JP2006126016A - Nozzle cleaning device, and biochemical analyzer having it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a configuration having an improvement in water break on the outer-periphery surface of a nozzle in a cleaning device for cleaning the nozzle for sucking/discharging specimens or reagents in a biochemical analyzer. <P>SOLUTION: The nozzle cleaning device comprises: a vessel 2 formed so that it is open upward; a cylindrical section 3 that is provided so that it projects toward the perpendicular upper part from the inner bottom surface of the vessel 2 while a jet nozzle 4 for jetting out wash water is formed on the upper end face; and a plurality of projections 7, 7 that project and are formed toward the perpendicular upper part from the upper end face of the cylindrical section 3 and oppose each other. The wash water is jetted out of the jet nozzle 4, the tip of a nozzle 10 is allowed to enter a position (position (f)) directly above the jet nozzle 4 and between the projections 7, 7. When the tip of the nozzle 10 is positioned between the projections 7, 7, the jetting-out of the wash water from the jet nozzle 4 is stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration of a cleaning device for cleaning a nozzle used in a biochemical analyzer. Moreover, it is related with the structure of a biochemical analyzer provided with it.

  For example, a biochemical analyzer is used as an apparatus for examining cholesterol levels and the like using blood, urine, and the like as specimens. In this biochemical analyzer, the sample from the sample store and the reagent from the reagent store are injected into the cuvette of the reaction vessel and reacted, and the absorbance of the reaction solution is measured to calculate the cholesterol value and the like. Has been.

  In this biochemical analyzer, for the sample nozzle that sucks the sample and discharges it to the reaction tank, and the reagent nozzle that sucks the reagent and discharges it to the reaction tank, the tip of the nozzle is washed after discharge, and the sample and reagent are again It has been conventionally performed to suck. By doing this, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy by washing away the sample and reagent adhering to the inside and outside of the nozzle tip, making the discharge amount of the sample and reagent into the reaction tank constant.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning device of two types, that is, a soaking method and a hanging method. In the soaking method, a nozzle tip is inserted into a cleaning container in which cleaning water is flowing to clean the outer surface of the nozzle, and then moves to discharge the cleaning water inside the nozzle. In the washing method, washing water inside the nozzle is simultaneously discharged while washing the outer surface of the nozzle by applying washing water from the outside.

  Patent Document 2 has a problem that, in the above washing method, a part of the washing water tends to remain on the outer periphery of the pipette (nozzle), and the dilution ratio and concentration of the reagent change and an accurate measurement result cannot be obtained. As pointed out, a cleaning apparatus having the following configuration is proposed. That is, the washing water ejection block is attached to the container while being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction, and a groove having a V-shaped cross section is formed at the upper end thereof. Then, the cleaning water is supplied from the V-shaped groove, and the flow rate is set such that the level of the cleaning water rises upward from the V-shaped groove. Then, the tip of the pipette (nozzle) is inserted into this bulging portion (position on the side of the washing water ejection block) and washing is performed.

After the above cleaning is completed, in the configuration of Patent Document 2, the supply of cleaning water is stopped. Then, since the water surface of the cleaning water smoothly falls inside the V-shaped groove, the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle is well drained, and the cleaning water hardly adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle.
JP 2003-88812 (paragraph numbers 0005 to 0006, FIGS. 5 to 6) Japanese Patent No. 3448436 (paragraph numbers 0035 to 0039, FIG. 6 shows a state of washing)

  One object of the present invention is to obtain a cleaning apparatus in which the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle (water outage) is even better than that shown in Patent Document 2. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can reduce the time required for cleaning, is compact, and has low manufacturing costs.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a nozzle for sucking and discharging a specimen or a reagent in a biochemical analyzer having the following configuration. A container formed in an upwardly open shape, a cylindrical part provided on the upper end surface of the container that is provided so as to protrude vertically upward from the inner bottom surface of the container, and the cylinder And a plurality of protrusions facing each other provided to protrude vertically upward from the upper end surface of the part. The tip of the nozzle is positioned directly above the jet port and between the protrusions, and in this state, the ejection of washing water from the jet port is stopped.

