JPH0295236A - Automatic dispensing method for liquid samples - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a dispensing method for automatically transferring a large liquid sample collected for various analytical instruments in an oil refining plant or the like to each specialized analytical instrument.

[Conventional technology]

At oil refining plants, etc., samples are collected and the refined substances are analyzed using analytical equipment in order to investigate the progress of reactions during the refining process. Large liquid samples are collected and dispensed into small sample bottles for use with various specialized analytical instruments. Conventional dispensing methods include manual and automated methods; Dispensing was often done using a plunger pump system.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When automating sample analysis, especially when automating the sample introduction system, including automatically dispensing large liquid samples to each dedicated analytical instrument, there is a risk that previously used samples may remain in sample bottles. The most important issue is to prevent cross-contamination, such as making sure that the sample bottles are not contaminated or that the multi-purpose sample bottles are not contaminated. Although cross-contamination depends on the substance, large-scale cleaning equipment is required to reduce cross-contamination to 10-'ppm or less. Rather, it is better to use low-cost parts that come into contact with the sample and make them disposable.

Furthermore, in the automated dispensing method, it is also required that the maintenance of the apparatus be easy.

[Means to solve the problem]

That is, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides: (1) an automatic liquid sample dispensing method that reduces the pressure in the internal space of a small sample bottle by a pressure reducing means, and transfers the dispensing tube held by a robot hand to the reduced pressure small sample bottle; It is characterized in that it is inserted into a sample bottle and a multi-purpose sample bottle containing a collected liquid sample, and the pressure is balanced by the inflow of liquid sample from the multi-purpose sample bottle, and the sample is transferred to a small sample bottle.

Alternatively, the pressure inside the small sample bottle is reduced using a pressure reducing means, and the dispensing tube held by the robot hand is inserted into the reduced pressure small sample bottle and the multipurpose sample bottle containing the collected liquid sample, and the multipurpose sample is removed. It is characterized in that the pressure is balanced by the inflow of liquid sample from the bottle, and the sample is transferred to a small sample bottle while being finely adjusted by pressurized gas from a separately inserted thin tube.

[For production]

The small sample bottles transported on a conveyor are depressurized and maintained at a constant vacuum level. The small sample bin is moved to a predetermined position corresponding to the multipurpose sample bin. A robot hand holding a dispensing tube is lowered from above, and the dispensing tube is inserted into both sample bottles. In this case, one end of the dispensing tube is placed below the surface of the sample liquid in the multipurpose sample bottle, and the other end is passed through the septum of the small sample bottle. The liquid sample then flows from the multi-purpose sample bottle into the small sample bottle until the pressure equilibrates.

Also, when the amount of sample flowing in is large, make fine adjustments to pressurize it back with pressurized gas. Once equilibrated, the dispensing tube is lifted up, removed from the robot hand, and stored in the used rack. The small sample bottles are then moved to each dedicated analytical device.

The robot hand grabs a new dispensing tube and waits until the next small sample bottle and multipurpose sample bottle arrive.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 (1) is a perspective view of the dispensing tubes 1 used in the present invention stored in a rack 2, and FIG. 1 (2) is a schematic perspective view of a system implementing the present invention. In these figures, 3 is a multi-purpose sample bottle taken from the plant. ．． 3. , L----1, ---, etc., are moved intermittently on a conveyor in this order. A bar code 5 is attached to the cap of this multipurpose sample bottle 3, and the bar code 5 instructs the computer to perform the following series of operations.

4 is a small sample bottle in which a certain amount of liquid sample is sealed for each dedicated analysis device. This sample bottle 4 is also moved intermittently by a conveyor in the order of 48.4□, 4°, 44--. Further, 6 is a robot hand that holds the dispensing tube l and moves it up and down, left and right, and back and forth. 7 is a thin tube that is inserted into the sample bottle 4 and introduces pressurized nitrogen gas, etc. The dispensing tube 1 is to be replaced after each dispensing.

8 is a suction pump for decompressing the middle part of the small sample bottle 4; 9 is a tank that functions as an accumulator; 10 and 11 are tubes; It is shaped like a needle and moves up and down.

