL21peak …(5) As shown in equation (3), each load voltage (Vout1, Vout2, Vout3) has the same value, so from the relationship in equation (5), as shown in equation (6), the load voltages (Vout1, Vout2) have a higher voltage compared to the voltage peak values ​​(VL21peak, VL22peak) of the receiving coils. Therefore, power cannot be output to the load from the receiving coils (L21, L22), which have a low coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil (in other words, the voltage that can be supplied from the receiving coils is less than or equal to the voltage required for the operation of the load, so the load cannot be operated). Vout2 > VL22 peak, Vout1 > VL21 peak …(6) In contrast, the present invention is configured to connect an independent load to each receiving coil and to make the respective load voltages different as shown in equation (7), thereby enabling power output from the receiving coils L21 (311) and L22 (321), which have a low coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil.Vout3≠Vout2, Vout2≠Vout1, Vout3≠Vout1 …(7) In the circuit configuration of Figure 1, as shown in equation (8), the load voltages Vout1, Vout2, and Vout3 of each fluctuating load remain smaller than or equal to the voltage peak values ​​VL21peak, VL22peak, and VL23peak of each receiving coil. Therefore, regardless of the coupling coefficient, power can be output from the receiving coils L21, L22, and L23 to each fluctuating load (i.e., each fluctuating load can be operated). VL2npeak≧Voutn (n=1,2,3) …(8) Also, from equations (2) and (8), each load voltage has the relationship shown in equation (9). However, if the imbalance in the load voltages of the fluctuating loads is large, it may deviate from the operating voltage range of the loads. Vout3>Vout2>Vout1 …(9) Next, the principle of suppressing voltage imbalance between fluctuating loads will be explained. The voltage peak value VL23peak of the receiving coil is expressed as the difference between the excitation component Vm23 and the leakage component Ve23, as shown in equation (10). VL23peak=Vm23-Ve23=Vm23-jωLe23Icoil23 …(10) Here, ω is the angular frequency, Le23 is the leakage inductance of the receiving coil L23, and Icoil23 is the current of the receiving coil.

[0023] The leakage component Ve23 changes depending on the current Icoil23 of the receiving coil, that is, the load power consumed by the fluctuating load. Therefore, as the load power increases, the load voltage Vout3 of the fluctuating load decreases. In this invention, by connecting a constant power load 335 that steadily consumes power to the receiving coil L23 (331), which has the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil 24, the load voltage (Vout3) is reduced, and as a result, voltage imbalance between fluctuating loads is suppressed.

[0024] As described above, the present invention reduces current imbalance between receiving coils without using additional magnetic components such as those described in Patent Document 2, by connecting an independent fluctuating load to each receiving coil. In addition, by connecting a constant power load 335 to the receiving coil (L23) 331, which has the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil, voltage imbalance between fluctuating loads is reduced. This makes it possible to provide a compact, highly efficient wireless power supply device that can handle any power capacity.

[0025] An example of a wireless power supply device that suppresses voltage imbalance between load voltages during load fluctuations will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0026] In this embodiment, the only difference from Embodiment 1 is that the power receiving device 30 is equipped with a load controller 35a and a current detector 337. The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1. The load controller 35a transmits the load power command value Pcom to each of the fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334 and controls the load power. The load power is controlled by adjusting the current value flowing through each of the fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334 using a well-known electronic circuit. The current detector 337 detects the load current Iout3 output to the fluctuating load 334.

[0027] Figure 4 shows the operating waveforms of the wireless power supply device in Figure 3 when the load power is increased in the order of variable load 314, variable load 324, and variable load 334. When the load power of variable loads 314 and 324 increases while variable load 334 is not outputting load power, only the excitation component Vm23 shown in equation (10) rises, which may cause the load voltage Vout3 to increase and deviate from the operating voltage range.

