JP2012021776A - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To arrange a reagent container at an accurate position every time even if any error occurs at a stop position of a reagent container installing mechanism due to oscillation or the like.SOLUTION: An automatic analyzer has a reagent container for containing reagent, a reagent container holding mechanism for holding the reagent container, and a reagent container transferring mechanism for transferring the reagent container holding mechanism from a reagent container standby position to a reagent container arrangement position. An engagement member, of which at least a part is engaged, is provided in the reagent container arrangement position and the reagent container holding mechanism or the reagent container itself, when the reagent container holding mechanism is accurately placed at the reagent container arrangement position.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of various components contained in a biological sample such as blood and urine, and more particularly to an automatic analyzer that can automatically carry and mount a reagent container.

  In the field of automatic analysis, a random access type automatic analyzer that uses a plurality of reaction lines at random has been developed, and the processing capacity of analysis has been dramatically improved. As a result, the speed of reagent consumption has increased, and the opportunities for reagent container switching work have increased. On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, in order to reduce the burden on the operator due to reagent registration, reagent replacement, and the like, and to minimize the interruption of analysis without causing a shortage of reagents during analysis, the reagent replacement is automatically performed. An automatic analyzer with a reagent loading / unloading mechanism that can be performed is shown.

JP 2005-037171 A

  In the automatic analyzer shown in Patent Document 1, with the loading and unloading of the reagent container, the reagent container installation mechanism performs positioning when the reagent container is installed at the reagent installation position by controlling the drive system. Positioning accuracy is determined within the range of moving resolution of the drive system. However, in this case, if an error more than a tolerance occurs in the stop position of the reagent container installation mechanism due to factors such as vibration, the reagent container may not be installed and the apparatus may be stopped.

  An object of the present invention is to install a reagent container at an accurate position every time even when an error occurs in the stop position of the reagent container installation mechanism due to vibration or the like.

The configuration for achieving the above object is as follows.
In an automatic analyzer that dispenses and reacts samples and reagents in multiple reaction vessels and measures the reacted liquid,
A reagent container installation mechanism capable of holding and installing a reagent container containing a reagent;
A reagent container loading / unloading mechanism for loading the reagent container from the reagent container movement standby position to the reagent container erection position and unloading the reagent container installation mechanism from the reagent container erection position to the reagent container discharge position;
The reagent container installation mechanism or the reagent container held by the reagent container has a positioning mechanism capable of positioning to the reagent installation position by engaging at least a part with the vicinity of the reagent container installation position.

  The positioning mechanism may be any combination as long as it is a combination of the reagent container installation mechanism or the reagent container itself held by it, which can be positioned by engaging at least part of the vicinity of the reagent container installation position. For example, a combination of a pin attached to the reagent container installation mechanism and a hole installed in the vicinity of the reagent container erection position, a combination of a reagent container and an inclined plate installed at the upper part of the reagent container erection position for guiding the reagent container, etc. The

  Even if the reagent container installation mechanism is stopped at a position slightly deviated by vibration or the like, the positioning mechanism causes the reagent container installation mechanism or the reagent container itself held by the reagent container to engage at least partly with the vicinity of the reagent container installation position. It is possible to install a reagent container.

The top view of the automatic analyzer of this invention. Detailed view of reagent container installation mechanism and positioning mechanism by pins and holes. The detailed view of the positioning mechanism by a reagent container installation mechanism and a board with an inclination.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an automatic analyzer to which the present invention is applied. Hereinafter, the procedure for transporting the reagent container 12 will be described in detail. The reagent container 12 loaded from the reagent loading mechanism 24 is stored in the replenishing reagent storage 20 after the RFID tag attached to the reagent container 12 is read by the reagent information reading mechanism 21. When there is a signal from the control unit so as to replenish the reagent in the reagent storage A28 or B29, the reagent container 12 rotates to move under the reagent cap opening mechanism 23 and the reagent cap can be opened. At this time, the reagent cap is discarded in the reagent cap disposal box 34. Furthermore, the reagent container 12 rotates and moves to the position of the reagent delivery mechanism 22 and is pushed out to the reagent rotation mechanism 32.

