JP2006084308A - Analyzer and analyzing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that the present constitution of a plurality of analyzers can not be grasped especially when the respective analyzers are a unit type and its constitutions are rearranged every time by an analyzing worker in a network analyzing system due to a plurality of the analyzers. <P>SOLUTION: An analyzer 1-1 is constituted so as to collect its analyzer constituting data in an analyzer data collection part 4 to hold it in a whole analyzer constituting data holding part 3 while the other analyzer connected to a network 8 collects its analyzer data collection part to provide it to the analyzer 1-1 through the network 8. A whole analyzer constituting data holding part 3 holds the whole analyzing constituting data of all of analyzers and the network to a whole analyzer constituting data holding part 3. The whole analyzing constituting data is set as Web content by a display data forming part 5 to be provided to an analyzing worker by a display device 15 or displayed on the screen of a PC 7 by a Web server 2 to be subjected to the reading or searching of the analyzing worker. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an analysis apparatus having a reconfigurable apparatus configuration such as a liquid chromatograph, a gas chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, and the like, and a plurality of such analysis apparatuses are communicably connected to a network. About things.

  In general, a plurality of analyzers are operating in one facility, company, laboratory, university laboratory, and the like. Even in such a case, each analysis worker often expects to use other analyzers that are not in use or other analyzers having different performance and functions. As described above, in an environment where a plurality of analysis devices can be used, in recent years, each analysis device is connected to a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) arranged in a building, and a networked analysis is performed. Some systems have been constructed (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

  In such a networked analysis system, the device configuration of each analysis device connected to the network is registered in advance in a management PC such as a server PC or a client terminal, and information on the operating status of each analysis device. Are transmitted to the management PC and are aggregated and managed. With such a configuration, even when a large number of analyzers are installed at remote locations, the analysis operator goes to the installation location of each analyzer and analyzes it with the analyzer and a computer connected thereto. There is no need to check the operation information of the device, and the status of each analyzer can be grasped at a time by checking the information collected on the management computer, and the progress of analysis in each analyzer can be grasped. It is possible to know the scheduled end time of the analysis (scheduled acceptable time for the next analysis) or to search for and use a free analyzer.

JP 2004-12217 A JP 2004-85356 A

  However, like liquid chromatographs, gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, etc., the sample introduction unit, separation unit, detection unit, etc. are configured as individual units and have different performance and characteristics depending on the intention of the analysis operator. In the analyzer that is configured to be selectively recombinable with the unit, the analysis progress status and availability information are confirmed on the management PC screen as described above, and an attempt is made to use an available analyzer. When I went to the installation site, the device configuration was recombined by another user, for example, it was replaced with another pump or column, or another unit that did not have the expected function was assembled. In some cases, the hardware configuration of each analyzer pre-registered in the management PC may be different from the current one. For this reason, there has been a problem for the analysis operator to efficiently achieve the desired purpose.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an analyzer capable of easily confirming the current state of hardware configurations in a plurality of analyzers connected by communication lines, and To provide an analysis system.

  An analyzer according to the present invention made to solve the above problems is an analyzer connected to one or a plurality of other analyzers via a network so as to be capable of data communication, and the device configuration of the analyzer The apparatus configuration information collecting means for collecting information about the apparatus, the apparatus configuration information of the analyzing apparatus obtained by the apparatus configuration information collecting means, and the apparatus configuration information of other analyzing apparatuses collected via the network are integrated. And an overall apparatus configuration information holding unit that holds the apparatus configuration information of the entire analysis apparatus connected to the network.

  An analysis system in which a plurality of analysis devices are connected via a network so that data communication is possible, and each analysis device has device configuration information collection means for collecting information about its own device configuration, and the network Displays the overall device configuration information holding means for acquiring the device configuration information of each analysis device collected by the device configuration information collection means of each analysis device via the network and holding it as overall device configuration information, and displays the overall device configuration information Display means.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the analyzer according to the present invention will be described by taking a liquid chromatograph as an example.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration example in which liquid chromatographs 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are connected to a network 8 as analysis apparatuses.

  The network 8 is a known communication line, and an RS-232C cable, a LAN line that can communicate more widely, or a USB cable can be used. Through the network 8, the analyzers 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are connected to each other or to the personal computer PC7 so as to be able to perform data communication. Note that the forms of data communication are not necessarily mutual, as long as they are configured to be able to communicate with at least an analysis apparatus or a PC having an apparatus configuration information holding function according to the present invention described later.

  Each of the analyzers 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 is an apparatus called a liquid chromatograph, and as a unit that performs an analysis function, a liquid feed pump 14 that sends an eluent to the column, An autosampler 13 for injecting the sample solution to be analyzed into the flow path of the eluent sent to the column, a column oven 11 having a column for separating the sample components, and a detector 10 for sequentially detecting the sample components eluted from the column I have. Each analyzer is provided with a controller 12. The controller 12 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit constituting the analyzer to execute the analysis operation of the liquid chromatograph, or the detection result (analysis data) obtained by the detector and the present invention described later. The network interface and network server functions for collecting device configuration information and for data communication with the personal computer PC7 and other analysis devices are realized. Each of the analyzers 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 includes an operation unit (not shown) including operation keys for instructing various operations in the controller 12, and a display unit (not shown) that displays characters and graphics. (Not shown).

