CN117192138A - Sample measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a sample measuring device, which can restrain the influence of heat generated in a power supply part on the temperature of a sample in a measuring part. The sample measurement device (1) is provided with: a measurement unit (53) for measuring a sample contained in the container; a power supply unit (56) for supplying power to the measurement unit (53); and a device housing (10) having a measurement unit (53) and a power supply unit (56) inside. The power supply unit (56) is disposed in a region different from the measurement unit (53) in a plan view in the device housing (10), and is disposed at a position higher than the measurement unit (53). A vertical plate (70) standing in the vertical direction is provided between the region (R2) where the power supply unit (56) is located and the region (R1) where the measurement unit (53) is located.

Description

Sample measuring device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sample measurement device.

Background

A sample measurement device for measuring a sample generally includes a dispensing portion for dispensing a sample and a reagent into a container, a measurement portion for measuring a sample contained in the container, and the like.

The sample measurement device includes a power supply unit for supplying power to the dispensing unit and the measurement unit. Patent document 1 discloses the following structure: in the analysis device, a partition plate is provided to vertically separate an upper portion where the reaction unit and the cooling member are located in the housing from a lower portion where the power supply unit is located in the housing.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2003-83979

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the above-described analysis device, since the power supply unit that generates heat is located at the lower portion, there is a possibility that heat of the power supply unit is transferred to the upper separator and the separator affects the sample of the reaction unit. If heat affects the sample in the reaction cell, the sample temperature at the time of measurement becomes unstable, and the measurement accuracy may be lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sample measurement device capable of suppressing influence of heat generated in a power supply unit on the temperature of a sample in a measurement unit.

Means for solving the problems

As shown in fig. 2 to 5, the sample measurement device 1 of the present invention includes: a measurement unit 53 that measures a sample contained in the container 90; a power supply unit 56 that supplies electric power to the measurement unit 53; and a device housing 10 having a measurement unit 53 and a power supply unit 56 inside, wherein the power supply unit 56 is disposed in a region different from the measurement unit 53 in a plan view in the device housing 10, and is disposed at a position higher than the measurement unit 53.

According to the sample measurement device 1 of the present invention, since the power supply unit 56 is separated from the measurement unit 53, it is possible to suppress the influence of heat generated in the power supply unit 56 on the temperature of the sample in the measurement unit 53.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sample measurement device capable of suppressing the influence of heat generated in a power supply unit on the temperature of a sample in a measurement unit.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a sample measurement device.

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

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between a measuring unit and a power supply unit in a device housing.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the measuring unit and the power supply unit when the device housing is viewed from the top surface side.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the measuring unit and the power supply unit when the device housing is viewed from the front surface side in the horizontal direction.

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

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the reagent vessel housing part.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the structure of the bracket supporting portion.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the measuring unit.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal configuration of the measurement section.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a temperature adjusting unit of the measuring unit.

Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an irradiation section and a light receiving section of the measurement section.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of the power supply unit.

Fig. 14 is a block diagram related to control of the sample measurement device.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the structure of the container holding section and the pipette of the dispensing device.

Fig. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sample measurement device showing the structure of the first heat release portion.

Fig. 17 is a rear view of the device housing.

Fig. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sample measurement device showing the structure of the second heat release portion.

Fig. 19 is a side view of the left side of the device housing.

Fig. 20 is a flowchart of a sample measurement method.

Fig. 21 is a schematic view showing a positional relationship between the measuring unit and the power supply unit when the device housing is viewed from the top surface side in the case where the second vertical plate is provided.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the measuring unit and the power supply unit when the device housing is viewed from the top surface side in the case where the area where the power supply unit is located is connected to the area where the heat sink is located.

Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the measuring unit and the power supply unit when the device housing is viewed from the top surface side in a case where the power supply unit is provided on the left side surface side of the device housing.

Description of the reference numerals

1 sample measurement device

10 device frame

52 reagent vessel storage part

53 measuring section

56 Power supply part

70 plumb board

R1 main region

R2 back side region

Detailed Description

An example of an embodiment of the sample measurement device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

< sample measurement device >

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a sample measurement device 1 according to the present embodiment. The sample measurement device 1 is used for, for example, a blood coagulation measurement for analyzing the activity of a coagulation factor of a sample (blood sample).

The sample measurement device 1 has a device housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The device housing 10 has a front surface 20, a rear surface 21, a right side surface 22, a left side surface 23, an upper surface 24, and a bottom surface 25. In the present specification, "left" and "right" of the sample measurement device 1 are based on the direction in which the front surface 20 is viewed from the front.

The front surface 20 is provided with a cover 30 which can be opened and closed, and a user can access the inside of the apparatus housing 10 by opening the cover 30. A door 31 for accessing the inside of a reagent container housing part 52 described later and a door 32 for accessing the inside of a sample rack housing part 50 are provided on the front surface 20.