  With this configuration, when the ejection of the cleaning liquid from the ejection port is stopped, the liquid level of the cleaning liquid smoothly falls between the protrusions. For this reason, the liquid drainage of the cleaning liquid on the outer surface of the nozzle tip is improved. In particular, in the present invention, since the ejection of the cleaning liquid is stopped in a state where the tip of the nozzle is located between the protrusions, the liquid level of the portion where the tip of the nozzle is immersed is moderately stable and free from variations. The liquid runs out stably and better. In addition, since the protruding portion is provided vertically upward, the protruding portion can have a compact configuration, and the surrounding container can also have a compact configuration. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a nozzle cleaning device that is excellent in space saving.

  The above nozzle cleaning device is preferably configured as follows. A concave portion that opens upward is provided on the side wall of the container, and the height of the bottom portion of the concave portion is lower than the tip height of the protruding portion. The tip of the nozzle is configured to be able to pass through the space between the inside of the recess and the protrusion.

  Accordingly, the nozzle can easily enter the container through the recess and can be moved out of the container. Therefore, the time required for cleaning the nozzle can be easily shortened.

  In the nozzle cleaning device, it is preferable that the direction in which the nozzle passes through the inside of the recess and the direction in which the nozzle passes through the space between the protrusions are substantially the same.

  Thereby, the operation of entering / exiting the nozzle into / from the container and the operation of entering / exiting the space between the protrusions can be smoothly performed as a series of operations. Therefore, the time required for cleaning can be shortened.

  ◆ In the nozzle cleaning device, (1) entering the container through the recess of the nozzle, (2) cleaning the nozzle, (3) passing through the recess of the nozzle It is preferable that the heights of the nozzles match when the three operations of exiting the container are performed.

  As a result, a series of operations of causing the nozzle to enter the container, entering the space between the projecting portions, cleaning, and exiting the container can be performed simply by moving the nozzle horizontally. Therefore, the time required for cleaning can be shortened.

  In the nozzle cleaning device, it is preferable that the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion are integrally formed with the container.

  Thereby, while being able to reduce a number of parts, a manufacturing man-hour and cost can be reduced.

  ◆ A biochemical analyzer of the present invention comprises the nozzle cleaning device described above.

  As a result, the cleaning liquid is good when the nozzle is cleaned, so that the specimen and the reagent are prevented from being diluted and the measurement accuracy can be improved. Moreover, the biochemical analyzer excellent in compactness with a nozzle cleaning apparatus can be provided.

  Next, embodiments of the invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the biochemical analyzer, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional perspective view showing the configuration of the nozzle cleaning device of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the nozzle cleaning device. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state of cleaning of the nozzle when the nozzle is directed from the sample storage / reagent storage to the reaction tank, and FIG. 5 is a state of cleaning of the nozzle when the nozzle is directed from the reaction storage to the sample storage / reagent storage. It is a perspective view shown. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state in which the level of the cleaning water is lowered while the nozzle is stationary between the protrusions.

  First, the overall configuration of a biochemical analyzer 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The biochemical analyzer 60 is used for the purpose of examining cholesterol levels and the like using plasma, serum, urine and the like as specimens. The apparatus 60 reacts the reagent in the reagent store 61 with the sample in the sample store 62 in the reaction tank 63, measures the absorbance of the reaction solution with the detector unit 66, and calculates the cholesterol value and the like from the obtained data. To get.

  The reagent storage 61 includes a rotatable tray on which a plurality of reagent bottles 64 containing reagents (up to 60) can be arranged and mounted. On the other hand, the sample store 62 includes a rotatable tray on which a plurality of sample tubes 65 (up to 92) containing samples such as plasma, serum, and urine can be arranged and mounted. The reaction vessel 63 includes a turntable 68, and a plurality (90 pieces) of cuvettes 67 are arranged on the turntable 68 in an annular shape.

