CN117184620A - Sample measurement device and sample measurement method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a sample measurement device and a sample measurement method capable of coping with miniaturization of the device. The sample measurement device (1) is provided with: a reagent container housing part (52) for housing a reagent container (580) containing a reagent, and a measuring part (53) for measuring a sample using the reagent. The reagent container housing section (52) has: a frame (500) for accommodating the reagent container (580), and a cooling unit (501) for cooling the frame (500). A ventilation path (602) is provided below a reagent container holder (581) in a housing (500), and at least a part of a cooling unit (501) is provided in the housing (500) at a position higher than the ventilation path (602).

Description

Sample measurement device and sample measurement method

Technical field

The present invention relates to a sample measurement device and a sample measurement method.

Background technique

A sample measurement device that measures a sample using a reagent is provided with a reagent container storage portion that stores a reagent container containing a reagent.

In order to maintain the accuracy of sample measurement, the reagent needs to be maintained below a predetermined temperature. Therefore, the reagent container storage portion of the sample measurement device has a function of cooling the reagent loaded in the reagent container.

Patent Document 1 discloses a sample analysis device that uses a cooling unit to cool the bottom of a casing of a reagent library and uses a fan installed in the casing to circulate air in the casing to cool the reagents. .

existing technical documents

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-8611

Contents of the invention

Invent the problem to be solved

However, the above-mentioned sample analysis device requires a fan to circulate the air in the casing of the reagent library. Therefore, the device becomes larger and is not suitable for a small device.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to provide a sample measurement device and a sample measurement method that can cope with downsizing of the device.

Means used to solve problems

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 to 9 , the sample measurement device 1 of the present invention includes: a reagent container storage portion 52 that stores a reagent container 580 containing a reagent; and a measurement portion 53 . The reagent container storage unit 52 uses a reagent to measure the sample. The reagent container storage unit 52 has a frame 500 that accommodates the reagent container 580; and a cooling unit 501 that cools the frame 500. A ventilation path 602 is provided below the reagent, and at least a part of the cooling unit 501 is provided in a higher portion of the frame 500 than the ventilation path 602 .

According to the sample measurement device 1 of the present invention, the cooling unit 501 cools the portion of the frame 500 of the reagent container storage unit 52 that is higher than the ventilation path 602, so that natural convection through the ventilation path 602 can be generated in the frame 500. to cool the reagents in the frame 500. This eliminates the need to provide a fan for circulating the air in the housing 500 and can cope with downsizing of the device.

As shown in FIGS. 13 , 2 , 6 and 9 , the sample measurement method of the present invention uses a sample measurement device 1 in which a ventilation path 602 is provided below the reagent container 580 in a frame 500 that accommodates a reagent container 580 . A measurement method, wherein the sample measurement method includes: a cooling step T1 of cooling the reagent in the reagent container 580 by cooling at least a portion of the frame 500 that is higher than the ventilation path 602; and sucking the cooled reagent in the reagent container 580. A dispensing step S4 of dispensing the reagent into the reaction container 70; and a measuring step S5 of measuring the sample in the reaction container 70 into which the reagent has been dispensed.

According to the sample measurement method of the present invention, by cooling the portion of the frame 500 that is higher than the ventilation path 602 , natural convection through the ventilation path 602 can be generated in the frame 500 to cool the reagents in the frame 500 . This eliminates the need to provide a fan for circulating the air in the housing 500 and can cope with downsizing of the device.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sample measurement device and a sample measurement method that can cope with downsizing of the device.

Description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the sample measurement device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the sample measurement device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram related to control of the sample measurement device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the dispensing device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the container holding portion.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the reagent container storage unit.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the reagent container storage unit.

Fig. 8 is an A-A cross-sectional view of the reagent container storage portion.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the stent support portion.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a pull-out mechanism of the stent support portion.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cooling unit is mounted on the heat transfer frame part.

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sample measurement device showing the structure of the heat dissipation portion of the reagent container storage portion.

Figure 13 is a flow chart of the sample measurement method.

Fig. 14 is a side view of the stent support portion showing another structural example of the ventilation path.

Fig. 15 is a side view of the holder support portion and the rail portion showing another structural example of the ventilation path.

Fig. 16 is a side view of the stent support portion showing another structural example of the ventilation path.

Explanation of reference signs

1Sample measurement device

52 Reagent container storage part

53 Measurement Department

70 reaction vessels

500 frame

500a to 500d side face

500e upper surface

500f bottom face

501 Cooling Department

502 Heat Exhaust Department

533 bracket support part

580 reagent container

581 reagent container holder

602 ventilation path

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, an example of the embodiment of the sample measurement device and sample measurement method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Sample measurement device>

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the sample measurement device 1 according to this embodiment. The sample measurement device 1 is used, for example, for blood coagulation measurement in which the activity of a coagulation factor in a sample (blood sample) is analyzed.

The sample measurement device 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped device housing 10 . The device housing 10 has a front surface 20 , a rear surface 21 , a right side 22 , a left side 23 , an upper surface 24 , and a bottom surface 25 . It should be noted that in this specification, “left” and “right” of the sample measurement device 1 are based on the direction when the front surface 20 is viewed from the front.

An openable and closable cover 30 is provided on the front surface 20 . By opening the cover 30 , the user can access the inside of the device housing 10 . The front surface 20 is provided with a door 31 for accessing the inside of the reagent container housing 52 described below and a door 32 for accessing the inside of the sample holder housing 50 .

The upper surface 24 is a square flat surface on which the monitor 40 can be placed. The monitor 40 is a touch panel type display and can display input of operations required for sample measurement, display of various information, and result information of sample measurement.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the internal structure of the sample measurement device 1 . The sample measurement device 1 includes a sample holder storage part 50, a reaction container storage part 51, a reagent container storage part 52, a measurement part 53, a cleaning part 54, a disposal part 55, a power supply part 56, a control part 57 and Note dispensing department 58.

