JP3853741B2 - incubator - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is used in a biochemical analyzer for spotting a specimen such as blood, urine or the like on a dry analytical element, and obtaining the substance concentration, ion activity, etc. of a predetermined biochemical substance in the specimen. The present invention relates to an incubator that keeps an analytical element at a constant temperature.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a specific color component of a dry analytical element or sample that can quantitatively analyze a specific chemical component or formed component contained in this sample simply by spotting and supplying a small droplet of the sample An electrolyte type dry analytical element capable of measuring ion activity of ions has been developed and put into practical use. Biochemical analyzers using these dry analytical elements are suitable for use in medical institutions, laboratories and the like because they can easily and quickly analyze samples.
[0003]
In the colorimetric measurement method using a colorimetric type dry analytical element, after a sample is spotted on the dry analytical element, it is held at a constant temperature in an incubator for a color reaction (dye generation reaction), and then This dry analytical element is irradiated with measurement irradiation light containing a wavelength selected in advance by a combination of a predetermined biochemical substance in the sample and a reagent contained in the dry analytical element, and the optical density is measured. Thus, the concentration of the biochemical substance is obtained using a calibration curve representing the correspondence between the optical density obtained in advance and the substance concentration of the predetermined biochemical substance. On the other hand, the potential difference measurement method using an electrolyte type dry analytical element is included in a sample spotted on an electrode pair consisting of two pairs of the same kind of dry ion selective electrodes instead of measuring the above optical density. The activity of specific ions is determined by quantitative analysis with potentiometry using a reference solution.
[0004]
In any of the above methods, the dry analytical element on which the sample is spotted must be kept at a constant temperature during measurement in order to ensure measurement accuracy, and an incubator is used for this temperature keeping. For example, a colorimetric type dry analytical element is kept constant at 37 ± 0.2 ° C., and an electrolyte type dry analytical element is kept constant at 30 ± 1 ° C.
[0005]
And the method for heating the dry analytical element by the incubator as described above is, for example, as seen in Patent Document 1, the part where the dry analytical element contacts and the dry analytical element itself are enclosed in a chamber maintained at a constant temperature, The whole is heated, or as shown in Patent Document 2, the holding member is held in a sliding hole formed in the upper base portion in the vertical direction, and a heater is installed on the upper base portion to slide. A device that heats the dry analytical element by supplying heat to the holding member from the inner surface of the hole is known.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
US Pat. No. 4,298,571
[0007]
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-223829
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the dry analytical element inserted in the incubator performs the measurement after a predetermined time after heating to a predetermined temperature or every predetermined time, and the temperature of the dry analytical element before housing is low at the time of cold or the like. In some cases, if it takes a long time to reach the predetermined temperature, there is a problem that affects the measurement accuracy.
[0009]
In the heating method of the above-mentioned patent document 1, since the inside of the incubator is sealed and heated, even if a cold dry analytical element is put into the element chamber whose temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature, the heat supply is performed by air heating so that the heat transfer efficiency Is low, the rate of temperature rise is slow, and it takes time to reach a predetermined temperature. Further, in the heating method of Patent Document 2, the heat transfer efficiency of this part is good because the pressing member is in contact with the dry analytical element, but the heating rate of the dry analytical element is only from above, so that the rate of temperature rise is still high. Slowly, it takes time to reach a predetermined temperature.
[0010]
From the above point, placing temperature control blocks above and below the dry analytical element, sandwiching the dry analytical element with this temperature control block, and heating from both sides is effective in terms of shortening the heating time. Installing heaters that control the temperature at each control block at a constant temperature complicates the equipment, such as requiring multiple heaters.
[0011]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an incubator capable of efficiently supplying heat to a dry analytical element and quickly heating it to a predetermined temperature even during cold weather.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The incubator of the present invention is an incubator that contains a dry analytical element on which a specimen is spotted and holds it at a predetermined temperature.
  The dry analytical elementUp and downAt least sandwiched fromLower blockIs movableTop block and bottomblockBe equippede,A heater is installed only in the lower block to adjust the temperature, and before accommodating the dry analytical element, the lower block and the upper block are brought into contact, the upper block is preheated by heat transfer, and the lower block and After the dry analytical element is accommodated between the upper block, the dry analytical element is sandwiched between the lower block and the upper block, and the dry analytical element is heated by the heat of both blocks.It is characterized by doing.
[0014]
  The dry analytical element is an electrolyte type dry analytical element for measuring the ion activity of a specimen,Lower blockIt is preferable that the electrode is provided with a potential measuring probe.