  The biochemical analyzer 60 includes three arms 50 to 52 that can move up and down and rotate about a vertical axis. The three arms are a sample arm 50, a first reagent arm 51, and a second reagent arm 52, respectively. At the tip of each arm 50 to 52, a nozzle 10 is provided so as to protrude downward. Reference numerals 54 and 55 are arms for stirring inside the cuvette 67, and reference numeral 56 is a cleaning unit for cleaning the used cuvette 67 and using it again for measurement.

  Each nozzle 10 is rotated by a motor (not shown) to which the arm 50 to 52 to which the nozzle 10 is attached, so that the sample container 62, the reaction tank 63, and the like along the arcuate trajectory 10 ′ indicated by a chain line in FIG. Or between the reagent storage 61 and the reaction vessel 63 can be reciprocated. Further, by changing the vertical height of the arms 50 to 52 by a motor (not shown), the tip of the nozzle 10 is lowered and inserted into the sample tube 65 of the sample store 62 or the reagent bottle 64 of the reagent store 61, After inhaling the sample or reagent, it can rise again. Further, the tip of the nozzle 10 is lowered and inserted into the cuvette 67 of the reaction vessel 63, and after the specimen or reagent is discharged, it can be raised again.

  With the above configuration, the tray of the sample store 62 and the reagent store 61 and the turntable 68 of the reaction chamber 63 are rotated, and the sample of the sample store 62 and the reagent of the reagent store 61 are sequentially transferred to the reaction chamber by the nozzle 10. The liquid is discharged into 63 cuvettes 67.

  The middle part of the trajectory 10 ′ of the nozzle 10 between the sample storage 62 and the reaction tank 63 and the middle part of the trajectory 10 ′ of the nozzle 10 between the reagent storage 61 and the reaction tank 63 are referred to as troughs. The nozzle cleaning apparatus 1 is installed in this trough. In this device 60, one nozzle cleaning device 1 is provided corresponding to one nozzle 10, that is, a total of three.

  With this configuration, the nozzle 10 that has sucked the sample or reagent is configured so that the sample or reagent is discharged from the reaction tank 63 after the outer surface of the tip is cleaned with the cleaning liquid (pure water) by the nozzle cleaning device 1. Yes. The nozzle 10 after discharging the sample or reagent in the reaction vessel 63 is cleaned at the position of the nozzle cleaning device 1 at the front and back surfaces of the nozzle 10 and then returned to the sample store 62 or the reagent store 61. The next cycle of suction is performed. Details of this cleaning operation will be described later.

  Next, the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The nozzle cleaning device 1 includes a container 2 formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, for example, and formed in a box shape with an open top. From the inner bottom surface of the container 2, the cylindrical portion 3 is provided so as to protrude vertically upward. On the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 3, an ejection port 4 is formed for ejecting pure water as a cleaning liquid. A supply pipe 5 is formed on the lower surface of the container 2 so as to protrude downward, and the internal space of the supply pipe 5 communicates with the cylindrical hole 6 of the cylindrical portion 3.

  On the inner bottom surface of the container 2, a drain port 8 is opened at a position beside the cylindrical portion 3. A drain cylinder 9 is formed on the lower surface of the container 2 so as to protrude downward, and this drain cylinder is connected to a waste liquid tank 12 through a pipe 11.

  On the other hand, a pump 13 for supplying pure water is connected to the supply pipe 5 through a pipe 14. Supply / stop of pure water is controlled by controlling the operation / stop of the pump 13 by the control unit 18 of the biochemical analyzer 60. The control unit 18 is also configured to control the operations of the arms 50 to 52, the sample store 62, the reagent store 61, the reaction tank 63, the detector unit 66, and the like.

