JP7297947B2 - Processing equipment and measurement systems - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to processing devices and measurement systems.

In order to analyze a specimen such as a biological sample, various substances contained in the specimen are measured. As such a measurement, measurement using a lysate reagent containing a horseshoe crab blood cell extract is known. By using the lysate reagent, the amount of endotoxin and the amount of β-glucan in the sample solution can be measured. Endotoxin is a lipopolysaccharide that constitutes the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, and is a typical pyrogen that induces biological reactions such as fever when even a very small amount enters the blood. Specimens include biological samples such as blood, as well as pharmaceuticals (for example, injections, etc.) that are directly introduced into a living body. When performing measurement using such a lysate reagent, pretreatment such as heating the sample solution and then cooling the sample solution may be performed prior to measurement. It is

JP 2019-146591 A discloses an automated analyzer comprising multiple stations and equipped with an automated container transfer system for moving sample vessels containing fluid samples from one station to the next. This apparatus has, as an automatic container transfer system, a transfer mechanism having a plate for gripping the container and a rotation mechanism for moving the plate holding the container up and down and rotating it in the horizontal direction. In this device, the container held on the plate is transferred from the temperature gradient station to the cooling incubator by the transfer mechanism (see FIGS. 13 to 15 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-146591).

Further, Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2007-510911 discloses an apparatus for online testing for the presence of endotoxin in a fluid sample. The apparatus includes a heating system for providing heat to the assembly, a cooling system for maintaining a cool ambient temperature of the container within the assembly, and a transport mechanism for transporting the container heated by the heating system to the cooling system. there is The transport mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-510911 has a lifting fork that grips the containers one by one, and the lifting fork moves vertically up and down and moves horizontally to move from the heating system to the cooling system. (See Figures 20 to 23 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-510911).

However, the transfer mechanism described in JP-A-2019-146591 and JP-A-2007-510911 transfers a container (for example, transfer from a heating system to a cooling system) by combining vertical movement and horizontal movement. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to transfer the container easily and quickly.

In order to obtain high measurement accuracy, it may be necessary to quickly cool the specimen solution after heating it. In addition, there is also the problem that a complicated device configuration increases the cost and is difficult to accept depending on the market. Therefore, a simple and rapid processing apparatus is required.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a processing apparatus and a measurement system capable of easily and quickly transferring a sample container from a heating block to a cooling block.

A processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a processing apparatus that performs a process of changing the temperature of a sample solution in which a sample and a processing liquid are mixed, and includes a first storage unit that stores a sample container containing the sample solution. A heating block for heating a sample solution in a sample container to a first temperature, the heating block having a first opening for carrying out the sample container formed on the side of the first container and a cooling block for cooling the sample solution in the sample container to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, the cooling block comprising: A cooling block having a second opening for inserting a sample container and arranged at a position where the first opening and the second opening face each other; and a pressing portion for pressing the sample container. and a transfer mechanism that transfers the specimen container from the first container to the second container through the first opening and the second opening by linearly moving the pressing part.

In the processing apparatus according to the aspect described above, a hole surrounding the sample container is provided in the lower part of the second container, and the sample container transferred to the second container falls into the hole by gravity. It may be said that

In addition, in the processing apparatus of the above aspect, a heat insulating section surrounding the movement path along which the specimen container moves may be provided between the heating block and the cooling block.

Further, in the processing apparatus of the aspect described above, the moving path is provided with a restricting portion that restricts air convection between the heating block and the cooling block by blocking the moving path, and the restricting portion is made of an elastic material. When the specimen container passes through, it elastically deforms due to contact with the specimen container to open the movement path, and after the specimen container passes, returns to the initial state of closing the movement path You may

Further, in the processing apparatus of the aspect described above, the transfer mechanism may be configured to horizontally move the pressing portion from the heating block to the cooling block.

Further, in the processing apparatus according to the aspect described above, the heating block and the cooling block may be configured to accommodate a plurality of sample containers.

Further, in the processing apparatus of the aspect described above, a discharge section for discharging droplets generated by dew condensation on the sample container may be provided in the lower portion of the second storage section.

Further, in the processing apparatus of the above aspect, the control unit causes the transfer mechanism to transfer the sample container to the second container at a preset time after the sample container is accommodated in the first container. may be provided.

Moreover, the processing apparatus of the above aspect preferably includes a heater for heating the heating block, and the temperature of the heater is preferably 30° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower. More preferably, the temperature of the heater is 60° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower.

Moreover, it is preferable that the processing apparatus of the above aspect includes a cooling section for cooling the cooling block, and the temperature of the cooling section is set to 0° C. or higher and 10° C. or lower.

Further, in the processing apparatus of the above aspect, the sample solution is the object to be measured using the reagent containing the horseshoe crab blood cell extract, and the process of changing the temperature of the sample solution by the heating block and the cooling block performs the measurement. It may be a pretreatment that is performed before performing the treatment.

A measurement system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes the processing device described above and a measurement device that performs measurement on a sample solution.

According to the technique of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing apparatus and a measurement system that can easily and quickly transfer a specimen container from a heating block to a cooling block.

It is a figure which shows the outline of a measurement system. 4 is a graph showing changes in temperature of a sample solution during pretreatment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view showing composition of a processing unit concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a sectional view showing composition of a processor concerning a 1st embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state of movement of the pressing part by the transfer mechanism, and is a view showing the state during heating when the pressing part is positioned on the heating side. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state of movement of the pressing portion by the transfer mechanism, and is a diagram showing a state during cooling when the pressing portion is moved to the cooling side; 4 is a perspective view showing part of the cooling block; FIG. It is a top view which shows some cooling blocks. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a processing apparatus. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a measuring device; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of preprocessing in the processing device; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment, showing a state in which the sample container is positioned on the heating block; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment, showing a state in which the specimen container is transferred to the cooling block; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a restricting portion provided in a heat insulating portion surrounding a moving path; FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the restricting portion is deformed during transfer of the sample container; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the third embodiment, showing a state in which the sample container is positioned on the heating block; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the third embodiment, showing a state in which the sample container is transferred to the cooling block;

[Overall configuration of measurement system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a measurement system 1 including a processing device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the measurement system 1 includes a processing device 10 and a measurement device 60. As shown in FIG. The processing device 10 performs pretreatment before endotoxin measurement on a sample solution C generated by adding a buffer solution B to a sample A such as a biological sample and diluting the sample. The measurement device 60 performs endotoxin measurement using the sample solution C after pretreatment as a measurement target.

