JP2014021080A - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device which provides information about water consumption quantity and the number of measurement items of an automatic analyzer to a user and which is capable of planned measurement in a situation where there is a limit to usable water quantity at the time of disaster and the like.SOLUTION: An automatic analyzer includes: a plurality of reaction cells held by a reaction disk; a specimen sampling mechanism for discharging a specimen to the reaction cells; a reagent sampling mechanism for discharging a reagent to the reaction cells; a mechanism for performing optical measurement of a mixed liquid of the specimen and the reagent. The automatic analyzer includes a screen for displaying the number of measurement items to be analyzed and water consumption quantity corresponding to the number of measurement items.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer used in a hospital or the like, and more particularly to an automatic analyzer that optically measures a mixture of a specimen such as blood and a reagent with respect to a plurality of reaction cells held by a reaction disk.

  In conventional automatic analyzers, attempts have been made to reduce the amount of water required for washing the reaction cell and measuring cell blanks in order to reduce the running cost of the automatic analyzer. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-179825 discloses an invention for reducing the amount of water consumed for cell blank measurement. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-096640 discloses a reduction in the amount of water for washing a reaction cell. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-318635 discloses a reduction in the amount of water in the reaction tank for keeping the reaction cell at a constant temperature.

JP2011-179825A JP 09-096640 A JP 09-318635 A

  In order to reduce the amount of water consumption for an automatic analyzer at normal time for the purpose of reducing the running cost and the environmental load, technological development has been carried out from the viewpoint of how much the amount of water consumption can be reduced.

  However, there may be a situation where there is a limit to the amount of water that can be used in the automatic analyzer, such as when water is shut off during a disaster such as an earthquake and the water in the storage tank is used. In this situation, if water is consumed for the measurement and there is not enough water available for the automatic analyzer, the cell / probe cleaning of the automatic analyzer and the cell blank measurement cannot be performed and the measurement becomes impossible.

  In addition, even if water is saved by the method of reducing the water consumption, the user cannot determine how many measurements can be performed with a limited amount of water, and the planned measurement may not be possible. There is.

  The objective of this invention is providing the apparatus which can provide the user about the amount of water consumption of an automatic analyzer, and the number of measurements in the condition where the amount of water that can be used is limited.

  The representative invention includes (1) a plurality of reaction cells held by a reaction disk, a sample sampling mechanism for discharging a sample to the reaction cell, a reagent sampling mechanism for discharging a reagent to the reaction cell, An automatic analyzer having a mechanism for optically measuring a mixed liquid of a sample and a reagent, and an automatic analyzer having a screen for displaying the number of measurement items to be analyzed and the amount of water consumption corresponding to the number of measurement items It is.

  (2) In (1), when the user inputs the amount of water consumption that can be used, the number of items that can be measured according to the input amount of water consumption is displayed on the screen, or the number of measurement items desired by the user is input Then, the automatic analyzer displays the necessary amount of water on the screen according to the number of input measurement items.

  (3) In (1) or (2), the relationship between the number of measurement items and the amount of water consumption is an automatic analyzer determined by a mathematical expression or a correspondence table.

  (4) In (3), the mathematical formula or correspondence table is an automatic analyzer in which different mathematical formulas or correspondence tables are stored in the storage unit in advance depending on the setting of the device.

  For the amount of water consumed by the automatic analyzer, information about the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items is provided to the user, and the number of measurement items required by the user can be judged even in situations such as disasters. Further, by inputting one and outputting the other, the user can easily grasp the relationship between the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items. As for the output, either calculation based on a mathematical expression or output based on a correspondence table can be supported. Furthermore, if the amount of water consumption varies depending on the device settings, even if the number of measurement items is the same, it is possible to correspond to the device settings to be analyzed by storing mathematical formulas and correspondence tables according to the device settings in advance. The relationship between the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items can be grasped. Therefore, the user can obtain more accurate information about the relationship between the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to use a systematic device in a situation where the amount of water consumption is limited, and it is possible to contribute to the improvement of user convenience.

It is a figure which concerns on the Example of this invention and shows the screen which provides the user about the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items. It is a figure which concerns on the Example of this invention and shows the element which comprises an automatic analyzer. It is a figure which concerns on the Example of this invention, and shows the table | surface showing the information about water consumption and the number of measurement items.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, referring to FIG. 2, the outline of the automatic analyzer including the arrangement of the reaction vessel and the mechanism related to measurement analysis and the water consumption of automatic analysis will be described.

