JP2006300847A - Reagent cold-retaining chamber and automatic analysis apparatus with same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reagent cold-retaining chamber capable of reducing failure due to dew condensation without having to take measures such as the closure a lid of an opening, air conditioning, and the transfer of reagent containers to another cold-retaining chamber and provide an automatic analysis apparatus with the same. <P>SOLUTION: The reagent cold-retaining chamber is provided with a reagent container holding means for holding a plurality of liquid containers containing the reagent containers; a reagent container cold-retaining means for keeping the reagent containers, which are held by the reagent container holding means, cold; an opening provided for the reagent container cold-retaining means for drawing a reagent by suction from the reagent containers, which are held by the reagent container holding means; and a reagent container transfer means for transferring the reagent containers, which are held by the reagent container holding means. The reagent cold-retaining chamber is provided with a control means for making the reagent container transfer means operate by a predetermined operation pattern even if the reagent is not scheduled to be drawn from the reagent containers by suction. The automatic analysis apparatus is equipped with the same. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reagent cool box and an automatic analyzer equipped with the same, and more particularly, a reagent cool box having an opening for dispensing a reagent from a reagent container in the cool box, and an automatic analysis including the same. Relates to the device.

  Reagent cooler equipped with an opening for dispensing reagents from reagent containers, when the ambient temperature of the device is high compared to the temperature of the liquid container in the cooler, from the opening for sucking liquid If the ambient atmosphere enters, condensation may occur on the surface of the liquid container. When the humidity around the apparatus is higher, there is a higher possibility that condensation will occur.

  When dew condensation occurs, dew condensation water may adhere to the barcode label attached to the liquid container in order to manage the individual information of the liquid container, and the information on the barcode label may become unreadable. In addition, when the condensed liquid is dropped into the liquid container, the concentration of the liquid in the liquid container may be reduced due to the dropped liquid, which may cause analysis data failure.

  In order to solve this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes to cope with the tilting of the lid of the cool box so that the generated condensation does not drip into the reagent container.

JP-A-8-262030

  The reagent cool box is provided with a plurality of openings for inserting a reagent dispensing probe and dispensing a reagent from a reagent container in the cool box. Condensation occurs immediately below this opening, but if the same reagent container is placed immediately below the opening for a long time, condensation will accumulate on that reagent container.

  The technique described in Patent Document 1 also describes the use of a hygroscopic agent that absorbs dew condensation, but when the same reagent container is placed under the opening, the problem is not always solved due to saturation of the moisture absorption amount and the like. There is a fear.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a reagent cold storage box capable of reducing obstacles due to condensation without taking measures such as closing the lid of the opening, performing air conditioning, or transferring the reagent container to another cold storage box, and the like. It is to provide an automatic analyzer equipped with the same.

  The configuration of the present invention for solving the above object is as follows.

  Reagent container holding means for holding a plurality of liquid containers including reagent containers, reagent container cold holding means for cooling the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means, and reagent from the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means In a reagent cold storage provided with an opening provided in the reagent cold insulation means for aspiration and a reagent container moving means for moving the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means, the reagent is removed from the reagent container. A reagent cold storage provided with a control means for operating the reagent container moving means in a predetermined operation pattern even when there is no plan to suck.

  In the conventional reagent cooler, when the reagent is not scheduled to be sucked, the target reagent container is sucked, so there is no need to move the target reagent container below the opening, and the reagent container moving means is stopped. .

  If the same reagent container is stopped below the opening for a certain period of time, condensation may accumulate on the reagent container and cause the above-described failure. In order to avoid this, it is only necessary that the same reagent container does not stop below the opening for a certain period of time. Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that the reagent container moving means is moved as if the reagent dispensing is scheduled even when it is detected that the reagent is not scheduled to be sucked at the present time. As a means for the device to recognize that there is no plan to aspirate the reagent at the present time, it is confirmed that the dispensing of the reagent has been completed for the sample for which the operator has requested the analysis to the automatic analyzer. A method that triggers that the control software recognizes, a method that detects that the reagent container moving means has stopped operating for a predetermined time or more in cooperation with the position detecting means of the reagent container moving means and a timer, etc. There is.

