JP6342378B2 - Low temperature transfer unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a low temperature transfer unit for transferring a storage object while maintaining a low temperature state between a low temperature storage for storing the storage object at a low temperature and a low temperature transport box for transporting the storage object at a low temperature. In particular, the present invention relates to a cryogenic transfer unit for transferring a drug discovery sample used in a process of discovering and designing a drug in medicine, biotechnology and pharmacy while maintaining a low temperature state.

  Conventionally, a rack containing a plurality of tubes infused with drug discovery samples used in the process of discovering and designing drugs in medicine, biotechnology and pharmacy has an internal temperature of liquid nitrogen injected into the rack. A low temperature storage system for storing in a low temperature storage maintained at a low temperature such as 150 ° C. is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In such a low-temperature storage system, the internal temperature is kept at a low temperature such as −150 ° C. in order to prevent the temperature of the drug discovery sample from rising due to the outside air temperature when the rack is transported outside the low-temperature storage. It is also well known that the rack is transported in a state where the rack is housed in a low temperature transport box such as a dry sipper that is maintained.

JP2015-000797A JP 2012-56730 A

  However, even when a low-temperature transport box such as a dry shipper as described above is used, it is necessary to take out the rack from the low-temperature transport box when the rack is carried into the low-temperature storage. As a result, the temperature of each tube rises, and the quality of the drug discovery sample in each tube deteriorates.

  Moreover, in order to suppress the temperature rise of the drug discovery sample mentioned above, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, the temperature of the working room for loading and unloading the rack with respect to the low temperature storage can be maintained lower than the external environment. Although it is conceivable, it is difficult to maintain the entire working room at a sufficiently low temperature, and there is also a problem that a running cost for maintaining the low temperature becomes high.

  The above-described problem becomes even more prominent when the temperature of the drug discovery sample is set to an ultra-low temperature such as −150 ° C. by a coolant such as liquid nitrogen.

  Therefore, the present invention solves these problems, and it is easy to bring a storage object into a low-temperature hangar while avoiding deterioration due to a temperature increase of the storage object with a low-cost and simple configuration. The object is to provide a cryogenic transfer unit to achieve.

  The present invention relates to a low temperature transfer unit for transferring a storage object while maintaining a low temperature state between a low temperature storage for storing the storage object at a low temperature and a low temperature transport box for transporting the storage object at a low temperature. The rack includes a transfer rack having a holding unit for holding a storage object, a cold insulation cover that is detachably attached to the transfer rack, and a rack stage that is installed in the low-temperature storage. The stage has a rack accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the transfer rack, and a cover accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the cold insulation cover, and the rack accommodating portion has a rack insertion opening into which the transfer rack is inserted. And the cover housing portion is prevented from being pulled out of the transfer rack from the rack insertion port by a cold insulation cover housed in the cover housing portion. By provided adjacent to the rack insertion opening side of the rack accommodating section, it is intended to solve the above problems.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transfer rack having a holding portion for holding the object to be stored, the cold insulation cover detachably attached to the transfer rack, and the rack stage installed in the low temperature storage When carrying the storage object from the low temperature transport box to the low temperature hangar, after carrying the transfer rack with the cold cover attached into the low temperature hangar, removing the cold cover from the transfer rack, Achieving delivery of storage objects to a low-temperature hangar with a low-cost and simple configuration while avoiding exposure of storage objects held in a transfer rack to the outside temperature and avoiding deterioration due to temperature rises of the storage objects can do.
The rack stage has a rack housing portion and a cover housing portion, and the cover housing portion is provided adjacent to the rack insertion port side of the rack housing portion, so that the cold insulation cover installed in the cover housing portion is provided. Since it is possible to prevent the transfer rack from coming out of the rack insertion port, the transfer rack can be securely held in the low-temperature storage with a simple configuration, and the transfer rack is fixed. Since there is no need to provide a movable part such as a motor or a latch in the low temperature storage, the structure can be simplified and problems such as freezing of the movable part due to the cold air in the low temperature storage can be avoided. A stable holding of the rack can be realized.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rack insertion port of the rack accommodating portion is provided so as to insert the transfer rack from the side, and the rack accommodating portion is provided with the lifting restriction portion that restricts the upward movement of the transfer rack. By having it, it is possible to regulate the upward movement of the transfer rack accommodated in the rack accommodating portion with a simple configuration. Therefore, the work for removing the cold insulation cover from the transfer rack and the storage to the holding portion of the transfer rack are possible. The object can be attached and detached stably and smoothly.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the handling mechanism for handling the transfer rack and the cold insulation cover removes the cold insulation cover from the transfer rack and lifts it upward, and then rotates the cold insulation cover at a predetermined angle about the vertical axis. Since the cold insulation cover is configured to be installed in the cover accommodating portion, it is possible to avoid the handling mechanism from interfering with the transfer rack when the cold insulation cover is installed in the cover accommodating portion. The degree of freedom in designing racks and cold insulation covers can be improved.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, at least one of the transfer rack or the cold insulation cover has the narrow portion on the upper side thereof, so that the operating space of the gripping arm is secured by providing the narrow portion. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the gripping arm from interfering with the transfer rack when the cold insulation cover is installed in the cover housing portion, and it is possible to improve the degree of design related to the operation design of the gripping arm.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a code reader for reading the identifier, and at least a part of the rack body of the transfer rack is formed of a transparent material, so that the rack body remains attached with the cold insulation cover. Thus, the identifier attached to the storage object held in the rack body can be read by the code reader, so the storage management of the storage object with respect to the low temperature hangar is avoided while avoiding the deterioration due to the temperature increase of the storage object. Etc. can be achieved easily.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the rack stage is also installed in the low-temperature transport box, the transfer rack can be easily fixed in the low-temperature transport box. It is possible to improve the safety of transportation of the storage object.