  The automatic analyzer includes an analysis unit 210 and an interface / control unit 211. The analysis unit 210 includes a reagent disk 205, a reaction vessel 201, a reagent sampling mechanism 208, a sample 207, a sample sampling mechanism 206, a water discharge mechanism 202 (cell washing water / cell blank water injection mechanism), A waste liquid discharge mechanism 204 (sampling mechanism for specimen / reagent / washing water / cell blank water after measurement), a photometer 203 (optical measurement means), and a warm bath mechanism 209 for keeping the reaction vessel 201 at a constant temperature are provided. In addition, a stirring mechanism (not shown) for stirring the reaction solution in the reaction vessel 201 is also provided around the reagent disk 205.

  A plurality of reaction vessels 201 arranged in a circle move along the circumference of the reagent disk 205 at regular intervals. At that time, the reaction vessel 201 is kept at a constant temperature by the reaction tank water filled in the warm bath mechanism 209.

  In this embodiment, an automatic analyzer having 406 reaction vessels 201, two sample sampling mechanisms 206 and two reagent sampling mechanisms 208 will be described.

  The reaction vessel 201 is washed before measuring the specimen. Since it is uncertain what is contained in the reaction vessel 201 before the measurement, after the suction operation by the waste liquid discharge mechanism 204, water is discharged by the water discharge mechanism 202, and the waste liquid discharge mechanism 204 sucks it again. This operation is performed for all reaction vessels 201.

  Next, cell blank measurement of the reaction vessel 201 is performed. The cell blank measurement is performed to measure the absorbance of the reaction vessel 201 containing water and correct the zero point of each reaction vessel 201 during the measurement.

  When the reaction vessel 201 containing water is rotated at regular intervals, the absorbance of the reaction vessel 201 is measured with the photometer 203, and cell blank measurement is performed.

  After the cell blank measurement is completed, water is sucked out of the reaction vessel 201 by the waste liquid discharge mechanism 204.

  Subsequently, the reaction container 201 moves, and a part of the sample 207 is dispensed into the reaction container 201 by the sample sampling mechanism 206.

  Subsequently, the reaction container 201 moves, the reagent sampling mechanism 208 dispenses the reagent from the reagent disk 205 to the reaction container 201, the reagent and the sample are mixed and reacted, and a reaction liquid (mixed liquid) is generated. When the reaction vessel 201 containing the reaction liquid rotates at a constant cycle, the photometer 203 performs absorptiometric measurement to measure the components of the specimen.

  The reaction container 201 needs to stop moving when it receives water discharge / discharge and sample / reagent dispensing. Therefore, the movement and the stop are repeated at a constant cycle.

  The above is the outline of the automatic analyzer.

  Next, the display of information about the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items of the automatic analyzer will be described. FIG. 1 shows a screen that displays information about the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items of the automatic analyzer.

  A screen for displaying information about the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items of the automatic analyzer is provided to the calculation execution button 101, the usable water amount input column 102 input by the user, the desired measurement item number input column 104, and the user. It includes a measurable item number display field 103 for displaying information to be displayed, a necessary water amount display field 105, and a screen transition button 106 for transitioning to each water consumption reduction setting screen. In addition, a screen for displaying information about the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items of the automatic analyzer is displayed on the interface / control unit 211. With the screen shown in FIG. 1, the user can grasp the relationship between the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items, and can be used as a material for determining the planned use of the apparatus in a situation where the amount of water consumption is limited. In addition, user convenience is improved.

  In addition, although the example which displays the usable water amount input column 102, the measurable item number display column 103, the desired measurement item number input column 104, and the required water amount display column 105 on one screen was shown, the usable water amount input column 102 is shown. Alternatively, only one combination of the measurable item number display column 103, the desired measurement item number input column 104, and the necessary water amount display column 105 may be displayed on one screen.

  Next, information representing the relationship between the water consumption of the automatic analyzer and the number of measurement items will be described.

  The automatic analyzer is provided with mathematical formulas representing the relationship between the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items in advance. The mathematical expression is expressed in a format of Y = AX + B, for example. Y represents the amount of water consumed, X represents the number of measurement items, A represents the ratio of the amount of water consumed and the number of measurements, and B represents the amount of water consumed regardless of the number of measurements. The constants A and B of the mathematical formula are determined by estimation at the time of designing the automatic analyzer or inspection at the time of manufacture, and are stored in the storage unit in the apparatus.

  When the calculation execution button 101 is pressed, the calculation is performed according to the numerical value input by the user in the usable water amount input field 102 or the desired measurement item number input field 104 and the above mathematical formula, and the measurable item number display field 103 or the necessary water amount display. A calculation result is displayed in a column 105. With this function, the user can easily obtain information on the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items if one of the information can be grasped.

  Next, the case where the amount of water consumption per unit measurement changes will be described.

  The prior art documents describe methods for reducing the amount of water consumption by various methods. This method would allow more measurements in situations where there is a limit to the amount of water that can be used. As an example, the main points of the cell blank water reduction disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described.