[0028] As shown in equation (11), the load controller 35a controls the system to maintain a state in which the load power of the fluctuating load connected to the receiving coil, which has a high coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil, is large or equal. Pout3≧Pout2≧Pout1 …(11) Here, Pout1 represents the load power of the fluctuating load 314, Pout2 represents the load power of the fluctuating load 324, and Pout3 represents the load power of the fluctuating load 334.

[0029] The control flow of the load controller 35a will be explained using Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the load power control of the load controller 35a. Figure 6 shows the operating waveform in the wireless power supply device of Figure 5 when the load power of each fluctuating load increases (Pout3 < Pcom).

[0030] In step S1, the load controller 35a detects the load voltage Vout3 and the load current Iout3. In step S2, the load controller 35a calculates the load power Pout3 by multiplying the load voltage Vout3 detected in step S1 by the load current Iout3 also detected in step S1.

[0031] In step S3, the relationship between the load power Pot3 calculated in step S2 and the load power command value Pcom is determined. Steps S4 to S6 and steps S7 to S9 perform load power control of the fluctuating loads. If the determination in step S3 shows that the load power Pot3 is smaller than the load power command value Pcom, that is, if the load power of each fluctuating load is to be increased, the power is increased in the order of fluctuating load 334, which is closest to the transmission coil, then fluctuating load 324, and then fluctuating load 314 (steps S4 to S6).

[0032] On the other hand, if the load power Out3 is greater than the load power command value Pcom, that is, if the load power of each fluctuating load is to be reduced, the load power is reduced in the order of fluctuating load 314, which is furthest from the transmission coil, then fluctuating load 324, and then fluctuating load 334 (steps S7 to S9).

[0033] Figure 6 shows the operation waveforms for steps S4 to S6 when the load power of each fluctuating load increases (Pout3 < Pcom). By increasing the load power starting from the fluctuating load closest to the transmission coil, the increase in load voltage Vout3 is suppressed, thereby suppressing the imbalance between load voltages.

[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, by controlling the system to maintain a state in which the load power of the fluctuating load closer to the power transmission side is large or equal, voltage imbalance during load fluctuations can be further suppressed compared to the configuration described in Embodiment 1.

[0035] An example of a wireless power supply device that suppresses voltage imbalance between load voltages when the load power of each fluctuating load fluctuates in any order will be explained with reference to Figure 7.

[0036] In this embodiment, the power receiving device 30 is equipped with a load controller 35a and a switch controller 35b, the power receiving circuit 31 is equipped with switches 315a, 315b, 315c, 316a, 316b, and 316c, the power receiving circuit 32 is equipped with switches 325a, 325b, 325c, 326a, 326b, and 326c, and the power receiving circuit 33 is equipped with switches 338a, 338b, 338c, 339a, 339b, and 339c. The rest of the configuration is the same as in Embodiment 1. The load controller 35a transmits the load power command value Pcom to each of the fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334 to control the load power. In addition, it detects load powers Out1, Out2, and Out3 from each of the fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334. Each switch is installed between each rectifier circuit 312, 322, 332 and each variable load 314, 324, 334, and the on / off state is switched by the switch controller 35b.

[0037] In the configuration of Embodiment 2, only the load current Iout3 output to the fluctuating load 334 is detected by the current detector 337, and the order in which the load power of each fluctuating load is varied by the load controller 35a is fixed, making it difficult to vary the load power of each load in an arbitrary order. In this embodiment, the load powers Pot1, Pot2, and Pot3 of each fluctuating load 314, 324, and 334 are monitored, and a switch is provided between the rectifier circuit and the fluctuating load. This allows a fluctuating load with a large load power to be connected to a receiving coil with a high coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil, thereby suppressing voltage imbalance between load voltages.

[0038] The switch controller 35b controls each switch so that a fluctuating load with a large load power is connected to the receiving coil, which is strongly coupled to the transmitting coil. Figure 8 shows the control flow of the switch controller. In step S21, the load controller 35a transmits the detected load powers Pot1, Pot2, and Pot3 to the switch controller 35b. In steps S22 to S26, the respective load powers Pot1, Pot2, and Pot3 are compared. In steps S27 to S32, the on / off state of each switch is determined based on the comparison results from steps S22 to S26.