The sample holder storage portion 50 is provided closer to the front surface 20 than the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and near the center of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X. The sample rack storage unit 50 stores a sample rack holding a plurality of sample containers. The sample holder accommodating part 50 has an upper surface part 60 , and a plurality of holes 61 are formed in the upper surface part 60 . The later-described pipette 200 of the dispensing unit 58 enters the sample container in the sample holder accommodating unit 50 through the hole 61, and can suck the sample in the sample container. The sample racks in the sample rack storage unit 50 are put in and out from the door 32 of the device housing 10 shown in FIG. 1 .

The reaction vessel storage portion 51 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the front surface 20 side of the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and on the right side of the center of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X. The reaction vessel storage portion 51 stores a vessel holder 71 that holds a plurality of reaction vessels 70 .

The reagent container storage portion 52 is provided on the front surface 20 side of the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and to the left of the center of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X. The reagent container storage portion 52 is provided adjacent to the left side of the sample holder storage portion 50 . The reagent container storage unit 52 stores a plurality of reagent containers storing reagents. The details of the reagent container storage unit 52 will be described later.

The measurement unit 53 includes a heating unit 80 and a detection unit 81 . The heating unit 80 and the detection unit 81 are provided on the rear surface 21 side of the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and on the right side of the center of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X.

The heating unit 80 has a plurality of holding holes 90 for holding the reaction container 70 . The plurality of holding holes 90 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The heating unit 80 can heat the reaction container 70 held in the holding hole 90 using a heat source.

The detection unit 81 has a plurality of holding holes 100 for holding the reaction container 70 . The plurality of holding holes 100 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The plurality of holding holes 100 are provided on the rear surface 21 side of the holding holes 90 of the heating part 80 . The detection unit 81 can detect measurement data related to the sample by irradiating light to the sample in the reaction container 70 held in the holding hole 100 and receiving the light transmitted through the sample.

The cleaning unit 54 is provided near the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and between the measurement unit 53 and the reaction vessel storage unit 51 . The cleaning unit 54 has a cleaning tank 110 for cleaning the pipette 200 of the dispensing unit 58 .

The disposal unit 55 is provided between the measurement unit 53 and the reaction vessel storage unit 51 . The disposal unit 55 has a disposal port 120 for discarding the reaction container 70 .

The power supply unit 56 is provided near the rear surface 21 of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and to the left of the center in the left-right direction X. The power supply unit 56 supplies electric power supplied from an external power source to various devices such as the reagent container storage unit 52 , the measurement unit 53 , the control unit 57 , and the dispensing unit 58 .

The control unit 57 is provided near the rear surface 21 of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and at a position to the right of the center in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. 3 , the control unit 57 can communicate with various devices such as the reagent container storage unit 52 , the measurement unit 53 , and the dispensing unit 58 , and control the operations of the various devices. The control unit 57 has a memory and a CPU, and the CPU can control various devices and perform sample measurement by executing programs stored in the memory. The control unit 57 can communicate with the monitor 40 and can perform sample measurement based on information input from the monitor 40 or display the results of the sample measurement on the monitor 40 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the device housing 10 has a vertical wall 140 disposed closer to the rear surface 21 than the center in the front-rear direction Y in its interior. The vertical wall 140 has a plate shape with a plate surface facing the front-rear direction Y. The vertical wall 140 separates the interior of the device housing 10 into a main area R1 and a back area R2. The power supply unit 56 and the control unit 57 are provided in the back surface area R2. The power supply unit 56 and the control unit 57 are attached to the surface of the vertical wall 140 on the back region R2 side. The sample rack storage unit 50 , the reaction container storage unit 51 , the reagent container storage unit 52 , the measurement unit 53 , the cleaning unit 54 , the waste unit 55 and the dispensing unit 58 are provided in the main region R1 .

The dispensing unit 58 has a function of dispensing sample containers, reaction containers 70, and reagent containers. The dispensing unit 58 includes a dispensing device 150 and a moving device 151 that moves the dispensing device 150 .

<Structure of the dispensing unit 58>

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the dispensing device 150. The dispensing device 150 includes a pipette 200, a container holder 201, a moving mechanism 202, and the like.

The pipette 200 is an elongated tube extending in the vertical direction Z, and can hold a predetermined amount of liquid in the tube. The pipette 200 is configured to suck liquid from the tip 210 and to discharge the sucked liquid.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the container holding part 201 has two (a pair) holding arms 220 for holding the reaction container 70 . The holding arm 220 is disposed below the pipette 200 and can hold the reaction container 70 coaxially with the vertical direction Z of the pipette 200 . The pipette 200 is narrower than the distance between the two holding arms 220 of the container holding part 201 and can be inserted between the two holding arms 220 in the vertical direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the moving mechanism 202 is a mechanism that relatively moves the pipette 200 and the container holding part 201 in the vertical direction Z while maintaining the holding arm 220 and the pipette 200 coaxially.

The moving mechanism 202 has a mechanical mechanism configured so that when one of the pipette 200 and the container holding part 201 rises, the other one falls in conjunction with it. In addition, the moving mechanism 202 has a mechanical mechanism that is configured such that the pipette 200 descends and the container holder 201 rises in conjunction with it. When the container holder 201 rises to a predetermined position, the interlock is released and the container holder 201 moves up. The pipette 200 descends while the rise of the pipette 201 has stopped. An example of this mechanical mechanism will be described below.

The moving mechanism 202 has a first moving part 250 for moving the pipette 200 in the vertical direction Z, a second moving part 251 for moving the container holding part 201 in the vertical direction Z, and a second moving part 251 for moving the pipette 200 in the vertical direction Z. An interlocking part 252 for interlocking the first moving part 250 and the second moving part 251, and a driving source 253 for driving the interlocking part 252.

