JP3661318B2 - Data processing device for time measurement equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data processing device for various time-measurement devices (devices that measure time-varying amounts) used for research and development and quality control of pharmaceuticals, foods, petrochemicals, etc. to which regulations such as GLP and GMP are applied. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the fields of pharmaceuticals, foods, petrochemicals, etc., ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and other methods to certify that measuring devices used for product quality inspection or testing at the development stage are properly managed are GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).
[0003]
Common problems in various time measuring devices are noise and drift. Noise is the fluctuation of the short period (ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials Standards) E685 that the period of 1 min or less is called short-term noise and 1 to 60 min is long-term noise) that appears in the output value due to factors other than the measurement target. Yes, the drift is a long-term fluctuation in the baseline of the measurement amount data output over time (as defined in ASTM E685 as having a period of 60 min or more).
[0004]
One of the time measurement devices is a gas / liquid chromatograph. In a conventional chromatograph data processing apparatus, after collecting data for a predetermined time or more, a measurer gives a predetermined command to measure noise or drift (post-run).
[0005]
In addition, in a measuring device that outputs a peak, such as a chromatograph, one of the criteria used to determine the occurrence of the peak is a slope. That is, when the slope of the tangent at each time point of the output curve such as a chromatogram (however, a moving average is often taken as appropriate to eliminate noise) exceeds a predetermined peak start judgment value (slope), It is determined that the peak has started, and after the slope becomes zero and minus, it is determined that the peak has ended when the absolute value exceeds a predetermined peak end determination value. This slope value is also determined by a predetermined procedure after data acquisition is started when a measurer gives a predetermined command and data is acquired for a predetermined time.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the conventional data processing apparatus, calculation of parameters such as noise, drift and slope (hereinafter referred to as measurement auxiliary parameters) is not started unless the measurer gives a command. It was obtained only after a predetermined time since the command was given. Further, since the measuring device is generally not stable for a while after the power is turned on, the measurement is usually performed after the device is stabilized. Therefore, auxiliary measurement parameters should also be collected when the device is in such a state. In a conventional data processing device, the measurer has to judge whether the measurement device is stable by looking at the measurement data. Therefore, when the measurement is urgent, the measurer looks at the output data of the data processing device. I had to wait for the measuring device to stabilize. In addition, since the standard of whether or not it is stable varies from person to person, the measurement results vary from person to person.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in order to solve such problems, and the object of the present invention is to automatically determine the state of the measuring device without bothering the measurer and measure noise and the like. The object is to provide a data processing device for calculating auxiliary parameters.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the data processing device for a time-measurement device according to the present invention is: a) the signal output from the time-measurement device is sequentially digitized into measurement data, and is always measured for the latest predetermined time. Data storage means for storing data, b) auxiliary parameter calculation means for calculating measurement auxiliary parameters based on the measurement data stored in the data storage means, and c) a predetermined reference for the value of the calculated auxiliary parameters A stability determination means for determining whether or not the time measurement apparatus is stable by comparing with a value; d) an output means for outputting information relating to the stable state of the time measurement apparatus and measurement auxiliary parameters; and e) a stability determination means. And a means for automatically starting analysis based on information relating to the stable state of the time measurement apparatus. The parameter is stored together with the measurement data, and the output means outputs the measurement auxiliary parameter.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A signal output from the time measurement apparatus is sequentially A / D converted by the data storage means and converted into data, and the latest predetermined time of this data (measurement data) is stored in the data storage means. Of course, when the time measuring device outputs digital data, A / D conversion is not necessary. The auxiliary parameter calculation means calculates measurement auxiliary parameters based on the measurement data stored in the data storage means. The measurement auxiliary parameter includes all parameters necessary for correctly outputting the target measurement value by the time measurement apparatus in addition to the noise, drift, slope, and the like. Here, the measurement data used as a basis for calculating the measurement auxiliary parameter may be all or a part of the data stored in the data storage means.