The perspective view which shows the specification aspect of the cryogenic transfer unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the state which installed the transfer rack with a cold insulation cover in the rack stage. The perspective view which shows the state which installed the cold insulation cover removed from the transfer rack in the rack stage. The perspective view which shows a transfer rack and a cold insulation cover. The perspective view which shows a rack stage. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the rack stage when viewed from a direction different from FIG. 5. Explanatory drawing which shows the installation method of the transfer rack with respect to a rack stage, and a cold insulation cover.

  Below, the cryogenic transfer unit 10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated based on drawing.

  The low-temperature transfer unit 10 maintains the low-temperature state between the low-temperature hangar 50 for storing the tubes C to be stored at low temperatures and the low-temperature transport box 60 for transporting the tubes C at low temperatures while maintaining the low-temperature state. Are to be transported.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the low-temperature transfer unit 10 includes a transfer rack 20 having a tube holding portion 22 that holds the tube C, a cold insulating cover 30 that is detachably mounted above the transfer rack 20, and A rack stage 40 installed in the low temperature storage 50 and the low temperature transport box 60, a two-dimensional code reader 70 installed outside the low temperature storage 50, and a handling mechanism 80 for handling the transfer rack 20 and the cold insulation cover 30 are provided. ing.

  The low temperature storage 50 stores the tube C at an ultra-low temperature such as −150 ° C. by liquid nitrogen injected therein, and an opening is provided on the upper surface of the low temperature storage 50 as shown in FIG. The opening is provided with an open / close door. Thus, by providing an opening on the upper surface of the low temperature storage 50, it is possible to suppress the cold air in the low temperature storage 50 from leaking to the outside and maintain the inside of the low temperature storage 50 at a low temperature. Further, since the low-temperature storage 50 stores samples at an ultra-low temperature using liquid nitrogen, it is possible to deal with samples such as biological cells that require storage at an ultra-low temperature such as -150 ° C. In the low temperature storage 50, the rack stage 40 is installed in a fixed state.

  The low-temperature transport box 60 is used for storing and transporting the tube C at an ultra-low temperature such as −150 ° C. by liquid nitrogen injected therein, and as shown in FIG. 62. A rack stage 40 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the box body 61.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transfer rack 20 includes a rectangular parallelepiped rack body 21 and a tube holding unit that is fixed on the rack body 21 and is detachably held from above in a state where a plurality of tubes C are erected. 22.

