JPH03202773A - Reagent pipetting apparatus of automatic analyser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the mutual contamination between reagents and to simplify an apparatus by mounting tips to a pipetting nozzle sucking and emitting reagents with respect to a plurality of reagents at ever reagent bottles to use the same in common. CONSTITUTION:Reagent bottles 55a - 55h and tip holders 56 are mounted on a reagent table 54 by the number of reagents. At first, the table 54 is rotated so as to bring the indicated reagent to the place directly under a nozzle 51 and the nozzle 51 falls to be inserted in a chip 53. Next, the nozzle 51 rises and falls and the reagent is collected in the tip 53 by a syringe 52. Thereafter the nozzle 51 rises and the arm of a pipetting nozzle mechanism 50 is rotated toward a reaction line and the reagent is pipetted to reaction tubes 4. After pipetting the tip 53 is returned to the original position of the tip holder 56. Next, the pawl 60 of a tip removing apparatus 58 is moved to become the state grasping the nozzle 51 and the nozzle 51 rises in this state and the chip 53 is left in the holder 56 to complete one cycle of the pipetting of the reagent. By this method, the mutual contamination between reagents can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a reagent dispensing device for dispensing reagents into reaction tubes in an automatic analyzer such as an automatic enzyme immunoanalyzer.

(Prior Art) In an automatic analyzer such as an automatic enzyme immunoanalyzer, reaction tubes are arranged along a reaction line, a specimen is dispensed into the reaction tubes, and then reagents for each measurement item are dispensed into the reaction tubes. As a reagent dispensing device for dispensing reagents, the reagent dispensing device used in biochemical analyzers is also generally used in enzyme immunoassay automatic analyzers. In such a reagent dispensing device, the necessary reagent is selected from among more than a dozen reagents mounted on a reagent turntable, the required amount is collected using one common nozzle, and then dispensed into a reaction tube. do.

When dispensing reagents for multiple items using one common nozzle, contamination between the reagents becomes a problem. Generally, before dispensing the next reagent, it is common to run distilled water in and out of the nozzle, or to clean the nozzle by placing it in a pot of distilled water. but,
In immunoassays, the requirements for removing contamination between reagents are much stricter than in biochemical analyzers. for example,
When dispensing the corresponding labeled antigen next to the labeled antibody reagent, it is necessary to suppress mutual contamination to 10 -6 or less, which is used in conventional biochemical analyzers.

This is not possible with a reagent dispensing device in which a common dispensing nozzle is inserted into multiple reagent containers.

Therefore, a device has been proposed that is equipped with a dispensing mechanism for each of a plurality of reagents arranged on a turntable.

The dispensing mechanism is each equipped with a probe and a dispensing syringe.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) In a reagent dispensing device that is equipped with a dispensing mechanism for each reagent,
Requires as many dispensing syringes and probes as there are reagents,
The structure becomes complicated and expensive.

The present invention is a reagent dispensing device for dispensing a plurality of reagents, and aims to prevent mutual contamination among reagents and to simplify the configuration by using a common dispensing nozzle.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In the present invention, a dispensing nozzle mechanism for suctioning and discharging reagents is commonly used for a plurality of reagents. To prevent mutual contamination of reagents, a tip is placed for each reagent, each tip is attached to the nozzle when dispensing the reagent, and the tip is returned to its original position after dispensing.

Preferably, the reagent bottle is kept with its opening facing downward to maintain a constant reagent liquid level, and the tip of the tip is always immersed in the reagent for a certain length.

(Function) Contamination between reagents can be prevented by providing a chip for each reagent and using an automatic chip exchange system.

If the dispensing nozzle mechanism is commonly used for each reagent, only one nozzle vibration source is required.

Keep the reagent level at the opening of the reagent bottle constant.
Dip the tip of the tip in the reagent to prevent it from drying out.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an enzyme immunoassay device equipped with a reagent dispensing device according to an example.

2 is a reaction line made of a snake chain, 24
0 reaction tube holders are connected in series. Each reaction tube holder can hold one reaction tube 4.

