U.S. patent application number 11/710160 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-01 for samples storage system for pharmaceutical development.
Invention is credited to Nobuaki Matsumoto, Hisao Nishii, Hiroyuki Taike, Kazuhiro Tsutsumi, Yukio Ueyama.
Application Number | 20070251892 11/710160 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38283229 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070251892 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Taike; Hiroyuki ; et
al. |
November 1, 2007 |
Samples storage system for pharmaceutical development
Abstract
A samples storage system for pharmaceutical development in which
the usable volumes of ultramicrotubes (384 tubes) are increased and
smooth insertion and extraction of ultramicrotubes is possible
irrespective of the positions of the ultramicrotubes. The samples
storage system includes tubes in which samples are sealed and a
storage rack for vertically accommodating a plurality of the tubes
in a grid pattern. Each tube is of a rectangular hollow tubular
cross-section and the intersect is tapered toward the bottom
portion of the tube. Corner portions of the outer four side
surfaces of the tubes are chamfered. The storage rack has
engagement partition walls forming open-ended sections in a grid
pattern inside the rack frame. The height of the walls is smaller
than the length of the tube, and tube-supporting pins project
vertically from the intersections of the grid. The outermost walls
of the grid are spaced inwardly from the frame so that all of the
tubes in the grid are supported for ready insertion and
removal.
Inventors: |
Taike; Hiroyuki; (Osaka,
JP) ; Tsutsumi; Kazuhiro; (Osaka, JP) ;
Nishii; Hisao; (Osaka, JP) ; Matsumoto; Nobuaki;
(Osaka, JP) ; Ueyama; Yukio; (Kobe City,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DANN, DORFMAN, HERRELL & SKILLMAN
1601 MARKET STREET, SUITE 2400
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103-2307
US
|
Family ID: |
38283229 |
Appl. No.: |
11/710160 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/13.1 ;
422/400 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01L 3/50855 20130101;
B01L 2200/025 20130101; B01L 9/06 20130101; B01L 2300/0829
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/13.1 ;
422/99 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/00 20060101
A47F007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 1, 2006 |
JP |
2006-127835 |
Claims
1. A samples storage system for pharmaceutical development
including tubes in which samples for pharmaceutical development are
sealed and a storage rack for vertically accommodating a plurality
of said tubes in a grid pattern, characterized in that said tubes
are of a rectangular hollow tubular cross-section which is tapered
toward the bottom portion of the tube and four sides with chamfered
corner portions on the outer surfaces, and said storage rack has a
frame and engagement partition walls intersecting one another and
forming grid pattern sections inside said rack frame, said walls
having a height smaller than the length of said tubes, said grid
partition walls have tube supporting pins extending vertically from
respective intersections of the grid partition walls, whereby all
of said tubes, including the tubes accommodated adjacent said frame
are held by said grid partition walls and said tube supporting
pins.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said partition walls
cooperate to form open-ended receptacles for association with said
tubes, each said tube having a shoulder on its periphery in said
side surfaces and a convex portion spaced a selected distance below
said shoulder, said selected distance being not less than the
height of said partition walls, and wherein further at least one of
said side surface and the associated partition wall is elastically
deformable to enable said shoulder and said convex portion to
engage the top and bottom of said partition wall to effect
releasable interlocking engagement of said tube in said open-ended
receptacle.
3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said grid of partition
walls have outermost walls adjacent said frame, said outermost
walls being spaced from said frame and capable of being deflected
to facilitate insertion and removal of said tubes into and from the
open-ended receptacles formed by said outermost walls.
4. A storage rack adapted for use in a system for pharmaceutical
development having tubes in which samples for pharmaceutical
development are sealed, said tubes having a rectangular hollow
tubular cross-section which is tapered toward the bottom portion of
the tube and four sides with chamfered corner portions on the outer
surfaces, a storage rack having a frame and engagement partition
walls intersecting one another and forming grid pattern of
open-ended receptacles inside said rack frame, said walls having a
height smaller than the length of said tubes, said engagement
partition walls have tube supporting pins extending vertically from
respective intersections of the grid partition walls, whereby all
of said tubes, including the tubes accommodated adjacent said frame
are held by said grid pattern engagement partition walls and said
tube supporting pins.
