JP2010025858A - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dispensing device capable of sucking more surely the whole plasma component from a liquid specimen after being subjected to centrifugal separation treatment. <P>SOLUTION: When sucking a plasma component, the upper surface level of a separation agent is acquired beforehand based on the sectional area of a specimen container 50 or the volume of the separation agent. Thereafter, when clogging occurs in the middle of the suction of the plasma component, a control part 10 determines whether the clogging is caused by the contact of a nozzle tip 40 with the separation agent or not based on a comparison result between the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 and the upper surface level of the separation agent at a clogging occurrence time. When the clogging is caused by the separation agent, it is determined that the plasma component is sucked almost completely, and sucking treatment is finished. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus that sucks and discharges a specimen from a specimen container in which two kinds of specimens are separated and accommodated with a high-viscosity separating agent interposed therebetween.

  A sample such as a blood sample may be subjected to a centrifugal separation process after being stored in a sample container. The sample subjected to the centrifugal separation process is separated into a plasma component and a blood cell component in the sample container. When the centrifugation process is executed, a high-viscosity separating agent is usually put in advance in the sample container. After centrifugation, this separating agent constitutes an intermediate layer located between the upper layer composed of plasma components and the lower layer composed of blood cell components.

  The sample after the centrifugal separation is usually divided into analysis containers (child sample containers) by a dispensing device equipped with a nozzle, and then subjected to an analysis process (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 below). Etc.) Here, conventionally, only the plasma component (upper sample) is often the object of analysis, but recently, the blood cell component (lower sample) may also be handled as the object of analysis. In this case, as a matter of course, the blood cell component also needs to be dispensed into small portions by the dispensing device. However, prior to this subdivision of the blood cell component, the separating agent and plasma component located above the blood cell component must be removed. That is, if a high-viscosity separating agent is present, the nozzle is blocked by the separating agent before reaching the blood cell component, and normal suction operation cannot be performed. Further, if the separating agent is removed while the plasma component remains, the plasma component and the blood cell component are mixed, and normal analysis cannot be performed. Therefore, the plasma component must be removed in its entirety before the separating agent is removed.

  The removal of the whole amount of the plasma component is usually performed by sucking and discharging the plasma component with a nozzle of a dispensing device. However, there is a case where the suction operation of the plasma component is hindered due to the separating agent. Specifically, when the nozzle comes into contact with a high-viscosity separating agent during the suction of plasma components, the nozzle is blocked by the separating agent, and normal suction operation cannot be performed.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-7113 Japanese Patent No. 2515938 JP 2007-132855 A JP 2008-46002 A

  In order to solve such a problem, in Patent Document 1, when an upper layer specimen is aspirated while monitoring a pressure change in the nozzle and a sudden pressure change is detected, it is determined that the nozzle has contacted the separation agent. A technique for stopping the suction operation is disclosed. According to such a technique, the problem of obstructing the suction operation due to the blockage of the nozzle can be somewhat reduced. However, in this Patent Document 1, when the blockage occurs for reasons other than the separating agent, for example, even when the blockage is caused by a fibrous protein floating in the plasma component, the plasma suction operation As a result, the whole amount of plasma components may not be aspirated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device that can assure the entire amount of the specimen component in the uppermost layer aspirate.

  The dispensing device of the present invention is a dispensing device that sucks and discharges the sample from a sample container in which two kinds of sample components are separated and stored with a high-viscosity separating agent interposed therebetween, and the sample container A level acquisition means for acquiring the upper surface level of the separating agent accommodated in the container, a suction / discharge means for suctioning / discharging the specimen through the nozzle, and a nozzle that is movable relative to the specimen container; A separating body removing means for removing the separating agent from the sample container by pulling up the tubular body after inserting the separating body into the separating agent; The blockage detecting means for detecting the occurrence of blockage of the nozzle in the case of the above, and when the blockage is detected during the suction of the uppermost sample, the nozzle height at the time of the blockage detection and the separation agent acquired by the level acquisition means Top level Determination means for determining whether or not the blockage is due to the contact of the nozzle with the separating agent, and a control means for controlling operations of the suction and discharge means and the separating agent recovery means. And control means for determining the operation contents of the suction / discharge means and the separating agent recovery means after the blockage is detected according to the determination result of the determination means.

  In a preferred aspect, when the difference between the nozzle height at the time of detection of the blockage and the upper surface level of the separating agent acquired by the level acquisition unit is within a specified tolerance, the determination unit is configured to detect the blockage of the nozzle. It is determined that the blockage is caused by contact with the separating agent.

  In another preferred embodiment, when the shape of the specimen container, the volume of the separation agent, and the volume ratio of the two kinds of specimens are known, the level acquisition means calculates the upper surface level of the topmost specimen. Means for detecting and means for calculating the upper surface level of the separation agent based on the upper surface level of the uppermost sample, the shape of the sample container, the volume of the separation agent, and the volume ratio of the two types of samples And comprising.

  In another preferred aspect, when the determination unit determines that the blockage is not due to contact of the nozzle with the separating agent, the control unit replaces the nozzle with respect to the suction / discharge unit. And re-execution of the suction operation after the nozzle replacement. When the determination unit determines that the blockage is a blockage caused by contact of the nozzle with the separating agent, the control unit instructs the suction and discharge unit to stop the suction operation, and The separation agent removing unit is instructed to start the separation agent removal operation.

