JP7662495B2 - Cells and cell members - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cell and a cell component used in a measuring device that optically measures the concentration of a substance in a sample.

Apparatuses that use optical techniques to measure the concentration of a specific substance contained in a sample are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a nitrate nitrogen measurement system that determines the nitrate nitrogen concentration based on the attenuation spectrum of soil. The nitrate nitrogen measurement system includes a sample chamber (cell) configured to contain a mixture of soil and an extracting solvent. The sample chamber is optically positioned between the light source and the detector such that light from the light source propagates through the mixture of soil and the extracting solvent to the detector.

JP 2016-75692 A

One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a cell and cell components that are more suitable for measurement than conventional ones.

In order to solve the above problems, a cell according to one aspect of the present invention is a cell that can be attached to a movable body included in a measurement device that includes a movable body capable of attaching a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the movable body, a light-emitting unit that emits test light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit that receives the test light that has passed through the cells, the cell having an opening for receiving the specimen or the reagent, a bottom located on the opposite side to the opening, and a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom, the plurality of side walls including a pair of first side walls opposed to each other in a transmission direction of the test light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit and a pair of second side walls opposed to each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, a boundary portion between the pair of second side walls and the bottom is rounded, and at least one of the plurality of side walls has a step that changes the distance between the pair of first side walls or the distance between the pair of second side walls.
One of the pair of first side walls has a first surface facing the light-emitting section, and the other has a second surface facing the light-receiving section, the step is provided on one of the pair of first side walls, and the step forms a protrusion that protrudes from the first surface or the second surface in the transmission direction, the distance between the pair of first side walls at the protrusion is greater than the distance between the pair of first side walls outside the protrusion, the step extends in a direction from the opening to the bottom, and forms the protrusion from the opening to the bottom, and a pair of the steps are provided to face each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, sandwiching the protrusion. The bottom is generally rounded. A cell member according to one aspect of the present invention is an assembly of the cells, and a plurality of the cells are integrally formed.

A cell according to one aspect of the present invention is a cell that can be attached to a movable body included in a measuring device that includes a movable body capable of attaching a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the movable body, a light-emitting unit that emits test light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit that receives the test light that has passed through the cells. The cell includes an opening for receiving the specimen or the reagent, a bottom located on the opposite side to the opening, and a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom, and the plurality of side walls are configured to prevent the transmission of the test light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit. The cell member according to one aspect of the present invention includes a pair of first side walls facing each other in the transmission direction and a pair of second side walls facing each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, a boundary portion between the pair of second side walls and the bottom is rounded, and at least one of the side walls has a step that changes the distance between the pair of first side walls or the distance between the pair of second side walls, and the step is provided on at least one of the pair of second side walls, and the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step on the opening side is larger than the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step on the bottom side. The bottom is rounded overall. A cell member according to one aspect of the present invention is an assembly of the cells, and a plurality of the cells are integrally formed.

Furthermore, a cell according to one aspect of the present invention is a cell that can be attached to a movable body included in a measuring device that includes a movable body capable of attaching a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the movable body, a light-emitting unit that emits test light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit that receives the test light that has passed through the cells, the cell comprising an opening for receiving the specimen or the reagent, a bottom located on the opposite side to the opening, and a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom, the plurality of side walls being opposed to each other in a transmission direction of the test light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit. The cell member according to one aspect of the present invention includes a pair of first side walls facing each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, and a pair of second side walls facing each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, a boundary portion between the pair of second side walls and the bottom is rounded, and at least one of the side walls has a step that changes the distance between the pair of first side walls or the distance between the pair of second side walls, and a pair of the steps are provided, each step being provided on each of the pair of second side walls, and the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step of the pair of second side walls on the opening side is larger than the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step on the bottom side. The bottom is rounded overall. A cell member according to one aspect of the present invention is an assembly of the cells, and a plurality of the cells are integrally formed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a cell and cell components that are more suitable for measurement than conventional ones.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the measuring device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a turntable included in the measuring device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the shape of a cell member. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of a cell. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another shape of the cell member. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of a cell. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shape of a container for dissolving a reagent. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of a cell. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the measuring device according to the first embodiment with the turntable removed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an arm, a tube, and a nozzle in the measurement device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a storage section, a cleaning section, and a solvent supply section inside the main body. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical system. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the measurement device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of a measuring device with a cell according to a second embodiment attached thereto. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating examples of cell shapes according to a second embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating examples of cell shapes according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of a measuring device with a cell according to a third embodiment attached thereto. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating examples of cell shapes according to a third embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating examples of cell shapes according to a third embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

(Configuration of Measuring Device 1)
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a turntable 3 included in the measuring device 1. The measuring device 1 is a measuring device that optically measures the concentration of a substance in a specimen, for example, a measuring device that measures components of a soil extract. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the measuring device 1 includes a main body 2, a turntable (moving body) 3 that is rotated relative to the main body 2, and a nozzle 13 that injects a liquid (specimen or reagent) into at least one of a plurality of cells 4a and a plurality of cells 5a arranged on the turntable 3.

