Patent ID: 12258251

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

1. Schematic Configuration of Automatic Pre-Processing System

FIG.1is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an automatic pre-processing system10including a sampling apparatus1and a pre-processing apparatus2to which a cap attaching/detaching device according to an embodiment of the invention is applied. The automatic pre-processing system10is a device for automatically performing pre-processing on an analysis target. In the present embodiment, the analysis target is, for example, a cultured cell, and more specifically, a bacterial cell.

The automatic pre-processing system10includes the sampling apparatus1and a pre-processing apparatus2. The metabolites of the cells are extracted from the cells after the pre-processing is performed by the automatic pre-processing system10, and are supplied to a liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer3. The liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer3is only an example of an analysis device for analyzing an analysis target, and it is also possible to perform an analysis by using another analysis device.

The sampling apparatus1is a apparatus for sampling a liquid from a container (culture container). For example, the cells of microorganisms and plants are cultured in a culture medium in a container called a bioreactor, and the culture medium containing the cells in the bioreactor is sampled by the sampling apparatus1. In the bioreactor, for example, a stirring member that is rotated by using magnetic force, an oxygen concentration sensor for detecting the concentration of dissolved oxygen, and the like are provided, and the cells are cultured in the sampling apparatus1by adjusting the dissolved oxygen concentration while stirring the culture medium in the bioreactor.

The pre-processing apparatus2performs pre-processing on the cells contained in the culture medium sampled from the bioreactor. In the sampling apparatus1, the culture medium containing the cells is housed in a test tube as a container (sampling container). The pre-processing apparatus2is provided with a centrifugation mechanism4, a liquid removal mechanism5, a reagent supply mechanism6, a stirring mechanism7, an extraction mechanism8, and the like, and by each of these mechanisms, the pre-processing is sequentially performed on the cells contained in the culture medium in the test tube.

The centrifugation mechanism4centrifuges the test tube in which the culture medium containing the cells is housed. As a result, centrifugal force is applied to the culture medium in the test tube, and the cells (solid) and the liquid other than the cells are separated. Then, the liquid other than the cells centrifuged in the test tube by the centrifugation mechanism4is removed by using the liquid removal mechanism5, and thereby the cells are collected.

The reagent is supplied by the reagent supply mechanism6, to the test tube after the liquid is removed by the liquid removal mechanism5. As a result, the reagent is mixed with the cells in the test tube, and a mixed solution is generated. Then, the mixed solution generated by the reagent supply mechanism6is stirred by the stirring mechanism7.

The reagent used in the present embodiment is a reagent for extracting metabolites in the cells, and a suspension in which the metabolites are extracted from the cells is obtained by stirring the mixed solution in which the reagent is mixed with the cells. A part of the suspension obtained in this manner is extracted as an extraction liquid by the extraction mechanism8, and is supplied to the liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer3.

2. Specific Configuration of Cap Attaching/Detaching Device

FIG.2is a perspective view of a cap attaching/detaching device20.FIG.3is a front view of the cap attaching/detaching device20.FIG.4is a bottom view of the cap attaching/detaching device20.FIG.5is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the cap attaching/detaching device20ofFIG.4.

In the present embodiment, a cap141is attached or detached by the cap attaching/detaching device20to or from a test tube14in which the culture medium is housed in the sampling apparatus1. The cap141is a screw type, and the inside of the test tube14can be sealed by screwing a screw thread formed on an outer peripheral surface of the test tube14into a screw groove (screw portion) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cap141, and rotating and tightening the cap141.

The cap141is attached to the test tube14in a state in which the inside is empty, and the test tube14is set in the sampling apparatus1. A plurality of test tubes14can be set in the sampling apparatus1, and the respective test tubes14are sequentially transferred and used. When the culture medium is sampled in each test tube14in the sampling apparatus1, the cap141is removed from the test tube14by the cap attaching/detaching device20, the culture medium is sampled in the test tube14, and then the cap141is attached to the test tube14again.