[0015]
Further, it is preferable that the cover is made of a metal material and further includes a cover that covers the upper block, and a heat insulating material is installed at a portion that contacts the upper block of the cover. At that time, it is preferable that the cover has a recess formed in the heat insulating material.
[0016]
  On the other hand, saidUpThe preheating time for preheating the block is preferably changed according to the environmental temperature. When the environmental temperature is low, the preheating time is set longer.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention as described above, a plurality of heaters are not used by preheating the other block having no heater with one block having a heater before housing the dry analytical element. With a simple structure, the dry analytical element can be accommodated at the same time as the housing and can be heated efficiently by both blocks, and even when a cold dry analytical element is inserted during cold weather, it can reach a predetermined temperature in a short time. In addition to being able to perform accurate measurement, it is advantageous in terms of cost. In particular, the difference in the temperature rise time of the element due to the temperature difference in the environment can be reduced, and the measurement efficiency can be improved.
[0018]
In addition, when applied to an incubator for an electrolyte type dry analytical element, the lower block and the upper block can be relatively moved toward and away simultaneously by a moving mechanism for bringing the measurement probe into contact with the dry analytical element. Mechanically advantageous.
[0019]
In the case where the cover covering the upper block is provided with a heat insulating material, the amount of heat escaping from the upper block to the cover is reduced to increase the preheating efficiency, and the upper block is quickly preheated to shorten the preheating time, and the dry type The analytical element can be maintained at a predetermined temperature with high accuracy, and the measurement accuracy of a weak electric quantity can be increased by the shielding action of the cover made of metal. When the concave portion is provided in the heat insulating material, the contact area with the upper cover is reduced, the heat insulating effect is further increased, and the preheating efficiency can be improved.
[0020]
Further, in the case where the preheating time is changed according to the environmental temperature, the temperature accuracy of the dry analytical element can be increased and the measurement accuracy can be improved.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a schematic mechanism of a biochemical analyzer of one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main mechanism of the biochemical analyzer of FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an incubator portion according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view with the cover of FIG. 3 removed, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower block of FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the operating state of the incubator. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of the main part showing an example of the structure of the cover.
[0022]
The overall configuration of the biochemical analyzer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. This biochemical analyzer 1 includes a sample tray 2, a spotting section 3, a first incubator 4 for colorimetric measurement, a second incubator 5 (FIG. 2) for potential measurement which is a subject of the present invention, and spotting. The apparatus 6 includes an element transport mechanism (not shown), a transfer mechanism 8, a chip discard unit 9, an element discard mechanism 10, and the like.
[0023]
The sample tray 2 has a circular shape, a specimen container 11 containing a specimen, an element cartridge 13 containing unused dry analytical elements 12 (colorimetric type dry analytical elements and electrolyte type dry analytical elements), and consumables (nozzle tips). 14. Mount the diluent container 15, the mixing cup 16 and the reference liquid container 17). The sample container 11 is mounted via a sample adapter 18, and a large number of nozzle chips 14 are stored and mounted in a chip rack 19.
[0024]
The spotting unit 3 is disposed on an extension of the center line of the sample tray 2 and is used for spotting a specimen such as plasma, whole blood, serum, urine, etc. on the transported dry analysis element 12. 6, the sample is applied to the colorimetric dry analysis element 12 and the sample and the reference liquid are applied to the electrolyte type dry analysis element 12. Subsequent to the spotting unit 3, a chip discarding unit 9 in which the nozzle tip 14 is discarded is arranged.
[0025]
The first incubator 4 has a circular shape and is disposed at an extended position of the chip discarding unit 9. The first incubator 4 accommodates a colorimetric type dry analytical element 12 and keeps the temperature constant for a predetermined time to perform colorimetric measurement. The second incubator 5 (details will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8) is disposed at an adjacent position on the side of the spotting portion 3, and accommodates the electrolyte-type dry analytical element 12 and keeps the temperature constant for a predetermined time. Measure potential difference.
[0026]
An element transport mechanism (not shown) is arranged inside the sample tray 2, connects the center of the sample tray 2 and the center of the first incubator 4, and is a straight line passing through the spotting unit 3 and the chip discarding unit 9. An element conveying member (conveying bar) for conveying the dry analytical element 12 from the sample tray 2 to the spotting unit 3 and further to the first incubator 4 along the rectangular element conveying path R (FIG. 2). The transfer mechanism 8 is also installed as the spotting unit 3, and transfers the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 from the spotting unit 3 to the second incubator 5 in a direction orthogonal to the element transport path R.
