JP2013044692A - Dispensation mechanism and automatic analyzer using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To confirm correct execution of a dispensation process in a dispensation mechanism using a detachable chip.SOLUTION: The dispensation mechanism includes an arm 202 having a nozzle 203 and a shaft 201 acting as a rotation center for horizontally moving the arm 202 and is configured to perform suction operation and discharge operation by attaching a detachable chip to a tip part of the nozzle 203. In the dispensation mechanism, a detection part is arranged on at least one position (a first detection position 211 or a second detection position 212) among positions corresponding to a nozzle rotation orbit 204 acting as an orbit of the nozzle 203, a signal analysis part for acquiring and analyzing a signal detected when the nozzle 203 is moved close to the detection part to obtain information is provided so that appropriateness of operation is confirmed from information obtained before and after any one operations among chip attachment operation, the suction operation, the discharge operation, and chip disposal operation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispensing mechanism and an automatic analyzer using the same.

  An automatic analyzer that automatically analyzes a specific component in a specimen such as blood or urine is generally known.

  Such an automatic analyzer is provided with a dispensing mechanism for dispensing a predetermined amount of a solution such as a specimen or a reagent into a reaction container. The dispensing mechanism mainly includes a nozzle that sucks and discharges a solution, a syringe that drives suction and discharge, a flow path that connects the nozzle and the syringe, and a syringe drive control unit.

  In an automatic analyzer, a predetermined amount of solution determined in advance for each substance to be measured by a dispensing mechanism is sequentially dispensed into a reaction vessel, and the reaction solution in the reaction vessel is measured by a detection means such as an absorption method or a luminescence method. To do. If solutions such as reagents and specimens are not correctly dispensed according to predetermined amounts, analysis results may not be obtained correctly. For this reason, it is important to correctly dispense a predetermined amount of a solution such as a specimen and a reagent. The amount of the reagent / specimen solution has been miniaturized, and at present, dispensing of several μL level may be required.

  The reason why the dispensed amount of the solution cannot be obtained correctly is that solid matter derived from serum components etc. is clogged at the tip of the nozzle, and the suction pressure when the syringe is aspirated is not correctly transmitted to the solution, so that the predetermined amount of solution Inability to suck. Moreover, there is a possibility that a predetermined amount cannot be sucked by sucking or emptyly sucking bubbles present in the solution.

  The following techniques are known as means for confirming whether a predetermined amount of solution has been sucked.

  In Patent Document 1, a pressure sensor is installed between a suction / discharge nozzle and a driving pump, and a normal range of pressure fluctuations for each solution to be dispensed is stored in advance. A suction / discharge device that detects a suction abnormality from a difference from the pressure at the time is described.

  In Patent Document 2, a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit of an optical sensor are installed at the tip of a nozzle that dispenses a reagent or a sample, and light emitted from the light projecting unit is caused by a liquid surface or a droplet of a solution. A method is described in which the position of the liquid surface or the presence or absence of liquid droplets is detected by detecting the reflected light with a light receiving unit, thereby confirming whether dispensing has been performed correctly.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 62-24151 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2904

  In the suction / discharge device described in Patent Document 1, when the amount of the target solution to be sucked / discharged is a small amount such as 10 μL or less, the fluctuation in pressure is small in the first place. It is difficult to confirm that a predetermined amount is sucked and the difference in pressure between the two is small.

  In the method described in Patent Document 2, in principle, at least one of the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit of the optical sensor needs to be in contact with the liquid droplet or the liquid surface. It must be installed at the tip of the nozzle.

  In automatic analyzers, in order to prevent contamination between samples, a disposable tip is attached to the tip of the nozzle and dispensed, starting with the fields of immunological analysis and genetic analysis where contamination is a serious problem. The method is widely applied. The method described in Patent Document 2 is difficult to apply to a dispensing mechanism that dispenses with a disposable tip attached to the tip of a nozzle. Further, since at least one of the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit of the optical sensor comes into contact with the solution, the amount of light from the light projecting unit or the sensitivity of the light receiving unit fluctuates with time due to contamination of these parts by the reagent / specimen. Even if a criterion for distinguishing between the normal time and the abnormal time is provided, it may not be possible to confirm whether or not a predetermined amount has been dispensed.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems that occur in the conventional means, and makes it possible to confirm that a predetermined amount of dispensing has been correctly performed in a dispensing mechanism using a detachable tip. For the purpose.