  The rack body 21 is at least partially formed from a transparent material. Thereby, when the rack body 21 is placed on the two-dimensional code reader 70 shown in FIG. 1, the two-dimensional code (not shown) attached to the bottom surface of the tube C can be read by the two-dimensional code reader 70. Information read by the two-dimensional code reader 70 is used for storage management of the tube C with respect to the low temperature storage 50 and the like. In this embodiment, at least a part of the rack body 21 located at the bottom of the transfer rack 20 is formed of a transparent material such as glass or plastic, and the two-dimensional code attached to the tube C is read. In order to read the two-dimensional code attached to the tube C from the outside of the transfer rack 20 with the cold cover 30 attached, at least a part of the transfer rack 20 or the cold cover 30 may be formed transparently. The identifier attached to the tube C may be other than a two-dimensional code.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, gripping holes 23 are formed on both side surfaces on the long side of the rack body 21 that are gripped by the pair of gripping arms 81 of the handling mechanism 80.

  The cold insulation cover 30 is formed in a box shape having an opening on the lower side thereof, covers the tube C and the like in a sealed state while being attached to the transfer rack 20, and prevents the cool air of the transfer rack 20 from leaking to the outside. It is. The cold insulation cover 30 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is fitted to the transfer rack 20 by being fitted into the transfer rack 20 from above. In the present embodiment, the cold insulation cover 30 is made of stainless steel having a large heat capacity, a low thermal conductivity, and excellent rust prevention, but the specific material of the cold insulation cover 30 is not limited to this, for example, The cold insulating cover 30 may be formed from a material with high heat insulation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the cold insulation cover 30 includes a rectangular parallelepiped lower portion 31 and a rectangular parallelepiped narrow portion 32 above the lower portion 31. In the present embodiment, the narrow portion 32 has a shape in which both side surfaces on the longer side are recessed inward than the lower portion 31. In addition, gripping holes 33 are formed on both side surfaces on the long side of the lower portion 31 that are gripped by the pair of gripping arms 81 of the handling mechanism 80.

  In the present embodiment, the narrow portion 32 that is gripped by the pair of gripping arms 81 is provided above the cold insulation cover 30. Similarly, above the transfer rack 20 (rack body 21), on the lower side thereof. A narrow portion (not shown) narrower than the portion may be provided, or the narrow portion may be provided only on the transfer rack 20.

  Further, at least one of the transfer rack 20 and the cold insulation cover 30 may be provided with a cold insulation storage portion that stores a cold storage agent such as dry ice or liquid nitrogen for cooling the tube C held by the tube holding portion 22. Good.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rack stage 40 is installed in the low temperature storage 50 and the low temperature transport box 60, and fixes the transfer rack 20 so as to be detachable. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rack stage 40 includes at least a part of the transfer rack 20 (the rack main body 21 in the present embodiment) and at least a part of the cold insulation cover 30 (in the present embodiment). A cover housing portion 42 for housing the lower portion 31) is integrally provided.

  The rack accommodating portion 41 is formed so as to accommodate the rack body 21 inserted from the side (one direction in the horizontal direction), and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an opening formed on the near side in the insertion direction. A rack insertion port 41a, a back side movement restricting portion 41b formed on the back side in the insertion direction, a lateral side movement restricting portion 41c formed on both the left and right sides in the insertion direction, and a bottom portion 41e. Yes.

  By the back side movement restricting portion 41b and the left and right lateral side movement restricting portions 41c, the transfer rack 20 accommodated in the rack accommodating portion 41 is restricted from moving to the back side and the left and right sides in the insertion direction.

  In addition, the transfer rack 20 accommodated in the rack accommodating portion 41 is restricted from moving forward in the insertion direction by the cold insulation cover 30 in a state where the cold insulation cover 30 is accommodated in the cover accommodation portion 42. The removal from the insertion port 41a is prevented.

  In addition, a lifting restriction portion 41d is formed at each of the upper ends of the left and right lateral movement restriction portions 41c, thereby restricting the upward movement of the transfer rack 20 accommodated in the rack accommodation portion 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cover accommodating portion 42 is provided adjacent to the rack insertion port 41 a side of the rack accommodating portion 41, that is, the insertion direction front side of the rack accommodating portion 41.

  The cover housing portion 42 is provided so as to receive the cold insulation cover 30 from above, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, on the front side in the insertion direction (the direction in which the rack body 21 is inserted into the rack housing portion 41). The front side movement restriction part 42a is formed, the side movement restriction part 42b is formed on both the left and right sides in the insertion direction, and the bottom part 42c.