  On the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 3, a pair of two projecting portions 7 and 7 are formed from the positions on both sides of the ejection port 4. The projecting portions 7 and 7 are provided so as to face each other across a space immediately above the jet nozzle 4. The tip of the nozzle 10 can move horizontally through the space between the protrusions 7 and 7 (the space immediately above the jet nozzle 4).

  Furthermore, the side walls 16 and 16 on both sides of the container 2 are respectively provided with recesses 17 that open upward. As shown in FIG. 3, the height h2 of the bottom of the recess 17 is configured to be lower than the height h1 of the tip of the protrusions 7 and 7. The tip of the nozzle 10 is configured to pass through the recess 17 while moving horizontally.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the side walls provided with the recesses 17 are side walls 16, 16 facing in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the protrusions 7, 7 face out of the side walls surrounding the four sides of the cylindrical portion 3. Has been. Therefore, the nozzle 10 that has entered the container 2 from the concave portion 17 can continue to enter the space between the protruding portions 7 and 7 with almost no change in the moving direction thereof. Further, the nozzle 10 that has passed through the space between the projecting portions 7 and 7 can be moved out of the container 2 from the recess 17 without changing its moving direction.

  In the above configuration, the cleaning operation of the nozzle 10 will be described. The nozzle 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is for aspirating and discharging liquids such as specimens and reagents, and is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is configured in a cylindrical shape with a reduced diameter near the tip. .

  After the nozzle 10 of the sample arm 50 sucks the sample in the sample store 62, or after the nozzle 10 of the first reagent arm 51 or the second reagent arm 52 sucks the reagent in the reagent store 61, the biochemical analyzer 60 The control unit 18 sends a signal to the pump 13 of the nozzle cleaning device 1 corresponding to the arm, and the pump 13 is operated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, pure water is supplied from the supply pipe 5 to the cylinder portion 3 and ejected vertically upward from the ejection port 4.

  The flow rate of pure water at this time is set in advance so that the liquid level L of pure water rises slightly upward from the tip of the protruding portion 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the ejected pure water overflows from between the protruding portions 7 and 7, falls along the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 3, and flows from the drain port 8 on the inner bottom surface of the container 2 to the waste liquid tank 12. Discharged.

  Subsequently, the nozzle 10 that holds the aspirated specimen or reagent moves horizontally along the locus 10 ′ and reaches the nozzle cleaning device 1. Specifically, the tip of the nozzle 10 enters the inside of the container 2 from the position shown in FIG. 4 a through the recess 17 of the side wall 16 on one side of the container 2. Further, the nozzle 10 continues to move horizontally without almost stopping and moving up and down, and its tip passes between the protrusions 7 and 7 from which pure water is ejected (the position b is the nozzle b). 10 is located between the protrusions 7 and 7). As a result, the outer surface of the nozzle 10 is washed with pure water, and the specimen and reagent adhering to the outer surface are washed away.

  The nozzle 10 continues to move horizontally with almost no stop and without moving up and down, passes through the concave portion 17 of the side wall 16 on the other side of the container 2 and comes out of the container 2 (position c in FIG. 4). Head to 63. In addition, after completion | finish of washing | cleaning, the said control part 18 stops the pump 13 at an appropriate timing, and stops the ejection of the pure water from the jet nozzle 4. FIG.

  Next, the cleaning operation of the nozzle 10 after discharging the specimen or reagent in the reaction tank 63 will be described with reference to FIG. After the specimen or reagent is discharged, the above-described pump 13 is operated in the nozzle cleaning device 1 corresponding to the arm, and pure water is ejected from the ejection port 4. The flow rate of the pure water at this time is a flow rate such that the level of the pure water rises slightly upward from the tip of the protrusion 7 as described above.

