Fluid containing cartridge and utilization of the same

Abstract

In a state where liquids are contained in a plurality of liquid container portions which are formed in a first layer and a second layer of a cartridge and which have predetermined volumes determined depending on liquids to be contained, and where the reaction vessel is connected to any one of communicating ports, when pressure is applied to act upon one of the liquid container portions which is communicated with the communicating port connected to the reaction vessel, the atmosphere is supplied to the one liquid container portion through a atmosphere flowing passage communicating with the outside, and the liquid contained in the one liquid container portion is supplied to the reaction vessel. The cartridge is rotated to connect another communicating port to the reaction vessel such that plural liquids are eventually supplied to the reaction vessel. On that occasion, since the atmosphere supplied through the atmosphere flowing passage is further supplied to the reaction vessel through the communicating port connected to the reaction vessel and the one liquid container portion, the plural liquids contained in the reaction vessel are stirred by the inflow of the atmosphere.

1 . A fluid containing cartridge for containing fluids in an extractable manner, the fluid containing cartridge comprising:
 a plurality of container portions being able to contain the fluids and formed inside a housing in respective predetermined volumes that are determined depending on the fluids to be contained therein;   an atmosphere flowing portion for communicating the container portions with the outside, thus enabling the atmosphere to flow into the container portions; and   a plurality of connecting and communicating portions disposed at respective predetermined connecting positions where, by relatively moving a reaction vessel disposed in the outside and capable of containing the fluids and the fluid containing cartridge in a selective manner, the reaction vessel and any one of the container portions are connected to each other for fluid communication therebetween, the connecting and communicating portions enabling the fluids contained in the container portions to be supplied to the reaction vessel by differential pressure acting upon the fluids contained in the container portions.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of connecting and communicating portions are disposed on a flat surface formed in the housing in a circular pattern coaxial with an axis of rotation about which any one of the reaction vessel and the housing is rotated. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of container portions is formed in the housing having the shape of a circular disk and has the shape of a zigzag tube with a zigzag width gradually increasing from an inner peripheral side toward an outer peripheral side of the circular disk-shaped housing,
 wherein the plurality of connecting and communicating portions are disposed in the inner peripheral side of the circular disk-shaped housing.   
     
     
         4 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of container portions are formed in the housing having the shape of a circular disk such that the container portions containing the fluids in larger amounts are positioned in an even outer peripheral side of the circular disk-shaped housing. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of container portions is formed in the shape of a tube gradually narrowing toward the connecting and communicating portion. 
     
     
         6 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of divided layers, and
 wherein the container portions are formed in any one of the divided layers, or formed in a state extending over two or more of the divided layers.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reservoir portion being able to reserve a fluid and formed in the housing to be communicated with the atmosphere; and   a coupling and communicating portion disposed at a predetermined coupling position where the reaction vessel and the reservoir portion are communicated with each other when the reaction vessel and the fluid containing cartridge are relatively moved into a state of predetermined positional relation in a selective manner.   
     
     
         11 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an outflow restriction portion disposed between the reservoir portion and the coupling and communicating portion to allow flow of the fluid from the reaction vessel to the reservoir portion and to block off flow of the fluid from the reservoir portion to the reaction vessel;   a column portion disposed between the coupling and communicating portion and the outflow restriction portion and being able to adsorb a product produced in the reaction vessel; and   an inflow restriction portion disposed between any one of the plurality of container portions and the column portion to allow flow of the fluid from the one container portion to the column portion and to block off flow of the fluid from the column portion to the one container portion.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 11 , wherein an absorbing material for absorbing the fluid is disposed in the reservoir portion. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere flowing portion comprises an atmosphere flowing passage having an atmosphere hole and communicating at least one of the container portions with the outside, and a porous material disposed in the atmosphere flowing passage and allowing passing of the atmosphere, but not allowing passing of the fluid. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A fluid reaction unit comprising:
 the fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 ; and   a reaction vessel being connectable to the plurality of connecting and communicating portions disposed in the fluid containing cartridge and being able to contain the fluid supplied through the connecting and communicating portion connected.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A reaction apparatus for mixing a plurality of fluids with each other to develop a reaction, the reaction apparatus comprising:
 a mounting unit capable of mounting the fluid containing cartridge according to  claim 1 ;   a reaction vessel being connectable to the plurality of connecting and communicating portions disposed in the mounted fluid containing cartridge and being able to contain the fluid supplied through the connecting and communicating portion connected;   a moving unit for moving at least one of the reaction vessel and the mounted fluid containing cartridge to a predetermined connecting position where the reaction vessel and any one of the plurality of connecting and communicating portions are connected to each other; and   a pressure applying unit capable of applying differential pressure to act upon the container portion of the fluid containing cartridge, thereby supplying the fluid contained in the container portion to the reaction vessel.   
     
     
         21 . The reaction apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising a control unit for, in accordance with a series of reaction procedures to be executed by using the fluids contained in the container portions of the mounted fluid containing cartridge, controlling the moving unit such that one of the plurality of container portions is selectively connected in turn to the reaction vessel, and controlling the pressure applying unit to transfer the fluid by the action of the differential pressure applied to the container portion. 
     
     
         22 . The reaction apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the pressure applying unit is connected to the reaction vessel to suck the fluid from the container portion into the reaction vessel by lowering air pressure in the reaction vessel and to push out the fluid from the reaction vessel to the container portion by raising air pressure in the reaction vessel. 
     
     
         23 . The reaction apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the mounting unit mounts the fluid containing cartridge provided with a circular disk-shaped housing in which the container portions are formed, and
 wherein the moving unit moves at least one of the reaction vessel and the mounted fluid containing cartridge by rotationally moving one of the reaction vessel and the fluid containing cartridge about an axis of rotation.   
     
     
         24 - 28 . (canceled)