Washing/drying apparatus, screening apparatus, washing/drying method, and screening method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429402-B2
Application number	US-201415039766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

There is a possibility that an arrangement of a cleaning device and a drying device may result in an inefficient usage of a space for an installation. A cleaning and drying apparatus 30 for a plate including a biochip is provided with: a cleaning device 310 that is configured to clean the plate 60 ; and a drying device 320 that is configured to dry the plate 60 , the drying device 320 is arranged above the cleaning device 310.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning and drying apparatus for a plate having a biochip, the cleaning and drying apparatus comprising:
a cleaner that is configured to clean the plate in an upright condition;
a dryer that is configured to dry the plate in an upright condition, the dryer being arranged above the cleaner; and
a rotational operator that is configured to rotate the uncleaned plate in a horizontal condition to an upright condition and then to rotate the dried plate in an upright condition to a horizontal condition again.

2. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a transporter that is configured to upwardly transport the plate cleaned by the cleaner to the dryer.

3. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the transporter is configured to downwardly transport the uncleaned plate to the cleaner while allowing the uncleaned plate to pass through the dryer.

4. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the transporter is configured to transport the plate in a vertical direction from the cleaner to the dryer at an upper side.

5. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the dryer is arranged above the cleaner in a vertical direction.

6. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the cleaner is configured to clean both surfaces of the plate,
the dryer is configured to dry both surfaces of the plate.

7. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a circulator that is configured to filter exhaust air from the dryer to allow the exhaust air to be reused for the drying.

8. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a waste solution storage below the cleaner.

9. The cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a cleaning position in the cleaner is a position that is displaced in a horizontal direction from a drying position in the dryer.

10. A screening apparatus for a biochip, the screening apparatus comprising:
the cleaning and drying apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a dispenser configured to dispense, in a plate having the biochip, a specimen containing a target that is able to react specifically to a biomolecule fixed on the biochip; and
a detector that is configured to detect affinity between the target and the biomolecule.

11. The screening apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a transporter configured to transport the plate from the dispenser to the cleaning and drying apparatus in a horizontal direction and to transport the plate from the cleaning and drying apparatus to the detector in a horizontal direction.

12. The screening apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the transporter is configured to transport the plate in a horizontal condition from the dispenser to the cleaning and drying apparatus in a horizontal direction and to transport the plate in a horizontal condition from the cleaning and drying apparatus to the detector in a horizontal direction.

13. A cleaning and drying method for a plate having a biochip, the cleaning and drying method comprising:
performing, by a cleaning and drying apparatus, operations including:
transporting the plate to a cleaning position;
cleaning the plate at the cleaning position;
transporting the cleaned plate to a drying position that is located above the cleaning position;
drying the plate at the drying position;
rotating the uncleaned plate in a horizontal condition to an upright condition by using a rotational operator; and
rotating the dried plate in an upright condition to a horizontal condition again by using the rotational operator,
wherein the rotational operator is configured to rotate the uncleaned plate in a horizontal condition to an upright condition and then to rotate the dried plate in an upright condition to a horizontal condition.

14. The cleaning and drying method according to claim 13 , wherein
the transporting the plate to the cleaning position includes transporting the plate in a upright condition to the cleaning position,
the cleaning the plate at the cleaning position includes cleaning the plate in a upright condition,
the transporting the cleaned plate to the drying position that is located above the cleaning position includes transporting the plate in a upright condition to the drying position, and
the drying the plate at the drying position includes drying the plate in an upright condition.

15. The cleaning and drying method according to claim 13 , wherein
the transporting the plate to the cleaning position includes downwardly transporting the plate to the cleaning position while allowing the plate to pass through the drying position.

16. The cleaning and drying method according to claim 13 , wherein
the cleaning the plate at the cleaning position includes cleaning both surfaces of the plate,
the drying the plate at the drying position includes drying both surfaces of the plate.

17. A screening method using a plate having a biochip, the screening method comprising:
dispensing, in a plate having a biochip, a specimen containing a target that is able to react specifically to a biomolecule fixed on the biochip, in a dispenser;
performing the cleaning and drying method according to claim 13 in the cleaning and drying apparatus; and
detecting an affinity between the target and the biomolecule in a detector.

18. The screening method according to claim 17 comprising:
transporting the dispensed plate from the dispenser to the cleaning and drying apparatus in a horizontal direction; and
transporting the cleaned and dried plate from the cleaning and drying apparatus to the detector in a horizontal direction.

19. The screening method according to claim 18 , wherein
the dispensed plate in a horizontal condition is transported from the dispenser to the cleaning and drying apparatus in a horizontal direction, and
the cleaned and dried plate in a horizontal condition is transported from the cleaning and drying apparatus to the detector in a horizontal direction.

Assignees

• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Isami Tadao
• Hamashima Muneki
• Ueda Takehiko

Classifications

• B01L13/02

  for receptacle or instruments · CPC title

• G01N35/1002

  Reagent dispensers · CPC title

• G01N2035/0437

  Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels · CPC title

• G01N2035/00158

  Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip" · CPC title

• B01L2300/0829

  Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates · CPC title