By the front side movement restricting portion 42a and the left and right lateral side movement restricting portions 42b, the cool cover 30 accommodated in the cover accommodating portion 42 is restricted from moving toward the near side and the left and right sides in the insertion direction.
Further, the bottom portion 42 c of the cover accommodating portion 42 is formed one step lower than the bottom portion 41 e of the rack accommodating portion 41.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the handling mechanism 80 includes a pair of gripping arms 81 that can approach each other, a drive source (not shown) such as a linear actuator that drives the gripping arms 81, a PLC that controls each part, and the like. And a control unit (not shown). A grip portion for gripping the transfer rack 20 and the like is formed at the lower end of the grip arm 81.

Next, the installation method of the transfer rack 20 and the cold insulation cover 30 with respect to the rack stage 40 is demonstrated below.

First, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the transfer rack 20 with the cold insulation cover 30 attached is installed in the rack accommodating portion 41 of the rack stage 40.
Specifically, both side surfaces on the long side of the rack body 21 are gripped by the pair of gripping arms 81, and the rack body 21 is inserted into the rack accommodating portion 41 from the rack insertion port 41a in the horizontal direction.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, after releasing the gripping of the rack body 21 by the pair of gripping arms 81, the pair of gripping arms 81 is moved upward, and the cold insulation cover 30 is moved by the pair of gripping arms 81. Hold it.
At this time, the pair of gripping arms 81 grips both side surfaces on the long side of the lower portion 31.

Next, the pair of gripping arms 81 removes the cold insulation cover 30 from the transfer rack 20 by lifting the cold insulation cover 30 upward.
At this time, the transfer rack 20 is not lifted upward together with the cold insulation cover 30 because the upward movement is restricted by the lifting restriction portion 41 d of the rack stage 40.

  Finally, after the cold insulation cover 30 is moved above the cover housing portion 42 by the pair of gripping arms 81 and rotated at a predetermined angle (90 ° in the present embodiment) about the vertical axis, the posture is changed. As shown in FIG. 7C, the cold insulation cover 30 is installed in the cover accommodating portion 42 from above.

  In the above description, the cold insulation cover 30 is rotated at a predetermined angle (90 ° in this embodiment), and then the cold insulation cover 30 is installed in the cover housing portion 42. However, the cold insulation cover 30 is rotated. Alternatively, the cold insulation cover 30 may be installed in the cover housing portion 42.

  Moreover, about the removal method of the transfer rack 20 and the cool cover 30 from the rack stage 40, what is necessary is just to follow the reverse procedure of the installation method mentioned above, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Next, a method for transferring the transfer rack 20 from the low temperature transport box 60 to the low temperature hangar 50 will be described below.

First, after installing the low-temperature transport box 60 containing the transfer rack 20 with the cold insulation cover 30 mounted on the mounting table 90 outside the low-temperature storage 50, the lid 62 is removed from the box body 61 of the low-temperature transport box 60. The removal of the lid 62 may be performed by a machine or manually by a user.
Further, in a state where the transfer rack 20 is housed in the low temperature transport box 60, the transfer rack 20 and the cold insulation cover 30 are installed on the rack stage 40 installed in the low temperature transport box 60.

  Next, the transfer rack 20 with the cold insulation cover 30 attached is taken out from the low-temperature transport box 60 by being sandwiched by a pair of gripping arms 81 and transferred onto the two-dimensional code reader 70 installed on the mounting table 90. 20 is set.

  Next, the two-dimensional code attached to the bottom surface of each tube C is read by the two-dimensional code reader 70.

  Finally, the transfer rack 20 is transferred into the low temperature storage 50 by the pair of gripping arms 81, and the transfer rack 20 and the cold insulation cover 30 are set to the rack stage 40 installed in the low temperature storage 50.

  In addition, about the transfer method of the transfer rack 20 from the low temperature storage 50 to the low temperature storage box 60, since it is the same as the transfer method of the transfer rack 20 from the low temperature transfer box 60 to the low temperature storage 50 mentioned above, the description is abbreviate | omitted. .