The cap attaching/detaching device20can be applied not only to the sampling apparatus1but also to the pre-processing apparatus2. That is, in a case where the test tube14in which the culture medium is housed is transferred from the sampling apparatus1to the pre-processing apparatus2, the cap attaching/detaching device20may be used when the cap141is attached or detached to or from the test tube14. In this case, the cap141is removed from the test tube14by the cap attaching/detaching device20after centrifugation by the centrifugation mechanism4, the liquid other than the cells is removed from the test tube14by the liquid removal mechanism5, the reagent is supplied into the test tube14by the reagent supply mechanism6, and then the cap141is attached to the test tube14by the cap attaching/detaching device20again.

The cap attaching/detaching device20includes a cap grip portion21that grips the cap141, and a rotation mechanism22that rotates the cap grip portion21. When the cap grip portion21is rotated by the rotation mechanism22in a state where the cap141is gripped by the cap grip portion21, the cap141can be rotated to be attached or detached to or from the test tube14.

The cap grip portion21includes one pair of displacement portions211and a shaft212for displacing the one pair of displacement portions211. The one pair of displacement portions211is claw-shaped members arranged to face each other, and the cap141can be gripped by being interposed between the one pair of displacement portions211.

The one pair of displacement portions211is supported to be swingable around a support shaft213. When the one pair of displacement portions211swings around the support shaft213, the one pair of displacement portions211can be displaced between a state in which the tip end portions are close to each other and a state in which the tip end portions are separated from each other. When gripping the cap141, the tip end portions of the one pair of displacement portions211are in a state of being close to each other, and the cap141can be gripped by the tip end portions. From this state, when the one pair of displacement portions211swings around the support shaft213so that the tip end portions thereof are separated more than the outer diameter of the cap141, the one pair of displacement portions211is in a state of not gripping the cap141.

In a state where the cap141is gripped by the one pair of displacement portions211, the test tube14to which the cap141is attached is held in a state where the axial direction thereof extends in a vertical direction. In this state, the test tube14is in a state where the test tube14cannot rotate about the axis line. That is, since the outer peripheral surface of the test tube14is fixed, even in a case where the cap141is rotated, the test tube14is not rotated. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the test tube14may be fixed at an installation position where the test tube14is installed, or the cap attaching/detaching device20may include a fixing mechanism for fixing the outer peripheral surface of the test tube14.

The shaft212extends coaxially (vertical direction) with the test tube14gripped by the one pair of displacement portions211. The shaft212is held to be slidable along its axial direction, and the one pair of displacement portions211can be displaced by sliding the shaft212. Specifically, when the shaft212is slid downward, the tip end portions of the one pair of displacement portions211are separated, and when the shaft212is slid upward, the tip end portions of the one pair of displacement portions211are brought closer to each other. The shaft212can be slid by, for example, a drive source such as a cylinder214provided in the cap grip portion21.

The rotation mechanism22includes a hollow-shaped axial portion221and a nut portion222that rotatably holds the axial portion221. When the axial portion221is rotated, the one pair of displacement portions211of the cap grip portion21can be rotated. The axial portion221extends coaxially (vertical direction) with the shaft212of the cap grip portion21, and the shaft212is inserted into the inside of the axial portion221. The inner diameter of the axial portion221is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft212. Therefore, even in a case where the axial portion221is rotated, no external force is applied to the shaft212, and the shaft212is not rotated.

A screw thread223is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the axial portion221. Further, a screw groove224to be screwed into the screw thread223of the axial portion221is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the nut portion222. The nut portion222is fixed at a predetermined position in the cap attaching/detaching device20, and the axial portion221is held to be rotatable with respect to the nut portion222in a fixed state, by screwing the axial portion221into the nut portion222. Therefore, when the axial portion221is rotated, the axial portion221is moved in the axial direction (vertical direction) while being rotated with respect to the nut portion222in the fixed state.

