JP2001074755A - Analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an analyzer that can reduce manufacturing costs, size, and the load of a user when using the analyzer. SOLUTION: The analyzer is equipped with tanks 51 and 52 being connected to each independent waste liquid path, drain piping 67 and 68 being connected to the tanks 51 and 52, and an air pump 60 for varying pressure in the tanks 51 and 52. By the air pump 60, the pressure in the tanks 51 and 52 is reduced for allowing waste liquid from the waste liquid path to flow into the tanks 51 and 52, and the inside of the tanks 51 and 52 is pressurized for allowing the waste liquid in the tanks 51 and 52 to flow to the drain piping 67 and 68.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an analyzer having a plurality of mutually independent drainage paths.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an analyzer for separating and analyzing glycated hemoglobin in blood using high performance liquid chromatography generates a sample by diluting blood as a sample with a diluent and supplies the sample to a column. In addition, by flowing an eluent as a mobile phase through the column, glycohemoglobin separated from the sample in the column is detected by a detector such as a spectrophotometer.

[0003] In such an analyzer, a drainage path for a pretreatment system for discharging a waste liquid consisting of a sample and a washing liquid not supplied to the column from a dilution tank, and switching of an eluent from a plurality of eluent tanks. In this case, the system has two independent drainage paths including an analysis system drainage path that discharges a waste liquid composed of an eluent that has become unnecessary in the manifold. The sample and the eluent supplied to the column are separately discharged by a liquid sending pump for supplying the eluent to the column.

[0004] Such a conventional analyzer uses a drainage bottle and an air pump to make the inside of the drainage bottle a negative pressure by an air pump, thereby draining the drainage in the pretreatment system drainage passage. The liquid was allowed to flow into a bottle and stored, and the drainage in the drainage path of the analysis system was once sucked into the plunger pump using a plunger pump, and was discharged to a drain tank outside the machine.

[0005]

However, the conventional analyzer as described above requires two powers, an air pump and a plunger pump, and thus has a problem that the manufacturing cost is high.

Further, since the two drainage paths are completely independent of each other, there is a problem that the size of the apparatus is increased.

[0007] Furthermore, there is a problem that the burden on the user in operating the apparatus is large. That is, since the two drainage paths are completely independent of each other, the burden on consideration of the risk of infection increases. Further, since the drainage bottle is decompressed by the air pump in the pretreatment system drainage path and the drainage is sucked, the capacity of the drainage bottle is determined by the relationship between the capacity of the air pump and the permissible suction time. Since the size of the liquid bottle is limited, the waste liquid accumulated in the drain bottle must be frequently discarded, and much labor is required. Further, since the drainage in the drainage path of the analysis system is sucked into the plunger pump, the plunger pump becomes dirty, so that the maintenance must be performed frequently.

[0008]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances described above, and can reduce the manufacturing cost and the size of the apparatus, and can reduce the burden on the user in operating the apparatus. It is an object to provide an analyzer that can be reduced.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
The following technical measures have been taken:

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an analyzer having a plurality of mutually independent drainage paths, an arbitrary number of tanks connected to the plurality of drainage paths, and connected to the tanks. Drain pipe, and one air pump for changing the pressure in the tank, and the pressure inside the tank is reduced by the air pump, and the drainage from any one of a plurality of drain paths is drained into the tank. An analyzer is provided, wherein the analyzer is characterized in that it is configured to flow in, and to pressurize the inside of the tank so that the drainage in the tank flows out to the drain conduit.

According to a preferred embodiment, a tank is provided for each drainage path, and any one of the plurality of tanks is selectively provided between the air pump and the plurality of tanks by the air pump. A switching valve for communication is provided.

According to another preferred embodiment, there is provided a merging device for merging drain lines from each tank into one.
A valve was provided between each tank and the merging device to prevent the tanks from communicating with each other.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment, the drainage path includes a first drainage path through which drainage including a sample which is not supplied to the column among samples obtained by diluting blood as a specimen with a diluent flows. And a second drainage path in which a drainage containing an eluent as a mobile phase not supplied to the column flows, and glycated hemoglobin in blood is separated and analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography.

