JP2007292629A - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid dispenser achieving efficient dispensation of liquid that is an organic solvent contained in an experimental container without contacting the other container. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid storing container has a plurality of recessed reservoirs in which the liquid is contained so that a space for applying a pressure is formed and on which discharging flow channels for discharging the contained liquid from its lower side. The discharging flow channel is formed so that the liquid does not pass through when a pressure is not applied to the space and that the liquid passes by applying pressure by a pressure device. Thereby, non-contact minute amount dispensation can be performed for each well of the experimental container arranged below by controlling application of pressure to the space for applying pressure using the liquid storing container. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid, which is an organic solvent, into a laboratory container in which a plurality of wells are formed.

  In screening in the drug discovery process, so-called HTS (High Throughput Screening), in which the amount of a sample or specimen used in an assay system is reduced and each step in the screening is automated, is the mainstream. With the realization of such an HTS, it is possible to screen a large number of compound libraries over a wide range using an automated HTS and search for candidate substances in an assay system.

  In recent years, the number of such compound libraries tends to increase more and more, and it is strongly desired to shorten the time required for screening by improving the efficiency of each step in HTS. In order to further expand the screening range, newly created synthetic compounds and rare compounds have been added to the compound library, and such compounds are often expensive in general. As the amount of samples and specimens used in the system is increasingly reduced, it is strongly desired to efficiently use these specimens and specimens without waste.

  Conventionally, as a method of dispensing a liquid, which is an organic solvent in which a predetermined sample or specimen is dissolved, into each well of such an assay plate (experimental container), a tip method (see Patent Document 2), an electromagnetic valve A method (see Patent Document 3) and a piezo method (see Patent Document 4) are known. However, in these conventional methods, since the liquid to be dispensed needs to be sucked into the nozzle (tip) or introduced into the discharge mechanism, it is impossible to transfer the liquid in the daughter plate to the assay plate in a non-contact manner. . That is, in these conventional methods, dispensing is performed in a state where the nozzle for supplying the liquid is in contact with the liquid, that is, the “contact method”, so when dispensing different types of liquids However, since it is necessary to clean the nozzles in order to prevent cross contamination, it is not appropriate from the viewpoint of efficiency to dispense a large number of liquids.

  Against this background, in recent years, an apparatus employing an ultrasonic method has been proposed as a method for dispensing liquid from a daughter plate in a completely non-contact manner (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such an ultrasonic method, ultrasonic vibration is individually applied to each well of a daughter plate containing a liquid in which a sample is dissolved in a state of being subdivided from a compound library using an ultrasonic head. While keeping the ultrasonic head in a non-contact state with respect to the liquid, a fine liquid droplet is allowed to fly from within the well, and the liquid is put into a predetermined well of the assay plate disposed oppositely in the vicinity of the daughter plate. The liquid is dispensed by attaching drops. In such an ultrasonic method, since the ultrasonic head is completely non-contact with the liquid, there is no fear of cross contamination, and the nozzle cleaning operation, which is an essential operation in the contact method, is unnecessary. There is an advantage that you can.

JP 2005-502866 Gazette JP 2004-325170 A JP 2005-168455 A JP-A-8-233710

  However, there is a practical problem in an apparatus that employs such an ultrasonic method. Specifically, the resolution in the ultrasonic dispensing function is a fixed value of about 2.5 nl per droplet, for example, and is difficult to vary. Therefore, it is necessary to satisfy the dispensing amount required by increasing the number of droplet shots, that is, the number of times the droplets fly, and the dispensing time is too long, which is not efficient. Therefore, in such an ultrasonic method, if an allowable limit of dispensing time is taken into consideration, the range of the dispensing amount is, for example, a very narrow range of about 2.5 nl to 50 nl, which is a large limiting factor in practical use. There's a problem.

  In addition, as compared with the conventional contact method, the ultrasonic method requires an additional process such as a liquid level search in each well. There is also a problem of making the length even longer.

  In addition, in the configuration in which droplets are ejected by individually applying ultrasonic waves to each well of the daughter plate, due to the structure, a dispensing process is simultaneously performed on a plurality of wells. As a result, it is difficult to make the dispensing process multi-channel, and there is a problem that the efficiency is limited.

  In addition, in the dispensing employing such an ultrasonic method, if at least a predetermined amount or more of liquid does not exist in the well of the daughter plate, the droplet cannot be ejected by applying ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, it is difficult to use up all of the liquid contained in each well, and as a result, there is a problem that an expensive compound is wasted.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and realizes efficient dispensing of a liquid, which is an organic solvent contained in a laboratory container, without contact with other containers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid dispensing device that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid that is an organic solvent into a laboratory container in which a plurality of wells are formed,
A plurality of discharges formed to be capable of discharging the stored liquid from the lower surface of the reservoir individually connected to a plurality of reservoirs that are recesses in which the liquid is stored independently and the bottom of each of the reservoirs In each of the reservoirs, the liquid is stored so that a pressure applying space is formed between the opening of the recess and the liquid surface of the liquid, and the pressure applying space On the other hand, in a state where no pressure is applied, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid while stopping the passage of the liquid to the discharge channel,
By applying pressure to the pressure application space of each reservoir of the liquid storage container without contacting the liquid, the liquid is allowed to pass through the discharge channel and discharged from the reservoir. A pressurizing device,
The pressure can be applied to the pressure applying space by the pressurizing device, and the liquid discharged from the discharge flow path can be dispensed into the well of the experimental container. Provided is a liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a storage container holding unit for holding the liquid storage container above the container.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in a liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid that is an organic solvent into a laboratory container in which a plurality of wells are formed,
A liquid storage recess for storing the liquid independently, and a space forming an independent pressure applying space on the liquid surface of the liquid stored in the recess, disposed in the periphery of the opening in the recess. A plurality of discharge passages that are individually communicated with a plurality of reservoirs having a frame portion and the bottom of each of the reservoirs so that the liquid stored in the recesses can be discharged from the lower surface of the reservoir. In each of the reservoirs, in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid while stopping the passage of the liquid to the discharge channel;
By applying pressure to the pressure application space of each reservoir of the liquid storage container without contacting the liquid, the liquid is allowed to pass through the discharge channel and discharged from the reservoir. A pressurizing device,
The pressure can be applied to the pressure applying space by the pressurizing device, and the liquid discharged from the discharge flow path can be dispensed into the well of the experimental container. Provided is a liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a storage container holding unit for holding the liquid storage container above the container.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressurizing device has a pressure applying passage and applies pressure through the pressure applying passage, and each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container. A contact portion that contacts the periphery of the opening,
In each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the contact portion of the pressurizing device is brought into contact with the periphery of the opening so that the pressure applying portion is not in contact with the liquid to be stored. In the state, the liquid dispensing device according to the first or second aspect is provided in which the pressure applying passage is disposed in communication with the pressure applying space.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the pressure application is performed by moving the pressurizing device with respect to the liquid storage container that is held by the storage container holding unit and whose holding position is fixed. A liquid dispensing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a positioning device that positions the pressurizing device and the reservoir so that pressure can be applied to the working space.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, with respect to the liquid storage container held in the storage container holding portion and fixed in its holding position, one discharge flow in the liquid storage container is provided. Any one of the first to fourth aspects further comprising an experimental container holding part that horizontally moves the experimental container so that the one well in the experimental container is positioned below the path. The liquid dispensing apparatus described in 1. is provided.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the laboratory container holding part is brought close to the lower surface of the liquid storage container to the extent that it does not contact the liquid storage container held by the storage container holding part. And the liquid dispensing apparatus as described in a 5th aspect holding the said container for experiment is provided.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the liquid storage recess and the space forming frame are formed integrally with each other so as to form one recess. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to the second aspect is provided.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the passage of the liquid is stopped in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space, and the pressure is applied. The liquid according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the discharge flow path is formed so as to have a function as an orifice through which the liquid passes and is discharged from the reservoir. A dispensing device is provided.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the liquid storage protective sheet is disposed on the upper surface of each reservoir so as to cover the opening of each reservoir of the liquid storage container,
The pressurizing apparatus includes a pressure applying portion that has a pressure applying passage and applies pressure through the pressure applying passage.
In each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the end of the pressure applying part is disposed so as to penetrate the protective sheet in a non-contact state with respect to the liquid to be stored. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, in which the pressure applying passage is disposed in communication with the adding space.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the pressurizing device includes a pressure detection unit that detects a pressure of the pressure applying passage in a state of being communicated with the pressure applying space,
The pressure detection information detected by the pressure detection unit is input, and the pressure applied from the pressure addition unit is controlled based on the input pressure detection information, whereby the discharge for each of the reservoirs is controlled. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to the third or ninth aspect is further provided with a control device for controlling the discharge amount of the liquid from the flow path.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the liquid storage container has a container information recording unit in which container information including identification information of the respective reservoirs and information on the type of liquid contained is readable. Have
The liquid dispensing device is
A container information acquisition unit for acquiring the container information from the container information recording unit of the liquid storage container held in the storage container holding unit;
The positioning device selects one reservoir in the liquid storage container based on the container information acquired by the container information acquisition unit, and positions the pressurizing device and the selected reservoir. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, comprising a control device for controlling the liquid.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the control device has a dispensing result information creation unit that creates a dispensing result information for the laboratory container from the liquid storage container as dispensing result information,
The liquid dispensing apparatus further includes a dispensing result information output unit that writes the dispensing result information created by the dispensing result information creating unit into the container information recording unit of the liquid storage container. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to an aspect is provided.