The upper surface 24 is a square planar surface on which the monitor 40 can be disposed. The monitor 40 is a touch panel type display, and can display an input for an operation required for sample measurement, display of various information, and result information of sample measurement. Other PCs, etc. may be placed on the upper surface 24.

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 housing portion 50, a reaction container housing portion 51, a reagent container housing portion 52, a measurement portion 53, a washing portion 54, a disposal portion 55, a power supply portion 56, a control portion 57, a dispensing portion 58, a first heat discharge portion 59, and a second heat discharge portion 60, inside a device casing 10.

The device housing 10 has a vertical plate 70 as a partition member disposed on the rear surface 21 side (near the rear surface 21) from the center in the front-rear direction Y in the interior thereof. The vertical plate 70 has a square plate shape with a plate surface facing in the front-rear direction Y. The vertical plate 70 is formed from the right side surface 22 to the left side surface 23 of the device housing 10. The vertical plate 70 partitions the inside of the device housing 10 into a substantially square back surface region R2 formed near the back surface 21 in a plan view and a main region R1 other than the back surface region R2. The planar area of the rear surface region R2 may be, for example, one third or less of the planar area of the main region R1. The vertical plate 70 may or may not completely block ventilation between the main region R1 and the rear region R2.

Here, the positional relationship between the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 in the device housing 10 will be described. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 in the device housing 10. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 when the apparatus housing 10 is viewed from the top surface side, and fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 when the apparatus housing 10 is viewed from the front surface 20 side in the horizontal direction.

The measuring unit 53 is disposed in the main region R1, and the power supply unit 56 is disposed in the rear region R2. That is, the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 are disposed in different areas in a plan view. As shown in fig. 4, when the device housing 10 is viewed in plan, a virtual center line L1 extending in the front-rear direction Y through the center of the device housing 10 in the left-right direction X is drawn, and the inside of the device housing 10 is bisected left and right, the measurement unit 53 is positioned on the right side of the virtual center line L1, and the power supply unit 56 is positioned on the left side of the virtual center line L1. The reagent container housing section 52 is located on the left side of the virtual center line L1, like the power supply section 56.

As shown in fig. 5, the power supply unit 56 is disposed at a position higher than the measurement unit 53. That is, the lower end of the power supply unit 56 is located higher than the upper end of the measuring unit 53. When the inside of the apparatus housing 10 is bisected in a side view from the front surface 20 of the apparatus housing 10 by drawing a virtual center line L2 extending in the left-right direction X through the center of the apparatus housing 10 in the up-down direction Z, the measuring unit 53 is located below the virtual center line L2, and the power supply unit 56 is located above the virtual center line L2. The reagent container housing 52 is located below the virtual center line L1.

By the arrangement of the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56, the measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 are physically separated and thermally separated. The measuring unit 53 and the power supply unit 56 are separated by a linear distance of, for example, 30cm or more. The reagent container housing section 52 is disposed at a position farther from the power supply section 56 than the measuring section 53.

Next, a specific configuration example of the sample rack housing section 50, the reaction container housing section 51, the reagent container housing section 52, the measuring section 53, the washing section 54, the discarding section 55, the power supply section 56, the control section 57, the dispensing section 58, the first heat discharging section 59, and the second heat discharging section 60 shown in fig. 2 will be described.

The sample holder housing portion 50, the reaction container housing portion 51, the reagent container housing portion 52, the measuring portion 53, the washing portion 54, the discarding portion 55, the dispensing portion 58, and the second heat discharging portion 60 are disposed in the main region R1 partitioned by the vertical plate 70, and the power supply portion 56, the control portion 57, and the first heat discharging portion 59 are disposed in the rear region R2.

The sample rack housing portion 50 is provided at a position closer to the front surface 20 than the center in the front-rear direction Y of the apparatus housing 10 and is provided near the center in the left-right direction X of the apparatus housing 10. The sample rack housing section 50 houses sample racks that hold a plurality of sample containers. The sample rack housing portion 50 has an upper surface portion 80, and a plurality of holes 81 are formed in the upper surface portion 80. The pipette 260 described later of the dispensing section 58 enters the sample container in the sample rack housing section 50 through the hole 81, and can aspirate the sample in the sample container. The sample rack of the sample rack housing portion 50 can be moved in and out from the door 32 of the apparatus housing 10 shown in fig. 1.

The reaction vessel housing 51 is provided on the front surface 20 side of the center in the front-rear direction Y of the apparatus frame 10 and on the right side of the center in the left-right direction X of the apparatus frame 10. The reaction vessel housing portion 51 houses a vessel holder 91 for holding a plurality of reaction vessels 90.