  Subsequently, the nozzle 10 that holds the remaining residual liquid (specimen or reagent) discharged in a predetermined amount in the reaction tank 63 moves horizontally along the locus 10 ′ and is inserted into the nozzle cleaning device 1. It takes. Specifically, the tip of the nozzle 10 enters the inside of the container 2 from the position d in FIG. 5 through the recess 17 of the side wall 16 on one side of the container 2. The nozzle 10 is temporarily stopped at a position e before the cylindrical portion 3, and in this state, the residual liquid inside the nozzle 10 is discharged and a cleaning liquid (pure water) is supplied from the nozzle 10 base end side to supply the nozzle 10. The inside of the nozzle 10 is washed by discharging from the tip. After the discharge residual liquid and the cleaning liquid have been discharged, the nozzle 10 moves horizontally by a small distance (the nozzle 10 does not move up and down), and the protruding portion 7 from which pure water is jetted at its tip. 7 and stop again (position f). As a result, the outer surface of the nozzle 10 is washed with pure water, and the specimen and reagent adhering to the outer surface are washed away.

  After the tip of the nozzle 10 is stationary between the projecting portions 7 and 7, the control unit 18 continues the state where the pump 13 is operated for a predetermined time, and then maintains the stationary state at the position f of the nozzle 10, The pump 13 is stopped. Then, since the supply of pure water is stopped, the liquid level L above the tip of the projections 7 and 7 is lowered between the projections 7 and 7 as shown in FIG. At the height of the spout 4. At this time, the pure water gently descends while traveling along the inner surfaces of the protrusions 7 and 7, so that the water breakage at the tip of the nozzle 10 is improved and the adhesion of pure water to the outer surface of the nozzle 10 is avoided. After draining, the nozzle 10 moves horizontally from the position f in FIG. 5 (the nozzle 10 does not move up and down), passes through the recess 17 in the side wall 16 on the other side of the container 2 and comes out of the container 2 (FIG. 5). To the specimen store 62 or the reagent store 61. In this way, the sample is aspirated in the sample chamber 62 in the next cycle, or the reagent is aspirated in the reagent chamber 61.

  As described above, the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment includes a container 2 formed in an upwardly open shape, a cylindrical portion 3 provided so as to protrude vertically upward inside the container 2, A spout 4 formed on the upper end surface of the tubular portion 3 for ejecting washing water. And from the upper end surface of the said cylinder part 3, the some protrusion parts 7 * 7 which mutually face are provided so that it may protrude toward the perpendicular upper direction. When the nozzle 10 is cleaned, the nozzle 10 is positioned when the tip of the nozzle 10 is directly above the ejection port 4 and at a position f (position between the projecting parts 7 and 7) sandwiched between the projecting parts 7 and 7. It is comprised so that the ejection of the washing water from the exit 4 may be stopped.

  With this configuration, when the ejection of the washing water from the ejection port 4 is stopped, the washing water level L is smoothly lowered between the protrusions 7 and 7. For this reason, the drainage of the cleaning water on the outer surface of the tip of the nozzle 10 is improved. In particular, in this embodiment, since the ejection of the washing water is stopped when the tip of the nozzle 10 is at the position f between the protrusions 7 and 7, the liquid level L of the portion where the tip of the nozzle 10 is immersed is It will fall slowly and at a stable speed without variation.

