JP2015161526A - Automatic analysis device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispose of a reagent bottle safely.SOLUTION: A reagent storage 17 is a mechanism for holding a plurality of reagent bottles 37 in such a way as to be able to rotate. A remaining capacity calculation unit calculates a remaining amount of reagent in a specific reagent container 37 among the plurality of reagent bottles 37. A conveyance mechanism 43 is a mechanism for carrying out, from the reagent storage 17, the reagent bottles 37 placed at a carry-out position Pb2 inside the reagent storage 17. A plurality of disposal openings 45 are classified in accordance with the fluidity of reagent. An analysis mechanism control unit controls the conveyance mechanism 43, removes, from the reagent storage 17, the disposal bottle 37, among the plurality of reagent bottles 37 held in the reagent storage 17, the remaining amount of which is less than a threshold, and disposes of the removed bottle into a specific disposal opening 45, among the plurality of disposal openings 45, that corresponds to the fluidity of reagent accommodated in the disposal bottle 37.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an automatic analyzer.

  Automatic analyzers qualitatively and quantitatively determine the concentration of components from patient fluids (specimens) such as blood and urine by chemical reaction and electrochemical measurement, and determine various diseases from these values. Used for. The automatic analyzer can measure a plurality of measurement items simultaneously and processes a large amount of samples. A reagent is used to generate a chemical reaction specific to the measurement item in the specimen. Each of the plurality of reagents is accommodated in a dedicated reagent bottle. Usually, the reagent bottle is installed in a cooled reagent store.

  The capacity of the reagent bottle is generally about 20 to 100 mL. For example, 20 μL to 300 μL of reagent is used per measurement item. For this reason, for example, the reagent bottle is emptied by measuring several hundred samples. If it becomes empty, the measurement item cannot be measured. Therefore, the automatic analyzer has a function to detect the remaining capacity in the reagent bottle. When the remaining capacity becomes low or becomes empty, it notifies the operator to that effect using a screen display or the like. . The operator prepares a new reagent bottle, temporarily stops the apparatus, removes the empty reagent bottle from the reagent storage, and installs a new reagent bottle. Thereafter, the measurement is resumed.

  The reagent bottle replacement operation is often performed manually. However, an apparatus capable of automatically performing this replacement work has been devised. For example, automatic replacement work is performed as follows. First, the apparatus prompts the preparation of a new reagent bottle using an image display or the like when the amount of reagent is low. The operator installs the corresponding reagent bottle at a specific position. When recognizing that a new reagent bottle has been prepared, the device automatically determines the replacement timing, automatically discharges the empty reagent bottle from the reagent storage, and places a new reagent bottle in the empty space in the reagent storage. Install. The replaced reagent bottle is discarded from the waste outlet. A bag or the like is installed at the end of the disposal port, and a plurality of empty reagent bottles are accommodated in the bag. When the bag is filled with empty reagent bottles, it is discarded by the operator.

JP 2012-21862 A

  A small amount of reagent remains in the discarded reagent bottle. The remaining reagent is called dead volume. If the dead volume is not provided, the reagent is aspirated until the reagent bottle is empty. In this case, the correct amount of reagent cannot be aspirated by the last reagent aspiration. For this reason, the reagent remains in the reagent bottle. When the reagent bottle is discharged from the reagent container, the reagent bottle is not capped and discarded in the waste outlet. There is one disposal port. The reagent is a solution that causes a chemical reaction, and is generated from various chemical substances. Reagents also have differences in acidity and alkalinity. If such a solution is mixed carelessly, an unexpected chemical reaction may occur. It may solidify, generate heat, or generate gas. These depend on the composition and combination of the reagents. Reagents have various compositions depending on the measurement item, and the composition components are often different depending on the reagent manufacturer to be manufactured even with the same item and the same reaction principle. For this reason, when various reagent bottles that are not plugged are discarded in a bag, an unexpected chemical reaction may occur in the bag.

  An object is to provide an automatic analyzer capable of safely discarding a reagent bottle.

  The automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment includes a reagent container holding mechanism that rotatably holds a plurality of reagent containers, and a remaining capacity that calculates a remaining capacity of a reagent in a specific reagent container among the plurality of reagent containers. A calculation unit, a transport mechanism for unloading the reagent container disposed at the unloading position in the reagent container holding mechanism from the reagent container holding mechanism, and a plurality of waste storage containers classified according to the liquidity of the reagent And controlling the transport mechanism to take out from the reagent container holding mechanism a reagent container to be discarded whose remaining capacity falls below a threshold value among the plurality of reagent containers held by the reagent container holding mechanism, and And a controller that discards the specific waste storage container according to the liquidity of the reagent stored in the reagent container to be discarded among the storage containers.

The top view of the automatic analyzer which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the external appearance of the typical reagent bottle which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the functional block of the principal part of the automatic analyzer which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows typically an example of the structure of the reagent storage of FIG. 3, a novel bottle container, and a conveyance mechanism. The figure which shows an example of the discard port table memorize | stored in the discard port table memory | storage part of FIG. The figure which shows the typical flow of the reagent bottle discard process which concerns on this embodiment performed under control of the system control part of FIG. The figure which shows an example of the disposal port table which concerns on the modification 1. FIG. The figure which shows an example of the disposal port table which concerns on the modification 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view of the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a reaction disk 11 is provided on the stage 10 of the automatic analyzer.

