JP3047612B2 - Automatic chemical analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring the concentration or activity of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as blood and urine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample into a reaction cell along an annular reaction line in which reaction cells are arranged in a line and conveyed to an analysis section of an automatic chemical analyzer,
A reagent injection mechanism for dispensing reagents into the reaction cell into which the sample has been injected, a stirring mechanism for stirring the reaction solution in the reaction cell, an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction cell, and washing for washing the reaction cell There is a single-multi type automatic chemical analyzer provided with at least a mechanism. In such an automatic chemical analyzer, when a series of measurements is completed, the operation is stopped after the reaction cell used for the measurement is washed. When the analysis is restarted after the operation is stopped, the reaction cell is washed and a blank measurement is performed before the analysis operation is started, as in the case of starting the analysis operation.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the operation of the analyzer is stopped, the last reaction cell used for measurement is located at a position next to the drying position. This is referred to as a cell 1, and cells 2, 3,... In FIG. 3A, the washing and the blank measurement are shown as one step. Conventionally, the cell 6 at the residual liquid suction position when the operation is stopped is used as the first cell in the measurement at the time of restarting the next operation. At this time, cells 1, 2 and 3 have been subjected to cell blank measurement.

[0004]

When the operation is stopped, the used reaction cell is washed and a blank measurement is performed, but when the operation is resumed, the washing and the blank measurement are repeatedly performed. And the time required for outputting the result becomes longer, which causes a problem in the case of an urgent sample which competes for one minute.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reduce the time until a result is output by utilizing the reaction cell after the cell blank measurement at the time of restarting the operation.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, when the operation of the analyzer is restarted after the operation is stopped, the cell blank measurement value data before the stop and the cell blank measurement value data after the operation restart are continuously output. Is stored in the data area of the same reaction cell. At this time, the validity of the cell blank measurement value data before the operation is stopped is determined from the difference between the cell blank measurement value data before the operation is stopped and the cell blank measurement value data when the operation is restarted. Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 stores the cell blank value storage unit 32 storing the cell blank value measured before the operation is stopped, and the cell blank value storage unit 32 stores the cell blank value. The cell blank value before operation stop is compared with the cell blank measurement value at the time of operation restart for the corresponding reaction cell, and a difference is obtained.If the difference is within the set reference value, the cell blank value before operation stop is valid. If the difference is larger than the set reference value, a comparison operation unit 34 for discarding the cell blank value before the operation is stopped is provided.

In another aspect of the present invention, a reference time is set in advance, the time at which the operation is stopped is stored, and if the time until the restart of operation is within the set reference time, the blank measurement before the operation is stopped is performed. The value data is assumed to be valid. If the time during the stop is longer than the set reference time, the blank measured value data before the stop of the operation is discarded. This operation is performed by the control unit 30 shown in FIG.
Is performed by the comparison operation unit 34.

[0007]

FIG. 2 shows the operation when the blank measurement values are compared between when the operation is stopped and when the operation is restarted. A cell blank measurement is performed when the operation is restarted, and the cell blank value is compared with the cell blank measurement value for the corresponding reaction cell stored in the cell blank value storage unit 32 to obtain a difference, and the difference is determined within the set reference value. If it is, the cell blank value before operation stop is regarded as valid and the analysis operation is started. Do. When comparing the time during operation stop with the set reference time, change the cell blank measurement value data before operation stop to valid or discard it based on the time during stoppage by changing the blank measurement value difference. Is to be determined.