5. A storage rack according to claim 4 adapted for use in a system
for pharmaceutical development having tubes with shoulders on their
outer surfaces and convex portions spaced a given distance below
said shoulders, wherein said partition walls have a height less
than said given distance and are formed of an elastically
deformable material to permit passage of at least one of said
shoulders and said convex portions through said receptacles during
insertion and removal of said tubes into and from said receptacles,
said shoulders and convex portions providing a releasable
interlocking of said tubes with said partition walls of said
receptacles.
6. A storage rack according to claim 4 wherein said pins are
tapered upwardly to guide the tubes into said receptacles during
insertion of the tubes into said receptacles.
7. A storage rack according to claim 4 wherein said grid of
partition walls have outermost walls adjacent said frame, said
outermost walls being spaced from said frame and capable of being
deflected to facilitate insertion and removal of the tubes into and
from the open-ended receptacles formed by said walls.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a samples storage system
for pharmaceutical development used for identifying and storing a
number of samples in a field of a pharmaceutical development
research or the like, and more specifically it relates to a samples
storage system for pharmaceutical development including tubes for
sealing samples for pharmaceutical development and a storage rack
for vertically accommodating 384 tubes in a grid pattern.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In a field of wound medicine research or the like, the
storage and transportation of samples has been carried out by
sealing or encapsulating a sample-dissolved solution into a tube
case so called as a microtube and accommodating a plurality of
microtubes in a vertically provided manner in a storage rack which
is partitioned in a grid patten, for example partitioned into 96
receptacles in a matrix with 8 rows and 12 columns. Further, to
accommodate smaller microtubes that is ultramicrotubes (hereinafter
sometimes referred to as "384 tube") in the same size storage rack
as a storage rack partitioned into 96 sections in accordance with a
standard of SBS (Society for Biomolecular Screening) a storage rack
with the total of 384 partitioned sections in a matrix with 16 rows
and 24 columns has been also known [(see for example, European
Patent Application Publication No. 0904841 (FIG. 1, paragraphs 7 to
9) and European Patent Application Publication No. 1477226 (FIG. 5,
paragraphs 3 to 5) and related U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,907].
[0003] FIG. 8 shows a samples storage system 800 for pharmaceutical
development for accommodating ultramicrotubes (or 384 tubes)
described in European Patent Application Publication No. 0904841.
In this samples storage system 800 for pharmaceutical development,
in a storage rack 810 with the same size as the storage rack in
accordance with an SBS standard, in which 96 tubes are
accommodated, it is four times number of tubes, that is 384,
tubular ultramicrotubes 820 with bottoms are accommodated. Thus
since the above-mentioned ultramicrotubes 820 take a shape in which
a bottom surface size of a the ultramicrotubes (384 tubes) was
reduced to substantially 1/4 of the surface size of the microtubes
(96 tubes), the capacity of samples to be accommodated must be
decreased. Further, since engagement partition walls 816 for
forming accommodation sections 813 partitioned in a matrix with 16
rows and 24 columns are formed at substantially the same height as
a rack frame 814 of the storage rack 810, an accommodation region
in the ultramicrotubes 820 is decreased by the thickness of these
engagement partition walls 816 and the capacity of samples to be
accommodated was even more restricted as compared with the
mcirotubes (96 tubes).
[0004] FIG. 9 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a samples
storage system 900 for pharmaceutical development accommodating
ultramicrotubes described in European Patent Application
Publication No. 1477226. In this samples storage system 900 for
pharmaceutical development, a storage rack 910 accommodates four
times number of tubes, that is ultramicrotubes 920, is the same
size storage rack 910 as a storage rack in accordance with the SBS
standard, accommodating microtubes (96 tubes) like the conventional
case shown in FIG. 8. Since the ultramicrotubes 920 in this storage
rack 910 have a rectangular hollow tubluar cross-section, the
storage rack 910 has a greater accommodation volume than the
tubular ultramicrotubes shown in FIG. 8.
