Sampling chip dividing instrument

Abstract

The sampling chip dividing instrument includes: a main body block; a space that is provided inside the main body block, has an opening leading to an outer surface of the main body block, and fits in and contains the cut portion of the sampling chip through the opening; and an surrounding portion that is provided outside the space at a periphery of the opening, and receives a sample scattered from a break portion of the sampling chip divided near the opening.

Claims

1. A sampling chip dividing system comprising: a sampling chip dividing instrument configured to cut off one or more cut portions from a sampling chip; and a sampling chip comprising a channel configured to collect a sample therein and one or more of the cut portions configured to be cuttable at a position of a corresponding one or more cutting slits provided on an outer surface for cutting off a part of the channel, and the cutting slits are configured to cut off a corresponding one of the one or more of the cut portions from the sampling chip by bending the sampling chip in a predetermined bending direction at a position of the cutting slit, and wherein the sampling chip dividing instrument is comprising: a main body block; a space that is provided inside the main body block, has an opening leading to an outer surface of the main body block, and fits in and contains one of the cut portions of the sampling chip through the opening; and a surrounding portion, which is provided outside of the space so as to surround the opening, and configured to receive a sample scattered from a cut off portion of the sampling chip divided near the opening, wherein a depth dimension of the space is designed in such a way that the cutting slit, which is provided on the outer surface of the sampling chip for cutting off the one or more of the cut portions from the sampling chip, is located at a position of the opening of the space or a position slightly outside the space from that position as a result of the one of the cut portions being inserted to the end of the space.

2. The sampling chip dividing system according to claim 1, wherein a thickness dimension of the space is substantially the same as or slightly larger than a thickness dimension of the one of the cut portions.

3. The sampling chip dividing system according to claim 1, wherein the sampling chip has a plurality of cut portions; and the main body block is provided with a plurality of the spaces and the surrounding portions individually corresponding to the cut portions of the sampling chip.

4. The sampling chip dividing system according to claim 3, wherein the openings of the spaces lead to different outer surfaces of the main body block from each other respectively.

5. The sampling chip dividing system according to claim 1, wherein the sampling chip contains a sample.

6. A sampling chip dividing system comprising: a sampling chip dividing instrument configured to cut off one or more cut portions from a sampling chip; and a sampling chip comprising a channel configured to collect a sample therein and one or more of the cut portions configured to be cuttable at a position of a corresponding one or more cutting slits provided on an outer surface for cutting off a part of the channel, and the cutting slits are configured to cut off a corresponding one of the one or more of the cut portions from the sampling chip by bending the sampling chip in a predetermined bending direction at a position of the cutting slit, and wherein the sampling chip dividing instrument comprises: a main body block; a space that is provided inside the main body block, has an opening leading to an outer surface of the main body block, and fits in and contains one of the cut portions of the sampling chip through the opening; and a surrounding portion, which is provided outside of the space so as to surround the opening, and configured to receive a sample scattered from a cut off portion of the sampling chip divided near the opening, wherein the surrounding portion is a recess portion provided on an outer surface of the main body block and leading to the space, and the recess portion has a dimension in which the sampling chip in a state where the one of the cut portions is fitted into the space can be bent in the bending direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a sampling chip dividing instrument.

(2) FIG. 1B is a sectional view at the X-X position of FIG. 1A.

(3) FIG. 1C is a sectional view at the Y-Y position of FIG. 1A.

(4) FIG. 2A is a sectional view showing a state in which a first cut portion of a sampling chip is fitted in a first space of the same embodiment.

(5) FIG. 2B is a sectional view showing a state in which the first cut portion of the sampling chip is fitted in the first space of the same embodiment and the sampling chip is about to be bent.

(6) FIG. 3A is a sectional view showing a state in which a second cut portion of the sampling chip is fitted in a second space of the same embodiment.

(7) FIG. 3B is a sectional view showing a state in which the second cut portion of the sampling chip is fitted in the second space of the same embodiment and the sampling chip is about to be bent.