[0008]

FIG. 4 shows an example of an analyzer of an automatic chemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied. Reference numeral 2 denotes a reaction disk, which is intermittently rotated in the direction of arrow 15 by a rotation drive mechanism. The reaction cells 4 also serving as cuvettes are arranged in a row along the circumference of the cuvette roller 3 of the reaction disk 2 to form an annular reaction line 5. The reaction cell 4 is immersed in a constant temperature water bath and kept at a constant temperature. Reaction cell 4
A sample sampling mechanism 6 is arranged along the reaction line 5 so as to inject a sample into the sample. In the sample sampling mechanism 6, the sample cups 7 are arranged along the circumference of the sampling table 8, and the sample aspirating and sampling position 1 is set.
A sample dispenser 9 for dispensing a sample from the sample cup 3
Is arranged. A sampling probe 10 is provided at the tip of the sample dispenser 9, and the probe 10 moves along a movement path 11 between a reaction cell at a sample dispensing position 14 and a sample cup at a sample aspirating and collecting position 13. A cleaning pot 12 is provided on the moving path 11 and the probe 1
0 can be washed.

A reagent injection mechanism 16 is arranged along the reaction line 5 for injecting a reagent into a reaction cell into which a sample has been dispensed. In the reagent injection mechanism 16, a reagent container 17 is arranged along the circumference of the reagent tray 18, and a reagent dispenser 19 is arranged for dispensing a reagent from the reagent container at the reagent suction and sampling position 23. A reagent probe 20 is provided at the tip of the reagent dispenser 19, and the probe 20 moves along a movement path 21 between a reaction cell at a reagent dispensing position 24 and a reagent container at a reagent suction and sampling position 23. A washing pot 22 is arranged on the moving path 21 so that the probe 20 can be washed.

A washing and dehydrator 26 is further provided along the reaction line 5, and a stirring mechanism (not shown) for stirring the reaction solution in the reaction cell 4 is also provided. Further, an absorptiometer 27 is arranged along the reaction line 5. The absorptiometer 27 is fixed, and the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction cell 4 is measured by rotating the reaction line 5.

A series of analyzes is completed when the last used reaction cell has gone through the washing process in the washing section 26 to the end. This washing process is generally classified as follows. Aspiration of the reaction solution, washing of the reaction cell with water (dispensing and discharging of washing water), filling of the reaction cell with water, blank measurement,
Water drainage and drying. Of these, blank measurement with washing is usually performed over a plurality of steps.

In order to measure the absorbance of all the reaction cells by the reaction cell direct photometric method, the reaction cell is rotated as in the embodiment and passed through a fixed optical system 27 as follows:
There is known a method in which a reaction cell is fixed during photometry and an optical system is moved. In the method of rotating the reaction cell, first, sample dispensing, reagent dispensing, stirring, and cell washing are performed at the same time, then the reaction cell is rotated once to read the absorbance, and then the reaction cell is advanced by one and stopped. repeat. In the method of moving the optical system, absorbance reading is performed at the same time as sample dispensing, reagent dispensing, stirring, and cell washing, and then the reaction cell is advanced by one and stopped, and thereafter, this operation is repeated. In any case, the operation is stopped with one reaction cell being sent. At this time, the last reaction cell used for the measurement is at the position next to the drying position.

FIG. 3B shows a case where the cell blank is measured over three steps in the embodiment. When the next position after the drying position is cell 1 and numbered below clockwise,
The result is as shown in FIG. If the operation of this analyzer is stopped in that state, the blank measurement for reaction cells 1, 2, 3 has been completed three times, the reaction cell 4 has been performed twice, and the reaction cell 5 has been completed for one blank measurement. When the operation is restarted from this state, the reaction cell 4 performs one new measurement and the reaction cell 5 performs two new blank measurements. The cell blank value measured and stored in the reaction cell 4 or the reaction cell 5 when the operation is stopped is compared with the cell blank value measured after the operation is restarted, and the values of the same reaction cell when the operation is stopped and when the operation is restarted are compared. If the difference is equal to or less than the set fixed value (reference value), it can be determined that the state has not changed before and after the operation is stopped. An intermediate value or an average value is obtained from the blank value and the cell blank value after restarting the operation, and the obtained intermediate value or average value is used as a cell blank value. On the other hand, if the cell blank value before the stop of the operation of the same reaction cell and the cell blank value after the restart of the operation are out of the reference value, there may be some cause there, such as a different dry state of the cell. Since the judgment is made, the cell blank value before the stop of the operation is discarded. In this case, the reaction cell 8 is used for analysis in FIG.