  Under the control of the controller 12, the eluent is sucked from the eluent tank by the operation of the liquid feed pump 14 and supplied to the analysis column at a constant flow rate. The autosampler 13 selects a plurality of samples loaded in advance in a predetermined order, and a sample based on the selected samples is injected into the eluent at a predetermined timing. This sample rides on the eluent and is introduced into the analysis column, and each component in the sample is temporally separated while passing through the analysis column controlled to an appropriate temperature by the column oven 11. The detector 10 sequentially detects the sample components eluted from the column as time passes, and the detection signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter and then passed to the controller 12. The controller 12 collects data acquired by analysis.

  FIG. 2 shows the function of the controller 12 in one analyzer 1-1 in FIG. 1 in more detail. Naturally, functions such as liquid pump and column control and analysis data collection, which are general functions as an analyzer, are provided, but are omitted here, and only the characteristic functions of the present invention are shown. The controller 12 is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). A predetermined calculation program is installed in the CPU, and by executing this calculation program, appropriate calculation processing can be performed on the analysis data collected from the detector 10. Such a data processing function may be configured to be performed by an external PC 7 or a dedicated data processing device (for example, a Chromatopack manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) connected to the analyzer via a data line.

  The controller 12 further includes a device configuration information collecting unit 4 that is functionally a device configuration information collecting unit, and an overall device configuration information holding unit 3 that is an overall device configuration information holding unit. In the apparatus configuration information collecting unit 4, the apparatus configuration information of the analyzer, that is, the presence or absence of connection of a liquid feed pump, a damper, a sample injector, a separation column, a detector, a recorder, etc. constituting the analysis mechanism Information such as the model name, model number, and version of the unit being collected is collected. By further providing a database on the model number of the connected unit, from the corresponding model number, liquid feed stability and gradient performance of the liquid pump, sample injector automation performance, injection accuracy, number of sample racks, separation column material It can also be replaced with information such as the separation characteristics, detector detection capability, recorder function, and the like. Of course, in addition to these functions, there are also status information that shows the usage status during analysis, analysis completion, analysis standby, etc., well-known management information such as wear levels such as the life of parts such as optical lamps, maintenance information, and operation check results. You may make it acquire simultaneously.

  The configuration information of the device collected in this way by the device configuration information collection unit 4 is sent to and held by the overall device configuration information holding unit 3. On the other hand, the apparatus configuration information collecting units 4-2 and 4-3 (not shown) similarly acquire the apparatus configuration information in the other analyzers 1-2 and 1-3, and the entire apparatus configuration information holding unit 3 -2, 3-3 (not shown). The device configuration information of the other analysis devices 1-2 and 1-3 held in the overall device configuration information holding units 3-2 and 3-3 is networked by the Web servers 2-2 and 2-3 (not shown). Via the interface (I / F), the data is sent to the analysis device on another network, for example, the analysis device 1-1, via the network 8. In the analysis apparatus 1-1, the apparatus configuration information of the analysis apparatuses 1-2 and 1-3 on the other network obtained in this way is combined with the apparatus configuration information of the analysis apparatus 1-1 that is itself, and the analysis on the network is performed. It is held in the overall device configuration information holding unit 3-1 as device configuration information relating to the entire device. The device configuration information relating to the entire analysis device on the network constructed in this way is also sent to the other analysis devices 1-2, 1-3, and the overall device configuration information holding units 3-2, 3- 3, the configuration information of other devices can be grasped between the analysis devices.

  The entire device configuration information constructed in the entire device configuration information holding unit 3 is generated by the display data creating unit 5 and is sent to the PC 7 via the network interface 6 by the Web server 2 to be a browser in the PC 7. By receiving and analyzing Web content such as data from the Web server 2 (for example, Internet Explorer provided by Microsoft Corporation) and executing necessary processing, predetermined overall device configuration information including characters and graphics is obtained. It is formed and displayed on the display (display unit) of the PC 7 and is used for searching and browsing by the analysis worker. Examples of Web content include HTML documents, images, scripts, plug-in data, Java (registered trademark) applets, and the like. It is further desirable that each of the analysis apparatuses 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 is similarly provided with the display device 15 and configured so that the entire apparatus configuration information can be searched and viewed. Note that the data sent to the network may be raw data indicating the device configuration information, or may be a Web content state created by the display data creation unit 5.