[0027]
The spotting device 6 is disposed in the upper part, and a spotting nozzle 45 that moves up and down moves on the same straight line as the above-described element transport path R, spotting the specimen and the reference liquid, and diluting and mixing the specimen with the diluent. . The spotting nozzle 45 has a nozzle tip 14 attached to the tip, and sucks and discharges a sample, a reference liquid, and the like in the nozzle tip 14, and is provided with a syringe means (not shown) for performing the suction and discharge. The nozzle tip 14 is removed by the tip discarding unit 9 and discarded.
[0028]
The element discarding mechanism 10 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the first incubator 4 and pushes the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 after measurement to the center of the first incubator 4 to drop and discard. It can be discarded by the element transport mechanism. Further, the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 after being measured by the second incubator 5 is discarded into the disposal hole 69 by the transfer mechanism 8.
[0029]
In addition, a blood filtration unit (not shown) that separates plasma from blood is installed in the vicinity of the sample tray 2.
[0030]
The mechanism of each part will be specifically described. First, the sample tray 2 has a disk-shaped rotating disk 21 that is rotationally driven in the forward direction and the reverse direction, and a disk-shaped non-rotating part 22 at the center.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating disk 21 is adjacent to five sample mounting portions 23 of A to E that hold a sample container 11 such as a blood collection tube containing each sample via a sample adapter 18. The five element mounting portions 24 for holding the element cartridges 13 accommodated in a stacked state of the unused dry analysis elements 12 that normally require a plurality of types corresponding to the measurement items of each specimen, and a number of nozzles Two chip mounting portions 25 that hold a chip rack 19 that stores the chips 14 side by side in the holding holes, a diluent mounting portion 26 that holds three diluent containers 15 that store the diluent, a diluent and a sample, And a cup mounting portion 27 for holding a mixing cup 16 (a molded product in which a large number of cup-shaped recesses are arranged) are arranged in an arc shape.
[0032]
Further, the non-rotating part 22 includes a cylindrical reference liquid mounting part 28 for holding the reference liquid container 17 containing the reference liquid in the movement range of the spotting nozzle 45 on the extension of the element transport path R. The reference liquid mounting unit 28 is provided with an evaporation prevention lid 35 (FIG. 1) that opens and closes the opening of the reference liquid container 17.
[0033]
The evaporation prevention lid 35 is held by a swing member 37 pivotally supported by the non-rotating portion 22 at the lower end, and is biased in the closing direction. The upper end locking portion 37a of the swinging member 37 can be brought into contact with the lower end corner portion 42a of the moving frame 42 of the spotting device 6, and the swinging member 37 is opened in the opening direction by the moving frame 42 that is moved close when the reference liquid is sucked. The evaporation prevention lid 35 opens the reference liquid container 17 so that the reference liquid can be sucked by the spotting nozzle 45. In other states, the evaporation prevention lid 35 closes the opening of the reference liquid container 17 to prevent the reference liquid from evaporating and prevents a decrease in measurement accuracy due to a change in concentration.
[0034]
The rotating disk 21 has an outer peripheral portion supported by a support roller 31 and a central portion rotatably held on a support shaft (not shown). Further, a timing belt (not shown) is wound around the outer periphery of the rotary disk 21 and is driven to rotate in the forward direction or the reverse direction by a drive motor. The non-rotating part 22 is non-rotatably attached to the support shaft.
[0035]
When the element cartridge 13 is inserted from the upper side, normally a plurality of unused dry analytical elements 12 are stacked in a mixed state and loaded into the element mounting portion 24, the lowermost end portion is flush with the element transport surface. The dry analytical element 12 is located, an opening through which only one dry analytical element 12 can pass is formed on the front side of the lowermost end, and an opening through which the element transport member can be inserted is formed on the rear side. A window portion is formed on the bottom surface so that a barcode attached to the lower surface of the dry analytical element 12, a lot number such as a dot, etc. can be read from below the element cartridge 13.
[0036]
The sample adapter 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the sample container 11 is inserted from above. The sample adapter 18 includes an identification unit (not shown), and information such as the type of sample (processing information) and the type (size) of the sample container 11 is set. The identification sensor 30 (FIG. 2) provided reads the identification, and determines whether or not the sample is diluted, whether or not the plasma is filtered, and calculates the amount of liquid level fluctuation associated with the size of the sample container 11. Processing control is performed accordingly. For the specimen container 11 that requires plasma filtration, the specimen container 11 is inserted into the adapter 18 and a holder equipped with a filtration filter is mounted via a spacer (both not shown).