The multiple cells 4a and 5a are cells that store samples or reagents. The multiple cells 4a and 5a can be attached to the turntable 3. In other words, the multiple cells 4a and 5a can be attached to the turntable 3. Specifically, the multiple cells 4a and 5a are positioned along the outer edge of the circular turntable 3. In other words, the multiple cells 4a and 5a are arranged along an imaginary circle or a part of it.

3 is a perspective view showing the shape of the cell member 4. The cell member 4 is an assembly of a plurality of cells 4a. As shown in FIG. 3, the cell member 4 includes a plurality of cells 4a and a connecting portion 4b that connects the cells 4a. The connecting portion 4b connects the edges of the cells 4a to each other so that the cells 4a can be arranged along the above-mentioned imaginary circle. In other words, the connecting portion 4b is a plate-like member having a shape along the imaginary circle and having a plurality of openings formed therein, and the connecting portion 4b and the cells 4a are connected so that the respective openings coincide with the openings of the cells 4a. The cell member 4 may be integrally formed as a resin molded product. Although the plurality of cells 4a may be formed as individual cells, by forming them integrally as the cell member 4, the removal of the plurality of cells 4a from the turntable 3 becomes efficient. In the example shown in FIG. 1, five cell members 4 each including ten cells 4a are arranged on the turntable 3. However, the number of cells 4a in each cell member 4 and the number of cell members 4 arranged on the turntable 3 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of the cell 4a. In Figure 4, reference numeral 401 is a top view of the cell 4a, and reference numeral 402 is a side view of the cell 4a attached to the turntable 3 when viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in Figure 4, the cell 4a has two opposing side walls 41a, two opposing side walls 41e that are wider than the side walls 41a, and a bottom 41b for the side walls 41a and 41e. The bottom 41b has a convex shape. A flat surface 41d is formed at the tip of the convex shape of the bottom 41b. Therefore, the cell 4a can be stably placed on a stand.

When the cell 4a attached to the turntable 3 is viewed from the center of the turntable 3, the boundary portion between the side wall 41a at the bottom 41b, i.e., the portion between the side wall 41a and the flat surface 41d, is referred to as the boundary portion 41c. The boundary portion 41c is rounded. In other words, the rounded boundary portion 41c is located between the two side walls 41a with the smaller areas of the four side walls 41a and 41e of the cell 4a and the flat surface 41d.

In addition, in the cell 4a, the length of the flat surface 41d projected on a plan view when the sidewall 41e is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the sidewall 41e is not particularly limited, but can be determined arbitrarily within a range of, for example, 50% or less of the distance between the sidewalls 41a. In addition, it is preferable that the curvature of the boundary portion 41c when the sidewall 41e is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the sidewall 41e is 0.5 rad/m or less.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the shape of the cell member 5. The cell member 5 is an assembly of multiple cells 5a. As shown in Figure 5, the cell member 5 includes multiple cells 5a and a connecting portion 5b that connects the cells 5a. The connecting portion 5b connects the edges of the cells 5a to each other so that the cells 5a can be arranged along the above-mentioned imaginary circle. In other words, the connecting portion 5b is a plate-like member that has a shape along the imaginary circle and has multiple openings formed therein, and the connecting portion 5b and the cells 5a are connected so that each opening matches the opening of the cell 5a. The cell member 5 may be integrally formed as a resin molded product. By integrally forming the multiple cells 5a as the cell member 5, the removal of the multiple cells 5a from the turntable 3 becomes efficient. The multiple cells 5a of the cell member 5 may also be formed as individual cells. In addition, the number of cells 5a included in each cell member 5 and the number of cell members 5 arranged on the turntable 3 are not limited to those shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of the cell 5a. In Figure 6, reference numeral 601 is a top view of the cell 5a, and reference numeral 602 is a side view of the cell 5a attached to the turntable 3 when viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in Figure 6, the cell 5a has two opposing side walls 51a, two opposing side walls 51e that are wider than the side walls 51a, and a bottom 51b facing the side walls 51a and the side walls 51e. The bottom 51b has a convex shape. A flat surface 51d is formed at the tip of the convex shape of the bottom 51b. Therefore, the cell 5a can be stably placed on a stand.

When the cell 5a attached to the turntable 3 is viewed from the center of the turntable 3, the boundary portion between the side wall 51a and the bottom 51b, i.e., the portion between the side wall 51a and the flat surface 51d, is referred to as the boundary portion 51c. The boundary portion 51c is rounded. In other words, the rounded boundary portion 51c is located between the two side walls 51a with the smaller areas of the four side walls 51a and 51e of the cell 5a and the flat surface 51d.

The length of the flat surface 51d projected on the plan view when the side wall 51e is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the side wall 51e is not particularly limited, but can be determined arbitrarily within a range of, for example, 50% or less of the distance between the side walls 51a. In addition, it is preferable that the curvature of the boundary portion 51c when the side wall 51e is viewed in a plan view from a direction perpendicular to the side wall 51e is 0.25 rad/m or less.

