JP2001133467A - Autosampler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autosampler for sampling automatically even from vials of different height by simply mounting the autosampler on the vial without securing it thereto. SOLUTION: A slide 5 for sliding a plate 4 up and down is coupled with a latch block 8 turning about a shaft screw 6 and a positioning block 9 is secured to the plate 4. When a guide groove 2a ascends along with a needle drive shaft 2, a latch riser 7 turns counterclockwise to unlatch the latch block 8. When the needle drive shaft 2 descends and a vial retainer 12 touches a vial 21, the latch block 8 is coupled with the positioning block 9 and the slide 5 is latched on the plate 4. Consequently, sampling can be carried out while securing the vial 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic sampler (automatic sampler) used for an automatic analyzer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic analyzer, an autosampler (automatic sampler) has been used to collect a sample in a vial container in advance and sequentially take the sample into the analyzer. FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration example of the autosampler. Turn vial 21 with sample into turntable 2
Needle drive shaft 24 which is mounted side by side on the top 2 and is vertically moved by a moving mechanism 23 such as a servo mechanism or a robot.
The hollow needle 25 fixed to the is moved up and down at fixed time intervals according to the vial feed speed of the turntable 22 by a control device 26 equipped with a microcomputer,
The sample in the vial 21 is extracted with the hollow needle 25 and sequentially sent to the analyzer.

In such an apparatus, when the hollow needle 25 is withdrawn from the vial 21, a septum 27 (septum) for enclosing the vial sample solution as shown in FIG.
The vial 21 is pressed by a spring 28 or the like so as not to be lifted by the frictional force between the vial 21 and the hollow needle 25. When various vials having different heights are used, a spacer is inserted in a gap between the vial 21 and the spring 28.

[0004]

The conventional autosampler is constructed as described above. However, when the vials are pressed one by one with a spring or when the heights of the vials are different, it is necessary to insert a spacer each time. Therefore, a large amount of time is required for sampling, and it has been difficult to increase the speed and labor of the automatic analyzer. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and regardless of the height of the vial, the sample can be quickly and automatically collected simply by placing the vial at the turntable mounting position. An object is to provide an autosampler that can be used.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an autosampler according to claim 1 moves a hollow needle for collecting a sample in a vial and a needle drive shaft to which the hollow needle is fixed. An autosampler provided with a moving mechanism for controlling the moving mechanism and a control device for controlling the moving mechanism, a vial presser plate moving in conjunction with a needle drive shaft, a vial presser latch connected to the vial presser plate, and a fixed position. And a vial holding plate is latched by the vial positioning block when the needle drive shaft is lowered, and the vial can be fixed by the vial holding plate when the needle drive shaft is raised.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic sampler according to the first aspect, a plurality of connection points of vial holding positioning blocks which are latched by the vial holding latch are arranged at regular intervals, so that the heights thereof are different. It is characterized in that a sample can be collected from a vial. The autosampler of the present invention is configured as described above, and when the hollow needle descends, its movement is automatically fixed by the latch mechanism according to the height of the vial.
There is no need to fix the vial in advance, and sampling can be performed quickly.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an autosampler according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples. In the following drawings, components having the same functions as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sample extracting portion of an autosampler according to an embodiment of the present invention. This autosampler includes a hollow needle 1 for extracting a sample, a needle driving shaft 2 for inserting and moving the hollow needle 1 in a vertical direction, and a plate 4 fixed by screws or the like to a fixed shaft 3 whose position is fixed. And a vial holding plate 14 having a vial holder 12 and a contact surface 13 at both ends of a slider 5 mounted on the plate 4 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.
And a vial holding latch 15 in which a pin-shaped latch riser 7 protrudes from a latch block 8 rotatably locked to the slider 5 by a shaft screw 6. It comprises a positioning block 9 fixed in position. Needle drive shaft 2
Is connected to the moving mechanism 23 controlled by the control device 26 as in FIG. Further, since the slider 5 is screwed from the back side of the plate 4 through the rail groove 11 as shown in FIG.
It can move up and down in parallel with the rail 11.

In the above configuration, this autosampler performs sampling according to the following procedure in accordance with the flowchart of FIG. First, the operation switch 26a provided on the control device 26 (FIG. 5) is operated to move the needle drive shaft 2 to the position shown in FIG.
It is set to the uppermost position shown in (a) (S1). In this uppermost position, the latch riser 7 is lifted by the guide groove 2a, and the latch block 8 is
Is separated from the recessed portion. In this state, the vial containing the sample is mounted on the turntable 21 (S
2).

