JPH075061U - Liquid suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The general information container and the small amount container are distinguished based on the identification information stored in the bar code label information displayed on the container or holder, and the identification information Automatically control the descending amount of the pipette based on. Structure: Information for identifying the type of the container or the holder is stored in the identification information displayed on the container containing the liquid or the holder for holding the container, and the descending amount of the pipette is determined based on the identification information. A liquid suction and discharge device characterized by automatic control.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a liquid suction / exhaust device suitable for an automatic analyzer that performs biochemical analysis or immunological analysis.

[0002]

[Prior art and its problems]

 As is well known, this type of automatic analyzer is equipped with a pipette for aspirating a sample or reagent, and the pipette detects the liquid level in the container by a liquid level detection means and It is generally configured to control the suction operation of the liquid by the pipette by lowering the pipette according to the surface height.

By the way, a container used in this kind of automatic analyzer will be described by taking a blood collection tube as an example. For example, a general-purpose blood collection tube of a predetermined height for accommodating blood collected from a general patient, an infant or a baby It can be roughly classified into a small-volume blood collection tube that contains a small amount of blood collected from a critically ill patient, etc. In the case of setting in an automatic analyzer and sampling as it is, conventionally, a small amount of blood collection tube must be attached to the cup adapter and transported to the sampling position in order to align it at the same height as a general blood collection tube. .

However, in the conventional automatic analyzer, the descending amount of the pipette at the sampling position is set according to the height dimension of the general blood collection tube, so that the micro blood collection tube is attached to the cup adapter. When transporting the sample to the sampling position, the transport order of the cup adapter and the descending amount of the pipette must be manually input to the operation control unit of the automatic analyzer each time. In addition to being complicated, there was a problem that the pipette malfunctions and is easily damaged when the container is empty or the liquid level sensor does not work with only the cup adapter. Of course, such a problem also applies to general sample containers such as biochemical analyzers.

The present invention has been made in view of the present situation, and an object thereof is to provide a bar code label which is displayed on a container or a holder for a general container and a small amount container. Provided is a liquid suction / drainage device that can be discriminated based on the identification information stored in information, etc., and the pipette lowering amount can be automatically controlled based on this identification information, which is convenient and does not damage the pipette. Is what you are trying to do.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, in the liquid suction / drainage device according to the present invention, the type of the container or the holder is indicated in the container information displayed on the container containing the liquid or the holder holding the container. It is characterized in that it stores identification information and automatically controls the descending amount of the pipette based on the identification information.

[0007]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid suction / drainage device A according to this embodiment is configured to suck the liquid by a predetermined amount by immersing the tip portion 1a of the pipette 1 in the liquid in the sample container. At the same time, the pipette 1 is drive-controlled by the control device 6 so as to descend according to the liquid level height h in the sample container 2.

Like the known pipette, the pipette 1 is formed of a thin metal pipe in the shape of an injection needle, and, for example, electrodes (not shown) juxtaposed to the pipette 1 are arranged in the pipette 1. Together with this, it is configured to form a liquid level sensor. Of course, the liquid suction amount of the pipette 1 is accurately calculated in advance based on the inner diameter of the sample container 2 for general sample or the sample container 2'for small amount sample and is input to the control device 6.

Reference numeral 7 in FIG. 1 denotes a tube which is connected to the upper end of the pipette 1, and the upper end of the tube 7 is connected to an intake / exhaust pump 9 via a switching valve 8. A cleaning line 11 for supplying the cleaning water from the cleaning water tank 10 is connected to the suction / exhaust pump 9.

The sample container is composed of a sample container 2 for a general sample or a sample container 2 ′ for a small amount of sample, and the sample container 2 for a general sample is erected and held on a holder 5 having a substantially concave cross section. The sample container 2 ′ for a small amount of sample is configured to be fitted and held on the upper end portion of the cup adapter 3 which is erected and held by the holder 5 which has a substantially concave cross section.