  In another preferred aspect, the level acquisition unit further acquires a lower surface level of the separation agent, and the control unit removes the separation agent based on the lower surface level of the separation agent acquired by the level acquisition unit. The descending height of the cylinder of the separating agent removing means at the time is determined. In this case, the level calculation means may determine the separation based on the nozzle height when the clogging due to the contact of the nozzle with the separation agent is detected, the volume of the separation agent, and the shape of the specimen container. It is desirable to calculate the lower surface level of the agent.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the clogging generated when the uppermost sample is aspirated is a clogging caused by contact of the nozzle with the separating agent. In other words, it can be determined whether or not the uppermost sample component has been aspirated. As a result, the entire amount of the specimen component in the uppermost layer can be sucked more reliably.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a dispensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This dispensing apparatus is an apparatus for appropriately dispensing the sample after the centrifugal separation process into the child sample container. In the dispensing apparatus of the present embodiment, all the processes related to dispensing are automated, but depending on the case, some or all of the processes may be performed manually. Further, in the following description, as a sample to be dispensed, a blood sample that has been subjected to a centrifugal separation process is illustrated, but if the sample has two types of sample components separated vertically with a separating agent interposed therebetween, Other specimens may be handled as dispensing targets.

  In FIG. 1, the dispensing device includes a housing 12, a movable unit 14, racks 16 and 17, a cylinder body removing mechanism 20 and a nozzle chip removing mechanism 18, and a control unit 10. The housing 12 includes a base 22, a pair of support columns 24 and 26, and an upper rail 30. The upper rail 30 is a member for moving the movable portion 14 in the Y direction in the figure.

  In this embodiment, the movable portion 14 includes a frame 32, a nozzle unit 34, and a separating agent removal unit 36. The nozzle unit 34 functions as a suction / discharge means for sucking and discharging the specimen. The nozzle unit 34 has a mounting portion 38 as a tip fitting and a nozzle tip 40 that is detachably mounted on the mounting portion 38. The nozzle tip 40 is a disposable member used in plasma dispensing and blood cell dispensing. Different types of nozzle tips may be used for plasma dispensing and blood cell dispensing. The nozzle unit 34 and the separating agent removing unit 36 can move up and down on the frame 32 independently of each other. These lifting drive mechanisms are not shown.

  A pump (not shown) is connected to the nozzle unit 34, and the sample is aspirated and discharged by adjusting the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 by the pump. The internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 is monitored by a pressure sensor (not shown). The control unit 10 performs liquid level detection and blockage detection based on the detection value of the pressure sensor, which will be described in detail later.

  The separating agent removing unit 36 includes a motor 46, a mounting portion 42 connected to the shaft of the motor 46, and a cylindrical body 44 as a separating agent removing member. The cylindrical body 44 is rotatable by driving the motor 46 and is detachable from the mounting portion 42. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cylindrical body 44. The cylindrical body 44 has a straw shape and is made of a flexible material having a certain degree of rigidity, such as a transparent resin. The outer diameter of the cylindrical body 44 is smaller than the inner diameter of the sample container 50 and sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the nozzle tip 40. By inserting the cylindrical body 44 into the sample container 50, the cylindrical body 44 is filled with the separating agent. Then, by pulling up the cylinder 44 filled with the separating agent, the separating agent can be removed from the sample container.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a slit 76 extending in the axial direction is formed at the lower end of the cylindrical body 44 of the present embodiment. The slit 76 functions as an air hole that communicates the inside and outside of the cylindrical body 44 when the cylindrical body 44 is inserted into the separating agent, and facilitates insertion of the cylindrical body 44 into the separating agent. Moreover, the cylindrical body 44 can be easily deformed by providing the slit 76. As a result, even if there is interference between the cylindrical body 44 and the sample container 50 due to a positioning error or the like, there is an advantage that the cylindrical body 44 is deformed to absorb the impact.

  Racks 16 and 17 are mounted on the base 22. The rack 16 can be moved in the X direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) by the transport mechanism 56. Reference numeral 58 represents a drive source of the transport mechanism 56. The rack 16 is positioned in the X direction, while the movable portion 14 is positioned in the Y direction, whereby the movable portion 14 can be positioned relative to the rack 16 in both the X direction and the Y direction. The rack 16 is a composite rack in this embodiment, and a plurality of sample containers 50, a plurality of nozzle chips (unused nozzle chips) 52, and a plurality of cylinders (unused cylinders) 54 are provided on the rack 16. Is retained.

  The rack 17 can also be moved in the X direction (perpendicular to the paper surface) by the transport mechanism 56, and the rack 17 holds a plurality of child sample containers 51 and a plurality of disposal containers 53. The child sample container 51 is a container into which a sample used for analysis processing is dispensed. The disposal container 53 is a container in which plasma components that are discarded without being used for analysis processing are discharged and stored.

  The nozzle tip removal mechanism 18 has a tip remover 60 and a disposal box 62. The tip remover 60 has a U-shaped groove as in the prior art, and when the mounting portion 38 is inserted into the groove and pulled upward, the nozzle tip 40 mounted on the mounting portion 38 is detached. The detached nozzle tip falls into the disposal box 62.

  The cylindrical body removal mechanism 20 has a clamping mechanism 64 and a disposal box 66. FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the clamping mechanism 64. As is clear from FIG. 3, the clamping mechanism 64 includes a pair of rollers 102 and 104 that are disposed at a predetermined interval in the X direction. When the cylindrical body is inserted between the rollers 102 and 104, the pair of rollers 102 and 104 sandwich the cylindrical body, and the cylindrical body is partially deformed and crushed. In this state, the cylindrical body 44 can be detached from the mounting portion 42 by pulling upward the mounting portion 42 to which the cylindrical body 44 is attached. The detached cylinder immediately falls into the disposal box 66 (see FIG. 1), or is pushed out and dropped into the disposal box 66 when the next cylinder is removed.

  The nozzle unit 34, the separating agent removing unit 36, the transport mechanism 56, and the like described above are all driven and controlled by the control unit 10. The control unit 10 also functions as a determination unit that determines whether or not the blockage that has occurred during plasma aspiration is due to the contact of the nozzle tip 40 with the separating agent.