The moving mechanism 202 has a substantially rectangular plate member 260 . The plate-shaped member 260 stands with its plate surface facing the left-right direction X. The first moving part 250 , the second moving part 251 and the interlocking part 252 are provided on the first plate surface 260 a on the right side (the front side in FIG. 4 ) of the plate-shaped member 260 in the left-right direction X. The drive source 253 is provided on the second plate surface 260b on the left side (the back side in FIG. 4 ) of the plate-shaped member 260 in the left-right direction X.

The first moving part 250 has a pipette holding member 270 that holds the pipette 200 and a first lifting member 271 that is fixed with the pipette holding member 270 and is raised and lowered by the interlocking part 252 .

A pipe 280 for supplying air and suctioning air to the inside of the pipette 200 is connected to the upper part of the pipette holding member 270 . The piping 280 is connected to the pump device.

The first lifting member 271 has a plate shape. The pipette holding member 270 is fixed to the right side plate surface of the first lifting member 271 in the left-right direction X.

The first lifting member 271 is movably attached to the first guide rail 272 provided in the vertical direction Z of the plate member 260 . The first lifting member 271 is attached to a belt 322 described below.

The second moving part 251 has: a second lifting member 300 to which the container holding part 201 is fixed and which can be moved up and down; and a urging member 301 which urges the second lifting member 300 upward; The stopper 302 prevents the second lifting member 300 from rising; and the pressing member 303 moves up and down through the linkage part 252 to press the second lifting member 300 downward.

The second lifting member 300 includes a main body 310 and an arm 311 connecting the main body 310 and the container holding part 201 .

The second lifting member 300 is movably attached to the second guide rail 304 provided in the vertical direction Z of the plate member 260 .

The urging member 301 is a spring and faces the vertical direction Z. The upper end of the urging member 301 is fixed to a position above the second lifting member 300 of the plate-shaped member 260 , and the lower end is fixed to the upper part of the second lifting member 300 . The urging member 301 urges the second lifting member 300 upward.

The stopper 302 is provided above the second lifting member 300 of the plate member 260 . The stopper 302 is provided so that when the second lifting member 300 rises to a predetermined upper limit position, that is, the pipette 200 is inserted into the reaction container 70 held by the holding arm 220 of the container holding part 201 ( FIGS. 4 and 5 position), it contacts the upper part of the second lifting member 300 to prevent the second lifting member 300 from rising.

The pressing member 303 is provided above the second lifting member 300 . The pressing member 303 is attached to a belt 322 described below and can be moved up and down via the belt 322 . The pressing member 303 can press the second lifting member 300 downward when descending, and can also rise to a position above the upper limit position of the second lifting member 300 .

The second moving part 251 is configured to lower the pressing member 303 through the interlocking part 252 when lowering the container holding part 201, and press the second lifting member 300 downward against the biasing force of the urging member 301. When the container holder 201 rises, the pressing member 303 is raised by the interlocking part 252, and the second lifting member 300 is raised by the urging force of the urging member 301. When the container holder 201 rises to a predetermined position, it is stopped by the stopper 302. The second lifting member 300 rises.

The interlocking portion 252 includes a pair of pulleys 320 and 321 arranged in the vertical direction Z and an endless belt 322 hung on the pair of pulleys 320 and 321 .

The pair of pulleys 320 and 321 are arranged up and down on the plate member 260 . The pair of pulleys 320 and 321 are provided between the first guide rail 272 of the first moving part 250 and the second guide rail 304 of the second moving part 251 in the front-rear direction Y. The pulley 320 is provided near the upper part of the plate-shaped member 260 , and the pulley 321 is provided near the lower part of the plate-shaped member 260 .

The belt 322 is hung on a pair of pulleys 320 and 321, and the belt portions 330 and 331 facing each other in the front-rear direction Y move up and down in opposite directions via the pulleys 320 and 321.

The first moving part 250 is driven by the belt part 330. That is, the first lifting member 271 is attached to the belt portion 330, and as the belt portion 330 moves up and down, the first lifting member 271, the pipette holding member 270, and the pipette 200 move up and down.

The second moving part 251 is driven by the belt part 331. That is, the pressing member 303 is attached to the belt part 331, and the pressing member 303 moves up and down as the belt part 331 moves up and down. The second lifting member 300 and the container holding part 201 can be raised and lowered in accordance with the raising and lowering of the pressing member 303.

The driving source 253 is a single motor connected to the pulley 320 . The drive source 253 is fixed to the second plate surface 260b on the left side of the plate-shaped member 260 in the left-right direction X. The drive source 253 can switch between forward rotation and reverse rotation, and can rotate the belt 322 rightward or leftward via the pulley 320 .

The moving mechanism 202 has a vibration member 350 that vibrates the reaction container 70 held by the container holding part 201 . The vibration member 350 is a vibration element that vibrates by power supply, and is provided on the arm portion 311 of the second lifting member 300 .

The moving mechanism 202 has a heating component 360 for heating the sample or reagent in the pipette 200 . The heating member 360 is a heating element that generates heat by supplying power, and is provided in the pipette holding member 270 .

The moving device 151 shown in FIG. 2 is configured to move the entire dispensing device 150 to any position in the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y within the device housing 10 .

<Structure of the reagent container storage unit 52>

The structure of the reagent container storage part 52 is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the reagent container storage unit 52 , and FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the reagent container storage unit 52 . FIG. 8 is an A-A cross-sectional view of the reagent container storage portion 52 . As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the reagent container storage part 52 has a frame 500 , a cooling part 501 and a heat dissipation part 502 .

<Structure of frame 500>

The frame 500 accommodates a plurality of reagent containers. As shown in FIG. 6 , the frame 500 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y, and forms a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped space inside.