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various design change can be performed without deviating from this invention described in the claim. Is possible.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the storage object is described as a tube into which a sample such as a living cell is injected. However, the specific aspect of the storage object is any as long as it needs to be stored at a low temperature. It may be a thing.
In the above-described embodiment, the low temperature hangar and the low temperature transport box have been described as storing the storage object at an ultra-low temperature such as −150 ° C. by liquid nitrogen injected therein, The specific mode of the temperature and the cooling method is not limited to this. For example, the temperature in the low temperature storage and the low temperature transport box may be set to −80 ° C., and the cooling method may be electricity or carbon dioxide gas. Other gases may be used.
Moreover, although the rack stage was demonstrated as what was installed in the low temperature storage and the low temperature conveyance box in embodiment mentioned above, you may install a rack stage only in a low temperature storage.
In addition, regarding a specific aspect of the rack stage, the rack housing portion and the cover are arranged such that the transfer rack housed in the rack housing portion is prevented from coming out from the rack insertion opening by the cold insulation cover housed in the cover housing portion. Any device may be used as long as the housing portion is provided.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the transfer rack accommodated in the rack accommodating portion is regulated to move to the back side and the left and right sides in the inserting direction by the movement restricting portion of the rack accommodating portion, and the cooler cover covers the front side in the remaining inserting direction. However, the transfer rack accommodated in the rack accommodating portion is restricted to move to the left and right sides and the back side in the insertion direction by the movement restricting portion of the rack accommodating portion, and is set to the diagonal position. You may comprise so that it may be prevented from falling off by the installed cold insulation cover.
Moreover, what is necessary is just to provide each control part formed in the rack accommodating part and the cover accommodating part as needed, and what is necessary is just to design the specific aspect of each control part according to the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Low temperature transfer unit 20 ... Transfer rack 21 ... Rack main body 22 ... Tube holding part (holding part)
23 ... Holding hole 30 ... Cold insulation cover 31 ... Lower part 32 ... Narrow part 33 ... Holding hole 40 ... Rack stage 41 ... Rack housing part 41a · Rack insertion port 41b ··· Back side movement restricting portion 41c ··· Horizontal side movement restricting portion 41d ··· Lifting restricting portion 41e ··· Bottom portion 42 ··· Cover housing portion 42a ··· Front side movement restricting portion 42b ・ ・ ・ Side movement restricting part 42c ・ ・ ・ Bottom 50 ・ ・ ・ Low temperature storage 60 ・ ・ ・ Low temperature transport box 61 ・ ・ ・ Box body 62 ・ ・ ・ Lid 70 ・ ・ ・ Two-dimensional code reader (code reader)
80 ... Handling mechanism 81 ... Holding arm 90 ... Mounting table C ... Tube (storage object)

Claims (6)

A low-temperature transfer unit for transferring a storage object while maintaining a low temperature state between a low-temperature hangar for storing the storage object at a low temperature and a low-temperature transport box for transferring the storage object at a low temperature,
A transfer rack having a holding unit for holding a storage object, a cold insulation cover detachably attached to the transfer rack, and a rack stage installed in the low temperature storage.
The rack stage has a rack accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the transfer rack, and a cover accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the cold insulation cover,
The rack accommodating portion has a rack insertion slot into which the transfer rack is inserted,
The cover housing portion is adjacent to the rack insertion port side of the rack housing portion such that the transfer rack is prevented from coming out of the rack insertion port by a cold insulation cover housed in the cover housing portion. A cryogenic transfer unit characterized in that it is provided. The holding part is provided so as to hold the storage object detachably from above,
The cold insulation cover is detachably mounted above the transfer rack,
The rack insertion port is provided to insert the transfer rack from the side,
The low-temperature transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein the rack housing portion has a rising restriction portion that restricts upward movement of the transfer rack. A handling mechanism for handling the transfer rack and the cold insulation cover;
The handling mechanism removes the cold insulation cover from the transfer rack accommodated in the rack accommodating portion and lifts it upward, and then rotates the cold insulation cover at a predetermined angle around a vertical axis, thereby moving the cold insulation cover to the cover The low-temperature transfer unit according to claim 2, wherein the low-temperature transfer unit is configured to be installed in the accommodating portion. A handling mechanism for handling the transfer rack and the cold insulation cover;
The handling mechanism has a pair of gripping arms accessible to each other,
4. The low-temperature transfer unit according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the transfer rack or the cold insulation cover has a narrow portion on an upper side thereof. 5. A code reader for reading the identifier;
The cryogenic transfer unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a part of the rack body of the transfer rack is formed of a transparent material.   The low-temperature transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein the rack stage is also installed in the low-temperature transport box.

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