  The reaction disk 11 holds a plurality of reaction tubes 31 arranged on the circumference. The reaction disk 11 repeats rotation and stop alternately at predetermined time intervals. The rotation period of the reaction disk 11 is called a cycle. A disc sampler 13 and a rack sampler 15 are provided in the vicinity of the reaction disc 11. The disk sampler 13 rotatably holds a sample container 33 in which a sample is stored. The disk sampler 13 rotates so that the sample container 33 containing the sample to be inhaled is disposed at the sample inhalation position Ps1. The rack sampler 15 holds the rack 35 movably. The rack 35 is a housing frame that detachably holds a plurality of sample containers 33. The rack sampler 15 operates so that the plurality of racks 35 are sequentially arranged at the sample inhalation position Ps1.

  In the other vicinity of the reaction disk 11, a first reagent storage 17-1 is arranged. The first reagent store 17-1 rotatably holds a plurality of reagent bottles 37-1 containing a first reagent that selectively reacts with the measurement item of the specimen. The first reagent store 17-1 is classified into a single type and a double type. In the single-type first reagent storage 17-1, a plurality of first reagent bottles are arranged along one circumference as shown in FIG. In the double first reagent storage 17-1, a plurality of first reagent bottles are arranged along each of two circumferences. The first reagent storage 17-1 has a sealed structure to enhance the cooling effect. The inside of the first reagent storage 17-1 is kept at 10 degrees or less by a cooling device (not shown). The first reagent container 17-1 rotates so that the reagent bottle 37-1 containing the first reagent to be inhaled is disposed at the first reagent inhalation position Pr1-1. Actually, the first reagent storage 17-1 has a cover (not shown) having a reagent suction hole (not shown) and an open / close door (not shown) for transporting the reagent bottle in order to prevent contamination of the reagent. Not shown).

  A second reagent storage 17-2 is provided inside the reaction disk. The second reagent container 17-2 holds a plurality of second reagent bottles 37-2 in which a second reagent corresponding to the first reagent is accommodated. The second reagent container 17-2 rotates so that the second reagent bottle 37-2 in which the second reagent to be inhaled is accommodated is disposed at the second reagent inhalation position Pr1-2. The structure of the second reagent store 17-2 is substantially the same as that of the first reagent store 17-1. Therefore, description of the structure of the second reagent storage 17-2 is omitted.

  Hereinafter, when the first reagent container 17-1 and the second reagent container 17-2 are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the reagent container 17, and the first reagent bottle 37-1 and the second reagent bottle 37-2 are not distinguished. These are simply referred to as reagent bottles 37, and when the first reagent and the second reagent are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as reagents.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of a typical reagent bottle 37. The reagent bottle 37 shown in FIG. 2 has a wedge shape that can be arranged in the reagent storage 17. The reagent bottle 37 having a wedge shape is called a wedge shape (wedge type). The reagent bottle 37 has various sizes according to the capacity. The reagent bottle 37 is not limited to the wedge shape, and may have a box shape, for example. As described above, the reagent is stored in the reagent bottle 37. The reagent is manufactured by a reagent manufacturer, and a predetermined amount is filled in the reagent bottle 37 and sold. The reagent bottle 37 is affixed with a label displaying basic information about the stored reagent (hereinafter referred to as reagent basic information). Examples of the reagent basic information include the name, type, and expiration date of the reagent. The label is printed with a bar code indicating detailed information (hereinafter referred to as reagent detailed information) regarding the contained reagent. Detailed reagent information includes, for example, manufacturer, reagent type, type, expiration date, lot number, bottle number, and measurement item.

  A barcode reader 19 is installed in the reagent store 17. Specifically, a barcode reader 19-1 is provided near the reagent suction position Pr1-1 of the first reagent storage 17-1, and near the reagent suction position Pr1-2 of the second reagent storage 17-2. A bar code reader 19-2 is provided. The bar code reader 19 optically reads the bar code of the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the reagent suction position Pr1, and collects the detailed reagent information indicated by the read bar code.

  A sample arm 21 is disposed in the vicinity of the reaction disk 11, the disk sampler 13, and the rack sampler 15. A sample probe (not shown) is attached to the tip of the sample arm 21. The sample arm 21 supports the sample probe so as to be movable up and down. Further, the sample arm 21 supports the sample probe so as to be rotatable along a circumferential orbit. The swivel trajectory of the sample probe passes through the sample suction position Ps1 on the disk sampler 13, the sample suction position Ps1 on the rack sampler 15, and the sample discharge position Ps2 on the reaction disk 11. The sample arm 21 sucks the sample from the sample container 33 disposed at the sample inhalation position Ps1 on the disk sampler 13 with the sample probe, and samples the sample into the reaction tube 31 disposed at the sample discharge position Ps2 on the reaction disk 11. The sample is discharged from the probe. Alternatively, the sample arm 21 sucks the sample from the sample container 33 arranged at the sample inhalation position Ps1 on the rack sampler 15 with the sample probe, and the reaction tube 31 arranged at the sample discharge position Ps2 on the reaction disk 11. The sample is discharged from the sample probe.

  A first reagent arm 23-1 is arranged between the reaction disk 11 and the first reagent storage 17-1. A first reagent probe (not shown) is attached to the tip of the first reagent arm 23-1. The first reagent arm 23-1 supports the first reagent probe so as to be movable up and down. Further, the first reagent arm 23-1 supports the first reagent probe so as to be rotatable along a circular orbit on the circumference. The turning trajectory of the first reagent probe passes through the reagent suction position Pr1-1 on the first reagent storage 17-1 and the first reagent discharge position Pr2-1 on the reaction disk 11. The first reagent arm 23-1 sucks a predetermined amount of the first reagent from the first reagent bottle 37-1 disposed at the reagent suction position Pr1-1 on the first reagent storage 17-1 with the first reagent probe. Then, the first reagent is discharged from the first reagent probe into the reaction tube 31 arranged at the first reagent discharge position Pr2-1 on the reaction disk 11.