  A blood sample after centrifugation is placed in the sample container 50 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a specimen container 50 that contains a blood specimen after centrifugation. As is clear from FIG. 4, the blood sample after the centrifugation process is divided into three layers, that is, in order from the top, the upper layer composed of the plasma component 112, the intermediate layer composed of the separating agent 114, and the lower layer composed of the blood cell component 116. Broadly divided. The separating agent 114 is a highly viscous jelly-like substance, and its amount (volume) is known. In the present embodiment, the separating agent 114 is removed by the separating agent removing unit 36 prior to the dispensing process of the blood cell component 116.

  Both the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 are components that constitute blood. In this embodiment, in order to analyze each of these two types of components, a dispensing process is performed for each component. Here, the total volume of the blood sample stored in the sample container 50 and the volume of each of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 are different for each sample container 50, and it is possible to grasp in advance on the dispensing device side. Have difficulty. On the other hand, it is known that the volume ratio between the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 has little difference for each specimen container. That is, although there are some individual differences, it is generally known that the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 is about 66:34 to 48:52. In the present embodiment, the upper surface level Z1 of the separating agent 114 is calculated using this known volume ratio, which will be described in detail later.

  The shape of the sample container 50 is not particularly limited as long as its shape (cross-sectional area) is known. For example, the sample container 50 may be a tube body such as a test tube, a vial, a blood collection tube, or the like. Also, a mechanism for automatically transporting the sample container from the centrifuge to the rack 16 can be provided, and such transport can be performed manually. Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the rack 16 forms a composite rack, but it is of course possible to separately configure the sample container rack, the nozzle tip rack, and the cylindrical rack. It is.

  Next, the principle of some characteristic processes among the processes performed in this dispensing apparatus will be described. First, the principle of the separation agent removal process by the separation agent removal unit 36 provided in this dispensing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the separation agent removal process. As described above, the separating agent removing unit 36 can be moved up and down, and a cylindrical body 44 is provided at the tip thereof. When removing the separating agent 114, the cylindrical body 44 is lowered to a position directly above the sample container 50, and the cylindrical body 44 is inserted into the separating agent 114 accommodated in the sample container 50. (See FIG. 5A). As the cylindrical body 44 is inserted, the separating agent 114 is filled in the cylindrical body 44 (see FIG. 5B). At this time, a frictional force is generated between the filled separating agent 114 and the inner surface of the cylindrical body 44. Thereafter, when the cylindrical body 44 is raised, the separating agent 114 is held inside the cylindrical body 44 by this frictional force, and the separating agent 114 is pulled up together with the cylindrical body 44. As a result, the separating agent 114 is removed from the sample container 50 (see FIG. 5C).

  Here, when the separating agent 114 is removed, if the plasma component 112 located above the separating agent 114 remains, as shown in FIG. 5C, the plasma is removed after the separating agent 114 is removed. The component 112 falls downward and enters the blood cell component 116. In this case, the blood cell component 116 cannot be analyzed properly. Therefore, when the separating agent 114 is removed, almost all of the plasma component 112 must be removed by suction in advance.

  Therefore, conventionally, the entire amount of the plasma component 112 is aspirated by the following procedure. First, the tip of the nozzle tip 40 provided in the nozzle unit 34 is moved to the vicinity of the liquid surface of the plasma component 112, and then the pump is driven to suck the plasma component 112. At the time of this suction, the nozzle tip 40 is also lowered in conjunction with the lowering of the liquid level accompanying suction, so that the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is always located near the liquid level of the plasma component 112. If the nozzle tip 40 is clogged during the suction of the plasma component 112, the tip of the nozzle tip 40 reaches the upper surface of the separating agent 114. In other words, almost all the plasma component 112 can be sucked. Judgment was made and the suction operation was stopped.

  However, this conventional method does not consider clogging for reasons other than the contact between the separating agent 114 and the nozzle tip 40, and there is a risk of erroneous determination. In other words, the clogging of the nozzle tip 40 occurs not only when contacting the upper surface of the separating agent 114 but also when sucking the mass substance floating in the plasma component 112. Here, the mass substance corresponds to a filter fragment that filters the specimen when the specimen is put into the specimen container 50, a fibrous protein present in the plasma component 112, or the like. When the blockage caused by the mass substance is erroneously determined as the blockage caused by the separating agent 114, the suction operation is stopped even though the plasma component 112 remains, and as a result, the plasma component This causes a problem of contamination of the blood cell component 116 of 112.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when an occlusion occurs during the aspiration of the plasma component 112, it is determined whether or not the occlusion is an occlusion caused by the separating agent 114. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the principle of determining the cause of the blockage.

  In the present embodiment, when the plasma component 112 is aspirated, first, the separating agent upper surface level Z1 is acquired. Various methods are conceivable for obtaining the separation agent upper surface level Z1, but in this embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the plasma upper surface level Z0, the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 The upper surface level Z1 of the separating agent is obtained by calculation based on the volume ratio.

  If the level Z1 can be acquired, the nozzle unit 34 is actually operated to perform plasma aspiration. This plasma aspiration is performed while lowering the nozzle tip 40 so that the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is always located near the liquid surface of the plasma, as in the prior art. The presence or absence of blockage during the suction is constantly monitored by a pressure sensor provided in the nozzle unit 34. Specifically, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 is adjusted to a negative pressure at the start of suction. When this internal pressure is rising gently (approaching atmospheric pressure), it is determined that plasma aspiration is being performed appropriately. On the other hand, when the internal pressure hardly changes during the suction and the internal pressure stagnates at a constant pressure, the control unit 10 determines that the blockage has occurred. When the blockage occurs, the control unit 10 determines the cause of the blockage based on a comparison between the tip height z of the nozzle tip 40 at the time of the blockage and the separation agent upper surface level Z1 acquired in advance.

  Specifically, when the difference between the tip height z of the nozzle tip 40 at the time of occurrence of the clogging and the previously obtained separation agent upper surface level Z1 is larger than the specified tolerance α, that is, | z−Z1 |> α. In this case, the blockage is determined to be a blockage caused by the mass substance 117 as illustrated in FIG. When this occlusion occurs, a large amount of plasma component 112 remains. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 10 instructs the nozzle unit 34 to suspend plasma aspiration and replace the nozzle tip 40. Then, if the nozzle tip 40 is replaced, the suction process of the remaining plasma component 112 is resumed.