  According to the present invention, the reservoir is a plurality of recesses in which the liquid is stored so that the pressure applying space is formed, and the discharge flow path for discharging the stored liquid from the lower surface is formed. The liquid storage container has a discharge flow so that the liquid is passed by applying pressure by the pressurizing device without passing the liquid in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space. By forming a path, by using such a liquid storage container to control the pressure application to the pressure application space, it is possible to dispense a minute amount to each well of the experimental container disposed below the container. Can be done efficiently. In addition, since the pressure application to the pressure application space is performed in a non-contact state with respect to the contained liquid, a dispensing process in which cross contamination is prevented can be realized.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The liquid dispensing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes an organic solvent (for example, a microplate container) on a microtiter plate (hereinafter referred to as a microplate container) that is an example of an experimental container (assay plate) in which a plurality of wells are formed. This is a device for dispensing a liquid which is a compound dissolved in DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide). More specifically, a liquid, which is an organic solvent in which a sample or specimen used in an assay system for drug discovery process screening is dissolved, is dispensed into a well of a microplate container by a minute amount. It is a device to do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid dispensing apparatus 100 includes a reservoir container 1 that is an example of a generally plate-shaped liquid storage container having a plurality of reservoirs 11 that are recessed portions in which the liquids are stored independently of each other. A reservoir container placement unit 3 (which is an example of a liquid storage container holding unit) to be placed, and a liquid that is disposed below the reservoir container placement unit 3 and contained in the reservoir container 1 is supplied. A microplate container holding part 4 (which is an example of an experimental container holding part) that holds a substantially plate-like microplate container 2 having a plurality of wells 21 that are concave parts, and one reservoir of the reservoir container 1 On the other hand, the microplate container holding portion 4 can be positioned in the horizontal direction in the drawing (that is, in the X-axis direction in the drawing) so that the well 21 of the microplate container 2 can be positioned in the vertical direction in the drawing. Alternatively, the container holding unit moving device 5 that moves in the Y-axis direction) and the liquid that is disposed above the reservoir container placement unit 3 and stored in the respective reservoirs 11 of the reservoir container 1 are transferred to the microplate container 2. A pressurizing head 6 which is an example of a pressurizing device that performs pressurization to supply the respective wells 21 (the specific method will be described later) and the pressurizing head 6 in the X-axis direction or Y direction shown in the drawing. And a head moving device 7 (which is an example of a positioning device) that moves in the axial direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 includes a control device 9 that performs overall control while associating operation control of each component device.

  First, the configuration of the reservoir container 1 will be described in detail. In the description, FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic perspective views of the upper surface side of the reservoir container 1, FIGS. 3A and 3B show schematic perspective views of the lower surface side, and FIG. ) And (B) are schematic cross-sectional views. 2A, FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4A are respectively the reservoirs shown in FIG. 2B, FIG. 3B, and FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which decomposed | disassembled each structure with which the container 1 is equipped partially.

  As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the reservoir container 1 has a reservoir 11, which is a plurality of concave portions that form mutually independent storage spaces capable of storing a liquid, for example, in a plurality of rows × a plurality of columns. In the illustrated example of the embodiment, a total of 24 4 × 6 columns are formed on the upper surface of the plate. Each reservoir 11 has an upper surface formed as an opening, and the liquid injected through the opening can be held in a storage space surrounded by the bottom surface and the inner peripheral surface. ing. In addition, a discharge channel 12 which is a through hole formed so as to penetrate the bottom surface is formed in the central portion of the bottom surface of the reservoir 11. The discharge channel 12 is formed with a small hole diameter, and the liquid stored in the reservoir 11 does not pass through the discharge channel 12 under atmospheric pressure, and has a predetermined size or more. When pressure is applied to the liquid level in which the liquid is stored, the liquid is allowed to pass and the liquid can be discharged to the lower side of the reservoir 11.

  Here, a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the reservoir 11 in the reservoir container 1 is shown in FIG. In the reservoir 11 shown in FIG. 5, the liquid 8 is contained. As shown in FIG. 5, the reservoir 11 is configured such that a pressure applying space S is always formed between the opening 11a and the liquid surface 8a in a state where the liquid 8 is accommodated. In other words, the reservoir 11 is disposed in the upper part of the recess 13 for storing the liquid 8 and the annular space that forms the pressure applying space S above the liquid level 8a. In the reservoir 11 shown in FIG. 5, the liquid storage recess 13 and the space forming frame 14 are formed as an integral member. In the reservoir 11, the contained amount of the liquid 8 is reduced by discharging the stored liquid 8 through the discharge channel 12. In such a case, pressure is applied. The space S is enlarged, that is, the portion occupied by the space forming frame portion 14 is enlarged, and the portion occupied by the liquid containing recess 13 is reduced. Therefore, in the reservoir 11, the boundary portion between the space forming frame portion 14 and the liquid storage recess 13 varies depending on the amount of the liquid 8 to be stored.