As described above, endotoxin is a typical pyrogen that causes a biological reaction such as fever when it enters the blood even in a very small amount. pharmaceuticals (for example, injections, etc.); In the endotoxin measurement, the amount of endotoxin in sample solution C is measured, and endotoxin in sample A is quantified. Endotoxin measurement is a measurement using reagents such as Lysate Reagent D containing horseshoe crab blood cell extract. Endotoxin measurement is a measurement that utilizes the aggregation and coagulation of horseshoe crab blood cell extract caused by endotoxin. In endotoxin measurement, first, a lysate reagent D containing a horseshoe crab blood cell extract is added to a sample solution C. A sample solution E is generated by stirring the sample solution C to which the lysate reagent D has been added. Next, the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E is measured based on changes in the properties of the sample solution E.

A lysate reagent prepared from a blood cell extract of the Limulus polyphemus, which is the raw material of the lysate reagent D, is called a LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate) reagent.

The measurement device 60 in the measurement system 1 of the first embodiment uses the LAL reagent as the lysate reagent D, and uses the change in turbidity of the sample solution E during the gelation process of the lysate reagent D by reaction with endotoxin as an index. Endotoxin determination is performed by nephelometric method. When performing endotoxin measurement by the nephelometric method, it is necessary to pretreat the sample solution C by heating and cooling prior to the measurement. As shown in FIG. 1, a sample solution C is pretreated, and a sample solution E containing a pretreated sample solution C and a lysate reagent D is subjected to endotoxin measurement.

Specifically, as shown in the graph of FIG. 2, the pretreatment for endotoxin measurement by the turbidimetric method is first performed by adding buffer B to sample A and diluting sample solution C to about By heating at a temperature of 70° C. for about 10 minutes, heat treatment is performed to inactivate interfering factors in endotoxin measurement. After that, the sample solution C at approximately 70°C is cooled to a temperature of approximately 5°C, thereby performing a cooling process for stopping the inactivation process. The cooling process time from the start of cooling to the end of cooling is, for example, about 3 minutes. In the cooling process, if it takes time to cool the sample solution C at about 70°C to a temperature of about 5°C, the inactivation time for the sample solution C will vary and the accuracy of endotoxin measurement will decrease. Therefore, in the pretreatment, it is necessary to rapidly cool the specimen solution C, specifically, to cool the specimen solution C at approximately 70°C to a temperature of approximately 5°C in a short period of time.

The processing device 10 in the measurement system 1 of the first embodiment is a device that performs the pretreatment described above on the sample solution C obtained by adding the buffer solution B to the sample A and diluting it.

<Processing device>
The front side, the upper side, and the rear side in the width direction, which are used in the following description, respectively correspond to the directions of arrows indicated by "FR", "UP", and "W" in each drawing. These directions are set for convenience of explanation, and do not necessarily match the front, back, left, and right of the actual product. Moreover, in the processing apparatus 10, the vertical direction is the vertical direction.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the processing device 10. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the processing apparatus 10 of the temperature control section 30 in the front-rear direction (see arrow FR direction), and FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views enlarging a part of the temperature control section 30. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6B, the processing apparatus 10 includes a temperature adjustment section 30, a transfer mechanism 12, and a control section 11. FIG. The transfer mechanism 12 includes a pressing portion 20 that presses the sample container 5 and an actuator 22 . The temperature adjustment section 30 includes a heating block 31 , a heat insulation section 33 and a cooling block 32 . The transfer mechanism 12 transfers the sample container 5 from the heating block 31 side to the cooling block 32 side via the heat insulating portion 33 by pressing the sample container 5 with the pressing portion 20 . The specimen container 5 loaded into the processing apparatus 10 has a cylindrical appearance and is a bottomed tubular body. The sample container 5 includes a main body 5a and a lid 5b.

The controller 11 includes a transfer mechanism controller 11a, a heater controller 11b, and a cooling controller 11c. The transfer mechanism control section 11 a controls the transfer mechanism 12 . The heater control unit 11 b controls the heater 41 that heats the heating block 31 . The cooling control unit 11 c controls the cooling device 43 that cools the cooling block 32 .

The heating block 31, the heat insulation part 33, and the cooling block 32, which constitute the temperature adjustment part 30, are arranged in this order from the front side (see arrow FR) of the processing apparatus 10 toward the rear side. The processing device 10 is capable of preprocessing a plurality of sample containers 5 at the same time. A slot 30 a (see FIG. 3 ) for accommodating a plurality of sample containers 5 is formed in the temperature adjustment section 30 . In the first embodiment, the processing device 10 has 10 slots 30a and can preprocess up to 10 sample containers 5 at the same time.

Each slot 30 a is formed from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 via the heat insulating portion 33 . Each slot 30a is arranged along the width direction of the processing device 10 (as an example, the direction of the arrow W). One specimen container 5 is set in each slot 30a. The depth of the slot 30a in the vertical direction is such that approximately half of the sample container 5 in the longitudinal direction can be accommodated. The sample container 5 is accommodated in the slot 30a in such a posture that the longitudinal direction (that is, the cylinder axis direction) coincides with the vertical direction of the slot 30a.

In the slot 30a, as shown in FIG. 6A, the heating block 31 side is a portion where the specimen container 5 is set for heat treatment, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the cooling block 32 side is a portion for cooling treatment. This is the part where the specimen container 5 is set for the purpose. In addition, the slot 30a is formed through the three blocks of the heating block 31, the heat insulating part 33, and the cooling block 32, and also serves as a transfer path for transferring the specimen container 5 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32. Function. As will be described later, the heating block 31, the heat insulating portion 33, and the cooling block 32 are each formed with a portion that constitutes a part of the slot 30a.

The heating block 31 includes a block body 40 and a heater 41 that heats the block body 40 to a first temperature.

