JP2004226314A - Reagent vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reagent vessel for reducing weight and volume of a waste material after a reagent is consumed and excellent in a resource saving effect. <P>SOLUTION: The reagent vessel 1 installed in a reagent storage part of an analysis apparatus is provided with a reagent storage pouch 2 for internally accommodating the liquid reagent, comprising a flexible bag member 4, having a cylindrical reagent extracting member 5 attached to the bag member 4 and not having a shape keeping property, an opening 3d for inserting and extracting the reagent storage pouch 2 and a case 3 attached to the reagent storage part of the analysis apparatus and comprising a material with the shape keeping property. The reagent storage pouch 2 is supported by the case 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reagent container used in a reagent setting portion of an automatic analyzer, and more particularly, to a reagent container having a structure that can be easily discarded after use.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in an automatic analyzer, a reagent storage portion is provided in the device, and a reagent container containing a reagent is stored in the reagent storage portion. An example of this type of reagent container is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.
[0003]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a reagent container disclosed in Patent Document 1. The reagent container 51 has a structure in which a large reagent container 52 and a small reagent container 53 are combined. Each of the reagent containers 52 and 53 is a container having shape retention properties, and contains a reagent therein. The capacities of the reagent container 52 and the reagent container 53 are different. That is, a reagent with a large consumption is stored in a large reagent container 52, and a reagent with a small consumption is stored in a small reagent container 53. In this way, by making the capacities of the reagent containers 52 and 53 different according to the amount of consumed reagent, it is possible to measure each measurement component over a longer period of time by exchanging the reagent once.
[0004]
Note that, above the reagent containers 52 and 53, cylindrical reagent outlets 52a and 53a are formed. The sample suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer is inserted from the reagent outlets 52a and 53a, and the internal reagent is taken out.
[0005]
Further, in the reagent container 51 described in Patent Literature 1, since a large number of reagent containers 51 are arranged in an annular shape, the width of the one end side of the reagent container 51 is narrow, and the width of the other end side is wide, and is a substantially fan-shaped. Are formed. A large number of such reagent containers 51 are arranged in the circumferential direction.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-256854
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As in the case of the reagent containers 52 and 53 described in Patent Literature 1, a conventional reagent container is made of a shape-retaining material containing a liquid reagent. That is, the shape is determined according to the shape of the reagent installation portion by a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or nylon, and the reagent containers 52 and 53 are made of a shape-retaining material.
[0008]
By the way, when the reagent inside the reagent container 51 is consumed, the reagent container 51, that is, the reagent containers 52 and 53, is replaced with a new reagent container. Therefore, upon disposal, the reagent containers 52 and 53 having shape retention properties had to be discarded, and the disposal weight and the disposal volume were large. In particular, in the multi-item automatic analyzer, as described above, a large number of reagent containers 51 arranged in the circumferential direction must be discarded, and the discarded weight and discarded volume must be considerably increased.
[0009]
In the reagent containers 52 and 53, the sample suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer is inserted into the reagent outlets 52a and 53a, and the reagent is taken out. In this case, even if the tip of the nozzle descends to the extent that it comes into contact with the lower end of the reagent container, the reagent has to remain in the reagent container when it becomes impossible to suck with the nozzle. That is, the reagent in the reagent container was completely sucked by the nozzle and could not be used.
[0010]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a reagent container for an automatic analyzer which can solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, reduce the waste weight and the waste volume after consuming the reagent, and contribute to resource saving. It is in.
[0011]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reagent container that allows the reagent in the reagent container to be consumed almost completely.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a reagent container installed in a reagent storage part of an analyzer, in which a liquid reagent is housed, and is constituted by a flexible bag-shaped member, and a cylindrical reagent removal is provided. A member is attached to the bag-shaped member, and a reagent storage pouch having no shape-retaining property and an opening that allows insertion and removal of the reagent storage pouch are provided, and a reagent storage portion of the analyzer is provided. And a housing made of a shape-retaining material, which is attached to the housing.