(8) FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing a state in which a third cut portion of the sampling chip is fitted in a third space of the same embodiment.

(9) FIG. 4B is a sectional view showing a state in which the third cut portion of the sampling chip is fitted in the third space of the same embodiment and the sampling chip is about to be bent.

(10) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the sampling chip dividing instrument.

(11) FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing an example of a sampling chip mounted on a holder of the same embodiment.

(12) FIG. 6B is a plan view of the same sampling chip.

(13) FIG. 6C is a side view of the same sampling chip.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(14) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the sampling chip dividing instrument will be described with reference to the drawings.

(15) First, an example of the sampling chip to be subjected to the sampling chip dividing instrument will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C.

(16) A sampling chip 102 includes a chip main body 104, and the chip main body 104 includes a lower substrate 106 and an upper substrate 108. The lower substrate 106 and the upper substrate 108 are integrated by joining to constitute the chip main body 104. A channel 110 for sampling is formed on the joining surface of the upper substrate 108, and the channel 110 is arranged in the chip main body 104 by joining the lower substrate 106 and the upper substrate 108.

(17) The chip main body 104 has a base end 112 and a tip end 114. The sampling chip 102 is subjected to centrifugation after the sample is sucked, and the sampling chip 102 is attached to a centrifuge so that the centrifugal force acts in the direction from the base end 112 to the tip end 114. The terms “base end” and “tip end” of the chip main body 104 are determined based on the direction of the centrifugal force.

(18) The chip main body 104 has a sample suction port 116 on the base end side. The sample suction port 116 is provided as an opening that leads to the inside of a recess portion 118 provided in the base end 112 of the chip main body 104. The recess portion 118 is for facilitating the suction of the sample through the sample suction port 116 when the tip end 114 is brought into contact with the sample such as blood at the time of sampling.

(19) The channel 110 is thin enough to suck a sample by capillary action. The channel 110 has two channel portions 110a and 110b that are connected at a connection portion 120 on the tip end side in the chip main body 104 and extend from the tip end side to the base end side. One channel portion 110a has an introduction channel 110c, and the introduction channel 110c leads to the sample suction port 16. The other channel portion 110b terminates at a position not reaching the base end 112.

(20) A liquid reservoir space 110d is provided at a terminal end of the channel portion 110b. The liquid reservoir space 110d has a cross-sectional area at least at its inlet portion (tip portion on the tip end side of the liquid reservoir space 10d) with a size so as not to suck liquid by capillary action, and an air hole 122 leads to the base end portion of the liquid reservoir space 110d. The liquid reservoir space 110d has an internal capacity equal to or larger than an internal capacity of a portion of the introduction channel 110c of the channel portion 110a located more on the base end side (upper side in the figure) than the air hole 122.

(21) The cross-sectional area of the inlet portion of the liquid reservoir space 110d is, for example, twice or more the cross-sectional area of the other portion of the channel portion 110b. An example of the cross-sectional dimensions of the inlet portion of the liquid reservoir space 10d is about 3 mm in width and 1.5 mm in depth.

(22) Advantages of providing the liquid reservoir space 110d at the terminal end of the channel portion 110b include the following.

(23) First, since the liquid reservoir space 110d does not suck the sample by the capillary action, the sample sucked from the sample suction port 116 stops at the inlet portion of the liquid reservoir space 110d without reaching the position of the air hole 122. Thus, the amount of sampling into the channel portions 110a and 110b can be secured without increasing the amount of sampling into an extraction portion 110.

(24) Since the sample sucked from the sample suction port 116 stops at the inlet portion of the liquid reservoir space 110d, there is no sample in the liquid reservoir space 110d before the centrifugation is performed. By making the inner surface of the liquid reservoir space 110d hydrophobic, the sample can be stopped more reliably at the inlet portion of the liquid reservoir space 110d. When centrifugation is performed in this state, the sample that becomes a surplus because of the sample becoming an equilibrium state is stored in the liquid reservoir space 110d. Since the internal capacity of the liquid reservoir space 110d is equal to or larger than the internal capacity of the portion of the introduction channel 110c of the channel portion 110a located more on the base end side (upper side in the figure) than the air hole 122, all the surplus samples are stored in the liquid reservoir space 110d. As a result, it is possible to suppress the surplus sample from overflowing from the channel portion 110b and being discharged from the air hole 122.