[0039] As an example, consider the case where the load powers of each load, Pout1, Pout2, and Pout3, have the relationship given by equation (12): Pout2 > Pout3 > Pout1 …(12) Since the load power Pout2 of the fluctuating load 324 is the largest, switches 338b and 339b are turned on to connect the output of the rectifier circuit 332 to the fluctuating load 324. Since the load power Pout3 of the fluctuating load 334 is the second largest, switches 325c and 326c are turned on to connect the output of the rectifier circuit 322 to the fluctuating load 334. Switches 315a and 316a are turned on to connect the output of the rectifier circuit 312 to the fluctuating load 314.

[0040] As described above, this example determines the on / off state of each switch based on the relative magnitudes of the load power, thereby connecting a fluctuating load with a large load power to a receiving coil with a high coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil, and suppressing voltage imbalance between load voltages. This embodiment can further suppress voltage imbalance between load voltages compared to the configuration described in Example 2.

[0041] An embodiment in which a wireless power supply device is mounted on a nucleic acid amplification device will be described. Figure 9 shows the electrical circuit diagram of a nucleic acid testing device equipped with the wireless power supply device of Embodiment 1. The nucleic acid amplification device according to this embodiment comprises a single-phase AC power supply 9, a power transmission device 20, and a power receiving device 30 that receives power wirelessly from the power transmission device 20.

[0042] The power transmission device 20 includes a rectifier circuit 21 that converts AC voltage to DC voltage, an inverter circuit 22 that converts DC voltage to high-frequency AC voltage, a power transmission coil (L1) 24, a resonant capacitor (Cr) 23 connected in series with the power transmission coil (L1) 24, a communication device 25 that communicates wirelessly with the communication device 34 of the power receiving device 30, and a controller 26 for the inverter circuit 22. The inverter circuit 22 supplies AC power of several kHz to approximately 100 kHz to the resonant capacitor (Cr) 23.

[0043] The power receiving device 30 consists of multiple power receiving circuits 31, 32, and 33, a communication device 34 that communicates wirelessly with the power transmitting device 20, and a controller 35. The power receiving circuits 31, 32, and 33 are equipped with power receiving coils L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331) that receive power wirelessly from the power transmitting device 20, rectifier circuits 312, 322, and 332 that convert the AC voltage output from the power receiving coils L21 (311), L22 (321), and L23 (331) into DC voltage, Peltier elements 314a, 324a, and 334a connected to the rectifier circuits 312, 322, and 332 via smoothing capacitors 313, 323, and 333, and a cooling fan 335a. The Peltier elements 314a, 324a, and 334a regulate the temperature of the reaction solution, which is a mixture of the sample and reagent.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a nucleic acid testing device to which the wireless power supply devices described in Examples 1 to 4 are applicable. In FIG. 10, the nucleic acid testing device 100 includes a plurality of sample containers 101 containing a specimen containing nucleic acid to be amplified, a sample container rack 102 storing the plurality of sample containers 101, a plurality of reagent containers 103 containing various reagents to be added to the specimen, a reagent container rack 104 storing the plurality of reagent containers 103, a reaction container 105 for mixing the specimen and the reagents, a reaction container rack 106 storing a plurality of unused reaction containers 105, a reaction liquid adjustment position 107 for placing an unused reaction container 105 and dispensing the specimen and the reagents from each of the sample container 101 and the reagent container 103 into the reaction container 105, a closing unit 108 for sealing a reaction container 105 containing a reaction liquid which is a mixture of the specimen and the reagents with a lid member (not shown), and a stirring unit 109 for stirring the reaction liquid contained in the sealed reaction container 105.