[0013]
In a specific aspect of the reagent container according to the present invention, the bottom inner surface of the housing is formed by an inclined surface that is inclined from one end to the other end, whereby the pouch inserted into the housing is provided. It is possible to collect the reagents in one end or the other end. Therefore, the reagent in the reagent container can be almost completely consumed by the suction nozzle or the like of the automatic analyzer.
[0014]
In another specific aspect of the reagent container according to the present invention, the housing has a pair of opposed side walls, one end of the pair of side walls is connected, and the other end constitutes the opening. At least one opening for visually confirming the remaining amount of the reagent is formed in at least one of the pair of side walls. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent in the reagent container can be easily confirmed using the at least one opening.
[0015]
In still another specific aspect of the reagent container according to the present invention, a concave portion or a convex portion is formed on a side surface of the cylindrical reagent removal member, and when the reagent storage pouch is inserted into the housing, A convex portion or a concave portion in which the concave portion or the convex portion of the reagent removing member fits is formed in the housing. In this case, the reagent storage pouch is inserted into the housing, and the reagent storage pouch is securely fixed to the housing by fitting the concave or convex portion of the reagent storage pouch with the convex or concave portion of the housing. Can be.
[0016]
In still another specific aspect of the reagent container according to the present invention, a pair of flanges provided so that a concave portion formed on a side surface of the cylindrical reagent removal member protrudes outward on a side surface of the reagent removal member. The convex portion of the housing is formed by a plate-like portion extending from at least one side wall of the housing toward the reagent removing member. That is, by inserting the plate-shaped portion into the gap between the pair of flanges, the reagent accommodating pouch is securely fixed to the housing while being inserted into the housing.
[0017]
The reagent storage pouch according to the present invention is a reagent storage pouch forming a part of the reagent container of the present invention, and the housing of the present invention is a housing forming a part of the reagent container of the present invention.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be clarified by describing specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a reagent container according to one embodiment of the present invention. The reagent container 1 has a reagent storage pouch 2 and a housing 3. The reagent storage pouch 2 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in a front view and a front sectional view, respectively. The reagent storage pouch 2 has a bag-shaped member 4 having flexibility. A liquid reagent is stored in the bag-shaped member 4. Therefore, the periphery of the bag-shaped member 4 is liquid-tightly sealed. However, a tubular reagent removing member 5 is attached to a part of the bag-shaped member 4 in order to enable the reagent to be removed. The reagent removing member 5 has a nozzle insertion port 5a inside. The sample suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer is configured to be inserted into the bag-shaped member 4 using the nozzle insertion port 5a.
[0020]
In the reagent storage pouch 2, the bag-shaped member 4 is made of a flexible material. Examples of such a material include an appropriate synthetic resin such as nylon and polypropylene. That is, the bag-shaped member 4 is made of a synthetic resin film. The bag-shaped member 4 can be formed by, for example, welding two synthetic resin films at a peripheral portion or bonding them through an adhesive.
[0021]
Since the bag-shaped member 4 is made of a material having flexibility as described above, the bag-shaped member 4 does not have shape retention.
On the other hand, the cylindrical reagent take-out member 5 can be made of a molded product of a synthetic resin or a metal. A pair of flanges 5b, 5c protruding outward are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the reagent removing member 5. That is, a pair of flanges 5b and 5c are formed in a portion of the reagent removing member 5 extending outward from the bag-shaped member 4.
[0022]
Returning to FIG. 1, in the reagent container 1 of the present embodiment, the above-described reagent storage pouch 2 is inserted into the housing 3. The housing 3 is made of a synthetic resin, metal, or the like, and is configured to have shape retention. In this embodiment, the housing 3 has a pair of side walls 3a and 3b facing each other. The side walls 3a and 3b are connected on one end 3c side. The side walls 3a, 3b are arranged so as to be separated from each other toward the end opposite to the end 3c, thereby forming an opening 3d at the other end.
