JP2003315345A - Reagent information management in automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that consistent information management is impossible hitherto in the case where setting of a reagent bottle used once into a unit different from the unit used for analysis in the last time is desired depending on conditions such as the anticipated number of analytes to be analyzed or the residual quantity of a reagent, because of its efficiency in operation, while an approach is disclosed, to the consistent information management on the premise that the reagent bottle used once in the same automatic analytical device is to be returned to the same unit from a standpoint of reuse of a calibration curve or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The information on the reagent bottle is managed in common between the units in the same automatic analytical device or between different automatic analytical devices, and values in the last time are inherited at the resetting time of the used reagent bottle, to thereby enable more efficient and consistent operation management of the automatic analytical device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to operation management of reagent bottles in a network system in which a plurality of analysis units or a plurality of units are connected by a communication network. Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic analyzer using a reagent, a reagent item, an expiration date of the reagent, an on-board reagent,
Information such as stability, remaining amount of reagent, and manufacturing lot of the reagent is read when the reagent bottle is set, and when the reagent bottle is temporarily evacuated and set again, the information is again detected by the reagent barcode, external input, and liquid level detection. The above information was re-input by such means. To repeat such work
There were problems from two perspectives. One is the inefficiency of loading the information that is completely the same as the information that was loaded the first time, the second time. The second is that information that can change in value between the first set and the second set due to some circumstances cannot be compared with the previous value, or it is managed consistently from the first use like onboard stability. There was a problem that the information to be provided could not be consistently managed.
Such a problem is from the viewpoint of reuse of the calibration curve,
An approach for consistent information management based on the premise that reagent bottles used once in the same automatic analyzer should be returned to the same unit is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-048.
800.

[0003]

However, it is operationally efficient to set a used reagent bottle in a unit different from the unit previously analyzed, depending on the expected number of samples to be analyzed, the remaining amount of reagents, etc. May be better. Conventionally,
In such a case, there is a problem that the consistent information management cannot be performed.

[0004]

A first aspect of the present invention is an automatic analyzer comprising a plurality of units using a reagent, in which reagent attribute information for each reagent bottle is read at the time of setting a reagent and then the information is read by the entire automatic analyzer. Retain the reagent attribute information at the time of resetting it to the same or another unit that is held, or compare the previous value with the previous value after reacquiring the information, or continuously manage the previous value. It is characterized by. A second aspect of the present invention is a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers including a plurality of units using reagents are connected by a communication line, and the reagent attribute information for each reagent bottle is read at the time of reagent setting, and then the information is retained in the entire system However, when the reagent bottle is re-set in the same or another unit, the reagent attribute information is reused, or the information is re-acquired and compared with the previous value, or the previous value is continuously managed. It is a feature. A third invention is a system comprising a plurality of automatic analyzers of a plurality of units which use reagents, in which the reagent items, the remaining amount of the reagent in the used reagent bottle, the expected number of analysis samples for each analysis item, and the processing capacity of each automatic analyzer. This is a reagent bottle management system that determines the mounted units of used reagent bottles and unused reagent bottles so that the number of times of replacement of reagent bottles is minimized based on the above information.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view diagrammatically showing the configuration of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The automatic analyzer of the present embodiment analyzes a predetermined substance (item) in a sample such as serum, and has a sampler 1 and four analysis units 2 to 5 arranged in series,
A rack 7 holding a plurality of sample containers 6 each containing a sample to be analyzed from the sampler 1 is sequentially supplied in the feeding direction, that is, from the analysis unit 2 toward the analysis unit 5 and selectively in the analysis units 2 to 5. The rack 7 that has been analyzed and has been analyzed is conveyed in the return direction opposite to the feeding direction, that is, from the analysis unit 5 toward the analysis unit 2, and is collected by the sampler 1.

A data processing unit 8 is provided to control the operation of the entire automatic analyzer including the above-mentioned analysis units 2-5. This data processing unit, as shown in FIG.
The main control unit 8a includes a storage device, a determination unit, and the like, and a display (CRT) 8b, a printer 8c, and an operation unit 8d connected to the main control unit 8a.
Also connected to a are an analysis unit control unit (incorporated in the automatic analysis device) that controls the operation of each analysis unit 2 to 5 and a sampler control unit (incorporated in the automatic analysis device) that controls the operation of the sampler 1. .

