Abstract
A device and a method for taking up and handling a liquid sample and a substance are described. The device has a sample unit and a substance container. The substance container has a reservoir which is designed to keep a substance in the reservoir. The reservoir also has an opening which is closed by a sealing film or sealing plate so that substance kept in the reservoir is sealed with respect to the surroundings. The sample unit is equipped with a sample taker which is designed to take up and hold a liquid sample. It also has an opener which is designed to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the reservoir and to lift the sealing film or sealing plate from the opening.
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A device for taking up and handling a liquid sample and a substance having a sample unit and a substance container, in which the substance container has a reservoir that is configured to store a substance in the reservoir; the reservoir has an opening that is closed by a sealing film or a sealing plate so that the substance is sealed toward the environment in the reservoir; the sample unit has a sampler and an opener; the sampler is configured to take up and hold a liquid sample; the opener is configured to be at least partially introduced into the opening of the reservoir and to raise the sealing film or sealing plate from the opening, wherein a surface of the opener that is arranged in the direction of the sealing film or sealing plate and that is introduced into the opening and raises the sealing film or sealing plate from the opening is configured such that the surface is aligned at an oblique angle to the surface of the sealing film or sealing plate on contact with the sealing film or sealing plate and raises the sealing film or sealing plate successively from the opening on the introduction into the opening so that an outlet is formed in the sealing film or sealing plate through which the substance exits the reservoir and is miscible with the sample of the sampler.
16. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the surface of the opener that is introduced into the opening and that raises the sealing film or sealing plate from the opening is configured to raise the sealing film or sealing plate successively starting from the margin of the opening.
17. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener has a tip, a pricker, a piercer, and/or a cutting edge that cuts the sealing film or sealing plate on contact with the sealing film or sealing plate.
18. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener is formed as complementary with the opening of the reservoir.
19. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener has at least one passage and/or at least one outlet opening through which the substance exits the reservoir on the raising of the sealing film or sealing plate.
20. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener has an outer contour and/or outer edge that is/are shaped such that, on the introduction of the opener into the opening, a gap is formed between the outer contour and/or outer edge of the opener and a side wall of the opening and/or inner wall of the reservoir in which the sealing film or sealing plate is fixed.
21. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener is formed as a hollow cylinder chamfered at one side.
22. The device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the opener is connected to the sampler via webs.
23. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the opener is formed as a ring that is connected to the sampler via webs.
24. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the substance container is fastenable to the sample unit and is configured to introduce the opener into the opening via a compressive movement and/or rotational movement at the sample unit or at the substance container and to raise the sealing film or sealing plate from the opening.
25. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the sample unit has a connection point at which a container is fastenable that surrounds the sampler and the opening of the reservoir.
26. The device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the substance container has a plurality of reservoirs and the sample unit has a plurality of openers.
27. The device in accordance with claim 26, wherein the openers have different lengths so that the sealing films or sealing plates of the reservoirs are opened after one another on the introduction of the openers into the openings of the reservoirs.
28. A method of taking up and handling a liquid sample and a substance having a device in accordance with claim 15, in which the liquid sample is taken up by the sampler of the sample unit; the opener of the sample unit is introduced into the opening of the reservoir of the substance container; and the opener raises the sealing film or sealing plate by which the opening of the reservoir is closed from the opening so that the outlet is formed through which the substance exits the reservoir and is miscible with the sample of the sampler.
Description
[0034] Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and will be explained in the following with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.
[0035] There are shown:
[0036] FIG. 1 in a schematic side view, an example of a device in accordance with the invention;
[0037] FIG. 2 in a view corresponding to FIG. 1, an example of a device in accordance with the invention in accordance with a possible use;
[0038] FIG. 3 in a schematic side view, a partial sectional view of a further example of a device in accordance with the invention;
[0039] FIG. 4 in a view corresponding to the lower part of FIG. 3, an example of a device in accordance with the invention in accordance with an open snap-in fastening;
[0040] FIG. 5 in a schematic perspective view, an example of a device in accordance with the invention with a closed snap-in fastening before the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate;
[0041] FIG. 6 in a schematic side view, an example of a device in accordance with the invention with a released snap-in fastening after the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate;
[0042] FIG. 7 in a schematic perspective view, an example of an opener configured as a hollow cylinder chamfered at one side;
[0043] FIG. 8 a view corresponding to FIG. 7 of the opener shown in FIG. 7 without a jacket;
[0044] FIG. 9 a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7; and
[0045] FIG. 10 a schematic sectional view rotated by 90° with respect to the representation in FIG. 9.
