JPH0843407A - Automatic instrument for chemical analysis - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a new automatic instrument for chemical analysis which is equipped with a mechanism for absorbing oscillation of a reaction vessel. CONSTITUTION:A drive of a motor 3 is transmitted to a gear 1 through a pinion 2. A reaction vessel 34 is rotated by the rotation of the gear 1. The reaction vessel 34 being stopped, a roller 4 is pressed against a part between teeth of the gear 1. Thereby oscillation of the reaction vessel 34 is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring the concentration or activity value of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as blood and urine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring the concentration or activity value of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as blood and urine, reaction vessels are arranged in a line and conveyed along an annular reaction line. A sample sampling mechanism that dispenses a sample into a reaction container, a reagent injection mechanism that dispenses a reagent into a reaction container filled with a sample, an absorptance that directly measures the reaction container and measures the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container. A single-multi type automatic chemical analysis device including at least a cleaning mechanism for cleaning a meter and a reaction container is known.

In this apparatus, the reaction line is generally driven by a combination of a gear and a pinion.

[0004]

However, in the conventional driving mechanism, the container rocks when the reaction container is stopped due to the backlash between the gear and the pinion. This has led to fluctuations in the measurement light and causes variations in the data in the direct photometry method in which light is directly measured into the reaction tube to measure the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction vessel.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a new automatic chemical analyzer having a mechanism for absorbing the swing of the reaction vessel.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a reaction disk in which reaction vessels are arranged and conveyed in a row, a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample from a sample tray into the reaction vessel, A reagent injection mechanism that dispenses a reagent from a reagent tray into a reaction container in which a sample is injected,
In an automatic chemical analyzer equipped with an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the reaction container, and a drive mechanism for driving the reaction disk, a vibration absorbing means was attached to the drive mechanism. It is characterized by

Here, the reaction disk may be anything as long as a plurality of reaction vessels are arranged and driven integrally, such as a circular turntable having a plurality of reaction vessels arranged on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and a plurality of chain belts. For example, the one in which reaction vessels are connected is applicable. The drive mechanism of the reaction disk is, for example, a gear and a pinion are connected, and the pinion is driven by a motor. The reaction container is preferably a glass cuvette made by Pyrex, which is used for absorbance analysis when performing direct photometry.

The sample tray is, for example, a circular turntable in which a plurality of sample containers are installed on the outer peripheral surface,
For example, a rectangular rack with multiple sample containers inserted. When using a rack, move it to the sample dispensing position with a belt conveyor. For the sample sampling mechanism, for example, a nozzle connected to a syringe pump can be used, and it is preferable that the nozzle can reciprocate between the sample tray and the reaction disk.

As the reagent tray, for example, a circular turntable similar to the above-mentioned sample tray or a rectangular box-shaped one can be used, but the reagent tray is not limited thereto. Note that the sample tray and the reagent tray are made of the same member by, for example, forming a plurality of concentric holes on a circular turntable, installing the sample container on the outermost periphery, and installing the reagent container on the inner periphery. It can also be configured. Like the sample sampling mechanism, the reagent injection mechanism can use, for example, a nozzle connected to a syringe pump,
The nozzle is preferably one that can reciprocate between the reagent tray and the reaction line. An absorptiometer consists of a photometer used for ordinary absorption analysis, that is, a light source, a spectroscope, and a detector.A deuterium lamp, a tungsten iodine lamp, or the like can be used as a light source, and a photo detector can be used. A diode array can be used. The photometric method may be either a direct photometric method in which the reaction tube is directly metered or a flow cell method in which the sample is sucked from the reaction tube into the flow cell to perform photometry. Further, the absorptiometer may be one that moves inside the reaction disk or one that is fixedly installed in each reaction container.

Any vibration absorbing means may be used as long as it can prevent the reaction vessel from swinging. For example, when a gear is used in the reaction disk drive mechanism, the gear and the recess between the gears (between teeth) are used.
The one that presses the roller against and prevents the rotation is applicable.
An elastic body such as a sponge can be used as the roller.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the swinging of the reaction vessel can be stopped by the vibration absorbing means, so that there is no variation in the measurement data.

[0012]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of the automatic chemical analyzer of the present invention.
In this figure, the cover on the reaction disk is omitted for convenience.

Reference numeral 32 is a reaction disk, which is intermittently rotated in the direction of the arrow by a rotary drive mechanism described later. An annular reaction line 35 is formed by arranging reaction vessels 34, which also serve as cuvettes, in a line along the circumference of the cuvette roller 33 of the reaction disk 32.

A sample sampling mechanism 36 is arranged along the reaction line 35 for injecting a sample specimen into the reaction container 34. Further, a washing and dehydrating device 56 is further arranged along the reaction line 35, and an absorptiometer 57 is also arranged along the reaction line 35. The absorptiometer 57 is rotated along the reaction line 35 by a rotation drive mechanism described later.

In the sample sampling mechanism 36, sample cups 37 are arranged along the circumference of the sampling table 38, and a sample dispenser 45 is arranged to dispense a sample from the sample cup at the sample suction and collection position 43. ing. A sampling probe 40 is provided at the tip of the sample dispenser 45, and the probe 40 moves along the movement path 41 between the reaction container at the sample dispensing position 44 and the sample cup at the sample suction and sampling position 43. A cleaning pot 42 is provided on the moving path 41 so that the probe 40 can be cleaned.

