Reaction container for chemical analysis with the controlled surface property

• US 7,820,114 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kambara, Katsuhiro, Sakazume, Taku, Amo, Mina, Nakakawaji, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hill, Jr.; Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerido; Dwan A
• Application Number:
  US10/927,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2.11, 427/10, 427/476, 427/485, 427/520, 427/539, 427/556, 422/100, 422/102, 422/292, 422/919, 422/922, 422/936, 422/942, 422/130, 453/4, 215/227
• US Class Current: 422/554
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/165 Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se

Abstract

A highly reliable reaction container capable of restraining an initial detection failure (bubble attachment), and a biochemical and/or immunological automatic analyzer loaded with the reaction container. In a reaction container made of a synthetic resin and used for receiving a biological sample and a reagent, developing a biochemical and/or immunological reaction between the biological sample and the reagent, and measuring proceedings of the reaction and/or the state at a predetermined point in time by optical means, an inner wall surface of the reaction container in contact with the biological sample, the reagent, and a reaction product of the biological sample and the reagent has a critical surface tension of not smaller than 25.0 mN/m, or a contact angle between the inner wall surface of the reaction container and a solvent of a reaction solution is not larger than 60 degrees.

Claims

1. A reaction container made of a cyclic polyolefin resin and used for receiving a biological sample and a reagent, developing a reaction between said biological sample and said reagent, and measuring proceedings of said reaction and/or the state at a predetermined point in time by optical means,

said reaction container having interior walls in which a liquid is contained;

wherein a surface of said interior walls of said reaction container contacts with said biological sample, said reagent, and a reaction product of said biological sample and said reagent, and a critical surface tension of said surface of said interior walls is larger than or equal to 25.0 mN/m.

2. A biochemical and/or immunological automatic analyzer loaded with a reaction container according to claim 1.

3. A reaction container made of a cyclic polyolefin resin and used for receiving a biological sample and a reagent, developing a reaction between the biological sample and the reagent, and measuring proceedings of the reaction and/or the state at a predetermined point in time by optical means,

said reaction container having interior walls in which a liquid is contained;

wherein a contact angle between a surface of said interior walls of said reaction container and a solvent of a reaction solution is not larger than 60 degrees.

4. A method of controlling properties of an inner wall surface of a reaction container, which is made of a cyclic polyolefin resin and used for receiving a biological sample and a reagent, developing a biochemical and/or immunological reaction between the biological sample and the reagent, and measuring proceedings of the reaction and/or the state at a predetermined point in time by optical means,

said reaction container having interior walls in which a liquid is contained;

wherein a surface of said interior walls of said reaction container is controlled by one or more kinds of ozone treatment selected from among (1) treatment using water in which ozone gas is dissolved, (2) spray of ozone gas, and (3) ultraviolet-ozone irradiation such that the inner wall surface of the reaction container has a critical surface tension of not smaller than 25.0 mN/m, or a contact angle between the surface of the interior walls of the reaction container and a solvent of a reaction solution is not larger than 60 degrees.

5. A method of controlling properties of an inner wall surface of a reaction container according to claim 4, wherein prior to the treatment using the water in which ozone gas is dissolved, the surface of the interior walls of said reaction container is subjected to at least one kind of oxidation treatment selected from among ultraviolet treatment, corona discharge treatment, electron beam treatment, and low- or high-frequency, low-temperature plasma discharge treatment.

6. A biochemical and/or immunological automatic analyzer for receiving a biological sample and a reagent, developing a biochemical and/or immunological reaction between the biological sample and the reagent, and measuring proceedings of the reaction and/or the state at a predetermined point in time by optical means,

said reaction container having interior walls in which a liquid is contained and being made of a cyclic polyolefin resin and being used for analysis;

wherein said analyzer includes at least one type of ozone treatment apparatus for performing ozone treatment of a surface of the interior walls of the reaction container, the one type of apparatus being selected from among (1) an apparatus for producing water in which ozone gas is dissolved, (2) an ozone gas sprayer, and (3) an ultraviolet-ozone irradiation apparatus.