  On the other hand, when the difference between the tip height z of the nozzle tip 40 and the pre-acquired separation agent upper surface level Z1 when the clogging occurs is equal to or smaller than a predetermined tolerance α, that is, | z−Z1 | ≦ α. The occlusion is determined to be an occlusion caused by the separating agent 114 as illustrated in FIG. At the time of this occlusion, almost no plasma component 112 remains. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 10 instructs the nozzle unit 34 to end the plasma suction, and instructs the separation agent removal unit 36 to remove the separation agent 114.

  As apparent from the above description, in this embodiment, the cause of the blockage can be determined by comparing the separating agent upper surface level Z1 and the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 when the blockage occurs. Thereby, the entire amount of the plasma component 112 can be sucked more reliably.

  Next, the principle of obtaining the separating agent upper surface level Z1 will be described. As is clear from the above description, it is necessary to acquire the separating agent upper surface level Z1 in order to perform the suction of the whole amount of the plasma component 112. The separation agent upper surface level Z1 can be obtained by various methods. For example, the separation agent upper surface level Z1 can also be obtained using an optical sensor that detects the boundary position between the plasma component 112 and the separation agent 114 based on the reflectance of light. In the present embodiment, the separating agent upper surface level Z1 is obtained by calculation based on the plasma upper surface level Z0, the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116, and the like. This calculation principle will be briefly described.

  When calculating the separating agent upper surface level Z1, first, the plasma upper surface level Z0 is acquired. Here, the plasma upper surface level Z0 is the state in which the plasma component 112 is not sucked at all, in other words, the upper surface level of the plasma component 112 in the initial state, and is slightly different from the liquid surface level that changes due to the suction operation. It is a concept. The plasma upper surface level Z0 can be detected based on a change in internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 when the nozzle tip 40 is lowered at a low speed while discharging air. That is, when the nozzle tip 40 that is discharging air approaches the plasma liquid surface, the internal pressure of the tip rapidly increases. In the present embodiment, the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at the time when the internal pressure suddenly increases is acquired as the plasma upper surface level Z0.

  If the plasma upper surface level Z0 can be obtained by the above-described method, the control unit 10 is based on the plasma upper surface level Z0, the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, the volume of the separating agent 114, and the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116. Thus, the separation agent upper surface level Z1 is calculated. Specifically, the volume of the whole specimen including the separating agent 114 is calculated from the plasma upper surface level Z0 and the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, and only the blood sample is excluded by excluding the volume of the separating agent 114 from the whole specimen volume. The volume of plasma component 112 and blood cell component 116 only is calculated. By using the volume of the blood sample and the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116, the volume of the plasma component 112 alone and the volume of the blood cell component 116 can be calculated. Then, using the volume of each component and the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, the separation agent upper surface level Z1 can be calculated. Thus, if the upper surface level Z1 is acquired by calculation, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated sensor such as an optical sensor, and an increase in cost can be prevented. As described above, the volume ratio between the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 has some individual differences. Therefore, when determining the cause of the blockage, it is desirable to set the value of the allowable error α in consideration of this individual difference.

  In the present embodiment, the blood cell upper surface level Z2 is also calculated, and the operation of the separating agent removing unit 36 is controlled according to the value of the blood cell upper surface level Z2. That is, as described above, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical body 44 is made to enter the specimen container 50 and the separating body 114 is filled with the separating agent 114, and then the cylindrical body 44 is pulled up to be separated. The agent 114 is removed. At this time, when the cylindrical body 44 is lowered to a position significantly lower than the blood cell upper surface level Z2, not only the separating agent 114 but also the blood cell component 116 is filled in the cylindrical body 44 as a matter of course. become. When the cylinder 44 is raised, a part of the blood cell component 116 filled in the cylinder 44 is also lifted and removed together with the cylinder 44 while adhering to the inner surface of the cylinder 44. In other words, when the cylindrical body 44 is excessively lowered, the blood cell component 116 that does not need to be removed is removed. When the total amount of collected specimens (the amount of blood cell components 116) is small, if the unintentional removal of the blood cell components 116 occurs, there may be a problem that the amount of blood cell components 116 necessary for the analysis process cannot be secured.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the blood cell upper surface level Z2 is also calculated based on the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, the volume of the separation agent 114, the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116, the separation agent upper surface level Z1, and the like. Yes. When the blood cell upper surface level Z2 is obtained, the driving of the separating agent removing unit 36 is controlled so that the lowest point of the tip of the cylindrical body at the time of lowering is in the vicinity of the blood cell upper surface level Z2. Thereby, the unintended removal of the blood cell component 116 can be prevented.

  Next, the flow of the dispensing process of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 using this dispensing apparatus will be described. FIG. 7 is a main flowchart showing the overall flow of the dispensing process. 8 to 11 are detailed flowcharts of processes included in the main flowchart.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the dispensing process is started, first, a reset process is executed (S10). This includes processing such as initialization of various motors that drive the dispensing device. When the reset process is completed, the plasma component 112 dispensing process A, the surplus plasma removing process B, the separating agent 114 removing process C, and the blood cell component 116 dispensing process D are sequentially performed. Then, it is determined whether or not there is a sample to be processed next (S12). When there is a next sample, the processes A to D are executed again. If there is no next sample, the process ends.