The reagent container housing 52 is provided on the front surface 20 side of the center in the front-rear direction Y of the apparatus housing 10 and on the left side of the center in the left-right direction X of the apparatus housing 10. The reagent container housing part 52 is provided adjacent to the left side of the sample rack housing part 50. The reagent container housing part 52 houses a plurality of reagent containers containing reagents. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the reagent vessel housing part 52, and fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the reagent vessel housing part 52.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the reagent container housing part 52 includes a housing 110 housing a plurality of reagent containers 100 and a cooling part 111 cooling the housing 110. The frame 110 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape elongated in the front-rear direction Y, and a space having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed therein.

The housing 110 has an upper surface 120, and a plurality of holes 121 are formed in the upper surface 120. The pipette 260 of the dispensing section 58 described later can be inserted into the reagent container 100 in the reagent container housing section 52 through the hole 121, and aspirates the reagent in the reagent container 100.

As shown in fig. 7, the housing 110 includes: a heat transfer frame 130 made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum; and a heat insulating frame portion 131 formed of a heat insulating material such as foamed styrene or cellulose fiber, which is provided outside the heat transfer frame portion 130.

A bracket support 140 is provided in the housing 110. As shown in fig. 8, the rack support 140 supports a reagent container rack 101 that holds a plurality of reagent containers 100 in a row. The stand support 140 is pulled out of the apparatus housing 10 and the housing 110. The reagent vessel holder 101 and the reagent vessel 100 can be taken out of and put into the housing 110 by taking out or putting in the holder support 140 from the door 31 of the apparatus housing 10.

As shown in fig. 7, the cooling unit 111 is a peltier element 150. The peltier element 150 has a square plate shape. The peltier element 150 is adhered to the outer surface of the left side wall 130a of the heat transfer housing portion 130 of the housing 110 in the left-right direction X. A heat sink 151 as a heat dissipation portion that dissipates heat from the peltier element 150 is provided on the outer surface of the peltier element 150.

The measuring unit 53 shown in fig. 2 includes a heating unit 160 and a detecting unit 161. The heating unit 160 and the detecting unit 161 are provided on the rear surface 21 side of the center in the front-rear direction Y of the apparatus housing 10 and on the right side of the center in the left-right direction X of the apparatus housing 10.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the measuring unit 53, and fig. 10 is an explanatory view showing the internal configuration of the measuring unit 53. The measuring unit 53 includes a housing 170 including a heating unit 160 and a detecting unit 161. The frame 170 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A plurality of holes 171 are formed in the upper surface 171a of the housing 170.

The heating portion 160 has a first holding portion 181 inside the housing 170, and the first holding portion 181 has a plurality of holding holes 180 for holding the reaction vessel 90. The first holding portion 181 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape long in the left-right direction X. The plurality of holding holes 180 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The holding hole 180 communicates with the hole 171 of the upper surface 170a of the frame 170.

The detection unit 161 includes a second holding portion 191 in the housing 170, and the second holding portion 191 includes a plurality of holding holes 190 for holding the reaction containers 90. The second holding portion 191 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape long in the left-right direction X. The plurality of holding holes 190 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The second holding portion 191 is provided on the rear surface 21 side of the first holding portion 181. The holding hole 190 communicates with the hole 171 of the upper surface 170a of the frame 170.

As shown in fig. 11, a temperature adjusting portion 193 is provided at the bottom 170b of the housing 170. The temperature adjustment portion 193 has a square sheet shape. The temperature adjustment unit 193 can adjust the reaction vessel 90 held in the holding hole 180 of the heating unit 160 and the holding hole 190 of the detection unit 161 to a predetermined temperature.

As shown in fig. 12, the detection unit 161 includes an irradiation unit 194 that irradiates the reaction vessel 90 held by the second holding unit 191 with light, and a light receiving unit 195 that receives the light transmitted through the reaction vessel 90. The detection unit 161 irradiates light to the sample in the reaction container 90 by the irradiation unit 194, and receives light transmitted through the sample by the light receiving unit 195, whereby measurement data related to the sample can be detected.

The cleaning section 54 shown in fig. 2 is provided near the center of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and between the measuring section 53 and the reaction vessel accommodating section 51. The washing unit 54 includes a washing tank 200 for washing the pipette 260 of the dispensing unit 58.

The discarding portion 55 is provided between the measuring portion 53 and the reaction vessel accommodating portion 51. The discarding portion 55 has a discarding port 210 for discarding the reaction container 90.