[0005] However, since in this storage rack 910, engagement
partition walls 916 extend to shoulder portions 922 of
ultramicrotubes 920 and corner portions of the outer surfaces of
the ultramicrotubes have chamfered portions (not shown), slight
gaps are formed at corner portions of an accommodation portion 913
whose top are a square, resulting in a reduced increase in the
accommodation volume by reason of the gaps. Further, since one
surface or two surfaces of the respective tubes 920 accommodated
adjacent the frame are supported against frame side walls 918,
which are unlikely to elastically deform, the tubes 920 are
difficult to insert and extract. Further, since there are
differences in forces required for insertion and extraction between
a case of tubes at the center portion of the storage rack and a
case of tubes near the rack side wall 918, a complex control is
required when picking with an automatic picking device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to
provide a samples storage system for pharmaceutical development in
which the accommodation volumes of ultramicrotubes are increased
and smooth insertion and extraction of ultramicrotubes become
possible irrespective of the accommodation positions of the
ultramicrotubes relative to the side walls.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
[0007] The invention attains the above-mentioned object by a
samples storage system for pharmaceutical development including
tubes in which samples for pharmaceutical development are sealed
and a storage rack with receptacles for vertically accommodating a
plurality of the tubes in a grid pattern, characterized in that the
tube is of a rectangular hollow tubluar cross-section and is
tapered toward the bottom portion of the tube and at the same time
corner portions of the outer four side surfaces of the tubes are o
chamfered, the storage rack has engagement partition walls forming
grid pattern receptacles inside the rack frame. The height of the
walls is smaller than the length of the tube. The grid partition
walls have tube-supporting pins vertically extending from their
respective intersections of the grid. The tubes accommodated
adjacent the outermost sides are held vertical by the partition
walls which are spaced from the frame and the tube-supporting pins
projecting upwardly from the intersections of the grid in the same
manner as the tubes in the middle of the rack.
[0008] The material of the tube and the rack used in the present
invention is not limited particularly, but polypropylene (PP) or
polycarbonate (PC) is preferably used as the material.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to the invention, since in a samples storage
system for pharmaceutical development including tubes in which
samples for pharmaceutical development are sealed and a storage
rack for accommodating a plurality of the vertical tubes in a grid
pattern, the tube is of a rectangular hollow tubluar cross-section
and is tapered toward the bottom portion of the tube and at the
same time corner portions of the outer four side surfaces of the
tubes are chamfered. The storage rack has engagement partition
walls forming grid pattern receptacles inside the rack frame. The
height of the walls is smaller than the length of the tube, and the
grid partition walls have tube-supporting pins extending vertically
from the respective intersections of the grid. The tubes
accommodated on the sides adjacent the frame are held by the
partition walls and tube-supporting pins vertically provided on the
intersections of the grid as in other tubes, the accommodation
volume of tubes can be increased and smooth insertion and
extraction of tubes become possible irrespective of the
accommodation positions of the tubes. Thus the effects are very
large.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a samples storage system for
pharmaceutical development according to the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is top view of a storage rack shown in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line
III-III of the storage rack shown in FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the portion encircled at IV in
FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion
encircled at V in FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a top view of an ultramicrotube and a storage rack
of the present invention shown in FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line
VII-VII in FIG. 6;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of conventional ultramicrotubes
and a conventional storage rack; and
[0018] FIG. 9 is a part of a cross-sectional view of other
conventional ultramicrotubes and a storage rack.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Next, a preferable example of a samples storage system for
pharmaceutical development according to the present invention will
be described with reference to drawings.