[0045] Furthermore, the nucleic acid testing device 100 includes a robot arm X-axis 110 extending in the X-axis direction (left-right direction in Figure 10) on the nucleic acid testing device 100, and a robot arm device 112 equipped with a robot arm Y-axis 111 that extends in the Y-axis direction (up-down direction in Figure 10) and is mounted on the robot arm X-axis 110 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction; a gripper unit 113 mounted on the robot arm Y-axis 111 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction to grasp the reaction vessel 105 and transport it to various parts of the nucleic acid testing device 100; and a device mounted on the robot arm Y-axis 111 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction to aspirate the sample from the sample container 101 and the reagent from the reagent container 103 and prepare the reaction solution. The nucleic acid testing device 100 includes a dispensing unit 114 that dispenses (dispenses) into a reaction vessel 105 placed on position 107, a nozzle tip 115 attached to the part of the dispensing unit 114 that comes into contact with the sample and reagents, a nozzle tip rack 116 that stores multiple unused nozzle tips 115s, a nucleic acid amplification device 1 that performs nucleic acid amplification processing on the reaction solution contained in the reaction vessel 105, a waste box 117 for discarding used nozzle tips 115s and used (tested) reaction vessels 105s, and a control device 120 that controls the overall operation of the nucleic acid testing device 100, including the nucleic acid amplification device 1, and is equipped with input devices 118 such as a keyboard and mouse and a display device 119 such as an LCD monitor.

[0046] Each sample container 101 is managed by identification information such as a barcode for each sample it contains, and by location information such as coordinates assigned to each position on the sample container rack 102. Similarly, each reagent container 103 is managed by identification information such as a barcode for each reagent it contains, and by location information such as coordinates assigned to each position on the reagent container rack 104. This identification information and location information are pre-registered and managed in the control device 120. Each reaction vessel 105 is also managed in a similar manner using identification information and location information.

[0047] Next, the details of the nucleic acid amplification device 1 will be explained using Figure 11.

[0048] Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the nucleic acid amplification device 1 according to this embodiment. Note that in Figure 11, the cover 7 is omitted for illustrative purposes.

[0049] In FIG. 11, the nucleic acid amplification device 1 includes a base 2 as a foundation, a holder 3 provided with a plurality of temperature control blocks 10 configured to hold the reaction vessel 105, a fluorescence detector 6 that performs fluorescence detection of the reaction solution contained in the reaction vessel 105, and a cover 7 that covers the holder 3 and the fluorescence detector 6.

[0050] The holder 3 includes a disk-shaped holder base 4 and a plurality of temperature control blocks 10 arranged side by side along the inner side of the outer periphery around the central axis of the holder base 4. The holder base 4 is provided so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction around a rotation axis (not shown) provided at the center thereof, and is rotationally driven by a stepping motor 5 which is a rotation driving device.

[0051] The holder base 4 is formed using a member having excellent heat insulation properties such as plastic, for example, and is configured such that the temperatures between the plurality of temperature control blocks 10 are less likely to interfere with each other. Note that a heat insulation layer made of a heat insulating material such as polyurethane foam may be formed between the holder base 4 and the temperature control block 10 to further reduce temperature interference.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 12, the temperature control block 10 includes a base portion 11 that serves as a base of the temperature control block 10, a hole-shaped installation position 12 provided so as to penetrate vertically through the base portion 11, a Peltier element 14 and a heat radiation fin 13 as a temperature adjustment mechanism provided below the base portion 11, and a temperature sensor 15 that detects the temperature of the reaction solution in the reaction vessel 105 by detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the installation position 12 provided on the base portion 11.

[0053] The base portion 11 is formed of a heat conductor such as copper, aluminum, or various alloys, for example. By heating or cooling the base portion 11 with the Peltier element 14, the temperature of the reaction vessel 105 held at the installation position 12 of the base portion 11 is adjusted. Further, the heat radiation fin 13 is provided on the surface of the base portion 11 of the Peltier element 14 on the opposite side, and enhances the heat radiation efficiency of the Peltier element 14. By inserting the reaction vessel 105 into the installation position 12 of the base portion 11 from above, the bottom of the reaction vessel 105 is held in a state of being exposed from the temperature control block 10.