[0023]
The opening 3 d forms an opening for inserting or removing the reagent storage pouch 2. In addition, the reason why the width of the housing 3 is small on the end 3c side and the distance between the side walls 3a and 3b is large on the opening 3d side is that the planar shape is substantially fan-shaped. That is, since the reagent container 1 has a substantially fan-shaped planar shape, a large number of reagent containers 1 can be arranged in a ring by arranging the end portion 3c side as an inner end. That is, as in the automatic analyzer described in Patent Literature 1, the planar shape of the reagent container 1 is substantially fan-shaped so as to be compatible with the reagent container storage portion of the automatic analyzer in which a large number of reagent containers are arranged in a ring. It has been.
[0024]
However, the planar shape of the housing 3 in the reagent container 1 can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the reagent storage portion of the analyzer to be installed, and is not limited to the illustrated shape.
[0025]
As described above, the housing 3 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the reagent storage portion of the analyzer, and has shape retention. Therefore, by inserting the reagent storage pouch 2 having no shape retention into the housing 3 from the opening 3d in the reagent container 1, the reagent container 1 can be applied to the reagent storage portion of the automatic analyzer. ing.
[0026]
In the case 3, a plurality of openings 3f are formed in the top plate 3e and the side walls 3a and 3b. The opening 3f is provided so that the remaining amount of the reagent in the reagent storage pouch 2 inserted into the housing 3 can be visually or optically confirmed. It is not necessary to provide a plurality of openings 3f, and only one opening 3f may be provided. Further, the opening 3f of the top plate 3e may not necessarily be provided.
[0027]
Further, in the present embodiment, the inner surface of the bottom 3g of the housing 3 is configured to be inclined from one end to the other end. More specifically, the bottom 3g of the housing 3 has a lower inner surface at the end on the side where the reagent removing member 5 is disposed and a higher inner surface at the opposite end, ie, the end 3c. The inner surface is inclined. Therefore, when the reagent storage pouch 2 is inserted, the bottom surface of the reagent storage pouch 2 is deformed along the bottom inner surface 3g of the housing 3. Therefore, as the reagent is consumed, the reagent in the reagent storage pouch 2 is collected on the end side opposite to the end 3c of the housing 3, that is, on the side where the reagent removal member 5 is located upward. become. Therefore, the reagent in the reagent storage pouch 2 can be almost completely consumed by the suction nozzle of the automatic analyzer.
[0028]
By the way, the reagent storage pouch 2 is configured by using a flexible bag-shaped member 4 and stores therein a liquid reagent. Therefore, since the reagent storage pouch 2 itself does not have a shape-retaining property, the reagent storage pouch 2 is set in the housing 3 having the shape-retaining property as described above, whereby the reagent storage pouch 2 is surely arranged in a correct direction. The nozzle insertion port 5a of the reagent removing member 5 is arranged so as to extend vertically. That is, the housing 3 functions to support the reagent storage pouch 2 having no shape-retaining property so as to be set at a correct position.
[0029]
However, since the reagent storage pouch 2 does not have a shape-retaining property and stores a liquid reagent therein, even if it is inserted into the housing 3 from the opening 3d, the reagent storage pouch 2 moves due to a decrease in the reagent and the like. Tends to be. When the reagent storage pouch 2 moves or the posture of the reagent storage pouch 2 changes, the direction of the reagent removing member 5 changes. Therefore, in order to prevent such a change in the direction of the reagent removing member 5, in the present embodiment, the plate-like portion 3 h of the top plate 3 e of the housing 3 is provided in the gap between the flanges 5 b and 5 c of the reagent removing member 5. , 3i are fitted so that the position and posture of the tubular reagent removal member 5 are fixed. That is, the plate-shaped portions 3h and 3i are formed by forming cutouts in the top plate 3e so as to open toward the opening 3d. As shown in FIG. 4, when the plate-like portions 3h and 3i are inserted into the gap between the pair of flanges 5b and 5c when the reagent storage pouch 2 is inserted into the housing 3, the reagent removing member 5 Are fixed to the top plate 3e and, consequently, to the housing 3 so as to be oriented correctly.
