Reagent feeder

A reagent feeder which can to be used in both a finger-push system and a slide system by only attaching and detaching a simple auxiliary component to and from a case body depending on the state of operation or a preference of the operator. The feeder includes a case body, a sphere discharge port and a discharge device, so as to discharge a sphere one by one by pushing down the discharge device. The discharge device is provided with an operation lever which extends out of the case body and can be pushed down by a finger. A slide cover surrounding an outer periphery of the case body is attached to the case body in such a way that it can be moved freely in a vertical direction and can be detached from the case body. The slide cover is engaged with the operation lever of the discharge device so that it can be moved integrally with the discharge device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a reagent feeder for charging a fixed quantity of 
reagent into a specimen such as blood or urine collected in a test tube 
etc., and particularly to a reagent feeder appropriate for charging a 
fixed quantity of reagent into a number of specimens in order 
respectively. 
2. Discussion of Prior Art 
In the case when reagents are charged into a number of specimens of fixed 
quantity and inspected respectively, it is required that the quantity of 
reagent in each test tube must be uniform in order to get exact inspection 
results. It is extremely difficult to supply a very small and fixed 
quantity of reagent in every test tube by using a pipet etc., so that 
exact inspection results can not be expected. 
In order to cope with the above-mentioned requirement, there have been 
developed various reagent feeders accomplishing the exact feeding of a 
fixed quantity of reagent, in which the fixed quantity of reagent is 
forced to adhere to a sphere made of synthetic resin etc. having a 
definite standard. Many of the spheres are housed in a case, so that the 
sphere is charged in each specimen one by one. For example, there are 
disclosed Published Patent Application (KOKAI) No 62-24147 and Japanese 
Examined Utility Model Application (KOKOKU) No. 61-6446 etc. 
Operation is simple in the finger-push system disclosed in the first noted 
prior art. In the case of a great number of specimens, however, the 
operator's fingers become extremely fatigued so that continuous operation 
becomes impossible, because the operation load is concentrated on his 
fingers. In the case-slide system disclosed in the later noted prior art, 
the operator's fingers will be less fatigued and the system is apt to be 
well-adapted to operation of the great many number of specimens because 
the entire case is gripped by his hand. However, since the lower end 
discharge port is pushed upon a port of a test tube etc., the operation 
will sometimes become difficult when the test tube etc. is installed in an 
unstable position. 
Which system is excellent can not be decided unconditionally as described 
above, because the suitability of each discharge system differs depending 
on the number of specimens or the state of the test tube etc. in which the 
specimen is put, or a preference of operator. Therefore, it is preferable 
to prepare all of the above reagent feeders and select a most suited 
reagent feeder from them as occasion demands. However, this way is 
uneconomical because of the great waste in cost and control. 
An object of the invention is to provide a reagent feeder which can be used 
as both a finger-push system and a slide system by only attaching and 
detaching a simple auxiliary component to and from a case body depending 
on a state of operation or an operator preference. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In order to solve the above problem, this invention provides a reagent 
feeder comprising a case body housing plural spheres to which reagents 
adhere, a sphere discharge port formed at a bottom portion of the case 
body, and a discharge device supported in the case body freely movably in 
a vertical direction and urged to an upper waiting position by elastic 
means, the discharge device stopping a sphere situated at a position 
immediately before the discharge port, releasing the stopped state of the 
sphere to discharge only the above-mentioned sphere to the discharge port 
when the discharge device is pushed downward, and sending out the next 
sphere to the position immediately before the discharge port when the 
discharge device is returned to the upper waiting position; characterized 
in that an operation lever which extends out of the case body to allow for 
finger push-down operation, is formed on the discharge device, a slide 
cover surrounding an outer periphery of the case body is attached to the 
case body in such a way that it can be moved freely in the vertical 
direction and can be detached from the case body, and the slide cover is 
engaged with the operation lever of the discharge device so that it can be 
moved integrally with the discharge device. 
When the feeder is to be used in the finger-push system, the slide cover 
should be removed from the case body. That is; the case body is gripped, 
and the lower end discharge port is brought to a port position of a test 
tube etc., the operation lever is pushed down by a finger. Thus, one 
sphere to which the reagent adheres can be charged in the test tube. When 
the feeder is to be used in the slide system, the slide cover is attached 
to the case body and simultaneously engaged with the operation lever. That 
is; the slide cover is gripped, the lower end discharge port is pressed 
against the port of test tube etc., and the slide cover is pushed down. 
Thus, one sphere to which the reagent adheres can be charged in the test 
tube. 
As described above, the present invention includes the following 
advantages: 
(1) In the reagent feeder for feeding the sphere to which a fixed quantity 
of reagent adheres to each specimen one by one, the finger operated 
operation lever is installed thereon as a means for operating the 
discharge device to send and discharge the reagent one by one, and the 
slide cover which engages with the operation lever so as to move together 
with the operation lever, is attached to the case body in a freely 
attachable and detachable way. Therefore, the feeder can be easily changed 
to a discharge system suitable for respective conditions by only attaching 
or detaching the slide cover according to the quantity of specimen, the 
installation stability of test tube etc. or operator preference, so that 
the practical effect of the feeder is great. 