As described above, an arbitrary number of tanks connected to a plurality of drainage paths, a drain pipe connected to the tank, and one air pump for varying the pressure in the tank are provided. A structure in which the inside is decompressed and the drainage from an arbitrary drainage path among the plurality of drainage paths flows into the tank, and the tank is pressurized to drain the drainage in the tank to the drain pipe. Therefore, the drainage of a plurality of drainage paths can be discharged by one air pump, so that the manufacturing cost and the size of the device can be reduced, and the burden on the user in operating the device can be reduced.

That is, since only one power is required, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since a plurality of drainage paths can be integrated into one, the size of the apparatus can be reduced, and the risk of infection can be reduced. Further, since the drainage sucked into the tank by the air pump is discharged from the tank by the air pump, the labor for frequently discarding the drainage collected in the drainage bottle as in the related art is unnecessary. In addition, since the plunger pump is not used, maintenance of the plunger pump due to contamination by drainage is not required.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic glycated hemoglobin measuring apparatus as an example of the analyzing apparatus according to the present invention. The glycated hemoglobin automatic measuring apparatus includes a sample pre-processing section 1, an analyzing section 2, an injection valve, and the like. 3, a control device 4, and a drainage unit 5. Sample pretreatment unit 1
Has a sample preparation unit 11 and a liquid sending pump 12. The analysis unit 2 includes an eluent preparation unit 21, a liquid sending pump 22,
A column 23 and a detector 24 are provided. The injection valve 3 has an injection loop 31 and has six ports 3a to 3f. The port 3a is connected to the column 23, the port 3b is connected to the eluent preparation unit 21, the port 3c is connected to one end of the injection loop 31, and the ports 3d and 3e.
Is connected to the sample preparation unit 11, and the port 3 f is connected to the other end of the injection loop 31.

The sample pretreatment section 1 prepares a sample and introduces the sample into an injection loop 31. The analyzer 2 separates the sample injected from the injection loop 31 into components and measures the sample. The injection valve 3 switches between a state in which the injection loop 31 is connected to the sample preparation unit 11 of the sample pretreatment unit 1 and a state in which the injection loop 31 is connected to the column 23 of the analysis unit 2. The control device 4 includes a microcomputer and the like, and the liquid feed pump 12 of the sample pretreatment unit 1, the liquid feed pump 22 of the analysis unit 2, the injection valve 3,
In addition to controlling the drive of the air pump and the valve of the drain unit 5, the measurement result is printed on a recording unit (not shown) based on the detection signal from the detector 24 and displayed on a display unit (not shown). The drainage unit 5 processes drainage from the sample pretreatment unit 1 and the analysis unit 2. The details of the drain unit 5 will be described later.

The sample preparation section 11 prepares a sample by aspirating a predetermined amount of blood as a sample from a sample storage container (not shown) and diluting the sample with a diluent. The conditioned sample is
It is stored in a dilution tank (not shown in FIG. 1) built in the sample preparation unit 11. The liquid sending pump 12 sends the sample prepared by the sample preparing unit 11 from the dilution tank to the injection loop 31.

The eluent preparation unit 21 prepares an eluent as a mobile phase. The eluent preparation unit 21 includes a plurality of eluent tanks (not shown) for storing eluents having different concentrations from each other,
A manifold (not shown in FIG. 1) and the like that join the flow paths of the eluent from these eluent tanks are provided. The liquid sending pump 22 sends the eluent prepared by the eluent preparing unit 21 to the column 23 via the injection valve 3. The column 23 separates the sample supplied together with the eluent for each target component. The detector 24 includes a spectrophotometer or the like, and measures the components separated by the column 23.

The injection loop 31 stores a predetermined amount of the sample.

Since the configurations of the sample pre-processing section 1 and the analysis section 2 are well known, further detailed description will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the drainage unit 5. The drainage unit 5 includes tanks 51, 52, 54, open / close valves 56, 57, check valves 58, 59, an air pump 60, and a three-way switching valve 61. ,
62, 63, three-way joints 64, 65, and drain pipes 66, 67, 68.