[0030]
In the present embodiment, the gap between the pair of flanges 5b, 5c constitutes a concave portion in the present invention, and the plate-like portions 3h, 3i constitute convex portions of the housing. Conversely, a concave portion may be formed in the housing 3 and a convex portion that fits into the concave portion may be formed in the tubular reagent removal member 5.
[0031]
When using the reagent container 1 of the present embodiment, a reagent storage pouch 2 in which a liquid reagent is stored is set in the housing 3. Then, the reagent container 1 assembled in this manner is installed in the reagent storage portion of the automatic analyzer 1. When the reagent is consumed in the automatic analyzer, the reagent container 1 needs to be replaced. In this case, the reagent container 1 is removed from the automatic analyzer, and the reagent storage pouch 2 is removed from the housing 3. Then, the reagent storage pouch 2 may be discarded, a new reagent storage pouch 2 may be set in the housing 3, and the container 1 may be assembled again.
[0032]
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, after the reagent is consumed, it is not necessary to dispose of the housing 3 and only the reagent storage pouch 2 having no shape-retaining property need be discarded. Therefore, the waste weight and the waste volume can be reduced.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
In the reagent container according to the present invention, a reagent storage pouch having no shape-retaining property is removably inserted into a housing made of a shape-retaining material to constitute a reagent container. Therefore, after the reagent is consumed, only the reagent storage pouch having no shape-retaining property may be discarded. Since the reagent storage pouch is formed using a flexible bag-shaped member having no shape retention, it can be folded or squeezed at the time of disposal. Therefore, the weight and volume of the waste can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional reagent container. Therefore, according to the reagent container of the present invention, not only the disposal operation can be simplified, but also a great resource saving effect can be expected.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a reagent container according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining a reagent storage pouch of a reagent container used in the embodiment shown in FIG.
3 is a front sectional view for explaining a reagent storage pouch of a reagent container used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side sectional view for explaining a fitting structure between a reagent storage pouch and a housing.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional reagent container.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reagent container 2 ... Reagent storage pouch 3 ... Case 3a, 3b ... Side wall 3c ... End 3d ... Opening 3e ... Top plate 3f ... Opening 3g ... Bottom inner surface 3h, 3i ... Plate portion 4 ... Sack-shaped member 5 ... Reagent removing member 5a ... Insertion ports 5b, 5c ... Flange

Claims (7)

A reagent container installed in a reagent storage part of the analyzer,
A liquid reagent is housed therein, and is formed of a flexible bag-like member. A tubular reagent take-out member is attached to the bag-like member, and the reagent storage does not have shape retention. With a pouch,
An opening for allowing insertion and removal of the reagent storage pouch is provided, and a housing made of a shape-retaining material, which is attached to a reagent storage portion of the analyzer, is provided. , Reagent containers. The reagent container according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of a bottom portion of the housing is an inclined surface inclined from one end to the other end. The casing has a pair of side walls facing each other, one end of the pair of side walls is connected, the other end forms the opening, and the remaining amount of the reagent remains on at least one of the pair of side walls. The reagent container according to claim 1, wherein at least one opening for visual recognition is formed. A concave portion or a convex portion is formed on a side surface of the cylindrical reagent removing member, and when the reagent storing pouch is inserted into the housing, a convex portion or a concave portion or a convex portion of the reagent removing member fits. The reagent container according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion is formed in the housing. A concave portion formed on the side surface of the cylindrical reagent removing member is formed by a gap between a pair of flanges provided so as to protrude outward on the side surface of the reagent removing member, and the convex portion of the housing is provided. 5. The reagent container according to claim 4, wherein the plate-shaped portion extends from at least one side wall of the housing toward the reagent removing member. A reagent storage pouch constituting a part of the reagent container according to claim 1. A housing constituting a part of the reagent container according to claim 1.

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