(25) The sampling chip 102 of this embodiment is provided with a sampling portion 124 on the base side and a wide portion 126 on the tip side. The width and thickness dimensions of the sampling portion 124 are smaller than the width and thickness dimensions of the wide portion 126. Each of the upper and the lower surfaces of the sampling portion 124 are provided with three cutting slits 128a, 128b, and 128c that are perpendicular to the direction in which the sampling portion 124 (the channel 110) extends. The cutting slit 128c is provided at a boundary portion between the sampling portion 124 and the wide portion 126. The cutting slit 128a is provided at a position more on the tip side than the air hole 122, and the cutting slit 128b is provided at a position between the cutting slits 128a and 128c.

(26) By providing the cutting slits 128a, 128b, and 128c at the three positions of the sampling section 124, the sampling section 124 can be divided into three cut portions 130, 131, and 132. The cut portion 130 can be cut if stress is applied to the sampling chip 102 so as to be folded at the position of the cutting slit 126a, the cut portion 131 can be cut if stress is applied so as to be folded at the position of the cutting slit 126b, and the cut portion 132 can be cut if stress is applied so as to be folded at the position of the cutting slit 126c.

(27) The cut portions 131 and 132 include the channel portions 110a and 110b, and by cutting off the cut portions 131 and 132, a certain amount of sample held in the channel portions 110a and 110b of the cut portions 131 and 132 can be easily extracted.

(28) Since the positions at which the cut portions 131 and 132 are arranged in the sampling portion 124 are on the base end side, when the sample is centrifuged, the centrifuged component having the smaller specific gravity is located in the cut portions 131 and 132. For example, when blood is sampled and centrifuged so that the direction from the base end to the tip end of the sampling chip 102 is in the direction of application of the centrifugal force, the positions of the cut portions 131 and 132 in the channel 110 are set so that plasma components or serum components locate at the cut portions 131 and 132.

(29) The wide portion 126 has such a size that identification information such as the name and the number of a sample collected on the sampling chip can be written or a label on which the identification information is written can be attached. The wide portion 126 can also be used as a grip portion for holding the sampling chip.

(30) The sampling chip 102 is made of, for example, a resin material. The resin material is not particularly limited, but, for example, COP (cycloolefin polymer), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate resin), PP (Polypropylene resin), PC (polycarbonate resin), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), and the like can be used.

(31) Since the channel 110 is for sucking the liquid sample from the sample suction port 116 by capillary action, it is necessary not only that the cross-sectional area of the channel 110 is narrow enough to cause capillary action but also that if the sample is blood or aqueous solution, the inner surface of the channel 110 must be hydrophilic. Since the resin materials exemplified above are hydrophobic, the inner surface of the channel 110 and the sample suction port 116 are preferably treated so as to be hydrophilic.

(32) In a case where the sample is blood, it is preferable that an anticoagulant that prevents blood coagulation is provided on the inner surface of the channel 110 in order to suck the blood directly from the specimen and collect the plasma to the cut portion 130 by centrifugation. The anticoagulant may be coated on the inner surface of the channel 110 after a hydrophilic polymer is coated thereon.

(33) In the sampling chip 102, in order to use the cut portions 131 and 132 for analysis after centrifugation, the cut portions 131 and 132 are cut off from the chip main body 104 to form individual cut portions 131 and 132. In order to cut off the cut portions 130, 131, and 132 from the sampling chip 102, the chip main body 104 is folded in order at the positions of the cutting slits 128a, 128b, and 128c. In this way, two analytical samples can be obtained from one chip main body 104. In general, the cut portion 130 on the most base side becomes an unnecessary portion, and this it is discarded.