  The reagent container moving means normally repeats the operation at a constant timing during the analysis operation. That is, the operation is completed within a certain operation cycle (one cycle is composed of several seconds). The predetermined movement pattern may be controlled so as to move the reagent moving means with the same movement pattern as in the analysis operation. During the actual analysis operation, the movement time varies depending on whether the position of the reagent container that is going to move under the opening is far from or close to the opening, but the predetermined pattern may have a constant operation time. This is preferable because the control program becomes simple. For example, an operation pattern in which the reagent containers are moved one by one is preferable because the time during which the reagent containers are located below the openings is uniform for all the reagent containers.

  Of course, you may operate | move by the fixed pattern different from the time of analysis operation | movement.

  The operation of the reagent container moving means other than the analysis operation can be controlled by a control device (PC) that controls the analysis. However, this method is not preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving because the power of the control device including the PC is consumed even while the analysis is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to divide the power supply system into a plurality of systems and provide a dedicated control device for controlling the operation of the reagent container moving means other than during the analysis operation. In that case, it is preferable that the storage device for storing the operation pattern of the reagent container moving means is also operated by the same power supply system. If a volatile memory is used as the storage means, it is necessary to read the pattern from the nonvolatile storage means every time the operation is started, and the efficiency is poor. Therefore, it is preferable to use a nonvolatile storage means such as a flash memory or a hard disk.

  In some cases, there is no concern about condensation depending on the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere. Even in such a case, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving to operate the reagent moving means other than during the analysis operation. Accordingly, it is possible to provide detection means for detecting the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere, and to prevent operation based on the detection result of the detection means. In that case, a range of temperature and humidity that need to be operated is determined in advance, and a determination unit that determines whether the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere are within the range is provided.

  By this invention, the bad influence by the dew condensation which arose in the cool box can be prevented, and the reliability of an analyzer can be improved.

  The present invention achieves the purpose of preventing condensation on the surface of the liquid container installed in the cold storage by moving the position of the liquid container outside the analysis operation without increasing the manufacturing cost due to the addition of a mechanism. It is characterized by that. Necessary to move the liquid container by determining the conditions that do not require moving the liquid container even during the analysis operation by adding a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature of the device and stopping the condensation prevention operation. Reduced power consumption.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A mechanism for moving a liquid container installed in a cool box to an opening position of the cool box is used in an analyzer as shown in FIG. In response to an instruction from the operation unit user interface 1, a transport rack 3 on which a sample container 2 containing a sample is installed is transported to the analysis unit. The sample transported to the analysis unit performs the analysis instructed by the operation unit 1, and therefore the measurement liquid in the sample container 2 is sucked using the sample dispensing mechanism 4 and is installed on the reaction disk 5. Inject. In addition, the reagent container 8 installed in the reagent cooler 7 that keeps the reagent cold is moved to a position where the reagent is sucked, and the reagent in the reagent container 8 is sucked by the reagent dispensing mechanism 9 and placed on the reaction disk 5. Pour into the reaction vessel 6. The sample and the reagent injected into the reaction vessel 6 are stirred by the stirring mechanism 10. The color of the chemical reaction is measured and analyzed by a photometer 11 composed of a light source lamp, a diffraction grating for spectroscopy, and a photodetector. After the analysis, the reaction vessel 6 is washed by the washing mechanism 12 in order to analyze the next sample. After the sample for analysis is aspirated, the transport rack 3 on which the sample container 2 is installed is unloaded from the analysis unit. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the lid of the reagent cool box 7 so that a part of the plurality of reagent containers 8 that are kept cool can be seen. The reagent cold storage 7 has at least one opening 13 for cooling a plurality of reagent containers 8 arranged on the circumference filled with the reagent and sucking the reagent from the reagent container 8. In addition to the analysis operation, the reagent container 8 containing the reagent to be aspirated is rotated and stopped at the same cycle as the analysis operation by rotating and stopping the disk rotation mechanism that rotates the reagent container 8 to the position of the opening 13 of the reagent cooler 7. 8 is moved so that a specific reagent container does not remain stopped in the vicinity of the opening 13 for aspirating the reagent for a predetermined time or longer. It is possible to prevent dew condensation that occurs due to contact with a high ambient atmosphere. As shown in reagent disk operation example 1 in FIG. 3, the rotation and stop operation are performed at the same period n as in the analysis operation, so that the rotation of the reagent disk is the same as during the analysis operation when the analysis operation is started. Can immediately transition to.