The block body 40 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is the width direction (see arrow W) of the processing device 10 . In the block body 40, a plurality of container housing holes 40b for housing the sample containers 5 are formed by partially notching the upper surface 40a and the side surface 40c on the heat insulating part 33 side at intervals in the longitudinal direction. ing. The plurality of container receiving holes 40b are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the block body 40, for example. The container receiving hole 40 b forms part of the slot 30 a in the heating block 31 . The lower side of the sample container 5 in the vertical direction is accommodated inside the container accommodation hole 40b, and the upper side in the vertical direction of the sample container 5 is exposed upward from the container accommodation hole 40b. A container accommodation hole 40 b formed in the block body 40 is an example of a first accommodation portion that accommodates the specimen container 5 .

The container housing hole 40b is open on the heat insulation part 33 side and has a substantially U shape in plan view (see also FIG. 6B). The container housing hole 40b has an opening 50 (see FIG. 4) that opens to the side surface 40c of the block body 40. As shown in FIG. The opening 50 is an example of a first opening for carrying out the specimen container 5 from the side of the block body 40 . The width of the opening 50 , that is, the width of the opening 50 in the width direction (refer to the W direction) of the processing apparatus 10 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sample container 5 . The opening 50 communicates with a movement path 33c of the heat insulating portion 33, which will be described later. As a result, the specimen container 5 inside the container housing hole 40b can be moved from the opening 50 of the block body 40 to the heat insulation section 33 side. A semicircular recessed surface 51 is formed on the back side of the container housing hole 40b in the block body 40 in plan view, that is, on the front side of the processing apparatus 10 (see arrow FR) in plan view. The concave surface 51 has a semicircular shape to match the outer shape of the cylindrical sample container 5 , and the radius of the concave surface 51 is substantially equal to the radius of the sample container 5 . This allows the outer peripheral surface of the sample container 5 to come into surface contact with the concave surface 51 . Surface contact enables efficient heat treatment of the specimen container 5 .

In the block body 40 of the first embodiment, a plurality of container receiving holes 40b, for example ten container receiving holes 40b, which are the same in number as the slots 30a, are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction. As a result, a plurality of sample containers 5 can be subjected to heat treatment at the same time.

The material forming the block body 40 is preferably a material with excellent thermal conductivity so that the heat of the heater 41 can be efficiently transferred to the specimen container 5 . Furthermore, since the block main body 40 forms a plurality of container housing holes 40b, it is preferable that the block body 40 be made of a material with high workability. Aluminum, for example, can be used as a material that satisfies these conditions. In the first embodiment, the block body 40 is made of aluminum.

The heater 41 is attached so that its heat generating surface is in direct contact with the side surface 40 d of the block body 40 opposite to the heat insulating portion 33 . As a pretreatment for the sample solution C when performing endotoxin measurement by the nephelometric method, heating is preferably performed at 30° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, more preferably 60° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower. Therefore, the temperature of the heater 41 is preferably set at 30° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, and more preferably set at 60° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower. In the first embodiment, the temperature of the heater 41 is set to 70° C. (an example of the first temperature) under the control of the heater control section 11 b of the control section 11 . By heating the block body 40 to about 70°C by the heater 41, the sample solution C in the sample container 5 contacting the concave surface 51 of the container housing hole 40b is heated to about 70°C.

The cooling block 32 includes a block body 42 and a cooling device 43 that cools the block body 42 to the second temperature.

7 is a perspective view showing part of the block body 42, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing part of the block body 42. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, 7, and 8, the block body 42 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is the width direction (see arrow W) of the processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. In the block main body 42, a plurality of container accommodating holes 42b for accommodating the sample containers 5 are formed by notching a plurality of portions of the upper surface 42a and the side surface 42d on the heat insulating part 33 side at intervals in the longitudinal direction. It is The plurality of container receiving holes 40b are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the block body 40, for example. The container receiving hole 42b forms part of the slot 30a in the cooling block 32. As shown in FIG. The lower side of the sample container 5 in the vertical direction is accommodated inside the container accommodation hole 42b, and the upper side in the vertical direction of the sample container 5 is exposed upward from the container accommodation hole 42b. A container accommodation hole 42 b formed in the block body 42 is an example of a second accommodation portion that accommodates the specimen container 5 .

The container housing hole 42b is open on the heat insulation part 33 side and has a substantially U shape in plan view (see also FIG. 6A). The container housing hole 42b has an opening 52 that opens to the side surface 42d of the block body 42. As shown in FIG. The opening 52 is an example of a second opening for inserting the specimen container 5 from the side of the block body 42 . The opening 52 of the block body 42 is arranged at a position facing the opening 50 of the block body 40 . The width of the opening 52 , that is, the width of the opening 52 in the width direction (refer to the W direction) of the processing apparatus 10 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sample container 5 . The opening 52 communicates with a movement path 33c of the heat insulating portion 33, which will be described later. This allows the sample container 5 to enter the inside of the container housing hole 42b of the block body 42 through the opening 52 from the heat insulating part 33 side. Further, a semicircular concave surface 53 is formed in plan view on the back side of the container housing hole 42b in the block body 42 in plan view, that is, on the rear side of the processing apparatus 10 (that is, on the opposite side of the arrow FR). ing. The concave surface 53 has a semicircular shape that matches the outer shape of the cylindrical sample container 5 , and the radius of the concave surface 53 is substantially equal to the radius of the sample container 5 . This allows the outer peripheral surface of the sample container 5 to come into surface contact with the concave surface 53 . Surface contact enables efficient cooling of the specimen container 5 .

Further, a hole portion 54 surrounding the sample container 5 is provided on the lower side of the container accommodating hole 42b in the insertion direction of the container accommodating hole 42b, that is, on the rear side of the processing apparatus 10 (that is, on the opposite side of the arrow FR). is formed. The hole portion 54 has a circular shape in plan view, and the inner diameter of the hole portion 54 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the specimen container 5 . As also shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface of the hole 54 is one step lower than the bottom surface on the heating block 31 and heat insulating portion 33 side at the slot 30a communicating from the heating block 31 and heat insulating portion 33 side. As a result, the specimen container 5 transferred to the container housing hole 42b drops into the hole portion 54 due to gravity.

