JP3282248B2 - Cleaning device for automatic biochemical analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing device for washing a cuvette after measurement in an automatic biochemical analyzer for measuring the concentration and activity value of a target component of a sample containing multiple components such as serum and urine. The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus of a type in which a waste liquid such as a reaction liquid or a cleaning liquid after measurement is suctioned using a vacuum system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cleaning apparatus provided with a vacuum system has an exhaust pipe connected to an exhaust system via an open / close valve at the upper end of a closed vessel, and has an outlet having an open / close valve at a lower end. At least one vacuum vessel is provided with a suction port connected to the cuvette for sucking a waste solution such as a reaction solution whose measurement has been completed or a washing solution for washing the cuvette from the cuvette. In a cleaning apparatus having a plurality of such vacuum vessels, the reaction vessel and the cleaning fluid whose measurement has been completed are suctioned from the cuvette by a cleaning nozzle by sequentially evacuating the vacuum vessel in time, and a vacuum close to the cleaning nozzle is obtained. It is moved from the container to the next-stage vacuum container via the discharge port, and finally discharged from the discharge port of the final-stage vacuum container to the discharge port.

[0003]

When an automatic biochemical analyzer has been used for many months, the drainage channel and the vacuum channel become dirty, and the vacuum valve for controlling the on / off of the vacuum system malfunctions. This causes water leaks and prevents normal drainage operation. Further, viruses and the like adhere to a vacuum tank or a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum system and accumulate, so that there is a risk that the viruses and the like may be scattered into the inspection room through the vacuum system. Therefore, a troublesome maintenance operation of periodically disassembling and cleaning the vacuum system is required. It is an object of the present invention to prevent malfunction and leakage of an electromagnetic valve due to dirt, and to suppress viruses and odors scattered outside the apparatus through a vacuum system without requiring a large-scale maintenance operation.

[0004]

According to the present invention, during a normal cuvette cleaning operation, cleaning water is stored in each vacuum vessel by overflowing the cleaning water by partially changing a valve control of a vacuum system. Each valve and the vacuum path are cleaned by suction to the pump.

For this reason, the washing apparatus of the present invention has an exhaust pipe connected to an exhaust system via an open / close valve at the upper end of the closed vessel, and has an outlet having an open / close valve at the lower end. In addition to the normal cleaning mode in which the waste liquid collected in the vacuum container connected to the suction port that sucks the waste liquid such as the completed reaction solution or the cleaning solution that washed the cuvette from the cuvette is discharged from the lower outlet, the suction port is used. A vacuum cleaning mode is provided in which the cleaning liquid is sucked from the cuvette, the cleaning liquid overflows into the vacuum container with the lower outlet closed, and the cleaning liquid is discharged through the upper exhaust pipe. The vacuum cleaning mode can be started manually, or can be programmed to start automatically each time an automatic analysis operation is performed for a certain period.

[0006]

FIG. 1 shows a washing apparatus according to one embodiment together with a part of an analyzing section of an automatic biochemical analyzer. A cuvette 2 for storing a sample and a reaction reagent is immersed in a constant temperature water 6 of a constant temperature tank 4 of the reaction unit in order to measure a target component of the sample in an analysis unit of the biochemical automatic analyzer. 3 is a reaction solution containing a specimen and a reaction reagent. In the figure, the arrangement of the cuvettes 2 is schematically represented in time series. A washing nozzle 8 is provided for aspirating the reaction solution from the cuvette after the measurement and supplying washing water to the cuvette for washing. Cuvettes to be cleaned include those that supply a detergent by a dispenser and those that supply the detergent from one of the cleaning nozzles. Either method may be used.

A washing nozzle 8 for sucking a waste liquid such as a reaction liquid and washing water while supplying washing water is connected to a suction port at an upper end of a first-stage vacuum vessel 10 through a solenoid valve SV5, and is used for washing after washing. The nozzle 9 for sucking the washing water from the cuvette is connected to a suction port at the upper end of the vacuum vessel 10.

The vacuum vessel 10 has a discharge port having a solenoid valve SV3 at the lower end, and a vacuum pipe A connected to the upper end of the vacuum vessel 12 at the upper end. The outlet at the lower end of the vacuum vessel 10 is connected to the suction port at the upper end of the second-stage vacuum vessel 14 via a pipe B from the solenoid valve SV3. Vacuum container 1
4 is provided with a discharge port at the lower end, and the discharge port is provided with a solenoid valve S.
It is connected to the drain port via V4. Vacuum container 1
4, a pipe E is connected to the upper end of the solenoid valve SV2.
Connected to a vacuum tank and a pump. The solenoid valve SV2 is common on the vacuum vessel 14 side, and switches between the vacuum tank and pump side and the atmosphere side.

A pipe D is connected to the upper end of the vacuum vessel 12, and the pipe D is connected to a vacuum tank and a pump via a solenoid valve SV1. Lower end of vacuum vessel 12 and vacuum vessel 1
A pipe C is provided between the upper ends of the pipes 4, and the pipe C is provided with a check valve 16 capable of passing a liquid or a gas only from the vacuum vessel 12 side to the vacuum vessel 14 side and a resistance pipe 18 downstream thereof. Have been.