  In this case, the meaning of “same period” will be supplementarily described. In general, the reagent disk of the automatic analyzer is always operated in a fixed cycle. For example, if the time of one cycle is 2 seconds, the reagent disk is rotated so that the target reagent container is positioned at the reagent aspirating position within 2 seconds, the reagent dispensing probe is lowered, and the reagent is aspirated. Perform a series of operations. When the target reagent container is 180 degrees opposite the reagent suction position, the disk rotation time is long, the disk stop time is shortened accordingly, and the target reagent container is in the vicinity of the reagent suction position. In this case, the stop time of the disk becomes long, but the time of one cycle is always kept constant. That is, the same cycle can be paraphrased as the same cycle time. In this way, by moving the reagent disk at the same cycle during the analysis operation, there is an advantage that it is possible to immediately know where the target reagent container is currently stopped even when the operation mode is changed to the analysis operation mode. There is also a merit in software development that there is no need to set an analysis operation schedule. Although how much the reagent disk is rotated in one operation can be set freely, it is easiest to move each reagent container one by one so that all reagent containers are uniformly positioned under the opening. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the motor 16 capable of controlling the rotation angle with the number of pulses is used as the disk rotation mechanism driving motor, a photo interrupter is used as a detector 14 for detecting the rotation position of the disk. In combination with a detection plate 15 that is slit at each angle and rotates in synchronization with the disk rotation, the number of times the detection plate 15 crosses the detector 14 is measured, and it is detected that it has rotated by a predetermined angle. Repeat the stop. The motor controller 17 controls the number of pulses for driving the motor or the rotation angle by using the detector 14 and the detection plate 15, and the relative positional relationship between the opening 13 for aspirating the reagent and the reagent container 8 each time it stops. When the analysis operation is started, the reagent container 8 filled with the reagent to be sucked is directly moved to the position of the opening 13 of the cool box without resetting the disk rotation angle. The reagent aspirating operation can be performed. Further, as shown in the reagent disk operation example 2 in FIG. 3, the rotation and stop cycles are not the same time interval, the first cycle is rotated, the second and third cycles are stopped, and the fourth cycle is stopped. The same effect can be realized by changing the operation interval based on the rule such as rotating.

  As shown in reagent disk operation example 3 in FIG. 3, the control method can be simplified and the development cost can be reduced by continuously rotating the reagent disk rotation mechanism except during the analysis operation. As shown in the reagent disk operation example 4 in FIG. 3, a timer for measuring time is provided, and after the predetermined time T has elapsed and the timer is started except during the analysis operation, by rotating the reagent disk rotation mechanism, The operating time can be shortened and the power consumption for operating the disk rotation mechanism can be reduced. A similar effect can also be obtained by using a timer that alternately repeats a predetermined time ON and a predetermined time OFF.