The frame 500 has a hexahedral structure and has a first side part 500a, a second side part 500b, a third side part 500c, a fourth side part 500d, an upper surface part 500e, and a bottom surface part 500f.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the frame 500 has a heat transfer frame part 530, a heat insulating frame part 531, a bottom surface part 500f, a bracket support part 533, and a heat insulating member 534. The heat transfer frame part 530 is made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum. The heat transfer frame part 530 constitutes a part of the inner wall part of the frame 500 . The heat transfer frame part 530 has a first side wall part 540 located on the left side in the left-right direction X, a second side wall part 541 located on the right side in the left-right direction X, and a third side wall part located on the rear side in the front-rear direction Y. 542, and the upper surface connecting portion 543 located above. The front side surface of the heat transfer frame part 530 in the front-rear direction Y is open.

The first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 have a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 are vertically arranged with their plate surfaces facing the left-right direction X. The first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 are arranged to face and be parallel to each other.

The third side wall portion 542 has a square plate shape. The third side wall portion 542 is vertically arranged with the plate surface facing the front-rear direction Y. The third side wall portion 542 connects the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 540 and the rear end portion of the second side wall portion 541 . The third side wall portion 542 is formed to have a lower height than the first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 .

The upper surface connection part 543 has a square plate shape. The upper surface connecting portion 543 is arranged horizontally with the plate surface facing the vertical direction Z. The upper surface connecting portion 543 connects the upper end portion on the front side of the first side wall portion 540 and the upper end portion on the front side of the second side wall portion 541 . The upper surface connecting portion 543 is not provided to cover the entire surface of the upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500, but only covers a portion of the front side of the upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500. The upper surface connecting portion 543 is provided at a position that does not overlap the reagent container 580 accommodated in the housing 500 when viewed from above.

A temperature sensor 544 is provided on the first side wall portion 540 . The temperature sensor 544 detects the temperature of the heat transfer frame part 530 . The control unit 57 can control the cooling unit 501 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 544 to adjust the temperature within the housing 500 . The control unit 57 controls the cooling unit 501 so that the temperature of the first side wall portion 540 measured by the temperature sensor 544 is 0°C to 10°C, for example, 5°C.

The heat insulating frame part 531 is made of heat insulating materials such as foamed styrene and cellulose fiber. The heat insulating frame portion 531 constitutes a part of the outer wall portion of the frame 500 . The heat insulating frame part 531 has a first outer wall part 550 located on the left side in the left-right direction X, a second outer wall part 551 located on the right side in the left-right direction X, a third outer wall part 552 located on the rear side in the front-rear direction Y, and The upper surface outer wall portion 553 is located above. The front side surface of the heat insulating frame portion 531 in the front-rear direction Y is open.

The first outer wall portion 550 is located outside the first side wall portion 540 and has a square opening 550a in the center. The second outer wall portion 551 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The second outer wall portion 551 is vertically arranged with the plate surface facing the left-right direction X. The second outer wall portion 551 is arranged to cover the second side wall portion 541 on the outside of the second side wall portion 541 .

The third outer wall portion 552 has a square plate shape. The third outer wall portion 552 is vertically arranged with the plate surface facing the front-rear direction Y. The third outer wall portion 552 connects the rear end portion of the first outer wall portion 550 and the rear end portion of the second outer wall portion 551 . The third outer wall portion 552 is disposed to cover the third side wall portion 542 on the outside of the third side wall portion 542 .

The upper surface outer wall portion 553 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The upper surface outer wall portion 553 is arranged horizontally with the plate surface facing the vertical direction Z. The upper surface outer wall portion 553 connects the upper end portion of the first outer wall portion 550 and the upper end portion of the second outer wall portion 551 . The upper surface outer wall portion 553 is provided to cover the entire surface of the upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500. The upper surface outer wall portion 553 has a portion 553a that covers the upper surface connection portion 543 and a portion 553b that does not cover the upper surface connection portion 543.

The portion 553b of the upper surface outer wall portion 553 is provided with a through hole 555 for allowing the pipette 200 of the dispensing unit 58 to enter and exit. A plurality of through holes 555 (five in this embodiment) are arranged in a row along the front-rear direction Y. In addition, the through holes 555 are provided in multiple rows (two rows in this embodiment) in the left-right direction X.

An opening 560 for entering and exiting the holder support portion 533 is formed on the front side surface of the heat transfer frame portion 530 and the heat insulating frame portion 531 in the front-rear direction Y.

It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first side wall portion 540 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 and the first outer wall portion 550 of the heat insulating frame portion 531 constitute the first side wall portion 500a of the frame 500. The second side wall portion 541 of the frame portion 530 and the second outer wall portion 551 of the heat insulating frame portion 531 constitute the second side wall portion 500b of the frame 500. The third side wall part 542 of the heat transfer frame part 530 and the third outer wall part 552 of the heat insulation frame part 531 constitute the third side part 500c of the frame 500. The upper surface connection part 543 of the heat transfer frame part 530 and The upper surface outer wall portion 553 of the heat insulating frame portion 531 constitutes the upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500.

The bottom portion 500f has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The bottom portion 500f is made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than the heat transfer frame portion 530, such as resin. A rail portion 570 on which the holder support portion 533 slides is formed on the bottom portion 500f. As shown in FIG. 8 , a groove 571 for collecting liquid when condensation occurs inside the frame 500 is formed at the left end of the bottom portion 500f in the left-right direction X.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the holder support portion 533 supports a reagent container holder 581 that holds a plurality of reagent containers 580 in a row. The reagent container holder 581 has a long shape in the direction in which the plurality of reagent containers 580 are arranged (the front-rear direction Y in FIG. 7 ). Two bracket support portions 533 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X. Fig. 9 is a side view of the holder support portion 533 as viewed from the left-right direction X. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 , the bracket support portion 533 has a bottom portion 590 that is long in the front-rear direction Y, a front portion 591 extending upward at the front end of the bottom portion 590 , and a portion formed on the front portion 591 . The handle portion 592 on the front surface side.