(2) Since the case can be used as it is when the application mode is 
changed between the finger-push system and the slide system, it becomes 
unnecessary to prepare for all types of reagent feeders so that the feeder 
of the present invention is preferable from the standpoint of cost and 
control.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 through FIG. 7 show an example of the reagent feeder according to 
the present invention. FIG. 1 through FIG. 5 show the state where the 
feeder is used in the slide system, and FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the state 
where the feeder is used in the finger-push system. In FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, 
a case body 1 is shown which is made of transparent synthetic resin etc. 
and is formed into a vertically long and flat box-shape. The case body, 
has integrally a cylindrical hopper 3 on its upper portion. A cover 2 is 
placed on top of the hopper 3 to be freely attachable and detachable. An 
operation lever 25 movable in the vertical direction extends from inside 
of the case body 1 to its surface side, and a tongue 25a for pushing down 
the operation lever 25 is formed integrally on it. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the case body 1 is shown to have a sphere housing 
chamber 4 at a lower portion of the hopper 3 and includes a downward 
opening discharge port 5 at a left end in the figure on its bottom end. A 
bottom wall 7 of the sphere housing chamber 4 inclines downward to its 
left side and the chamber includes a connecting port 4a at its left bottom 
end. A lateral-trapezoidal or snaking sphere guide passage 8 is formed 
between the connecting port 4a and the discharge port 5, the sphere guide 
passage 8 has a sectional area for drawing up the spheres in line and for 
passing them, and a projection 17 for stopping a sphere A1 is integrally 
formed on a terminal portion of the guide passage. 
A discharge device 10 for releasing the pheres one by one is formed long in 
the vertical direction and arranged freely movably in the vertical 
direction along a left wall surface in the case body 1, and a bottom edge 
of the discharge device 10 comes up to an upper end of the discharge port 
5. An engaging projection 13 fronting on the lower end projection 17 of 
the sphere guide passage 8 is formed thereat, and a sphere A1 situated at 
a position immediately before the discharge port is stopped by both 
projections 13 and 17. 
A shutter surface 15 is formed on an upper part of the projection 13 
through an L-shaped portion, and the shutter surface 15 comes into and 
withdraws from the terminal portion of the guide passage 8 according to a 
vertical movement of the discharge port 10 so as to open and close the 
terminal portion of the guide passage 8. A spring receiver 16 is 
integrally formed on an upper portion of the shutter surface 15, and a 
return spring 21 is compressedly installed between the spring receiver 16 
and a case body 1 side lower spring receiver 20. The return spring 21 
urges the discharge device 10 upward, and the discharge device 10 is held 
at a waiting position shown by FIG. 4 when the spring receiver 16 comes in 
contact with a case-body side stopper 19. 22 denotes a guide pin. 
As described above, the operation lever 25 formed integrally on the upper 
end of the discharge device 10 extends to the case body surface side 
passing through a guide lever hole 24 of the case body 1. The lever is 
bent to a central side of the case body and integrally has the foregoing 
tongue 25a at its tip end. 
In FIG. 3, a slide cover 30 for changing from the finger-push system to the 
slide system is made of transparent synthetic resin and has a two-block 
construction including a front cover member 30a and a rear cover member 
30b. Both cover members 30a and 30b have a flat U-shaped cross section. 
Both cover members 30a and 30b are mated to each other at their opening 
edges and connected together by screws 31 at four corners, so as to be 
formed into a cylindrical shape having a rectangular cross section. 
Thereby, the cover can encase an outer periphery of the case body 1 in 
such a manner as to be freely attachable and detachable and freely movable 
in the vertical direction. A convex portion 23 able to house the operation 
lever 25 is formed on the front cover member 30a, an engaging hole 27 with 
which the tongue 25a of the operation lever 25 engages is formed on the 
convex portion 23, and the slide cover 30 can be moved together with the 
discharge device 10 in the vertical direction when the tongue 25a engages 
with the engaging hole 27. 
The function will be described hereafter. 
In order to use the feeder in the finger-push system, the slide cover 30 
should be disassembled and removed from the case body 1, as, previously as 
illustrated in FIG. 7. Naturally, plenty of spheres should be housed in 
the case body 1 from the upper hopper 3. Under this state, the case body 1 
is gripped, the discharge port 5 is brought to the position of a test tube 
port etc., and the tongue 25a of the operation lever 25 is pushed down. 
Then, the entire discharge device 10 of FIG. 4 comes down against the 
return spring 21, so that the sphere A1 stopped by the projection 13 is 
released and discharged into the test tube from the discharge port 5 as 
shown by FIG. 5. At the same time, the shutter surface 15 closes the 
terminal portion of the guide passage 8 to prevent the next sphere A2 from 
moving to the upper end of the discharge port 5. After completion of 
supplying the sphere, the discharge device 10 is lifted up by the return 
spring 21 when the finger is released from the tongue 25a. Thereby, the 
shutter surface 15 opens the guide passage 8, and the next sphere A2 is 
fed to the projections 13 and 17 so as to return to the same state as FIG. 
4. 
In order to use the feeder in the slide system, the slide cover members 30a 
and 30b should be put on the case body 1 from both front and rear sides as 
illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the tongue 25a of the operation lever 25 
should be engaged with the engaging hole 27 of the front cover member 30a, 
and both members 30a and 30b should be fastened by plural screws 31. When 
using the feeder, the slide cover 30 is gripped by hand, the lower edge of 
the discharge port 5 is pressed upon the upper end of the test tube etc., 
and the discharge device 10 is pressed down by pushing down the slide 
cover 30 itself relative to the case body 1. Thereby, one sphere can be 
released as shown by FIG. 5, and the state of FIG. 4 is restored by 
returning the slide cover 30 upward. 
FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the slide cover 30. A pair of cover 
members 30a and 30b are formed integrally so as to be freely opened and 
closed through a hinge 34, and are so constructed that they can be closed 
into a box-shape by means of a stopper mechanism composed of a projection 
33 and a concave portion 32.