  As shown in FIG. 4, at least two power supply systems are provided in the apparatus. In this figure, two power supply systems A and B are shown for simplification. The reagent disk rotation mechanism 26 can be operated by only one power supply system A. For example, when the monitor 23 of the operation unit user interface, the personal computer 24, etc. are connected to the other power supply system B and the analysis operation is not performed for a certain period of time, the power supply can be saved by cutting off only the other power supply system B. Can do. Further, by connecting a mechanism unnecessary for operating the reagent disk rotating mechanism 26 such as the sample dispensing mechanism control section 27, the reaction disk mechanism control section 28, and the cleaning mechanism control section 29 to the other power supply system B. Furthermore, power saving can be achieved. Only the other power supply system B is shut off by operating the manual switch 19 or by electrically operating the operating coil in accordance with an instruction from the operating unit using a switch having a built-in operating coil.

  As shown in FIG. 5, another reagent disk rotation mechanism control unit 32 is provided in a power supply system different from the control unit 33 that operates the reagent disk rotation mechanism 26 during the analysis operation. After the power supply system B that operates the reagent disk rotation mechanism 26 is shut off during the analysis operation, the control system is switched to another reagent disk rotation mechanism control section 32 according to an instruction from the power supply system determination section 34, and the reagent disk The same effect can be realized by operating the rotation mechanism 26.

  Parameters necessary for operating the reagent disk rotating mechanism are stored in a storage medium that does not require an operation for storing the accumulated data. The power supply system of this storage medium can be operated by the same power supply system as that operating the reagent disk rotation mechanism, and after all power supply systems to the analyzer are shut off due to a power failure, at least the power supply that operates the reagent disk rotation mechanism When only the system is doubled, the reagent disk rotation operation can be performed using parameters necessary for operating the reagent disk rotation mechanism stored in the storage medium. By storing parameters other than those necessary for operating the reagent disk rotating mechanism in another storage medium, the storage capacity of the necessary storage medium can be reduced, and the size and cost of parts can be reduced. Further, since the reagent disk rotating mechanism can be operated even when power is not supplied to another storage medium that stores parameters other than those necessary for operating the reagent disk rotating mechanism, power can be saved.

As shown in FIG. 6, a bimetallic detector 41 for detecting the ambient temperature around the apparatus is provided in the vicinity of the apparatus. When the temperature rises to a temperature at which condensation is likely to occur, the bimetallic detector 41 is closed and the reagent disk operation determining unit 42 determines that it is electrically connected, and the reagent disk rotation control unit 43 causes the reagent disk rotation motor 44 to be used. Rotate. When the temperature is lowered to a temperature at which no dew condensation occurs and the bimetal detector 41 is opened and it is determined that there is no electrical continuity, the rotation of the reagent disk motor 44 is stopped to save power. Can do. The same effect can be realized even if a thermistor whose resistance value changes regularly according to temperature is used for the detector. Further, the same effect can be realized even if a detector for detecting the humidity of the atmosphere around the apparatus is used or used in combination.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a motor 44 that can control the magnitude of torque by the current driven to the motor of the reagent disk rotating mechanism is used, and the motor drive current determination unit 46 switches the motor current changeover switch 47 to change the motor drive current. To be able to switch. During the analysis operation, the current determined by the voltage of the motor current setting reference voltage point 51 determined from the resistance ratio of the motor current setting resistors 48 and 49 is set as the drive current of the motor 44. When the reagent disk rotation motor 44 is rotated during other than the analysis operation, the reagent disk is rotated at a lower speed than during the analysis operation, the torque required for motor rotation is reduced, and the current for driving the motor is reduced. Even if you can rotate. In this case, the motor current changeover switch 47 is turned on according to an instruction from the motor current determination unit 46, the voltage at the motor current setting reference voltage point 51 is lowered, and the drive current of the motor 44 is reduced, thereby reducing the noise and power consumption during driving. Can be reduced.