(34) Next, one embodiment of a sampling chip dividing instrument for assisting in cutting off each of the cut portions 130, 131, and 132 from the sampling chip 102 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C.

(35) A sampling chip dividing instrument 2 according to this embodiment includes a main body block 3, spaces 14, 18, and 20 that are provided inside the main body block 3, and recess portions 4, 12, and 16 that are provided on the outer surface of the main body block 3 to form a surrounding portion. The material of the main body block 3 may be anything such as vinyl chloride or polypropylene, as long as it is as hard as or harder than the sampling chip 102.

(36) The main body block 3 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped portion 3a and a narrow portion 3b that has a width dimension smaller than the substantially rectangular parallelepiped portion 3a and projects from one end of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped portion 3a. In the following description, the side where the narrow portion 3b is provided in the main body block 3 is referred to as the tip end side, and the side opposite to the narrow portion 3b is referred to as the base end side. The recess portion 4 is provided in a tip end surface of the narrow portion 3b of the main body block 3 over the entire width of the narrow portion 3b. Thus, the narrow portion 3b has a U-shaped cross section. The bottom surface of the recess portion 4 of the narrow portion 3b is provided with an opening 20a that leads to the space 20.

(37) A side surface 8 on the base end side of the main body block 3 is provided with a rectangular opening 12a that leads to the recess portion 12. The deepest surface of the recess portion 12 is provided with an opening 14a that leads to the space 14. A side surface 10 orthogonal to the surface 8 of the main body block 3 is provided with a rectangular opening 16a that leads to the recess portion 16. The deepest surface of the recess portion 16 is provided with an opening 18a that leads to the space 18.

(38) As shown in FIG. 2A, the space 14 is for fitting the cut portion 130 (See FIGS. 6A to 6C) located nearest to the base end of the sampling chip 102. As shown in FIG. 2B, the space 14 is used to cut off the cut portion 130 from the sampling chip 102 by inserting the cut portion 130 and folding the chip main body 104 of the sampling chip 102 at the position of the cutting slit 28a. The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIGS. 1C and 2B) of the recess portion 12 is designed to be a dimension such that the chip main body 104 in a state where the cut portion 130 is fitted in the space 14 can be folded at the position of the cutting slit 28a.

(39) The depth dimension (dimension in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1C) of the space 14 is designed to be slightly shorter (for example, about 1 mm) than the length dimension of the cut portion 130. As a result, when the cut portion 130 is fitted into the depth of the space 14, the cutting slit 28a is disposed at a position inside the recess portion 12 slightly outside the edge of the opening 14a of the space 14. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the main body chip 104 is bent at the position of the cutting slit 28a, the inner circumferential surface of the recess portion 12 receives the liquid scattered from the broken surface, and the liquid is prevented from being scattered to the surroundings.

(40) The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIG. 1C) of the space 14 may be designed to be substantially the same as, slightly larger than, or slightly smaller (for example, 0.1 mm) than, the thickness dimension of the cut portion 130. Since the cut portion 130 is an unnecessary portion that is not used for analysis, it may remain stored inside the main body block 3. Therefore, if the height dimension of the space 14 is designed to be slightly smaller than the thickness dimension of the cut portion 130, the chip main body 130 after being cut off from the cut portion 104 can be left in the main body block 3.

(41) As shown in FIG. 3A, the space 18 is for fitting the cut portion 131 (See FIGS. 6A to 6C) of the sampling chip 102 after the cut portion 130 is cut off. As shown in FIG. 3B, the space 18 is used to cut off the cut portion 131 from the sampling chip 102 by inserting the cut portion 131 and bending the chip main body 104 at the position of the cutting slit 28b. The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIGS. 1B and 3B) of the recess portion 16 is designed to be a dimension in such a way that the chip main body 104 in a state where the cut portion 131 is fitted in the space 16 can be bent at the position of the cutting slit 28b.