  A second reagent arm 23-2 is disposed between the reaction disk 11 and the second reagent storage 17-2. A second reagent probe (not shown) is attached to the tip of the second reagent arm 23-2. The second reagent arm 23-2 supports the second reagent probe so as to be movable up and down. The second reagent arm 23-1 supports the second reagent probe so as to be rotatable along a circular orbit on the circumference. The trajectory of the second reagent probe passes through the second reagent suction position Pr1-2 on the second reagent storage 17-2 and the second reagent discharge position Pr2-2 on the reaction disk 11. The second reagent arm 23-2 removes a predetermined amount of the second reagent from the second reagent bottle 37-2 disposed at the second reagent suction position Pr1-2 on the second reagent storage 17-2. And the second reagent is discharged from the second reagent probe into the reaction tube 31 disposed at the second reagent discharge position Pr2-2 on the reaction disk 11.

  A stirring mechanism 25 is disposed on the outer periphery of the reaction disk 11. A stirring bar 25 s is attached to the stirring mechanism 25. The stirring mechanism 25 stirs the mixed solution of the sample and the first reagent in the reaction tube 31 disposed at the stirring position Pst on the reaction disk 11 or the mixed solution of the sample, the first reagent, and the second reagent. Stir for 25 s. Hereinafter, these mixed liquids are referred to as test liquids.

  A photometric mechanism 27 is provided inside the stage 10 in the vicinity of the reaction disk 11. The photometry mechanism 27 irradiates light toward the test solution in the reaction tube 31 at the photometry position Pp in the reaction disk 11 and detects light that has passed through the test solution. An electrical signal corresponding to the detected light intensity is subjected to absorbance analysis by a computer device. The measurement value of the measurement item is calculated by the absorbance analysis.

  An electrode mechanism 28 is provided at another position on the outer periphery of the reaction disk 11. The electrode mechanism 28 electrically measures the test solution in the reaction tube 11 at the measurement position Pe of the reaction disk 11. The electrical signal relating to the measured value is subjected to electrochemical analysis by a computer device. The measurement value of the measurement item is calculated by electrochemical analysis.

  A cleaning mechanism 29 is provided on the outer periphery of the reaction disk 11. The cleaning mechanism 29 is provided with a cleaning nozzle 29w and a drying nozzle 29d. The cleaning mechanism 29 cleans the reaction tube 31 at the cleaning position Pw of the reaction disk 11 with the cleaning nozzle 29w and dries with the drying nozzle 29d.

  A first new bottle container 41-1 is provided in the vicinity of the first reagent container 17-1. The first new bottle container 41-1 is a container for housing the new first reagent bottle 37-1. The new first reagent bottle 37-1 is used to replace the first reagent bottle 37-1 with a small remaining capacity accommodated in the first reagent container 17-1.

  A first transport mechanism 43-1 is installed between the first reagent container 17-1 and the first new bottle container 41-1. The first transport mechanism 43-1 is a mechanism for transporting the first reagent bottle 37-1. The first transport mechanism 43-1 moves the first reagent bottle 37-1 along the movement path connecting the first reagent carry-out position Pb1-1 and the carry-in position Pb2-1 of the first new bottle container 43-1. It is provided so as to be movable. In addition, a plurality of first waste storage mechanisms (hereinafter referred to as first disposal ports) 45-1 are provided on or in the vicinity of the movement path. Each of the plurality of first disposal ports 45-1 is a container for housing the used first reagent bottle 37-1. The plurality of first disposal ports 45-1 are classified according to the liquidity of the first reagent. The first transport mechanism 43-1 takes out the first reagent bottle 37-1 disposed at the carry-out position Pb2-1 of the first reagent storage 17-1 from the first reagent storage 17-1, and takes out the first reagent bottle taken out. 37-1 is moved to the predetermined first disposal port 45-1 along the movement path, and the first reagent bottle 37-1 is discarded to the first disposal port 45-1. Further, the first transport mechanism 43-1 takes out the first reagent bottle 37-1 disposed at the carry-in position Pb1-1 on the first new bottle container 41-1 from the first new bottle container 41-1. The taken out first reagent bottle 37-1 is moved along the movement path to the carry-out position Pb2-1 on the first reagent storage 17-1, and the first reagent bottle 37-1 is arranged at the carry-out position Pb2-1.

  Similarly, a second new bottle container 41-2 is provided in the vicinity of the second reagent container 17-2. The second new bottle container 41-2 is a container for housing the new second reagent bottle 37-2. The new second reagent bottle 37-2 is used to replace the second reagent bottle 37-2 with a small remaining capacity accommodated in the second reagent container 17-2.

  A second transport mechanism 43-2 is installed between the second reagent container 17-2 and the second new bottle container 41-2. The second transport mechanism 43-2 is a mechanism for transporting the second reagent bottle 37-2. The second transport mechanism 37-2 moves the second reagent bottle 37-2 along the movement path connecting the second reagent carry-out position Pb1-2 and the second new bottle container 41-2 carry-in position Pb2-2. It is provided so as to be movable. In addition, a plurality of second waste storage mechanisms (hereinafter referred to as second disposal ports) 45-2 are provided on or near the movement route. Each of the plurality of second disposal ports 45-2 is a container for housing a used second reagent bottle 37-2. The plurality of second disposal ports are classified according to the liquidity of the second reagent.