The figure which showed one Example of this invention which showed the structure of the automatic analyzer. The figure which showed the structure of the detector and the detection board. The figure which showed the reagent disk operation example other than the time of analysis operation | movement. The figure which showed the example of two power supply systems. The figure which showed the example of two power supply systems. The figure which showed the structure of the temperature detector connection. The figure which showed the structure which switches a motor drive current.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Operation part user interface, 2 ... Sample container, 3 ... Transport rack, 4 ... Sample dispensing mechanism, 5 ... Reaction disk, 6 ... Reaction container, 7 ... Reagent cooler, 8 ... Reagent container, 9 ... Reagent dispensing Mechanism: 10 ... Stirring mechanism, 11 ... Photometer, 12 ... Cleaning mechanism, 13 ... Opening of cold storage, 14 ... Rotating position detector for reagent disk, 15 ... Detection plate for detecting rotational position of reagent disk, 16 ... Motor , 17 ... motor control unit, 18 ... switch of power supply system A, 19 ... switch of power supply system B, 20 ... DC power supply of power supply system A, 21 ... DC power supply of power supply system B, 22 ... cool storage (compressor), 23 ... Operation unit monitor, 24 ... Operation unit personal computer, 25 ... Reagent disk rotation mechanism control unit, 26 ... Reagent disk rotation mechanism, 27 ... Sample dispensing mechanism control unit, 28 ... Reaction disk mechanism control unit, 29 ... Cleaning mechanism control unit , DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 0 ... Main power supply of apparatus, 31 ... Main power switch of apparatus, 32 ... Reagent disk rotation mechanism control part of power supply system A, 33 ... Reagent disk rotation mechanism control part of power supply system B, 34 ... Power supply system discrimination | determination part, 35 ... Changeover switch, 41 ... temperature detector, 42 ... reagent disk operation determination unit, 43 ... reagent disk rotation mechanism control unit, 44 ... reagent disk rotation motor, 45 ... current voltage conversion resistor, 46 ... motor drive current determination unit, 47: Motor current changeover switch, 48: Motor current setting resistor 1, 49 ... Motor current setting resistor 2, 50 ... Motor current setting resistor 3, 51 ... Motor current setting reference voltage point.

Claims (7)

Reagent container holding means for holding a plurality of liquid containers including reagent containers;
A reagent container cooling means for cooling the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
An opening provided in the reagent cooling means for aspirating the reagent from the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
Reagent container moving means for moving the reagent container held by the reagent container holding means;
In a reagent refrigerator equipped with
A reagent cool box comprising control means for operating the reagent container moving means in a predetermined operation pattern even when there is no plan to suck a reagent from the reagent container. Reagent container holding means for holding a plurality of reagent containers for storing reagents;
A reagent container cooling means for cooling the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
An opening provided in the reagent cooling means for aspirating the reagent from the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
Reagent container moving means for moving the reagent container held by the reagent container holding means;
In a reagent refrigerator equipped with
A reagent cold box comprising control means for operating the reagent container moving means in a predetermined pattern except during an analysis operation. Reagent container holding means for holding a plurality of reagent containers for storing reagents;
A reagent container cooling means for cooling the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
An opening provided in the reagent cooling means for aspirating the reagent from the reagent container held in the reagent container holding means;
Reagent container moving means for moving the reagent container held by the reagent container holding means;
In a reagent refrigerator equipped with
A reagent cooler having a control means for operating the reagent container moving means in a predetermined pattern when the operation of the reagent container moving means is stopped for a predetermined time or more. In the reagent cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The reagent cold storage box, wherein the predetermined pattern is the same as an operation pattern during an analysis operation. In the automatic analyzer provided with the reagent cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A plurality of power supply systems are provided in the apparatus, and the function of operating the reagent container moving means in the predetermined pattern with only one power supply system of the plurality of power supply systems is provided. Automatic analyzer to do. The automatic analyzer according to claim 5, wherein
An automatic analyzer characterized in that the storage means for storing the operation parameters of the predetermined pattern of the reagent container moving means operates with the same power supply system as that for operating the reagent container moving means. The automatic analyzer according to claim 5 or 6,
Equipped with detection means to detect the temperature and / or humidity of the atmosphere in which the automatic analyzer is installed,
An automatic analyzer comprising: determination means for determining whether or not to operate the reagent container moving means in the predetermined pattern based on the output of the detection means.

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