The operation unit 8d includes an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse and an information reading device 10 which are connected via an interface (not shown). In the present embodiment, a bar code reader is used as the code reader 10, so it will be referred to as the bar code reader 10 in the following description. The bar code reader 10 may be of a type fixedly installed in the data processing unit 8, or may be a scanner type bar code reader or a pen type bar code reader. When the latter is used, the reagent information is read by holding the scanner type bar code reader or the pen type bar code reader close to the reagent bottle. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the barcode reader 10 is fixedly installed on each of the reagent tables 24 and 25 of each of the analysis units 3 to 5, and as shown in FIG. ) 9-1 9-2, ... Reagent information is read from a code label (not shown) attached to the outer peripheral side surface. As the code label, either a one-dimensional code label or a two-dimensional code label may be used.

The analysis units 2 to 5, for example, analyze the different items between the units, for example, the analysis unit 2
Is to measure the electrolyte in the sample by the electrode method, and the analysis units 3 to 5 are configured to analyze predetermined biochemical and immunological items by the endpoint method, the late method, the fixed method and the like.

The first sample feed transfer line 11 and the second sample feed transfer line 11 communicate with each of the analysis units 2 to 5 so as to communicate with each other from the analysis unit 2 to the analysis unit 5 without merging and to be parallel to each other. The sample feeding transport line 12 and the sample returning transport line 13 are provided so as to be connected in parallel. The first sample-transporting transport line 11 and the second sample-transporting transport line 12 are each configured to transport the rack 7 supplied from the sampler 1 in the transport direction, and the sample-returning transport line 13 is connected to the line 13. The upper rack 7 is transported in the return direction. Each of the transfer lines 11 to 13 is configured using, for example, a belt conveyor, and forms a continuous and integrally extended transfer path. The transport lines 11 to 13 extended in this way are driven so that they can be transported in a constant direction at a constant speed. In addition, each of the transfer lines 11 to 1
A fixed guide (not shown) for transportation is appropriately formed on 3 to guide the rack 7.

The analysis unit 2 includes a first sample feed transfer line 11 and a second sample feed transfer line 12 by means of a sample dispensing mechanism 15 which can be rotated and moved up and down.
At the above predetermined sample suction positions S1 and S2, the sample is selectively sucked from the sample container 6 held on the rack 7, and the sucked sample is discharged to the measurement container 16 to remove the electrolyte in the sample by the electrode method. It is configured to measure. In the analysis unit 2, the rack 7 is selectively moved by a known pitch feed mechanism (intermittent stopper, intermittent belt stop, etc.) on the first sample feed transport line 11 and the second sample feed transport line 12. Pitch feed is performed so that the sample containers 6 held on the rack 7 are sequentially positioned at the sample suction position S1 or S2.

Each of the analysis units 3, 4 and 5 is connected in series with the same configuration, and the first and second sample dispensing mechanisms 21 capable of rotating and moving up and down are used.
At a predetermined sample suction position on the sample feed transport line 11 and the second sample transport line 12
A sample is selectively sucked from the sample container 6 held in the rack 7 and dispensed into the reaction container 23 retained in the turntable 22 at a predetermined dispensing position, and the reaction container 23 in which the sample is dispensed With respect to the reagent bottle 9 set in the first reagent table 24 and the second reagent table 25.
-1 or the like (see FIG. 3) dispenses the first reagent and the second reagent corresponding to the analysis item by the first reagent dispensing mechanism 26 and the second reagent dispensing mechanism 27, respectively, and determines them by a predetermined analysis method. Configure to analyze the items in. Here, the dispensing order of the sample and the first reagent may be the first reagent first.

In the automatic analyzer shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the information of the reagent item, the expiration date of the reagent and the manufacturing lot of the reagent are externally input to the data processing unit in correspondence with the reagent bottle ID of the reagent bottle. To be done. The information is judged, processed, and stored by the main controller 8a. After that, the reagent bottle is once evacuated from the unit of the automatic analyzer, and when it is set again in the same unit or another unit in the same automatic analyzer, the reagent bottle ID is read from the 10 information reading device, Reagent items to
Information on the expiration date of the reagent and the manufacturing lot of the reagent is read from the data processing unit 8 and is also judged, processed, and stored. When resetting the used reagent bottle, data input from the outside can be omitted, so efficient operation can be achieved.

Further, in a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers each comprising a reagent are connected by a communication line, information on the reagent item for each reagent bottle, the expiration date of the reagent, and the manufacturing lot of the reagent is set when the reagent is set. After reading, the information is retained in the entire system, and the reagent attribute information is reused when the reagent bottle is set again in the same unit or another unit.