  Further, the discharge flow path 12 is formed in the central portion of the bottom of the liquid storage recess 13 of the reservoir 11. Such a discharge channel 12 is formed so as to have a function as an orifice, for example, and the pressure applying space S formed on the liquid surface 8a of the reservoir 11 has a pressure of about atmospheric pressure or the like. In the case of the following pressures, that is, in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space S under atmospheric pressure, the liquid 8 stored is not allowed to pass and the liquid 8 is held. It is formed so that it can be. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the pressure applying space S, the stored liquid 8 passes through the discharge channel 12 and is discharged from the reservoir 11 as an orifice of the discharge channel 12. The function is set. The hole diameter of the discharge channel 12 is, for example, about φ0.5 mm to φ0.001 mm. However, the hole diameter is not limited only in such a case, and the hole diameter (or the flow path length is also taken into consideration so that the liquid can be held under atmospheric pressure and the function of discharging the liquid under pressure can be realized. Set).

  Moreover, it is preferable that the discharge flow path 12 in each reservoir 11 is formed with high accuracy so as to have a set hole diameter and shape. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the reservoir container 1 is joined to a main body 1a formed with a portion corresponding to each reservoir 11 as a through hole, and the bottom of the main body 1a. The bottom plate 1b constituting the concave reservoir 11 serving as the bottom of each of the through holes is formed, and the bottom plate 1b is formed using a silicon base material or the like, and the bottom plate 1b is etched. Thereby, each discharge flow path 12 can be formed with high accuracy. Note that various materials can be applied as the material for forming the reservoir container 1 such as silicon, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIGS. 4A and 4B, the upper surface of the reservoir container 1 is disposed so as to cover the opening 11a of each reservoir 11. A protective sheet 15 is provided. For example, the protective sheet 15 is made of a resin material or the like so as to be flexible and in close contact with the upper surface of the reservoir container 1 in a peelable manner. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and a plate-like member may be used. The protective sheet 15 covers the openings 11a of the respective reservoirs 11, thereby preventing foreign matters from being mixed into the liquid accommodated therein, and fulfilling the role of protecting the liquid in the reservoir container 1. It is.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and FIGS. 4A and 4B, the liquid drop prevention plate which is a plate-like member covering the entire lower surface is provided on the lower surface of the reservoir container 1. 16 is detachably equipped. In the case where the plate 16 is transported or stored in the reservoir container 1 in which the liquid is stored, even if a situation occurs in which the liquid stored through the discharge flow path 12 falls, It has a function to prevent the liquid from falling. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the plate 16 can be equipped through a gap without contacting the bottom plate 1 b of the reservoir container 1. Specifically, the plate 16 is equipped by fitting the outer peripheral end portion 16a of the plate 16 inside the frame portion 1c formed around the lower portion of the main body portion 1a. By mounting the plate 16 without contacting the bottom plate 1b as described above, it is possible to prevent the liquid from adhering to the surface of the plate 16 unless the liquid falls. Such a reservoir container 1 has a function corresponding to a so-called conventional daughter plate. That is, the reservoir container 1 has a function as a container for storing a liquid, which is an organic solvent in which a compound is dissolved (a function of storing the liquid contained), and can be handled in the same manner as a conventional daughter plate. It is possible. In addition to the function of storing the liquid, the reservoir container 1 further includes a function of discharging the stored liquid. From the viewpoint of having such a function, Can be said to be completely different.

  Next, a schematic perspective view of the microplate container 2 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the microplate container 2 has wells 21 that are a plurality of recesses that form mutually independent storage spaces capable of storing a liquid inside, for example, a plurality of rows × a plurality of columns. In the illustrated example of the form, a total of 96 pieces of 8 rows × 12 columns, which are substantially plate-like forms formed on the upper surface thereof. The upper surface of each well 21 is formed as an opening, and the liquid injected or dispensed through the opening is held in a storage space surrounded by the bottom surface and the inner peripheral surface. Is possible. In addition, it is preferable that such a microplate container 2 is formed with the material which has tolerance with the liquid accommodated, for example, is formed with the resin material. In addition, screening, for example, screening by HTS is performed on the liquid stored in each well 21 of the microplate container 2 to search for candidate substances and the like.

  Next, the configuration of the pressure head 6 will be described with reference to schematic explanatory views (cross-sectional views) shown in FIGS. FIG. 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a state before the liquid 8 stored in the reservoir 11 of the reservoir container 1 is dispensed into the well 21 of the microplate container 2 by the pressurizing head 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic partial sectional view showing a state in which the liquid 8 is being dispensed. The pressurizing head 6 applies a predetermined pressure to the pressure applying space S in the reservoir 11, thereby discharging the liquid 8 accommodated in the reservoir 11 through the discharge channel 12. , An apparatus having a pressurizing function for dispensing the discharged liquid into the well 21 positioned below the well 21.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, the pressurizing head 6 has a head main body portion that can apply pressure through the pressure applying passage by disposing the pressure applying passage in the pressure applying space S of the reservoir 11. 30 and a valve unit 35 that transmits a pressure transmitted from a pressure supply source (not shown) through the pressure supply pipe 40 to the head main body 30 so as to be able to be cut off while controlling the size thereof.

  The valve unit 35 is configured to have a function as a so-called plunger-type solenoid valve. The pressure supply pipe 40 is connected to one end of the valve unit 35 so that the transmitted pressure is always supplied, and the other end is connected. A pressure supply port 42 that is connected to the head main body 30 so as to be able to transmit pressure, a valve seat 32 that blocks the communication of the other end of the pressure supply port 42 so as to be openable, and the valve seat 32 at its end. And is disposed in the port 42 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the figure, and is disposed around the plunger 33 formed of a magnetic body and the plunger 33 disposed in the port 42. When applied, a coil 34 that generates a magnetic field that moves the plunger 33 upward in the figure, and the plunger 33 is always in the port 42. It urges towards and a spring portion 41 to be constantly closed state the valve seat 32.

