# US 2019/0170782 A1 · Apparatus having function of diluting sample and method for diluting sample

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- Number: US 2019/0170782 A1
- Document ID: US20190170782A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/208,881
- Filed: 2018-12-04
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04
- Assignees: Shimadzu Corporation
- Applicants: Shimadzu Corporation
- Inventors: Tatsuya NISHIO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170782A1

## CPC

- G01N 35/1016: {Control of the volume dispensed or introduced}
- G01N 1/38: Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
- G01N 30/24: Automatic injection systems
- G01N 35/025: {having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes}
- G01N 35/08: using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
- G01N 35/10: Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)}
- G01N 2035/00277: {Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)}
- G01N 2035/00465: {Separating and mixing arrangements}
- G01N 2035/1032: {Dilution or aliquotting}
- G01N 2035/106: {by sucking and blowing}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Contamination is prevented, and a sample and a diluent are more easily mixed together while the accuracy of the sample amount is maintained. An apparatus includes a sample preparation container preparing the sample, a diluent part storing the diluent for diluting the sample, and a control unit controlling operation of a sampling needle. The control unit includes a dilution operation part configured to add the diluent collected from the diluent part to the sample collected from a sample part with the sampling needle to dilute the sample in the container. The dilution operation part dispenses, with the sampling needle, the diluent into the container before dispensing of the sample, dispenses, with the sampling needle, the sample into the container into which the diluent has been dispensed, and thereafter dispenses, into the container, the diluent sucked with the sampling needle before suction of the sample.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dispenser comprising:
a sample part including a sample;
a movable sampling needle configured to suck and discharge liquid through a tip end of the movable sampling needle;
a sample preparation container configured to prepare the sample collected from the sample part with the sampling needle;
a diluent part configured to store a diluent for diluting the sample; and
a control unit configured to control operation of the sampling needle, the control unit including a dilution operation part configured to add the diluent collected from the diluent part to the sample collected from the sample part with the sampling needle to dilute the sample in the sample preparation container, wherein
the dilution operation part dispenses the diluent into the sample preparation container with the sampling needle before dispensing of the sample, dispenses, with the sampling needle, the sample into the sample preparation container into which the diluent has been dispensed, and thereafter dispenses, into the sample preparation container, the diluent sucked with the sampling needle before suction of the sample.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dilution operation part dispenses, into the sample preparation container, the diluent sucked with the sampling needle before the suction of the sample, and thereafter sucks, and discharges, liquid in the sample preparation container with the sampling needle once or more times, thereby stirring the sample and the diluent.

### Claim 3

A method for diluting a sample by adding a diluent to the sample using a sampling needle in a sample preparation container, the method comprising:
dispensing the diluent into the sample preparation container with the sampling needle before dispensing of the sample;
dispensing, with the sampling needle, the sample into the sample preparation container into which the diluent has been dispensed; and
thereafter dispensing, into the sample preparation container, the diluent sucked with the sampling needle before suction of the sample.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the diluent sucked with the sampling needle before the suction of the sample is dispensed into the sample preparation container, and thereafter liquid in the sample preparation container is sucked and discharged with the sampling needle once or more times, thereby stirring the sample and the diluent.