  Hereinafter, when the first new bottle container 41-1 and the second new bottle container 41-2 are not distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as a new bottle container 41, and the first transport mechanism 43-1 and the second transport mechanism 43-. 2 is simply referred to as the transport mechanism 43, and when the first discard port 45-1 and the second discard port 45-2 are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the discard port 45.

  The automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of disposal ports 45 corresponding to the liquidity of the reagent, and the reagent bottle 37 with a small remaining capacity is changed according to the liquidity of the reagent contained in the reagent bottle 37. Discarded in a specific disposal port 45. Hereinafter, details relating to the disposal of the reagent bottle 37 in the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment will be described.

  Next, functional blocks of main parts of the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of main parts of the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic analyzer according to this embodiment has an analysis mechanism control unit 53, a reagent storage drive unit 55, a reagent storage unit 17, a transport mechanism drive unit 57, and a transport mechanism 43 with a system control unit 51 as a center. , Reagent dispensing mechanism drive unit 59, reagent dispensing mechanism 23, liquid level detection unit 61, remaining capacity calculation unit 63, discard determination unit 65, barcode reader 19, disposal port table storage unit 67, disposal port identification unit 69 , An input unit 71, a main storage unit 73, and a display unit 75.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a specific example of the structure of the reagent store 17, the new bottle container 41, and the transport mechanism 43. As shown in FIG. 4, a reagent store 17 and a new bottle container 41 are installed on the stage 10. Each of the reagent store 17 and the new bottle container 41 holds a plurality of reagent bottles 37. The reagent storage 17 includes a reagent storage drive unit 55. The reagent storage drive unit 55 is a drive device for operating the reagent storage 17. The reagent storage drive unit 55 operates the reagent storage in accordance with a control signal from the analysis mechanism control unit 53.

  A transport mechanism 43 is installed between the reagent store 17 and the new bottle container 41. Specifically, the transport mechanism 43 includes a guide rail 431 and an arm 433. The guide rail 431 supports the arm 433 so as to be slidable along a movement path connecting the carry-out position Pb1 in the reagent storage 17 and the carry-in position Pb2 of the new bottle container 41. The guide rail 431 supports the arm 433 so as to be movable up and down. The arm 433 has a structure capable of gripping the reagent bottle 37. The guide rail 431 incorporates a transport mechanism drive unit 57. The transport mechanism drive unit 57 individually operates the guide rail 431 and the arm 433 according to a control signal from the analysis mechanism control unit 53. In order to make it easy to hold the reagent bottle 37 by the arm 433, the reagent bottle 37 may be provided with a notch.

  A plurality of disposal ports 45 are installed between the carry-out position Pb1 in the reagent storage 17 and the carry-in position Pb2 of the new bottle container 41. The disposal port 45 is a container (trash can) for storing the used reagent bottle 37. As will be described later, the disposal port 45 to be discarded is determined according to the liquidity of the reagent bottle 37. For example, a disposal port 45 for accommodating a reagent bottle for an acidic reagent and a disposal port 45 for housing a reagent bottle for an alkaline reagent are preferably provided. Thereby, mixing in the waste outlet 45 with an acidic reagent and an alkaline reagent can be prevented. Further, a disposal port 45 for accommodating a reagent bottle of a neutral reagent may be provided. Alternatively, a disposal port 45 for housing a reagent bottle of a cationic (cation) reagent and a disposal port 45 for housing a reagent bottle of an anion (anion) reagent may be provided. In this case, mixing of the cationic reagent and the anionic reagent in the waste outlet 45 can be prevented. Note that the number of the discard ports 45 is not limited to two, and three or more discard ports 45 may be provided.

  The stage 10 of the automatic analyzer is preferably provided with an outlet for taking out the reagent bottle 37 accommodated in the disposal port 45. As a result, the reagent bottle 37 accommodated in the disposal port 45 can be collected from the outlet. The collected reagent bottle 37 is disposed of by an operator or the like.

  The structure of the transport mechanism 43 is not limited to the above example. That is, the transport mechanism 43 of the reagent bottle 37 is not limited to a structure including the guide rail 431 and the arm 433. For example, the transport mechanism 43 may have a structure capable of transporting the reagent bottle 37 by a belt conveyor or the like. Further, the transport mechanism 43 may have a structure capable of transporting the reagent bottle by an arm having a single rotation shaft or a plurality of rotation shafts.

  The reagent dispensing mechanism 23 includes a first reagent arm 23-1 for dispensing the first reagent and a second reagent arm 23-2 for dispensing the second reagent. The reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit 59 includes a first reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit and a second reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit. The first reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit is a driving device built in the first reagent arm 23-1. The first reagent dispensing mechanism drive unit operates the first reagent arm 23-1 in accordance with a control signal from the analysis mechanism control unit 53.

  The liquid level detection unit 61 is provided in the reagent dispensing mechanism 23. More specifically, the liquid level detection unit 61 is attached to each of the first reagent probe and the second reagent probe. The liquid level detection unit electrically detects that the tip of the reagent probe touches the liquid level of the reagent solution in the reagent bottle 37, and outputs an electric signal (hereinafter, detection signal) indicating that the liquid level has been touched. . The detection signal is supplied to the analysis mechanism control unit 53 and the remaining capacity calculation unit 63.