  The head main body 30 communicates with a port 42, and communicates with a nozzle portion 31, which is a passage formed by a valve seat 32 so that the communicating portion thereof is releasably closed, and a lower end of the nozzle portion 31. The pressure applying pin 37 is a hollow pin member (that is, a pin member having a through hole formed in the axial direction thereof) that is formed and arranged to protrude from the lower surface of the head main body 30 by a predetermined length. And. As described above, the pressure head 6 includes the valve unit 35 and the head main body 30, so that the pressure transmitted into the port 42 through the pressure supply pipe 40 is applied to the coil 34. The plunger 33 is lifted against the urging force of the spring part 41 and the valve seat 32 is opened, so that it is transmitted into the nozzle part 31 and further transmitted from its tip part through the pressure application pin 37 (that is, Pressure transmission). Further, by stopping the application of power to the coil 34, the plunger 33 is lowered by the biasing force of the spring portion 41, the valve seat 32 is closed, and the pressure transmission from the pressure application pin 37 is stopped. be able to.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to reliably control the magnitude of the pressure transmitted when performing such pressure transmission, a pressure detection unit that detects the pressure in the nozzle portion 31 of the head main body 30. The pressure sensor 39 which is an example of is provided. The pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 39 is input to, for example, the control device 9, and the control device 9 controls the application time of power to the coil 34 so as to control the magnitude of the transmitted pressure. It has come to be. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, an abutting portion 38 formed in an annular shape by an elastic material is disposed on the lower surface of the head main body portion 30. The abutting portion 38 has a substantially circular opening 11 a of the reservoir 11 in a state where the pressure head 6 is lowered and the tip of the pressure applying pin 37 is positioned in the pressure applying space S in the reservoir 11. It is formed so that it may contact | abut with the same cyclic | annular to-be-contacted part (or to-be-contacted area) 11b around. In other words, the tip of the pressure application pin 37 is positioned in the pressure application space S by bringing the contact part 38 of the pressure head 6 into contact with the contacted part 11 b of the reservoir 11. It has become. As shown in FIG. 8, the tip of the pressure applying pin 37 has its tip so that it does not come into contact with the stored liquid 8 when the tip is located in the pressure applying space S. The protruding length of is set. Further, the tip portion of the pressure application pin 37 is formed in a sharp end shape so that the protective sheet 15 disposed on the upper surface of the reservoir container 1 can be easily penetrated. In the pressure head 6 having such a configuration, the opening / closing speed of the valve using the movement of the plunger 33 by the coil 34 is set to, for example, 0 to 2 Hz, and the pressure source is set to around 0.5 MPa. In addition, each such setting value is not limited to such an example setting, and various setting values can be employed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 includes an elevating device 18 that elevates and lowers while supporting the pressure head 6 having such a configuration. The elevating device 18 is a head moving device 7. Is supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. The head moving device 7 includes an X-axis robot 7a that moves the pressure head 6 forward and backward in the X-axis direction shown in the figure, and Y that moves forward and backward in the Y-axis direction shown while supporting the X-axis robot 7a at both ends thereof. It is comprised by the axis | shaft robot 7b.

Here, a main pressure supply system for transmitting pressure by the pressure head 6 is shown in a schematic system diagram shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100, a pressure source 43 that can supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) as a pressure supply source in a pressurized state at a predetermined pressure. And a vacuum source 44 capable of transmitting a reduced pressure atmosphere as a vacuum supply source. The pressure source 43 and the vacuum source 44 are selected by using the switching valve 46 so that the respective pressures can be transmitted to the pressure head 6 through the pressure supply pipe 40. The switching valve 46 is controlled by the control device 9, and the pressure source 43 is selected to supply pressurized nitrogen gas during normal pressure transmission. When clogging or the like occurs in the pressure transmission path and it is necessary to clean the pressure transmission path, the vacuum source 44 can be selected. Further, the control device 9 is applied from the pressure head 6 by controlling the application time or application amount of the voltage applied to the coil 34 through the pulse generator 45 based on the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 39. It is possible to control the magnitude of pressure and the pressure application time.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the reservoir container placement unit 3 has a function of releasably fixing the placement position of the placed reservoir container 1. Various configurations can be adopted as the configuration having such a fixing function. For example, an engagement portion that is engaged with the outer peripheral side surface of the reservoir container 1 is provided, and the placement position is fixed by the engagement of the both. Can be done. In addition, the reservoir container placement unit 3 can place the reservoir container 1 so that the entire bottom surface of the reservoir container 1 is opened. That is, since the reservoir container 1 is a container that dispenses the contained liquid with respect to the microplate container 2 disposed below the reservoir container 1, no blocking member is disposed between them. Next, the reservoir container 1 is placed. Specifically, in the reservoir container placement unit 3, an opening is provided in a lower region corresponding to each reservoir 11 of the placed reservoir container 1 so that the fall of the discharged droplets is not hindered. Is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the microplate container holding portion 4 has a function of releasably fixing the placement position of the microplate container 2 placed on the upper surface thereof, and this microplate container The holding unit 4 is installed on the container holding unit moving device 5 and can be moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction shown in the drawing. The microplate container holding unit 4 is moved in the XY direction by the container holding unit moving device 5 and is aligned with the reservoir container 1 placed on the reservoir container placing unit 3. Therefore, it is preferable that the placement height is set so that the microplate container 2 is placed in a state in which the upper surface of the microplate container 2 is close enough not to contact the lower surface of the reservoir container 1. By setting in this way, the liquid discharged from the reservoir 11 can be dispensed into the well 21 at the shortest distance.

  As described above, the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 includes the head moving device 7, the reservoir container placement unit 3, and the container holding unit moving device 5, thereby disposing a desired well 21 below the desired reservoir 11. It is possible to position by positioning the pressure head 6 above the reservoir 11.

  Next, in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, a liquid dispensing that dispenses a predetermined amount of the liquid stored and stored in the reservoir 11 of the reservoir container 1 into the well 21 of the microplate container 2. The processing method will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the description, the operation of each component device in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 is comprehensively controlled by the control device 9 while the operations are associated with each other.

  First, in step S1 in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the reservoir container 1 in a state where the liquid is stored in each reservoir 11 is placed on the reservoir container placing portion 3, and the placement position is fixed. . As described above, the reservoir container 1 has the protective sheet 15 disposed on the upper surface thereof and the liquid fall prevention plate 16 disposed on the lower surface thereof. Therefore, the liquid fall prevention plate 16 is removed from the reservoir container 1 after the placement. The plate 16 may be removed before the placement. However, from the viewpoint of reliably preventing the liquid from dropping, the plate 16 may be removed after the placement. preferable. At the same time, the microplate container 2 is held by the microplate container holding unit 4.

  Next, in step S2, the control device 9 selects one reservoir 11 in the reservoir container 1 and one well 21 in the microplate container 2. In this selection, for example, the dispensing process information associated with the ID information (identification information) of each container input to the control device 9 by means described later, that is, the liquid stored in which reservoir 11 The selection operation is performed on the basis of information on how many wells 21 are to be dispensed.

  When the reservoir 11 and the well 21 are selected in the control device 9, the positioning of the selected one reservoir 11 and the well 21 is performed in step S3. Specifically, the microplate container 2 held by the microplate container holding unit 4 is replaced with the container holding unit 4 with respect to the reservoir container 1 whose mounting position is fixed by the reservoir container mounting unit 3. The reservoir 11 and the well 21 are positioned in the horizontal direction by being moved in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction in the figure by the moving device 5. At the same time as this positioning, the head moving device 7 moves the pressure head 6 in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction in the drawing to position the pressure head 6 so that the pressure head 6 is positioned above the selected reservoir 11. Done. In addition, when the pressure head 6 is moved, the pressure head 6 is positioned at an elevation position where the pressure application pin 37 does not come into contact with the reservoir container 1.

  When such positioning is performed, for example, the pressurizing head 6 is provided with a recognition device (for example, an imaging camera) that recognizes the placement position of the reservoir container 1 by capturing an image thereof. After performing the recognition process with such a recognition device, the positioning of the pressure head 6 and the reservoir 11 can be performed with high accuracy in consideration of the displacement amount of the mounting position. Similarly, a recognition device for recognizing the holding position of the microplate container 2 by imaging is provided, and positioning of the reservoir 11 and the well 21 is performed based on the recognition result by the recognition device, thereby achieving high accuracy. Positioning can be performed.