  The present invention relates to a dispensing mechanism that includes an arm having a nozzle and an arm moving unit that moves the arm in the horizontal direction, and attaches a detachable tip to the tip of the nozzle to perform a suction operation and a discharge operation of the solution. , A detection unit is provided in at least one position corresponding to the orbit of the nozzle, and a signal analysis unit is provided for acquiring and analyzing a signal detected when the nozzle approaches the detection unit, and mounting the chip. The validity of the operation is confirmed from information before and after at least one of the operation, suction operation, discharge operation, and tip disposal operation.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to confirm that a process such as dispensing suction / discharge is accurately performed in a dispensing mechanism that dispenses with a disposable tip attached to the tip of a nozzle. It becomes.

It is a whole block diagram of an automatic analyzer. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the operation path | route of a dispensing mechanism, and a sensor installation position. It is a perspective view which shows the initial state of the arm of a dispensing mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the chip | tip with the arm. It is a perspective view showing the state where an arm passes above the first detection position. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the arm reached | attained the position which attracts | sucks a sample. It is a perspective view which shows the state which an arm passes above the 2nd detection position. It is a perspective view which shows the state which discharges a test substance. It is a perspective view which shows the state which an arm passes above the 2nd detection position again. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the optical system of an arm and a nozzle. It is a bottom view which shows the optical system of the nozzle of FIG. 4A. It is a bottom view which shows the modification of the optical system of the nozzle of FIG. 4A. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the optical system of the nozzle before chip | tip mounting | wearing. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the nozzle and the optical system of a chip | tip after chip | tip mounting | wearing. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing an optical system of a nozzle and a chip after sample aspiration. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing an optical system of a nozzle and a chip after specimen discharge. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the optical system of an arm and a nozzle. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the sensing by a sound wave. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the vibration of the nozzle by the sound wave before chip | tip mounting | wearing. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the vibration of the nozzle and chip | tip by the sound wave after chip | tip mounting | wearing. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing vibration of a nozzle and a tip by a sound wave after sample aspiration. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the vibration of the nozzle and chip | tip by the sound wave after a sample discharge. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the sensing using a sound wave. It is a block diagram which shows the Example of an electrostatic capacitance system. It is a block diagram which shows the modification of an electrostatic capacitance system.

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer, and particularly to a dispensing mechanism that dispenses a predetermined amount of a solution such as a reagent or a specimen into a reaction container.

  This will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the automatic analyzer.

  The analysis apparatus 100 includes an incubator disk 104, a reagent disk 111, a detection unit 116, a rack transport line 117, and the like.

  A sample container 102 for holding a sample is installed on a rack 101 that moves on the rack transfer line 117. The rack 101 is moved to the sample dispensing position near the sample dispensing mechanism 103 by the rack conveyance line 117.

  A plurality of reaction vessels 105 can be installed on the incubator disk 104. The incubator disk 104 can rotate to move the reaction vessels 105 installed in the circumferential direction to predetermined positions.

  The transport mechanism 106 (sample dispensing tip and reaction container transport mechanism) is movable in three directions of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, and includes a holding unit 107 (a sample dispensing chip and a reaction vessel holding unit), The reaction vessel stirring mechanism 108, the waste hole 109 (sample dispensing tip and reaction vessel waste hole), the sample dispensing tip mounting position 110, and the range of a predetermined location of the incubator disc 104 are moved to the sample dispensing tip (holding portion). 107, which is not shown in the drawing), and the reaction vessel 105 is transported. The holding unit 107 is provided with a plurality of unused reaction vessels 105 and sample dispensing tips.