  In the above-described embodiment, each of the analysis apparatuses 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 includes the entire apparatus configuration information holding unit. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the analysis apparatuses 1-2 and 1-3 are included. Has the function of acquiring and transmitting its own device configuration information, and only the specific analyzer 1-1 may hold the entire device configuration information, or the entire device configuration information is held only by the PC 7 It can also be configured to. In this case, each analysis device only needs to include only the device configuration information collection unit 4 and the acquisition information transmission means. However, considering the convenience of the analysis operator, it is desirable that all the analysis devices are configured to hold the overall device configuration information of other analysis devices connected to the network. It is possible to grasp the device configuration information of all the analyzers including those in the power-off state from any of the above analyzers.

  In addition, any time is selected as a timing at which each analysis device 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 transmits its own device configuration information or updates the entire device configuration information according to the use situation. . For example, each analysis device may acquire and transmit its own device configuration information when the power is turned on or when an analysis operation is started, or may be transmitted at a predetermined time or time interval. May be acquired and transmitted, or the apparatus configuration information of itself may be acquired and transmitted in response to a data request from a specific analyzer or PC. The data request searches for the presence / absence of a controller of another analysis device on the network 8 and requests individual device configuration information of the analysis device from the controller whose connection is confirmed. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for the data request and the update of the entire apparatus configuration information.

  FIG. 4 shows that when a unit constituting an analyzer is once removed and a new unit is connected, its own device configuration information is acquired, and device information is provided to other analyzers on the network. It is a flowchart for implementing update of whole apparatus structure information.

When the entire apparatus configuration information is displayed on the browser, it can be schematically shown as shown in FIG. 1 in addition to being displayed in a general-purpose table (list) state. In FIG. 1, each of the analyzers 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 shows liquid chromatographs installed in separate laboratories, and all have the same configuration at the beginning of installation or at the time of previous information update. It has been assembled.
Now, in response to a request from the analyzer 1-1, all the other analyzers 1-2 and 1-3 connected on the network 8 have their own configuration information collecting units 4-2 and 4-3. Device configuration information is collected, integrated into the overall device configuration information holding unit 3 of the analyzer 1-1 via the network 8, display data is created by the display data creation unit 5 and displayed on the display unit 15. Alternatively, it is sent as display data to the PC 7 and displayed on the screen of the PC 7. In the case of an apparatus in which the analysis operator can replace each unit and parts constituting the apparatus according to the purpose relatively easily like a liquid chromatograph, the apparatus configuration may be unexpectedly changed. According to the present invention, from the display shown in FIG. 1, the analysis operator has removed the autosampler 6 of the analyzer 1-2 (necessary to inject the sample manually), and the column oven 11 Comprehensively know that it has been replaced with a column oven 11 'of another function and that the detector unit 10 of the analyzer 1-3 has been replaced with a detector unit 10' of another function. In addition to status information such as whether or not other analyzers are available, it is possible to select and examine the use of other analyzers that are configured with units suitable for the analysis purpose, thereby improving work efficiency. It can be.

  Of course, well-known device information, that is, status of each analyzer being in operation (Run) or stopped, column and solvent type, user name and period, date of operation check (System Check), determination result, maintenance When information and the like are displayed in a list together with the apparatus configuration information of the present invention, the convenience is further increased and a desirable configuration can be obtained.

  The present invention is used in an analysis system in which a plurality of analysis apparatuses are connected to a network, and is particularly preferably used in an apparatus such as a liquid chromatograph or a gas chromatograph that can be recombined each time.

The whole structural example of the analyzer connected to the network. The example figure which showed typically the main functions regarding the apparatus information in the controller of the analyzer 1-1 in FIG. The flowchart which shows the acquisition example of whole apparatus structure information. The flowchart which shows the acquisition example of whole apparatus structure information.

Explanation of symbols

1-1, 1-2, 1-3 ... analyzer (liquid chromatograph)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Web server 3 ... Whole apparatus structure information holding part 4 ... Device structure information collection part 5 ... Display data creation part 6 ... Network interface part 7 ... Personal computer 8 ... Network

Claims (5)

In an analyzer connected to one or more other analyzers via a network so that data communication is possible,
Device configuration information collecting means for collecting information about the device configuration of the analyzer;
The device configuration information of the entire analysis device connected to the network by integrating the device configuration information of the analysis device obtained by the device configuration information collecting means and the device configuration information of other analysis devices collected via the network As a whole device configuration information holding means,
An analysis apparatus comprising:   2. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the integrated overall apparatus configuration information.   3. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display data creating means for converting the entire apparatus configuration information held in the entire apparatus configuration information holding means into a Web content. In an analysis system in which a plurality of analysis devices are connected via a network so that data communication is possible.
Each analysis device has device configuration information collecting means for collecting information about its own device configuration,
In the network, the entire apparatus configuration information holding means for acquiring the apparatus configuration information of each analyzer collected by the apparatus configuration information collecting means of each analyzer via the network and holding it as the entire apparatus configuration information;
Display means for displaying overall device configuration information;
An analysis system comprising:   5. The analysis system according to claim 4, wherein the overall apparatus configuration information holding means and the overall apparatus configuration information display means are provided in at least one analysis apparatus connected to the network.

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