In general component measurements, a liquid reagent made by dissolving a powder in a solvent is used, as described below. However, depending on the component to be measured, the reagent may be used in powder form rather than being dissolved in a solvent. Cell 5a is a cell that can perform measurements using a powdered reagent. The powdered reagent is preloaded into cell 5a by the user. Cell 5a is made larger than cell 4a to make it easier to load the reagent and to reduce variation in the concentration of the reagent.

The nozzle 13 injects liquid into at least one of the cells 4a and 5a. The nozzle 13 is supported by an arm 11 that serves as a moving mechanism for moving the nozzle 13. The nozzle 13 may be a consumable item and may be replaced as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 2, the turntable 3 has recesses or openings in which multiple cell members 4 and 5 can be placed. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the turntable 3 has an opening 3a in which the cell member 4 can be placed, and an opening 3b in which the cell member 5 can be placed. The cell members 4 and 5 may be consumables and are replaced, for example, for each measurement. Therefore, the cell members 4 and 5 do not need to be considered as components of the measurement device 1.

The measuring device 1 further includes a container 6 including a plurality of cells 6a (compartments) different in size from the plurality of cells 4a and 5a. The container 6 is a container for dissolving a reagent. The cell 6a is larger than the cells 4a and 5a in order to prepare a sufficient amount of reagent to be injected into the plurality of cells 4a and 5a. The turntable 3 includes an opening 3c in which the container 6 can be placed. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the opening 3c is provided so that the outer edge of the opening 3c is aligned with a virtual circle defined by the radially outer outer edges of the openings 3a and 3b. The radially outer outer edge of the opening 3c does not need to coincide with the virtual circle, but only needs to be located inside the virtual circle.

7 is a perspective view showing the shape of the container 6. The container 6 is an assembly of multiple cells 6a. The container 6 is provided with multiple cells 6a along the radial direction of the turntable 3. The container 6 also has a connecting portion 6b that connects the multiple cells 6a. The connecting portion 6b connects the edges of the cells 6a to each other so that the cells 6a can be arranged along the above-mentioned imaginary circle. In other words, the connecting portion 6b is a plate-like member that has a shape that follows the imaginary circle and has multiple openings, and the connecting portion 6b and the cells 6a are connected so that each opening matches the opening of the cell 6a. The container 6 may be integrally formed as a resin molded product. By integrally forming the multiple cells 6a as the container 6, the multiple cells 6a can be efficiently removed from the turntable 3.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the container 6 is provided with two cells 6a along the radial direction of the turntable 3. The reason why multiple cells 6a are provided in the radial direction of the turntable 3 is to efficiently dissolve the reagent. This will be described in detail later. In addition, the container 6 is provided with three pairs of cells 6a along the circumferential direction of the turntable 3. Therefore, six cells 6a are provided in the container 6 in total. The container 6 may be provided with cells 6a equal to or greater than the number of reagents used in the measurement by the measuring device 1. The user may put the reagent in a powder state into each cell 6a before the measurement. During the measurement, the measuring device 1 dissolves the powdered reagent with a solvent (dilution liquid) and uses it for the measurement. The container 6 may be a consumable item like the cell members 4 and 5, and may be replaced as necessary. Therefore, the container 6 does not have to be considered as a component of the measuring device 1.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a specific shape of the cell 6a. In Figure 8, reference numeral 801 is a top view of the cell 6a, and reference numeral 802 is a side view of the cell 6a attached to the turntable 3 when viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in Figure 8, the cell 6a has two opposing side walls 61a, two opposing side walls 61e that are wider than the side walls 61a, and a bottom 61b facing the side walls 61a and the side walls 61e. The bottom 61b has a convex shape. A flat surface 61d is formed at the tip of the convex shape of the bottom 61b. Therefore, the cell 6a can be stably placed on a stand.

When the cell 6a attached to the turntable 3 is viewed from the center of the turntable 3, the boundary portion between the side wall 61a and the bottom 61b, i.e., the portion between the side wall 61a and the flat surface 61d, is referred to as the boundary portion 61c. The boundary portion 61c is rounded. In other words, the rounded boundary portion 61c is located between the two side walls 61a with the smaller areas of the four side walls 61a and 61e of the cell 6a and the flat surface 61d.

The length of the flat surface 61d projected on the plan view when the side wall 61e is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the side wall 61e is not particularly limited, but can be determined arbitrarily within a range of, for example, 50% or less of the distance between the side walls 61a. In addition, it is preferable that the curvature of the boundary portion 61c when the side wall 61e is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the side wall 61e is 0.25 rad/m or less.