A dilution tank 71 provided in the sample preparation section 11 of the sample pretreatment section 1 is connected to the tank 51 via an on-off valve 56. The manifold 72 provided in the eluent preparation section 21 of the analysis section 2 is connected to the tanks 52 and 54. The tank 54 is connected to the tank 52 via a check valve 58.

The discharge port 60 a of the air pump 60 is connected to a three-way joint 64 via a three-way switching valve 61. The suction port 60b of the air pump 60 is provided with a three-way switching valve 62.
Is connected to the three-way joint 64 via the. The three-way joint 64 is connected to the three-way switching valve 63, and the three-way switching valve 63 is connected to the tank 51 and the tank 52.

The tank 51 is connected to a three-way joint 65 via a drain pipe 67, and the drain pipe 67 is provided with an on-off valve 57. The tank 52 is connected to a three-way joint 65 via a drain pipe 68, and the drain pipe 68 is provided with a check valve 59. The three-way joint 65 is connected to a drainage storage facility 73 outside the apparatus by a drain pipe 66.

The air pump 60, the three-way switching valves 61, 62,
63 and the on-off valves 56 and 57 are controlled by the control device 4.

Next, the operation will be described. Now, it is assumed that the port 3b and the port 3c of the injection valve 3 communicate with each other, the port 3d communicates with the port 3e, and the port 3f communicates with the port 3a. The eluent supplied from the eluent preparation unit 21 to the port 3b of the injection valve 3 by the liquid sending pump 22 flows into the column 23 through the port 3c, the injection loop 31, the port 3f, and the port 3a. Therefore, a predetermined amount of the sample stored in the injection loop 31 flows into the column 23 together with the eluent from the eluent preparation unit 21, and the sample is injected.

Thereafter, the cleaning liquid is sent from the sample preparation section 11 to the port 3e of the injection valve 3 by the liquid sending pump 12, and the cleaning liquid flows from the port 3d to the dilution tank 71 of the sample preparation section 11 as drainage. Thus, the sample remaining in the sample flow path in the sample pretreatment section 1 is removed by the cleaning liquid.

After that, by controlling the components of the sample preparation section 11 by the control device 4, a predetermined amount of blood is aspirated from the sample container and diluted to a predetermined concentration with a predetermined diluting liquid, and the sample is collected. Preparation takes place.

Thereafter, the connection state of the injection valve 3 is switched by the control device 4, the port 3a communicates with the port 3b, the port 3c communicates with the port 3d, and the port 3e communicates with the port 3f. And
The sample is sent from the sample preparation unit 11 to the port 3 e of the injection valve 3 by the liquid sending pump 12. Since the port 3e of the injection valve 3 is connected to the port 3f, the sample is injected into the injection loop 3
1 and a predetermined amount of sample is introduced into the injection loop 31. The sample overflowing from the injection loop 31 returns to the dilution tank of the sample preparation unit 11 through the ports 3c and 3d as drainage. The eluent sent from the eluent preparation unit 21 to the port 3b of the injection valve 3 flows out of the port 3a without passing through the injection loop 31, and is supplied to the column 23.

On the other hand, the sample injected into the column 23 together with the eluent is separated by the column 23, the separated components are measured by the detector 24, and a detection signal from the detector 24 is input to the control unit 4. The measurement results are displayed and printed on recording paper.

The eluent is always supplied from the eluent preparation unit 21 to the port 3b of the injection valve 3 during the measurement. The eluent that has not been supplied to the column 23 when the eluent is switched is replaced with the manifold 72.
Is sucked into the drainage unit 5 from the liquid.

The eluate and the sample that have passed through the detector 24 reach an external waste storage facility.

The three-way switching valve 61 communicates the discharge port 60a of the air pump 60 with the atmosphere, the three-way switching valve 62 communicates the suction port 60b of the air pump 60 with the three-way joint 64, and the three-way switching valve 63 communicates with the three-way joint 64. The tank 51 is communicated, the on-off valve 56 communicates the dilution tank 71 with the tank 51, and the on-off valve 57 is switched to a state in which the communication between the tank 51 and the three-way joint 65 is cut off, and the air pump 60 is driven. Then, the pressure inside the tank 51 is reduced, and the drainage from the dilution tank 71 is sucked into the tank 51.