When the cell blank value before the stop of the operation of the same reaction cell and the cell blank value after the restart of the operation deviate from the reference value, if only the reaction cell 4 deviates from the reference value, the reaction cell 5 is used for analysis. If the reaction cells 4 and 5 deviate from the reference value, the reaction cell 6 is used for the analysis. If the reaction cells 4, 5 and 6 deviate from the reference value, the cell 8 is used for the analysis. It may be used.

In another embodiment, the time when the operation is stopped is also stored at the same time. A predetermined time is set in advance as a reference.If the time during which the operation is stopped when the operation is resumed is within the set time, the cell blank measurement value before the operation is stopped is valid, and the time during which the operation is stopped is set. If the time is exceeded, the cell blank value before the operation is stopped is discarded, and a normal cleaning process is started.

A mode can be switched between a mode in which it is determined whether the cell blank value before the operation stop is valid by comparing the cell blank values and a mode in which the determination is made based on the time during the operation stop. Is also good. Further, a mode in which the cell blank value before the operation is stopped may not be used, and the cell blank value before the operation is stopped may be used only in the case of analysis of an urgent sample whose results are urgent.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the operation of the analyzer is stopped, and when the operation is restarted next time, the cell blank value measured before the operation was stopped can be made valid, so that the result report is made. This is particularly effective for emergency specimens. Further, water and electricity can be saved because the time until the end of the analysis can be shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cell arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Reaction Disk 4 Reaction Container 5 Reaction Line 6 Sample Sampling Mechanism 10 Sample Probe 16 Reagent Injection Mechanism 20 Reagent Probe 26 Washing and Dehydrator 27 Spectrophotometer C 30 Control Unit 32 Cell Blank Value Storage Unit 34 Comparison Operation Unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 35/00-35/10

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An annular reaction line in which reaction cells are arranged in a line and conveyed; a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample into the reaction cell; a reagent injection mechanism for dispensing a reagent into the reaction cell into which the sample has been injected; An analysis unit having at least a stirring mechanism for stirring the reaction solution in the reaction cell, an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction cell, and a washing mechanism for washing the reaction cell, and cell blank measurement after washing Controlling the operation of each unit including two or more steps, and a control unit that calculates the concentration or activity value of the sample by the absorbance from the spectrophotometer, In an automatic chemical analyzer that includes, the control unit, A cell blank value storage unit that stores a cell blank value measured before the operation is stopped, and a reaction corresponding to the cell blank value before the operation stop stored in the cell blank value storage unit. The difference between the cell blank measurement value at the time of restarting the operation of the cell and the cell blank measurement value is obtained.If the difference is within the set reference value, the cell blank value before the operation stop is considered valid, and the difference is larger than the set reference value. For example, an automatic chemical analyzer further comprising a comparison operation unit for discarding a cell blank value before the operation is stopped. 2. A ring-shaped reaction line in which reaction cells are arranged and transported in a line, a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample into the reaction cell, a reagent injection mechanism for dispensing a reagent into the reaction cell into which the sample has been injected, An analysis unit having at least a stirring mechanism for stirring the reaction solution in the reaction cell, an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction cell, and a washing mechanism for washing the reaction cell, and cell blank measurement after washing Controlling the operation of each unit including two or more steps, and a control unit that calculates the concentration or activity value of the sample by the absorbance from the spectrophotometer, In an automatic chemical analyzer that includes, the control unit, The cell blank value storage unit that stores the cell blank value measured before the operation was stopped, and the time from when the operation was stopped to when the operation was restarted. If the time was within the set reference time, the operation was stopped. An automatic chemical analyzer further comprising: a comparison operation unit for validating a cell blank value before stoppage and discarding the cell blank value before operation stop if the time is longer than a set reference time.