  Here, the dispensing process A of the plasma component 112 is a process of sucking the amount of plasma component 112 necessary for analysis from the sample container 50 and discharging it to the child sample container 51. The surplus plasma removal process B is a process of sucking the plasma component 112 remaining in the specimen container 50 after the process A and discharging it to the disposal container 53 in order to appropriately perform the removal process C of the separating agent 114. It is. That is, the plasma component 112 dispensing process A and the surplus plasma removing process B are both processes for sucking and discharging the plasma component 112, and the specific processing contents thereof are similar. Therefore, below, the flow of the dispensing process A of the plasma component 112 and the removal process B of the excess plasma will be described in parallel.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the dispensing process A for the plasma component 112. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the surplus plasma removal process B. As is apparent from FIGS. 8 and 9, when dispensing the plasma component 112 and removing excess plasma, first, a new nozzle tip 40 is mounted on the mounting portion of the nozzle unit 34 (A1, B1). . Since the mounting process of the nozzle tip 40 can apply a known conventional technique, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  If the nozzle tip 40 is attached, the liquid level of the plasma component 112 is subsequently detected (A2, B2). FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of the liquid level detection process. When detecting the liquid level, first, the transport mechanism 56 and the movable unit 14 are driven so that the sample container 50 is positioned directly below the nozzle chip 40. Further, the pump connected to the nozzle unit 34 is driven to suck the amount of air necessary for liquid level detection into the nozzle chip 40 (AB21). Subsequently, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered at a high speed to a predetermined liquid level detection height (AB22). Here, the liquid level detection height is a height at which the tip of the nozzle tip 40 will not come into contact with the plasma liquid level, and is a height at which the distance from the tip to the liquid level does not become excessive.

  When the nozzle unit 34 moves to the liquid level detection height, the liquid level detection operation is started (AB24). Here, the liquid level detecting operation is an operation of discharging air from the tip of the nozzle tip 40 while lowering the nozzle unit 34 at a low speed (while gradually bringing the nozzle tip 40 closer to the plasma liquid level). This liquid level detection operation is performed until a rapid increase in internal pressure in the nozzle tip 40 is detected (AB25).

  When the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 increases rapidly, the control unit 10 determines that the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is close to the plasma liquid level. In this case, the lowering of the nozzle unit 34 is stopped, and the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at this time is detected as the plasma liquid level (AB26).

  In the plasma dispensing process A, the detected plasma liquid level is temporarily stored as the plasma upper level Z0. Based on the plasma upper surface level Z0, the cross-sectional area of the container, the volume of the separation agent 114, and the volume ratio of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116, the total amount of the specimen and the separation agent upper surface level Z1 are calculated. Thereafter, the process proceeds to the next process, that is, the aspiration process A3 of the plasma component 112 (see FIG. 8).

  Regarding the surplus plasma removal process B, after detecting the liquid level, the next process, that is, the aspiration process B3 of the plasma component 112 (see FIG. 9) is performed without performing the calculation process of the separating agent upper surface level Z1. ).

  The suction processes A3 and B3 of the plasma component 112 are executed according to the flow shown in FIG. When the liquid level detection A2 and B2 is completed, the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is close to the plasma liquid level. Therefore, after the detection of the liquid level is completed, the pump is driven in that state to start sucking plasma (AB301). The suction of the plasma is performed while lowering the nozzle unit 34 (nozzle tip 40) in accordance with the lowering of the liquid level accompanying the suction so that the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is always positioned near the liquid surface of the plasma component 112. . Further, the controller 10 constantly monitors the internal pressure in the nozzle tip 40 during the suction operation based on the detection value of the pressure sensor.

  Here, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 is atmospheric pressure at the start of suction. Thereafter, a plasma component is sucked into the nozzle tip 40 by applying a negative pressure. When the plasma component is normally sucked, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 gradually decreases (negative pressure). On the other hand, when the nozzle tip 40 is blocked for some reason during this suction, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 rapidly decreases (negative pressure). The control unit 10 determines that the nozzle tip 40 is blocked when the sudden decrease in the internal pressure is detected or when the detected internal pressure value falls below a predetermined threshold (AB302). In this case, the process proceeds to step AB307 and subsequent steps.

  On the other hand, if the suction amount reaches the specified amount without occurrence of blockage (Yes in AB303), the suction operation is terminated (AB304). The prescribed amount here is an amount necessary for the analysis processing in the case of the suction processing A of the plasma component 112. In the case of the surplus plasma component removal process B, the maximum liquid amount that can be held by one nozzle tip 40 is used.

  The control unit 10 temporarily stores the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at the time when the suction operation is stopped as a plasma liquid level (AB305). When the nozzle unit 34 lowered for suction is moved to the initial position, the plasma suction processes A3 and B3 are completed (AB306). Therefore, thereafter, the process proceeds to the discharge processing A4, B4 of the plasma component 112.

  By the way, when obstruction | occlusion generate | occur | produces in the process which attracts | sucks the plasma component 112 (in the case of No of AB302), it becomes the following flows. First, when the blockage occurs, the pump and the motor are stopped and the suction operation is stopped (AB307). Then, in order to return the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 in which the pressure abnormality has temporarily occurred to a normal state, a negative pressure elimination operation is executed (AB308). Specifically, a small amount of the sucked plasma component 112 is discharged, and the nozzle unit 34 is slightly raised.

  Thereafter, the control unit 10 compares the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at the time of occurrence of the clogging with the separating agent upper surface level Z1 obtained in advance, and determines whether or not this clogging is caused by the separating agent 114. Is determined (AB309). Specifically, when the difference between the tip height z and the separation agent upper surface level Z1 is larger than the prescribed allowable error amount α, the control unit 10 determines that the occlusion is not occlusion caused by the separation agent 114 but plasma. It is determined that the blockage is caused by a lump substance floating in the component 112. In this case, the control unit 10 further determines whether or not the occurrence of the blockage is the second consecutive time (AB310). If the blockage occurs for the second time in succession, it is determined that some kind of problem has occurred, and all the processes are interrupted, and the process ends with an error (AB314). On the other hand, in the case of the first blockage, the nozzle unit 40 is replaced after moving the nozzle unit 34 to the initial position (AB311 and AB312). When a new nozzle chip 40 is mounted, the movable unit 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the sample container 50 is positioned directly below the nozzle chip 40 again. Then, the nozzle unit 34 is moved to the height at the time of occurrence of the blockage (AB313), and Step AB301 and the subsequent steps are executed again.