The power supply unit 56 is provided near the rear surface 21 of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and on the left side of the center in the left-right direction X. The power supply portion 56 has a square shape and a plate shape having a certain thickness. The power supply unit 56 converts electric power supplied from an external power source from ac to dc, and supplies the dc to various devices such as the reagent container housing unit 52, the measuring unit 53, the control unit 57, the dispensing unit 58, the first heat discharging unit 59, and the second heat discharging unit 60. As an example, the power supply unit 56 converts 100V ac to 12V dc. At this time, the power supply unit 56 itself generates heat and rises to about 60 ℃. In this way, heat generation in the power supply unit 56 may affect the temperature of the device such as the measurement unit 53 disposed in the device housing 10. Fig. 13 shows an example of the structure of the power supply unit 56. For example, the power supply unit 56 includes, as its structure, a coil 240, a base 241, a transformer 242, a capacitor 243, a protection circuit 244, a diode 245, and the like. The coil 240 is, for example, a noise filter, and removes noise generated in the power supply circuit. The base 241 protects the components of the power supply section 56. The transformer 242 steps down the ac voltage. Capacitor 243 and diode 245 convert the ac current to dc current. The protection circuit 244 protects against a current exceeding a rated output. In this case, in the configuration of these power supply units 56, the coil 240 and the base 241 are sequentially heated to high temperatures. At least the coil 240 of the power supply unit 56 may be disposed in a region different from the measuring unit 53 in plan view and at a position higher than the measuring unit 53. In addition, it is preferable that the base 241 of the power supply unit 56 is disposed in a region different from the measuring unit 53 in plan view and at a position higher than the measuring unit 53, except for the coil 240.

The control unit 57 is provided near the rear surface 21 of the device housing 10 in the front-rear direction Y and on the right side of the center in the left-right direction X. The control unit 57 is provided in the same rear surface region R2 as the power supply unit 56, and is provided beside the power supply unit 56 in the lateral direction X. As shown in fig. 14, the control unit 57 can communicate with various devices such as the reagent container housing unit 52, the measuring unit 53, the dispensing unit 58, the first heat discharging unit 59, and the second heat discharging unit 60, and can 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 a program 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 can display the result of the sample measurement on the monitor 40.

The dispensing section 58 shown in fig. 2 has a function of dispensing the sample container, the reaction container 90, and the reagent container 100. The dispensing section 58 includes a dispensing device 250 and a moving device 251 for moving the dispensing device 250.

As shown in fig. 15, the dispensing device 250 includes a pipette 260 for sucking liquid or discharging sucked liquid, and a container holding part 261 for holding the reaction container 90. The dispensing device 250 is configured to be capable of moving the pipette 260 and the container holding section 261 vertically and coaxially in the vertical direction Z.

The moving device 251 shown in fig. 2 is configured to move the entire dispensing device 250 to any position in the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y within the device housing 10. The dispensing section 58 can move the pipette 260 to suck or discharge a liquid from or to the sample container of the sample holder storage section 50, the reaction container 90 of the reaction container storage section 51, the reagent container 100 of the reagent container storage section 52, and the reaction container 90 of the measurement section 53. The dispensing section 58 can hold the reaction container 90 of the reaction container housing section 51 and convey the reaction container 90 to the measuring section 53 or the discarding section 55. As shown in fig. 15, the dispensing section 58 can supply a liquid from the pipette 260 to the reaction container 90 in a state where the reaction container 90 is held by the container holding section 261.

The first heat discharge portion 59 shown in fig. 2 discharges heat of the power supply portion 56 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the first heat rejection portion 59. Fig. 17 is a rear view of the apparatus housing 10. As shown in fig. 16, the first heat discharging portion 59 includes: a first air inlet 300 for sucking air from the outside of the apparatus housing 10 to the second region R2 inside the apparatus housing 10; a first exhaust port 301 for exhausting air from the second region R2 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10; a first duct 302 leading from the first air inlet 300 to the power supply portion 56 and leading from the power supply portion 56 to the first air outlet 301; and a first fan 303 for flowing air from the first air inlet 300 to the first air outlet 301.

As shown in fig. 16 and 17, the first air inlet 300 and the first air outlet 301 are provided on the rear surface 21 of the apparatus housing 10. The first air inlet 300 and the first air outlet 301 are provided at positions facing the power supply unit 56, that is, at positions closer to the left side surface 23 than the center of the rear surface 21 in the left-right direction X. The first air inlet 300 and the first air outlet 301 are disposed vertically, and the first air outlet 301 is disposed at a position higher than the first air inlet 300. The first air inlet 300 is disposed below the power supply unit 56, and the first air outlet 301 is disposed above the power supply unit 56. The first suction port 300 is formed in a slit shape of concentric circles. The first exhaust port 301 is formed in a slit shape long in the left-right direction X. The plurality of first exhaust ports 301 are arranged in the up-down direction Z.

The first duct 302 is formed to pass through the power supply portion 56 from the first air inlet 300 to the first air outlet 301. The first duct 302 is formed to extend in the up-down direction Z. The first fan 303 is provided between the power supply unit 56 in the first duct 302 and the first air inlet 300.

The second heat discharge portion 60 shown in fig. 2 discharges heat generated by the peltier element 150 of the reagent container housing portion 52 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10. Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the second heat discharge portion 60. Fig. 19 is a side view of the left side 23 of the apparatus housing 10.