[0010]
The stability determination means determines whether or not the time measurement device is stable by comparing the calculated value of the measurement auxiliary parameter with a predetermined reference value. Examples of measurement auxiliary parameters suitable for the determination of stabilization include noise magnitude and spectrum (frequency).
[0011]
The output means outputs information indicating whether or not the time measurement device is stable and measurement auxiliary parameters. The measurer determines whether the measurement should be started or whether the measured value is reliable when the measurement is performed, depending on whether the time measurement device is stable. can do. In general, it is desirable to start measurement after the time-measurement device has stabilized, but depending on the purpose of measurement, it may be rough, so it may be desirable to obtain a result quickly. It is what.
Of course, the determination result in the stability determination means may be directly output to the time measurement device to automatically start measurement. In this case, of course, the output means outputs the measurement auxiliary parameter calculated under the stable condition of the time measuring device.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
In the data processing apparatus according to the present invention, since the stable state of the time-measurement apparatus is automatically determined without any intervention by the measurer, determination without variations by the measurer is made. Further, it is possible to eliminate the waste of waiting for the measurer to stabilize the time measuring device. Measurement auxiliary parameters such as noise, drift, and slope are automatically calculated and output from the beginning without being instructed by the measurer. Therefore, the measurer does not need to give a command to calculate them, and does not have to wait for the result to come out, as soon as those measurement auxiliary parameters are output. Can be used to make measurements. The information on the stable state of the time-measurement apparatus is important reference information for determining how reliable the value is when using the output measurement auxiliary parameter.
[0013]
【Example】
The configuration and operation of a chromatographic data processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the data processing apparatus 11 of this embodiment includes an A / D converter 12, a CPU 13, a RAM 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, a ROM 17, and the like. The CPU 13 functionally operates as a parameter calculation unit 21, a stability determination unit 22, and a data analysis / control unit 23 according to a program described later supplied from the ROM, and the RAM 14 operates as a ring buffer 24 and a sampling data memory 25.
[0014]
Hereinafter, processing performed by the CPU 13 of the data processing apparatus 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The parameters used in this process are as follows.
T0: Maximum storage time in the ring buffer T1: Time interval for calculation of auxiliary measurement parameters (T1 <T0)
T2: Measurement auxiliary parameter calculation cycle
MaxNoise: Noise reference value
MaxDrift: Drift reference value
MaxSlope: Slope reference value t1: Variable for determining the progress of the time interval T1 t2: Variable for determining the progress of the calculation cycle T2 fpar: Flag for determining the storage of the measurement auxiliary parameter value at the start of analysis ]
When the chromatograph 10 and the data processing device 11 are powered on, a program is loaded from the ROM 17 or an external storage device such as a floppy disk (FD) or hard disk (HD), and the processing of FIG. 2 is started. First, 0 is substituted into the variables t1 and t2, and is initialized (step S1). The signal input from the detector of the chromatograph 10 is A / D converted and sequentially stored in the ring buffer 24 (S2). The data capacity of the ring buffer 24 is T0 as described above. The A / D converted data is also stored in the sampling data memory 25 for later analysis. When the amount of analysis data is very large, the sampling data memory 25 may be provided in a large capacity storage device such as an HD.
[0016]
At each data sampling in step S2, the variables t1 and t2 are incremented (S3), and it is sequentially checked whether t1 is equal to or greater than T1 and whether t2 is equal to or greater than T2 ( S4, S5). The check of time T1 in step S4 is for confirming that the minimum amount of data (corresponding to time T1) necessary for calculation of noise or the like is first stored in the ring buffer, and thereafter, step S5 is exclusively performed. Checks for the arrival of the calculation cycle.
[0017]
When the period T2 has elapsed, a variable t2 for counting it is reset to 0 (S6), and it is checked whether or not a chromatographic analysis is currently being performed (S7). Since the analysis is not performed at the beginning of power-on, the process proceeds to step S8, the flag fpar is set to 0, the latest T1 equivalent of the data stored in the ring buffer 24 is read, and based on those data Then, noise, drift, and slope values (referred to as Noise, Drift, and Slope, respectively) are calculated (S9). For calculation of noise, drift, and slope, a conventionally used method such as ASTM E685 can be used as it is.