The measuring device 1 further includes a plurality of specimen storage sections 7 for storing specimens. The turntable 3 includes a recess 3d in which the plurality of specimen storage sections 7 can be arranged along a concentric circle or a part of a virtual circle defined by the outer edge of the turntable 3. The recess 3d is located inside the openings 3a and 3b in the turntable 3. That is, in the measuring device 1, the cells 4a and 5a are arranged outside the circle formed by the plurality of specimen storage sections 7. The specimen storage sections 7 may be consumables and need not be considered as components of the measuring device 1.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the measuring device 1 with the turntable 3 removed. Figure 9 shows the internal configuration of the main body 2. As shown in Figure 9, the measuring device 1 further includes a rotation mechanism 15, a drive mechanism 16, a pump 17, and a gas ejection unit 18. In Figure 9, the members supporting the internal members of the main body 2 (the drive mechanism 16, the pump 17, the light emitter 21, and the light receiver 22) are omitted.

The rotation mechanism 15 is a mechanism that reciprocates the turntable 3. Specifically, the rotation mechanism 15 causes the turntable 3 to perform a reciprocating rotational motion. The reciprocating rotational motion is a motion that alternates between a rotational motion in a first direction and a rotational motion in a second direction multiple times. The rotation mechanism 15 also rotates the turntable 3 so that any one of the cells 4a, 5a, and 6a is positioned on the arc C.

The nozzle 13 is connected to a pump 17 stored inside the main body 2 via a tube 12. The pump 17 draws and discharges the fluid in the nozzle 13. The pump 17 is, for example, a syringe pump. The arm 11 supporting the nozzle 13 is rotated by a drive mechanism 16 stored inside the main body 2. As a result, the tip of the nozzle 13 moves to describe the arc C shown in FIG. 1. The drive mechanism 16 also moves the arm 11 in the vertical direction. As a result, the tip of the nozzle 13 also moves in the vertical direction.

The arc C intersects with a virtual circle defined by the multiple cells 4a, 5a, and 6a on the turntable 3, and with a virtual circle defined by the multiple specimen storage sections 7. The center of the virtual circle coincides with the center of rotation of the turntable 3. Therefore, by combining the rotation of the turntable 3 with the rotation and up-down movement of the arm 11, the nozzle 13 can aspirate or eject liquid into any of the cells 4a, 5a, and 6a, and the specimen storage sections 7.

The measurement device 1 also includes an optical system 20 for measuring the samples stored in the cells 4a and 5a, which includes a light-emitting unit 21 and a light-receiving unit 22 inside the main body 2. The specific configuration of the optical system 20 will be described later.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the arm 11, tube 12, and nozzle 13 in the measuring device 1. As shown in Figure 10, a connection part 11a to which the tube 12 and nozzle 13 are connected is provided at the tip of the arm 11. Inside the connection part 11a, a passage is provided that connects the tube 12 and the nozzle 13. Therefore, the nozzle 13 can suck in and discharge the sample or reagent by operating the pump 17.

Furthermore, the main body 2 is provided with a liquid storage section 8 that stores the liquid to be supplied to the nozzle 13, and a cleaning section 9 and a cleaning section 10 that clean the inside of the nozzle 13. The cleaning section 10 functions as a liquid receiving section that receives the liquid discharged from the nozzle 13 and cleans the outside of the nozzle 13. The liquid stored in the liquid storage section 8 is, for example, a solvent used for dissolving and liquefying a reagent. The cleaning section 9 and the cleaning section 10 clean the nozzle 13 using the same type of liquid as the solvent. The liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, and the cleaning section 10 are arranged at positions that overlap with a part of the arc C drawn by the tip of the nozzle 13 when the measuring device 1 is viewed in plan in a state in which the nozzle 13 is moved by the arm 11. Therefore, the arm 11 can move the nozzle 13 directly above the liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, and the cleaning section 10, respectively, to suck up the solvent and clean the nozzle 13. The main body 2 is also provided with a solvent supply section 14 that supplies the solvent used to clean the outside of the nozzle 13 in the cleaning section 10.

The measuring device 1 may also include a liquid receiving section that receives the liquid discharged from the nozzle 13, separate from the cleaning section 10. In this case, the liquid receiving section is also positioned at a position that overlaps with a portion of the arc C. Also, the measuring device 1 does not necessarily need to include all of the liquid storage section 8, cleaning section 9, and cleaning section 10, and it is sufficient to include at least one of these.

The liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, and the cleaning section 10 are provided outside the turntable 3. Therefore, the arm 11 can move the nozzle 13 directly above the liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, and the cleaning section 10, respectively, regardless of the rotation of the turntable 3, and can aspirate the solvent and clean the nozzle 13.

(Internal configuration of main body 2)
Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, the cleaning section 10, and the solvent supply section 14 inside the main body 2. However, the positional relationship between the liquid storage section 8, the cleaning section 9, the cleaning section 10, and the solvent supply section 14 in Fig. 11 is shown conceptually, and does not coincide with the positional relationship between them in the measurement device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 11, the liquid storage section 8 stores a solvent that is aspirated by the nozzle 13 for use in dissolving and liquefying the reagent. The cleaning section 9 stores a solvent for cleaning the inside of the nozzle 13.