  The transport mechanism 106 moves above the holding unit 107, descends and grips an unused reaction vessel 105, then rises, further moves above a predetermined position of the incubator disk 104, and descends to lower the reaction vessel 105. Is installed.

  Next, the transport mechanism 106 moves above the holding unit 107, descends and grips an unused sample dispensing tip, then rises, moves above the sample dispensing tip mounting position 110, and descends. Install sample dispensing tip.

  The sample dispensing mechanism 103 can be rotated and moved up and down, and after the nozzle is rotated and moved above the sample dispensing tip mounting position 110, it is lowered to press-fit the sample dispensing tip into the tip of the nozzle. (Mounting operation). Here, the sample dispensing tip is a container that sucks and holds a liquid sample. In order to prevent contamination of the nozzle (contamination), the sample suction amount is set so that the sample does not reach the tip of the nozzle. Adjusted.

  The nozzle mounted with the sample dispensing tip is moved down above the sample container 102 placed on the transport rack 101 and then lowered. Then, a predetermined amount of the sample held in the sample container 102 is sucked into the sample dispensing tip (suction operation). The sample dispensing tip that has sucked the sample is moved above the incubator disk 104 by the sample dispensing mechanism 103 and then lowered, and the sample is discharged into an unused reaction container 105 held on the incubator disk 104 ( Discharge operation). When the discharge of the sample is completed, the sample dispensing mechanism 103 moves the nozzle above the discard hole 109 and discards the used sample dispensing tip from the discard hole 109 (discard operation).

  A plurality of reagent containers 118 are installed on the reagent disk 111. A reagent disk cover 112 is provided above the reagent disk 111, and the inside of the reagent disk 111 is kept at a predetermined temperature. A reagent disk cover opening 113 is provided in a part of the reagent disk cover 112. The reagent dispensing mechanism 114 can be rotated and moved up and down, and after the nozzle is rotated and moved above the opening 113 of the reagent disk cover 112, the nozzle is lowered and the tip of the nozzle is moved to the reagent in the predetermined reagent container 118. Soak a predetermined amount of reagent.

  Next, the reagent dispensing mechanism 114 moves up above a predetermined position of the incubator disc 104 after raising the nozzle, and discharges the reagent into the reaction vessel 105. The reaction container 105 from which the sample and the reagent have been discharged is transported to a predetermined position by the rotation of the incubator disk 104, and is transported to the reaction container stirring mechanism 108 by the transport mechanism 106.

  The reaction vessel stirring mechanism 108 agitates and mixes the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel 105 by applying a rotational motion to the reaction vessel 105. The reaction vessel 105 that has been stirred is returned to a predetermined position of the incubator disk 104 by the transport mechanism 106.

  The liquid suction nozzle 115 can rotate and move up and down. The sample and the reagent are dispensed, the stirring is completed, and the liquid suction nozzle 115 is moved above the reaction vessel 105 after the predetermined reaction time has passed by the incubator disc 104, and the liquid suction nozzle 115 is lowered to suck the liquid in the reaction vessel 105. . The liquid sucked by the liquid suction nozzle 115 is analyzed by the detection unit 116. The reaction container 105 in which the liquid has been sucked moves to a predetermined position by the rotation of the incubator disk 104, moves from the incubator disk 105 to above the disposal hole 109 by the transport mechanism 106, and is discarded from the disposal hole 109.

  Next, a dispensing mechanism that is a main part of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the dispensing mechanism, a nozzle 203 is installed at the tip of an arm 202 attached to a shaft 201 (arm moving unit). The arm 202 rotates around the shaft 201, and includes a tip mounting position 205 provided on the nozzle rotation track 204, a specimen suction position 207 on the sample rack 206, a specimen discharge position 209 on the incubator 208, and a tip disposal position 210. Pass through each point. The sensors are installed at the first detection position 211 between the sample suction position 207 and the sample discharge position 209 on the nozzle rotation trajectory 204 and at the second detection position 212 between the sample discharge position 209 and the chip disposal position 210. It is. The sensor installed at each detection position may be one of an optical method, a sound wave method (including an ultrasonic wave method), and a capacitance method, and a combination of these may also be used.