[0054] The fluorescence detectors 6 in Figure 11 are provided one or more times (for example, four in this embodiment) and are arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the holder 3. The fluorescence detectors 6 are positioned below the reaction vessel 105 (below the path of movement of the reaction vessel 105) and perform fluorescence detection as the reaction vessel 105 passes above it due to the rotation of the holder 3. If there are multiple fluorescence detectors 6, they independently detect or measure the reaction solution inside the reaction vessel 105.

[0055] The fluorescence detector 6 has an excitation light source for irradiating the bottom (exposed portion) of the reaction vessel 105, which is held in the mounting position 12 of the temperature control block 10, with excitation light, and a detection element for detecting fluorescence from the reaction solution (neither is shown). The reaction solution contained in the reaction vessel 105 is fluorescently labeled with a reagent to amplify the base sequence to be amplified, and the fluorescence detector 6 detects the fluorescence from the reaction solution generated by the excitation light irradiated onto the reaction vessel 105 from the excitation light source, thereby quantitatively determining the base sequence to be amplified in the reaction solution over time. The detection results are sent to the control device 120 shown in Figure 10. As the excitation light source, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED), semiconductor laser, xenon lamp, or halogen lamp can be used. As the detection element, a photodiode, photomultiplier, CCD, etc. can be used.

[0056] The cover 7 in Figure 10, together with the base 2, covers the holder 3 and the fluorescence detector 6, with the aim of providing a light-shielding effect to suppress the incidence of external light onto the fluorescence detector 6 of the nucleic acid amplification device 1. The cover 7 is provided with an openable and closable gate 7a, through which the reaction vessel 105 is exchanged between the inside and outside of the cover 7 (i.e., inside and outside the nucleic acid amplification device 1).

[0057] The control device 120 controls the overall operation of the nucleic acid testing device 100. Based on a protocol set by the input device 118, it uses various software stored in a memory unit (not shown) to cause the nucleic acid amplification device 1 to perform nucleic acid amplification processing. The control device 120 stores analysis results such as fluorescence detection results and the operating status of the nucleic acid amplification device 1 in the memory unit and displays them on the display device 119.

[0058] The operation of nucleic acid testing using the nucleic acid testing device 100 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will now be explained.

[0059] First, as preparation for nucleic acid amplification processing, sample containers 101 containing the nucleic acid to be amplified are placed in the sample container rack 102 of the nucleic acid testing device 100, and reagent containers 103 containing various reagents to be added to each sample, as predetermined by the protocol, are placed in the reagent container rack 104. In addition, unused reaction vessels 105 are placed in the reaction vessel rack 106, and unused nozzle tips 115 are placed in the nozzle tip rack 116. With these settings, the nucleic acid amplification processing is started by operating the control device 120.

[0060] When the nucleic acid amplification process is instructed to begin, the gripper unit 113 first transports the required number of unused reaction vessels 105 to the reaction solution preparation position 107. Next, an unused nozzle tip 115 is attached to the dispensing unit 114, and the sample is dispensed from the designated sample container 101 into the reaction vessel 105. After that, the used nozzle tip 115 is discarded in the waste box 117 to prevent contamination. Subsequently, the reagents are dispensed into the designated reaction vessel 105 using the same procedure and mixed with the sample to produce the reaction solution.

[0061] Once the required number of dispensings are complete, the reaction vessels 105 containing the reaction solution are transported by the gripper unit 113 to the sealing unit 108, where they are sealed with a lid, and then transported to the stirring unit 109 for stirring. The stirred reaction vessels 105 are transported by the gripper unit 113 and inserted into the mounting position 12 of the holder 3 at a predetermined position via the gate 7a of the cover 7 in the nucleic acid amplification device 1, where they are held. At this time, the holder 3 is rotated and controlled so that the predetermined mounting position 12 is positioned at the gate 7a. If there are multiple reaction vessels 105 to be processed, each is sealed with a lid and stirred, and then transported sequentially to the predetermined mounting position 12.

