Pretreatment apparatus and mass spectrometer equipped with the same apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8926903-B2
Application number	US-200913060164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2009
Priority date	Sep 5, 2008
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

To perform accurate measurement in the analysis of chemical components with low concentration, pretreatment such as concentration and purification of samples is essential. For high-throughput of pretreatment of biological samples, various random clinical testing is encountered, where analytes change from sample to sample. The pretreatment apparatus has a separating agent selectively separating a specific component by allowing a sample solution to flow therethrough. A holding section holds a plurality of housing sections, which house the separating agent therein, and has an endless track. A pressurizing section applies pressure to the housing section in a continuous and random-accessible manner; and an extraction solution receiver mechanism selectively receives an extracted solution from the separating agent housed in the housing section. A mass spectrometer is that can be connected to the pretreatment apparatus. Thus, a large number of specimens can be simultaneously processed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pretreatment apparatus comprising:
a solid-phase extraction cartridge for separating a specific component from a sample solution;
a cartridge holding container for housing the solid phase extraction cartridge;
a cartridge transfer means for holding a plurality of the cartridge holding containers;
a sample solution injection mechanism for injecting the sample solution into a selected one of said plurality of cartridge holding containers;
a reagent injection mechanism for injecting a reagent into said selected one of said plurality of cartridge holding containers;
a pressurizing section for applying pressure to said selected one of the plurality of cartridge holding containers;
a pressure holding section for holding the pressure applied to said selected one of the plurality of cartridge holding containers from the pressurizing section,
an extraction solution receiver mechanism for receipt of the specific component separated from the sample solution by said solid-phase extraction cartridge;
whereby said sample solution injection mechanism, said reagent injection mechanism and said pressurizing section are arranged with respect to said cartridge holding means so that said sample solution injection mechanism, said reagent injection mechanism and said pressurizing section can process and can operate with at least two of said plurality of cartridge holding containers being held by said cartridge transfer means, and
a control section, including a controller configured for simultaneously controlling all parts of the pretreatment apparatus automatically and including controlling at least two of a change of a position of the cartridge transfer means to change a relative position between said cartridge transfer means and said pressurizing section, to change a relative position between said cartridge transfer means and said sample solution injection mechanism, to change a relative position between said cartridge transfer means and said reagent injection mechanism, and a relative position between said cartridge transfer means and said extraction solution receiver mechanism, whereby said at least two of said plurality of said cartridge holding containers to be operated and processed can be simultaneously changed, said control section controller further being configured for controlling the operation of the cartridge transfer means, the sample solution injection mechanism, the reagent injection mechanism and the pressurizing section.

2. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 further including a relative position changing mechanism for changing the relative position between the cartridge transfer means and the pressurizing section.

3. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the pressure holding section comprises a valve lid provided at an upper portion of each cartridge holding container, said valve lid having a one way valve structure, the pressure holding section being shifted by the relative position changing mechanism, and holding pressure in the selected one of the plurality of cartridge holding containers while the pressurizing section does not apply the pressure thereto.

4. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the extraction solution receiver mechanism comprises; a receiver container which receives an extracted sample discharged from the cartridge holding container, a waste container which receives waste discharged from the cartridge holding container, and a waste port which discharges the waste received by the waste container.

5. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the extraction solution receiver mechanism is disposed under the cartridge transfer means and wherein the relative position changing mechanism changes a relative position between the extraction solution receiver mechanism and the cartridge transfer means.

6. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the pressurizing section applies pressure to any cartridge holding container shifted in an action range of the pressurizing section by the relative position changing mechanism which changes a relative position between the pressurizing section and the cartridge holding container.

7. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressurizing section is disposed above the cartridge transfer means and pressurizes the selected cartridge holding container which is positioned under the pressurizing section.

8. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein a plurality of the pressurizing sections are arranged and positioned where the pressurizing sections apply pressure to the cartridge transfer means and are symmetrical with respect to a center of the cartridge transfer means.

9. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the relative position changing mechanism shifts the cartridge transfer means and the extraction solution receiver mechanism in a direction in which they reach a next operational position in the shortest period of time.

10. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a CCD camera is installed outside at least one of the cartridge transfer means and the extraction solution receiver mechanism.

11. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein a position of a receiver container of said extraction solution receiver mechanism for receiving an extraction sample and a waste container for receiving waste are switched in accordance with an amount of the sample solution detected in the receiver container by the CCD camera by rotation of said cartridge transfer means.

12. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing section replacement mechanism for replacing a selected one of the plurality of cartridge holding containers with a new cartridge holding container for each completion of a pretreatment and including a cartridge holding container storage section and a cartridge holding container transfer arm.

13. The pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a separating agent replacement mechanism for replacing a solid-phase extraction cartridge with a new solid-phase extraction cartridge for each completion of a pretreatment and including a solid-phase extraction cartridge storage section and a solid-phase extraction cartridge transfer arm.

14. An analyzer comprising, in addition to the pretreatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
a transporting mechanism for transporting an extraction sample obtained by the pretreatment apparatus to an ionizing section;
wherein the ionizing section ionizes the extraction sample;
a mass spectrometric section for analyzing the extraction sample ionized by the ionizing section; and whereby
the automatic control section automatically controls the operation of the analyzer.

15. The analyzer according to claim 14 ,
wherein a separation column is provided before the ionizing section.

16. The analyzer according to claim 15 ,
wherein a plurality of separation columns, which comprise at least one of reversed-phase columns, normal-phase columns, cation exchange columns and anion exchange columns, and which precede the ionizing section, are multiplexed in a revolver configuration.

Assignees

• Nogami Makoto
• Kanda Katsuhiro
• Waki Izumi
• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Nogami Makoto
• Kanda Katsuhiro
• Waki Izumi

Classifications

• G01N1/405 Primary

  by adsorption or absorption · CPC title

• G01N2030/009

  Extraction · CPC title

• Y10T436/113332

  with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack · CPC title

• Y10T436/114165

  with step of insertion or removal from test line · CPC title

• Y10T436/115831

  Condition or time responsive · CPC title