[0046] In FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a device for taking up and handling a liquid sample is shown in a schematic side view. FIG. 1 shows the device in the dismantled state prior to its use and FIG. 2 shows the device in an assembled state after a possible use.
[0047] The device is equipped with a sample unit 1 and a substance container 2. The substance container 2 has a reservoir 3 that is configured to store a substance in the reservoir 3. This reservoir 3 is provided with an opening 4 that is closed by a sealing film or sealing plate 5 so that the substance stored in the reservoir 3 is sealed with respect to the environment and remains in the reservoir 4. The reservoir 3 is thus a cavity closed by the sealing plate 5. The sample unit 1 has an opener 7 and a sampler 6 that is designed to take up and hold a liquid sample. The opener 7 of the sample unit 1 is configured to be at least partially or completely introduced into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 and to raise the sealing film or sealing plate 5 from the opening 4. In this respect, a surface 8 of the opener 7 that is arranged in the direction of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 and that is introduced into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 and raises the sealing film or sealing plate 5 from the opening 4 is configured such that the surface 8 is aligned at an oblique angle, i.e. in particular at an angle differing from 0° and 90°, to the surface of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on contact with the sealing film or sealing plate 5 and raises the sealing film or sealing plate 5 successively from the opening 4 on the introduction into the opening 4 so that an outlet 9 that increases in size on an increasing penetration of the opener 7 is formed in the sealing film or sealing plate 5 through which the substance exits the reservoir 3 and is miscible with the sample of the sampler 6.
[0048] The sealing film or sealing plate 5 can be cut successively, i.e. gradually, by the oblique angle between the surface 8 of the opener 7 and the sealing film or sealing plate 5 without tearing in an uncontrolled manner from the margin of the surface 8 and can be raised as a contiguous surface from the opening 4 of the reservoir 3. In the example shown, the angle on a contact of the opener 7 with the sealing film or sealing plate 5 amounts to 45°, but smaller angles than 45°, preferably between 5° and 30°, particularly preferably between 5° and 20°, can also be provided.
[0049] The reservoir 3 of the substance container 2 can typically contain a volume of 0.5 ml to 5 ml. The reservoir 3 can, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, be configured as a cavity open at one side, with the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 being able to be located at the lower side of the substance container 2 so that the substance can exit the reservoir 3 by means of gravity without impediment on the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate 5. The opener 7 in the example shown is accordingly introduced into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 from below or the substance container 2 is placed on the sample unit 1 from above to establish a contact between the opener 7 and the sealing film or sealing plate 5 and to raise the sealing film or sealing plate 5 successively from the opening 4 of the reservoir 3.
[0050] The sample unit 1 and the substance container 2 preferably consist of chemically inert plastics, polypropylene in the example shown of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0051] The substance container 2 or the sealing film or sealing plate 5 particularly preferably consist of thermoplastics so that, on the application of the sealing film or sealing plate 5, only the sealing film or sealing plate 5 or the substance container 2 around the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 are heated and no additional adhesives are required. The sealing film or sealing plate 5 can, however, also be adhesively bonded to or laminated on the substance container 2 by means of a chemically inert adhesive for the provision of temperature sensitive substances or for the use of substance containers 2 of, for example, thermosetting plastics.
[0052] The opening 4 of the reservoir 3 in the example shown of FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed by a sealing film 5 of aluminum that has a thickness of 20 μm and that is welded to the margin of the opening 4 while pressing. Instead of an aluminum film, other non-elastic materials, in particular plastics, can also be used for the sealing film or sealing plate 5 provided that they are chemically inert and are not permeable for the substance and for air or water. The thickness of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 is selected here such that the sealing film or sealing plate 5 can already be cut by the opener 7 by a manually exerted pressure on the sample unit 1 or the substance container 2 and can be raised from the opening 4 in the reservoir 3.