  Cell blank measurement is performed to correct the zero point of the reaction vessel 201 as described above. In order to prevent the measurement value from changing over time, the cell blank measurement is preferably performed immediately before sample dispensing. Since the cell blank measurement takes a certain time, the cell blank measurement is normally performed for all reaction vessels 201 at all times in order to start the sample dispensing immediately after the sample 207 is charged.

  However, when the number of specimens 207 is small, not all of the reaction vessels 201 are used, and therefore it is a waste of water used for the cell blank measurement to always perform cell blank measurements on all of the reaction vessels 201. Therefore, the cell blank water is reduced by providing a water reduction mode that limits the quantity of the reaction vessels 201 into which the cell blank water is put in accordance with the quantity of the specimen 207, thereby reducing the amount of water consumption.

  When the amount of water consumption is changed by the above method, it is also necessary to change the information about the amount of water consumption provided to the user and the number of measurement items.

  In order to improve user convenience, the screen transition button 106 is pressed to transition to a screen for setting a reduction in water consumption by the above method. A description of a method and a screen for reducing the amount of water consumption during the setting is described in the prior art document.

  By changing the setting, the constants A and B in the formula are changed to constants C and D. The change is indicated by a correspondence table provided in advance in the automatic analyzer. The correspondence table is determined at the time of design and is stored in a storage unit in the apparatus.

  Further, not only the method of reducing the amount of water consumption according to the prior art document but also the case of using a new method of reducing the amount of water consumption for an automatic analyzer, it is possible to cope by redesigning the table. .

  In this way, different mathematical formulas are stored in the device depending on the setting of the device, and the mathematical formula to be used can be changed according to the setting status of the device. Thus, even when the amount of water consumption per unit measurement item changes, the display of information about the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items can be changed according to the setting.

  Another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The outline of the automatic analyzer and the screen for displaying information about the amount of water consumption and the number of measurement items are the same as in the above embodiment. Information representing the relationship between the water consumption of the automatic analyzer and the number of measurement items will be described with reference to FIG.

  The automatic analyzer is provided with a correspondence table representing the relationship between the amount of water consumed and the number of measurement items in advance. The correspondence table includes an identification number 301, an item number 302, and water usage data 303. The numerical values of the correspondence table are determined by estimation at the time of design and inspection at the time of manufacture, and are stored in the storage unit in the apparatus.

  A numerical value corresponding to the numerical value input by the user in the usable water amount input field 102 or the desired measurement item number input field 104 is selected from the item number 302 or the used water amount data 303. The selected numerical value is displayed in the measurable item number display column 103 or the necessary water amount display column 105.

Moreover, when the amount of water consumption per unit measurement item described in the said Example changes, it is preferable to prepare beforehand the row | line | column of the usage water amount data 303 according to the number in that case (use water amount 2). It can be seen that the amount of water used 2 is the amount of water used in a mode in which the amount of water used is less than the amount of water used 1 and the amount of water consumed is small. By storing the correspondence table in the storage unit in the apparatus, even when the amount of water consumption per unit measurement changes, the display of information about the amount of water consumption and the number of measurements can be changed according to the setting. Is possible.

101 ... Calculation execution button 102 ... Usable water amount input column 103 ... Number of measurable items display column 104 ... Desired measurement item number input column 105 ... Required water amount display column 106 ... Screen transition button 201 ... Reaction vessel 202 ... Water discharge mechanism (cell Washing water / cell blank water injection mechanism)
203 ... Photometer (optical measuring means)
204: Waste liquid discharge mechanism (suction mechanism for specimens, reagents, washing water, cell blank water after measurement)
205 ... Reagent disc 206 ... Specimen sampling mechanism 207 ... Specimen 208 ... Reagent sampling mechanism 209 ... Warm bath mechanism 210 ... Analyzing unit 211 ... Interface / control unit 301 ... Identification number 302 ... Item number 303 ... Water usage data

Claims (4)

A plurality of reaction cells held by reaction disks;
A sample sampling mechanism for discharging a sample to the reaction cell;
A reagent sampling mechanism for discharging a reagent to the reaction cell;
In an automatic analyzer equipped with a mechanism for optically measuring a mixture of a sample and a reagent,
An automatic analyzer comprising a screen for displaying the number of measurement items to be analyzed and the amount of water consumption corresponding to the number of measurement items. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
When the user inputs the amount of water consumption that can be used, the number of items that can be measured according to the input amount of water consumption is displayed on the screen, or
An automatic analyzer that displays the required amount of water on the screen according to the number of measurement items input when the user inputs the number of measurement items desired. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 2,
The relationship between the number of measurement items and the amount of water consumption is determined by a mathematical expression or a correspondence table. The automatic analyzer according to claim 3,
The mathematical expression or the correspondence table may be stored in a storage unit in advance according to a setting of the apparatus.