The reaction tube 4 is a disposable one made of plastic, and its size is similar to that of a hole in a microplate, with an inner diameter of 8 mm and a depth of 12 mm. The reaction line 2 is assumed to move one step in the direction of the arrow every 15 seconds, and completes one cycle in 60 minutes.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a reaction tube supply device, which sequentially supplies reaction tubes 4 of selected measurement items to the reaction line 2 one by one. The starting point is the position where the reaction tube 4 is supplied. Sample dispensing unit N8 is placed at a position of 0.75 minutes from the start point along the direction of reaction line 2, reagent dispensing unit N10 is placed at a position of 1.5 minutes later, and 44.5 minutes later. The cleaning mechanism 12 is located at
is placed, and the substrate liquid dispensing section 14 is placed at the position 44.75 minutes later.
was placed, and the absorbance measuring section 16 was placed at the position 58.75 minutes later.
A discharge/cleaning section 18 for discharging or cleaning residual liquid is disposed at a position after 59.25 minutes, and a reaction tube discharge I11 structure 20 is disposed at a position after 59.75 minutes.

The processing operation parts other than the reaction tube supply device 6 and the reagent dispensing device 10 are those of mechanisms already equipped in commercially available EIA automatic analyzers and biochemical analyzers. As the sample dispensing unit 8, a turntable type one is shown in the embodiment, and a sample cup 8b is arranged along the circumference of the turntable 8a, and the sample is distributed into the reaction tubes 4 by a pipetter 8C. be noted. The reagent dispensing device 10 will be specifically explained later.

A specific example of the reaction tube supply device 6 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

A reaction tube rack 24 is attached to the frame 22 of the reaction tube supply device 6 by a guide 26 so as to be slidable laterally in FIG. A stepping motor 2 is installed in the reaction tube rack 24.
The reaction tube rack 24 is slid along the guide 26 by the rotation of the screw stud 30 . The reaction tube rack 24 is a frame 22
They are also arranged at an angle with one end facing down.

The reaction tube rack 24 has six grooves 32 extending vertically in the figure.
is provided, and one end of the lower side of the winding groove 32 faces the wall surface of the frame 22. In the winding groove 32, twelve reaction tubes 4a each having twelve reaction tubes connected in a straight line are arranged. The six grooves 32 correspond to different measurement items from A to F.
In the winding groove 32, connection reaction tubes 4a on which antigens or antibodies for each measurement item are immobilized are arranged.

The connecting reaction tube 4a has the shape shown in FIG. 3 and is made of plastic. The plurality of reaction tubes 4 are linearly connected by connecting portions 4b, and the connecting portions 4b are shaped thin and can be easily folded. The reaction tube 4 has a size corresponding to one hole of a 966 microplate,
A series of reaction tubes 4 have immobilized antigens or antibodies for the same measurement item.

Returning to FIG. 2, the connecting reaction tubes 4a can be lined up three by three in the winding grooves 32 of the reaction tube rack 24, so that 36 reaction tubes are arranged in each groove 32. Become.

A reaction tube take-out mechanism 34 is provided at the lower end of the frame 22. The reaction tube take-out mechanism 34 includes an air cylinder 36 for taking out one reaction tube 4 at the tip of the connected reaction tubes 4a for the measurement item selected by the stepping motor 28, and a reaction tube that has been taken out and cut. Reaction line 2
A compressed air inlet 38 is provided for sending out compressed air.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the reaction tube take-out mechanism 34.

A partition plate 40 that is moved vertically by the air cylinder 36 is provided within the reaction tube take-out mechanism 34, and the partition plate 40 is provided with a notch 42. The partition plate 40 is in contact with the lower end surface of the reaction tube rack 24, and when the partition plate 40 is lowered, the position of the tip of the reaction tube 4a is changed when the reaction tube rack 24 is moved laterally by the stepping motor 28. is regulated by a partition plate 40. A reaction tube housing section 44 is provided outside the cutout section 42 . As shown in FIG. 5, a compressed air inlet 38 is led to the reaction tube housing 44, and the reaction tubes dropped into the housing 44 are guided by compressed air to the reaction line via a tube 46.

