JP3157601B2 - Automatic blood 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 blood analyzer for analyzing blood by immunological agglutination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an analyzer using an immunological agglutination reaction, there is an analyzer configured so that a sample whose analysis has been completed can be visually observed at a predetermined position of the analyzer. In such an analysis method, the analysis result determined by visual observation is prioritized to the result automatically determined by the analyzer, and when both do not match, the analysis result by visual observation is the final result.

In an examination using immunological agglutination, blood collected from a patient is stored in a test tube, and the blood is separated by centrifugation into blood cells on the lower side and serum on the upper side. Use a sample. A method of collecting only serum from a blood sample stored in a test tube in a state where blood cells and serum are separated from each other is performed as shown in FIG.
Utilizing the difference in the liquid level of the liquid and the serum 2, the nozzle 4 is made to penetrate the test tube 3 and the amount of penetration is controlled.

[0004] Next, in order to carry out an immunological analysis, serum 2 is dispensed into a reaction vessel, and a blood cell reagent or the like immobilized on, for example, animal blood cells that specifically reacts with serum 2 is dispensed. . Then, the particles spontaneously settle as a result of the antigen-antibody reaction, and a non-aggregation pattern and an aggregation pattern as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B are formed on the bottom surface of the reaction vessel. An immunological analysis of various antigens, antibodies and the like can be performed by optically photometrically measuring the reaction pattern on the reaction container (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-16875).

[0005] However, when blood cells in the above-mentioned sample are mixed into the reaction container, an antigen-antibody reaction occurs between the dispensed serum and the blood cell reagent dispensed as a reagent. No reaction occurs, and a pattern as shown in FIG. 7C is formed. Therefore, although a cohesion pattern should be actually formed, a non-coagulation pattern or a result that determination is impossible is caused.
Even in this case, actually, visual observation is carried out to recognize that blood cells have entered the reaction vessel, and a re-test is performed for a sample that has become necessary.

[0006]

In the conventional method as described above, each of the reaction vessels must be visually observed in order to recognize the contamination of blood cells into the reaction vessels. Therefore, for example, in the case of a microplate having a plurality of reaction vessel rows arranged in a matrix separated from each other and used in an analyzer by immunological agglutination, the number of reaction vessels is 96. , And 120, there is a problem that visual observation of all of them requires much time and labor. In addition, there is a problem that a skilled technique is required to determine whether the aggregation pattern of the particles is normal or abnormal.

[0007] Further, since the final judgment is based on the visual observation of a person, the judgment criteria differ depending on the observer,
Misjudgment may occur. Further, when blood cells are mixed into the reaction vessel, an antigen-antibody reaction occurs with the blood cell reagent added later, but does not react with the dispensed blood cells, so that an aggregation pattern as shown in FIG. 7C is formed, There is a risk that the determination will be made as if the antigen-antibody reaction did not occur, and there would be a risk of erroneous determination in blood type and infectious disease tests.

Further, when blood cells are found to have entered the reaction vessel by visual observation, a re-test is performed on the sample that needs to be performed. However, it takes a lot of time and labor until the re-test is performed. There is a problem that it is necessary.
The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above problems,
To provide an automatic blood analyzer capable of automatically detecting blood cells entering a reaction vessel, stopping sample processing based on the information, and automatically re-testing when necessary. It is intended for.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a blood cell contamination detection system for detecting the presence of blood cells in a blood cell contamination detection container to detect the mixing of blood cells into a reaction container containing a specimen. The automatic blood analyzer is provided with means for stopping the processing of the sample and / or performing an automatic retest based on the blood cell contamination detection information.

[0010]

As described above, since the blood cell contamination detection container is provided separately from the reaction container, the presence / absence of blood cell contamination can be automatically determined based on the pattern formed here, and the subsequent necessary measures can be appropriately performed. I can do it.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a container for determining immunological particle aggregation. A plurality of steps 7 are regularly formed in a conical portion 6 (FIG. 1A) below the main body 5 having a top shape (FIG. 1B). FIG. 1C is a plan view, and a step as shown is formed toward the bottom inside the container.

When performing a blood analysis, a sample serum and a blood cell reagent are dispensed and reacted in this container. Then, a stable base layer of settled particles is formed on the inclined bottom surface 7a by the step portion. In the case of the blood group determination method and other analysis by immunological agglutination, not only particles having strong agglutination but also irregular antibodies having weak agglutination have the clearness shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. A non-aggregation pattern and an aggregation pattern can be formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
One is used as a reaction container 8 and the other is used as a blood cell contamination detection container 9. The same serum as that of the reaction container 8 is dispensed into the blood cell contamination detection container 9, but the blood cell reagent is not dispensed. When blood cells are mixed in the blood cell mixing detection container 9, a non-agglutination pattern as shown in FIG. 7A is formed, and when blood cells are not mixed, an aggregation pattern as shown in FIG. 7B is formed.