[0037]
The spotting device 6 (FIG. 1) includes a moving frame 42 held on a horizontal guide rail 41 of a fixed frame 40 so as to be movable in the lateral direction, and two spotting nozzles that can be moved up and down on the moving frame 42. 45 is installed. A vertical guide rail 43 is fixed to the center of the moving frame 42, and two nozzle fixing bases 44 are slidably held on both sides of the vertical guide rail 43. An upper end portion of the spotting nozzle 45 is fixed to the lower portion of the nozzle fixing base 44, and a shaft-like member extending upward is inserted into the drive transmission member 47. A fitting force of the nozzle tip 14 is obtained by a compression spring interposed between the nozzle fixing base 44 and the drive transmission member 47. The nozzle fixing base 44 can move up and down integrally with the drive transmission member 47, and is driven relative to the nozzle fixing base 44 by compression of a compression spring when the nozzle tip 14 is fitted to the tip of the spotting nozzle 45. The transmission member 47 can move downward.
[0038]
The drive transmission member 47 is fixed to a belt 50 stretched around upper and lower pulleys 49 and moves up and down in accordance with the travel of the belt 50 by a motor (not shown). A balance weight 51 is attached to the outer portion of the belt 50 to prevent the descent nozzle 45 from moving down when not driven.
[0039]
The moving frame 42 is driven in the horizontal direction by a belt drive mechanism (not shown), and the horizontal movement and the vertical movement are controlled so that the two nozzle fixing bases 44 independently move up and down. Moves horizontally and moves up and down independently. For example, one spotting nozzle 45 is for a specimen, and the other spotting nozzle 45 is for a diluting liquid and a reference liquid.
[0040]
Both the spotting nozzles 45 are formed in a rod shape, an air passage extending in the axial direction is provided inside, and a pipette nozzle tip 14 is fitted in a sealed state at the lower end. Each spotting nozzle 45 is connected to an air tube connected to a syringe pump (not shown) and supplied with suction / discharge pressure. Further, the liquid level of the sample or the like can be detected based on the change in the suction pressure.
[0041]
The chip discarding unit 9 is provided so as to intersect the transport path R in the vertical direction, and includes an upper member 81 and a lower member 82. An elliptical drop port 83 is formed in the support base 61 of the chip discarding unit 9. The upper member 81 is fixed to the upper surface of the support base 61, an engagement notch 84 is provided immediately above the drop port 83, and the lower member 82 is cylindrical so as to surround the lower surface of the drop port 83 on the lower surface of the support base 61. The nozzle tip 14 that is formed and falls is guided.
[0042]
Then, the spotting nozzle 45 to which the nozzle tip 14 is mounted is moved down in the upper member 81 and then moved in the lateral direction, and the upper end of the nozzle tip 14 is engaged with the engagement notch 84. The nozzle tip 14 is extracted by moving the landing nozzle 45 upward, and the detached nozzle tip 14 is dropped and discarded through the drop port 83.
[0043]
The first incubator 4 that performs the colorimetric measurement includes an annular rotating member 87 on the outer peripheral portion, and the rotating member 87 rotates with an inclined rotating cylinder 88 fixed to an inner peripheral lower portion supported by a lower bearing 89. It is free. An upper member 90 is disposed on an upper portion of the rotating member 87 so as to be integrally rotatable. The upper surface of the upper member 90 is flat, and a plurality of (13 in the case of FIG. 1) concave portions are formed on the upper surface of the rotating member 87 at predetermined intervals on the circumference, and a slit-like space is formed between the members 87 and 90. An element chamber 91 is formed, and the height of the bottom surface of the element chamber 91 is the same as the height of the transfer surface. Further, the inner hole of the inclined rotating cylinder 88 is formed in the disposal hole 92 of the dry analytical element 12 after the measurement, and the dry analytical element 12 in the element chamber 91 is moved to the center side as it is and dropped and discarded.
[0044]
The upper member 90 is provided with a heating means (not shown), and the temperature of the dry analytical element 12 in the element chamber 91 is kept constant at a predetermined temperature (for example, 37 ± 0.2 ° C.). The upper member 90 is provided with a pressing member (not shown) corresponding to the element chamber 91 to press the mount of the dry analysis element 12 from above to prevent the sample from evaporating. A heat retaining cover 94 is disposed on the upper surface of the upper member 90, while the first incubator 4 is entirely covered with a light shielding cover 95. Further, a photometric aperture 91a is formed at the center of the bottom surface of each element chamber 91 of the rotating member 87, and the reflection optical density of the dry analytical element 12 by the photometric head 96 disposed at the position shown in FIG. Is measured. The first incubator 4 is rotationally driven by a belt mechanism (not shown) and is driven to reciprocate.