  On the other hand, a case where the cause of the blockage is in the separating agent 114 will be described. In this case, the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is in contact with the upper surface of the separating agent 114, and it can be determined that almost no plasma component 112 remains in the sample container 50. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 10 temporarily stores (AB315) the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at the time of occurrence of the blockage as the separating agent upper surface level Z1 (actual measurement value). And after moving the nozzle unit 34 to an initial position (AB316), it transfers to discharge processing A4, B4 of the plasma component 112. FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of the discharge processing A4 and B4 of the plasma component 112. When the plasma component 112 is discharged, first, the movable portion 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the child sample container 51 or the disposal container (hereinafter referred to as “child sample container or the like”) is positioned directly below the nozzle tip 40. (AB41). Subsequently, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered to a predetermined discharge start height (AB42). Here, in order to prevent scattering of the liquid and the like, it is desirable that the tip of the nozzle tip at the time of ejection is as close as possible to the bottom surface of the container. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered at a low speed until the contact of the nozzle tip 40 with the container bottom surface is detected by the jamming sensor, and then the position where the nozzle unit 34 is raised by a minute amount (for example, 1 mm) is set. This is the discharge start height.

  When the nozzle unit 34 moves to the discharge start height, the pump is driven to start discharging the plasma component 112 (AB43). During the discharge, the control unit 10 constantly monitors the internal pressure in the nozzle tip 40 based on the detection value of the pressure sensor. As a result of the monitoring, if an abnormality occurs in the tip internal pressure fluctuation, it is determined that the nozzle tip 40 is blocked (AB44). In this case, the control unit 10 determines that some problem has occurred, and ends all processing (AB49).

  On the other hand, if the discharge amount reaches the specified amount without occurrence of blockage, the discharge operation is stopped (AB45, AB46). In this case, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered by a minute amount, and a touch-off operation is performed in which the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the child sample container or the like (AB47). Thereafter, when the nozzle unit 34 is returned to the initial position, the plasma discharge processes A4 and B4 are completed (AB48). Note that the touch-off operation is performed in order to prevent the liquid from adhering to the bottom of the container from adhering to the tip of the nozzle chip 40 and thereby preventing the liquid from scattering.

  The processes after the plasma discharge processes A4 and B4 are completed will be described again with reference to FIGS. In the plasma dispensing process A, when the plasma discharge process A4 is completed, the nozzle unit 34 is driven, and the nozzle tip 40 attached to the nozzle unit 34 is removed and discarded (A5). Thereafter, the process proceeds to a surplus plasma removal process B.

  If the plasma discharge process B4 is completed in the surplus plasma removal process B, it is subsequently determined whether or not the plasma component 112 remains (B5). This determination can be made based on whether or not an obstruction due to the separating agent 114 has occurred in the aspiration processing (B3) of the plasma component 112 (whether or not AB309 in FIG. 13 has occurred). If no blockage due to the separating agent 114 has occurred, it can be determined that the plasma component 112 still remains. Therefore, in this case, steps B3 and B4 are executed again. On the other hand, when the blockage resulting from the separating agent 114 has occurred, it can be determined that the plasma component 112 does not remain. In this case, after the nozzle chip 40 is removed and the disposal process B6 is executed, the process proceeds to the removal process C of the separating agent 114.

  Next, details of the separation agent C removal process C will be described with reference to FIGS. 10, 15, and 16. When removing the separating agent 114, first, the cylindrical body 44 is attached to the attaching portion of the separating agent removing unit 36 (C1). Subsequently, the movable portion 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the sample container 50 is positioned immediately below the cylindrical body 44 (C20 in FIG. 15). Subsequently, the separating agent removal unit 36 is lowered at a high speed to the separation agent removal starting height (C21). Here, the separation agent removal start height is a height at which the tip of the cylinder 44 is close to the upper surface of the separation agent. In the present embodiment, the separation agent removal start height is determined based on the separation agent upper surface level Z1 (actually measured value) acquired in step AB315 (FIG. 13). Specifically, in this embodiment, the height at which the tip of the cylindrical body 44 is positioned above the separating agent upper surface level Z1 by a specified margin (for example, about 2 mm) is defined as the separating agent removal start height. .

  If it can move to the separation agent removal start height, the separation agent removal unit 36 is then lowered at a low speed while rotating the cylinder 44 (C22). By this lowering, the separating agent 114 is filled in the cylindrical body 44. Moreover, the resistance which the cylinder 44 receives from the separating agent 114 can be reduced by rotating.

  At the time of the descent, the control unit 10 determines the presence / absence of the cylindrical body 44 based on the detection value of the jamming sensor (C23). That is, the separating agent removing unit 36 is provided with a jamming sensor that detects an axial load received by the cylindrical body 44. In the present embodiment, when the separating agent removing unit 36 is lowered at a low speed and the axial load is not detected by the jamming sensor, the cylindrical body 44 has not entered the separating agent 114, and hence the separation It is determined that the cylinder 44 is not attached to the agent removal unit 36 (No in C23). In this case, an error ends (C29). On the other hand, when an axial load is detected by the jamming sensor, it is determined that the cylindrical body 44 is normally attached to the separating agent removing unit 36, and the subsequent processing is continued.

  The separation agent removing unit 36 is lowered at a low speed until it reaches the descent stop height (C24, C25). The descending stop height is a height at which the tip end of the cylindrical body 44 is slightly below the blood cell upper surface level Z2 or the blood cell upper surface level Z2. By stopping the descent at this height, entry of the cylindrical body 44 into the blood cell component layer can be minimized. Thereby, it is possible to prevent unintended removal of the blood cell component 116 caused by adhering to the cylindrical body 44. The blood cell upper surface level Z2 is calculated based on the separating agent upper surface level Z1, the cross-sectional area of the specimen container 50, and the like. The separating agent upper surface level Z1 used for calculating the blood cell upper surface level Z2 is calculated in step A27 ( It is desirable that it is not the value calculated in FIG. 12) but the actual value detected in step AB315 (FIG. 13). By using the actually measured separation agent upper surface level Z1, the value of the blood cell upper surface level Z2 can be calculated more accurately.