  The reagent rotating mechanism 32 rotates after detecting that the reagent container 12 has been received by the sensor. The reagent transport mechanism 27 moves the reagent container installation mechanism 35 onto the reagent rotation mechanism 32, and then holds the reagent container 12 on the reagent rotation mechanism 32 with the reagent container installation mechanism 35, and moves the reagent container 12 over the reagent inlet A30 or B31. Until the reagent container 12 is conveyed. From there, the reagent container installation mechanism 35 is moved in the Z direction (vertical direction of the automatic analyzer), and the reagent container 12 is installed in the reagent storage A28 or B29.

  The emptied reagent container 12 is lifted and removed from the reagent storage A28 or B29 by the reagent container installation mechanism 35, and is transported to the reagent discharge and storage mechanism 26.

  The reagent container 12 to be installed at a position in the empty reagent storage A28 or B29 is pushed out to the reagent rotating mechanism 32 at an appropriate timing, conveyed to the reagent inlet, and installed. repeat.

  Next, an example of how positioning is performed by the positioning mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the reagent container installation mechanism 35 and the positioning mechanism by the pin 41 and the hole 42. The reagent container installation mechanism 35 includes a motor 36, and the belt 38 reciprocates between the two pulleys 37 by the motor 36 and pulleys 37 and 37. The reciprocating direction of the belt 38 is the Z direction. In addition, a reagent container holding mechanism 40 is attached to the belt 38, and the reagent container holding mechanism 40 is also attached to a linear guide. Thereby, with the movement of the belt 38, the reagent container holding mechanism 40 can move without blur in the Z direction. The pin 41 is attached to the reagent container installation mechanism 35, and the hole 42 is located in the vicinity of the reagent installation position on the reagent storage.

  After the reagent transport mechanism 27 moves the reagent container setting mechanism 35 and the reagent container 12 to above the reagent erection position, the reagent container in the Z direction until immediately before the pin 41 and the hole 42 come into contact by the movement of the belt 38 by the motor 36. 12 is lowered. Therefore, after stopping and turning off the excitation of the motor in the XY direction, the reagent container 12 is further lowered in the Z direction. Since the excitation of the motor in the XY direction is cut off, the pin 41 and the hole 42 come into contact with the pin 41 or the hole 42 according to the chamfering, and the reagent container is installed at the correct position. Since the stop position accuracy is determined by the dimensional difference between the pin 41 and the hole 42, positioning with very high accuracy is possible.

  FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the positioning mechanism by the reagent container installation mechanism 35 and the inclined plate 43. The inclined plate 43 is attached to the upper part of the reagent container installation position. The reagent container 12 is lowered in contact with the inclined plate 43 to be installed at a correct position. Also in this case, it is necessary to turn off the excitation of the motor in the XY direction after the reagent container 12 is lowered in the Z direction until just before the reagent container 12 and the inclined plate 43 come into contact with each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Analysis unit 11 Buffer unit 12 Reagent container 20 Replenishment reagent storage 21 Reagent information reading mechanism 22 Reagent delivery mechanism 23 Reagent cap opening mechanism 24 Reagent insertion mechanism 25 Reagent discharge mechanism 26 Reagent discharge storage mechanism 27 Reagent transport mechanism 28 Reagent storage Storage A
29 Reagent Storage B
30 Reagent inlet A
31 Reagent inlet B
32 Reagent rotation mechanism 33 Reaction mechanism 34 Reagent cap disposal box 35 Reagent container installation mechanism 36 Motor 37 Pulley 38 Belt 39 Linear guide 40 Reagent container holding mechanism 41 Pin 42 Hole 43 Plate with inclination

Claims (3)

A reagent container containing the reagent;
A reagent container holding mechanism for holding the reagent container;
A reagent container transfer mechanism for transferring the reagent container holding mechanism from a reagent container standby position to a reagent container erection position,
When the reagent container holding mechanism is correctly positioned at the reagent container erection position, an engagement member that at least partially engages is provided in the reagent container erection position and the reagent container holding mechanism or the reagent container itself. An automatic analyzer characterized by that. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
One of the engagement members is a rod-like member having a taper with a thin tip, and the other is a hole into which the rod-like member is fitted. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the reagent container holding mechanism moves on a single conveyance path and includes a plurality of reagent container erection positions along the conveyance path.

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