[0045]
The disposal mechanism 10 includes a disposal bar 101 that moves forward and backward in the element chamber 91 in the center direction from the outer peripheral side. The disposal bar 101 is fixed to a belt 102 whose rear end travels in a horizontal direction, and the measured dry analytical element 12 is pushed out from the element chamber 91 in accordance with the traveling of the belt 102 driven by the drive motor 103 and discarded. To do. A recovery box for recovering the dry analytical element 12 after measurement is disposed below the disposal hole 92.
[0046]
A plasma filtration unit (not shown) is inserted through a holder (not shown) having a filter made of glass fiber inserted into the specimen container 11 (collecting blood vessel) held in the sample tray 2 and attached to the upper end opening. Plasma is separated and sucked from blood, and the filtered plasma is held in the cup at the upper end of the holder.
[0047]
Next, the spotting part 3, the transfer mechanism 8, and the second incubator 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0048]
The spotting unit 3 and the transfer mechanism 8 include a support base 61 that is long between the sample tray 2 and the first incubator 4 in a direction perpendicular to the element transport path R, and a sliding frame 62 is movable on the support base 61. is set up. Further, a flat cover 70 as shown in FIG. The cover 70 has an opening 70 a at a position corresponding to the spotting portion 3.
[0049]
The slide frame 62 is provided with an element presser 64 used for spotting the colorimetric dry analytical element 12, and adjacent to the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12. An upper block 63 of the second incubator 5 used for wearing is attached. The upper block 63 and the element presser 64 are respectively provided with spot wearing openings 63 a and 64 a and can move integrally with the sliding frame 62. One end of the sliding frame 62 is guided by the guide groove 65, the pin 66 is engaged with the long groove 62a on the other end, and the drive gear 67 of the drive motor 68 is engaged with the rack gear 62b and moved. .
[0050]
FIG. 2 shows the state of conveyance and spotting of the electrolyte type dry analysis element 12, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show the state of conveyance and spotting of the colorimetric type dry analysis element 12. FIG. In other words, when the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 is transported and spotted, the element presser 64 is positioned on the spotting portion 3, and when the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 is transported and spotted, it is placed on the second incubator 5. The sliding frame 62 is operated so that the block 63 is positioned at the spotting portion 3.
[0051]
When the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 is transported from the sample tray 2 as described above, the element presser 64 is positioned in the spotting section 3 (FIG. 4), and the specimen is spotted in the element presser 64. The colorimetric dry analytical element 12 after being pushed out is pushed out by the element transport mechanism and transferred to the first incubator 4. On the other hand, when the electrolyte-type dry analytical element 12 is transported from the sample tray 2, the sliding frame 62 is moved so that the upper block 63 is positioned at the spotting portion 3 (FIG. 2), and the specimen and the reference liquid are transferred. The electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 after being spotted is placed on the second incubator 5 so that the sliding frame 62 is moved to the original position and slid on the support base 61 while being held by the upper block 63. After being transferred and kept at a constant temperature, a potential difference measurement is performed. At that time, as shown in FIG. 4, the element presser 64 is positioned at the spotting portion 3, and the specimen is spotted on the colorimetric type dry analytical element 12 and then transported to the first incubator 4. Is possible. When the measurement in the second incubator 5 is completed, the sliding frame 62 is further moved, and the dry analytical element 12 after the measurement is transferred to the disposal hole 69 to be dropped and discarded.
[0052]
In the second incubator 5, the upper block 63 of the sliding frame 62 serves as an element presser, and one element chamber is formed between the upper surface of the lower block 71. A heater (not shown) is installed in the lower block 71, and the dry analytical element 12 is heated to a predetermined temperature (30 ± 1 ° C.) by adjusting the temperature. Further, three pairs of potential measuring probes 78 for measuring the ion activity are provided on the side of the lower block 71 so as to be in contact with the ion selective electrode of the dry analytical element 12.
[0053]
As shown in FIG. 6, the lower block 71 is installed to extend upward on the upper part of the main body 72 held up and down by a guide rod 76 erected on the lower frame 77 of the apparatus, and includes a spring. Immersive movement is possible. The three pairs of potential measurement probes 78 are erected on the upper surface of the main body 72 on both sides of the lower block 71 and can be moved up and down integrally with the lower block 71. The electric potential measuring probe 78 has a spring and can be moved in and out.