A discharge hole 55 that opens to the lower surface 42 e of the block body 42 is formed below the hole 54 in the block body 42 . That is, the discharge hole 55 is vertically formed from the lower portion of the hole portion 54 toward the lower surface 42 e of the block body 42 . The discharge hole 55 is an example of a discharge portion. By providing the discharge hole 55 in the lower part of the hole 54, droplets generated by dew condensation of the sample container 5 are discharged from the discharge hole 55 in a state in which the sample container 5 is dropped into the hole 54 of the container housing hole 42b. .

In the block main body 42 of the first embodiment, a plurality of container accommodating holes 42b, for example ten container accommodating holes 42b, which are the same in number as the slots 30a, are arranged in a row in the same manner as the container accommodating holes 40b of the block main body 40. are placed. As a result, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to simultaneously perform cooling processing on a maximum of ten sample containers 5 .

The material forming the block body 42 is preferably a material having excellent thermal conductivity in order to efficiently cool the specimen container 5 by the cooling device 43 . Furthermore, since the block body 42 is formed with a plurality of container housing holes 42b, it is preferable that the block body 42 be made of a material with high workability. In the first embodiment, the block body 42 is made of the same material as the block body 40, namely aluminum.

The cooling device 43 includes a body portion 43a and a cooling element 43b. Cooling device 43 is an example of a cooling unit. The cooling element 43b is a portion that contacts the block body 42 to be cooled, and has a plate shape. The cooling element 43b is, for example, a Peltier element. The cooling element 43b is mounted in direct contact with the side surface 42c of the block body 42 opposite to the heating block 31. As shown in FIG. The body portion 43a is a driving portion that drives the cooling element 43b. The cooling device 43 cools the sample solution C in the sample container 5 accommodated in the block body 42 to a preset second temperature by cooling the block body 42 through the cooling element 43b. As a pretreatment for the sample solution C when performing endotoxin measurement by the nephelometric method, it is preferable to cool the sample solution C at 0°C or higher and 10°C or lower. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling element 43b can be set between 0°C and 10°C. In the first embodiment, the temperature of the cooling element 43b is set to a temperature that can cool the block body 42 to 5° C. (an example of the second temperature) under the control of the cooling control section 11c of the control section 11 . The block body 42 is cooled to about 5°C by the cooling element 43b, so that the sample solution C in the sample container 5 dropped into the hole 54 of the container housing hole 42b is cooled to about 5°C.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6B, the heat insulation section 33 is arranged between the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 . One side of the heat insulating portion 33 is in contact with the side surface 40c of the block body 40 opposite to the heater 41, and the other side of the heat insulating portion 33 is in contact with the side surface 42d of the block body 42 opposite to the cooling element 43b. ing. The heat insulating portion 33 is a material that suppresses heat transfer from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 . Therefore, the heat insulating part 33 is preferably made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the block body 40 of the heating block 31 and the block body 42 of the cooling block 32 .

The heat insulating part 33 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is the width direction (see arrow W) of the processing apparatus 10 . In the heat insulating portion 33, a plurality of movement paths 33c that constitute a part of each slot 30a are formed by notching a part of the upper surface and side surface of a rectangular parallelepiped base material. The heat insulating portion 33 includes a longitudinally continuous bottom portion 33a and a plurality of vertical walls 33b spaced apart from each other above the bottom portion 33a, and has a comb shape as a whole. The plurality of vertical walls 33b are continuous in the front-rear direction of the processing apparatus 10 (see arrow FR), and are spaced apart in the width direction of the processing apparatus 10 (see arrow W). A plurality of gaps between the adjacent vertical walls 33b serve as movement paths 33c connecting the container housing hole 40b and the container housing hole 42b. The movement paths 33c are formed at regular intervals in the width direction (that is, the longitudinal direction) of the heat insulating portion 33. As shown in FIG. As an example, the movement path 33c is rectangular and linear in plan view. In other words, the opening 50 of the container housing hole 40b and the opening 52 of the container housing hole 42b are opposed to each other, and the container housing hole 40b and the container housing hole 42b are connected via the linear movement path 33c. there is

The width of the movement path 33c, that is, the width in the width direction (see arrow W) of the processing apparatus 10 is equal to the width of the opening 50 of the container receiving hole 40b and the opening 52 of the container receiving hole 42b. As a result, the specimen container 5 can be transferred from the container accommodation hole 40b to the container accommodation hole 42b through the movement path 33c. The container receiving hole 40b, the moving path 33c, and the container receiving hole 42b form a slot 30a that extends from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 via the heat insulating portion 33. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6B, the pressing portion 20 is arranged above the temperature adjusting portion 30, and above the temperature adjusting portion 30, the pressing portion 20 is positioned in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (that is, the vertical direction). movably attached to the Specifically, the pressing part 20 is movable in the front-rear direction (see the arrow FR direction) of the processing apparatus 10, and is located above the heating block 31 at the heating position H1 (see FIG. 6A). It is movable between an upper cooling position C1 (see FIG. 6B). That is, the pressing part 20 transfers the sample container 5 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 in each slot 30a by pressing the sample container 5 .

The sample container 5 is accommodated in the slot 30 a via the pressing portion 20 from above the pressing portion 20 . As shown in FIG. 5, when the sample container 5 is accommodated in the slot 30a, approximately half of the upper side of the sample container 5 is exposed above the slot 30a. When the sample container 5 is accommodated in the slot 30a via the pressing portion 20, the lower portion of the sample container 5 is accommodated in the slot 30a, and the pressing portion 20 is positioned in the middle portion of the sample container 5 in the longitudinal direction. become a state.

The pressing portion 20 is, for example, a rectangular plate-like body, and is arranged so that the thickness direction of the pressing portion 20 is the vertical direction. As an example, the longitudinal direction of the pressing portion 20 is the width direction of the processing device 10 (see arrow W direction). A plurality of container insertion holes 20b through which the specimen container 5 is inserted are formed in the pressing portion 20 at intervals in the longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction of the pressing portion 20, the plurality of container insertion holes 20b are formed at regular intervals corresponding to the intervals of the plurality of slots 30a. Each container insertion hole 20b penetrates from the upper surface 20a of the pressing portion 20 toward the lower surface (reference numerals omitted). An opening edge of the container insertion hole 20b on the side of the upper surface 20a is formed with an inclined surface whose inner diameter gradually increases upward. The inclined surface functions as a guide surface that guides the sample container 5 to the center of the container insertion hole 20b.