A motor226provided in the rotation mechanism22is connected to the axial portion221via a plurality of gears225. As a result, when the motor226is rotated, the axial portion221is rotated via the plurality of gears225, and accordingly, the one pair of displacement portions211of the cap grip portion21can be moved in the axial direction while being rotated.

In the present embodiment, the pitch of the screw thread223formed on the outer peripheral surface of the axial portion221is the same as the pitch of the screw groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap141. Therefore, a movement amount of the axial portion221with respect to the nut portion222per rotation and a movement amount of the cap141with respect to the test tube14per rotation are the same.

As conceptually illustrated inFIG.4, the cap grip portion21and the rotation mechanism22can be integrally moved by a movement mechanism23. The movement mechanism23includes, for example, a motor and a plurality of gears (neither illustrated), and can move the test tube14attached to the cap141gripped by the cap grip portion21, by moving the rotation mechanism22in the vertical direction and a horizontal direction.

3. Effects

(1) In the present embodiment, by rotating the axial portion221with respect to the fixed nut portion222, the cap grip portion21can be moved in the axial direction (vertical direction) while being rotated via the axial portion221. As a result, the rotation operation and the movement operation of the cap141can be simultaneously performed with a simple configuration. In particular, since the pitch of the screw thread223formed in the axial portion221is the same as the pitch of the screw portion formed in the cap141, the rotation operation and the movement operation of the cap141can be appropriately performed according to the rotation of the axial portion221, and therefore, the attachment or detachment of the cap141can be reliably performed.(2) In the present embodiment, the one pair of displacement portions211of the cap grip portion21is displaced by sliding the shaft212along the axial direction (vertical direction), and thereby the cap141can be gripped by the displacement portions211. By converting the operation of sliding the shaft212into the displacement of the one pair of displacement portions211in this way, the cap141can be gripped with a simple operation.(3) In the present embodiment, the shaft212that is slid in the axial direction (vertical direction) is inserted into the hollow-shaped axial portion221. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operation of the shaft212and the operation of the axial portion221from interfering with each other.(4) In the present embodiment, by moving the rotation mechanism22by the movement mechanism23, not only the cap141can be attached or detached, but also the test tube14in a state where the cap141is attached can be moved, by using the cap attaching/detaching device20. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a device for moving the test tube14, and the configuration becomes simpler.

4. Modification Example

In the above embodiment, the case where the displacement portion that grips the cap141is composed of one pair of claw-shaped displacement portions211has been described. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the displacement portion provided in the cap grip portion21may have any other configuration as long as the displacement portion can be displaced between a state where the displacement portion grips the cap141and a state where the displacement portion does not grip the cap141. Further, without being limited to a configuration in which the cap141is gripped by the displacement portion, the cap grip portion21may adopt any other configuration as long as the cap141can be gripped.

Without being limited to a configuration of being arranged to extend in the vertical direction, the axial portion221may be arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In this case, the test tube14is also arranged to extend in the direction intersecting the vertical direction (coaxially with the axial portion221).

Without being limited to a configuration in which the screw groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap141is screwed into the screw thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the test tube14, the cap141to be attached or detached to or from the test tube14may be configured such that the screw thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cap141is screwed into the screw groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the test tube14.

The cap attaching/detaching device20according to the invention can be applied to any other apparatus without being limited to the sampling apparatus1and the pre-processing apparatus2. That is, the cap attaching/detaching device20can be used when attaching or detaching the cap to or from any other container, without being limited to the test tube14.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1sampling apparatus2pre-processing apparatus3liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer4centrifugation mechanism5liquid removal mechanism6reagent supply mechanism7stirring mechanism8extraction mechanism10automatic pre-processing system14test tube20cap attaching/detaching device21cap grip portion22rotation mechanism23movement mechanism141cap211displacement portion212shaft213support shaft214cylinder221axial portion222nut portion223screw thread224screw groove225gear226motor