Preprocessing kit, preprocessing apparatus using said preprocessing kit to preprocess sample, and analysis system provided with said preprocessing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473630-B2
Application number	US-201415327250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A preprocessing kit includes a separation device, a collecting container, and a skirt part. The skirt part is integrated with the separation device, and is provided to surround an outer circumferential surface of the separation device with a clearance being left from the outer circumferential surface so that a space having a closed upper side and an open lower side is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the separation device and the skirt part. The skirt part is provided in such a way that a lower end of the skirt part comes into intimate contact with a peripheral surface of an opening of the recess part when the collecting container containing the lower end of the separation device is fitted into the recess part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A preprocessing apparatus comprising:
a preprocessing kit comprising:
a cylindrical separation device having an internal space which is upwardly open, the cylindrical separation device including a separation layer which allows a sample to penetrate and separates a specific component in the sample from the sample, in the internal space, and including an extraction outlet for extracting the sample penetrating the separation layer, in a lower end;
a collecting container having an opening which is upwardly open, and is attachable to and detachable from the separation device by insertion of a lower portion of the separation device into the opening, the collecting container having an internal space in which the sample extracted to be provided from the extraction outlet of the separation device is collected, and the collecting container being fitted into a recess part forming a filtration port for performing extraction processing on a sample with the lower end of the separation device being contained in the internal space; and
a skirt part which is integrated with the separation device and is provided so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the separation device with a clearance being left from the outer circumferential surface so that a space having a closed upper side and an open lower side is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the separation device and the skirt part, the skirt part being provided in such a way that a lower end of the skirt part comes into intimate contact with a peripheral surface of an opening of the recess part when the collecting container containing the lower end of the separation device is fitted into the recess part;

a carrying mechanism which includes a holding part holding the separation device and/or collecting container of the preprocessing kit, and moves the holding part, to carry the separation device and/or the collecting container;
a filtration part having an inner diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the collecting container, the filtration part including at least one filtration port which includes a recess part in which the collecting container containing a lower end of the separation device is contained with a clearance being left from an outer circumferential surface of the collecting container, in a position along a track of the holding part, and including a pressure applying part which causes a negative pressure to be maintained in the at least one filtration port where the preprocessing kit is set;
a dispensation port for setting the separation device to which a sample or a reagent is to be dispensed;
a stirring port which holds the separation device containing the sample or the reagent, and causes the separation device to periodically move in a horizontal plane so that stirring occurs in the separation device, wherein
the dispensation port and the stirring port are provided in positions along a circumferential track which is made by the holding part along with the rotations of the carrying arm; and
a controller which controls operations of the carrying mechanism and the pressure applying part, the controller including a preprocessing means which is configured to set the separation device containing a sample to be subjected to filtration processing and the collecting container for collecting an extracted sample provided from the separation device in the filtration port, and to perform extraction processing on a sample in the filtration port while causing a negative pressure to be maintained in the filtration port.

2. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a collecting-container holding member which comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the collecting container to elastically deform in a direction perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface when the collecting container is fitted into the filtration port, and uniformly presses the outer circumferential surface of the collecting container from a periphery of the collecting container to hold the collecting container in a central portion of the filtration port, the collecting-container holding member being provided in an inner side surface of the filtration port.

3. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the collecting-container holding member includes plate springs provided in plural positions which are circumferentially arranged and evenly spaced from each other in the inner side surface of the at least one filtration port.

4. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a sealing member formed of an elastic material which enhances adherence to a lower end of the skirt part of the preprocessing kit, in a portion which surrounds an opening of the recess part forming the at least one filtration port and comes into contact with the lower end of the skirt part.

5. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the holding part of the carrying mechanism is configured to press the separation device after setting the separation device and the collecting container in the at least one filtration port.

6. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one filtration port includes a plurality of the filtration ports,
the pressure applying part is configured to make a pressure in each of the filtration ports, negative, and the controller is configured to control a state of filtration processing in the filtration ports and availability of each of the filtration ports; and a random access means which is configured to check availability of the filtration ports when a sample to be subjected to filtration processing is provided, and set the separation device containing the sample and the collecting container collecting an extract of the sample in an available filtration port when there is any available filtration port.

7. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the carrying mechanism is a carrying arm which horizontally extends, has a base end which is pivotally supported by a shaft extending vertically, and is configured to rotate about the shaft in a horizontal plane and vertically move along the shaft
the at least one filtration port includes a plurality of filtration ports which are provided in positions along the circumferential track which is made by the holding part along with rotation of the carrying arm.

8. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising
a temperature adjustment port which contains the separation device or the collecting container containing a sample, and adjusts a temperature of the separation device or the collecting container at a certain temperature, the temperature adjustment port being provided in a position along the circumferential track which is made by the holding part along with rotation of the carrying arm.

9. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a disposal port for disposing of the separation device or the collecting container which is used, the disposal port being provided in a position along the circumferential track which is made by the holding part along with rotation of the carrying arm.

10. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a notch which is upwardly open is provided at an edge of an opening in an upper portion of the collecting container.

11. The preprocessing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the separation layer includes a deproteinizing filter for removing protein in a sample, or a deproteinizing filter and a prefilter which is provided above the deproteinizing filter and prevents clogging in the deproteinizing filter.

12. The prepr

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Hanafusa Nobuhiro
• Kitamura Kenichi

Classifications

• G01N30/00

  Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography {or field flow fractionation} (G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00, G01N29/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• C12M1/00

  Apparatus for enzymology or microbiology · CPC title

• G01N2035/00485

  combined with sample carriers · CPC title

• G01N2001/4088

  filtration · CPC title

• G01N35/04

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title