  The remaining capacity calculation unit 63 calculates the remaining amount of the reagent in the reagent bottle 37. Specifically, the remaining capacity calculation unit 63 determines the height of the liquid level of the reagent solution in the reagent bottle 37 based on the descending amount from the initial position (standby position) of the tip of the reagent probe to the liquid level of the reagent solution. Is calculated.

  The discard determination unit 65 determines a reagent bottle 37 to be discarded among a plurality of reagent bottles 37 installed in the reagent store 17. More specifically, the discard determination unit 65 determines whether or not each of the plurality of reagent bottles 37 is to be discarded based on the remaining capacity of the reagent calculated by the remaining capacity calculation unit 63. Hereinafter, the reagent bottle to be discarded is referred to as a disposal bottle.

  The barcode reader 19 optically reads the barcode of the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the reagent suction position Pr1 of the reagent storage 17, and collects detailed reagent information indicated by the read barcode. Specifically, the barcode reader 19 reads information relating to the measurement item (hereinafter referred to as measurement item information) of the reagent bottle 37 disposed at the reagent suction position Pr1 as the reagent detailed information.

  The discard port table storage unit 67 stores an identifier of a discard port (hereinafter referred to as a discard port identifier) in association with each of a plurality of measurement items. The association between the measurement item and the discard port identifier is defined in a lookup table (LUT) or a database. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the association between the measurement item and the discard port identifier is defined in the LUT. The LUT that associates the measurement item with the discard port identifier is called a discard port table.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the discard port table. As shown in FIG. 5, measurement items include “TP (total protein: serum total protein)”, “CRE (creatinine)”, “ALP (alkaline fosterase)”, “γ-GT”, “GOT ( AST) ”and“ T-BIL (total birubin: total birubin) ”. For measurement of the measurement item, a reagent corresponding to the measurement item is determined. That is, when the measurement item is determined, the reagent is automatically determined. The allocation of each measurement item to the disposal port 45 is made so that the reagent bottle 37 of the reagent that should not be mixed is not discarded to the same disposal port 45. For example, it is known that when a reagent of a measurement item “CRE” and a reagent of a measurement item “T-BIL” are mixed, crystallization is caused by a chemical reaction between a cation and an anion. Therefore, it is preferable that the allocation is performed so that the reagent bottle 37 of the reagent of the measurement item “CRE” and the reagent bottle 37 of the reagent of the measurement item “T-BIL” are discarded in different disposal ports 45. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a first discard port and a second discard port are set as the discard port identifier. Measurement item “TP” and measurement item “CRE” are assigned to the first disposal port, and measurement item “ALP”, measurement item “γ-GT”, measurement item “GOT”, and measurement item are allocated to the second disposal port. “T-BIL” is assigned. In this way, by assigning the measurement item “CRE” and the measurement item “T-BIL” to the different disposal ports 45, the disposal port by the reagent of the measurement item “CRE” and the reagent of the measurement item “T-BIL”. The occurrence of a chemical reaction within 45 can be prevented. The assignment of the measurement item to the discard port identifier is performed by an instruction from the operator via the input unit 71.

  The disposal port specifying unit 69 uses the disposal port table stored in the disposal port table storage unit 67 for the disposal port 45 corresponding to the liquidity of the reagent stored in the disposal bottle 37 among the plurality of disposal ports 45. To identify.

  The analysis mechanism control unit 53 comprehensively controls driving devices for various analysis mechanisms mounted on the automatic analyzer. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the reagent storage drive unit 55, the transport mechanism drive unit 57, and the reagent dispensing mechanism drive unit 59 synchronously. Here, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to take out the waste bottle 37 out of the plurality of reagent bottles 37 held by the reagent store 17 from the reagent store 17 and The disposal bottle is discarded to a specific disposal port corresponding to the liquidity of the reagent contained in the disposal bottle 37.

  The display unit 75 includes a display device such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a plasma display.

  The input unit 71 receives various commands and information input from an operator via an input device. As the input device, a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball, a selection device such as a switch button, or an input device such as a keyboard can be used as appropriate.

  The main storage unit 73 is a storage device that stores various information. For example, the main storage unit 73 stores various setting parameters, an operation program for the automatic analyzer, and the like.

  The system control unit 51 functions as the center of the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment. The system control unit 51 reads an operation program from the main storage unit 73 and controls each unit according to the read operation program.

  Next, the flow of the reagent bottle discarding process according to the present embodiment performed under the control of the system control unit 51 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a typical flow of the reagent bottle discarding process according to the present embodiment performed under the control of the system control unit 51. Note that the reagent bottle discarding process of FIG. 6 is performed during the execution of the measurement item measurement operation. In addition, it is assumed that the creation of the discard port table is completed at all stages of step S1. The discard port table is created by the discard port table storage unit 67 in accordance with an instruction from the operator via the input unit 71. The creation of the disposal port table may be performed, for example, when setting the inspection conditions.