When the partition plate 40 is moved upward by the air cylinder 36, the notch 42 is moved upwardly from the notch 42.
One reaction tube 4 at the tip of the connecting reaction tube 4a in the groove located at position 2 comes out from the notch 42 and enters the reaction tube storage section 44.
to go into.

The operation of selecting and taking out one reaction tube 4 using this reaction tube supply device 6 will be explained with reference to FIG.

(A) shows the state at the time of selection, and the first reaction tube rack 24 is moved laterally as shown by the arrow by the stepping motor 28, and the selected groove of the reaction tube rack 24 is at the position of the notch 42 of the partition plate. At this point, the reaction tube rack 24 stops.

Next, as shown in (B), the partition plate 40 is pulled up by the air cylinder 36, so that one reaction tube 4 at the tip of the reaction tube 4a disposed in the groove at the position of the notch 42 is removed. falls into the reaction tube storage section 44. When the partition plate 40 is lowered and the reaction tube rack 24 is moved laterally by the stepping motor 28, the connecting portion of the reaction tubes is broken and one reaction tube 4 is cut. The reaction tube 4 that has been cut and stored in the reaction tube storage section 44 is pushed out by compressed air and stored in the reaction tube holder of the reaction line 2, as shown in FIG.

In this way, the reaction tube holder of reaction line 2 has 6
Arbitrary reaction tubes 4 selected from the items are inserted one by one and moved along the reaction line 2.

FIG. 7 shows a first embodiment of the reagent dispensing device 10.

50 is a dispensing nozzle mechanism, a nozzle 51 is shelled at the tip of its arm, and a tip 53 is disposed at the tip of the nozzle 51.
is attached, and the tip 53 can be used to inhale reagents or
A reagent dispensing syringe 52 is connected to the nozzle 51 in order to discharge the reagent from the reaction tube 3 into the reaction tube 4 . The arm of the dispensing nozzle mechanism 50 can move in the vertical direction and in the in-plane rotation direction, and dispenses the reagent on the reagent turntable 54 into the reaction tube 4 of the reaction line 2. Reagent bottles 55a to 55h are arranged on the reagent turntable 54,
Each reagent bottle contains reagents A to H, respectively.

Each reagent bottle 55a-55h has an opening on the lower side. The structure of the reagent bottles 55a to 55h is the same as that shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8, and the liquid level of the reagent at the opening is kept constant. Each of the reagent bottles 55a to 55h is provided with a tip holder 56, and each tip 53 is held in the tip holder 56 so as to be submerged to a certain depth from the liquid surface of the reagent.

A chip removal device 58 is provided near the reagent collection position. The chip removing device 58 has a claw 60, which has a gap smaller than the outer diameter of the chip 53 and larger than the outer diameter of the nozzle 51, and can rotate within a plane as shown by the arrow. After the reagent dispensing is completed, the tip 53 is returned to the holder 56, and the claw 60 moves above it, and the nozzle 51 is pulled up, whereby the tip 53 is pulled out from the nozzle 51 by the claw 60 and held in the holder 56. .

FIG. 8 shows one reagent pin and tip holder in a reagent dispensing device according to another embodiment. FIG. 9 shows the reagent bottle 60, and FIG. 1O is a perspective view of FIG. 8.

In FIG. 7, the tip holder 56 is integrally attached to the reagent bottle, but in FIG. 8, the reagent bottle 60 and tip holder 62 are constructed as separate bodies.

The reagent bottle 60 is held in a reagent bottle holder 68, and the tip holder 62 is rotatably attached to the reagent bottle holder 68. The reagent bottle 60 has an opening 64 on the lower side,
If the reagent 66 is installed with the opening 64 facing downward, the external liquid level 6 of the reagent 66 at the opening 64 will be
6b automatically becomes a constant height. 66a is reagent bottle 6
The liquid level is within 0. The tip holder 62 can be rotated in the direction of an arrow 70, and when replacing the reagent bottle 60 from the state shown in the figure, the tip holder 62 is rotated clockwise in the figure to replace the reagent bottle 60.

When the tip holder 62 is in the state shown in the figure and the tip 53 is held in the tip holder 62, the tip of the tip 50 is immersed and held at a certain depth from the liquid level of the opening 64 of the reagent bottle.