[0062] Here, the Peltier element 14 of the temperature control mechanism is controlled based on the protocol corresponding to the sample contained in the reaction vessel 105 held by the holder 3, and the temperature of the reaction vessel 105 is controlled periodically and stepwise, and nucleic acid amplification processing is performed. In this way, the PCR method, a type of nucleic acid amplification method, selective amplification of a desired base sequence is achieved by periodically and stepwise changing the temperature of the reaction solution, which is a mixture of the sample and reagent, based on the protocol corresponding to each sample. Even when processing multiple reaction vessels 105 in parallel, when each reaction vessel 105 is held in the mounting position 12, nucleic acid amplification processing is started sequentially, and the temperature is changed periodically and stepwise based on the protocol corresponding to each sample. During the nucleic acid amplification processing, the holder 3 is rotated and fluorescence detection is performed by the fluorescence detector 6, and the base sequence to be amplified in the reaction solution is quantified over time by detecting the fluorescence from the reaction solution with the fluorescence detector 6. The detection results are sequentially sent to the control device 120.

[0063] Once the predetermined nucleic acid amplification process is complete, the reaction vessel 105 is transported to the waste box 117 via the gate 7a by the gripper unit 113 and discarded.

[0064] Next, the schematic configuration of the nucleic acid amplification device 1 to which the wireless power supply devices described in Examples 1 to 4 are applied will be explained using Figure 13. Figure 13 is a side view of the nucleic acid amplification device 1 focusing on the configuration related to the wireless power supply device. A power transmission device 20 is provided on a base 2 which serves as the foundation. The power transmission device 20 is connected to a single-phase AC power supply 9 via a cable 27 and converts the AC current supplied from the single-phase AC power supply 9 into a high-frequency AC voltage. The power transmission device 20 is connected to a power transmission coil 24 via a cable 28, and the power transmission coil 24 radiates the high-frequency AC power output from the power transmission device 20 toward the power receiving coil 300 of the power receiving device 30. In Figure 13, for the sake of simplifying the drawing, the power receiving coil 300 is represented as a single box, but in the case of the wireless power supply device shown in Figure 1, three power receiving coils 311, 321, and 331 are provided. In practice, the number of power receiving coils corresponding to the number of temperature control blocks 10 in Figure 11 is provided (i.e., in the case of the nucleic acid amplification device in Figure 11, eight power receiving coils are provided).

[0065] The power receiving device 30 is mounted on the holder base 4 and rectifies the high-frequency AC power radiated from the power transmission coil 24 into DC current. This DC current is then blown to the Peltier element 14, which acts as a temperature control mechanism, and to the heat dissipation fins 13 for cooling the Peltier element 14. This current is then supplied to the cooling fan 400 for forced cooling of the Peltier element 14. As explained in Figure 12, a Peltier element 14 is provided for each temperature control block 10, and the fluctuating loads 314, 324, and 334 shown in Figure 1 each correspond to a different Peltier element 14. The cooling fan 400 in Figure 13 corresponds to the constant power load 335 in Figure 1. In Figure 1, the constant power load is shown as being attached to the power receiving circuit 33, but in the actual device, the cooling fan 400 is mounted on the holder base 4, and cooling air is blown to the heat dissipation fins 13 of all the Peltier elements 14 provided for each temperature control block 10.

[0066] The power transmission coil 24 is connected to the power transmission device 20 via a cable 28 and fixed to the base 2 by a support member 29.

[0067] The power receiving device 30 is fixed to the power receiving device base 72. The power receiving device base 72 is rotatable in the circumferential direction about a rotating shaft 71 located at its center, and is rotationally driven by a stepping motor 70, which is a rotational drive device. The reaction vessels 105 house the reaction liquid and are arranged along the inside of the outer circumference of the holder base 4.

[0068] The fluorescence detector 6 detects fluorescence as the reaction vessel 105 passes above it due to the rotation of the power receiving device base 72.