  On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 6 of Patent Document 2, the nozzle is stopped at a position beside the V-shaped groove of the cleaning water ejection block, and the nozzle is washed by washing water flowing out from one side of the V-shaped groove. Yes. In this case, when the cleaning water supply means is stopped, the lowering speed of the water surface of the portion where the tip of the nozzle is immersed is faster than the lowering speed at which the water surface is lowered in the V-shaped groove, or there is a variation in the lowering speed. It becomes large, and it is easy to produce variation when the drainage of washing water is good and bad. In this respect, in this embodiment, it is ensured that the liquid level L of the portion where the tip of the nozzle 10 is immersed in the cleaning water is stably and slowly lowered between the protrusions 7 and 7 due to the surface tension. Therefore, the water breakage becomes stable and good.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the projecting portions 7 and 7 are provided vertically upward, the projecting portion 7 can have a compact configuration, and the surrounding container 2 can also have a compact configuration. Further, the protrusions 7 and 7 are provided in the vertical direction, and the washing water is jetted vertically upward from the jet outlet 4 so that the washing water overflows from both sides of the space between the protrusions 7 and 7. Compared to the configuration of Patent Document 2 in which the cleaning water block is attached obliquely, the cleaning water is jetted obliquely, and flows out from one side of the V-shaped groove to the side, the cleaning water in the container 2 Is less likely to scatter over a wide area. Therefore, also in this sense, the container 2 can be made compact, and a nozzle cleaning device excellent in space saving can be provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a concave portion 17 that opens upward in the side wall 16 of the container 2. -It is lower than the tip height h1 of 7. The tip of the nozzle 10 is configured to be able to pass through the interior of the recess 17 and the space between the protrusions 7. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the nozzle 10 can easily enter the container 2 through the concave portion 17 and can be moved out of the container 2. Furthermore, by setting the relationship between the height of the concave portion 17 and the protruding portions 7 and 7 as described above, the nozzle 10 that has entered the container 2 through the concave portion 17 can be projected without changing its height so much. You can enter the space between 7 and 7. Therefore, for example, the time required for cleaning the nozzle can be easily reduced as compared with the soaking method disclosed in Patent Document 1 (the nozzle needs to move up and down for cleaning).

  Further, in the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the direction in which the nozzle passes through the inside of the concave portion 17 and the direction in which the nozzle 10 enters the space between the protruding portions 7 or the direction in which the nozzle 10 exits from the space. Almost match. Therefore, since the operation of entering / exiting the nozzle 10 into / from the container 2 and the operation of entering / exiting the space between the protruding portions 7 and 7 can be smoothly performed as a series of operations, the time required for cleaning is shortened. it can.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the nozzle cleaning device 1 of this embodiment includes (1) entry into the container 2 through the recess 17 of the nozzle 10 and (2) nozzle. The heights of the nozzles 10 are the same when the three operations of (10) cleaning and (3) exiting the container 2 through the recess 17 of the nozzle 10 are performed. In other words, when the operations (1) to (3) are performed, the tip of the nozzle 10 is positioned in the same horizontal plane without being moved up and down. With this configuration, the nozzle 10 enters the container only by horizontally moving the nozzle 10, enters the space between the protrusions 7 and 7, cleans the nozzle 10, and retreats from the container 2. A series of operations can be performed smoothly. As a result, the time required for cleaning can be shortened.

  Further, in the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 3 and the protruding portions 7 and 7 are integrally formed with the container 2. Thereby, while being able to reduce a number of parts, a manufacturing man-hour and cost can be reduced. In addition, the protruding direction (vertically upward) of the cylindrical portion 3 and the protruding portions 7 and 7 from the inner bottom surface of the container 2 is substantially the same as the protruding direction of the four surrounding side walls (including the side walls 16 and 16) of the upper open container 2. It is. Therefore, the resin-molding die for integrally forming the side wall of the container 2, the cylindrical portion 3, and the protruding portions 7 and 7 does not have a complicated shape, and the integral formation is easy.

  Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and can be implemented with the following modifications, for example.

  (1) In the biochemical analyzer 60 described above, the number of the nozzles 10 that suck and discharge the reagent is two and the number of the nozzles 10 that suck and discharge the specimen is one. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the number of nozzles 10 that suck and discharge the reagent may be one.

  (2) When the biochemical analyzer 60 has a plurality of nozzles 10, it is not necessary to provide the nozzle cleaning device 1 for all of the nozzles 10. For example, the nozzle cleaning device 1 of the above-described embodiment may be provided only for the sample nozzle 10, and the nozzle cleaning device having another configuration may be provided for the reagent nozzle 10.

  (3) The trajectory 10 ′ in which the nozzle 10 moves is not limited to an arc shape, and may be a linear trajectory, for example.