[0054]
A drive motor 73 is provided on the side of the main body 72, and a cam member 74 (FIG. 4) is attached to the rotation shaft of the drive motor 73. The cam member 74 is linked to an abutting member 75 fixed to the side portion of the main body 72, and when the drive motor 73 rotates, the cam member 74 moves the main body 72 through the abutting member 75 with reference to FIGS. 4 is moved up and down from the raised position 4 to the lowered position in FIG. As a result, the lower block 71 and the potential measuring probe 78 are moved up and down so as to move toward and away from the upper block 63.
[0055]
An opening 61a (FIG. 6) through which the upper end of the lower block 71 can be inserted is formed in the upper position of the lower block 71 in the support base 61 at a position corresponding to the second incubator 5, and the edge of the opening 61a The edge part of the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 transferred to the part is supported. On both sides thereof, a through hole 61b is formed through which the tip of the potential measuring probe 78 can be inserted. Further, the support base 61 is provided with a disposal hole 69 at a side position of the second incubator 5.
[0056]
When the main body 72 is in the lowered position, as shown in FIG. 6B, the upper ends of the lower block 71 and the potential measuring probe 78 are located below the upper surface (conveying surface) of the support base 61, respectively. It is not in contact with the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12. When raised, the upper end surface of the lower block 71 comes into contact with the lower surface of the upper block 63 or the lower surface of the dry analytical element 12 through the opening 61a of the support base 61 as shown in FIG. 6 (a) or (c). The tip of the probe 78 protrudes through the through hole 61b of the support base 61 and abuts on the upper block 63 or, when there is the dry analytical element 12, is electrically connected to the ion selective electrode pair of the dry analytical element 12. It is supposed to be.
[0057]
In the second incubator 5, in a state before the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 is accommodated, the lower block 71 is lifted as shown in FIG. The end surface is brought into contact with the lower surface of the upper block 63. As a result, the heat of the lower block 71, which is temperature-controlled by the heater, is transmitted to the upper block 63 and preheated. The heat capacity of the lower block 71 and the amount of heat generated by the heater are set in consideration of the heating of the upper block 63.
[0058]
Next, when the electrolyte-type dry analytical element 12 is transported from the sample tray 2 and spotted, the main body 72 is lowered as shown in FIG. The measurement probe 78 is separated from the upper block 63. In this lowered state, as described above, the upper block 63 is moved to the spotting portion 3 by the operation of the sliding frame 62, and the dry analytical element 12 is inserted between the lower portion of the upper block 63 and the support base 61, Sample and reference solution are spotted.
[0059]
Next, by operating the sliding frame 62, the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 after being spotted together with the upper block 63 is moved to the second incubator 5, and then, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the lower block 71 is raised to sandwich the dry analytical element 12 with the upper block 63, and the dry analytical element 12 is rapidly heated by the heat of the upper block 63 and the lower block 71 in contact with the upper and lower surfaces. The activity is measured. Note that the heating of the dry analytical element 12 starts from the point of contact with the upper block 63.
[0060]
In the measurement, in the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 in which the specimen is spotted in one liquid supply hole and the reference liquid is spotted in the other liquid feed hole, the reference liquid and the specimen are respectively interposed between the ion selective electrode pair. Cl between^-, K⁺, Na⁺A potential difference corresponding to the difference in ion activity is generated, and the elevated three pairs of potential measuring probes 78 are sandwiched between the upper and lower blocks 63 and 71 and the elevated potential measuring probes 78 are the ion selective electrodes of the dry analytical element 12. Each ion activity in the specimen (plasma) is measured by detecting a potential difference generated from each ion selective electrode pair in contact with the pair. The ion activity measured in this way is displayed on a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel or recorded on a recording sheet.
[0061]
Note that the upward movement amount of the main body 72 is constant regardless of the presence or absence of the dry analytical element 12, and the movement of the main body 72 after the lower block 63 and the tip of the potential measurement probe 78 come into contact with each other and stop is built-in. It absorbs by the action of the spring.
[0062]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the cover 70 is formed of a metal material with at least a base portion 7 a covering the upper side of the second incubator 5, and further, a portion in contact with the upper block 63, that is, the lower block 71. The lower surface of the cover 70 that comes into contact with the upper surface of the upper block 63 due to the movement of the upper block 63 is constituted by a heat insulating material 7b such as resin. A recess 70 b is formed in the heat insulating material 7 b to reduce the contact area with the upper block 63.