  First, a method for confirming the validity of the dispensing process and the sensor will be described, and then a method using an individual sensor method will be described.

  Each process of dispensing will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, when the arm 202 rotates around the shaft 201, the nozzle 203 moves from the home position to the tip mounting position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3A, the nozzle 203 passes above the second detection position 301, and the light 302 emitted from the tip of the nozzle 203 in the state where the tip is not mounted is applied to the sensor of the second detection position 301. Reach and get the sensor signal. After the nozzle 203 reaches the tip mounting position, as shown in FIG. 3B, the arm 202 descends and the tip 303 is attached to the tip of the nozzle 203 and is raised.

  Next, the arm 202 rotates and the nozzle 203 moves toward the specimen aspirating position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3C, the nozzle 203 passes above the first detection position 304, and the light 305 emitted from the tip portion of the chip 303 is in a state where the chip 303 is mounted at the first detection position 304. The sensor at the first detection position 304 is reached and a sensor signal is acquired. After reaching the specimen suction position, the nozzle 203 descends into the sample cup 306 as shown in FIG. 3D, sucks the specimen 307, and rises again.

  Next, the arm 202 rotates and the nozzle 203 moves toward the specimen discharge location. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3E, the nozzle 203 passes again above the second detection position 308, and the light 309 emitted from the tip of the chip 303 reaches the sensor at the detection position with the solution in the chip 303. The sensor signal is acquired. After reaching the sample discharge position, the nozzle 203 discharges the sample into the reaction vessel 311 placed in the incubator 310 and rises again as shown in FIG. 3F.

  Next, the arm 202 rotates and the nozzle 203 moves toward the tip disposal position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3G, the nozzle 203 again passes over the second detection position 312 and the light 313 emitted from the tip of the chip 303 is discharged after the solution in the chip 303 is discharged. The sensor at the detection position 312 is reached and a sensor signal is acquired. After reaching the tip disposal position, the nozzle 203 discards the tip 303 into the disposal hole and moves up again.

  Next, the arm 202 rotates to the home position and waits for the next dispensing operation.

  Through the above series of operations, the sensor signal (S1) when the chip 303 is not attached, the sensor signal (S2) when the chip 303 is attached, and the sensor signal when the solution is sucked into the chip 303 ( Each signal of the sensor signal (S4) in the state after S3) and the solution in the chip 303 is discharged is obtained. Here, whether the tip was normally attached to the nozzle from the difference between S1 and S2, whether the solution was normally sucked from the difference between S2 and S3, whether the solution was normally discharged from the difference between S3 and S4, Each can be judged.

  According to the present invention, since the result of each operation can be confirmed by comparing the previous and subsequent states, it can be more accurate than the method of confirming only the time during which the conventional operation is performed. .

  The following describes a method for confirming the validity of dispensing using each sensor method.

  First, a method using an optical sensor will be described.

  The optical sensor includes a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit.

  FIG. 4A shows an embodiment (optical system) in which an optical sensor is installed.

  A light source 401 such as a laser, a light emitting diode, or a lamp is installed at an arbitrary location of the analyzer. The optical fiber 402 is connected to the light source 401, the optical fiber 404 connected to the optical fiber 402 is passed through the inside of the arm 403, and the optical fiber 405 connected to the optical fiber 404 is passed through the nozzle outer wall), and the tip of the nozzle 203 A light projecting unit 406 connected to the optical fiber 404 is installed in the unit. Light 407 emitted from the light projecting unit 406 toward the lower side of the nozzle 203 passes through the inside of the tip 408 attached to the tip of the nozzle 203 and is emitted as light 409 from the tip of the tip 408. .