[0053] In the example shown of FIGS. 1 and 2, the sampler 6 is fixedly connected to the opener 7 via narrow webs 15 and forms a unit with the opener 7, that is it is formed with it in one part or in a connection with material continuity. Provision can, however, also be made that the sampler 6 is releasably connected to the opener 7, e.g. via a plug-in connection.
[0054] The sampler 6 at the sample unit 1 can be configured, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, such that the sampler 1 is arranged disposed opposite the outlet 9 formed by the opener 7, that is, is in particular arranged centrally at the sample unit 1. In this arrangement, the substance can flush the sample out of the sampler 1 on exiting the reservoir 3. This is of particular advantage for liquid or dissolved substances that are mixed with the sample in a subsequent analysis step. Provision can, however, also be made that the sampler 6 is not arranged centrally in a plan view, but rather laterally offset at the sample unit 1 to e.g. prevent a blocking of the sampler 6 or too high a flow resistance in the outlet direction of the substance.
[0055] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sampler 6 can be configured, for example, as a capillary tube that takes up and holds a defined volume of a liquid by means of capillary forces on contact with this liquid. Such a passive sampler 6 without electronic or mechanically moved elements is failsafe, inexpensive, and simple to operate. Typical diameters and capacities of the capillary tubes amount to between 0.02 mm and 2 mm or 1 μl to 100 μl. The ends of the capillary tubes can be configured as planar surfaces extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the capillary tube for a very precise volume measurement of the sample, with one end of the capillary tube projecting out of the sample unit 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for the taking up of the liquid sample.
[0056] In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the device also has a connection point 13 for a container 14. The connection point 13 is formed at an oppositely disposed outer surface of the opener 7 so that a container 14 can be fastened thereto that surrounds the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 and the sampler 6.
[0057] The container 14 can, as shown in FIG. 2, be placed onto the sample unit 1 and can seal the sample in the sampler 6 toward the environment by friction locking. Instead of a plug-in connection, a connection point 13 for a screw connection, a latch connection, or a snap-in connection can also be provided, for example. The connection point 13 is preferably designed such that the device can be connected to standard laboratory vessels such as cuvettes, vessels having a standard ground joint, centrifuging tubes, or Eppendorf vessels, can in particular be placed on or into an opening of these vessels or can be connected to laboratory devices that have a connection point for standard laboratory vessels.
[0058] FIG. 3 shows a further example of a device in a schematic partially sectional side view. Recurring elements are provided with identical reference numerals in this Figure and also in the following Figures. In the device of FIG. 3, the surface 8 of the opener 7 that is introduced into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 and raises the sealing film or sealing plate 5 from the opening 4 is configured such that the surface 8 successively raises the sealing film or sealing plate 5 from the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 staring from the margin of the opening 4 on the introduction into the opening 4. The surface 8 is configured such that its distance from the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the introduction of the opener 7 into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 has the smallest distance from the sealing surface of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 at the inner margin of the opening 4. At the point that forms the smallest distance from the sealing surface of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the introduction of the opener 7 into the opening 4, the opener 7 moreover has a piercer 10 that pierces the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the first contact of the opener 7 with the sealing film or sealing plate 5 and thus facilitates the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate 5. A random tearing of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 can in particular be prevented by the piercer 10. Alternatively or additionally, the surface 8 can have a cutting edge at the outer margin that facilitates the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 so that only a small manual pressure has to be applied to penetrate the sealing film or sealing plate 5.