As shown in fig. 18, the second heat discharging portion 60 includes: a second air inlet 350 that sucks air from the outside of the device housing 10 to a region where the heat sink 151 that is a region for radiating heat of the peltier element 150 of the device housing 10 is located; a second exhaust port 351 for exhausting air from the region where the radiator 151 is located to the outside of the apparatus housing 10; a second duct 352 leading from the second suction port 350 to the region where the radiator 151 is located and leading from the region where the radiator 151 is located to the second exhaust port 351; and a second fan 353 for flowing air from the second air inlet 350 to the second air outlet 351.

The second air inlet 350 and the second air outlet 351 are provided on the left side surface 23 of the apparatus housing 10. The second air inlet 350 and the second air outlet 351 are provided at positions facing the reagent container housing part 52, that is, at positions closer to the front surface 20 than the center of the left side surface 23 in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in fig. 19, the second air inlet 350 and the second air outlet 351 are disposed vertically, and the second air outlet 351 is disposed at a position higher than the second air inlet 350. The second air inlet 350 is formed in a slit shape long in the up-down direction Z, and the plurality of second air inlets 350 are arranged in the left-right direction X. The second exhaust ports 351 are formed in a slit shape long in the left-right direction X, and the plurality of second exhaust ports 351 are arranged in the up-down direction Z.

As shown in fig. 18, the second duct 352 is formed to reach the second fan 353 from the second suction port 350 and to reach the second exhaust port 351 from the radiator 151.

< method for measuring sample >

Next, an example of sample measurement using the sample measurement device 1 configured as described above will be described. Fig. 20 shows an example of a process flow of the entire sample measurement.

In the sample measurement of the sample measurement device 1, the start step S1 of the reagent cooling step T1 and the heat removal steps T2 and T3, the transfer step S2 of the reaction vessel, the sample dispensing step S3, the reagent dispensing step S4, the measurement step S5, and the recovery/disposal step S6 of the reaction vessel are mainly performed in this order. The cooling process T1 and the heat removal processes T2 and T3 of the reagent are continuously performed during the other processes S2 to S6. These steps are executed by the control unit 57.

First, the cooling step T1 and the heat removal steps T2 and T3 of the reagent are started (step S1 in fig. 20). In the reagent cooling step T1, the peltier element 150 of the cooling unit 111 shown in fig. 7 is operated, and the housing 110 is cooled. At this time, the peltier element 150 absorbs heat of the heat transfer housing portion 130 of the housing 110. Thereby, the housing 110 is cooled, and the temperature of the internal space of the housing 110 is reduced to the target temperature or lower.

In the heat release process T3 of the second heat release portion 60, as shown in fig. 18, the second fan 353 outside the peltier element 150 is operated, and air outside the device housing 10 flows into the second duct 352 from the second air inlet 350, and is supplied to the heat sink 151. Heat generated by the operation of the peltier element 150 is dissipated by contacting the heat sink 151 with air. The air having passed through the radiator 151 reaches the second exhaust port 351 through the second duct 352 together with the heat, and is exhausted from the second exhaust port 351 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10. In this way, the heat generated by the peltier element is discharged to the outside of the apparatus housing 10.

In the heat release process T2 of the first heat release portion 59, as shown in fig. 16, the first fan 303 in the rear surface region R2 where the power supply portion 56 is located is operated, and air outside the apparatus housing 10 flows into the first duct 302 through the first air inlet 300, and is supplied to the power supply portion 56. The air passes through the power supply unit 56, reaches the first exhaust port 301 through the first duct 302 together with the heat of the power supply unit 56, and is exhausted from the first exhaust port 301 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10. In this way, the heat of the power supply unit 56 is discharged to the outside of the apparatus housing 10.

The cooling step T1 and the heat removal steps T2 and T3 of the reagent may be started at the same time or at different timings.

As shown in fig. 20, after the cooling step T1 and the heat exhausting steps T2 and T3 of the reagent are started, the transfer step S2 of the reaction vessel is performed. In the reaction container transfer step S2, first, the container holding portion 261 of the dispensing device 250 shown in fig. 2 is moved from the initial position onto the container holder 91 of the reaction container housing portion 51, and then lowered to hold the empty reaction container 90 of the container holder 91.

Then, the container holding portion 261 of the dispensing device 250 moves onto the heating portion 160, and then descends, and the reaction container 90 is held in the holding hole 180 of the heating portion 160. Then, the container holding portion 261 rises.

Next, a sample dispensing step S3 (shown in fig. 20) is performed. First, the pipette 260 of the dispensing device 250 shown in fig. 2 moves onto the sample rack housing section 50 and descends. The pipette 260 is inserted into the sample container of the sample rack in the sample rack housing section 50 through the hole 81 of the upper surface section 80, and attracts the sample.

After that, the pipette 260 is lifted up from the sample rack housing section 50 and moved to the heating section 160. The pipette 260 descends toward the reaction container 90 of the heating part 160, and injects a sample into the reaction container 90.