The three-way switching valve 61 is connected to the air pump 60
The three-way switching valve 62 makes the suction port 60b of the air pump 60 communicate with the atmosphere, the three-way switching valve 63 makes the three-way joint 64 communicate with the tank 51, and the on-off valve 56 Cuts off the communication between the dilution tank 71 and the tank 51, and switches the open / close valve 57 to a state where the tank 51 communicates with the three-way joint 65. When the air pump 60 is driven, the inside of the tank 51 is pressurized. , Tank 51
The drainage inside is drained to the drainage storage facility 73 via the drain pipe 67, the three-way joint 65, and the drain pipe 66. At this time, since the check valve 59 is provided between the three-way joint 65 and the tank 52, the drainage of the tank 51 does not flow into the tank 52 through the three-way joint 65.

On the other hand, the three-way switching valve 61 communicates the discharge port 60a of the air pump 60 with the atmosphere, the three-way switching valve 62 communicates the suction port 60b of the air pump 60 with the three-way joint 64, and the three-way switching valve 63 communicates with the three-way joint. 64 and tank 5
2 and the air pump 6
When 0 is driven, the inside of the tank 52 is depressurized, whereby the drainage of the manifold 72 is sucked into the tank 52. In addition, the inside of the tank 52 is depressurized by reducing the pressure inside the tank 52, and the drainage of the manifold 72, that is, bubbles contained in the eluent are sucked from the manifold 72 into the tank 52 through the tank 54. .

The three-way switching valve 61 is connected to the air pump 60
The three-way switching valve 62 is made to communicate with the suction port 60b of the air pump 60 and the atmosphere, and the three-way switching valve 63 is switched to make the three-way joint 64 and the tank 52 communicate with each other. When the air pump 60 is driven, the inside of the tank 52 is pressurized,
Is discharged to the drainage storage facility 73 via the drain pipe 68, the three-way joint 65, and the drain pipe 66. At this time, since the check valve 58 is provided between the tank 52 and the tank 54, the drainage of the tank 52 does not flow into the tank 54.

Therefore, by controlling the pressure in the tanks 51 and 52 at a predetermined timing during a series of measurements, the drainage from the dilution tank 71 of the sample preparation unit 11 and the manifold 72 of the eluate preparation unit 21 are controlled. Can be discharged to the drainage storage facility 73 by one air pump 60. The drainage storage facility for storing the drainage discharged from the detector 24 by the liquid feed pump 22 may use the drainage storage facility 73 connected to the drain pipe 66 in common, or may use the drainage storage facility. It may be provided separately from the equipment 73.

As described above, since both the drainage from the sample pretreatment section 1 and the drainage from the analysis section 2 can be discharged by one air pump 60, the production cost can be reduced and the apparatus can be downsized. And the burden on the user in operating the apparatus can be reduced.

That is, since only one power is required, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, the drain path of the drain from the sample preparation unit 11 and the drain path of the drain from the eluate preparation unit 21 are set to 1
Since they can be integrated, the size of the device can be reduced, and the risk of infection can be reduced. Also,
Since the drainage sucked into the tanks 51 and 52 by the air pump 60 is discharged from the tanks 51 and 52 by the air pump 60, labor for frequently discarding the drainage collected in the drainage bottle as in the related art is not required. In addition, since the drainage bottle in which the drainage is collected does not need to be left, the environment around the apparatus can be kept orderly and clean. In addition, since the plunger pump is not used, maintenance of the plunger pump due to contamination by drainage is not required.

Also, as in the present embodiment, the sample preparation unit 1
If the tanks 51 and 52 are individually provided for processing the drainage liquid from the eluent 1 and the drainage liquid from the eluate preparation unit 21, the tanks 51 and 52 are provided.
, The time required for decompression and pressurization can be shortened, and the time required for suction and discharge can be shortened. That is, if the suction and the discharge can be completely alternately repeated, the volume does not increase even if the tanks 51 and 52 are integrated into one, but in the case of the glycohemoglobin automatic measuring device as in the present embodiment, a series of Is required to be performed at an extremely high speed, and the timing of the drainage treatment becomes complicated and delicate, and the suction and discharge of the drainage cannot always be repeated alternately. If they are put together, the volume will increase.