[0059] The opener 7 is moreover configured in the direction of the opening 4 at least with a length such that the surface 8 completely penetrates the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the introduction into the opening 4 after the first contact of the opener 7 with the sealing film or sealing plate 5. In the example of FIG. 3 shown, the reservoir 3 has a circular opening 4. The opener 7 is shaped as complementary to this opening 4, i.e. it can be introduced into the opening 4 with an exact fit. The length of the opener 7 in the direction of the opening 4 amounts to a minimum length that corresponds to the quotient from the sine of the angle that the surface 8 of the opener 7 and the sealing film or sealing plate 5 form on contact of the surface 8 with the sealing film or sealing plate 5 and to the diameter of the opener 7 of the opening 4 so that the surface 8 of the opener 7 can completely penetrate the sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the introduction into the opening 4 starting from the margin. The minimum length of the opener 7 thus corresponds to the minimum penetration depth of the opener 7 into the opening 4 or into the reservoir 3 after the first contact of the opener 7 with the sealing film or sealing plate 5.
[0060] The opener 7 is preferably formed with a length in the direction of the opening 4 by which the opener 7, after the sealing film or sealing plate 5 has been completely penetrated by the surface 8, can be introduced so far into the opening 4 or into the reservoir 3 that the opener 7 moves the cut sealing film or sealing plate 5 at the inner wall of the opening 4 or of the reservoir 3 and fixes it there. This has the advantage that the outlet 9 cannot be closed by the loose sealing film or sealing plate 5 on the discharge of the substance from the reservoir 3. The length of the opener 7 preferably amounts to said minimum length for the complete penetration of the sealing film or sealing plate 5 plus at least 50%, particularly preferably 75%, of the inner diameter of the opening 4 or, with non-round openings 4, of the longest distance between the inner walls of the opening 4 or of the reservoir 3.
[0061] In the example shown, the opener 7 is formed as a ring having two narrow webs 15 that connect the opener 7 to the sampler 6, with the webs 15 contributing to the length of the opener 7 in the direction of the opening 4. Two lateral outlet openings 12 are formed at the opener 7 by the webs 15 through which outlet openings 12 the substance can exit in the direction of the successively formed outlet 9. The opener 7 additionally has a passage 11 through which the substance can additionally exit the reservoir 3 in the direction of the outlet 9. The flow resistance of the opener 7 is thus very small and the substance can exit the reservoir 3 therethrough both from a lateral direction with respect to the outlet 9 and from a vertical direction with respect to the outlet 9 so that the reservoir 3 can be emptied fast and completely.
[0062] An outer contour of the webs 15 is shaped in a complementary manner to the side wall of the opening 4 and of the inner wall of the reservoir 3. One of the webs 15 is moreover arranged in a region in which the surface of the opener 7 has a maximum distance from the opening 3 on the first contact with the sealing film or sealing plate 5. The sealing film or sealing plate 5 can thereby be moved or folded over on the introduction of the opener 7 into the opening 4 to the side wall of the opening 4 and the inner wall of the reservoir 3 and can be fixed there by this web, that is the shorter of the two webs 15 in FIG. 3.
[0063] The sample unit 1 of the device in FIG. 3 is furthermore designed with a jacket 18 or a sleeve that is connected to the opener 7 via further narrow webs 16. The jacket 18 surrounds the opener 7 and is open in the direction of the sampler 6 and of the surface 8 of the opener 7 that is introduced into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3. The inner surface of the jacket 18 is formed contoured in a complementary manner to an outer surface of the substance container 2 that is formed around the opening 4 in the reservoir 3 so that the jacket 18 seals the substance container 2 with a force fit or friction locking at this surface on the introduction of the opener 7 into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3. Beside this surface, even further sealing surfaces 17 can be provided at the jacket 18 or at the substance container 2, at which sealing surfaces 17 the substance container 2 and the sample container 1 can optionally be sealed toward the environment by additional sealing material. The jacket 18 of the sample unit 1 on the one hand protects the opener 7, in particular pointed or sharp-edged regions of the opener 7, from unwanted contacts on use and on the other hand provides a holding surface by its outer surface for the handling of the sample unit 1 on the taking up of a liquid sample by the sampler 6. The jacket 18 furthermore has a peripheral connection point 18 for the fastening of a laboratory vessel. The sampler 6 projects out of the sample unit 1 for the taking up of a liquid sample and is formed in the example shown with a concavely arched end surface at the end that projects from the sample unit 1.
