Solution jetting device and method of controlling jet of solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11090645-B2
Application number	US-201816118467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A solution jetting device includes: a cylindrical member; a movable member that is movably fitted to a hollow portion of the cylindrical member; a first drive mechanism that moves the movable member; a first flow passage that connects a solution container, in which a solution containing a biological sample or containing a reagent to be reacted with a biological sample is contained, to the hollow portion; an openable and closable first on-off valve that is provided on the first flow passage; a jetting tool that jets the solution to an objective region; a second flow passage that connects the hollow portion to the jetting tool; an openable and closable second on-off valve that is provided on the second flow passage; a second drive mechanism as defined herein; and a control unit as defined herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solution jetting device comprising:
a cylindrical member;
a movable member that is movably fitted to a hollow portion of the cylindrical member;
a first drive mechanism that moves the movable member;
a first flow passage that connects a solution container, in which a solution comprising a biological sample or comprising a reagent to be reacted with a biological sample is contained, to the hollow portion;
an openable and closable first on-off valve that is provided on the first flow passage;
a jetting tool that jets the solution to an objective region;
a second flow passage that connects the hollow portion to the jetting tool;
an openable and closable second on-off valve that is provided on the second flow passage;
a second drive mechanism that moves an end face, which includes an outlet for the solution, of the jetting tool in a direction of gravity;
a detector configured to detect a distance between the end face of the jetting tool and a liquid level surface of the jetted solution in the objective region in the direction of gravity; and
a processor configured to control the jetting tool to jet the solution to the objective region by performing first control, second control and third control in this order, wherein the processor performs the first control for sucking the solution into the hollow portion from the solution container by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is opened and the second on-off valve is closed, performs the second control for discharging a part of the solution, which is present in the hollow portion, to the first flow passage by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism, and performs the third control for discharging another part of the solution, which is present in the hollow portion, to the second flow passage by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is closed and the second on-off valve is opened,
wherein the processor is configured to control the jetting tool to complete the jetting of the solution to the objective region in a state in which the end face, which includes the outlet for the solution, of the jetting tool is positioned in the solution jetted to the objective region, and the detected distance is in a range of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

2. The solution jetting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a moving distance of the movable member, which is moved in the second control by the processor, is in a range of 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm.

3. The solution jetting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor performs the third control to control an amount of the solution to be jetted to the objective region to be in a range of 5 ml or less.

4. The solution jetting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the end face of the jetting tool has a shape of a square of which a length of one side is 0.5 mm or more and less than 2.0 mm or has a shape of a circle of which a diameter is 0.5 mm or more and less than 2.0 mm.

5. A solution jetting device comprising:
a cylindrical member;
a movable member that is movably fitted to a hollow portion of the cylindrical member;
a first drive mechanism that moves the movable member;
a first flow passage that connects a solution container, in which a solution comprising a biological sample or comprising a reagent to be reacted with a biological sample is contained, to the hollow portion;
an openable and closable first on-off valve that is provided on the first flow passage;
a jetting tool that jets the solution to an objective region;
a second flow passage that connects the hollow portion to the jetting tool;
an openable and closable second on-off valve that is provided on the second flow passage;
a second drive mechanism that moves an end face, which includes an outlet for the solution, of the jetting tool in a direction of gravity;
a detector configured to detect a distance between the end face of the jetting tool and a liquid level surface of the jetted solution in the objective region in the direction of gravity; and
a processor configured to control the jetting tool to jet the solution to the objective region by performing first control, second control and third control in this order, wherein the processor performs the first control for sucking a residual of the solution, which remains on the end face of the jetting tool from a previous jetting, toward the hollow portion through the second flow passage by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is closed and the second on-off valve is opened, performs the second control for sucking the solution into the hollow portion from the solution container by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is opened and the second on-off valve is closed, and performs the third control for discharging the solution, which is present in the hollow portion, to the second flow passage by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is closed and the second on-off valve is opened,
wherein the processor is configured to control the jetting tool to complete the jetting of the solution to the objective region in a state in which the end face, which includes the outlet for the solution, of the jetting tool is positioned in the solution jetted to the objective region, and the detected distance is in a range of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

6. The solution jetting device according to claim 5 ,
wherein a moving distance of the movable member, which is moved in the first control by the processor, is in a range of 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm.

7. The solution jetting device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the processor performs the third control to control an amount of the solution to be jetted to the objective region to be in a range of 5 ml or less.

8. The solution jetting device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the end face of the jetting tool has a shape of a square of which a length of one side is 0.5 mm or more and less than 2.0 mm or has a shape of a circle of which a diameter is 0.5 mm or more and less than 2.0 mm.

9. A method to control jetting of a solution by a device comprising a cylindrical member, a movable member that is movably fitted to a hollow portion of the cylindrical member, a first drive mechanism that moves the movable member, a first flow passage that connects a solution container, in which a solution comprising a biological sample or comprising a reagent to be reacted with a biological sample is contained, to the hollow portion, an openable and closable first on-off valve that is provided on the first flow passage, a jetting tool that jets the solution to an objective region, a second flow passage that connects the hollow portion to the jetting tool, an openable and closable second on-off valve that is provided on the second flow passage, a second drive mechanism that moves an end face, which includes an outlet for the solution, of the jetting tool in a direction of gravity, and a detector configured to detect a distance between the end face of the jetting tool and a liquid level surface of the jetted solution in the objective region in the direction of gravity, the method comprising:
a first step of sucking the solution into the hollow portion from the solution container by moving the movable member through the first drive mechanism in a state in which the first on-off valve is opened and the second on-off valve is closed;
a second step of discharging a part of the solution, which is present in the hollow portion, to the first flow passage by moving the movable member through the f

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Nishida Shoji

Classifications

• G01N35/1016 Primary

  Control of the volume dispensed or introduced · CPC title

• G01N2035/0437

  Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels · CPC title

• B01L2400/0666

  Solenoid valves · CPC title

• G01N2035/00435

  Refrigerated reagent storage · CPC title

• G01N2035/0444

  for cuvettes or reaction vessels · CPC title