Sampling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829498-B2
Application number	US-201514693228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A piercer washing port is provided at a position on the trajectory of a piercer differing from the sampling position. The piercer washing port is cylindrically shaped and has an opening for inserting the piercer in the upper surface and a washing space for housing the piercer inserted from the opening. Air injection ports for injecting air and washing liquid expelling ports for expelling water serving as a washing liquid are provided on the inside wall surface of the piercer washing port. The air injection ports are provided at four locations equally spaced on the periphery along the inside wall surface of the washing space. The washing liquid expelling ports 44 are provided at four locations equally spaced on the periphery along the inside wall surface of the washing space at different positions than those of the air injection ports.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A sampling device comprising:
a probe disposed in a perpendicular orientation so as to aspirate and expel a liquid;
a piercer serving as a cylindrical member inside which the probe can pass, the tip thereof having a pointed end shape so that a cap sealing the upper surface of a sample container inside which a sample is housed is perforated by the tip;
a probe driving mechanism for driving the probe in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer driving mechanism for driving the piercer in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer washing port provided at a position to which the piercer can move, the position differing from the position at which the piercer executes the perforation operation of the cap on the upper surface of the sample container, the piercer washing port having an opening in the upper surface and a washing space for washing the piercer inserted from the opening, and a washing liquid discharge channel for discharging the washing liquid being connected beneath the washing space;
a washing liquid expelling mechanism provided on the piercer washing port so as to simultaneously expel the washing liquid from a plurality of washing liquid expelling ports disposed at equal spaces on the periphery along the inside wall surface of the washing space to the piercer inserted into the washing space; and
a controller for controlling the operations of the probe driving mechanism, the piercer driving mechanism, and the washing liquid expelling mechanism, the controller being equipped with a piercer outside surface washer for executing a piercer outside surface washing operation to expel the washing liquid from the washing liquid discharge mechanism in a state in which the piercer is disposed inside the washing space,
wherein the piercer outside surface washing operation is performed by moving the piercer in the vertical direction while forming a film consisting of the washing liquid in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the piercer so that the film formation range covers the washing range of the outer peripheral surface of the piercer.

2. The sampling device according to claim 1 , wherein the washing liquid expelling mechanism is configured to expel a washing liquid diagonally downward from the washing liquid expelling port.

3. A sampling device comprising:
a probe disposed in a perpendicular orientation so as to aspirate and expel a liquid;
a piercer serving as a cylindrical member inside which the probe can pass, the tip thereof having a pointed end shape so that a cap sealing the upper surface of a sample container inside which a sample is housed is perforated by the tip;
a probe driving mechanism for driving the probe in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer driving mechanism for driving the piercer in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer washing port provided at a position to which the piercer can move, the position differing from the position at which the piercer executes the perforation operation of the cap on the upper surface of the sample container, the piercer washing port having an opening in the upper surface and a washing space for washing the piercer inserted from the opening, and a washing liquid discharge channel for discharging the washing liquid being connected beneath the washing space;
a washing liquid expelling mechanism provided on the piercer washing port so as to simultaneously expel the washing liquid from a plurality of washing liquid expelling ports disposed at equal spaces on the periphery along the inside wall surface of the washing space to the piercer inserted into the washing space; and
a controller for controlling the operations of the probe driving mechanism, the piercer driving mechanism, and the washing liquid expelling mechanism, the controller being equipped with a piercer outside surface washer for executing a piercer outside surface washing operation to expel the washing liquid from the washing liquid discharge mechanism in a state in which the piercer is disposed inside the washing space, wherein the piercer washing port is further equipped with an air injection mechanism for blowing air onto the piercer housed in the washing space from the periphery thereof; and
the controller is further equipped with a piercer outside surface dryer for executing a piercer outside surface drying operation of blowing air onto the piercer from the air injection mechanism.

4. The sampling device according to claim 3 wherein the air injection mechanism is configured so as to blow air onto the piercer in a diagonally downward direction.

5. A sampling device comprising:
a probe disposed in a perpendicular orientation so as to aspirate and discharge a liquid;
a piercer serving as a cylindrical member inside which the probe can pass, the tip thereof having a pointed end shape so that a cap sealing the upper surface of a sample container inside which a sample is housed is perforated by the tip;
a probe driving mechanism for driving the probe in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer driving mechanism provided as a separate mechanism from the probe driving mechanism so as to drive the piercer in the horizontal plane direction and in the vertical direction;
a piercer washing nozzle positioned above the piercer so as to be able to expel a washing liquid into the piercer;
a washing liquid discharge port for discharging the washing liquid expelled from the piercer washing nozzle; and
a controller for controlling the operations of the probe driving mechanism, the piercer driving mechanism, and the piercer washing nozzle, the controller having a piercer inside surface washer for executing a piercer inside surface washing operation to expel the washing liquid from the piercer washing nozzle toward the inside of the piercer in a state in which the piercer is disposed inside the washing liquid discharge port and the piercer washing nozzle is disposed above the piercer.

6. The sampling device according to claim 5 , wherein the device is further equipped with a washing port provided at a position to which the piercer can move, the position differing from the position at which the piercer executes the perforation operation of the cap on the upper surface of the sample container;
the washing port has an opening in the upper surface and a washing space for washing the piercer inserted from the opening, and a washing liquid discharge channel for discharging the washing liquid is connected beneath the washing space so as to serve as the washing liquid discharge port;
a washing liquid expelling mechanism is provided on the piercer washing port so as to simultaneously expel the washing liquid from a plurality of washing liquid expelling ports disposed at equal spaces on the periphery along the inside wall surface of the washing space to the piercer inserted into the washing space and to thereby form a film consisting of the washing liquid in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the piercer; and
the controller is further equipped with a piercer outside surface washer for executing a piercer outside surface washing operation to expel the washing liquid from the washing liquid discharge mechanism in a state in which the piercer is disposed inside the washing space.

7. The sampling device according to claim 6 , wherein the piercer outside surface washing operation is performed by moving the piercer in the vertical direction while forming a film consisting of the washing liquid in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the piercer so that the film formation range covers the washing range of the outer peri

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• ONOKI Takanori
• Bamba Akiko
• Otsuki Hiroyuki
• Ide Shoji

Classifications

• G01N35/1011

  Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device · CPC title

• G01N35/1004 Primary

  Cleaning sample transfer devices · CPC title

• G01N35/1079

  with means for piercing stoppers or septums · CPC title