Next, the operation switch 26a of the control device 26
When the auto sampler is automatically put into operation (S3), the needle drive shaft 2 moves according to the arrow as shown in FIG.
This is repeated with the period of movement from the highest position in FIG. 2A to the lowest position in FIG. 2B, the sampling period at the lowest position, and the movement period from the lowest position to the highest position as one cycle. . The time interval of this one cycle is determined so as to match the vial feed speed.

When the needle drive shaft 2 starts to descend, the slider 5
Also descends, and the vial retainer 12 becomes the vial 2
1. Touch the top of 1. Further, when the needle driving shaft 2 is lowered, the hollow needle 1 is inserted into the septum 27 of the vial 21, and the hollow needle 1 reaches near the bottom of the vial 21 at the lowest position (S4). During this movement, the latch block 8
Goes out of the guide groove 2a of the needle drive shaft 2 and turns clockwise, and the key-shaped tip enters one of the recesses of the positioning block 9.

When the needle drive shaft 2 enters the lowest stop period, a sample suction command signal is sent from the controller 26 to the analyzer 29 (S5). Then, vial 21 is inserted through hollow needle 1.
Extraction of a sample from the inside and transfer of the sample to the analyzer 29 are performed. After a lapse of a predetermined time, a stop command signal for inhaling the sample is sent from the control device 26 to the analyzer 29 to stop the inhalation operation (S6), and then the needle drive shaft 2 moves up again. At this time, the hollow needle 1 and the septum 27 in the vial 21 are
The vial 21 is about to be lifted by the frictional force between the needle drive shaft 2 and the needle drive shaft 2 on which the hollow needle 1 is mounted because the tip of the latch block 8 is in the concave portion where the positioning block 9 is located. Will continue to rise (S7).

A guide groove 2 provided on the needle drive shaft 2
When “a” reaches the latch raising member 7, the latch raising member 7 gradually rises and finally comes out of the concave portion of the positioning block 8 to release the latch state. Further, when the needle drive shaft 2 moves upward, it comes into contact with the contact surface 13 of the slider 5, and the slider 5 moves upward in conjunction with the needle drive shaft 2. Thereafter, the needle drive shaft 2 reaches the uppermost position and ends the first sampling, and repeats this sampling operation up to a preset number of times.

Even if the vials having different heights are used, the positioning block 9 is provided with a plurality of recesses so that each time the slider 5 descends, the positioning block 9 is adjusted to the height. By inserting the tip of the latch block into the recess, the vial 21 corresponding to the rising of the hollow needle 1 can be fixed at that position.

In the above-described embodiment, the vial 21 is mounted on the turntable 22 and is sent directly below the hollow needle 1. However, the vial may be sent directly by a belt conveyor. Further, the control device 26 can be incorporated in the analysis device 29, or the functions of the control device 26 can be collectively performed by the control unit of the analysis device 29.

[0015]

The autosampler of the present invention is configured as described above, and is automatically latched according to the height of the vial when the hollow needle is lowered, and the vial is fixed at that position when the hollow needle is raised. Therefore, it is not necessary to fix the vials to the apparatus one by one before sampling, and sampling can be automatically performed only by mounting vials having different heights, so that labor saving in preparation is greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an autosampler according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram when the hollow needle of the autosampler of the present invention is at the lowermost position (a) and the uppermost position.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the autosampler of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a time change diagram of a needle drive shaft of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional autosampler.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a method of fixing a vial.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 25: hollow needle 13: contact surface 2, 24: needle drive shaft 14: vial retainer plate 2a: guide groove 15: vial retainer latch 3: fixed shaft 21 ... vials 4 ... plates 22 ... turntables 5 ... sliders 23 ... moving mechanisms 6, 10 ... shaft screws 26 ... control devices 7 ... latching up 26a ... Operation switch 8 Latch block 27 Septum 9 Positioning block 28 Spring 11 Rail groove 29 Analyzer 12 Vial holder

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takeaki Inoue 1 Nishinokyo Kuwabaracho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto F-term in Shimadzu Corporation (reference) 2G058 CA02 CB04 EA02 EA08 ED07 GE03 HA00

Claims (2)

[Claims] An autosampler having a hollow needle for collecting a sample in a vial, a moving mechanism for moving a needle driving shaft to which the hollow needle is fixed, and a control device for controlling the moving mechanism. A vial presser plate that moves in conjunction with the drive shaft, a vial presser latch connected to the vial presser plate, and a latch mechanism including a vial positioning block disposed at a fixed position; and a vial presser when the needle drive shaft is lowered. An autosampler characterized in that the plate is latched on a vial positioning block so that the vial can be fixed by a vial holding plate when the plate is raised. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of connecting points of the vial holding positioning block latched by the vial holding latch are arranged at a predetermined interval so that samples can be collected from vials having different heights. Item 6. The autosampler according to Item 1.