  Here, the wavelength of the light 409 is preferably 400 to 700 nm in the visible light region and 700 to 2500 nm in the near infrared region. Among these, when blood is used as a sample, the red region of 625 to 740 nm is particularly desirable. On the other hand, light having a wavelength of less than 400 nm, which is in the ultraviolet region, is not preferable from the standpoint that there is a risk of accelerating the deterioration of the resin constituting the apparatus and that the human body may be adversely affected.

  An element such as a photodiode sensitive to the light from the light projecting unit 406 is used as the light receiving unit, and is installed at the first detection position and the second detection position.

  The light emitted from the light projecting unit 406 is preferably continuous light or light emitted in a pulse manner in synchronization with the timing at which the arm 403 passes through the first detection position or the second detection position. In the case of pulsed light, the light detection in the light receiving unit is synchronized with the light emission timing, so that the influence of ambient light (ambient light) can be eliminated and more accurate determination can be made.

  4B and 4C are views of the nozzle 203 of FIG. 4A as viewed from below.

  In FIG. 4B, a plurality of (eight) light projecting portions 406 are exposed on the lower surface portion of the nozzle 203. Thus, light can be emitted toward the lower side of the nozzle 203 along the circumference of the lower surface portion of the nozzle 203.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 4C, the end of the optical fiber 415 is connected to an annular light projecting unit 416 provided on the lower surface of the nozzle 203. The light projecting unit 416 has a structure in which the light from the optical fiber 415 is scattered inside to make the amount of light uniform, and is emitted below the nozzle 203.

  Next, sensor signals in each of the dispensing processes will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the nozzle 501 passes through the detection position (the first detection position or the second detection position) with no tip mounted (FIG. 5A), the light emitted from the light projecting unit 502 at the tip of the nozzle 501 503 enters the light receiving unit 504 directly. When the nozzle 501 passes the detection position with the chip 408 mounted (FIG. 5B), the light 505 emitted from the light projecting unit 502 is similarly reflected and absorbed by the inner wall of the chip 408, and the tip of the chip 408 The amount of light emitted from the unit toward the light receiving unit 504 is reduced as compared with the case where no chip is mounted.

  When the nozzle 501 passes the detection position while the solution 506 is sucked into the chip 408 (FIG. 5C), in addition to the attenuation of the light amount on the inner wall of the chip 408, the liquid level of the solution 506 in the chip 408 The light 507 emitted from the chip 408 and traveling toward the light receiving unit 504 is further reduced due to reflection, absorption / scattering by the solution 506 itself, and the like.

  When the nozzle 501 passes through the detection position after the solution 506 in the chip 408 is discharged to the reaction container (FIG. 5D), the amount of light is not reduced due to the solution factor, so the light is emitted from the tip of the chip 408. Thus, the amount of light 508 directed toward the light receiving unit 504 is close to the light amount in the state immediately after the chip 408 is mounted, and is reduced by the amount of the droplet 509 remaining in the chip 408. By comparing these sensor signals, it is confirmed whether each dispensing process is appropriate.

  The amount of signal obtained from an optical sensor is dispensed due to factors such as individual differences of disposable chips, chip mounting status, light source variation, light receiving element sensitivity variation, optical axis variation due to device vibration, etc. It is not always constant.

  If the method of this invention is used, a nozzle will pass a detection position before and after each process, and a validity can be confirmed from the signal change before and behind. For this reason, the validity of the dispensing operation can be accurately confirmed without being affected by the fluctuation of the signal amount of the optical sensor.

  FIG. 6 shows a configuration in which light from a light source is projected through an inner tube of a nozzle, which is another embodiment using an optical sensor.

  In this figure, a light projecting unit 604 is installed at a bent portion 603 of a pipe 602 passed through an arm 601, and light is guided from the light source 605 to the light projecting unit 604 by an optical fiber 606. The light 607 emitted from the light projecting unit 604 passes through the nozzle 620 and the tip 608 attached to the tip of the nozzle 620, and is emitted as light 609 from the tip of the tip 608. In this method, the light projecting unit 604 comes into contact with the liquid in the pipe 602, but the liquid passing through the pipe 602 is pure water only, and problems such as contamination can be avoided.

