JP2007033414A - Analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an analyzer capable of reducing limitation in timing for stirring a liquid in a reactor when analyzed, and excellent in transmission efficiency of energy required for the stirring. <P>SOLUTION: This analyzer is provided with a reactor holding means for holding the plurality of reactors stored respectively with the liquids, a plurality of stirring means provided to correspond to the plurality of respective reactors, and for stirring the liquids stored in the respective reactors, a plurality of stirring driving means for driving the plurality of stirring means, a control means for controlling the stirring driving means, and a transfer means for transferring collectively at least the reactor holding means and the stirring driving means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an analyzer for analyzing components of a specimen such as blood or body fluid.

  Conventionally, in an analyzer that automatically and continuously analyzes samples such as blood and body fluids, as a technique for stirring the liquid in the reaction container after dispensing the sample to be analyzed and the reagent to be reacted with the sample, There has been disclosed a technique of stirring a liquid by providing sound wave generation means outside the reaction container and generating sound waves from the sound wave generation means toward the reaction container (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this technique, constant temperature water that keeps the temperature of the liquid constant is interposed between the reaction vessel and the sound wave generating means, and the stirring of the liquid is performed while the reaction disk that holds the reaction vessel and rotates is stopped. Is called.

Japanese Patent No. 3168886

  As described above, since the conventional analyzer can only stir while the reaction disk is stopped, there is a problem that the timing of stirring in one sequence is limited.

  In addition, since the energy of the sound wave generated by the sound wave generation means attenuates before reaching the reaction vessel that is spatially separated via the constant temperature water, the transmission efficiency of the energy required for stirring is not always good. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is possible to reduce the restriction on the timing of stirring the liquid in the reaction vessel at the time of analysis, and to provide an analyzer excellent in the transmission efficiency of energy required for stirring. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is an analyzer for analyzing the components of the liquid respectively accommodated in the plurality of reaction vessels, and holds the plurality of reaction vessels. Reaction container holding means, a plurality of stirring means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of reaction containers, for stirring the liquid contained in each reaction container, and a stirring drive means for driving the plurality of stirring means And a control means for controlling the agitation drive means, and at least a transfer means for collectively transferring the reaction vessel holding means and the agitation drive means.

  The liquid in the present invention includes a liquid containing a small amount of a solid component such as blood and body fluid.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises power signal transmission means capable of constantly transmitting a power signal transmitted from the power source.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a part of the power signal transmission means is interlocked with the reaction vessel holding means and the stirring drive means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the power signal transmission means includes a slip ring.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the power signal transmission means includes a rotary transformer.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the power signal transmission means is a rail on which the reaction vessel holding means is placed and is electrically connected to the power source to receive the power signal. And a contact means that contacts the rail part and receives the power signal and interlocks with the reaction container holding means.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the power signal transmission means transmits the control signal transmitted by the control means superimposed on the power signal. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 1, further comprising control signal transmission means capable of always transmitting a control signal transmitted by the control means.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to claim 8, wherein the control signal transmission means includes a slip ring.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the eighth aspect of the invention, the control signal transmission means wirelessly transmits a control signal transmitted by the control means.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to claim 1, further comprising switching means interposed between the plurality of stirring means and the stirring drive means for switching an electrical connection state. The stirring means is connected in parallel to the stirring drive means via the switching means.

  The invention according to claim 12 is the invention according to claim 11, wherein the switching means electrically connects the stirring driving means and any one of the plurality of stirring means. To do.

  A thirteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the invention of the eleventh or twelfth aspect, the switching means periodically changes the stirring means electrically connected to the stirring drive means.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the switching means includes a plurality of switches respectively connecting the stirring drive means and the plurality of stirring means. Features.

  The invention according to claim 15 is the invention according to claim 14, wherein the switch is a high-frequency relay or a high-frequency semiconductor switch.

  The invention according to claim 16 is the invention according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the stirring drive means, and each stirring drive means drives one of the plurality of stirring means based on mutually independent driving conditions. Features.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the invention, in the sixteenth aspect of the invention, the drive condition is at least one of the presence / absence of drive, the drive frequency, the drive amplitude, the drive time, and the modulation condition for modulating the drive frequency or drive amplitude Any one of them is included.