The vacuum vessel 10 is a vacuum vessel for sucking and temporarily storing the reaction liquid and the cleaning water from the cleaning nozzles 8 and 9, and the vacuum vessel 14 is usually used for cleaning the reaction liquid via the pipe B from the vacuum vessel 10 during cleaning. And temporarily store it after receiving washing water.
It is for discharging to a drain port via V4.
On the other hand, when the reagent contains a large amount of a surfactant or the like, the vacuum container 12 is used to temporarily trap bubbles in order to prevent waste liquid from foaming during suction and flowing toward the vacuum tank. belongs to.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows the operation in the normal cleaning mode. The solenoid valve SV3 is closed, the SV1 is opened, and the cleaning nozzles 8 and
When the washing probe is lowered into the cuvette 2 in a state where the solution is sucked from the nozzle 9, the reaction solution and the washing solution are sucked by the washing nozzles 8 and 6 and are stored in the vacuum vessel 10. When the cleaning probe starts to be lifted from the cuvette 2, the solenoid valve SV4 is closed and the SV2 is closed.
Is switched from the atmosphere side to the vacuum side, and the SV1 is closed, so that suction is performed through the vacuum vessel 14, and the waste liquid collected in the vacuum vessel 10 is electromagnetically opened by opening the solenoid valve SV3. After moving to the vacuum container 14 via the valve SV3, the bubbles trapped in the vacuum container 12 also become liquid and are sucked into the vacuum container 14. Solenoid valve SV
When the solenoid valve SV4 is opened after 2 is switched to the atmosphere side and no longer sucks, the waste liquid stored in the vacuum vessel 14 falls naturally and is finally sent to the drain port.

The vacuum cleaning mode is composed of two systems. The first system is a vacuum vessel 10 → pipe A → vacuum vessel 1
2 → Piping D → Route passing through the electromagnetic valve SV1, and the second system is a path passing through the vacuum vessel 12 → Piping C → Vacuum vessel 14 → Piping E → Electromagnetic valve SV2. Washing may be performed using a detergent or pure water alone. Either case can be set.

The first system will be described with reference to FIG. While the solenoid valves SV3 and SV4 are kept closed, the cleaning operation is performed while supplying the detergent from the dispenser to the cuvette or supplying the detergent from the cleaning nozzle among the cleaning nozzles. The cleaning water sucked from the cleaning nozzle gradually accumulates in the vacuum container 10. Eventually, when the vacuum container 10 becomes full, the cleaning water is supplied through the pipe A to the vacuum container 1.
It is sucked into 2. Eventually, when the vacuum container 12 becomes full,
The cleaning water is sucked toward the vacuum tank through the solenoid valve SV1, and the first vacuum system is cleaned.

The cleaning of the second system will be described with reference to FIG. The same cleaning as in FIG. 2 is performed with the solenoid valve SV4 closed. The cleaning water accumulated in the vacuum vessel 10 is first sent to the vacuum vessel 12 through the pipe A, and is sent from the vacuum vessel 12 to the vacuum vessel 14 through the pipe C. Thereafter, the solenoid valve SV2 is switched to the vacuum side, the solenoid valve SV1 is closed, and the solenoid valve SV3 is opened, so that the cleaning water accumulated in the vacuum vessel 10 is sent from the solenoid valve SV3 to the vacuum vessel 14 via the pipe B. Can be When the vacuum container 14 is full,
The overflowing washing water is sucked into the vacuum tank through the solenoid valve SV2. This cleans the second vacuum system.

After the washing operation of the first system and the washing operation of the second system are repeated several times, the washing cock accumulated in the vacuum tank is drained by opening the drain cock of the vacuum tank. . The present invention is not limited to the cleaning apparatus having the flow path shown in FIG. The normal cleaning mode is executed in conjunction with the analysis operation, and the vacuum cleaning mode can be started periodically at regular intervals, or can be started by an operator at an appropriate time.

[0016]

According to the present invention, in addition to the normal cleaning mode, a vacuum cleaning mode in which the cleaning liquid is passed through the vacuum system is provided, so that malfunctions and leaks of the electromagnetic valve due to contamination of the waste liquid can be prevented. Further, it is possible to suppress the contamination of the air outside the analyzer through the vacuum pump. Since only the switching control of the solenoid valve is required in the vacuum system cleaning mode as in the normal operation mode, it is easy to provide a program to automatically start the operation, and the maintenance operation is facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a washing apparatus according to one embodiment together with a part of an analysis unit.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing a normal cleaning mode.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing a first vacuum system cleaning mode.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing a second vacuum system cleaning mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Cuvette 3 Reaction liquid 4 Constant temperature bath 8, 9 Cleaning nozzle 10, 14 Vacuum container SV1-SV5 Solenoid valve

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An exhaust pipe connected to an exhaust system via an on-off valve is connected to an upper end of a closed vessel, and has a discharge port having an on-off valve at a lower end, and a reaction solution or cuvette which has been measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. A vacuum container connected to a suction port for sucking a waste liquid such as a cleaning liquid from the cuvette, and a normal cleaning mode in which the waste liquid stored in the vacuum container is discharged from the discharge port, A suction port for sucking the cleaning liquid from the cuvette, overflowing the cleaning liquid into the vacuum container with the discharge port closed, and discharging the cleaning liquid through the exhaust pipe; and A cleaning apparatus, wherein switching of a vacuum system cleaning mode is performed only by switching between an open / close valve of the exhaust system and an open / close valve of the discharge port.