  During execution of the measurement operation, the system control unit 51 causes the remaining capacity calculation unit 63 to perform calculation processing (step S1). In step S <b> 1, the remaining capacity calculation unit 63 calculates the remaining capacity of the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the reagent suction position Pr <b> 1 of the reagent store 17. Hereinafter, the detailed flow of step S1 will be described. First, in step S1, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the reagent storage drive unit 55 in order to place the reagent bottle 37 to be inhaled at the reagent inhalation position Pr1. Under the control of the analysis mechanism control unit 53, the reagent storage drive unit 55 rotates the reagent storage 17 around the rotation axis, and arranges the reagent bottle 37 to be inhaled at the reagent suction position Pr1. During the measurement operation, the stopper of the reagent bottle 37 accommodated in the reagent store 17 is removed by the operator. The analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit 59 in conjunction with the control of the reagent storage driving unit 55. Under the control of the analysis mechanism control unit 53, the reagent dispensing mechanism drive unit 59 lowers the reagent probe until it touches the liquid level of the reagent solution in the reagent bottle 37 disposed at the reagent suction position Pr1. At this time, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 records the descending amount from the standby position of the first reagent probe to the liquid level. The liquid level detection unit 61 supplies a detection signal to the analysis mechanism control unit 53 when detecting that the tip of the reagent probe has touched the liquid level. When the detection signal is supplied, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 supplies a signal indicating the amount by which the reagent probe descends from the standby position to the liquid level (hereinafter referred to as a descending amount signal) to the remaining capacity calculation unit 63. Then, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the reagent dispensing mechanism driving unit 59 so that the tip of the reagent probe is further lowered from the liquid level by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is set to several mm from the liquid level, for example. The reagent probe is stopped by the analysis mechanism control unit 53 when triggered by a predetermined distance from the liquid level. Thereafter, the reagent probe inhales a predetermined reagent and moves up to the standby position. The remaining capacity calculation unit 63 calculates the remaining capacity of the reagent in the reagent bottle 37 disposed at the reagent suction position Pr1 based on the height of the reagent solution in the reagent bottle 37 and the shape of the reagent bottle. To do. Examples of the shape of the reagent bottle 37 include a bottom area.

  When step S1 is performed, the system control unit 51 causes the discard determination unit 65 to perform determination processing (step S2). In step S2, the discard determination unit 65 determines whether or not the reagent bottle 37 is to be discarded based on the remaining capacity of the reagent in the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the reagent suction position Pr1 calculated in step S1. judge. The predetermined value can be arbitrarily set by the operator via the input unit 71. When the remaining capacity does not fall below the predetermined value (step S2: NO), the discard determination unit 65 does not determine the reagent bottle 37 as a discard target. Steps S1 and S2 are performed each time the reagent bottle 37 is placed at the reagent suction position Pr1. When it is determined that the remaining capacity is less than the predetermined value (step S2: YES), the discard determination unit 65 determines the reagent bottle 37 to be discarded. Hereinafter, the reagent bottle to be discarded is referred to as a disposal bottle. When the reagent bottle 37 is disposed at the reagent suction position Pr1, the barcode attached to the reagent bottle 37 is optically read by the barcode reader 19. The bar code reader 19 collects measurement item information indicated by the read bar code. The collected measurement item information is supplied to the system control unit 51.

  If the remaining capacity falls below a predetermined value, the system control unit 51 causes the display unit 75 to display an alarm (warning) to that effect. When the display unit 75 displays an alarm, the operator prepares a new reagent and places it at the carry-in position Pb1 of the new bottle container 41. The arrangement of the reagent bottle 37 at the carry-in position Pb1 may be recognized by the system control unit 51 via the input unit 71, or may be automatically recognized by a sensor or the like. The reagent stored in the arranged reagent bottle 37 may be specified by reading a barcode attached to the reagent bottle 37 with a barcode reader, or input by the operator via the input unit 71. Also good.

  When the disposal bottle 37 is determined, the system control unit 51 causes the disposal port identifying unit 69 to perform the identifying process (step S3). In step S3, the disposal port specifying unit 69 uses the disposal port 45 stored in the disposal port table storage unit 67 for the disposal port 45 corresponding to the liquidity of the reagent stored in the disposal bottle 37 determined in step S2. To identify. Specifically, the disposal port specifying unit 69 receives the measurement item information of the disposal bottle 37 supplied from the barcode reader 19. Further, the discard port specifying unit 69 reads the discard port table from the discard port table storage unit 67. Next, the discard port specifying unit 69 searches the discard port table using the measurement item information of the discard bottle 37 as a keyword, and specifies the discard port identifier associated with the keyword. Thereby, the disposal port 45 where the disposal bottle 37 is discarded is specified. For example, in the disposal port table of FIG. 5, when the measurement item “CRE” of the disposal bottle is used, the disposal port is specified as “first disposal port”. Further, in the case of the measurement item “T-BIL” of the disposal bottle, the disposal port is specified as the “second disposal port”. The identified discard port identifier is supplied to the system control unit 51.

  When step S3 is performed, the system control unit 51 causes the analysis mechanism control unit 53 to perform arrangement processing (step S4). In step S4, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the reagent storage drive unit 55 to place the disposal bottle 37 at the carry-out position Pb2. The carry-out of the waste bottle 37 from the reagent store 17 may be performed before the spare reagent bottle 37 is carried into the reagent store 17 or after the carry-in. However, to specifically describe the following, it is assumed that the spare reagent bottle 37 is carried into the reagent store 17 after the waste bottle 37 is carried out from the reagent store 17.

  When step S4 is performed, the system control unit 51 causes the analysis mechanism control unit 53 to perform a carry-out process (step S5). In step S <b> 5, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to unload the waste bottle 37 arranged at the unloading position Pb <b> 2 from the reagent store 17. Specifically, the transport mechanism drive unit 57 arranges the arm 433 at a position on the guide rail 431 corresponding to the carry-out position Pb1 under the control of the analysis mechanism control unit 53, lowers the arm 433, and uses the arm 433. The waste bottle 37 disposed at the carry-out position Pb1 is gripped, the arm 433 is raised, and the arm 433 is moved out of the reagent storage 17 along the guide rail 431.