That is, the cup adapter 3 is formed with a recess (not shown) at the upper end thereof into which the sample container 2'for a small amount of sample is fitted, and this concave portion is used for a small amount of sample. When the sample container 2 ′ is fitted and held, the upper end of the sample container 2 ′ for small amount sample has a height dimension h which is aligned with the upper end part of the sample container 2 for general sample held by the holder 5. Is configured.

A bar code label 4 or 4 ′ is attached to each surface of the sample container 2 for general specimen and the cup adapter-3.

In the barcode information of the barcode labels 4 and 4 ′, patient information such as the name and date of birth of the person to be inspected, the inspection item, the date of acceptance, and the acceptance number are input and recorded in advance. At the same time, identification information (not shown) for identifying whether the container in which the sample is stored is the sample container 2 for general sample or the sample container 2 '(cup adapter-3) for micro sample is previously prepared. Entered and recorded.

The identification information may be in any form that can be reliably read by the barcode reader device R having a known configuration. Of course, this identification information may be attached to the holder 5. Further, the display mode may be displayed by various known identification means such as a magnetic recording medium or a combination of a plurality of light transmitting holes, in addition to the bar code label.

In order to visually identify this identification information, the bar code label 4 used in the sample container 2 for general samples and the bar code label 4 ′ of the sample container 2 ′ for small amount samples are made different in color. By making the sizes and shapes different from each other, it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the sample container 2 ′ for a small amount of sample due to an attachment error.

In this way, the identification information of each bar code label 4, 4 ′ attached to the sample container 2 for general samples or the cup adapter 3 is stored in the bar code reader before being transferred to the pipette suction position. The read identification information is read through the device R, and the read identification information is automatically input to the control device 6 from the bar code reader device R. The control device 6 operates the lifting drive device M based on the identification information. Drive control is performed to control the descending amount of the pipette 1. Since the lifting / lowering drive device M has the same configuration as the pipette lifting / lowering drive device used in various conventional automatic analyzers, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

That is, in the control device 6 composed of a microprocessor MPU or the like, the container held in the holder 5 is the sample container 2 for general sample, or the sample for micro sample held in the cup adapter 3 is used. Whether it is the container 2'is determined based on the above identification information, and when the container transferred to the suction position of the pipette 1 is the sample container 2 for general sample, the height of T ₁ in FIG. Since the pipette 1 is configured to be lowered with the lower limit being set as the lower limit, for example, even if the liquid level sensor does not operate due to the general sample container 2 being transferred in an empty state, It is driven and controlled so as not to damage the bottom of the sample container 2 for general samples by descending to the limit T ₁ .

Further, when the container is the sample container 2 ′ for microanalysis held in the cup adapter 3, the control device 6 sets the pipette to the lower limit of the height of T ₂ in FIG. 1 is lowered, and even if the liquid level sensor does not operate, the pipette 1 is drive-controlled so as not to damage the bottom of the sample container 2'for a small amount of sample.

That is, when the sample container 2 ′ for a small amount of sample is not held in the cup adapter 3, the control device 6 immediately before the tip portion 1 a of the pipette 1 contacts the bottom surface of the concave portion of the cup adapter 3. Since the drive is controlled to stop at (T ₂ ), it is possible to effectively prevent the pipette 1 from being damaged.

[0021]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, the liquid suction / drainage device according to the present invention distinguishes between the general-purpose container and the microvolume container by the identification information stored in the bar code label information displayed on the container or the holder. Since the pipette descending amount can be automatically controlled based on this identification information, the complicated work of manually inputting the identification information of the container is not required, and this type of automatic analyzer The handling of the pipette can be greatly simplified, and there is no danger of damaging the pipette, so it is safe and has many excellent effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a liquid suction / discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pipette 2 Sample container for general sample 2'Sample container for micro sample 3 Cup adapter 4,4 'Bar code label 5 Holder 6 Controller R Bar code reader device

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A container information displayed on a container containing a liquid or a holder for holding the container stores information for identifying the type of the container or the holder, and the pipette is lowered based on the identification information. A liquid suction and discharge device characterized by automatically controlling the amount.