  The invention according to claim 18 is the invention according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the number of the agitation drive means is equal to or more than the number of the agitation means driven simultaneously among the plurality of agitation means.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the stirring drive means drives at least one of the plurality of stirring means when the transfer means transfers the reaction vessel holding means. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to nineteenth aspects, the stirring unit includes a sound wave generating unit that generates a sound wave or an ultrasonic wave.

  According to a twenty-first aspect of the invention, in the twentieth aspect of the invention, the sound wave generating means is formed integrally with the reaction vessel.

  A twenty-second aspect of the invention is characterized in that in the invention of the twentieth or twenty-first aspect, the sound wave generating means has a pair of or more comb-shaped electrodes.

  According to the present invention, the reaction container holding means for holding a plurality of reaction containers each containing a liquid, and the agitation of the liquid stored in each reaction container provided corresponding to each of the plurality of reaction containers. A plurality of stirring means to perform, a stirring driving means for driving the plurality of stirring means, a control means for controlling the stirring driving means, and a transfer means for collectively transferring at least the reaction vessel holding means and the stirring driving means With this, it is possible to reduce the restriction on the timing of stirring the liquid in the reaction vessel during analysis, and to provide an analyzer excellent in transmission efficiency of energy required for stirring.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a main part of the analyzer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The analyzer 1 shown in FIG. 1 dispenses a specimen and a reagent, which are samples to be analyzed, into a reaction container, and optically measures a reaction occurring in the reaction container, and the measurement mechanism 11 includes And a control analysis mechanism 21 that controls the measurement apparatus 11 and analyzes the measurement results in the measurement mechanism 11. The two mechanisms cooperate to biochemically and immunologically analyze the components of a plurality of specimens. Or perform genetic analysis automatically and continuously.

  The measurement mechanism 11 of the analyzer 1 includes a sample transfer unit 12 that stores and sequentially transfers a plurality of racks 32 on which sample containers 31 that store samples such as blood and body fluid are mounted, and a reagent container holding unit that holds a reagent container 41. And a reaction container holding part 14 for holding a reaction container 51 that contains and reacts the specimen and the reagent. Further, the measurement mechanism 11 is accommodated in a sample dispensing unit 15 that dispenses a sample accommodated in the sample container 31 on the sample transfer unit 12 into the reaction container 51 and a reagent container 41 on the reagent container holding unit 13. A reagent dispensing unit 16 that dispenses a reagent in the reaction vessel 51, a photometric unit 17 that receives light irradiated from a light source and passed through the reaction vessel 51, and measures the intensity of a predetermined component, and the reaction vessel 51 A cleaning unit 18 is provided for performing the cleaning.

  The measurement mechanism 11 further includes an agitation mechanism 19 that agitates a liquid contained in the reaction container 51 (including a “liquid” containing a small amount of a solid component such as blood). The stirring mechanism 19 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings after explaining the control analysis mechanism 21.

  The control analysis mechanism 21 controls each function or each means in the analysis apparatus 1 and also performs an operation for analyzing a measurement result in the measurement mechanism 11, and a device control unit 22 realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like. The input unit 23 that receives input of information necessary for analyzing the sample and the operation instruction signal of the analyzer 1, the output unit 24 that outputs information including the analysis result, the control program of the analyzer 1 and the analysis result of the analyzer 1 A storage unit 25 that stores the information to be included, and a power supply unit 26 that supplies power to drive each unit of the analyzer 1 are provided.

  Subsequently, the stirring mechanism 19 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a physical configuration of the stirring mechanism 19. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the stirring mechanism 19. The stirring mechanism 19 shown in these drawings is sent from a signal transmission unit 191 that transmits a DC power signal sent from the power supply unit 26 and an AC control signal sent from the device control unit 22, and a signal transmission unit 191. A drive control unit 192 that controls the stirring operation and the transfer operation of the reaction vessel holding unit 14 based on the control signal, and a drive for stirring the reaction vessel 51 according to the control signal sent from the drive control unit 192 And a plurality of agitation drive units 193 for transmitting signals.