The bottom part 590 has a slider part 600 that moves in the front-rear direction Y on the rail part 570, and a placement part 601 on which the reagent container holder 581 is placed. The slider part 600 and the rail part 570 are fitted. The placement portion 601 has a protrusion 601 a protruding upward from the slider portion 600 . The protrusions 601a are provided at the front and rear of the bottom 590. The reagent container holder 581 is placed on the upper surface of the protrusion 601a. When the reagent container holder 581 is placed on the protruding portion 601a, a ventilation path 602 is formed between the slider portion 600, the placement portion 601, and the reagent container holder 581 to pass through the reagent container holder 581 in the left-right direction X.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the front portion 591 has a square plate shape when viewed from the front side. The front portions 591 of the two bracket support portions 533 are configured to be able to close the opening portion 560 on the front side of the heat transfer frame portion 530 and the heat insulating frame portion 531 . That is, the two front parts 591 function as the fourth side part 500d of the housing 500. The portion of the frame 500 other than the through hole 555 has no portion for ventilation between the inside and the outside, and can form a closed space inside.

The handle portion 592 is configured to extend forward from the upper end of the front portion 591 and then extend downward.

As the slider portion 600 moves on the rail portion 570 of the bottom surface portion 500f, the bracket support portion 533 is movable in the front-rear direction Y relative to the frame 500. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 10 , the bracket support portion 533 can be freely pulled out relative to the device housing 10 and the housing 500 . The reagent container holder 581 and the reagent container 580 can be taken out or put into the device housing 10 by taking out or putting the holder support part 533 from the door 31 of the device housing 10 . The position of the reagent container 580 accommodated in the frame 500 via the holder support portion 533 coincides with the through hole 555 of the frame 500 in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the heat insulating member (sealing member) 534 has a frame shape capable of being fitted into the front surface side of the heat transfer frame portion 530 . The heat insulating member 534 has a first side wall portion 610 located on the left side in the left-right direction X, a second side wall portion 611 located on the right side in the left-right direction X, and an upper surface portion 612 located upward.

The first side wall portion 610 and the second side wall portion 611 have a rectangular plate shape that is long upward. The first side wall portion 610 and the second side wall portion 611 are respectively in contact with the inner surfaces of the first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 . The upper surface portion 612 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction X. The upper surface portion 612 connects the upper end of the first side wall portion 610 and the upper end of the second side wall portion 611 . The upper surface portion 612 is in contact with the inner surface of the upper surface connection portion 543 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 .

The first side wall portion 610 , the second side wall portion 611 and the upper surface portion 612 each have a contact portion 630 that contacts the front portion 591 of the bracket support portion 533 . The heat insulating member 534 prevents the holder support part 533 from coming into contact with the heat transfer frame part 530 and the reagent container holder 581 from coming into contact with the heat transfer frame part 530 . In addition, the heat insulating member 534 prevents the air in the frame 500 from flowing out from between the bracket support part 533 and the heat transfer frame part 530 .

<Structure of the cooling unit 501>

As shown in FIG. 11 , the cooling unit 501 is composed of a Peltier element. The cooling part 501 has a square plate shape. The cooling part 501 is surface-bonded to the outer surface of the first side wall part 540 of the heat transfer frame part 530 .

<Structure of heat dissipation part 502>

As shown in FIG. 12 , the heat dissipation part 502 has an air suction port 800 , a duct 801 , an exhaust port 802 , a radiator 803 and a fan 804 .

The radiator 803 is installed on the left side of the cooling unit 501 in the left-right direction X, and the fan 804 is installed on the left side of the radiator 803 in the left-right direction X.

The air intake port 800 and the exhaust port 802 are provided on the left side 23 of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X. The suction port 800 and the exhaust port 802 are arranged up and down, and the exhaust port 802 is provided at a higher position than the suction port 800 . A duct 801 is formed from the suction port 800 to the fan 804 and from the radiator 803 to the exhaust port 802 .

<Sample measurement method>

Next, an example of sample measurement using the sample measurement device 1 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 13 shows an example of the entire sample measurement processing flow.

In the sample measurement by the sample measurement device 1 , the starting step S1 of the reagent cooling step T1 , the reaction container transfer step S2 , the sample dispensing step S3 , the reagent dispensing step S4 , the measurement step S5 and the reaction container are mainly performed in this order. Recycling/disposal process S6. The reagent cooling step T1 is continuously performed while the other steps S2 to S6 are in progress. Each of these steps is executed by the control unit 57 .

Before starting the sample measurement, as shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of empty reaction vessels 70 are stored in the reaction vessel storage portion 51 . In addition, a plurality of sample containers containing samples are held in a sample holder, and the sample holder is stored in the sample holder accommodating portion 50 from the door 32 shown in FIG. 1 .

Reagents used for sample measurement are stored in a plurality of reagent containers 580 as shown in FIG. 10 . The plurality of reagent containers 580 are held by a reagent container holder 581 , and the reagent container holder 581 is supported by the holder support part 533 . Then, the holder support part 533 is put into the frame 500 of the reagent container storage part 52 from the door 31 of the device housing 10 along the rail part 570, and the reagent container 580 is accommodated in the frame 500. At this time, a closed space is formed inside the housing 500 in a state where the plurality of reagent containers 580 are accommodated.

Then, the reagent cooling step T1 is started (step S1 in FIG. 13 ). First, the cooling unit 501 shown in FIG. 8 operates, and the housing 500 is cooled. At this time, the cooling unit 501 absorbs heat from the first side wall portion 540 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 of the frame 500 . As a result, the first side wall portion 540 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 is cooled, and the cold air generated above in the frame 500 flows downward, causing natural convection through the ventilation path 602 , and the temperature of the internal space of the frame 500 increases. drops below the target temperature.