The reagent bottle holder 68 may have a structure that can be removed from the reagent turntable, or may be fixed to the reagent turntable.

The embodiment of FIG. 8 also includes a chip removal device 58 similar to that shown in FIG.

As in the embodiment shown in FIG.
By providing the tip holder 62 separately from the reagent bottle 60 and rotatably attaching the tip holder 62, even a specially shaped reagent bottle 60 can be easily loaded.

The reagent dispensing operation for the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 will be explained.

Reagent bottles 55a to 55h are placed on the reagent turntable 54.
and chip holders 56 are mounted as many as the required number of reagents. During reagent dispensing, the claws 60 of the chip removing device 58 are held in a position where they do not pinch the nozzle 51.

When a reagent is specified to be dispensed, the specified reagent (A-
The reagent turntable 54 is rotated so that any one of H) is directly below the nozzle 51, and the reagent is positioned. The nozzle 51 is then lowered and inserted into the tip 53 of the selected reagent.

After that, the tip of the tip 53 is slightly below the liquid level (for example, 5
The nozzle 5 rises until it reaches the tip (approximately 1 mm), air is sent from the syringe 52, and the reagent in the tip 53 is discharged. The nozzle 51 descends again and a predetermined amount of reagent is collected into the tip 53 by the syringe 52. The nozzle 51 rises and the arm of the zero-dispensing nozzle mechanism 50 rotates toward the reaction line, dispensing the reagent into the reaction tube 4.

After dispensing the reagent, the tip 53 is returned to its original position in the tip holder 56. Thereafter, the claws 60 of the chip removing device 58 move to grip the nozzle 51 as shown in the figure, and in this state the nozzle 51 rises, leaving the chip 53 in the chip holder 56. This completes one cycle of reagent dispensing.

The structures of the reaction tube supply device, sample dispensing device, reaction line, etc. other than the reagent dispensing device of the automatic analyzer are not limited to those shown in the examples, and can be changed to various other structures. can.

(Effect of the invention) In the present invention, a dispensing nozzle mechanism is commonly used for multiple reagents, a tip is provided for each reagent, and the tip is attached to the nozzle to perform reagent dispensing. By returning the tip to its original position, contamination between reagents can be prevented even though the nozzle is common.

Since the dispensing nozzle mechanism is common, the configuration is simpler than conventional reagent dispensing devices that have dispensing mechanisms for each reagent.

Even if chips are provided for each reagent, the chips are reused, so the total number of chips only needs to be the same as the number of reagent bottles.

By keeping the reagent liquid level at a constant level at the opening of the reagent bottle, the tip of the tip can be kept immersed in the reagent at a constant depth, thereby eliminating problems caused by the tip of the tip drying out. can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an automatic analyzer in which the reagent dispensing device of one embodiment is used, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a reaction tube supply device of the automatic analyzer, and FIG. 3 is a connected reaction tube FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the reaction tube take-out mechanism of the reaction tube supply device, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the reaction tube storage section of the reaction tube supply device, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the reagent dispensing device, FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the reagent dispensing device, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the reagent dispensing device. Perspective view showing the reagent bottle of Figure 10.
The figure is a perspective view of FIG. 2...Reaction line, 4...Reaction tube, 1
0... Reagent dispensing device, 53... Chip, 55a to 55h. 60... Reagent bottle, 56. 62... Chip holder, 64... Reagent bottle opening, 66.
...Reagent, 58... Chip removal device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a reagent dispensing device that dispenses reagents for each measurement item into multiple reaction tubes of an automatic analyzer, a component that is commonly used for multiple reagents and performs suction of reagents and discharge of reagents into reaction tubes. and a tip holding mechanism in which a tip is arranged for each reagent bottle, the tip is attached to the nozzle of the dispensing nozzle mechanism during reagent dispensing, and the tip is returned to its original position after dispensing. A reagent dispensing device for an automatic analyzer, characterized by comprising: (2) The reagent bottle has an opening on the lower side, the reagent liquid level at the opening is kept constant, and the tip of the tip held by the tip holding mechanism is immersed in the reagent. Reagent dispensing device of the automatic analyzer described.