  Each agitation drive unit 193 is connected to a switch 194 which is a switching means for switching the electrical connection state, and a sound wave which is connected to the switch 194 and stirs the liquid in the reaction vessel 51 by generating a sound wave or an ultrasonic wave. A plurality of sets including the generating unit 195 (stirring means) are connected in parallel. It should be noted that the number of sets of switches 194 and sound wave generators 195 connected to each stirring drive unit 193 may all be the same or different.

  The agitating mechanism 19 has a configuration other than the above, a power supply unit 196 that receives a power signal sent from the signal transmission unit 191, converts it into a voltage value suitable for each part in the agitating mechanism 19, and outputs the voltage value. As a transfer means for rotating the reaction vessel holding unit 14 based on a control signal from the unit 22 and transferring the reaction vessel 51 to a desired position, a transfer unit 197 realized using a stepping motor or the like is provided.

  The signal transmission unit 191 is realized using a slip ring, and includes a fixed unit 191a and a rotating unit 191b. The rotation axis of the rotating unit 191b coincides with the vertical center axis of the reaction vessel holding unit 14, and the operation of the transfer unit 197 causes the interlocking unit 19C of the stirring mechanism 19 (reaction vessel holding unit 14, drive control unit 192, stirring drive). Part 193, switch 194, and sound wave generator 195). In FIG. 3, the interlocking portion 19 </ b> C is surrounded by a one-dot chain line and displayed. By using such a signal transmission unit 191, it is possible to constantly transmit the power signal and the control signal to the stirring mechanism 19. In this sense, the signal transmission unit 191 has both functions of a power signal transmission unit and a control signal transmission unit.

  By the way, in the case shown in FIG. 2, the two lead wires connected to the power supply unit 26 are for power supply, and the two lead wires connected to the device control unit 22 are for control signal transmission by serial communication. (One for each ground wire). Therefore, in the case shown in FIG. 2, the number of poles of the slip ring may be at least four.

  The agitation drive unit 193 includes an oscillation circuit and an amplification circuit. Based on the control signal sent from the drive control unit 192, the agitation drive unit 193 provides a drive signal to the sound wave generation unit 195 connected via the closed switch 194. Apply. This drive signal is an AC signal having a relatively high frequency of about several tens of MHz (megahertz) to several hundreds of MHz. In such a high-frequency circuit in which an AC signal having a relatively high frequency is transmitted, the signal transmission efficiency is lowered according to the difference in characteristic impedance for each part constituting the circuit. In order to avoid such a problem, the characteristic impedance of the transmission line from the stirring drive unit 193 to the sound wave generator 195 and the impedance of the load in the sound wave generator 195 are matched in advance (for example, matched to a constant value of 50Ω).

  It is known that impedance mismatch becomes more apparent as the transmission line becomes longer. In this sense, it is more preferable that the transmission lines connecting the stirring drive unit 193 and the switch 194 and the switch 194 and the sound wave generation unit 195 are arranged to be as short as possible.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sound wave generator 195 that is a stirring means. FIG. 5 is an arrow view (side view) in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The sound wave generator 195 shown in these drawings is an electrode provided on a surface of a substrate 195a made of a piezoelectric body and a vibrator 195b made of a pair of comb electrodes (IDT: Inter Digital Transducers) and the reaction vessel holding part 14. A terminal 195c that can contact an electrode (not shown) connected to the switch 194 and receives a drive signal applied to the vibrator 195b from the stirring drive unit 193, and the vibrator 195b and the terminal 195c are electrically connected. And a conductive wire 195d that is integrally attached to a side wall 51a in which a photometric window 51b of the reaction vessel 51 is provided. 4 and 5, the sound wave generator 195 is disposed above the window 51b so as to avoid the photometric window 51b provided below the side wall 51a. Between the substrate 195a of the sound wave generator 195 and the side wall 51a of the reaction vessel 51, an acoustic matching layer 61 is interposed for matching the acoustic impedance of the two.

  As the piezoelectric body forming the substrate 195a, a piezoelectric single crystal, a piezoelectric thin film formed on the single crystal, or the like can be used. As the acoustic matching layer 61, epoxy resin, shellac, gel, or the like can be applied. Note that a piezoelectric vibrator such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) may be used instead of the comb-shaped electrode as the vibrator 195b.