  The state thus positioned is a state as shown in the schematic explanatory view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the pressure application pin 37 is in a state of being spaced apart from the reservoir 11. The axis of the pressure application pin 37, the center of the reservoir 11, the well Each of the above positioning is preferably performed so that the centers of the 21 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction.

  Next, in step S <b> 4, the elevating device 18 starts to lower the pressure head 6. When the pressurization head 6 starts to descend, the tip of the pressure application pin 37 first comes into contact with the surface of the protective sheet 15 covering the opening 11a of the reservoir 11, and then further descends, so that the tip The portion penetrates the protective sheet 15 and is positioned in the pressure applying space S in the reservoir 11. On the other hand, the abutting portion 38 installed on the lower surface of the head main body 30 is brought into contact with the abutted portion 11b around the opening 11a of the reservoir 11, whereby the lowering position of the pressure applying pin 37 is regulated. Then, the descent of the pressure head 6 by the elevating device 18 is stopped (step S5). The state where the descent is stopped in this way is a state as shown in the schematic explanatory view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the lowering position of the pressure application pin 37 is defined by the contact portion 38 being in contact with the contacted portion 11 b, so that the tip end portion is securely in the pressure application space S. However, it is in a state of being disposed at a position separated from the liquid surface 8a of the liquid 8 contained therein. In such a state, since the outlet of the pressure supply port 42 is closed by the valve seat 32 in the valve unit 35 of the pressure head 6, pressure application through the pressure application pin 37 is started. It is a state that has not been done.

  Thereafter, in step S 6, pressure is applied to the pressure applying space S through the pressure applying pin 37 of the pressure head 6. Specifically, in the pressure head 6, application of electric power to the coil 34 is started, and accordingly, the plunger 33 is raised and the valve seat 32 is opened. As a result, a series of pressure application passages by the pressure supply pipe 40, the pressure supply port 42, the nozzle portion 31, and the pressure application pin 37 are brought into communication with the pressure application space S, and nitrogen is pressurized to a predetermined pressure. Gas is supplied into the pressure applying space S.

  As a result, the pressure in the pressure applying space S is increased, and the increased pressure acts on the liquid surface 8a of the liquid 8 in which the pressure is added, and passes through the discharge flow path 12 in the reservoir 11 and below the reservoir container 11. A part of the liquid 8 is ejected as droplets, for example. As shown in FIG. 8, the liquid (droplet) discharged in this way falls into the well 21 positioned below the reservoir 11 and is supplied, that is, dispensed.

  When pressure is applied for liquid dispensing, the pressure sensor 39 of the pressure head 6 detects the pressure in the nozzle portion 31, that is, the pressure in the series of pressure application passages. Information is input to the control device 9. The control device 9 controls the opening degree and the opening time of the valve seat 32 based on the pressure value to be added and the pressure application time included in the dispensing process information. Dispensed into the well 21 discharged through the discharge channel 12. Further, since the annular contact portion 38 installed on the lower surface of the pressure head 6 is in contact with the contacted portion 11b around the opening 11a of the reservoir 11, the pressure applying space S is formed. Since it can be made into the state enclosed by the lower surface of the head main-body part 30 and the cyclic | annular contact part 38, even if it is a case where a clearance gap exists between the protective sheet 15 and the opening part 11a, for example, pressure The additional space S can be made more airtight. By setting the airtight state in this manner, the correlation between the pressure value to be applied and the amount of liquid discharged through the discharge channel 12 can be increased, and the discharge amount can be controlled with higher accuracy. .

  Thereafter, when it is determined that the dispensing of the predetermined amount of liquid has been completed, the application of power to the coil 34 is stopped and the valve seat 32 is closed. As a result, the series of pressure application passages are closed, and pressure application to the pressure application space S through the pressure application pin 37 is stopped.

  Thereafter, in step S7, the elevating device 18 starts to raise the pressure head 6, the contact state between the contact portion 38 and the contacted portion 11b is released, and the tip of the pressure head 6 is inserted into the pressure applying space S. The pressure application pin 37 that has been in the state in which the portion is disposed is raised above the reservoir 11. When the tip of the pressure application pin 37 reaches the elevation height position separated from the reservoir container 1, the elevation of the pressure head 6 is stopped.

  Next, in step S8, the control device 9 determines whether or not the well 21 to be subjected to the next dispensing process exists in the microplate container 2 based on the dispensing process information. If it is determined that there is a well 21 to be dispensed, in step S2, the well 21 and the reservoir 11 in which the liquid to be dispensed is stored are selected, and in step S3 Both are positioned. Thereafter, the dispensing process is performed by the same procedure from step S4 to S7. In the case where the liquid to be dispensed into the newly selected well 21 is contained in another reservoir container 1, the reservoir container placed on the reservoir container placing part 3 1 is exchanged.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that there is no well 21 to be dispensed next, in step S9, the reservoir container 1 is unloaded from the reservoir container placement unit 3, and the microplate container The microplate 2 on which the dispensing process has been performed is carried out from the holding unit 4 and the dispensing process is completed. In the case where the liquid stored in the reservoir 11 of the reservoir container 1 remains, the liquid drop prevention plate 16 is attached in order to prevent the liquid from dropping out. Are preferred.

  According to such a dispensing method, in the pressure head 6, the pressure application pin 37 disposed in the pressure application space S in the reservoir 11 is in a non-contact state with respect to the stored liquid 8. In addition, since the liquid can be dispensed through the discharge channel 12 by applying pressure from the tip of the pressure application pin 37, it is possible to efficiently dispense completely non-contact liquid. Can be performed. In particular, it is not necessary to perform ancillary processes such as a liquid level search required in the conventional ultrasonic method, and an efficient dispensing process can be realized.

  Further, in each reservoir 11, the discharge flow path 12 can maintain the accommodated state without passing the accommodated liquid under atmospheric pressure, and the pressure application space S has a pressure higher than a predetermined pressure. Is added with a hole diameter that allows the liquid to pass and allows the liquid to be discharged. Therefore, by controlling the applied pressure value and the pressure application time, high accuracy and It is possible to realize liquid dispensing that can cope with minute dispensing. For example, by controlling the pressure value and the pressure application time, the size of the liquid droplets discharged through the discharge flow channel 12 and the number of liquid droplets discharged intermittently can be controlled to control the liquid component. Notes can be made. In particular, by controlling the pressure value and the pressure application time, a wide range of dispensing amounts can be handled. For example, in the dispensing method of the first embodiment, it is possible to cope with a discharge amount in a range of 10 nl to 100 nl per discharged liquid droplet, and further, by changing the number of discharged droplets, 10 nl to 2000 nl. Therefore, it is possible to provide a dispensing device effective for practical use.