In addition, the temperature of the first side wall part 540 where the cooling part 501 is located is the lowest, followed by the temperature of the upper surface connection part 543 and the third side wall part 542, the temperature of the second side wall part 541 is third, and the temperature of the bottom surface part 500f is the lowest. Highest. As a result, temperature distribution is formed in the internal space of the frame 500 and natural convection is generated. Natural convection is performed as follows: first, the air with low temperature near the first side wall part 540 flows downward toward the bottom part 500f with the highest temperature in the gap between the first side wall part 540 and the reagent container 580, and then , flows to the right side in the left-right direction , flows to the left side in the left-right direction X in the gap between the upper surface connection part 543 and the upper surface outer wall part 553 and the reagent container 580, returns to the vicinity of the first side wall part 540, and continues the cycle.

On the other hand, outside the housing 500 , as shown in FIG. 12 , the fan 804 outside the cooling unit 501 operates, and the air outside the device housing 10 flows into the duct 801 from the air inlet 800 and flows toward the radiator 803 supply. The heat generated by the cooling unit 501 is transferred to the air in the radiator 803 . The air after passing through the radiator 803 reaches the exhaust port 802 through the duct 801 together with the heat, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 802 to the outside of the device housing 10 . In this way, the heat of the cooling unit 501 is discharged to the outside of the device housing 10 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , after the reagent cooling step T1 is started, the reaction container transfer step S2 is performed. In the reaction container transfer step S2, first, the container holder 201 of the dispensing device 150 shown in FIG. 2 moves from the initial position to the container holder 71 of the reaction container accommodating part 51, and then descends to maintain the empty space of the container holder 71. reaction vessel 70.

Next, the container holding part 201 of the dispensing device 150 moves onto the heating part 80 and then descends, and the reaction container 70 is held in the holding hole 90 of the heating part 80 . Then, the container holding part 201 rises.

Next, the sample dispensing step S3 (shown in FIG. 13 ) is performed. First, the pipette 200 of the dispensing device 150 shown in FIG. 2 moves to the sample holder accommodating part 50 and descends. The pipette 200 is inserted into the sample container of the sample holder in the sample holder accommodating part 50 through the hole 61 of the upper surface part 60, and aspirates the sample.

Thereafter, the pipette 200 rises on the sample holder accommodating part 50 and moves to the heating part 80 . The pipette 200 descends toward the reaction container 70 of the heating unit 80 and injects the sample into the reaction container 70 .

Next, the pipette 200 rises on the heating part 80 and moves to the cleaning part 54 . The pipette 200 descends toward the cleaning tank 110 of the cleaning unit 54 and is inserted into the cleaning tank 110 for cleaning. Finally, the pipette 200 rises on the cleaning part 54 .

Next, the reagent dispensing step S4 (shown in FIG. 13 ) is performed. First, the pipette 200 of the dispensing device 150 shown in FIG. 2 is moved to the frame 500 of the reagent container storage unit 52 . Next, the pipette 200 descends and enters the frame 500 through the through hole 555 of the upper surface outer wall portion 553 . The pipette 200 is further inserted into the reagent container 580 of the reagent container holder 581 to suck the reagent in the reagent container 580 .

Next, the pipette 200 rises on the reagent container storage part 52 . Next, the reagent in the pipette 200 is heated by the heating component 360 . While heating the reagent in the pipette 200 , the pipette 200 is moved to the heating unit 80 .

Next, the container holder 201 of the dispensing device 150 descends toward the reaction container 70 of the heating unit 80 and holds the reaction container 70 of the heating unit 80 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , the container holding part 201 rises on the heating part 80 , and the pipette 200 descends and is inserted into the reaction container 70 . Then, the pipette 200 injects the reagent into the reaction container 70 of the container holder 201 . Next, the reaction container 70 of the container holder 201 is vibrated by the vibration member 350 to stir the sample to which the reagent has been added.

Next, the container holding part 201 shown in FIG. 2 moves to the detection part 81 and descends. The container holding part 201 descends toward the holding hole 100 of the detection part 81 to hold the reaction container 70 in the holding hole 100 . Finally, the container holding part 201 rises on the detection part 81.

Next, measurement step S5 (shown in FIG. 13 ) is performed. The detection unit 81 performs a blood coagulation measurement that analyzes the activity of the coagulation factor in the sample in the reaction container 70 .

Finally, the reaction container recovery/disposal step S6 (shown in FIG. 13 ) is performed. First, the container holding part 201 of the dispensing device 150 shown in FIG. 2 moves above the detection part 81 and descends. Next, the container holding unit 201 holds the reaction container 70 of the detection unit 81 .

Next, the container holding part 201 rises on the detection part 81, and moves to the disposal part 55. The container holding part 201 descends toward the disposal port 120 of the disposal part 55, and discards the reaction container 70 into the disposal port 120. Finally, the container holding part 201 rises on the discarding part 55, and then returns to the initial position.

According to this embodiment, the reagent container storage unit 52 of the sample measurement device 1 includes the frame 500 , the cooling unit 501 that cools the frame 500 , and the reagent container holder 581 that holds the reagent container 580 in the frame 500 . The cooling unit 501 The first side wall portion 540 is provided as a part of the first side portion 500a of the housing 500, and a ventilation path 602 is provided between the reagent container holder 581 and the bottom portion 500f in the housing 500. In this case, since the first side wall part 540 of the frame 500 is cooled by the cooling part 501, a downward airflow is generated near the first side wall part 540 in the frame 500, and a ventilation path is generated in the frame 500. 602 natural convection. This eliminates the need to provide a fan for circulating the air in the housing 500 and can cope with downsizing of the device. In addition, by cooling by natural convection, cold air can be spread throughout the housing 500 and the plurality of reagent containers 580 can be cooled from the surroundings, thereby enabling uniform temperature management of the reagents in the plurality of reagent containers 580 .

The upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500 is provided with a through hole 555 for allowing the pipette 200 to enter and exit. In this case, the pipette 200 is located outside the frame 500, and the pipette 200 can enter the frame 500 to suck the reagent if necessary. Therefore, the volume of the housing 500 can be reduced, and as a result, strong natural convection can be reliably generated within the housing 500 . Therefore, the reagent in the reagent container 580 in the housing 500 can be cooled stably and sufficiently.

The frame 500 has a thermally conductive heat transfer frame part 530. The heat transfer frame part 530 has a first side wall part 540, a second side wall part 541 and an upper surface connection part 543. The cooling part 501 is provided on the first side wall. Department 540. Thereby, the entire heat transfer frame portion 530 is cooled appropriately, and the reagent can be cooled from above and from the left and right sides of the reagent container 580 . As a result, the reagent in the reagent container 580 can be cooled appropriately and stably. In addition, the cooling unit 501 first cools the heat transfer frame unit 530 itself, and then cools the air inside the frame 500 to thereby cool the reagent container 580 . Therefore, dew condensation on the reagent container 580 can be suppressed.

The bottom portion 500f of the frame 500 includes a member with lower thermal conductivity than the heat transfer frame portion 530 . Thereby, the temperature difference between the first side wall part 540 in which the cooling part 501 is provided, and the bottom surface part 500f becomes large. As a result, the downward airflow from the vicinity of the first side wall portion 540 toward the bottom portion 500f is strengthened, and the natural convection is strengthened. Therefore, the reagent in the reagent container 580 can be sufficiently cooled.

The upper surface connecting portion 543 of the heat transfer frame portion 530 is provided at a position that does not overlap with the reagent container 580 accommodated in the frame 500 when viewed from above. This can prevent water from dripping onto the reagent container 580 even if the upper surface connecting portion 543 is cooled and dew condenses temporarily.

The frame 500 is configured to accommodate a plurality of reagent containers 580 in an array along the front-rear direction Y along the first side wall portion 540 and the second side wall portion 541 . In addition, the frame 500 is configured to accommodate the reagent container holder 581 in a state in which the longitudinal direction of the reagent container holder 581 is oriented in the front-rear direction Y that is orthogonal to the left-right direction X from the first side wall portion 540 toward the second side wall portion 541 581. This shortens the path along the inner wall of the frame 500 in the direction in which natural convection occurs, and strong natural convection tends to occur. As a result, the reagent in the reagent container 580 can be sufficiently cooled.

The frame 500 has the heat insulating frame part 531 covering the heat transfer frame part 530. Therefore, the heat transfer frame part 530 can be cooled efficiently.

The reagent container accommodating part 52 has a holder support part 533 that supports a reagent container holder 581 in the frame 500 . The holder support part 533 is configured to be freely pullable from the frame 500 . This makes it possible to easily take out and replace the reagent container 580 .

The ventilation path 602 is formed between the reagent container holder 581 and the holder support part 533 . Thereby, the ventilation path 602 for natural convection to pass can be formed appropriately.

The sample measurement device 1 includes a heat dissipation unit 502 that dissipates heat generated by the cooling unit 501 . Thereby, the heat of the cooling unit 501 does not remain in the housing 500 , so the reagent in the reagent container 580 in the housing 500 can be appropriately cooled.

The sample measurement device 1 includes a device housing 10 having a measurement unit 53 and a reagent container storage unit 52 inside. Thereby, the frame 500 of the reagent container accommodating part 52 is located inside the device frame 10 . Therefore, the volume of the housing 500 can be reduced, and the reagent in the reagent container 580 in the housing 500 can be efficiently cooled.

The casing 500 is configured such that the natural convection generated inside the casing 500 by the cooling of the cooling unit 501 is sequentially formed between the first side portion 500 a of the casing 500 and the reagent container 580 , the ventilation path 602 , and the third portion of the casing 500 . There is circulation between the two side portions 500b and the reagent container 580, and between the upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500 and the reagent container 580. Therefore, the reagent in the reagent container 580 in the housing 500 can be appropriately cooled.

As mentioned above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Those skilled in the art can obviously think of various modifications or modifications within the scope of ideas described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

The sample measurement device 1 described in the above embodiment may have other structures. The frame 500, heat transfer frame part 530, heat insulating frame part 531, bottom surface part 500f, holder support part 533, etc. of the reagent container storage part 52 may have other structures. The cooling part 501 and the heat dissipation part 502 may also have other structures. The cooling unit 501 is not limited to a Peltier element, and may be other elements as long as it has a cooling function. The cooling unit 501 does not need to be composed of one element such as a Peltier element, but may be composed of a plurality of elements.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the ventilation path 602 may be formed in the holder support part 533 . In this case, the ventilation path 602 may be formed to penetrate the bottom 590 of the holder support part 533 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 15 , the ventilation path 602 may be formed in the bottom surface 500f. In this case, the ventilation path 602 may be formed to penetrate the lower part of the rail part 570 . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16 , the ventilation path 602 may be formed in the reagent container holder 581 .