[0020] In the drawings, four ultramicrotubes 120 are accommodated
in a storage rack 110. The storage rack 110, which is one of
components of a samples storage system for pharmaceutical
development of the present invention, has a rack frame 114 and
lower engagement partition walls 116 forming grid pattern of
open-ended receptacles inside the rack frame. It is noted that the
outermost walls 116, which are adjacent the rack frame, are spaced
inwardly of the inside of the inner walls 118 of the rack 114, and
the height of all of the partition walls 116 is less than the
length of the associated ultramicrotubes. Tube-supporting pins 112
extend vertically upwardly from the respective intersections of the
grid.
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the pins 112 taper upwardly from
the intersections to guide the ultramicrotubes into the receptacles
when loading the rack, and the ultramicrotubes do not come into
contact with the rack wall 118, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the
outermost side ultramicrotube 120 is held, like other
ultramicrotubes, by lower engagement partition walls 116 forming
grid pattern sections inside than the length of the respective
ultramicrotubes and four tube supporting pins 112 vertically
upwardly provided from the respective intersections of the grid of
the engagement partition walls 116. Therefore, the outermost side
ultramicrotube 120 does not come into contact with a rack side wall
118.
[0022] As apparent from FIGS. 6 and 7, the ultramicrotube 120 has a
rectangular hollow tubluar cross-section and is tapered toward a
bottom surface 121 and corner portions 120 on the outer four side
surfaces of the ultramicrotube 120 are chamfered. The
ultramicrotube 120 has step portions 124 forming a shoulder at
positions where the ultramicrotube 120 abuts on upper surfaces of
the engagement partition walls 116, and this shoulder prevents the
ultramicrotube 120 from slipping down past the upper surfaces of
the engagement partition walls 116. Although the outer bottom
surface of the ultramicrotube 120 is flat, the inner bottom surface
123 of the ultramicrotube 120 has inclined surfaces toward the
center of the inner bottom, like a square pyramid. This shape makes
the residues of solution extremely small when the solution in the
ultramicrotube 120 is extracted by a pipet or the like.
[0023] Further, as shown in FIG. 7, tube locking convex projections
125 are provided on the respective outer four side surfaces at a
lower portion of the ultramicrotube 120. When the ultramicrotube
120 is being inserted into an accommodation portion 113, which is
one of sections of a grid pattern surrounded by four engagement
partition walls 116, the tube locking convex projection 125 comes
into contact with the upper surfaces of the engagement partition
walls 116. One or both of the engagement partition walls 116 and
the tube locking convex projections 125 are elastically deformed so
that the tube locking convex projections 125 are slipped down below
the engagement partition walls 116. It is noted that since the
outermost partition wall 116 is spaced from the frame side wall
118, the wall 116 is free to deflect, which enables the projection
125 to pass through the receptacle.
[0024] At this time since the engagement partition walls 116 and
the tube locking convex projections 125 come into point contact
with each other and the height of the engagement partition wall 116
is smaller than the length of the ultramicrotube 120, the
ultramicrotube 120 can be inserted into the storage rack 110 by
smaller force as compared with the conventional storage rack 910
for tubes shown in FIG. 9 for example. Further, once the tube
locking convex projections 125 are slipped down below the
engagement walls 116, even if vibration is applied to the storage
rack 110, the ultramicrotube 120 does not come out of the storage
rack 110. When a specified ultramicrotube 120 accommodated in the
storage rack 110 is pulled out through the top of the rack, it can
be easily pulled out by sticking a probe against the bottom of the
tube through the lower side of the storage rack 110. In the event
it is desired to extract the microtube through the bottom of the
rack, the step portions 124 on the microtube may be replaced by
convex projections similar to the projections 125.
[0025] In the above-mentioned example, an embodiment has been
disclosed in which the tube locking convex projections are provided
on four side surfaces of the lower portion of the ultramicrotubes
120 at the same distance from the bottom surface of the
ultramicrotube 120. However, various examples of numbers, sizes and
distances from the bottom and the like of the tube locking convex
projections are considered.
* * * * *