[0063]
The base portion 7a of the cover 70 is made of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum alloy or the like, and shields the influence from the outside on the weak electric quantity measurement in the second incubator 5 to improve the measurement accuracy. On the other hand, the heat insulating material 7 b prevents the heat of the upper block 63 from escaping to the cover 70, and increases the preheating efficiency by the lower block 71.
[0064]
The heat insulating material 7b of the cover 70 is provided on the entire lower surface of the cover 70 (see FIG. 7), and is embedded in the base member 7a of the cover 70 only at a portion in contact with the upper surface of the upper block 63 as shown in FIG. It may be provided in the formula. Also in this case, it is preferable to form the recess 70b in the heat insulating material 7b.
[0065]
In preheating by bringing the lower block 71 into contact with the upper block 63 as described above, the preheating time is changed and controlled according to the environmental temperature. That is, when the environmental temperature is low, the time required for preheating the upper block 63 increases, and accordingly, for example, when the environmental temperature is 25 ° C., the preheating time is set to 20 seconds. When the temperature is 15 ° C., the preheating time is set to 100 seconds.
[0066]
For example, when the electrolyte-type dry analytical element 12 is continuously supplied, the measurement of the preceding dry analytical element 12 is completed, the lower block 71 comes into contact with the upper block 63, and preheating is started. Until the preheating time elapses, the subsequent dry analytical element 12 stands by without performing the spotting operation, and is controlled to perform spotting conveyance when the preheating time elapses. Thereby, when the preheating is not sufficiently performed, the electrolyte-type dry analytical element 12 that has been spotted is transported, and the measurement accuracy is deteriorated due to the fact that the constant temperature holding under the measurement conditions is not performed well. Is to avoid.
[0067]
Next, the overall operation of the biochemical analyzer 1 will be described. First, before performing analysis, each mounting portion 23 to 28 of the sample tray 2 has a specimen container 11 containing each specimen, an element cartridge 13 loaded with a dry analytical element 12, a chip rack 19 containing a nozzle chip 14, The mixing cup 16, the diluent container 15 and the reference liquid container 17 are mounted to prepare for measurement.
[0068]
Thereafter, the analysis process is started. First, in the case of a specimen that requires plasma filtration, the whole blood in the specimen container 11 is filtered by a blood filtration unit to obtain a plasma component. Next, the element cartridge 13 of the sample to be measured by rotating the rotating disk 21 is stopped at the element take-out position corresponding to the spotting unit 3, and the dry analysis element 12 is taken out from the element cartridge 13 by the element transport mechanism and is spotted. 3 to transport. Note that the analysis information given to the dry analysis element 12 is read before being transported to the spotting unit 3, and the subsequent operation is controlled.
[0069]
When the measurement item is colorimetric measurement, the dry analytical element 12 is transported in a state where the element presser 64 is positioned at the spotting portion, and then the sample tray 2 is rotated to rotate the spotting nozzle 45. The nozzle tip 14 of the tip rack 19 is moved downward and attached to the spotting nozzle 45. Subsequently, the specimen container 11 is moved, the spotting nozzle 45 is lowered, the specimen is sucked into the nozzle tip 14, the spotting nozzle 45 is moved to the spotting part 3, and the specimen is spotted on the dry analytical element 12. .
[0070]
Then, the colorimetric dry analytical element 12 on which the specimen is spotted is inserted into the first incubator 4. Next, after the element chamber 91 is rotated and held at a constant temperature for a predetermined time, the inserted dry analysis element 12 is sequentially moved to the position of the photometric head 96, and the reflection optical density of the dry analysis element 12 is measured. After the measurement is completed, the measured dry analytical element 12 is pushed out to the center side and discarded. The measurement result is output, and the used nozzle tip 14 is removed from the spotting nozzle 45 by the tip discarding unit 9 and dropped downward and discarded, and the processing is completed. During the colorimetric measurement, in the second incubator 5, as described above, the lower block 71 is raised and the upper block 63 is preheated.
[0071]
Next, when the inspection item is a dilution request, for example, when the blood concentration is too high to perform an accurate inspection, the dry analytical element 12 is transported to the spotting position, and then the nozzle tip 14 is moved. The nozzle is attached to the spotting nozzle 45, and the spotting nozzle 45 is lowered to suck the sample into the nozzle tip 14. After the aspirated specimen is dispensed from the nozzle tip 14 into the mixing cup 16, the used nozzle tip 14 is removed. Next, a new nozzle tip 14 is attached to the spotting nozzle 45, and the diluent is sucked from the diluent container 15 into the nozzle tip 14. The sucked diluted liquid is discharged from the nozzle tip 14 to the mixing cup 16. Then, the nozzle tip 14 is inserted into the mixing cup 16 and agitation is performed by repeating suction and discharge. After stirring, the diluted specimen is sucked into the nozzle tip 14, the spotting nozzle 45 is moved to the spotting section 3, and the specimen is spotted on the dry analytical element 12. Thereafter, similarly, constant temperature holding, photometry, element discarding, result output and chip discarding are performed, and the process is terminated.