The processing device 10 can perform preprocessing on a plurality of sample containers 5 at the same time. Therefore, in the pressing portion 20 of the first embodiment, a plurality of container insertion holes 20b, for example ten container insertion holes 20b corresponding to the number of slots 30a are provided. Therefore, up to 10 specimen containers 5 can be inserted into the container insertion holes 20b of the pressing portion 20 . The inner diameter of the container insertion hole 20b is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the specimen container 5 . Therefore, the sample container 5 can move vertically with respect to the container insertion hole 20b.

Since the pressing part 20 transfers the specimen container 5, it is preferable that the pressing part 20 is lightweight. This is because the lighter the weight, the smaller the driving force of the transfer mechanism 12, which contributes to the simplification of the configuration. Therefore, the material forming the pressing portion 20 is preferably a material with a small specific gravity. It is also important that the material forming the pressing portion 20 has a small heat capacity, so a resin material is preferable instead of metal. For example, polyacetal (POM) with good lubricity, or a copolymer resin of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene (that is, ABS resin) can be used as the material forming the pressing portion 20 .

The actuator 22 includes a body portion 22a and a rod 22b that can move back and forth with respect to the body portion 22a. The actuator 22 is, for example, a solenoid, and the rod 22b is a plunger protruding from the body portion 22a. The tip portion of the rod 22b is connected to the side surface of the pressing portion 20 in the middle in the longitudinal direction, that is, the side surface of the processing apparatus 10 on the front side (see arrow FR). As an example, the axial direction of the rod 22b is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pressing portion 20. As shown in FIG. As the rod 22b advances and retreats with respect to the body portion 22a, the pressing portion 20 linearly moves along the front-rear direction of the processing device 10 (see arrow FR). Further, the actuator 22 horizontally moves the pressing portion 20 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6A, the heating position H1, which is the initial position of the pressing portion 20, is the position where the projection amount of the rod 22b relative to the main body portion 22a is the smallest. For example, the sample container 5 is set in the slot 30a while the pressing portion 20 is at the heating position H1. 5 and 6B, the cooling position C1 of the pressing portion 20 is the position where the rod 22b protrudes the most from the main body portion 22a. The specimen container 5 set in the slot 30a at the heating position H1 is pressed by the pressing part 20 when the pressing part 20 moves to the cooling position C1 due to the projection of the rod 22b. By being pressed by the pressing part 20, the specimen container 5 is transferred from the heating block 31 toward the cooling block 32 within the slot 30a. 6A and 6B, etc., one sample container 5 is set in the temperature adjustment unit 30, but 2 or more and 10 or less sample containers 5 may be set in the temperature adjustment unit 30. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B, when the pressing portion 20 is at the heating position H1, the specimen container 5 is housed in the heating block 31, and the container housing hole 40b in the block body 40 is recessed. contact surface 51; At the heating position H1, the specimen container 5 contacts the concave surface 51 of the container housing hole 40b, and in this state, the specimen solution C in the specimen container 5 is heated (see FIG. 6A). In addition, when the pressing part 20 is in the cooling position C1, the sample container 5 is accommodated in the container accommodation hole 42b. Since the container housing hole 42b is provided with a hole 54, when the specimen container 5 enters the container housing hole 42b, it falls into the hole 54 and contacts the concave surface 53 of the container housing hole 42b in the block body 40. do. In this state, the specimen solution C in the specimen container 5 is cooled (see FIG. 6B).

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 14a, a memory 14b, and a storage 14c in which a control program 15 is stored. The memory 14b is a work memory used when the CPU 14a executes the program 15, and for example, a volatile memory is used. The storage 14c is a non-volatile memory for storing various data, and flash memory or the like is used. Although illustration is omitted, the control section 11 may include a timer for measuring the operation timing of the transfer mechanism 12 . For example, the timer measures the heating time and cooling time of the sample container 5 held by the pressing part 20 . By executing the program 15, the CPU 14a functions as a heater control section 11b that controls the heater 41, a cooling control section 11c that controls the cooling element 43b, and a transfer mechanism control section 11a that controls the transfer mechanism 12. FIG.

<Measuring device>
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measuring device 60. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the measurement device 60 includes an LED 61 that irradiates the sample container 5 with measurement light, a photodiode 62 that faces the LED 61 across the sample container 5, and the LED 61 and the photodiode. 62 and a measurement control unit 63 that measures the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E based on the detection result of the photodiode 62 . The measurement control section 63 measures the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E based on the detection result of the photodiode 62 . Also, the measurement control unit 63 controls the LED 61 and the photodiode 62 . A sample solution E in which a lysate reagent D is mixed with a pretreated sample solution C is contained in the sample container 5 .

The measurement control section 63 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 63a, a memory 63b, and a storage 63c in which a control program is stored. The memory 63b is a work memory used when the CPU 63a executes the control program and the measurement program, and is, for example, a volatile memory. The storage 63c is a non-volatile memory for storing various data, and flash memory or the like is used. The measurement control section 63 functions as a control section that controls each section of the LED 61 and the photodiode 62 by executing a control program. The measurement control unit 63 also functions as a measurement unit that measures the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E based on the detection result of the photodiode 62 by executing the measurement program.

As a technique for measuring endotoxin in the measuring device 60, the turbidimetric method is used as described above. The turbidimetric method is a technique that uses as an index the change in turbidity during the gelation process of the lysate reagent D due to the action of endotoxin. The turbidity of the sample solution E changes depending on the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E and the elapsed time after adding the lysate reagent D to the sample solution C after pretreatment. When the turbidity of the sample solution E changes, the amount of measurement light that passes through the sample solution E also changes. can be measured. The measurement control unit 63 calculates the amount of endotoxin in the sample solution E based on the turbidity state and transition of the sample solution E. FIG.

[Flow of pretreatment]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of preprocessing in the processing device 10. As shown in FIG.