Then, the pipette 260 is lifted up on the heating section 160 and moved to the washing section 54. The pipette 260 descends toward the cleaning tank 200 of the cleaning section 54, and is inserted into the cleaning tank 200 to perform cleaning. Finally, the pipette 260 is raised up on the washing section 54.

Subsequently, a reagent dispensing step S4 (shown in fig. 20) is performed. First, the pipette 260 of the dispensing device 250 shown in FIG. 2 is moved onto the housing 110 of the reagent container housing part 52. Then, the pipette 260 is lowered and enters the housing 110 through the hole 121 of the upper surface 120. The pipette 260 is then inserted into the reagent vessel 100 of the reagent vessel holder 101, and attracts the reagent of the reagent vessel 100.

Next, the pipette 260 moves up on the reagent container housing part 52, heats the reagent, and moves onto the heating part 160.

Then, the container holding unit 261 of the dispensing device 250 is lowered toward the reaction container 90 of the heating unit 160, and holds the reaction container 90 of the heating unit 160.

Next, as shown in fig. 15, the vessel holding portion 261 rises up the heating portion 160, and the pipette 260 descends and is inserted into the reaction vessel 90. Then, the pipette 260 injects the reagent into the reaction vessel 90 of the vessel holding section 261. Then, the reaction vessel 90 of the vessel holding portion 261 is vibrated to stir the sample to which the reagent is added.

Next, the container holding portion 261 shown in fig. 2 moves onto the detecting portion 161 and descends. The container holding portion 261 descends toward the holding hole 190 of the detection portion 161, and holds the reaction container 90 in the holding hole 190. Finally, the container holding portion 261 rises up to the detecting portion 161.

Next, a measurement step S5 (shown in fig. 20) is performed. In the detection unit 161, blood coagulation measurement is performed in which the activity of the coagulation factor of the sample in the reaction vessel 90 is analyzed. As shown in fig. 12, in the detection unit 161, the reaction vessel 90 is irradiated with light by the irradiation unit 194 to a sample in the reaction vessel 90 in a state where the temperature is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjustment unit 193, and the light transmitted through the sample is received by the light receiving unit 195, whereby measurement data relating to the sample is detected.

Finally, a recovery/disposal step S6 (shown in fig. 20) of the reaction vessel is performed. First, the container holding portion 261 of the dispensing device 250 shown in fig. 2 moves onto the detecting portion 161 and descends. Then, the vessel holding unit 261 holds the reaction vessel 90 of the detection unit 161.

Then, the container holding portion 261 rises above the detecting portion 161 and moves to the discarding portion 55. The container holding portion 261 descends toward the discard port 210 of the discard portion 55, and discards the reaction container 90 to the discard port 210. Finally, the container holding portion 261 rises up to the discarding portion 55, and thereafter returns to the initial position.

According to the present embodiment, the power supply unit 56 is disposed in a region of the device housing 10 different from the measuring unit 53 in plan view, and is disposed at a position higher than the measuring unit 53. Thereby, the power supply unit 56 is separated from the measurement unit 53. Further, although the hot air is easily transferred upward, the power supply unit 56 is located in a different area from the measuring unit 53 in a plan view and is located higher than the measuring unit 53, and therefore, the heat generated in the power supply unit 56 is difficult to transfer to the measuring unit 53. Therefore, the heat generated in the power supply unit 56 can be prevented from affecting the temperature of the sample in the measurement unit 53. As a result, the sample temperature at the time of measurement in the measurement unit 53 is stable, and the measurement accuracy of the sample is improved. In particular, in a special environment where the temperature is high, the heat of the power supply unit 56 is easily retained in the apparatus housing 10, but according to the present invention, the influence on the sample temperature of the measurement unit 53 can be suppressed, and the sample measurement in the special environment can be appropriately performed.

Since the vertical plate 70 serving as a partition member is provided between the main region R1 where the measuring unit 53 is located and the rear surface region R2 where the power supply unit 56 is located, the heat transfer from the power supply unit 56 to the sample of the measuring unit 53 can be more sufficiently suppressed. Further, since heat transfer from the power supply unit 56 to the upper surface 24 of the main region R1 where the measuring unit 53 is located can be suppressed, electronic devices such as the monitor 40 and the PC can be placed on the upper surface 24, and convenience can be improved.

The rear surface region R2 where the power supply portion 56 is located on the side of the rear surface 21 side of the apparatus housing 10. This can sufficiently secure the area of the upper surface 24 of the main region R1 that is not affected by the heat of the power supply unit 56.

Since the sample measurement device 1 has the first heat discharge portion 59 that discharges the heat of the power supply portion 56 to the outside of the device housing 10, the heat transfer of the power supply portion 56 to the measurement portion 53 can be more sufficiently suppressed.