Further, in the automatic analyzers shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the onboard stability is an item managed in total from the time the unit is first mounted. When the reagent bottle is opened and mounted on the automatic analyzer for the first time, the reagent bottle ID is read from the 10 information reading device, and the date and time at that time are stored in the data processing unit. After that, when the reagent bottle is once evacuated from the unit of the automatic analyzer and is set again in the same unit or another unit in the same automatic analyzer, 10 is required.
When the reagent bottle ID is read from the information reading device, the total elapsed time with respect to the date and time is calculated by the 8 data processing unit, and when the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time, Take measures such as issuing an alarm.

Further, even in a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers composed of a plurality of units using reagents are connected by a communication line, the on-board stability of each of the reagent bottles can be managed continuously in the entire system. Enables management of onboard stability.

The remaining amount of the reagent is information normally recognized by the liquid level detection for the reagent bottle. After the reagent bottle is loaded into the unit for the first time, the value obtained by subtracting the final reagent dispensing amount from the liquid level check immediately before the final reagent dispensing is stored in the main control unit 8a. Then this reagent bottle is evacuated,
Next, when the units are mounted in the same unit or different units in the same automatic analyzer, this value is read using the reagent bottle ID as a key, and the sequence for checking the reagent amount can be omitted.

Further, even in a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers composed of a plurality of units using reagents are connected by a communication line, the remaining amount of each reagent bottle is managed in the entire system so that the analyzers are spread over the analyzers. When moving the reagent bottle, this value is read using the reagent bottle ID as a key, and the sequence for checking the reagent amount can be omitted.

Further, in a system comprising a plurality of automatic analyzers of a plurality of units which use reagents, reagent items, reagent remaining amount of used reagent bottles, expected number of analysis samples for each analysis item, and processing capacity of each automatic analyzer. It is also possible to determine the mounted units of the used reagent bottle and the unused reagent bottle so that the number of times of replacement of the reagent bottle can be minimized based on the information.

Basically, it is necessary to redraw the calibration curve when the reagent bottle is transferred to a different unit. However, it is possible to omit the calibration after transferring the reagent bottle to a different unit by obtaining the correction coefficient with the same reagent bottle and the same standard sample (calibrator) between the units. In such a case, by storing the correction coefficient between the units and the calibration curve in the main controller 8a, it is possible to omit the calibration after transferring the reagent bottle to a different unit.

Further, even in a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers composed of a plurality of units using reagents are connected by a communication line, the calibration curve of each reagent bottle is managed in the entire system so that the analyzers are spread over the analyzers. When the reagent bottle is moved, it is possible to omit the calibration in different automatic analyzers by commonly managing the correction coefficient between the units and the calibration curve.

[0021]

[Effects of the Invention] When a used reagent bottle is reset, information relating to the reagent bottle is managed in common between units of the same automatic analyzer or between different automatic analyzers, and the previous value is taken over, resulting in higher efficiency. It becomes possible to manage the operation of the automatic analyzer consistently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view diagrammatically showing the configuration of an automatic analyzer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of a data processing unit of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of a reagent table of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Sampler 2 to 5 Analysis Unit 6 Sample Container 7 Rack 8 Data Processing Section 8a Main Control Section 8b Display (CRT) 8c Printer 8d Operation Section 9 Reagent Bottle (Reagent Container) 10 Information Reader (Code Reader; Bar Code Reader) 11 ~ 13 Transport line 15,21 Sample dispensing mechanism 16 Measuring container 23 Reaction container 24,25 Reagent table 26,27 Reagent dispensing mechanism

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic analyzer comprising a plurality of units using a reagent, after reading reagent attribute information for each reagent bottle at the time of setting a reagent, the information is retained in the entire automatic analyzer, and the reagent bottle is the same or different. In the automatic analyzer, the reagent attribute information is reused when it is reset in the unit, or the information is reacquired and then compared with the previous value, or continuously managed with the previous value. 2. In a system in which a plurality of automatic analyzers including a plurality of units using a reagent are connected by a communication line, the reagent attribute information for each reagent bottle is read at the time of setting a reagent, and the information is retained in the entire system. , Reusing the reagent attribute information when resetting the reagent bottle in the same or another unit, or comparing the previous value after reacquiring the information, or continuously managing the previous value Automatic analyzer. 3. In a system comprising a plurality of automatic analyzers of a plurality of units using a reagent, reagent items, reagent remaining amount in a used reagent bottle, expected number of analysis samples for each analysis item, and processing capacity of each automatic analyzer. A reagent bottle management system that determines the installed units of used reagent bottles and unused reagent bottles so that the number of replacements of reagent bottles can be minimized based on the above information.