Further, as in the present embodiment, the drain pipe 67 from the tank 51 and the drain pipe 68 from the tank 52 are integrated into one by a three-way joint 65, and one drain pipe 66 is used to store the drainage outside the machine. If the liquid is discharged to the equipment 73, the processing of the discharged liquid discharged outside the apparatus becomes easy.

In the above embodiment, the tank 52 and the tank 54
And the check valve 59 is provided between the tank 52 and the three-way joint 65, but an open / close valve may be provided instead of the check valves 58 and 59.

Further, in the above embodiment, the tank 51 and the tank 52
Are provided separately, but the tank 51 and the tank 52 may be combined into one tank. In this case, the three-way switching valve 63 and the three-way joint 65 are unnecessary, and the tank and the drainage storage facility 67 are directly connected by the drain pipe 66, and one of the open / close valve 57 and the check valve 59 is connected to the drain pipe 66. One may be provided.

Further, in the above embodiment, the drainage from the tank 51 and the drainage from the tank 52 are combined by the three-way joint 65, but the drainage from the tank 51 and the drainage from the tank 52 are separated. Drain pipes 67, 68 allow drainage storage equipment 67
The liquid discharged from the tank 51 and the liquid discharged from the tank 52 may be discharged to separate liquid storage facilities.

In the above embodiment, the air pump 60 is controlled by the control device 4. However, the air pump 60 may be operated continuously. That is, the tanks 51 and 5
2 is not pressurized or depressurized, the three-way switching valve 61
The discharge port 60a of the air pump 60 communicates with the atmosphere by means of, and the suction port 60b of the air pump 60 communicates with the atmosphere by means of the three-way switching valve 62 so that the operation of the air pump 60 is not stopped.

In the above embodiment, the analyzer of the present invention is applied to an automatic glycated hemoglobin measuring apparatus. However, the analyzing apparatus of the present invention is of course applicable to apparatuses other than the automatic glycated hemoglobin measuring apparatus.

Further, the overall configuration of the automatic glycated hemoglobin measuring apparatus and the specific configuration of the drainage unit 5 are not limited to those described in the above embodiment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a glycohemoglobin automatic measurement device as an example of an analysis device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a drainage section provided in the glycohemoglobin automatic measuring device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample preprocessing part 2 Analysis part 3 Injection valve 4 Controller 5 Drain part 11 Sample preparation part 21 Eluate preparation part 23 Column 51 Tank 52 Tank 56 Opening / closing valve 58 Check valve 60 Air pump 61 Three-way switching valve 62 Three-way switching valve 63 Three-way switching valve 65 Three-way joint 66 Drain pipe 67 Drain pipe 68 Drain pipe 71 Dilution tank 72 Manifold

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shintaro Hamahata 57, Higashikujo, Nishiakeda-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto F-term (reference) 2G045 AA01 BB41 CA25 DA51 FB06 JA07 2G058 BA01 EC01 EC08 GA14 HA00

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An analyzer having a plurality of mutually independent drainage paths, an arbitrary number of tanks connected to the plurality of drainage paths, a drain line connected to the tanks, A single air pump for varying the pressure in the tank, wherein the air pump reduces the pressure in the tank and causes the drainage from any of the plurality of drainage paths to flow into the tank. Further, the analyzer is characterized in that it is configured to pressurize the inside of the tank so that the drainage in the tank flows out to the drain conduit. 2. The tank is provided for each of the drainage paths, and any one of the plurality of tanks is selectively provided between the air pump and the plurality of tanks by the air pump. The analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a switching valve for communication. 3. A valve for merging the drain conduits from the tanks into one, and a valve for preventing the tanks from communicating with each other between the tanks and the merger. The analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the analyzer is interposed. 4. The drainage path includes a first drainage path through which drainage including a sample that has not been supplied to a column among samples obtained by diluting blood as a specimen with a diluent, and a drainage path that is not supplied to the column. 4. A glycated hemoglobin in blood is separated and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, comprising a second drainage path through which a drained liquid containing an eluent as a mobile phase flows. Analysis equipment.