In this sample dispensing system configured as described above, the sample is transferred from the multi-purpose sample bottle 4 to the small sample bottle 3.
When a command to move is issued, the following operation is performed according to bar code 5.

■The empty small sample bottle carried on the conveyor is 4z.
When the tube 11 with a suction nail is lowered, it is inserted through the silicone rubber septum 12 of the sample bottle, and the pressure is reduced by the suction pump 8.

After a certain period of time, the suction needle tube 11 rises and the septum rubber 12
4. Small sample bottle closed with Maintain a reduced pressure state inside.

■The small sample bottle 4□ moves to position 43 while maintaining the reduced pressure. At this time, the corresponding sample among the multi-purpose sample bins 3 is at position 33. Next, the robot hand 6 holding the dispensing tube 1 comes down from above. in this case,
One end of the dispensing tube l enters below the liquid level of the multi-purpose sample bottle 33, and the other end enters the small sample bottle 4. so as to penetrate the septum 12 of.

(2) The liquid sample flows into the small sample bottle 43 until the pressures in the small sample bottle 43 and the multipurpose sample bottle 33 are balanced. Once balanced, the dispensing tube 1 is raised, removed from the robot hand 6, and stored in a used rank (not shown). In addition, after moving the small sample bottle 43 to the position 44 and injecting an internal standard substance, which will be described later, as the case may be,
It is transported by another means (not shown) to the sample introduction section of a dedicated analytical instrument.

As shown in Fig. 2, if the degree of depressurization of the small sample bottle 4 is large during this operation and too much sample from the multi-purpose sample bottle 3 has entered, pressurized nitrogen gas is sent through the capillary tube 7 and the sample is returned to the original multi-purpose sample bottle. Return to 3. In this case, the lowering position of the robot hand is controlled to define the height h between the bottom of the small sample bottle 4 and the end of the dispensing tube. In this way, the amount of sample in the small sample bottle 4 becomes constant when bubbles come out of the multipurpose sample bottle 3.

■The robot hand 6 grabs the new dispensing tube l and waits.
Repeat operations from ■ to ■.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when an internal standard substance is automatically added to a small sample bottle 4 containing a dispensed sample. That is,
Containers 20 and 21 containing various internal standard substances A, B, and C
．． Attach the dispenser 23.2425 to the dispensing tube 26.22.
27, 28, etc., a fixed amount of each internal standard substance is injected into the small sample bottle 4 containing a fixed amount of sample according to the above method, and then sent to various specialized analytical instruments.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the automatic liquid sample dispensing method according to the present invention has the structure described in detail above, it is possible to prevent contamination of the sample, and since the dispensing is performed under reduced pressure, there is no worry that the sample will leak to other sources, and it can be used for dedicated analysis. There is no need to overfill the sample bottle for dispensing to the equipment.

Additionally, the automatic dispensing system is relatively simple and maintenance is easy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 (1) is a perspective view of the dispensing tubes stored in ranks, Figure (2) is a schematic perspective view of a system implementing this invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a system that implements the present invention. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship when dispensing a sample to the sample bottle and the case of returning the sample to its original location, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of adding an internal standard substance to a small sample bottle containing a dispensed sample. 1-Dispensing tube 2-・Rack 3-・Multi-purpose sample bottle 4-・-Small sample bottle 5-・Barcode 6-Robot hand 7・-・Thin tube 8-・Suction pump 6-・・Robot hand 9-- -1 tank 10.11--tube 12-1--septum

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The internal space of the small sample bottle is depressurized by the decompression means, and the dispensing tube held by the robot hand is inserted into the depressurized small sample bottle and the multipurpose sample bottle containing the collected liquid sample. An automatic liquid sample dispensing method characterized in that the sample is transferred to a small sample bottle by balancing the pressure by flowing the liquid sample from the bottle. (2) The internal space of the small sample bottle is depressurized by the decompression means, and the dispensing tube held by the robot hand is inserted into the depressurized small sample bottle and the multipurpose sample bottle containing the collected liquid sample. An automatic liquid sample dispensing method characterized in that the pressure is balanced by the liquid sample flowing in from the bottle, and the sample is transferred to a small sample bottle while being finely adjusted with pressurized gas from a separately inserted thin tube.