  When step S5 is performed, the system control unit 51 causes the analysis mechanism control unit 53 to perform movement processing (step S6). In step S6, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to move the disposal bottle 37 to the disposal port 45 specified in step S3. Specifically, according to the control by the analysis mechanism control unit 53, the transport mechanism driving unit 57 firstly positions on the guide rail 431 corresponding to the disposal port 45 specified in step S3, more specifically, in step S3. The position on the guide rail 431 corresponding to the specified discard port identifier is specified. It is assumed that the position on the guide rail 431 for each discard port identifier is set in the analysis mechanism control unit 53 in advance. Then, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to move the arm 433 to the specified position.

  When step S5 is performed, the system control unit 51 causes the analysis mechanism control unit 53 to perform a discarding process (step S7). In step S <b> 7, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to discard the disposal bottle 37 in the disposal port 45 specified in step 3. Specifically, the transport mechanism drive unit 57 opens the arm 433 and drops the disposal bottle 37 onto the disposal port 45 according to the control by the analysis mechanism control unit 53. Thereby, the disposal bottle 37 is discarded to the disposal port 45 specified in step S3.

  This is the end of the description of the reagent bottle discarding process according to the present embodiment.

  In the above description, the waste bottle 37 is carried out from the reagent store 17 before the spare reagent bottle 37 is carried into the reagent store 17. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. That is, if it is possible to carry in the spare reagent bottle 37 to the reagent warehouse 17 without carrying out the waste bottle 37 from the reagent warehouse 17, the spare reagent bottle 37 is removed from the reagent warehouse 17 before the waste bottle 37 is carried out. You may carry it in. Such a situation includes a case where an empty area exists in the reagent store 17. In this case, first, the operator arranges the spare reagent bottle 37 at the carry-in position Pb1 of the new bottle container 41. Then, the analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism driving unit 57 to take out the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the carry-in position Pb1 from the new bottle container 41, and place the removed reagent bottle 37 in the empty area of the reagent storage 17. Deploy. And said step S4, S5, S6, and S7 are performed. Thereby, after the spare reagent bottle 37 is carried into the reagent store 17, the waste bottle 37 can be carried out from the reagent store 17.

  As described above, the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment includes the reagent storage 17, the remaining capacity calculation unit 63, the transport mechanism 43, the plurality of disposal ports 45, and the analysis mechanism control unit 53. The reagent store 17 is a mechanism for holding a plurality of reagent bottles 37 rotatably. The remaining capacity calculation unit 63 calculates the remaining capacity of the reagent in a specific reagent container 37 among the plurality of reagent bottles 37. The transport mechanism 43 is a mechanism for unloading the reagent bottle 37 arranged at the unloading position Pb <b> 2 in the reagent store 17 from the reagent store 17. The plurality of disposal ports 45 are classified according to the liquidity of the reagent. The analysis mechanism control unit 53 controls the transport mechanism 43 to take out the waste bottle 37 whose remaining capacity is lower than the threshold value from the plurality of reagent bottles 37 held by the reagent store 17 from the reagent store 17, and Are discarded in a specific disposal port 45 according to the liquidity of the reagent contained in the disposal bottle 37.

  With the above configuration, the automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment can discard the reagent bottle 37 in which the remaining capacity of the internal reagent is reduced to the disposal port 45 according to the liquidity of the reagent. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of gas and the generation of dangerous substances such as solidification due to the mixing of reagents in the disposal port 45.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, an automatic analyzer that can safely discard reagent bottles is realized.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, each measurement item is assigned to any one of the plurality of discard port identifiers corresponding to the plurality of discard ports 45, respectively. However, this embodiment is not limited to this.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the discard port table according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 7, in the first modification, each measurement item is assigned to “first disposal port”, “second disposal port”, and “any are acceptable”. The measurement item corresponding to the reagent that may be discarded in any of the “first disposal port” and the “second disposal port” is assigned to “both allowed”. As in the above-described embodiment, the allocation of each measurement item to “first disposal port”, “second disposal port”, and “can be any” is stored in the disposal table table according to an instruction from the operator via the input unit 71. This is performed by the unit 67.

  The disposal port specifying unit 69 according to the modification 1 identifies the disposal port for the disposal bottle 37 as in the above embodiment. That is, the discard port specifying unit 69 specifies the discard port identifier associated with the measurement item information corresponding to the discard bottle 37 in the discard port table according to the first modification. When the disposal port specifying unit 69 identifies that the measurement item of the disposal bottle 37 is associated with the “first disposal port” or the “second disposal port”, the “first disposal port” or the “second disposal port” Is set as the discard port identifier for the discard bottle 37. When the disposal port specifying unit 69 identifies that the measurement item of the disposal bottle 37 is associated with “both are acceptable”, any one of the “first disposal port” and the “second disposal port” is disposed. The identifier is set to the disposal port identifier for the disposal bottle 37. For example, the discard port specifying unit 69 may set a discard port having a small internal volume of “first discard port” and “second discard port” as a discard port identifier for the discard bottle 37. In this case, a weight sensor is provided for each of the “first disposal port” and the “second disposal port”, and the disposal port identifier corresponding to the disposal port with the lighter weight indicated by the weight sensor is displayed on the disposal bottle 37. Is set to the discard port identifier for

  Then, under the control of the analysis mechanism control unit 53, the disposal bottle 37 to be discarded is discarded in the disposal port 45 corresponding to the disposal port identifier specified by the disposal port specifying unit 69.

  As described above, the automatic analyzer according to the modified example 1 assigns the measurement item corresponding to the reagent bottle that may be discarded to any disposal port to “Any”, so that the operator assigns it to the disposal port. The work can be simplified.