The first heat discharging portion 59 includes: a first air inlet 300 for sucking air from the outside of the device housing 10 to the rear surface region R2 where the power supply unit 56 is located; a first exhaust port 301 for exhausting air from the rear surface region R2 where the power supply unit 56 is located to the outside of the apparatus housing 10; and a first fan 303 for flowing air from the first air inlet 300 to the first air outlet 301. This can appropriately discharge the heat of the power supply unit 56 to the outside of the apparatus housing 10.

Since the first exhaust port 301 is disposed at a position higher than the first intake port 300, the heat of the power supply unit 56 can be effectively discharged by utilizing the property that the hot air is easily transferred upward.

Since the first heat discharge portion 59 has the first duct 302 that leads from the first air inlet 300 to the power supply portion 56 and from the power supply portion 56 to the first air outlet 301, air can be efficiently supplied to the power supply portion 56, and heat of the power supply portion 56 can be efficiently discharged.

Since the sample measurement device 1 includes the second heat release portion 60 that releases heat generated by the peltier element 150, which is a heat generating portion of the reagent container housing portion 52, to the outside of the device casing 10, it is possible to suppress the influence of heat generated by cooling of the reagent container housing portion 52 on the sample temperature of the measurement portion 53.

The second heat discharging portion 60 has: the air conditioner includes a second air inlet 350 that sucks air from the outside of the device housing 10 to a region where the radiator 151 is located, a second air outlet 351 that discharges air from the region where the radiator 151 is located to the outside of the device housing 10, and a second fan 353 that causes air to flow from the second air inlet 350 to the second air outlet 351. This allows the heat generated in the reagent container housing part 52 to be appropriately discharged to the outside of the apparatus casing 10.

Since the second heat discharge portion 60 has the second duct 352, and the second duct 352 leads from the second air inlet 350 to the region where the radiator 151 is located and leads from the region where the radiator 151 is located to the second air outlet 351, air can be efficiently supplied to the radiator 151, and heat dissipation from the radiator 151 can be efficiently performed.

The first heat discharging portion 59 and the second heat discharging portion 60 are provided at different side portions of the apparatus housing 10. Accordingly, since the exhaust directions of the first exhaust port 301 and the second exhaust port 351 are different, heat concentration near the side surface of a part of the apparatus housing 10 can be suppressed. This can suppress the influence of the heat discharged from each of the heat discharge portions 59 and 60, and ensure high heat discharge efficiency in each of the heat discharge portions 59 and 60. The first heat discharging portion 59 and the second heat discharging portion 60 are provided not on the upper and lower surfaces of the apparatus housing 10 but on the side portions, so that the dimension of the apparatus housing 10 in the up-down direction can be suppressed. In addition, the upper surface 24 of the apparatus housing 10 can be effectively utilized.

Since the heat release directions of the first heat release portion 59 and the second heat release portion 60 are different by 90 degrees in plan view, the heat release portions 59 and 60 can be prevented from being affected by the heat released from the other heat release portions, and a high heat release efficiency can be ensured in the heat release portions 59 and 60.

In a plan view, the measuring unit 53 is disposed in a region located in one of the device cases 10 across a virtual straight line L1, and the power supply unit 56 is disposed in a region located in the other of the device cases 10 across the virtual straight line L1, the virtual straight line L1 passing through the center of the device case 10 in the lateral direction X and extending in the front-rear direction Y. This makes it possible to sufficiently separate the power supply unit 56 from the measurement unit 53, and to suppress the influence of heat of the power supply unit 56 on the measurement unit 53.

The measurement unit 53 has a temperature adjustment unit 193 for adjusting the temperature of the reaction vessel 90. The accuracy of the sample measurement in the measurement unit 53 is greatly affected by temperature. Since the measurement unit 53 is less susceptible to the heat of the power supply unit 56, the temperature of the reaction vessel 90 can be strictly adjusted by the temperature adjustment unit 193, and the accuracy of sample measurement can be improved.

The measurement unit 53 includes an irradiation unit 194 that irradiates the reaction vessel 90 with light, and a light receiving unit 195 that receives the light transmitted through the reaction vessel 90. The accuracy of sample measurement using the light described above is greatly affected by temperature. Since the measurement unit 53 is less susceptible to heat from the power supply unit 56, the accuracy of sample measurement is improved.

In the above embodiment, a heat insulating member may be provided between the rear surface region R2 where the power supply unit 56 is located and the main region R1 where the measuring unit 53 is located. In this case, for example, the vertical plate 70 may be a heat insulating member. The vertical plate 70 may have a non-heat insulating layer and a heat insulating layer. Further, a heat insulating plate different from the vertical plate 70 may be provided.