(42) The depth dimension (dimension in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1B) of the space 18 is designed to be slightly shorter (for example, about 1 mm) than the length dimension of the cut portion 131. As a result, when the cut portion 131 is fitted into the end of the space 18, the cutting slit 28b is disposed at a position inside the recess portion 16 slightly outside the edge of the opening 18a of the space 18. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the main body chip 104 is bent at the position of the cutting slit 28b, the inner circumferential surface of the recess portion 16 receives the liquid scattered from the broken surface, and the liquid is prevented from being scattered to the surroundings.

(43) The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIG. 1B) of the space 18 is designed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the thickness dimension of the cut portion 131 so that the cut portion 131 having been cut can be extracted of the space 18.

(44) As shown in FIG. 4A, the space 20 is for fitting the cut portion 132 (See FIGS. 6A to 6C) of the sampling chip 102 after the cut portion 131 is cut off. As shown in FIG. 4B, the space 20 is used to cut off the cut portion 132 from the sampling chip 102 by inserting the cut portion 132 and folding the chip main body 104 at the position of the cutting slit 28c. The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIGS. 1C and 4B) of the recess portion 4 is designed to be a dimension such that the chip main body 104 in a state where the cut portion 132 is fitted in the space 20 can be folded at the position of the cutting slit 28c.

(45) The depth dimension (dimension in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1C) of the space 20 is designed to be slightly shorter (for example, about 1 mm) than the length dimension of the cut portion 132. As a result, when the cut portion 132 is fitted into the end of the space 20, the cutting slit 28c is disposed at a position inside the recess portion 4 slightly outside the edge of the opening 20a of the space 20. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the main body chip 104 is folded at the position of the cutting slit 28c, protrusions 6a and 6b sandwiching the recess portion 4 act as eaves and receive the liquid scattered from the broken surface, and the liquid is prevented from being scattered to the surroundings.

(46) The height dimension (dimension in the vertical direction in FIG. 1B) of the space 20 is designed to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the thickness dimension of the cut portion 132 so that the cut portion 132 having been cut can be extracted of the space 20.

(47) In the sampling chip dividing instrument 2 according to the above embodiment, the recess portions 12, 16, and 4 are provided on the outer surface of the main body block 3, and spaces 14, 18, and 20 are provided on the deeper side than those recess portions, so that the inner surfaces of the recess portions 12, 16, and 4 are used as a surrounding portion for receiving the liquid scattered from the broken surface of the main body chip 104.

(48) However, in the present invention, the surrounding portion for receiving the liquid scattered from the broken surface of the main body chip 104 is not limited to such recess portion.

(49) For example, in a sampling chip dividing instrument 2′ of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, openings 14a, 18a, and 20a that lead to the spaces 14, 18, and 20 are provided on the outer surface of the main body block 3. At the positions corresponding to the respective openings 14a, 18a, and 20a, the side surfaces of the main body block 3 where the openings 14a, 18a, and 20a are provided are provided with eaves 22, 24, and 26 that protrude from the respective side surfaces for receiving the liquid scattered from the broken surface of the main body chip 104. The eaves 22, 24, and 26 are provided only on one side of the openings 14a, 18a, and 20a in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, but they may be provided so as to sandwich the openings 14a, 18a, and 20a.

(50) The spaces 14, 18, and 20 are provided so as to lead to side surfaces different from one another of the main body block 3 in the sampling chip dividing instruments 2 and 2′ of the embodiment described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and they may be provided so as to lead to side surface identical to one another.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(51) 2, 2′: Sampling chip dividing instrument 3: Main body block 3a: Rectangular parallelepiped portion 3b: Narrow portion 4, 12, 16: Recess portions 6a, 6b: Protrusions 8, 10: Side surfaces of the main body block 14, 16, 20: Spaces 22, 24, 26: Eaves 102: Sampling chip 104: Chip main body 110: Channel 110a, 110b: Channel portions 110c: Introduction channel 112: Base end 114: Tip end 116: Sample suction port 122: Air hole 128a, 128b, 128c: Cutting slits 130, 131, 132: Cut sections