A reagent injection mechanism 46 is arranged along the reaction line 35 in order to inject the reagent into the reaction container into which the sample has been dispensed. In the reagent injection mechanism 46, the reagent containers 47 are arranged along the circumference of the reagent tray 48,
A reagent dispenser 49 is arranged to dispense a reagent from the reagent container at the reagent suction / collection position 53. Reagent Dispenser 49
A reagent probe 50 is provided at the tip of the probe 50, and the probe 50 moves along the movement path 51 between the reaction container at the reagent dispensing position 54 and the reagent container at the reagent aspirating and collecting position 53. A cleaning pot 52 is arranged on the moving path 51 so that the probe 50 can be cleaned.

The rotary drive mechanism of the reaction disk 32 and the rotary drive mechanism of the absorptiometer 57 are as shown in FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the reaction disk 32.
Is a gear, 2 is a pinion, and 3 is a motor. The rotation of the motor 3 is transmitted to the gear 1 via the pinion 2, and the reaction container 34 rotates about the rotation shaft 5. Further, 6 is a gear for driving an absorptiometer, 7 is a pinion for driving an absorptiometer, and 8 is a motor for driving an absorptiometer. The rotation of the motor 8 is transmitted to the gear 6 via the pinion 7, and the rotation shaft 5 is rotated. Absorptiometer 5 in the center
7 rotates. Reference numerals 9 and 9'indicate bearings, 10 indicates a bottom plate, 11 and 11 'indicate columns, and 12 indicates a cover.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a roller, which has a diameter such that it can be pressed between the teeth of the gear 1. The relative relationship between the roller 4, the gear 1, the pinion 2 and the motor 3 is shown in FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of FIG. 3A. As shown in the figure,
While the gear 1 is stopped, the roller 4 uses the spring 13 to move the gear 1
It will be pushed between the teeth. One end of the spring 13 is fixed by a support portion 14, and this support portion 14 is
It is installed on the side wall of the device (not shown). The roller 4, the spring 13, and the supporting portion 14 constitute the vibration absorbing means of the present invention.

When the sample is analyzed in the above structure, it is carried out as follows.

The reaction disk 32 is driven to position one of the empty reaction vessels 34 at the sample dispensing position 44. Then, the sampling probe 40 of the sample dispenser 49 is brought to the sample collection position 43, a certain amount of sample is collected from the sample cup 37, and then the sampling probe 40 is moved along the movement path 41. When the probe 40 reaches the specimen dispensing position 44, a fixed amount of the collected specimen is dispensed into the reaction container 34.

When the reaction disk 32 is stopped at this dispensing position, the roller 4 is pushed between the teeth of the gear 1 as shown in FIG. Absent.

When the sample is dispensed, the motor 3 is driven to move the reaction disk 32 one full turn (or half a round) +1 pitch, and then the sample is similarly dispensed to the reaction container which has reached the sample dispensing position 44. . When the motor 3 is driven, the spring 1
Since the rotor 4 escapes to the side opposite to the gear 1 by 3, the rotor 4 does not interfere with the rotation.

When a different sample is dispensed into each reaction container, the sample tray 38 is driven at the same time as the reaction disk 32 is driven, and a different sample cup is placed at the sample collection position 4.
Position in 3. In addition, the probe 40 is used for each dispensing.
Is washed in the cleaning pot 42. If the reaction container in which the sample is dispensed moves and is positioned at the reagent dispensing position 54,
After bringing the probe 50 to the reagent suction / collection position 53 and collecting a certain amount of reagent from the reagent container 47,
0 is moved along the movement path 51. When the probe 50 reaches the reagent dispensing position 54, a fixed amount of the collected reagent is dispensed into the reaction container 34. Even when stopped at the reagent dispensing position 54, the roller 4 is pushed between the teeth of the gear 1 and the reaction container 34 does not swing.

The absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container 34 is measured by an absorptiometer 57 immediately after the reaction disk 32 stops.
Is rotated along the cuvette roller 33.

[0025]

According to the present invention, when the reaction disk is stopped, the oscillation of the reaction vessel can be stopped by the vibration absorbing means, so that the variation of the measurement data is eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic chemical analyzer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a reaction disk 32.

3A is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG.
Enlarged view of (a)

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Gear 2: Pinion 3: Motor 4: Roller 13: Spring 32: Reaction Disc 34: Reaction Container 38: Sampling Table 45: Specimen Dispenser 48: Reagent Tray 49: Reagent Dispenser 57: Absorptiometer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reaction disk in which reaction vessels are arranged and conveyed in a row, a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample from a sample tray into the reaction vessel, and a reagent from a reagent tray into a reaction vessel into which a sample has been injected. Reagent injection mechanism for pouring,
In an automatic chemical analyzer equipped with an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the reaction container, and a drive mechanism for driving the reaction disk, a vibration absorbing means was attached to the drive mechanism. An automatic chemical analyzer characterized in that