  (4) The cleaning liquid is not limited to pure water, and any composition may be used as long as it is a liquid for cleaning the tip of the nozzle.

  (5) About the recessed part 17, the structure provided only in the one side wall 16 of the container 2 may be sufficient. For example, when the nozzle cleaning device 1 is installed at the stroke end of the movement trajectory 10 ′ of the nozzle 10, the nozzle 10 enters / exits the container 2 through the concave portion 17 provided only one of them. A configuration in which the exit is performed may be used.

  (6) The mode of the cleaning operation is not limited to that shown in FIGS. For example, in the operation shown in FIG. 4 (the operation when the nozzle 10 moves from the specimen storage 62 / reagent storage 61 to the reaction vessel 63), the nozzle 10 is temporarily stopped at the position b, the pump 13 is stopped, and the liquid level L of the cleaning liquid is changed. It is good also as a washing | cleaning operation | movement which descend | falls smoothly and improves the water draining of the nozzle 10 front-end | tip.

  (7) The timing at which pure water is ejected from the ejection port 4 (timing for operating the pump 13) is not limited to the one shown above. In short, it is sufficient that pure water is ejected when the tip of the nozzle 10 is located in the space between the projecting portions 7 and 7 or at a timing before that, and the tip of the nozzle 10 is located between the projecting portions 7 and 7. It is sufficient that the above-mentioned ejection is stopped when performing.

  (8) The tip of the nozzle 10 when the operation of the pump 13 is stopped and the liquid level L is lowered is stationary in the above embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the nozzle 10 when the liquid level L is lowered. The tip of may be moved between the protrusions 7.

  (9) The configuration for controlling the supply / stop of pure water is not limited to operating / stopping the pump 13 as described above. For example, an open / close valve is provided between the pump 13 and the nozzle 10, and the open / close valve is provided. The opening and closing may be controlled by the control unit 18.

The top view which shows the whole structure of a biochemical analyzer. The partial cross section perspective view which shows the structure of the nozzle cleaning apparatus of this embodiment. The front view of a nozzle cleaning apparatus. The perspective view which shows the mode of washing | cleaning of a nozzle when a nozzle goes to a reaction tank from a sample store / reagent store. The perspective view which shows the mode of washing | cleaning of a nozzle when a nozzle goes to a sample storage / reagent storage from a reaction tank. The front view which shows a mode that the liquid level of washing water is reduced in the state which made the nozzle stationary between protrusion parts.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nozzle washing | cleaning apparatus 2 Container 3 Cylinder part 4 Spout 10 Nozzle 16 Side wall 17 Recessed part L Liquid surface of washing water (washing liquid)

Claims (6)

A cleaning device for cleaning a nozzle for sucking and discharging a specimen or a reagent in a biochemical analyzer,
A container formed in an upwardly open shape;
A cylindrical portion provided on the upper end surface of a jet port that is provided so as to protrude vertically upward from the inner bottom surface of the container,
A plurality of protrusions facing each other, provided so as to protrude vertically upward from the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion;
A nozzle cleaning device, wherein a nozzle tip is positioned immediately above the ejection port and between the protrusions, and in this state, the ejection of the cleaning liquid from the ejection port is stopped. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 1,
A recess that opens upward is provided on the side wall of the container, and the height of the bottom of the recess is lower than the tip height of the protrusion,
The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the nozzle is configured to be able to pass through a space between the inside of the recess and the protrusion. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 2,
The nozzle cleaning device, wherein a direction in which the nozzle passes through the inside of the concave portion and a direction in which the nozzle passes through a space between the protruding portions substantially coincide with each other. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3,
(1) Entering the container through the recess of the nozzle, (2) Cleaning the nozzle, (3) Exiting the container through the recess of the nozzle The nozzle cleaning device, wherein the heights of the nozzles when two operations are performed are the same.   5. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion are integrally formed with the container. 6. A biochemical analyzer comprising the nozzle cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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