[0069] 1: Nucleic acid amplifier 2: Base 3: Holder 4: Holder base 5: Stepping motor 6: Fluorescence detector 7: Cover 7a: Gate 9: Single-phase AC power supply 10: Temperature control block 11: Base 12: Mounting position 13: Heat dissipation fin 14: Peltier element 15: Temperature sensor 20: Power transmission device 21: Rectifier circuit 22: Inverter circuit 24: Power transmission coil 25: Communication device 26: Controller 27: Cable 28: Cable 29: Support member 30: Power receiving device 31: Power receiving circuit 32: Power receiving circuit 33: Power receiving circuit 34: Communication device 35: Controller 35a: Load controller 35b: Switch controller 40: Power receiving coil 41 42: Ferrite core 70: Thermal conductive sheet 71: Stepping motor 72: Rotating shaft 100: Power receiving device base 101: Nucleic acid testing device 102: Sample container 103: Sample container rack 104: Reagent container rack 105: Reaction vessel 106: Reaction vessel rack 107: Reaction solution adjustment position 108: Closing unit 109: Stirring unit 110: Robot arm X-axis 111: Robot arm Y-axis 112: Robot arm device 113: Gripper unit 114: Dispensing unit 115: Nozzle tip 116: Nozzle tip rack 117: Waste box 118: Input device 119: Display device 120: Control device 211: Smoothing capacitor221: Switching element 222: Switching element 240: Printed circuit board 242: Ferrite core 243: Terminal 300: Power receiving coil 311: Power receiving coil 312: Rectifier circuit 313: Smoothing capacitor 314: Variable load 314a: Peltier element 315a: Switch 315b: Switch 315c: Switch 316a: Switch 316b: Switch 316c: Switch 321: Power receiving coil 322: Rectifier circuit 323: Smoothing capacitor 324: Variable load 324a: Peltier element 325a: Switch 325b: Switch 325c: Switch 326a: Switch 326b: Switch 326c: Switch 331: Power receiving coil 332 333: Rectifier circuit 334: Smoothing capacitor 334: Variable load 334a: Peltier element 335: Constant power load 335a: Cooling fan 336: Detector 337: Current detector 338a: Switch 338b: Switch 338c: Switch 339a: Switch 339b: Switch 339c: Switch 400: Cooling fan

Claims

1. A wireless power supply device comprising: a power transmission coil; a plurality of power receiving coils magnetically coupled to the power transmission coil; and a plurality of variable loads connected to each of the plurality of power receiving coils, wherein a constant power load is connected in parallel with the variable load to at least one of the plurality of power receiving coils that has the largest coupling coefficient with the power transmission coil.

2. A wireless power supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of power receiving coils are constructed by stacking a plurality of coil-shaped conductor plates.

3. A wireless power supply device according to claim 1, comprising a load controller for controlling the loads of the plurality of fluctuating loads, wherein the load controller controls the loads of the fluctuating loads such that the load power of the fluctuating load connected to the receiving coil with the highest coupling coefficient with the transmitting coil among the plurality of receiving coils is greater than or equal to the load power of the other fluctuating loads.

4. A wireless power supply device according to claim 1, comprising: a load power detection unit for detecting the load power of the plurality of fluctuating loads; a switch for switching the combination of connections between the plurality of receiving coils and the plurality of fluctuating loads; and a switch controller for controlling the switch, wherein the switch controller controls the switch so that the receiving coils are connected in order of increasing coupling coefficient between the plurality of receiving coils and the transmitting coil, in order of increasing load power detected by the load power detection unit.

5. A nucleic acid amplification apparatus comprising: a reaction vessel for holding a reaction solution; a rotating body on which a plurality of reaction vessels can be mounted; and a temperature control mechanism provided for each of the plurality of reaction vessels, which is capable of individually adjusting the temperature of each reaction vessel, wherein the temperature control mechanism is powered by a wireless power supply device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the plurality of fluctuating loads include Peltier elements provided on the temperature control mechanism, and the constant power load is a cooling fan for the temperature control mechanism.

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