Pretreatment apparatus and pretreatment method

Abstract

A pretreatment apparatus (100) for performing pretreatment of a sample is provided with a holder (610) for holding a container (10) containing a sample, a centrifugal separation device (600) for rotating the container (10) held by the holder (610) to perform a centrifugal separation, a temperature adjustment device (420) for adjusting the temperature of the sample in the container (10) in the holder (610), an input device (320) for receiving from a user a designated temperature that is adjusted by the temperature adjustment device (420), a controller (300) for controlling the temperature adjustment device (420) in accordance with the designated temperature received via the input device (320).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pretreatment apparatus for performing pretreatment of a sample comprising:
 a centrifugal separation device having a holder to hold a container containing the sample and configured to centrifuge the sample by rotating the container on the holder;   a nozzle configured to dispense a reagent into the container;   a housing accommodating the centrifugal separation device inside, the housing provided with a port through which the nozzle accesses to the container on the holder;   a controller;   a temperature adjustment device configured to adjust a temperature in the housing under control of the controller; and   a shutter movably provided to close and open the port.   
     
     
         2 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to open the shutter before the nozzle enters the housing and close the shutter after the nozzle comes out of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive a designation of temperature in the housing and control the temperature adjustment device to adjust the temperature according to the designation. 
     
     
         4 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjustment device comprises a Peltier element and a fan to circulate air in the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is programmed to stop or decrease a rotation speed of the fan while the shutter is open. 
     
     
         6 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reagent storage storing a reagent container accommodating the reagent to be dispensed by the nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a reagent temperature adjustment device configured to adjust temperature in the reagent storage. 
     
     
         8 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the reagent storage comprises a first reagent storage to store a first reagent container of a first reagent and a second reagent storage to store a second reagent container of a second reagent, and
 the controller is programmed to control the reagent temperature adjustment device to adjust temperatures in the first and second reagent storages at different temperatures.   
     
     
         9 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the nozzle aspirates a reagent in the reagent container and dispenses the reagent aspirated to the container on the holder. 
     
     
         10 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive a mode selection by a user and control the temperature adjustment device to adjust the temperature in the housing with a target temperature according to a mode selected by the user. 
     
     
         11 . A sample pretreatment method comprising:
 centrifuge a sample in a container by rotating a holder holding the container under a temperature adjusted by a temperature adjustment device in a housing;   open a port of the housing by moving a shutter;   dispense a reagent into the container by entering a nozzle through the port; and   close the port by moving the shutter.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a designation of temperature in the housing; and   controlling the temperature adjustment device to adjust the temperature according to the designation.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the temperature adjustment device comprises a Peltier element and a fan to circulate air in the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the fan is stopped or a rotation speed of the fan is decreased while the shutter is open. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising aspirating reagent to be dispensed by the nozzle in a reagent container placed in a reagent storage. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising adjusting temperature in the reagent storage according to a user input. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the reagent storage comprises a first reagent storage to store a first reagent container of a first reagent and a second reagent storage to store a second reagent container of a second reagent, and the method further comprises adjusting temperatures in the first and second reagent storages at different temperatures. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a mode selection by a user and adjusting the temperature in the housing with a target temperature according to a mode selected by the user. 
     
     
         19 . A pretreatment apparatus for performing pretreatment of a sample comprising:
 a centrifugal separation device having a holder to hold a container containing the sample and configured to centrifuge the sample by rotating the container on the holder;   a housing accommodating the centrifugal separation device inside;   a temperature adjustment device configured to adjust a temperature in the housing under control of the controller;   a reagent storage including a first reagent storage and a second reagent storage, the first reagent storage storing a first reagent to be dispensed to the container and the second reagent storage storing a second reagent, different from the first reagent, to be dispensed to the container;   a reagent temperature adjustment device configured to adjust temperatures in the first and second reagent storages at different temperatures.   
     
     
         20 . The pretreatment apparatus according to  claim 19 , further comprising a shutter provided with the housing to open and close a port of the housing.