  If the lowering of the separating agent removing unit 36 stops, the separating agent removing unit 36 is subsequently raised. At this time, the separating agent 114 filled in the cylindrical body 44 remains held in the cylindrical body 44 by the frictional force generated between the cylindrical body 44 and the inner surface. That is, the separating agent 114 is also detached from the sample container 50 together with the cylindrical body 44. Then, when the cylinder 44 reaches a height at which it completely separates from the sample container 50, the rotation of the cylinder 44 is stopped (C27). Thereafter, after the separating agent removal unit 36 is moved to the initial position at high speed (C28), the process proceeds to the cylinder 44 removal process C3.

  Details of the removal process C3 of the cylindrical body 44 will be described with reference to FIG. When removing and discarding the cylindrical body 44, first, the movable portion 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the cylindrical body 44 is positioned at a position slightly shifted in the Y direction from directly above the clamping mechanism 64 (C31). . Subsequently, the separating agent removal unit 36 is lowered to the cylinder removal start height (C32). Here, the cylinder body removal start height is a height at which the upper end of the cylinder body 44 is several millimeters (for example, about 10 millimeters) above the installation height of the rollers 102 and 104 provided in the clamping mechanism 64. .

  Next, the rollers 102 and 104 are moved in the Y direction so that the cylindrical body 44 enters between the two rollers 102 and 104 (C33). At this time, the two rollers 102 and 104 sandwich the vicinity of the upper end of the cylindrical body 44, in other words, the portion not filled with the separating agent 114. In this state, the separating agent removal unit 36 is now lowered by a small amount (C34). When the cylinder 44 is attached to the separating agent removing unit 36 and the cylinder 44 is sandwiched between the rollers 102 and 104 during the low speed descent, the jamming sensor should detect the axial load. It is. Conversely, if an axial load is not detected by the jamming sensor, it can be said that some problem has occurred. Therefore, if jamming cannot be detected during low-speed descent, the process ends in error (C28).

  On the other hand, if the jamming can be normally detected during the low speed descent, the separating agent removal unit 36 is raised at a low speed (C36). At this time, since the cylindrical body 44 is sandwiched between the pair of rollers 102 and 104, it cannot be lifted together with the separating agent removing unit 36 and is detached from the separating agent removing unit 36. When the separating agent removing unit 36 is raised at a low speed by an amount necessary for removing the cylindrical body 44, the separating agent removing unit 36 is returned to the initial position (C37). As a result, the removal process C3 of the cylindrical body 44, and hence the separation agent removal process C (see FIG. 10), is completed.

  When the removal process C for the separating agent 114 is completed, a dispensing process D for the blood cell component 116 is subsequently performed. This blood cell component 116 dispensing process D will be described with reference to FIG. 11, FIG. 17, and FIG. When dispensing the blood cell component 116, first, a new nozzle tip 40 is attached to the nozzle unit 34 (D1 in FIG. 11). Subsequently, the nozzle unit 34 is driven to suck the blood cell component 116. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the blood cell component 116 suction process.

  When the blood cell component 116 is aspirated, first, the movable unit 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the sample container 50 is positioned directly below the nozzle tip 40 (D20). Subsequently, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered at a high speed to a prescribed suction start height (D21). Here, the suction start height is a height several mm (for example, 5 mm) above the bottom surface of the sample container 50. If it descends to the suction height, then bottom surface detection is executed (D22). This bottom surface detection is performed by lowering the nozzle unit 34 at a low speed until the occurrence of an axial load is detected by the jamming sensor.

  If the bottom surface is detected, the nozzle unit 34 is raised slightly (for example, 1 mm), and the tip of the nozzle chip 40 is brought into a state close to the bottom surface (D23). In this state, the pump is driven to start the blood cell component 116 suction operation (D24). During this suction operation, the control unit 10 monitors the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 based on the detection value of the pressure sensor. Based on the change in internal pressure, it is determined whether or not the sample is a short sample and whether or not a blockage has occurred (D25, D26). More specifically, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 is normally adjusted to a negative pressure at the start of suction, but gradually increases as the blood cell component 116 is sucked. On the other hand, in the case of a short sample with few blood cell components 116, air is sucked instead of blood cells in the course of the suction operation. When air is sucked, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 rapidly increases (approaches atmospheric pressure). Therefore, when the rapid increase in the internal pressure is detected, the control unit 10 determines that the sample is a short sample (insufficient amount of the blood cell component 116). In this case, the process ends in error (D29). Further, when the blood cell component 116 cannot be sucked due to the blockage, the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 stays at a constant pressure. Therefore, when the internal pressure is stagnated at a constant value, the control unit 10 determines that a blockage has occurred. Also in this case, an error end (D29) occurs.