  The sensor signal acquisition timing and the dispensing operation confirmation method in this configuration are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS.

(Sonic method)
Next, a method for confirming the dispensing process by the sonic method will be described.

  FIG. 7 shows a dispensing mechanism to which the sonic method is applied.

  The vibration element 703 is installed at the tip 702 of the nozzle 701. The wiring 704 of the vibration element 703 is connected to the vibration element control unit 706 through the inside of the arm 705. As the vibration element 703, for example, a piezo element or a crystal resonator is used. As a sensor, a microphone 707 is installed at the detection position. The signal acquired by the microphone 707 is analyzed by a signal analysis unit (not shown) to obtain intensity and frequency information.

  Also in this configuration, the dispensing process is the same as that of the above-described optical method.

  Next, sensor signals in each dispensing process will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the nozzle 801 passes through the detection position with no tip mounted (FIG. 8A), the vibration 803 generated by the vibration element 802 installed at the tip of the nozzle 801 is transmitted to the nozzle 801, and the vibration 804 of the nozzle 801 is observed. And sonic wave 805 is generated. The generated sound wave 805 reaches the microphone 806, is converted into a signal, and is converted into frequency information by the signal analysis unit. Here, the wavelength of the sound wave 805 is desirably 20 Hz or less or 20 kHz or more, which is a non-audible sound. This is because an audible sound can be a noise for the user.

  When the nozzle 801 passes through the detection position with the chip 820 mounted (FIG. 8B), the vibration 803 generated by the vibration element 802 is transmitted to the nozzle 801 and the chip 820, and the vibration 804 of the nozzle 801 and the chip 820 is detected. , 807 generates a sound wave 808. The sound wave 808 is converted into a signal by the microphone 806 and converted into frequency information by the signal analysis unit. In this case, the frequency of the sound wave 808 changes compared to before the chip 820 is mounted because the mass of the entire vibrating body increases by the amount of the chip 820 mounted.

  When the nozzle 801 passes the detection position while the solution 809 is sucked into the chip 820 (FIG. 8C), the mass of the vibrating body increases by the amount of the solution 809 in addition to the chip 820. As a result, the frequency of the generated sound wave 810 changes from the state immediately after the chip 820 is mounted.

  When the nozzle 801 passes the detection position in a state after the solution 809 in the chip 820 is discharged to the reaction container (FIG. 8D), the frequency change of the sound wave 830 caused by the solution 809 becomes small, so the frequency of the sound wave 830 Is close to the frequency in the state immediately after mounting the chip 820, and changes by the amount caused by the droplet 811 remaining in the chip 820 in a small amount. By comparing each of these frequencies, it is confirmed that each process of dispensing is appropriate.

  FIG. 9 shows a modification of the sound wave method.

  In this figure, a vibration element 903 that generates a sound wave 905 and a microphone 904 are disposed so as to face each other. A chip 902 attached to the nozzle 901 passes between them. The sound wave 905 is converted into a signal by the microphone 904 and converted into frequency information by the signal analysis unit. With this configuration, the presence / absence of the chip 902 and the state of the solution in the chip 902 can be detected.

(Capacitance method)
FIG. 10A is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an electrostatic capacitance method.

  In this figure, a capacitance difference is generated between the nozzle 1001 and the counter electrode 1003 to detect the capacitance. The control circuit 1004 (control unit) adjusts the potential of the nozzle 1001 and measures the generated current and the like to detect the capacitance. The counter electrode 1003 is connected to the ground electrode 1005.

  With this configuration, the presence / absence of the chip 1002 and the state of the solution in the chip 1002 can be detected.

  FIG. 10B is a configuration diagram illustrating a modified example of the capacitance method.

  In this figure, a potential difference is generated between the electrode 1013 and the electrode 1014 to detect the capacitance. The nozzle 1011 is insulated. The control circuit 1015 (control unit) adjusts the potential of the electrode 1013 and measures the generated current and the like to detect the capacitance. The electrode 1014 is connected to the ground electrode 1016.