  Since the sound wave generator 195 having the above configuration is provided integrally with the reaction vessel 51 via the thin acoustic matching layer 61, the distance from the vibrator 195b to the liquid in the reaction vessel 51 is short. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the energy required for stirring from being attenuated before reaching the liquid to be stirred. In addition, since the sound wave generator 195 is integrated with the reaction vessel 51, it is not necessary to provide a bathtub for storing constant temperature water, which is suitable for reducing the size of the analyzer 1.

  Note that the attachment position of the sound wave generator 195 to the reaction vessel 51 is not limited to the above-described side wall 51a, and for example, it is integrally attached to the bottom surface of the reaction vessel 51 or the side surface where the photometric window 51b is not provided. However, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  Next, an outline of the operation in the analyzer 1 will be described. When an analysis request is input from the outside of the analyzer 1 (user or host computer) via the input unit 23, the apparatus control unit 22 determines the sample to be tested and the analysis item in accordance with the input analysis request. Information such as order is assigned to a table stored in the storage unit 25. In this table, analysis parameters relating to the type of reagent necessary for analysis, the amount dispensed, the wavelength for photometry, the stirring conditions, and the like are recorded in advance for each analysis item. The device control unit 22 refers to the table, reads the analysis parameter related to the stirring condition from the storage unit 25, and sends the read analysis parameter to the stirring mechanism 19 as a control signal.

The analysis parameters sent to the stirring mechanism 19 relate to the presence / absence of driving, the driving frequency, the driving amplitude, the driving time, the modulation conditions when modulating the driving frequency or the driving amplitude, etc. This is none other than the driving conditions of the generator 195. Hereinafter, an example of setting the stirring conditions will be described.
(1) About the inspection item which dispenses only the 1st reagent and does not dispense the 2nd reagent, it sets so that stirring after the 2nd reagent dispensing may not be performed.
(2) When stirring a liquid having a high viscosity or a liquid having a high surface tension, the drive amplitude of the vibrator 195b is increased or the drive time of the vibrator 195b is increased.
(3) When stirring a liquid with a small amount of liquid or a liquid that is easily affected by a temperature change, the drive amplitude of the vibrator 195b is reduced and the drive time of the vibrator 195b is shortened.
(4) When agitation is performed in consideration of various conditions such as the amount and viscosity of the liquid to be agitated, the modulation condition for modulating the drive frequency or the drive amplitude is set to an optimum value.

  The stirring operation is often performed after dispensing of the sample by the sample dispensing unit 15 and after dispensing the first reagent and the second reagent by the reagent dispensing unit 16, respectively. Normally, analysis is performed in a state where various analysis items are confused in the analysis apparatus 1, and therefore, the stirring conditions defined by the analysis parameters, that is, the driving conditions of the sound wave generator 195 are almost random. In this sense, in order to drive the sound wave generation unit 195 in accordance with various stirring conditions, it is preferable that the stirring driving units 193 can operate independently from each other. That is, in the analyzer 1, in order to appropriately execute the stirring operations performed after the sample dispensing, the first reagent dispensing, and the second reagent dispensing under various stirring conditions, they can operate independently. It is more preferable that at least three such agitation drive units 193 are provided.

  When the agitation drive unit 193 applies a drive signal to the sound wave generation unit 195, drive control is performed such that only one switch 194 is always closed among the switches 194 connected in parallel to the agitation drive unit 193. Done. FIG. 6 shows a configuration from the agitation drive unit 193 to the reaction vessel 51 when two switches 194 are connected in parallel to one agitation drive unit 193 in order to show a specific example of this drive control. It is a block diagram. In the figure, in order to distinguish the two switches 194 for the sake of convenience, the reference numerals of the two switches are 194a and 194b.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the change over time of the open / closed states of the switches 194a and 194b. The waveform Sa shows the open / closed state of the switch 194a, and the waveform Sb shows the open / closed state of the switch 194b. In the case shown in FIG. 7, the switches 194a and 194b are alternately closed in a short time and at equal intervals to be in the ON state.