As shown in fig. 21, a second vertical plate 500 may be provided as a partition member, and the second vertical plate 500 may isolate a region (region where the heat sink 151 serving as a heat dissipation portion is located) that dissipates heat of the peltier element 150 serving as a heat generation portion of the reagent container housing portion 52 from the main region R1 where the measurement portion 53 is located. The second vertical plate 500 is provided near the left surface 23 of the device housing 10 so that the plate surface faces the left-right direction X. The second vertical plate 500 is formed from the front surface 20 until it hits the vertical plate 70 in a plan view. In this case, the region for radiating the heat of the peltier element 150 is a side surface region R3 that is separated from the main region R1 in which the measuring unit 53 is located and the back surface region R2 in which the power supply unit 56 is located.

As shown in fig. 22, the region where the heat of the peltier element 150 is dissipated (the region where the heat sink 151 serving as the heat dissipation portion is located) and the region where the power supply portion 56 is located may be the same region R2 connected to each other, not separated by the vertical plates 70 and 500.

As shown in fig. 23, the power supply unit 56 may be provided in a region R2, and the region R2 may be provided on the left side 23 side of the device housing 10 and may be different from the main region R1. The power supply unit 56 may be attached to the second vertical plate 500. In this case, the first air inlet 300 and the first air outlet 301 of the first heat exhaust portion 59 are provided on the left side surface 23 of the device housing 10, which is the same as the second air inlet 350 and the second air outlet 351.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to this example. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and corrections can be made within the scope of the idea described in the claims, and these naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

The sample measurement device 1 described in the above embodiment may have other configurations. The reagent container housing part 52, the measuring part 53, the power supply part 56, the first heat discharging part 59, the second heat discharging part 60, and the like may have other structures.

In the above embodiment, the partition member that partitions the region where the power supply unit 56 is located and the region where the measurement unit 53 is located is the vertical plate 70, but may have a structure other than the vertical plate 70. The power supply unit 56 and the measuring unit 53 may be located in different areas that do not overlap each other in a plan view, even if they do not have a partition member.

The sample measurement device of the present invention can be applied to a sample measurement other than blood coagulation measurement, blood immunoassay, blood cell number measurement, biochemical analysis, urine analysis, and the like.

Industrial applicability

The present invention is useful for providing a sample measurement device capable of suppressing the influence of heat generated in a power supply section on the temperature of a sample in a measurement section.

Claims (18)

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

a measurement unit that measures a sample contained in a container;

a power supply unit that supplies power to the measurement unit; and

a device housing having the measurement unit and the power supply unit inside,

the power supply unit is disposed in a region different from the measurement unit in a plan view in the device housing, and is disposed at a position higher than the measurement unit.

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

the sample measurement device further includes a heat insulating member provided between the region where the power supply unit is located and the region where the measurement unit is located.

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

the sample measurement device further includes a partition member provided between the region where the power supply unit is located and the region where the measurement unit is located.

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

the partition member is a vertical plate standing in the vertical direction.

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

the power supply unit is disposed at a position higher than the center of the device housing in the up-down direction.

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

the region where the power supply part is located at a side portion of the device housing.

7. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 6, wherein,

the sample measurement device further includes a first heat discharge unit that discharges heat from the power supply unit to the outside of the device housing.

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

the first heat extraction portion has:

a first air inlet that sucks air from outside the device housing to a region where the power supply unit is located;

a first exhaust port that exhausts air from a region where the power supply unit is located to an outside of the apparatus housing; and

and a first fan that causes air to flow from the first air inlet to the first air outlet.

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

the first exhaust port is disposed at a position higher than the first intake port.

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

the first heat discharge portion further has a first duct leading from the first air intake to the power supply portion and from the power supply portion to the first air discharge port.

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

the sample measurement device further comprises:

a reagent storage unit that stores a reagent container containing a reagent to be mixed into a sample;

a heat generating unit that generates heat when cooling the reagent contained in the reagent container of the reagent containing unit; and

and a second heat discharge portion that discharges heat generated in the heat generating portion to the outside of the apparatus housing.

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

the second heat extraction portion has:

a second air inlet that sucks air from outside the device housing to a region that dissipates heat of the heat generating portion;

a second exhaust port that exhausts air from a region that dissipates heat of the heat generating portion to the outside of the device housing; and

and a second fan that causes air to flow from the second air inlet to the second air outlet.

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

the second heat discharge portion further has a second duct that leads from the second air intake port to a region where heat of the heat generating portion is discharged, and from this region to the second air discharge port.

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

the first heat discharging portion and the second heat discharging portion are provided on different side portions of the device housing.

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

the heat release directions of the first heat release portion and the second heat release portion are different by 90 degrees in a plan view.

16. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 6, wherein,

the measuring unit is disposed in a region located in one of the device housings with a virtual straight line therebetween in a plan view, and the power supply unit is disposed in a region located in the other of the device housings with the virtual straight line therebetween, the virtual straight line passing through a center of the device housing in a first direction and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

17. The sample measurement device according to any one of claim 1 to 6, wherein,

the measuring unit has a temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the container.

18. The sample measurement device according to claim 17, wherein,

the measuring unit includes:

an irradiation unit that irradiates light to the container; and

and a light receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the container.