[0064] A further example of a device is shown in schematic side views in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. The device inter alia has the features of the device of FIG. 3. For a simple handling of the device, the substance container 2 is moreover fastenable to the sample unit 1 and the substance container 2 and the sample container 1 are configured to introduce the opener 7 into the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 only by means of a pressure on the substance container 2 to raise the sealing film or sealing plate 5 from the opening 4.
[0065] FIG. 4 shows the device in the dismantled state prior to its use. The sample unit 1 has a fastening device 19 and a release device 20. The fastening device 19 is releasably fastenable to the substance container 2 by means of a snap-in hook or a latching head. The snap-in hook or latching head in the example shown is arranged at the jacket 18 of the sample unit 1 that surrounds the opener 7. The substance container 2 is pushed, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4, onto the sample unit 1 for fastening such that the opener 7 is positioned at the opening 4 of the reservoir 3 and the snap-in hook latches at a margin of the substance container 2 before the opener 7 can contact the sealing film or sealing plate 5 in the opening 4 of the reservoir 3. The sample unit 1 can for this purpose, for example, be held at the holding surface 21 of the jacket 18 that is set back from the connection point 13.
[0066] In FIG. 5, the device is shown in an assembled state with a closed fastening device 19 prior to the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate 5. The snap-in hook is latched with shape matching into the groove at the margin of the substance container 2 provided for this purpose and the substance container 2 is fastened to the sample unit 1. The snap-in hook can, for example, be released or removed from the groove at the substance container 2 by a pulling at the pulling tab of the release device 20, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, so that the relative movement of the substance container 2 toward the sample unit 1 is released and the substance container 2 can, as indicated by the arrow, be pushed into the sample unit 1, with the opener 7 opening the sealing film or sealing plate 5 of the reservoir 3 by a single vertical movement. FIG. 6 shows the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponding to a released snap-in fastening after the opening of the sealing film or sealing plate 5.
[0067] An embodiment is shown in a schematic perspective view in FIG. 7 in which the basic concept of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is used, but with the opening 7 now not being formed as a ring having a comparatively small diameter, for example with just a height of the piercer 10 or less, but is rather formed as a hollow cylinder chamfered at one side. As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the opener 7 is completely surrounded by the jacket 18 that is partially not drawn in the representation of FIG. 7 for the better illustration of the setup. A chamfered surface of the opener 7 is designed, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3; instead of the webs 15 that extend in parallel with the jacket 18 and that are typically arranged vertically in use, a jacket surface 22 of the hollow cylinder is now provided, however, that completely surrounds an inner space of the opener 7. The opening 7 is located centrally in the opener 7 and is surrounded by the jacket surface 22.
[0068] The jacket surface 22 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is connected to the jacket 18 via two webs 16 that are arranged in a plan view of the piercer 10 offset thereto by 90° or 270°. The jacket surface 22, the webs 16, and the jacket 18 are here formed in one part or in one piece with one another. At the lower end, two through holes are provided in the region of the piercer 10 and disposed opposite the piercer 10, i.e. an intermediate space covered by one of the two webs 16. The webs 16 are so wide in this embodiment that at least one quarter of an intermediate space between the jacket surface 22 and the jacket 18 is covered or overlapped by one of the webs 16. The webs 16 in the embodiment shown are formed from the same material as the opener 7 and in one part or one piece with the opener.
[0069] In FIG. 8, the opener 7 without the jacket 18 is shown in a view corresponding to FIG. 7. The webs 16 are formed in a manner not completely peripheral around the jacket surface 22 and thus about the opener 7, but rather have the already named cutouts or through holes. FIG. 9 shows the arrangement shown in FIG. 7 in a sectional view from which it becomes clear that a hollow space of the hollow cylinder extends between the opening 11 and the outlet opening 12. In FIG. 10, the arrangement of FIG. 7 is likewise shown in a sectional view, but now the section runs centrally through the piercer 10 along the longitudinal axis of the arrangement, that is rotated by 90° with respect to the sectional view of FIG. 9.
[0070] Features of the different embodiments only disclosed in the embodiments can be combined with one another and claimed individually.