[0072]
Next, in the case of measuring the ion activity, the upper block 63 is moved to the spotting unit 3 as described above, and the electrolyte type dry analytical element 12 is transported to the spotting position. The nozzle tip 14 is attached to the nozzle 45 and the specimen is aspirated. Next, the nozzle tip 14 is attached to the other spotting nozzle 45 and the reference liquid is sucked from the reference liquid container 17. Next, the specimen is spotted on one liquid supply hole of the dry analytical element 12 by one spotting nozzle 45, and the reference liquid is spotted on the other liquid supply hole of the dry analytical element 12 by the other spotting nozzle 45. To wear.
[0073]
Then, the dry analytical element 12 on which the sample and the reference liquid are spotted is transferred from the spotting part 3 to the second incubator 5 by the movement of the sliding frame 62 together with the upper block 63, and kept at a constant temperature by raising the lower block 71. Meanwhile, the ion activity is measured by the potential measuring probe 78. After the measurement is completed, the dry analytical element 12 after measurement is transferred to the discard hole 69 by the movement of the sliding frame 62 and discarded. Then, the measurement result is output, both the used nozzle tips 14 are removed from both spotting nozzles 45 and discarded, and the process is terminated.
[0074]
According to the embodiment as described above, in the second incubator 5 for measuring the ion activity, before the dry analytical element 12 is accommodated between the upper block 63 and the lower block 71, the lower block provided with the heater. By preheating the upper block 63 that does not have a heater by contacting 71, the dry analytical element 12 is sandwiched between the upper block 63 and the lower block 71, and the dry analytical element 12 is made efficient by both blocks 63, 71 contacting both surfaces. Since the sample is heated well and the potential difference is measured by the probe 78 for measuring potential, even if the cold dry analytical element 12 is inserted, it can reach a predetermined temperature in a short time, so that accurate measurement can be performed and the heater is installed. Is only the lower block 71, and simplification of the structure can be obtained.
[0075]
  In addition,UpThe block 63 may be provided so as to move up and down together with the dry analytical element 12 so as to move toward and away from the lower block 71.
[0077]
  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although both the upper block 63 and the lower block 71 can be contacted / separated with respect to the dry analytical element 12,Only the lower block 71 may be contactable / separable.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a schematic configuration of a biochemical analyzer equipped with an incubator according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main part mechanism of the biochemical analyzer of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an incubator portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view with the cover of FIG. 3 removed. FIG.
5 is a perspective view showing a state where the lower block of FIG. 4 is lowered. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing operating states of the incubator.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing an example of a cover structure.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing another structural example of the cover.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Biochemical analyzer
2 Sample tray
3 point landing
5 Incubator
6 Pointing device
7a Base member
7b insulation
8 Transfer mechanism
11 Sample container
12 Dry analytical element
13 element cartridge
61 Support base
62 Sliding frame
63 Upper block
64 element presser
69 Waste hole
70 Cover
70b recess
71 Lower block
72 Main unit
73 Drive motor
74 Cam member
78 Measuring probe

Claims (5)

In an incubator that contains a dry analytical element on which a sample is spotted and holds it at a predetermined temperature,
E Bei at least on the lower block is separably movable block and the lower block sandwiching said dry analytical element from above and below,
A heater is installed only in the lower block to adjust the temperature, and before accommodating the dry analytical element, the lower block and the upper block are brought into contact, the upper block is preheated by heat transfer, and the lower block and An incubator characterized in that after a dry analytical element is accommodated between the upper block, the dry analytical element is sandwiched between the lower block and the upper block, and the dry analytical element is heated by the heat of both blocks . 2. The incubator according to claim 1 , wherein the dry analytical element is an electrolyte type dry analytical element that measures the ion activity of a specimen, and an electric potential measuring probe is provided in the lower block . 2. The incubator according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover made of a metal material and covering the upper block, wherein a heat insulating material is installed at a portion in contact with the upper block of the cover. The incubator according to claim 3 , wherein a recess is formed in the heat insulating material of the cover. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein a preheating time for preheating the upper block is changed according to an environmental temperature.

Images