In addition, a cleaning nozzle 14a that is connected to the solvent supply unit 14 is disposed below the cleaning unit 10. The outside of the nozzle 13 can be cleaned by sucking the solvent supplied from the solvent supply unit 14 with a pump (not shown) and spraying it from the cleaning nozzle 14a onto the nozzle 13 inserted into the cleaning unit 10. For simplicity, only one cleaning nozzle 14a is shown in Figs. 9 and 11. However, the measuring device 1 may be provided with multiple cleaning nozzles 14a that spray cleaning solvent onto the nozzle 13 from multiple different directions.

In addition, below the cleaning unit 10, a gas ejection unit 18 is disposed, which blows gas 18a onto the nozzle 13 inserted into the cleaning unit 10, thereby removing the droplets 13a from the nozzle 13. Furthermore, below the gas ejection unit 18, a container 19 is disposed for containing the liquid discharged from the nozzle 13 and the falling droplets 13a.

(Configuration of the optical system 20)
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of the optical system 20. As described above, the measurement device 1 includes the light emitting unit 21 and the light receiving unit 22 as the optical system 20. The light emitting unit 21 emits the inspection light 23 to at least one of the cells 4a and 5a. The light emitting unit 21 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The light receiving unit 22 receives the inspection light 23 that has passed through the cells 4a and 5a. The light receiving unit 22 is, for example, a photodiode. The measurement device 1 performs the absorption analysis using the intensity of the inspection light 23 emitted from the light emitting unit 21 and the intensity of the inspection light 23 received by the light receiving unit 22. However, the light emitting unit 21 and the light receiving unit 22 are not limited to these.

The cell member 4 has an outer surface 4c located on the outer edge side of the turntable 3. A plurality of cells 4a can be arranged on the turntable 3 so that the outer surfaces 4c are aligned along the outer edge of the turntable 3. Similarly, the cell member 5 and the container 6 also have outer surfaces located on the outer edge side of the turntable 3, and are arranged so that the outer surfaces are aligned along the outer edge of the turntable 3. The same is true for the cells 6a located on the radially outer side of the turntable 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, cell 6a, which is located radially inward of turntable 3, is located closer to the center than cells 4a and 5a. In other words, container 6 protrudes closer to the center of turntable 3 than cells 4a and 5a. For this reason, in optical system 20, a component (light-emitting unit 21) that is located closer to the center of turntable 3 is positioned away from cells 4a and 5a so as not to collide with container 6 due to rotation of turntable 3.

In the measuring device 1, the light emitting unit 21 is provided on the side closer to the center of the turntable 3. The inspection light 23 is emitted in a direction from the side closer to the center of the turntable 3 toward the side farther from the center. The light receiving unit 22 is provided at a position facing the outer surface 4c. As described above, the outer surfaces of the cell members 4 and 5 and the container 6 are arranged so as to be aligned along the outer edge of the turntable 3. Since the width of the container 6 in the radial direction of the turntable 3 is larger than the width of the cell members 4 and 5, when the light receiving unit 22 is arranged on the side closer to the center of the turntable 3, the distance between the light receiving unit 22 and the cells 4a and 5a becomes large. By providing the light receiving unit 22 at a position facing the outer surface, the light receiving unit 22 can be arranged closer to the cells 4a and 5a than when the light receiving unit 22 is provided on the side closer to the center of the turntable 3. Therefore, the ratio of the inspection light 23 transmitted through the cells 4a and 5a to the light receiving unit 22 can be improved. Furthermore, cell members 4, 5 and containers 6 of different sizes can be mounted on a single turntable 3 for measurement, which improves measurement efficiency compared to conventional methods.

In FIG. 12, a stirrer 4d is inserted into the cell 4a. The stirrer 4d is a member that improves the efficiency of stirring when the sample and the reagent are stirred by rocking the cell 4a by the reciprocating rotation of the turntable 3. The stirrer 4d is, for example, a ceramic sphere. In the measurement device 1, even if the stirrer 4d is present in the cell 4a, the positional relationship between the light emitter 21 and the light receiver 22 is specified so that the optical path of the inspection light 23 is not blocked by the stirrer 4d. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the stirrer 4d is located at the bottom of the cell 4a. In contrast, the positional relationship between the light emitter 21 and the light receiver 22 is specified so that the optical path of the inspection light 23 is above the stirrer 4d. Therefore, even if the stirrer 4d is present in the cell 4a, the measurement is not hindered. Stirrers may also be inserted into the cells 5a and 6a.

(Operation of Measuring Device 1)
FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the measuring device 1. The measuring method shown here is merely an example, and a liquid reagent may be used instead of a powdered reagent. Also, only one of the cells 4a and 5a may be used. Also, there is no particular limitation as to which of the specimen and the reagent is injected first into the cell 4a or the cell 5a. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the measuring device 1 first injects the specimen into the cells 4a and 5a (S1). Next, the measuring device 1 adjusts the reagent (S2). Specifically, the measuring device 1 aspirates the solvent from the liquid storage unit 8 by the nozzle 13, and injects the solvent into the cell 6a in which the powdered reagent has been introduced. Furthermore, the measuring device 1 stirs and dissolves the reagent by rocking the cell 6a by the reciprocating rotation of the turntable 3.

