PCR検査前処理工程効率化のためのマイクロチューブキャッパーの開発

抄録

The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has revealed issues regarding the number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that can be conducted per day and the testing system and organization in Japan. This research aims to realize a effective testing system to prepare for future virus mutations. In this study, we propose a microtube capper as an element of the technology development of an effective pre-stage processing system. The proposed microtube capper consists of two arms that can operate independently to open and close caps of microtubes. The experimental results showed that the proposed microtube capper could smoothly open and close caps of different types of 1.5 mL microtubes. Future studies may consider integrating the proposed microtube capper into the pre-stage processing robotic system for total evaluation.