  More generally, even when n (n is a positive integer) switches 194 are connected in parallel to one agitation drive unit 193, the switches 194 are sequentially closed so that the timings of closing the switches 194 do not overlap. It is sufficient to perform such control. At this time, the closing times of the switches 194 are not necessarily equal. As such a switch 194, a high frequency relay or a high frequency semiconductor switch can be applied.

  As described above, by performing control such that only one switch 194 among the plurality of switches 194 connected in parallel to one stirring drive unit 193 is closed and turned on, the comparison is performed. The impedance matching state of the high-frequency circuit that transmits a drive signal having a relatively high frequency is maintained, and a decrease in drive signal transmission efficiency can be suppressed.

Here, the stirring operation by the sound wave or the ultrasonic wave generated by the sound wave generator 195 will be described. In the sound wave generation unit 195 to which the corresponding switch 194 is closed and the drive signal sent from the stirring drive unit 193 is applied, the vibrator 195b is vibrated by the drive signal, and the substrate 195a is excited. In the excited substrate 195a, vibration energy is concentrated on the surface, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) that propagates along the surface is generated. Since the reaction container 51 is matched in acoustic impedance with the vibrator 195b, the surface acoustic wave propagating on the surface of the substrate 195a is a longitudinal wave into the liquid L in the reaction container 51 with little energy loss. As leaks. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8 (corresponding to a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5) schematically showing the state at the time of liquid agitation, the liquid L turns inside the liquid-liquid interface (upward) and rises. the flow F _a continue to the flow F _b which descends to pivot on the bottom (lower side) of the reaction vessel 51 is caused, the liquid L is agitated by these streams.

  Since this stirring operation is independent of the rotation of the reaction container holding unit 14 by the transfer unit 197, for example, the corresponding sound wave generation unit 195 is driven while the reaction container holding unit 14 is rotating to perform stirring. You can also. Therefore, the analysis time can be shortened and efficient analysis can be realized as compared with the conventional case where only the reaction vessel that is stationary at a predetermined stirring position is stirred.

  When the liquid L shown in FIG. 8 is a mixed solution of the specimen and the reagent, the mixed solution in the reaction vessel 51 whose reaction has been promoted by the stirring operation described above passes through the photometric unit 17 by the rotation of the reaction vessel holding unit 14. Is irradiated with predetermined light, and the intensity of light passing through the mixture is measured. Thereafter, in the control analysis mechanism 21 that has received the measurement result from the photometry unit 17, the apparatus control unit 22 reads out the analysis information of the sample to be measured from the storage unit 25, and performs the analysis calculation of the measurement result. In this analytical calculation, the absorbance of the reaction solution is calculated based on the measurement result sent from the photometry unit 17, and in addition to this calculation result, a calibration curve or an analysis parameter obtained from a standard sample is used, whereby the reaction solution is obtained. Quantitatively determine the concentration of the component. The obtained analysis result is output from the output unit 24 and stored and stored in the storage unit 25.

  Up to this point, the stirring operation after dispensing a liquid such as a specimen or a reagent into the reaction container 51 has been described, but this stirring operation is also applied when the cleaning container 18 cleans the reaction container 51 that has been measured. Is possible. In this case, in addition to the timing after sample dispensing, after the first reagent dispensing, and after the second reagent dispensing, two more stirring operations (washing and rinsing in the washing unit 18) are required. In a series of analysis steps performed using one reaction vessel 51, five stirring operations are performed on the reaction vessel 51. In this sense, it is more preferable that the analyzer 1 is provided with at least five independent stirring drive units 193.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, a reaction container holding unit that holds a plurality of reaction containers each containing a liquid and a plurality of reaction containers are provided corresponding to each of the reaction containers, A plurality of sound wave generators for stirring the liquid stored therein, a stirring drive unit for driving the plurality of sound wave generators, and a control means for controlling the stirring drive unit (at least a part of the device control unit and the drive control unit) And a transfer unit that collectively transfers the reaction vessel holding unit and the stirring drive unit, the timing of stirring the liquid in the reaction vessel during analysis can be reduced, It is possible to provide an analyzer excellent in transmission efficiency of energy required for stirring.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, since the opening / closing operation of the switch and the rotation operation of the reaction container holding unit are controlled independently, the stirring time can be increased in one sequence or the timing of stirring can be flexible. Can be held. Therefore, the load applied to the analyzer can be distributed to improve the durability and operational stability of the apparatus, and an efficient and economical analysis can be realized.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, unlike the analysis device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a water tank for storing constant temperature water is not required, so that the configuration of the device is simple and easy to maintain, and the size of the device is small. It is also suitable for achieving the above.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a physical configuration of the stirring mechanism of the analyzer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the stirring mechanism. The stirring mechanism 219 shown in these figures includes a power signal sent as an AC signal from the power supply unit 26 of the analyzer 2 and a control signal sent from the device control unit 22 and having a significantly higher frequency than the power signal. A signal transmission unit 291 that transmits the signal in a superimposed manner is provided.