First, a sample solution C is produced by adding a buffer solution B to a sample A and diluting it. The control section 11 controls the transfer mechanism 12 by the transfer mechanism control section 11 a to move the pressing section 20 above the heat insulation section 33 . In this state, the control unit 11 drives the heater 41 in advance to preheat the heating block 31 so that the heating block 31 reaches the target temperature. That is, the heater 41 is adjusted in advance to the target temperature. The user sets the specimen container 5 containing the specimen solution C on the movement path 33c of the heat insulation section 33 via the container insertion hole 20b of the pressing section 20 (see step S100).

The control unit 11 determines whether or not there is a preprocessing start instruction (see step S101). In step S101, when it is determined that there is no preprocessing start instruction (that is, the determination result is No), the control unit 11 waits until there is a preprocessing start instruction.

In step S101, when it is determined that there is a pretreatment start instruction (that is, the determination result is Yes), the control unit 11 transfers the sample container 5 held by the pressing unit 20 to the heating block 31 side (see step S102). ). Specifically, the control section 11 controls the transfer mechanism 12 by the transfer mechanism control section 11 a to move the pressing section 20 to the heating position H<b>1 above the heating block 31 . When the specimen container 5 is transferred to the heating block 31 by the movement of the pressing part 20 and enters the container accommodation hole 40b, the specimen container 5 comes into contact with the concave surface 51 of the container accommodation hole 40b. This completes the transfer of the specimen container 5 .

When transfer of the specimen container 5 to the heating block 31 is completed, the controller 11 starts heating the specimen container 5 (see step S103). Thereby, the heating of the sample solution C in the sample container 5 is started. The control unit 11 controls the heater 41 by the heater control unit 11 b so that the sample solution C in the sample container 5 is heated through the heating of the block body 40 . At this time, since the temperature of the heater 41 is adjusted to the target temperature in advance as described above, heating of the sample container 5 transferred to the heating block 31 can be started quickly.

The control unit 11 determines whether or not the heating time Th (10 minutes in the first embodiment) has elapsed (see step S104). If it is determined in step S104 that the heating time Th has not elapsed (that is, the determination result is No), the controller 11 waits until the heating time Th elapses.

When it is determined in step S104 that the heating time Th has elapsed (that is, the determination result is Yes), the controller 11 determines that the heating has ended. Then, the control unit 11 transfers the sample container 5 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 side (see step S105). That is, the control unit 11 transfers the specimen container 5 to the cooling block 32 by controlling the transfer mechanism 12 with the transfer mechanism control unit 11a to move the pressing unit 20 from the heating position H1 toward the cooling position C1. When the specimen container 5 is transferred to the cooling block 32 and enters the container housing hole 42b, the specimen container 5 drops into the hole 54 of the container housing hole 42b. This completes the transfer of the specimen container 5 .

When the transfer of the sample container 5 is completed, the controller 11 starts cooling the sample container 5 (see step S106). For example, the control unit 11 drives the cooling device 43 in advance before the transfer of the specimen container 5 is completed. As a result, cooling of the sample container 5 transferred to the cooling block 32 can be started quickly.

Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the cooling time Tc (three minutes in the first embodiment) has elapsed from the start of cooling (see step S107). If it is determined in step S107 that the cooling time Tc has not elapsed (that is, the determination result is No), the controller 11 waits until the cooling time Tc has elapsed.

When it is determined in step S107 that the cooling time Tc has elapsed (that is, the determination result is Yes), the control unit 11 terminates the process.

[Effect]
As described above, the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment uses the transfer mechanism 12 to linearly move the pressing portion 20 that presses the sample container 5 , so that the sample container 5 is placed in the container housing portion of the block body 40 . It is transferred from the hole 40b to the container receiving hole 42b of the block body 42. As shown in FIG. As a result, the specimen container 5 in the container housing hole 40b is ejected from the opening 50 on the side of the block body 40, and the specimen container 5 is inserted from the opening 52 on the side of the block body 42 into the container housing hole 42b. be done. Therefore, the processing apparatus 10 can have a simpler configuration than the conventional technique in which the sample container is transported by a combination of the vertical movement and the horizontal movement of the gripper.

Further, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, a hole portion 54 surrounding the periphery of the sample container 5 is provided below the container accommodation hole 42b of the block body 42, and movement of the pressing portion 20 allows the container accommodation. The sample container 5 transferred to the hole 42b drops into the hole 54 due to gravity. Therefore, in the specimen container 5 , the lower portion in which the specimen solution C is accommodated can be surrounded by the hole portion 54 , so that the specimen solution C in the specimen container 5 can be efficiently cooled.

In addition, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the heat insulating portion 33 is provided between the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 to surround the movement path 33c along which the specimen container 5 moves. Heat conduction with the cooling block 32 is suppressed. Therefore, the specimen solution C in the specimen container 5 can be efficiently heated and cooled.

Further, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the transfer mechanism 12 horizontally moves the pressing portion 20 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 . Therefore, by moving the pressing portion 20 , the sample container 5 in the container receiving hole 40 b of the block body 40 is pushed out laterally from the opening 50 of the block body 40 , and the sample container 5 is pushed out from the lateral opening of the block body 42 . 52 can be inserted into the container receiving hole 42b. Since the pressing part 20 is moved in the horizontal direction, it is sufficient to move the pressing part 20 linearly, so the structure of the transfer mechanism 12 is simplified.

Moreover, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 are configured to accommodate a plurality of sample containers 5 . Therefore, the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 can preprocess the sample solutions C in the plurality of sample containers 5 at the same time, thereby improving the processing efficiency.

In addition, in the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, the cooling block 32 has a discharge hole 55 for discharging droplets generated by dew condensation in the sample container 5 below the container accommodation hole 42b in the block body 42 . Therefore, in the processing apparatus 10, even if dew condensation occurs in the specimen container 5 in the container housing hole 42b of the cooling block 32, droplets generated by the dew condensation can be discharged from the discharge hole 55 below the container housing hole 42b. can.

Further, the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment transfers the sample container 5 to the container accommodation hole 42b of the block body 42 after the sample container 5 is accommodated in the container accommodation hole 40b of the block body 40 with respect to the transfer mechanism 12. A transfer mechanism control unit 11a is provided for causing the heating time Th set in advance to be performed. Therefore, in the processing apparatus 10, the heating of the sample solution C in the sample container 5 by the heating block 31 can be controlled to the preset heating time Th by the transfer mechanism control section 11a.

The processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment also includes a heater 41 for heating the heating block 31, and the temperature of the heater 41 is set to 60° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower. Therefore, the processing apparatus 10 can perform pretreatment suitable for endotoxin measurement by the nephelometric method.

The processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment also includes a cooling element 43b for cooling the cooling block 32, and the temperature of the cooling element 43b is set to 0°C or higher and 10°C or lower. Therefore, the processing apparatus 10 can perform pretreatment suitable for endotoxin measurement by the nephelometric method.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a processing apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described. The basic configuration of the processing apparatus of the second embodiment is similar to that of the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, when the same constituent elements, members, etc. as those in the first embodiment are provided, the same reference numerals are given, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

12 and 13 are cross-sectional views showing the processing apparatus 110 of the second embodiment, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are plan views showing a part of the processing apparatus 110 of the second embodiment. The processing apparatus 110 of the second embodiment has only the configuration of the heat insulating section 33 changed, and the other configurations are the same as those of the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. It should be noted that FIGS. 14 and 15 omit the pressing portion 20 in order to make the configuration easier to understand.

As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the moving path 33c of the heat insulating portion 33 is provided with restricting portions 112 extending from the vertical walls 33b on both sides of the moving path 33c. The restricting portion 112 includes a first wall portion 112a extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to one vertical wall 33b of the movement path 33c, and a second wall portion extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the other vertical wall 33b of the movement path 33c. 112b and . In the second embodiment, the first wall portion 112a and the second wall portion 112b are made of an elastic material such as rubber. As a result, the first wall portion 112a can be elastically deformed in the direction of contact with one vertical wall 33b, and the second wall portion 112b can be elastically deformed in the direction of contact with the other vertical wall 33b. (See FIG. 15).

The first wall portion 112a and the second wall portion 112b have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front-rear direction (see arrow FR) of the processing apparatus 110, and are not elastically deformed. The end portion of the second wall portion 112b overlaps with each other (see FIGS. 12 to 14). The movement path 33c is blocked by the first wall portion 112a and the second wall portion 112b, so that air convection between the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 is restricted.

Also, when the sample container 5 passes through the movement path 33c, the sample container 5 contacts the first wall portion 112a and the second wall portion 112b, so that the first wall portion 112a contacts one of the vertical walls 33b. The second wall portion 112b is elastically deformed in the direction of contact with the other vertical wall 33b (see FIG. 15). As a result, the moving path 33c is opened. Further, after the sample container 5 has passed through the restricting portion 112, the first wall portion 112a and the second wall portion 112b return to the initial state in which the moving path 33c is blocked (see FIG. 14).

In the processing apparatus 110 described above, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the processing device 110, a restriction portion 112 is provided that restricts air convection between the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 by blocking the movement path 33c. The restricting portion 112 is made of an elastic material, and when the sample container 5 passes through it, it elastically deforms due to contact with the sample container 5 to open the movement path 33c. Further, after the sample container 5 has passed through, the regulation section 112 returns to the initial state of blocking the movement path 33c.

Therefore, in the processing apparatus 110, the convection of air between the heating block 31 and the cooling block 32 is regulated by the regulating section 112, so that the specimen solution C contained in the specimen container 5 is efficiently heated and cooled. (see FIGS. 12 and 13). In addition, in the processing apparatus 10, when the specimen container 5 is transferred from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32, the movement path 33c is opened by the elastic deformation of the regulation part 112 due to contact with the regulation part 112. movement is not hindered by the restricting portion 112 . Further, after the sample container 5 has passed through, the restricting portion 112 returns to the initial state of blocking the movement path 33c, so the movement path 33c is not left open.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a processing apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described. The basic configuration of the processing apparatus of the third embodiment is the same as that of the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, when the same constituent elements, members, etc. as in the first embodiment are provided, the same reference numerals are given, detailed description thereof is omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

16 and 17 are plan views showing part of the processing apparatus 120 of the third embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the processing apparatus 120 of the third embodiment has the shape of the container receiving hole 122b of the block body 40, the shape of the container receiving hole 123b of the block body 42, and the movement path of the heat insulating portion 33. 124b and the shape of the container insertion hole 125b of the pressing portion 20 are changed. Other configurations are the same as those of the processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. The container accommodation hole 122b of the block body 40 is an example of a first accommodation portion, and the container accommodation hole 123b of the block body 42 is an example of a second accommodation portion.

In a plan view of the processing apparatus 120, the block body 40 is formed with a curved container receiving hole 122b, the block body 42 is formed with a curved container receiving hole 123b, and the heat insulating portion 33 is formed with a curved movement path. 124b are formed. The container housing hole 122b, the moving path 124b, and the container housing hole 123b are formed in a continuous curved shape. 123b.

In a plan view of the processing device 120, the pressing portion 20 is formed with an oblong container insertion hole 125b. The container insertion hole 125b is arranged such that its longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the pressing portion 20, that is, the width direction of the processing device 120 (see arrow W direction). The inner diameter of the container insertion hole 125 b in the front-rear direction of the processing device 120 (see arrow FR direction) is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sample container 5 . As a result, the specimen container 5 can move in the longitudinal direction of the container insertion hole 125b while being inserted into the container insertion hole 125b of the pressing portion 20 .

In the processing apparatus 120 , the actuator 22 moves the pressing portion 20 linearly from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32 , and the pressing portion 20 presses the specimen container 5 inserted through the container insertion hole 125 b of the pressing portion 20 . be. As a result, the sample container 5 is transferred from the container accommodation hole 122b of the block body 40 to the container accommodation hole 123b of the block body 42 via the movement path 124b. At this time, the specimen container 5 moves in the longitudinal direction through the container insertion hole 125b of the pressing portion 20 according to the positions of the hole walls of the container accommodation hole 122b, the movement path 124b, and the container accommodation hole 123b.

In the processing device 120 described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, in the processing apparatus 120, by linearly moving the pressing part 20 from the heating block 31 to the cooling block 32, the specimen container 5 is moved along the curved container housing hole 122b, the movement path 124b, and the container housing hole 123b. can be transported.