The cooling part 501 is provided in the first side wall part 540 which is a part of the first side part 500a of the frame 500, but may be provided in any of the other side parts 500b, 500c, and 500d. In addition, the cooling unit 501 may be provided on the upper surface part 500e of the frame 500. In this case, by cooling the upper surface portion 500 e of the housing 500 , the air in the vicinity of the upper surface portion in the housing 500 descends, forming natural convection through the ventilation path 602 , thereby cooling the reagent in the reagent container 580 . In addition, a part of the cooling unit 501 only needs to be provided in a portion of the housing 500 that is higher than the ventilation path 620 , and may be provided in other portions of the housing 500 . The cooling unit 501 may be provided on the entire side portions 500a, 500b, 500c, and 500d of the frame 500, or may be provided on the entire upper surface portion 500e. The cooling unit 501 may be provided on the entire side portions 500a, 500b, 500c, 500d and the entire upper surface portion 500e of the frame 500. In addition, the cooling part 501 may be provided in a part of the side parts 500a, 500b, 500c, 500d and the upper surface part 500e. The cooling unit 501 does not need to be in direct contact with the frame 500, but may be in indirect contact via a heat transfer member such as a radiator.

The sample measurement device of the present invention can also be applied to sample measurement other than blood coagulation measurement, blood immune analysis, blood cell count measurement, biochemical analysis, urinalysis, and the like.

Industrial applicability

The present invention is useful in providing a sample measurement device and a sample measurement method that can cope with downsizing of the device.

Claims (22)

1. A sample measurement device, wherein the sample measurement device comprises:

a reagent container housing section that houses a reagent container containing a reagent; and

a measurement unit for measuring a sample using the reagent,

the reagent container housing section includes:

a housing that houses the reagent container; and

a cooling unit that cools the housing,

a ventilation path is provided below the reagent container in the housing,

at least a part of the cooling portion is provided in a portion of the housing higher than the ventilation path.

2. The sample measurement device according to claim 1, wherein,

the frame body has an upper surface portion, a bottom surface portion, and side surface portions,

the cooling portion is provided on the side surface portion or the upper surface portion of the frame body.

3. The sample measurement device according to claim 2, wherein,

the frame body is provided with two opposite side surface parts,

the cooling portion is provided on one of the two opposite side surfaces of the frame.

4. The sample measurement device according to claim 1, wherein,

the sample measurement device further includes a pipette that sucks the reagent contained in the reagent container housing section and dispenses the reagent into the reaction container housing the sample,

the upper surface of the housing is provided with a through hole for the pipette to come in and go out.

5. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein,

the frame includes a heat transfer frame portion having thermal conductivity,

the heat transfer frame portion includes:

a first sidewall portion;

a second side wall portion disposed on an opposite side of the first side wall portion across the reagent container, the second side wall portion being opposite to the first side wall portion; and

an upper surface connecting portion connecting the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion,

the cooling portion is provided at the first side wall portion, the second side wall portion, or the upper surface connecting portion.

6. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the cooling portion is provided at the first side wall portion or the second side wall portion.

7. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the bottom surface portion of the frame includes a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat transfer frame portion.

8. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the upper surface connection portion of the heat transfer frame portion is provided at a position that does not overlap with the reagent container housed in the frame in a plan view.

9. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the frame is configured to be capable of accommodating a plurality of reagent containers in a direction orthogonal to a direction from the first side wall portion toward the second side wall portion.

10. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the reagent container is accommodated in the housing in a state of being held by a reagent container holder,

the reagent holding rack has a shape longer in a direction in which a plurality of the reagent containers are held in an aligned manner,

the frame is configured to house the reagent container holder in a state in which a longitudinal direction of the reagent container holder is oriented in a direction orthogonal to a direction from the first side wall portion toward the second side wall portion.

11. The sample measurement device according to claim 5, wherein,

the frame has a heat insulating frame portion covering the heat transfer frame portion.

12. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein,

the reagent container is accommodated in the housing in a state of being held by a reagent container holder,

the reagent container housing part has a holder support part for supporting the reagent container holder in the frame,

the bracket support portion is configured to be pulled out freely from the frame body.

13. The sample measurement device according to claim 12, wherein,

the vent path is formed between the reagent container holder and the holder support.

14. The sample measurement device according to claim 12, wherein,

the ventilation path is formed in the stent support portion.

15. The sample measurement device according to claim 12, wherein,

the bottom surface of the frame body has a rail portion for sliding the bracket supporting portion,

the ventilation path is provided in the rail portion.

16. The sample measurement device according to claim 12, wherein,

the vent path is formed in the reagent container holder.

17. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein,

The sample measurement device further includes a heat discharge unit that discharges heat generated by the cooling unit.

18. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein,

the sample measurement device further includes a device housing having the measurement unit and the reagent container housing unit therein.

19. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein,

the frame is configured such that natural convection generated in the frame by cooling of the cooling unit circulates in this order between the first side surface portion of the frame and the reagent container, the ventilation path, between the second side surface portion of the frame facing the first side surface portion and the reagent container, and between the upper surface portion of the frame and the reagent container.

20. A sample measurement method using a sample measurement device in which a ventilation path is provided below a reagent container in a housing that houses the reagent container, the sample measurement method comprising:

a cooling step of cooling the reagent in the reagent container by cooling at least a portion higher than the ventilation path in the housing;

A dispensing step of sucking the cooled reagent in the reagent container and dispensing the reagent into a reaction container; and

and a measurement step of measuring a sample of the reaction vessel into which the reagent is dispensed.

21. The method for assaying a sample according to claim 20 wherein,

the frame has a thermally conductive heat transfer frame portion,

the heat transfer frame portion includes:

a first sidewall portion;

a second side wall portion disposed on an opposite side of the first side wall portion across the reagent container, the second side wall portion being opposite to the first side wall portion; and

an upper surface connecting portion connecting the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion,

in the cooling process, in the course of the cooling process,

the entirety of the heat transfer frame portion is cooled.

22. The method for assaying a sample according to claim 20 wherein,

in the cooling step, natural convection generated inside the housing circulates in this order between the first side surface portion of the housing and the reagent container, the ventilation path, the second side surface portion of the housing facing the first side surface portion and the reagent container, and the upper surface portion of the housing and the reagent container.