As described above, the container 6 has a plurality of cells 6a arranged along the radial direction of the turntable 3. The cells 6a arranged on the outer side in the radial direction move faster with the rotation of the turntable 3 than the cells 6a arranged on the inner side in the radial direction. Therefore, by putting a reagent that is difficult to dissolve in the solvent into the cells 6a arranged on the outer side in the radial direction, the reagent can be efficiently stirred and dissolved in step S2.

The measuring device 1 injects the prepared reagent into the cell 4a (S3). At this time, the measuring device 1 stirs the cell 4a with the reagent injected by rocking it with the reciprocating rotation of the turntable 3. The reciprocating rotation of the turntable 3 in steps S2 and S3 also stirs the specimen injected into the cell 5a with the powdered reagent that was previously placed in the cell 5a. The measuring device 1 moves the cell 4a/5a with the specimen and reagent stirred to a measurement position by the optical system 20 (S4). In this state, the measuring device 1 measures the intensity of the test light 23 that has passed through the specimen in the cell 4a/5a (S5).

In general, if a cell containing a powdered reagent has corners, the reagent may accumulate at those corners. Reagent that accumulates at the corners of the cell is less likely to dissolve in a solvent when the solvent is poured into the cell and stirred.

In contrast, as described above, in the cell 6a, the boundary portion 61c between the side wall 61a and the bottom 61b is rounded. Therefore, when the turntable 3 is rotated back and forth in step S2, the reagent is easily dissolved in the solvent. In addition, in the cell 5a, the boundary portion 51c between the side wall 51a and the bottom 51b is rounded. Therefore, when the turntable 3 is rotated back and forth in step S2, the reagent is easily dissolved in the sample. That is, in the cells 5a and 6a, the powdered reagent is easily dissolved in the solvent or sample. Therefore, compared to the case where the cells 5a and 6a do not have the above-mentioned shape, the possibility that the measurement accuracy will decrease due to the powdered reagent not being sufficiently dissolved in the solvent or sample in step S2 can be reduced, and the measurement accuracy of the measurement device 1 can be improved. That is, the cells 5a and 6a are cells suitable for measurement compared to cells that do not have the above-mentioned shape.

Similarly, the boundary portion 41c of the cell 4a is rounded, so that the sample and the reagent are easily stirred. This reduces the possibility that the measurement accuracy will decrease due to the sample and the reagent not being sufficiently stirred, and improves the measurement accuracy of the measurement device 1.

After dissolving the powdered reagent, the components of the reagent may change over time, or after mixing the sample and reagent, the components of the mixed liquid may change over time. It also takes some time for the powdered reagent to completely dissolve. For this reason, it is preferable to control the operation of the measuring device 1 taking into consideration the time required for dissolving the reagent in cell 6a or cell 5a and the timing of dissolution, the timing of injecting the adjusted reagent into cell 4a, and the timing of measuring cells 4a and 5b.

During operation of the measuring device 1, in a standby state in which the nozzle 13 is not injecting a specimen or a reagent, the tip of the nozzle 13 is located above the cleaning unit 10. Therefore, even if a droplet 13a of a specimen or a reagent adheres to the tip of the nozzle 13, the possibility that the droplet 13a will fall into a cell 4a, 5a, or 6a into which another specimen or reagent has been injected, or into the specimen storage unit 7, is small.

In addition, in the measurement device 1, multiple different types of liquids are aspirated and discharged through the nozzle 13. If multiple types of liquids are mixed, the accuracy of the measurement decreases. For this reason, the nozzle 13 may be cleaned as necessary during the measurement.

When cleaning the nozzle 13, the measuring device 1 first uses the cleaning unit 10 to discharge the liquid remaining inside the nozzle 13 into the container 19 (see FIG. 11) and cleans the outside of the nozzle 13. Next, the measuring device 1 uses the nozzle 13 to aspirate the solvent from the cleaning unit 9. The measuring device 1 agitates the solvent inside the nozzle 13 by oscillating the nozzle 13, and then discharges the solvent into the container 19 in the cleaning unit 10. In this state, the measuring device 1 removes the droplets 13a using the gas ejection unit 18, thereby completing the cleaning. Cleaning the nozzle 13 in this manner prevents the liquids from mixing, enabling highly accurate measurements.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

Figure 14 is a partially enlarged view of the measuring device 1 with the cell members 34 and 35 of the second embodiment attached. In Figure 14, the cell members 34 and 35 are placed on the turntable 3 instead of the cell members 4 and 5. The cell member 34 includes a plurality of cells 42. The cell member 35 includes a plurality of cells 52.

15 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cell 42 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 15, reference numeral 1501 is a top view of the cell 42, and reference numeral 1502 is a side view of the cell 42 mounted on the turntable 3 as viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in FIG. 15, the cell 42 has a first surface 42a and a second surface 42b, which are side surfaces facing each other. The cell 42 also has an opening 42d for receiving a sample or a reagent, and a bottom 42e located on the opposite side to the opening 42d. The bottom 42e is generally rounded. During measurement by the optical system 20, the first surface 42a faces the light-emitting unit 21, and the second surface 42b faces the light-receiving unit 22. The second surface 42b has a protruding portion 42c in which the distance between the first surface 42a and the second surface 42b is larger than other portions , from the opening 42d to the bottom 42e.