  With this configuration, the presence / absence of the chip 1012 and the state of the solution inside the chip 1012 can be detected.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the sensors are installed at the two positions of the first detection position and the second detection position is described. However, when sufficient reliability is recognized with respect to the discharge performance of the dispensing mechanism, A sensor installed between the discharge position and the chip discarding position may be omitted, and only a check that the solution has been correctly sucked into the chip may be made.

  Here, the voltage used to generate the capacitance may be direct current or alternating current. In the case of alternating current, the capacitance can be calculated by detecting a change in the phase of the current due to a difference in dielectric constant due to the presence or absence of a chip, the presence or absence of a solution inside the chip, and the like.

  In the above embodiment, the case of horizontal movement in which the arm rotates about the axis has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the case where the arm moves horizontally by two axes of the X axis and the Y axis. It can be implemented by installing.

  100: analyzer, 101: rack, 102: sample container, 103: sample dispensing mechanism, 104: incubator disc, 105: reaction container, 106: transport mechanism, 107: holding unit, 108: reaction container stirring mechanism, 109: Disposal hole, 110: Sample dispensing tip mounting position, 111: Reagent disc, 112: Reagent disc cover, 113: Reagent disc cover opening, 114: Reagent dispensing mechanism, 115: Liquid suction nozzle, 116: Detection unit, 117 : Rack transport line, 118: reagent container, 201: shaft, 202: arm, 203: nozzle, 204: nozzle rotation trajectory, 205: tip mounting position, 206: sample rack, 207: sample suction position, 208: incubator, 209 : Sample discharge position, 210: Chip discard position, 211: First detection position, 212: Second detection position, 301: Second detection position, 302: Light, 303: Chip, 304: First detection position, 305: Light , 306: Sample cup, 307: Sample, 308: No. Detection position, 309: Light, 310: Incubator, 311: Reaction vessel, 312: Second detection position, 313: Light, 401: Light source, 402, 404, 405, 415: Optical fiber, 403: Arm, 406, 416: Emitter, 407, 409: Light, 408: Chip, 501: Nozzle, 502: Emitter, 503, 505, 507, 508: Light, 504: Light receiver, 506: Solution, 509: Droplet, 601: Arm, 602: piping, 603: bent part, 604: light projecting part, 605: light source, 606: optical fiber, 607, 609: light, 608: tip, 620: nozzle, 701: nozzle, 702: tip part, 703 : Vibration element, 704: Wiring, 705: Arm, 706: Vibration element controller, 707: Microphone, 801: Nozzle, 802: Vibration element, 803, 804, 807: Vibration, 805, 808, 810, 830: Sound wave, 806: Microphone, 809: Solution, 811: Droplet, 820: Tip, 901: Nozzle, 902: Tip, 903: Vibration element, 904: Microphone, 905: Sound wave, 1001: Nozzle, 1002: Chip 1003: counter electrode, 1004: control circuit, 1005: ground electrode, 1011: nozzle, 1012: tip, 1013: electrode, 1014: electrode, 1015: control circuit, 1016: ground electrode.

Claims (7)

  A dispensing mechanism that includes an arm having a nozzle and an arm moving unit that moves the arm in a horizontal direction, and attaches a detachable tip to the tip of the nozzle to perform a suction operation and a discharge operation of the solution. A signal analyzing unit that obtains information by obtaining and analyzing a signal detected when the nozzle approaches the detecting unit at least at one position corresponding to the orbit of the nozzle; The applicability of the operation can be confirmed from the information before and after at least one of the tip mounting operation, the suction operation, the discharge operation, and the tip disposal operation. mechanism.   The dispensing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the validity of the operation can be confirmed from the difference in the information.   The dispensing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the validity is confirmed from the presence / absence of the tip, the presence / absence or amount of the solution sucked by the tip.   The dispensing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is an optical sensor including at least a light receiving unit.   The dispensing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit is a sonic sensor including at least a microphone.   The dispensing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit detects a capacitance.   An automatic analyzer comprising the dispensing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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