  Further, in each reservoir 11, if there is at least the liquid 8 that closes the discharge channel 12 at the bottom, the liquid is dispensed by applying pressure to the pressure applying space S. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect that the liquid which is an expensive compound is not wasted. For example, the use efficiency of the liquid can be further improved by providing a downward gradient toward the discharge flow path 12 on the concave bottom surface of the reservoir 11.

  Further, as the gas supplied for pressure application by the pressurizing head 6, for example, nitrogen gas has been described, but helium (He) gas can be used instead of such a case. . In particular, by using such an inert gas, it is possible to obtain an effect that it is difficult to affect the storage state of the contained liquid. It is also preferred that less dry gas is used.

  Furthermore, the reservoir container 1 can be used as a liquid storage container in a state where no pressure is applied in the pressure applying space S. That is, using the container (reservoir container 1) in which various types of liquids are stored and stored, it is possible to completely dispense with the liquid stored therein in a completely non-contact manner. This is possible according to the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 of the embodiment. Of course, the reservoir container 1 once used for the dispensing process can be taken out of the apparatus, and the remaining liquid can be stored in the reservoir container 1 and used again in the dispensing process.

  Next, a configuration related to input / output of information in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment will be described below. In the description, a control block diagram of a configuration related to input / output of information in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 is shown in FIG.

  First, as such information input / output control, for example, container ID information that is an example of unique identification information about the reservoir container 1 and the microplate container 2 is read by reading an IC tag provided in each container. Information that is obtained by performing a liquid dispensing process using the dispensing process information obtained based on the container ID information, and further recording the result of the implementation on the IC tag of the container. Handling is possible.

  Specifically, three types of information, library information A, dispensing process information B, and container ID information C, are handled. First, the “library information A” is information on liquids stored and stored in the individual reservoirs 11 of the reservoir container 1. For example, what kind of liquid is stored in which reservoir 11 of which reservoir container 1. It is information whether it is. Next, “dispensing process information B” is information on the type and amount of liquid to be dispensed into each well 21 of the microplate container 2 and is created based on an experimental plan, a screening process plan, and the like. Information. Such library information A and dispensing process information B are examples of container information including the type of liquid to be stored. The “container ID information C” identifies a container read from an IC tag provided in the reservoir container 1 or the microplate container 2 that is actually carried into the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 and handled from other containers. This is unique identification information. Further, such container ID information C is shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, an IC tag 19 which is an example of a container information recording unit provided on the side surface of the reservoir container 1, and FIG. As shown, the IC tag 29 provided on the side surface of the microplate container 2 is readable and recorded. Furthermore, the library information A and the dispensing process information B are stored in a readable manner in a server 50 that is an information storage device that exists separately from the liquid dispensing device 100, for example, and is configured by wire or wireless. The information can be acquired from the control device 9 through the network 51.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 9 of the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 is an example of a container information acquisition unit that acquires container ID information C by reading IC tags 19 and 29 provided in each container. The reader 56 (see FIG. 1), the input / output unit 57 that inputs or outputs information from the server 50 through the network 51 as described above, and the dispensing that controls the dispensing process based on the information thus obtained. And a processing control unit 52. The dispensing process control unit 52 includes an information collation unit 53 that collates the container ID information C obtained through the reader 56 and the library information A obtained through the input / output unit 57, and the library information A that has been collated, and the distribution information. A control program creation unit 54 that creates a control program for the pressure head 6 and a control program for each moving device based on the note processing information B is provided. The control device 9 also includes an input device 58 typified by a monitor 55 for displaying such control information and a control state in a visually recognizable manner and a keyboard for inputting a control instruction to the control device 9. Is provided. The dispensing process control unit 52 includes a pressure head controller 61 that controls the pressure application operation in the pressure head 6, and a head movement device controller 62 that controls the movement operation by the head movement device 7 together with the lifting device 18. The container holding unit moving device 5 is connected to a container holding unit moving device controller 63 for controlling the movement operation of the microplate container 2 and can be controlled based on a control program. It is possible.

  In such a control configuration, the IC tag 29 provided in the microplate container 2 on which the dispensing process is performed is read by the reader 56 to acquire the container ID information C2 of the microplate container 2, and this container ID information C2 Based on the above, the dispensing processing information B for the microplate container 2 is acquired by the input / output unit 57 from the server 50 through the network 51. The information thus acquired is input to the dispensing process control unit 52 and held in a storage unit (not shown) or the like. Further, based on the dispensing process information B, the library information A of the reservoir container 1 containing the required type of liquid is obtained from the server 50 through the network 51 by the input / output unit 57.

  The library information A acquired in this way is input to the dispensing process control unit 52 and displayed on the monitor 55. The operator of the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 refers to the library information A through the monitor 55, selects the reservoir container 1 required for the dispensing process, and places the selected reservoir container 1 on the reservoir container placement. Place on part 3. At this time, by reading the IC tag 19 of the reservoir container 1 with the reader 56, the container ID information C1 of the reservoir container 1 is acquired. The container ID information C1 acquired in this way is input to the dispensing process control unit 52, and the information collating unit 53 stores the container ID information C1 of the reservoir container 1 and the reservoir included in the library information A. Collation with the information (namely, ID information) specifying the container 1 is performed, and it is confirmed that the two match. Note that, when the coincidence between the two is not confirmed, the operator is notified through the monitor 55 that the disagreement is recognized.

  When such collation is performed, based on the library information A and the dispensing process information B, the control program creating unit 54 creates a control program for controlling the respective controllers 61 to 63. Then, based on each control program created in this way, each controller 61-63 is controlled by the dispensing process control part 52, and the dispensing process with respect to the microplate container 2 is performed.

  In the above description, the case where the IC tags 19 and 29 of the respective containers are read through the reader 56 provided in the control device 9 has been described. However, for example, a means for recording information on the IC tag (for example, Further, a dispensing result information output unit) may be further provided so that the dispensing process result information is recorded in the IC tag. For example, in the case where the dispensing process is completed without causing a processing error, information indicating that fact is written in the IC tag 29 of the microplate container 2 so that it can be confirmed in the subsequent experimental process or the like. Alternatively, if a processing error occurs in the dispensing process, information that can identify the well 21 in which the error has occurred and the content of the processing error can be recorded in association with each other. . Such result information of the dispensing process can be created, for example, by providing the dispensing process control unit 52 with a dispensing result information creating unit (not shown). In the above description, the case where an IC tag is used as an example of a container information recording unit has been described. However, such a container information recording unit may be in a form that can read container ID information. Or an ID number may be used.

(Second Embodiment)
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement with another various aspect. For example, the liquid dispensing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a pressure head 206 having a structure different from that of the pressure head 6 included in the liquid dispensing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. However, this is different from the first embodiment. Since the structure is otherwise the same, the pressure head 206 having a different structure will be described below with reference to schematic explanatory views (cross-sectional views) shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the pressure head 206, the reservoir container 1, and the microplate container 2 are aligned for the dispensing process, and FIG. A state of being placed in contact with the top is shown.