  The signal transmission unit 291 is connected to the rotary transformer 291ab including two coils 291a and 291b having substantially the same shape, and the power supply signal from the power supply unit 26 and the control signal from the device control unit 22 are superimposed on each other. And a separation circuit 291d connected to the coil 291b and separating the mixed signal sent from the coil 291b according to a predetermined frequency band.

  The coils 291a and 291b are each formed by winding a lead wire around each of a cylindrical ferrite core. The central axis in the longitudinal direction of the coils 291a and 291b (the height direction of the cylindrical shape formed by the core) coincides with the rotation axis of the reaction vessel holding unit 14, and the coil 291a located below the coil 291b in FIG. It is fixed to the main body side of the analyzer 2. On the other hand, the coil 291b is fixed to the reaction vessel holding unit 14 and rotates in conjunction with the reaction vessel holding unit 14 by the operation of the transfer unit 197. Therefore, of the signal transmission unit 291, the coil 291 b and the separation circuit 291 d are included in the interlocking unit 219 </ b> C of the stirring mechanism 219.

  The mixing circuit 291c is realized by using, for example, a transformer, and superimposes the control signal sent from the device control unit 22 and the power signal sent from the power supply unit 26, and sends them to the coil 291a. The separation circuit 291d has a block for separating a signal according to a frequency, and has a function of taking out a control signal from the separated high-frequency component and taking out a power supply signal from the separated low-frequency component.

  When the control signal is sent from the device control unit 22 and the power signal is sent from the power supply unit 26 to the signal transmission unit 291 having the above configuration, the mixing circuit 291c sends the received control signal and the power signal. A mixed signal is generated by superposition. When the generated mixed signal flows through the coil 291a, a signal corresponding to the mixed signal is generated in the coil 291b by electromagnetic induction (mutual induction of the coil 291a and the coil 291b). The separation circuit 291d that has received the generated signal separates the received signal into a high frequency component and a low frequency component.

  Of the two components separated by the separation circuit 291d, the low frequency component is sent to the power supply unit 296 at the subsequent stage. In the power supply unit 296, the received low frequency component is converted into a direct current by AC-DC conversion, converted to a voltage value suitable for each unit in the stirring mechanism 219, and supplied to supply power. On the other hand, the high frequency component is sent as a control signal to the drive control unit 192, and controls the stirring operation as a control signal of the stirring drive unit 193 and the switch 194, and controls the driving of the transfer unit 197, that is, the rotation operation of the reaction vessel holding unit 14. To do. Thus, the signal transmission unit 291 has both functions of the power signal transmission unit and the control signal transmission unit.

  The configuration and operation of the analyzer 2 other than those described above are the same as the configuration and operation of the analyzer 1. For this reason, in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the same code | symbol as the corresponding site | part of FIGS. 1-3 is respectively attached | subjected with respect to the site | part which has the function structure similar to the analyzer 1. FIG.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the restriction on the timing of stirring the liquid in the reaction vessel at the time of analysis, and to reduce the energy required for stirring. An analyzer having excellent transmission efficiency can be provided.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, since the rotary transformer is applied as the signal transmission unit, there is no contact between the fixed unit and the rotary unit, and the durability of the analyzer can be further improved. In addition, the wiring can be further simplified.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a physical configuration of the stirring mechanism of the analyzer according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the stirring mechanism. The signal transmission unit 391 of the agitation mechanism 319 shown in these drawings includes two parallel rail portions 391a and two rails that are formed in the bottom surface of the reaction vessel holding portion 34 and can be placed on each of the rail portions 391a. A receiving part 391b (contact means) and a receiving part 391c provided on the side surface of the reaction container holding part 34 and receiving a control signal transmitted by a predetermined wireless method are provided. In this sense, the signal transmission unit 391 has both functions of a power signal transmission unit and a control signal transmission unit.