In the first to third embodiments, the specimen container 5 is set in the heat insulating part 33 with the pressing part 20 set above the heat insulating part 33, and then the specimen container 5 is transferred to the heating block 31. explained. Alternatively, the pressing unit 20 may be set above the heating block 31 , the heater 41 may be driven to bring the heating block 31 to the target temperature, and then the specimen container 5 may be set on the heating block 31 . In the technique of the present disclosure, it takes time to bring the heating block 31 to the target temperature. Therefore, it is preferable to set the sample container 5 on the heating block 31 after the heating block 31 has been brought to the target temperature in advance. If such conditions are satisfied, the pretreatment procedure can be changed as appropriate.

[Modification]
The above embodiment is an example, and various modifications are possible as described below.

For example, the movement of the sample container from the heating block to the cooling block may be in any mode, such as a curvilinear path in which the direction of movement changes along the way instead of a straight path. Also, the movement of the heating block and the cooling block may be in an oblique direction instead of in a horizontal direction. In the above-described embodiment, the pressing unit is configured to collectively press a plurality of sample containers. However, a plurality of independently operable pressing units are provided, and each pressing unit presses a plurality of sample containers individually. may be configured. By doing so, it is possible to change the start timing of the pretreatment for each sample container.

In addition, the lysate reagent used for endotoxin measurement is not limited to the LAL reagent, and a TAL (Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate) reagent prepared from a blood cell extract of Tachypleus tridentatus, which is a species different from the American horseshoe crab, may be used.

In addition, the endotoxin test method is not limited to the turbidimetric method described in the above embodiment, but may be a gelation method using the gel formation of a lysate reagent by the action of endotoxin as an index, or a color development due to hydrolysis of a synthetic substrate as an index. A colorimetric method may be used to

Further, the measurement using the horseshoe crab blood cell extract is not limited to endotoxin measurement, and may be β-glucan measurement.

Moreover, the measurement performed by the measuring device is not limited to the measurement using the horseshoe crab blood cell extract, and other measurements may be performed.

Moreover, the pretreatment for the specimen solution is not limited to the process of heating for 10 minutes and then cooling for 3 minutes, as described in the above embodiment, and may be changed as appropriate according to the measurement to be performed on the specimen solution.

In the above-described embodiment, the hardware structure of the processing units (processing units) that execute various processes, such as the transfer mechanism control unit 11a, the heater control unit 11b, and the cooling control unit 11c, includes the following various processors ( Processor) can be used. As described above, the various processors include, in addition to the CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software and functions as various processing units, a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing. Programmable Logic Device (PLD), which is a processor, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. be

One processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or a combination of two or more processors of the same or different type (for example, a combination of a plurality of FPGAs and/or a CPU and combination with FPGA). Also, a plurality of processing units may be configured by one processor.

As an example of configuring a plurality of processing units with one processor, there is a form in which one processor is configured by combining one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as a plurality of processing units. Secondly, as typified by System On Chip (SoC), etc., there is a mode of using a processor that realizes the function of the entire system including multiple processing units with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. be. In this way, various processing units are configured using one or more of the above various processors as a hardware structure.

Further, as the hardware structure of these various processors, more specifically, an electric circuit in which circuit elements such as semiconductor elements are combined can be used.

It should be noted that the above description and illustration are detailed descriptions of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure, and are merely examples of the technology of the present disclosure. For example, the above descriptions of configurations, functions, actions, and effects are descriptions of examples of configurations, functions, actions, and effects of portions related to the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, unnecessary parts may be deleted, new elements added, or replaced with respect to the above-described description and illustration without departing from the gist of the technology of the present disclosure. Needless to say. In addition, in order to avoid complication and facilitate understanding of the portion related to the technology of the present disclosure, the descriptions and illustrations shown above require no particular explanation in order to enable implementation of the technology of the present disclosure. Descriptions of technical common sense and the like are omitted.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application 2020-011819 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
All publications, patent applications and technical standards mentioned herein are to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference. incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (13)

A processing apparatus for performing a process of changing the temperature of a sample solution in which a sample and a processing liquid are mixed,
A heating block for heating the sample solution in the sample container to a first temperature, the heating block having a first container for storing the sample container containing the sample solution, wherein , a heating block formed with a first opening for carrying out the sample container;
A cooling block that has a second storage unit that stores the sample container and that cools the sample solution in the sample container to a second temperature that is lower than a first temperature, wherein: is a cooling block formed with a second opening for inserting the sample container, and arranged at a position where the first opening and the second opening face each other;
It has a pressing portion that presses the specimen container, and by linearly moving the pressing portion, the specimen container is moved from the first container through the first opening and the second opening. a transfer mechanism for transferring to the second storage unit;
A processing device comprising: A hole surrounding the specimen container is provided in the lower part of the second containing part, and the specimen container transferred to the second containing part is configured to drop into the hole due to gravity. 2. The processing apparatus of claim 1. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating portion surrounding a moving path along which said specimen container moves between said heating block and said cooling block. The moving path is provided with a restricting portion that restricts air convection between the heating block and the cooling block by blocking the moving path,
The regulating portion is made of an elastic material, and when the sample container passes, it elastically deforms due to contact with the sample container to open the movement path, and after the sample container has passed, the restriction portion is elastically deformed. 4. The processing device according to claim 3, wherein returns to an initial state blocking said moving path. 5. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said transfer mechanism is configured to horizontally move said pressing portion from said heating block to said cooling block. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating block and the cooling block are configured to accommodate a plurality of the sample containers. 7. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a discharge section for discharging droplets generated by dew condensation on the specimen container is provided in a lower portion of the second storage section. a control unit for causing the transport mechanism to transfer the sample container to the second storage unit at a preset time after the sample container is stored in the first storage unit; 8. A processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7. A heater for heating the heating block,
The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heater has a temperature of 30°C or higher and 80°C or lower. 10. The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the heater has a temperature of 60[deg.] C. or more and 80[deg.] C. or less. A cooling unit for cooling the cooling block,
11. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the temperature of said cooling unit is 0[deg.]C or higher and 10[deg.]C or lower. The specimen solution is an object to be measured using a reagent containing a horseshoe crab blood cell extract,
The process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the process of changing the temperature of the sample solution by the heating block and the cooling block is preprocessing performed before performing the measurement. Device. a processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12;
a measuring device that measures the sample solution;
measurement system.

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