Next, in order to determine the particle aggregation pattern in the reaction vessel 8, a pattern determining apparatus as shown in FIG. 3 is used. Case 1 with reaction vessel set on light scattering plate 10
1 is mounted, and the light is irradiated to the reaction vessel by the light source 13 which is supplied with current from the light quantity stabilizing power supply 12. The light transmitted through the reaction vessel in this manner is transmitted to the lens 15
, And the determination is made via the program 16 on the image processing board.

Here, the blood cell contamination detection container 9 and the reaction container 8
The agglutination pattern is analyzed to automatically determine whether blood cells have entered the reaction vessel 8. That is, if the aggregation pattern of the blood cell contamination detection container 9 is as shown in FIG. 7A, it is determined that blood cells have also entered the reaction container 8. Therefore, the processing of the sample is stopped, or the serum is re-dispensed into the reaction container 8 again, and the blood cell reagent is dispensed, and the retest is performed by judging the particle aggregation pattern.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another automatic blood analyzer using immunological agglutination, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of a microplate used in this apparatus. The microplate has a plurality of reaction vessel rows separated from each other and arranged in a matrix. Since 12 vertical and 10 horizontal containers are provided here, a maximum of 12 types of reagents can be dispensed for one sample, and a maximum of 10 samples can be inspected.

To perform a blood analysis, a
Of the twelve containers (1) to (1), the container (1) is used as the blood cell contamination detection container 9. Among the containers in rows B to J, the containers arranged in each of the l rows are similarly used as the blood cell contamination detection container 9. Next, the same serum is dispensed into 12 containers a to l for each of the rows A to J, and the blood cell reagent is dispensed to the reaction vessels 8 other than the vessel 9 for detecting blood cell contamination 9 in the l row. Thereafter, an analysis operation is performed by the apparatus shown in FIG.

Next, an analysis operation by the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 will be described. First, the case 19 having the sample container 18 is placed on the apparatus main body 17, and the sample is dispensed to the dilution container 27 via the sample dispensing nozzle 22 connected to the sample dispensing syringe pump 21. Next, the diluent in the diluent container 30 is dispensed to the diluting container 27 via the diluting nozzle 29 connected to the diluting / dispensing syringe pump 28 to prepare a diluted sample. The sample dispensing nozzle 22 can move in the X, Y, and Z directions. After one dilution sample dispensing is completed, the sample dispensing nozzle 22 is washed in the sample washing tank 23 to perform the next dilution sample dispensing.

Next, the reaction vessel 8 is supplied from a reagent vessel 24 prepared on the apparatus main body 17 through a reagent dispensing nozzle 25.
Dispense the reagent into This reagent dispensing nozzle 25 is also in the X direction,
It can move in the Y direction and the Z direction, and is connected to a syringe pump 26 for reagent dispensing.
The reagent dispensing nozzle 25 is washed in the reagent washing tank 31 and performs the next reagent dispensing.

Next, in order to determine the particle aggregation pattern in the reaction vessel 8, light from below the reaction vessel 8 is transmitted and measured by the imaging camera 32 in the same manner as described above. Here, the agglutination pattern between the blood cell mixing detection container and the reaction container 8 is analyzed, and the mixing of blood cells into the reaction container 8 is automatically determined. That is, if the aggregation pattern of the blood cell contamination detection container 9 is as shown in FIG. 7A, it is determined that blood cells have also entered the reaction container 8. Therefore, the processing of the sample is stopped or the serum is re-dispensed into the reaction vessel 8 again, and the blood cell reagent is dispensed to perform the retest by judging the particle aggregation pattern. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the use of one blood cell contamination detection container makes it possible to detect blood cell contamination in a plurality of reaction containers, thereby enabling efficient detection.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, by providing a blood cell contamination detecting container in addition to the reaction container, the contamination of blood cells into the reaction container is automatically detected, and based on the information, The processing of the sample can be stopped and retested as necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, a side view, and a plan view of a reaction vessel used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reaction container and a blood cell contamination detection container.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a determination device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an analyzer.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a matrix reaction vessel.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a separated state of a sample.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an aggregated state and a non-aggregated state of a sample.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Reaction vessel 9 Blood cell contamination detection vessel

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A blood cell contamination detection means for detecting contamination of a blood cell into a reaction container containing a specimen based on the presence or absence of blood cells in the blood cell contamination detection container, and stopping the processing of the specimen based on the blood cell contamination detection information. And / or performing an automatic retest.