16 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cell 52 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 16, reference numeral 1601 is a top view of the cell 52, and reference numeral 1602 is a side view of the cell 52 mounted on the turntable 3 as viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in FIG. 16, the cell 52 has a first surface 52a and a second surface 52b, which are side surfaces facing each other. The cell 52 also has an opening 52d for receiving a sample or a reagent, and a bottom 52e located on the opposite side to the opening 52d. The bottom 52e is generally rounded. During measurement by the optical system 20, the first surface 52a faces the light-emitting unit 21, and the second surface 52b faces the light-receiving unit 22. The second surface 52b has a protruding portion 52c in which the distance between the first surface 52a and the second surface 52b is larger than other portions, from the opening 52d to the bottom 52e of the cell 52.

When measuring the cell 42, the inspection light 23 passes through the protrusion 42c. When measuring the cell 52, the inspection light 23 passes through the protrusion 52c. Therefore, when measuring the cells 42 and 52, the distance that the inspection light 23 passes through the specimen is longer than when measuring a cell that does not have the protrusions 42c and 52c. The longer the distance that the inspection light 23 passes through the specimen, the greater the change in the intensity of the inspection light 23 when the inspection light 23 passes through the specimen. In other words, the effect of disturbances on the inspection light 23 is relatively small. Therefore, according to the cells 42 and 52, the effect of disturbances is reduced, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the measurement device 1. In other words, the cells 42 and 52 are more suitable for measurement than cells that do not have the above-mentioned shape.

Specifically, the distance between the first surface 42a and the second surface 42b of the protrusion 42c is preferably 10 mm or more. The same applies to the distance between the first surface 52a and the second surface 52b of the protrusion 52c. By transmitting the inspection light 23 over such a distance, the measurement accuracy can be sufficiently improved.

In the cell 42, the first surface 42a, rather than the second surface 42b, may have a protruding portion in which the distance between the first surface 42a and the second surface 42b is greater than other locations. Similarly, in the cell 52, the first surface 52a, rather than the second surface 52b, may have a protruding portion in which the distance between the first surface 52a and the second surface 52b is greater than other locations.

[Embodiment 3]
Other embodiments of the present invention are described below.

Figure 17 is a partially enlarged view of the measuring device 1 with the cells 43 and 53 of the third embodiment attached. In Figure 17, cell members 64 and 65 are placed on the turntable 3 instead of the cell members 4 and 5. The cell member 64 includes a plurality of cells 43. The cell member 65 includes a plurality of cells 53.

Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cell 43 according to the third embodiment. In Figure 18, reference numeral 1801 is a top view of the cell 43, and reference numeral 1802 is a side view of the cell 43 mounted on the turntable 3 as viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in Figure 18, the cell 43 has a first surface 43a and a second surface 43b, which are side surfaces facing each other. The first surface 43a faces the light-emitting unit 21, and the second surface 43b faces the light-receiving unit 22. The cell 43 also has a plurality of side surfaces 43c other than the first surface 43a and the second surface 43b, an opening 43e for receiving a sample or a reagent, and a bottom 43f located on the opposite side to the opening 43e. The bottom 43f is generally rounded.

The cell 43 further includes a wide portion 43g in which the distance between the side surfaces 43c is greater than the distance between the side surfaces 43c at the bottom 43f. When the first surface 43a or the second surface 43b is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the first surface 43a or the second surface 43b, a step 43h is formed at the boundary between the wide portion 43g and the bottom 43f, as shown by reference numeral 1802 in FIG. 18. That is, when the first surface 43a or the second surface 43b is viewed in a plane perpendicular to the first surface 43a or the second surface 43b, the distance between the side surfaces 43c at the opening 43e is greater than the distance between the side surfaces 43c at the bottom 43f. Furthermore, when viewed in a plane from the above direction, there are locations where the change in the distance between the side surfaces 43c is discontinuous.

By providing the cell 43 with such a wide portion 43g, the volume of the cell 43 becomes larger than that of a cell that does not have the wide portion 43g. This makes it easier to stir the specimen and reagent injected into the cell 43. This reduces the possibility that the measurement accuracy will decrease due to the specimen and reagent injected into the cell 43 not being sufficiently stirred, and improves the measurement accuracy of the measurement device 1. In other words, the cells 43 and 53 are more suitable for measurement than cells that do not have the above-mentioned shape. Specifically, it is preferable that the distance between the side surfaces 43c on the opening 43e side of the step 43h is increased by 20% or more compared to the distance between the side surfaces 43c on the bottom 43f side of the step 43h.