  The rail portion 391a is fixed to the main body portion of the analyzer 3 according to the third embodiment, and the rail receiving portion 391b and the receiving portion 391c that are always in contact with the rail portion 391a react by driving the transfer portion 197. Interlocks with the container holding part 34. Therefore, of the signal transmission unit 391, the rail receiving unit 391b and the receiving unit 391c are included in the interlocking unit 319C of the stirring mechanism 319.

  In addition to the same configuration as the control analysis mechanism 21 of the analysis apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the control analysis mechanism 231 of the analysis apparatus 3 transmits a control signal from the apparatus control unit 22 by a predetermined wireless method. The unit 27 is provided. The power supply unit 26 of the control analysis mechanism 231 is connected to the two rail portions 391a as shown in FIG. 11, and generates a DC potential difference between the two rail portions 391a-391a. This potential difference is transmitted to the power supply unit 196 via the rail receiving unit 391b, converted into a voltage value suitable for each unit constituting the stirring mechanism 319, and output. For this reason, the rail part 391a and the rail receiving part 391b are formed of a conductive material.

  The control signal transmitted via the transmitter 27 is received by the antenna 391d that forms part of the receiver 391c. The receiving unit 391c performs appropriate processing such as filtering, detection, and amplification on the control signal received by the antenna 391d, and then sends the control signal to the drive control unit 192.

  The configuration and operation of the analyzer 3 other than the signal transmission unit 391, the reaction container holding unit 34, and the control analysis mechanism 231 described above are the same as the configuration and operation of the analyzer 1 according to the first embodiment. For this reason, in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the site | part corresponding to the site | part described in FIGS.

  According to the third embodiment of the present invention described above, as in the first embodiment, the timing of stirring the liquid in the reaction vessel during analysis can be reduced, and the energy required for stirring can be reduced. An analyzer having excellent transmission efficiency can be provided.

  Further, according to the third embodiment, since the configuration is much simpler than those of the first and second embodiments described above, maintenance is easy and the cost can be further reduced.

(Other embodiments)
So far, the first to third embodiments have been described in detail as the best mode for carrying out the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited only by these embodiments. For example, when a slip ring is applied to the signal transmission unit, the signal may be transmitted by superimposing the control signal and the power supply signal as in the second embodiment. If the control signal is transmitted by this method, the number of poles used in the slip ring can be reduced, so that the wiring can be simplified.

  Moreover, you may comprise a stirring means, without using a sound wave generation part. For example, magnetic fine particles may be placed in the reaction vessel in advance, an electromagnet may be disposed near the bottom or side surface of each reaction vessel, and stirring may be performed by applying an appropriate magnetic field to the magnetic fine particles. The liquid inside the reaction vessel may be agitated by arranging vibration means that vibrates electrically with respect to the reaction vessel and applying appropriate vibration to each reaction vessel.

  The analyzer according to the present invention is not limited to the one having the configuration as shown in FIG. That is, the agitation mechanism described above can be applied to various types of analyzers known in the art.