(Modification 2)
In the above embodiment, there are two disposal ports. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and three or more disposal ports may be provided. In the above embodiment, each disposal port is classified according to the liquidity of the reagent. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the types of waste outlets may be further subdivided according to the method for disposing the reagent bottle.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the discard port table according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 8, in the disposal port table according to the second modification, a plurality of disposal ports are divided according to liquidity as in the above embodiment, and each liquid disposal port is subjected to special processing. It is further subdivided according to the type. Specifically, it is roughly divided into a first disposal port (for example, an acid disposal port) and a second disposal port (for example, an alkaline disposal port), and an acidic disposal port and an alkaline disposal port Each is divided into a recycling waste port and a disposal waste port. As another example, the first waste outlet (anionic waste outlet) and the second waste outlet (cationic waste outlet) are largely divided into an anionic waste outlet and a cationic waste outlet. Each is classified into a recycling outlet and a disposal outlet. The recycling waste port is used to discard a recyclable reagent bottle, and the disposal waste port is used to discard a non-recyclable reagent bottle.

  The disposal port specifying unit 69 according to the modification 2 identifies the disposal port for the disposal bottle 37 as in the above embodiment. That is, the discard port specifying unit 69 specifies the discard port identifier associated with the measurement item information corresponding to the discard bottle 37 in the discard port table according to the second modification. For example, when the measurement item information corresponding to the disposal bottle 37 is “CRE”, the disposal port identifier of the disposal bottle 37 is specified as the recycling disposal port identifier of the first disposal ports.

  Then, under the control of the analysis mechanism control unit 53, the disposal bottle 37 to be discarded is discarded in the disposal port 45 corresponding to the disposal port identifier specified by the disposal port specifying unit 69.

  The classification of reagent bottles according to the disposal method is not limited to the recycling waste port and the disposal waste port. For example, a disposal port may be provided according to the material of the reagent bottle. Specifically, a disposal port for a plastic reagent bottle, a disposal port for a metal reagent bottle, a disposal port for a glass reagent bottle, and the like may be provided.

  As described above, the automatic analyzer according to the modified example 2 can reduce the labor of the disposal of the reagent bottle by the operator by subdividing the disposal port according to the type of special processing necessary for disposal. It becomes possible.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Stage, 11 ... Reaction disk, 13 ... Disc sampler, 15 ... Rack sampler, 17 ... Reagent storage, 19 ... Bar code reader, 21 ... Sample arm, 23 ... Reagent arm, 25 ... Stirring mechanism, 27 ... Photometric mechanism , 28 ... Electrode mechanism, 29 ... Cleaning mechanism, 31 ... Reaction tube, 33 ... Sample container, 35 ... Rack, 37 ... Reagent bottle, 41 ... New bottle container, 43 ... Transport mechanism, 45 ... Disposal port, 51 ... System Control unit 53... Analysis mechanism control unit 55. Reagent storage drive unit 57. Transport mechanism drive unit 59. Reagent dispensing mechanism drive unit 61. Liquid level detection unit 63 63 Remaining volume calculation unit 65. Determining unit, 67 ... discard port table storage unit, 69 ... discard port specifying unit, 71 ... input unit, 73 ... main storage unit, 75 ... display unit.

Claims (6)

A reagent container holding mechanism for rotatably holding a plurality of reagent containers;
A remaining capacity calculator for calculating the remaining capacity of the reagent in a specific reagent container among the plurality of reagent containers;
A transport mechanism for unloading the reagent container disposed at the unloading position in the reagent container holding mechanism from the reagent container holding mechanism;
A plurality of waste containers classified according to the liquidity of the reagent;
The plurality of waste containers are controlled by taking out the reagent containers to be discarded from the reagent container holding mechanism, wherein the remaining capacity of the plurality of reagent containers held by the reagent container holding mechanism is lower than a threshold value. A control unit for discarding in a specific waste container according to the liquidity of the reagent stored in the reagent container to be discarded,
An automatic analyzer comprising: A new reagent container holding mechanism for holding a new reagent container, and
The plurality of waste containers are provided in a movement path that connects a carry-out position in the new reagent container holding mechanism and an installation position in the reagent container holding mechanism,
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.   The control unit controls the transport mechanism, takes out the reagent container to be discarded from the reagent container holding mechanism, and discards the reagent container to be discarded into the specific waste container provided in the movement path. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1. A storage unit for storing each of a plurality of measurement items in association with a plurality of identifiers corresponding to the plurality of waste containers respectively;
The identifier associated with the measurement item corresponding to the reagent stored in the reagent container to be discarded is specified in the storage unit, and the waste container corresponding to the specified identifier among the plurality of waste container A specific unit that sets a container as the specific waste container, and
The controller discards the reagent container to be discarded into the specific waste container corresponding to the identifier specified by the specifying unit;
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1. A plurality of first identifiers corresponding to the plurality of waste storage containers, respectively, or a second identifier indicating that any of the plurality of waste storage containers may be any of the plurality of measurement items. A storage unit for storing in association with
The first identifier or the second identifier associated with the specific measurement item corresponding to the reagent stored in the reagent container to be discarded is specified in the storage unit, and the specific measurement item is stored in the storage unit. And a specifying unit that specifies an arbitrary first identifier of the plurality of first identifiers when associated with two identifiers,
The control unit discards the reagent container to be discarded in the specific waste container corresponding to the specified first identifier;
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.   The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of waste containers are further divided according to a reagent bottle disposal method in addition to the reagent liquidity.