19 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cell 53 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 19, reference numeral 1901 is a top view of the cell 53, and reference numeral 1902 is a side view of the cell 53 mounted on the turntable 3 as viewed from the center of the turntable 3. As shown in FIG. 19, the cell 53 has a first surface 53a and a second surface 53b which are side surfaces facing each other. The first surface 53a faces the light-emitting unit 21, and the second surface 53b faces the light-receiving unit 22. The cell 53 also has a plurality of side surfaces 53c other than the first surface 53a and the second surface 53b, an opening 53e for receiving a sample or a reagent, and a bottom 53f located on the opposite side to the opening 53e. The bottom 53f is generally rounded.

The cell 53 further includes a wide portion 53g in which the distance between the side surfaces 53c is greater than the distance between the side surfaces 53c at the bottom 53f. When the first surface 53a or the second surface 53b is viewed in a plan view from a direction perpendicular to the first surface 53a or the second surface 53b, a step 53h is formed at the boundary between the wide portion 53g and the bottom 53f, as shown by reference numeral 1902 in FIG. 19. By including the wide portion 53g in the cell 53, the volume of the cell 53 is larger than that of a cell that does not include the wide portion 53g, as in the case of the cell 43, and the sample and reagent injected into the cell 53 are more easily stirred.

The cells 43 and 53 may have protrusions similar to the cells 42 and 52 described in embodiment 2. When the cells 43 and 53 have protrusions, the measurement accuracy of the measuring device 1 can be improved similar to the cells 42 and 52.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments.

1 Measuring device 3 Turntable (moving body)
4a, 5a, 6a, 42, 52, 43, 53 Cell 41a, 51a, 61a Side wall 41b, 43f, 51b, 53f, 61b Bottom 41c, 51c, 61c Boundary part 41d, 51d, 61d Flat surface 42c, 52c Projection part 43c, 53c Side surface 43g, 53g wide part 43h, 53h step 21 light emitting part 22 light receiving part

Claims (5)

A measuring device including a moving body capable of mounting a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the moving body, a light-emitting unit for emitting an inspection light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit for receiving the inspection light transmitted through the cell, the measuring device including a cell that can be mounted on the moving body,
an opening for receiving the sample or the reagent;
a bottom portion located on the opposite side of the opening;
a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom;
the plurality of side walls include a pair of first side walls opposed to each other in a transmission direction of the inspection light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit, and a pair of second side walls opposed to each other in a direction different from the transmission direction,
Boundaries between the pair of second side walls and the bottom are rounded,
At least one of the plurality of side walls has a step that changes a distance between the pair of first side walls or a distance between the pair of second side walls,
one of the pair of first side walls has a first surface facing the light-emitting portion, and the other has a second surface facing the light-receiving portion;
the step is provided on one of the pair of first side walls, and the step forms a protruding portion that protrudes in the transmission direction from the first surface or the second surface,
a distance between the pair of first side walls in the protruding portion is greater than a distance between the pair of first side walls outside the protruding portion,
the step extends in a direction from the opening to the bottom, forming the protrusion from the opening to the bottom,
The step is provided as a pair of cells facing each other in a direction different from the transmission direction, with the protrusion therebetween. A measuring device including a moving body capable of mounting a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the moving body, a light-emitting unit for emitting an inspection light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit for receiving the inspection light transmitted through the cell, the measuring device including a cell that can be mounted on the moving body,
an opening for receiving the sample or the reagent;
a bottom portion located on the opposite side of the opening;
a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom;
the plurality of side walls include a pair of first side walls opposed to each other in a transmission direction of the inspection light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit, and a pair of second side walls opposed to each other in a direction different from the transmission direction,
Boundaries between the pair of second side walls and the bottom are rounded,
At least one of the plurality of side walls has a step that changes a distance between the pair of first side walls or a distance between the pair of second side walls,
the step is provided on at least one of the pair of second side walls,
A cell in which the distance between the pair of second side walls on the opening side from the step is greater than the distance between the pair of second side walls on the bottom side from the step. A measuring device including a moving body capable of mounting a plurality of cells for storing a specimen or a reagent, a drive mechanism for reciprocating the moving body, a light-emitting unit for emitting an inspection light to at least one of the plurality of cells, and a light-receiving unit for receiving the inspection light transmitted through the cell, the measuring device including a cell that can be mounted on the moving body,
an opening for receiving the sample or the reagent;
a bottom portion located on the opposite side of the opening;
a plurality of side walls provided between the opening and the bottom;
the plurality of side walls include a pair of first side walls opposed to each other in a transmission direction of the inspection light from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit, and a pair of second side walls opposed to each other in a direction different from the transmission direction,
Boundaries between the pair of second side walls and the bottom are rounded,
At least one of the plurality of side walls has a step that changes a distance between the pair of first side walls or a distance between the pair of second side walls,
a pair of steps are provided, each of the steps being provided on each of the pair of second side walls;
A cell in which the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step of the pair of second side walls on the opening side is greater than the distance between the pair of second side walls from the step on the bottom side. 4. The cell of claim 1, wherein the base is generally rounded. A cell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A cell member in which a plurality of the cells are integrally formed.

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