  As is clear from the above description, the present invention can include various embodiments and the like not described herein, and within the scope not departing from the technical idea specified by the claims. Various design changes and the like can be made.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the principal part of the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the physical structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is provided. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is provided. It is a figure which shows the structure of a reaction container and a sound wave generation part. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of a sound wave generation part. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure at the time of connecting two switches in parallel with respect to one stirring drive part. It is a figure which shows the open / close state of a switch at the time of connecting two switches in parallel. It is explanatory drawing which shows stirring operation typically. It is a figure which shows the physical structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is provided. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention is provided. It is a figure which shows the physical structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention is provided. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the stirring mechanism with which the analyzer which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention is provided.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3 Analyzer 11 Measuring mechanism 12 Specimen transfer unit 13 Reagent container holding unit 14, 34 Reaction vessel holding unit 15 Sample dispensing unit 16 Reagent dispensing unit 17 Photometric unit 18 Washing unit 19, 219, 319 Stirring mechanism 19C 219C, 319C interlocking unit 21, 231 control analysis mechanism 22 device control unit 23 input unit 24 output unit 25 storage unit 26, 196, 296 power supply unit 27 transmission unit 31 sample container 32 rack 41 reagent container 51 reaction container 51a side wall 51b window Unit 61 Acoustic matching layer 191, 291, 391 Signal transmission unit 191 a Fixed unit 191 b Rotating unit 192 Drive control unit 193 Stirring drive unit 194, 194 a, 194 b Switch 195 Sound wave generation unit 195 a Substrate 195 b Transducer 195 c Terminal 195 a Conductor 1 197 Transfer unit 29 291b Coil 291ab Rotating transformer 291c Mixing circuit 291d Separating circuit 391a Rail part 391b Rail receiving part 391c Receiving part 391d Antenna

Claims (22)

An analyzer for analyzing components of a liquid respectively contained in a plurality of reaction containers,
Reaction vessel holding means for holding the plurality of reaction vessels;
A plurality of stirring means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of reaction vessels, for stirring the liquid contained in each reaction vessel;
Stirring drive means for driving the plurality of stirring means;
Control means for controlling the stirring drive means;
Transfer means for collectively transferring at least the reaction vessel holding means and the stirring drive means;
An analyzer characterized by comprising:   2. The analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising power signal transmission means capable of constantly transmitting a power signal sent from a power source.   3. The analyzer according to claim 2, wherein a part of the power signal transmission means is interlocked with the reaction vessel holding means and the stirring drive means.   The analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the power signal transmission means includes a slip ring.   4. The analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the power signal transmission means includes a rotary transformer. The power signal transmission means is
A rail portion on which the reaction vessel holding means is mounted and electrically connected to the power source to receive the power signal;
Contact means that contacts the rail portion and receives the power signal, and interlocks with the reaction vessel holding means;
The analyzer according to claim 3, further comprising:   The analyzer according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the power signal transmission means transmits the control signal transmitted by the control means in a manner superimposed on the power signal.   2. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control signal transmission means capable of constantly transmitting a control signal transmitted by the control means.   9. The analyzer according to claim 8, wherein the control signal transmission means includes a slip ring.   9. The analysis apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control signal transmission unit transmits the control signal transmitted by the control unit by radio. A switching means for interposing between the plurality of stirring means and the stirring drive means for switching the electrical connection state;
The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of stirring means are connected in parallel to the stirring drive means via the switching means.   The analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the switching unit electrically connects the stirring driving unit and any one of the plurality of stirring units. The switching means is
The analyzer according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the stirring means electrically connected to the stirring drive means is periodically changed.   The analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the switching unit includes a plurality of switches that respectively connect the stirring driving unit and the plurality of stirring units.   15. The analyzer according to claim 14, wherein the switch is a high frequency relay or a high frequency semiconductor switch.   The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the agitation drive means are provided, and each agitation drive means drives one of the plurality of agitation means based on mutually independent drive conditions.   The drive condition includes at least one of presence / absence of drive, drive frequency, drive amplitude, drive time, and modulation condition when modulating the drive frequency or drive amplitude. Analysis equipment.   18. The analyzer according to claim 16, wherein the number of the agitation driving means is equal to or greater than the number of agitation means that are simultaneously driven among the plurality of agitation means.   The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the stirring driving unit drives at least one stirring unit among the plurality of stirring units when the transfer unit transfers the reaction container holding unit.   The analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the stirring means includes sound wave generation means for generating sound waves or ultrasonic waves.   21. The analyzer according to claim 20, wherein the sound wave generating means is formed integrally with the reaction container.   The analyzer according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the sound wave generating means has a pair of or more comb-shaped electrodes.

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