  On the other hand, when a prescribed amount of blood cell component 116 can be sucked without occurrence of blockage or short sample, the suction operation is stopped and the nozzle unit 34 is moved to the initial position (D28). Then, the process proceeds to the next process, that is, the discharge process D3 of the blood cell component 116.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of the blood cell component 116 discharge process D3. When the blood cell component 116 is discharged, first, the movable portion 14 and the transport mechanism 56 are driven so that the child sample container 51 is positioned directly below the nozzle tip 40. Subsequently, after the nozzle unit 34 is rapidly lowered to the discharge start height, the bottom surface detection operation of the child sample container 51 is executed (D31, D32). Thereafter, the nozzle unit 34 is lifted slightly (for example, 1 mm), and the tip of the nozzle chip 40 is brought close to the bottom of the container (D33). Since this series of operations is basically the same as steps D21 to D23 in blood cell aspiration processing D2, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  Next, when the tip of the nozzle tip 40 is brought close to the bottom of the container, the discharge operation of the blood cell component 116 is started in this state (D34). During this discharge operation, the control unit 10 monitors the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 based on the detection value of the pressure sensor. If the internal pressure of the nozzle tip 40 stagnates at a constant value despite continuing the discharge operation, the control unit 10 determines that a blockage has occurred (D35). In this case, an error ends (D39). On the other hand, if the discharge of the specified amount is completed without causing the blockage, the discharge operation is stopped (D36). After that, the nozzle unit 34 is lowered at a low speed, and a touch-off operation is performed to bring the tip end into contact with the bottom surface of the container, and the liquid waste at the tip end is rubbed against the bottom surface of the container. Thereafter, when the nozzle unit 34 is raised and moved to the initial position (D38), the blood cell ejection process D3 is completed. When the blood cell discharge process D3 is completed, the dispensing process D of the blood cell component 116 is completed by removing the nozzle tip 40 used for the discharge process (D4 in FIG. 11).

  When the dispensing process D of the blood cell component 116 is completed, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 10 determines the presence or absence of the next sample (S12). As a result of the determination, when the next sample exists, the processes A to D are repeated again. On the other hand, when there is no next sample, all the processes are finished as it is.

  As is clear from the above description, in the present embodiment, when a blockage occurs during the suction of the plasma component 112, the tip height of the nozzle tip 40 at the time of the blockage occurrence and the previously obtained separation agent upper surface level Z1 The cause of the blockage is determined based on the comparison. Thereby, the entire amount of the plasma component 112 can be sucked more reliably. When the whole amount of the plasma component 112 is aspirated, mixing of the plasma component 112 and the blood cell component 116 is prevented, and the blood cell component 116 can be appropriately dispensed.

  Note that the above description is an example, and as long as at least the process of determining the cause of the blockage that occurred during the suction of the plasma component 112 is included, the other processes may be changed or omitted as appropriate.

It is a schematic block diagram of the dispensing apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of a cylinder. It is a schematic top view of a clamping mechanism. It is a schematic sectional drawing of a sample container. It is a figure which shows the principle of a separating agent removal. It is a figure explaining the determination principle of the obstruction | occlusion cause. It is a main flowchart which shows the whole flow of a dispensing process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the dispensing process of a plasma component. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the removal process of excess plasma. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the removal process of a separating agent. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the dispensing process of a blood cell component. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the detection process of a plasma liquid level. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the aspiration process of a plasma component. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the discharge process of a plasma component. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a separating agent removal operation | movement. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the removal process of a cylinder. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the aspiration process of a blood cell component. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the discharge process of a blood cell component.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control part, 12 Housing | casing, 14 Movable part, 16, 17 Rack, 18 Nozzle chip removal mechanism, 20 Tube body removal mechanism, 34 Nozzle unit, 36 Separation agent removal unit, 40 Nozzle chip, 44 Tube body, 50 Sample container , 51 Child specimen container, 53 Disposal container, 56 Transport mechanism, 60 Chip remover, 62, 66 Disposal box, 64 Holding mechanism, 112 Plasma component, 114 Separating agent, 116 Blood cell component, 117 Mass substance

Claims (7)

A dispensing device that aspirates and discharges the sample from a sample container in which two types of sample components are separated and stored with a high-viscosity separating agent interposed therebetween,
Level acquisition means for acquiring the upper surface level of the separating agent contained in the sample container;
A suction / discharge means that includes a nozzle that is relatively movable with respect to the sample container, and sucks and discharges the sample through the nozzle;
A separating agent removing means for removing the separating agent from the specimen container by pulling up after inserting the cylindrical body into the separating agent;
A blockage detecting means for detecting the occurrence of blockage of the nozzle at the time of aspirating and discharging the specimen;
When the clogging is detected at the time of aspiration of the uppermost sample, the clogging is determined based on the comparison between the nozzle height at the clogging detection and the upper surface level of the separating agent obtained by the level obtaining unit. Determining means for determining whether or not the blockage is caused by contact with the separating agent;
Control means for controlling the operations of the suction / discharge means and the separating agent recovery means, and the operation contents of the suction / discharge means and the separating agent recovery means after the blockage detection are determined according to the determination result of the determination means. Control means to
A dispensing device comprising: The dispensing device according to claim 1,
When the difference between the nozzle height at the time of detecting the blockage and the upper surface level of the separating agent acquired by the level acquiring unit is within a predetermined tolerance, the determining unit is in contact with the separating agent of the nozzle. It determines with it being the obstruction | occlusion resulting from this. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
When the shape of the sample container, the volume of the separating agent, and the volume ratio of the two types of samples are known,
The level acquisition means includes
Means for detecting an upper surface level of the uppermost specimen;
Means for calculating the upper surface level of the separation agent based on the upper surface level of the uppermost sample, the shape of the sample container, the volume of the separation agent, and the volume ratio of the two kinds of samples;
A dispensing device comprising: The dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the determination means determines that the blockage is not due to contact of the nozzle with the separating agent,
The dispenser characterized in that the control means instructs the suction and discharge means to replace the nozzle and re-execute the suction operation after the nozzle replacement. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
When the determination means determines that the blockage is due to contact of the nozzle with the separating agent,
The control means instructs the suction and discharge means to stop the suction operation, and instructs the separation agent removal means to start the separation agent removal operation.
A dispensing device characterized by that. A dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The level acquisition means further acquires a lower surface level of the separating agent,
The control means determines the descending height of the cylinder of the separating agent removing means when removing the separating agent based on the lower surface level of the separating agent obtained by the level obtaining means.
A dispensing device characterized by that. The dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein
The level calculating means is configured to detect the clogging due to the contact of the nozzle with the separating agent, the volume of the separating agent, and the shape of the specimen container based on the lower surface of the separating agent. A dispensing device characterized by calculating a level.

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