  The pressure head 6 according to the first embodiment employs a configuration in which the pressure applying pin 37 is arranged so as to protrude from the lower surface of the head main body 30, and the tip of the pressure applying pin 37 thus protruded is used. Is arranged in the pressure application space S of the reservoir 11 so that pressure is applied to the pressure application space S. In contrast, the pressure head 206 according to the second embodiment is provided with a pressure applying hole 237 on the lower surface of the head main body 230 instead of the pressure applying pin 37 as described above. Through this, pressure is applied.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the head body 230 is provided with a nozzle portion 31 whose opening side end is opened and closed by a valve seat 32, and an outlet side end of the nozzle portion 31. A pressure applying hole 237 that is a through hole formed so as to penetrate to the lower surface of the head main body 230 is provided in the (lower end in the figure). The hole 237 is a hole formed so as to open on the lower surface, and is not formed so as to protrude from the lower surface. In addition, an annular contact portion 38 is provided on the lower surface of the head main body 230 as in the first embodiment. Since the other configuration of the pressure head 206 is the same as that of the pressure head 6 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  In the reservoir container 1, a sheet hole 215 a is formed at a position corresponding to the approximate center of the opening 11 a of the reservoir 11 in the protective sheet 215 disposed so as to cover each reservoir 11. The sheet hole 215a is formed to be, for example, substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the pressure transmitting hole 237 formed in the pressure head 206. However, if the hole diameter of the sheet hole portion 215a is too large, the function of covering the reservoir 11 and protecting the liquid contained therein may be hindered. Is not preferred. The other configuration of the reservoir container 1 and the configuration of the microplate container 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  When performing the liquid dispensing process using the pressurizing head 206 having such a configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressurizing head 206, the reservoir 11 selected in the reservoir container 1, and the microplate. Alignment with the selected well 21 in the container 2 is performed. By performing the alignment in this manner, the pressure transmission hole 237 of the pressure head 206 is positioned above the sheet hole 215 a in the reservoir 11. Next, the pressure head 206 is lowered to bring the annular contact portion 38 into contact with the contacted portion 11 b of the reservoir 11. When contact is made in this way, the lower opening end of the pressure transmission hole 237 is placed in the vicinity of the sheet hole 215a of the protective sheet 215, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, in the valve unit 35, the valve seat 32 is raised and the pressure supply port 42 and the nozzle portion 31 are in communication with each other. As a result, a series of pressure application passages in which the pressure supply pipe 40, the pressure supply port 42, the nozzle part 31, the pressure transmission hole part 237, and the sheet hole part 215 a communicate with each other are connected to the pressure addition space S of the reservoir 11. The pressure that is communicated and transmitted through the pressure supply pipe 40 is added to the pressure applying space S, and a part of the liquid 8 is discharged from the discharge flow path 12, and the liquid to the well 21 is discharged. Dispensing is performed.

  Therefore, even when the pressure application pin 36 that is disposed in a protruding manner is not provided, it is possible to apply pressure to the pressure application space S of the reservoir 11 by providing the pressure application hole 237. It is possible to perform an efficient liquid dispensing that is capable of handling a minute amount dispensing without any contact.

(Third embodiment)
Next, FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the liquid dispensing apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 14, the liquid dispensing apparatus 300 of the third embodiment includes a plurality of pressure heads 306, that is, is multi-channeled, so that the liquid dispensing of the first embodiment is performed. The configuration is different from that of the apparatus 100.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the liquid dispensing apparatus 300 includes four pressurizing heads 306 arranged in a line in the X-axis direction in the figure. It is set to be the same as the number of reservoirs 11 arranged in the X-axis direction. Further, the arrangement intervals of the pressure heads 306 are also set to be the same as the arrangement intervals of the reservoirs 11 in the X-axis direction in the reservoir container 1.

  Since each of the pressurizing heads 306 is provided as described above, the liquid dispensing apparatus 300 can be multi-channeled. For example, in the reservoir container 1, each reservoir 11 in a line in the X-axis direction is arranged. By aligning the respective pressure heads 306 at the same time, the time required for the movement of the pressure heads 306 for alignment can be shortened, and an efficient dispensing process can be performed.

  In particular, as in the third embodiment, when the same number of pressure heads 306 as the number of the reservoirs 11 arranged in the X-axis direction in the reservoir container 1 are provided, the head moving device 307 adds the pressure heads 306. It is possible to eliminate an apparatus (X-axis robot) that moves the pressure head 306 in the X-axis direction shown in the figure, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified and inexpensive.

  Although one form of the present invention has been described through the description of each of the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and can take various forms. For example, as shown in the schematic cross-sectional views of the reservoir container 1 shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the lower end of the discharge channel 412 provided at the bottom of each reservoir 11 is raised from the bottom plate 1b. It can also be formed to protrude. By forming the raised portion 412a raised in this way, for example, the detachability of the discharged droplet from the flow path 412 can be improved, and efficient liquid discharge (dispensing) can be performed. FIG. 15B is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of such a discharge channel 412.

  In addition, an opening / closing valve may be provided in such a discharge flow path 12 to switch between a liquid dischargeable state and a non-dischargeable state. Or the case where a liquid dispensing process is performed by combining and controlling the opening degree of an on-off valve and the pressure added to the space S for pressure addition may be sufficient.

  Further, the number of discharge flow paths 12 formed in each reservoir 11 is not limited to one, and a plurality of discharge flow paths 12 may be formed. It is preferable that only one is formed.

  In addition, the liquid stored in the reservoir 11 passes through the discharge flow path 12, and one or a plurality of liquid droplets are discharged. The size and number of liquid droplets are controlled to control the liquid discharge amount. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case. Instead of such a case, for example, a state in which a plurality of droplets are connected to each other, that is, a liquid is continuously discharged from the discharge flow path 12, and the discharge time is controlled to control the discharge amount. You can also

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which the protective sheet 15 is arranged so as to cover the opening 11a of each reservoir 11 in the reservoir container 1 has been described. A configuration in which the protective sheet 15 is not disposed can also be adopted. This protective sheet 15 is intended to prevent foreign matters from entering the liquid 8 stored in the reservoir 11, and in cases where foreign matters are not a problem or other measures are taken. This is because the protective sheet may not be necessary in such a case.

  Further, in the description of the configuration of the reservoir 11 with reference to FIG. 5, the two are formed integrally with the annular space forming frame portion 14 disposed above the liquid containing recess 13. However, the present invention is not limited only to such a case. Instead of such a case, for example, the space forming frame 14 may be formed on the upper part of the liquid containing recess 13 so as to protrude from the upper surface of the reservoir container. Furthermore, the liquid containing recess 13 and the space forming frame 14 may be formed as separate members, and the two may be connected to each other so that they are integrated.

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where the reservoir 11 of the reservoir container 1 is configured by 4 rows × 6 columns and the well 21 of the microplate container 2 is configured by 8 rows × 12 columns has been described as an example. However, it is possible to arrange a larger number of reservoirs 11 and wells 21 in the respective containers 1 and 2.

  It is to be noted that, by appropriately combining arbitrary embodiments of the various embodiments described above, the effects possessed by them can be produced.

The schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the liquid dispensing apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a model perspective view from the upper surface side of the reservoir container handled with the liquid dispensing apparatus of the said 1st Embodiment, (A) is a figure of the state from which the protective sheet was peeled partially, (B) is a protective sheet The figure of the state by which was arranged. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view from the lower surface side of the reservoir container of FIG. 2, (A) is a state in which a liquid fall prevention plate is removed, and (B) is a state in which a liquid fall prevention plate is equipped. 3A and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of the reservoir container of FIG. 2, in which FIG. 3A is a diagram in a state where a protective sheet and a liquid fall prevention plate are removed, and FIG. The model expanded sectional view of the reservoir in the reservoir container of FIG. The model perspective view of the microplate container handled with the liquid dispensing apparatus of the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic cross section which shows the structure of the pressurization head with which the liquid dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a liquid dispensing process is performed by the pressure head of FIG. 7. The pressure supply system figure in the liquid dispensing apparatus of FIG. The flowchart which shows the flow of the liquid dispensing process by the liquid dispensing apparatus of the said 1st Embodiment. The control block diagram which shows the control structure regarding input / output to information in the liquid dispensing apparatus of the said 1st Embodiment. The schematic cross section which shows the structure of the pressurization head in the liquid dispensing apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a liquid dispensing process is performed by the pressure head of FIG. The model perspective view which shows the structure of the liquid dispensing apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a reservoir container according to a modification of each of the above embodiments, (A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the reservoir container, (B) is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view in which the vicinity of the discharge channel is enlarged.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reservoir container 1a Main body part 1b Bottom plate 2 Microplate container 3 Reservoir container mounting part 4 Microplate container holding part 5 Container holding part moving device 6 Pressurizing head 7 Head moving device 8 Liquid 8a Liquid surface 9 Control device 11 Reservoir 11a Opening Part 11b Contacted part 12 Discharge flow path 13 Liquid storage recess 14 Space forming frame part 15 Protection sheet 16 Liquid fall prevention plate 18 Lifting device 19 IC tag 21 Well 29 IC tag 30 Head body part 31 Nozzle part 32 Valve Seat 33 Plunger 34 Coil 35 Valve unit 37 Pressure application pin 38 Contact part 39 Pressure sensor 50 Server 51 Network 52 Dispensing processing control part 53 Information collation part 54 Control program creation part 56 Reader 57 Input / output part 100 Liquid dispensing device A Library information B Dispensing information C Container ID Information S Space for applying pressure

Claims (12)

In a liquid dispensing apparatus that dispenses a liquid that is an organic solvent into a laboratory container in which a plurality of wells are formed,
A plurality of discharges formed to be capable of discharging the stored liquid from the lower surface of the reservoir individually connected to a plurality of reservoirs that are recesses in which the liquid is stored independently and the bottom of each of the reservoirs In each of the reservoirs, the liquid is stored so that a pressure applying space is formed between the opening of the recess and the liquid surface of the liquid, and the pressure applying space On the other hand, in a state where no pressure is applied, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid while stopping the passage of the liquid to the discharge channel,
By applying pressure to the pressure application space of each reservoir of the liquid storage container without contacting the liquid, the liquid is allowed to pass through the discharge channel and discharged from the reservoir. A pressurizing device,
The pressure can be applied to the pressure applying space by the pressurizing device, and the liquid discharged from the discharge flow path can be dispensed into the well of the experimental container. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising: a storage container holding unit that holds the liquid storage container above the container. In a liquid dispensing apparatus that dispenses a liquid that is an organic solvent into a laboratory container in which a plurality of wells are formed,
A liquid storage recess for storing the liquid independently, and a space forming an independent pressure applying space on the liquid surface of the liquid stored in the recess, disposed in the periphery of the opening in the recess. A plurality of discharge passages that are individually communicated with a plurality of reservoirs having a frame portion and the bottom of each of the reservoirs so that the liquid stored in the recesses can be discharged from the lower surface of the reservoir. In each of the reservoirs, in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid while stopping the passage of the liquid to the discharge channel;
By applying pressure to the pressure application space of each reservoir of the liquid storage container without contacting the liquid, the liquid is allowed to pass through the discharge channel and discharged from the reservoir. A pressurizing device,
The pressure can be applied to the pressure applying space by the pressurizing device, and the liquid discharged from the discharge flow path can be dispensed into the well of the experimental container. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising: a storage container holding unit that holds the liquid storage container above the container. The pressurizing device has a pressure applying passage and a pressure applying portion for applying pressure through the pressure applying passage, and a periphery of the opening of each reservoir of the liquid storage container. A contact portion,
In each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the contact portion of the pressurizing device is brought into contact with the periphery of the opening so that the pressure applying portion is not in contact with the liquid to be stored. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure application passage is disposed in a state where the pressure application passage is communicated with the pressure application space.   The pressurizing device is moved with respect to the liquid storage container held by the storage container holding portion and the holding position thereof is fixed, so that the pressure can be applied to the pressure applying space. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a positioning device that positions the pressure device and the reservoir.   With respect to the liquid storage container that is held by the storage container holding unit and whose holding position is fixed, one in the experimental container is located below one discharge channel in the liquid storage container. 5. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an experimental container holding unit that horizontally moves the experimental container so that the well is positioned.   The laboratory container holder holds the laboratory container in a state of being close to the lower surface of the liquid storage container to the extent that it does not contact the liquid storage container held by the storage container holder. Item 6. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to Item 5.   3. The liquid component according to claim 2, wherein in each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the liquid storage recess and the space forming frame are formed integrally with each other so as to form one recess. Note device.   In each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the passage of the liquid is stopped when no pressure is applied to the pressure applying space, and the liquid is allowed to pass through when the pressure is applied. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the discharge flow path is formed so as to function as an orifice that is discharged from a reservoir. A liquid storage protective sheet is disposed on the upper surface of each reservoir so as to cover the opening of each reservoir of the liquid storage container,
The pressurizing apparatus includes a pressure applying portion that has a pressure applying passage and applies pressure through the pressure applying passage.
In each of the reservoirs of the liquid storage container, the end of the pressure applying part is disposed so as to penetrate the protective sheet in a non-contact state with respect to the liquid to be stored. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pressure applying passage is disposed in communication with the adding space. The pressurizing device includes a pressure detecting unit that detects a pressure of the pressure applying passage in a state of being communicated with the pressure applying space,
The pressure detection information detected by the pressure detection unit is input, and the pressure applied from the pressure addition unit is controlled based on the input pressure detection information, whereby the discharge for each of the reservoirs is controlled. The liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a control device that controls a discharge amount of the liquid from the flow path. The liquid storage container has a container information recording unit in which container information including identification information of the respective reservoirs and information on the type of the liquid to be stored is readable.
The liquid dispensing device is
A container information acquisition unit for acquiring the container information from the container information recording unit of the liquid storage container held in the storage container holding unit;
The positioning device selects one reservoir in the liquid storage container based on the container information acquired by the container information acquisition unit, and positions the pressurizing device and the selected reservoir. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 4, further comprising a control device that controls the liquid. The control device has a dispensing result information creation unit that creates a dispensing result result for the laboratory container from the liquid storage container as dispensing result information,
The liquid dispensing apparatus further includes a dispensing result information output unit that writes the dispensing result information created by the dispensing result information creating unit into the container information recording unit of the liquid storage container. 11. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to 11.

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