[0018]
After calculating noise, drift, and slope values, they are compared with reference values MaxNoise, MaxDrift, and MaxSlope, respectively, and it is determined whether or not the chromatograph is stable (S10). The reference values MaxNoise, MaxDrift, and MaxSlope are determined as values in a state in which it can be said that the measurement apparatus is stable by an experiment or the like in advance according to the measurement apparatus to be connected (in this case, the chromatograph 10). The determination of the stability of the measuring device may be performed using only one of these noise, drift, and slope values, or may be performed using two or more or all of them.
[0019]
The state (status) of the chromatograph determined in step S10 is output to the chromatograph 10 and the display unit 16 together with the calculated values of noise, drift, and slope in step S9 (S11). In the chromatograph 10, when the status value indicates the stability of the apparatus, the sample analysis operation is started immediately. Depending on the measurer or the situation, it may be desired to start the analysis even if the apparatus is not stable. Thus, the status value is not directly operated by the status value in this way. Can be stopped only on the display 16.
[0020]
If it is determined in step S7 that the analysis is currently being performed, the process proceeds to step S12, and the value of the flag fpar is first checked. When fpar = 0 (when the noise, drift, and slope values are not yet stored), the flag fpar is set to 1, and the noise, drift, and slope values calculated immediately before are stored in the sampling data memory 25 (S13). , S14). On the other hand, if fpar = 1, that is, after the noise, drift, and slope values have already been stored in the sampling data memory 25 in step S14, no processing is performed and the measurement auxiliary parameter values are held as they are. . That is, in the data processing apparatus 11 of the present embodiment, the value of the measurement auxiliary parameter is calculated only while the chromatographic analysis is not performed. When the analysis is started, the measurement auxiliary parameter calculation value at that time is stored together with the analysis data.
[0021]
Thus, after the analysis of the current sample is completed and all data is sampled, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the analysis sample is performed based on the analysis data stored in the sampling data memory 25. At this time, the values of the noise, drift, and slope stored in step S14 are also read out, and the slope value is used for peak detection, and the noise and drift are used for correctly extracting characteristics relating only to the sample from the analysis data. .
[0022]
In the data processing apparatus of the present embodiment, as described above, the measurement auxiliary parameter is automatically calculated, and the stable state of the connecting device (in this case, the chromatograph 10) is automatically determined. Since the measurement auxiliary parameters at that time are immediately stored, a quick measurement can be performed. Therefore, when performing continuous automatic operation of measuring a plurality of samples according to a predetermined schedule, it can be performed very efficiently.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing performed in the data processing apparatus according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Chromatograph 11 ... Data processor 12 ... A / D converter 13 ... CPU
14 ... RAM
15 ... Input unit 16 ... Display unit 17 ... ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Parameter calculation part 22 ... Stability judgment part 23 ... Data analysis / control part 24 ... Ring buffer 25 ... Sampling data memory

Claims (1)

a) Data storage means for sequentially digitizing the signal output from the time measurement device to obtain measurement data, and always storing the latest measurement data for a predetermined time;
b) auxiliary parameter calculation means for calculating measurement auxiliary parameters based on the measurement data stored in the data storage means;
c) stability determination means for determining whether or not the time measurement apparatus is stable by comparing the value of the calculated auxiliary parameter with a predetermined reference value;
d) output means for outputting information on the stable state of the time-measurement device and measurement auxiliary parameters;
e) means for automatically starting the analysis based on information on the stability state of the stability determination means;
In a data processing device for a time-measurement device comprising:
At the start of analysis, the storage means stores measurement auxiliary parameters together with measurement data,
A data processing apparatus for a time measurement apparatus, wherein the output means outputs a measurement auxiliary parameter.

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