JP3873656B2 - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an analyzer that quantitatively analyzes the components of a sample by mixing and chemically reacting the sample to be analyzed and the reagent, and in particular, washing a dispensing nozzle used for dispensing the reagent and the sample, The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer having means for drying.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a conventional automatic analyzer, serum that is a sample obtained by separating blood by centrifugation is dispensed into a reaction container by a sampling mechanism, and then a reagent corresponding to a test item is dispensed into the reaction container by a pipetting mechanism. After promoting the reaction by mixing and stirring in the reaction vessel, the specimen test is performed by measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction vessel with a photometer. Among them, a dispensing nozzle that is repeatedly used for dispensing a reagent and a sample is washed by flushing the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle with washing water after dispensing the reagent and the sample into a reaction container. In addition, although cleaning water remains on the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle after cleaning, component analysis has been performed since the amount of reagent or sample discharged and the amount of cleaning water remaining are overwhelmingly large. However, there was no need to remove the remaining washing water and dry it.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the fact that washing water remains in the dispensing nozzle after washing has the risk of bringing washing water into the reagent and sample during aspiration, causing a change in concentration. Eventually, the analysis results may be affected.
[0004]
Under such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to establish a means for removing and drying washing water remaining on the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle during washing.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above-mentioned object is achieved by vacuuming the dispensing nozzle in which the washing water remains on the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle after washing with a cylindrical vacuum suction means, and removing and drying in a non-contact manner.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in detail by examples. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic analyzer to which the present invention is applied.
[0007]
This automatic analyzer mainly includes a reaction disk 1, a reagent storage unit 2, a specimen storage unit 3, a pipetting mechanism 4, a sampling mechanism 5, a photometer 6, a reaction tank 7, a cleaning mechanism 8, a nozzle cleaning and drying mechanism 9, and a control. The unit 10 is configured. A plurality of reaction containers 11 for mixing and stirring the sample and the reagent are arranged on the reaction disk 1 via a holder 12, and the reaction container 11 is repeatedly transferred in a constant cycle by the rotation and stop operation of the reaction disk drive unit 13. . A plurality of reagent containers 14 containing reagents are arranged in the reagent storage unit 2. A plurality of sample containers 15 containing samples are arranged in the sample storage unit 3. The pipetting mechanism 4 rotates between the reaction disk 1 and the reagent storage unit 2, and dispenses the reagent into the reaction container 11 by the dispensing nozzle 16. The sampling mechanism 5 rotates between the reaction disk 1 and the sample storage unit 3 and dispenses the sample into the reaction container 11 by the dispensing nozzle 16. The photometer 6 measures the absorbance of the stirred sample and reagent, and the sample is analyzed by a signal processing unit (not shown). In the reaction tank 7, reaction tank water having a constant temperature is circulated. The cleaning mechanism 8 cleans the inside of the reaction container 11 by dispensing the cleaning water 17 or the cleaning liquid into the analyzed reaction container 11 and repeating the suction and discharge. The nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism 9 is attached to the reaction tank 7 and cleans and dries the dispensing nozzle 16 after dispensing a reagent or sample into the reaction vessel 11.
[0008]
The automatic analyzer configured as described above performs analysis in the following procedure. The reaction disk 1 in which a plurality of reaction containers 11 are arranged is rotated and moved to a predetermined position by the rotation operation of the reaction disk drive unit 13, and the sample and the reagent are dispensed to the reaction container 11 by the pipetting mechanism 4 and the dispensing nozzle 16 of the sampling mechanism 5. Dispense quantitatively. After dispensing, the dispensing nozzle 16 is transferred to the nozzle washing / drying mechanism 9 by the rotating operation of the pipetting mechanism 4 and the sampling mechanism 5, and is washed and dried. The reaction container 11 into which the sample and the reagent are dispensed is transferred to a stirring mechanism (not shown) by the reaction disk drive unit 13 and mixed and stirred. The stirred sample and reagent become a reaction solution, and after being transferred to the photometer 6, the absorbance is measured and the sample is analyzed. After the analysis, the reaction container 11 is transferred to the cleaning mechanism 8 to clean the inner surface, and a sample and a reagent are newly dispensed. Such a series of operations is repeated for each reaction vessel 11. The automatic analyzer according to the present embodiment has a pump, a syringe, and the like as components in addition to the components described above, and the operation of the controller 9 is comprehensively controlled.
[0009]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view around the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram around the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism.
[0010]
The nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism 9 includes a nozzle cleaning tank 18 for cleaning the dispensing nozzle 16 with the cleaning water 17, an overflow tank 19 for preventing the cleaning water 17 from overflowing, and the cleaning water 17 remaining in the dispensing nozzle 16 after the cleaning. There is a nozzle drying tank 20 that removes and dries, and has an integrated structure. The cleaning performed by the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism 9 is performed by discharging the reagent and specimen sucked at the suction position 21 to the reaction container 11 at the discharge position 22 and then transferring them to the cleaning position 23 by the rotation of the pipetting mechanism 4 and the sampling mechanism 5. Then, after opening and closing the water supply valve 24 and supplying the cleaning water 17 to the nozzle cleaning tank 18, the dispensing nozzle 16 is fed into the nozzle cleaning tank 18 by the up-and-down movement, and the dispensing nozzle 16 is supplied with the supplied cleaning water 17. Wash by washing the outer wall. The used washing water 17 is discharged from below by natural fall. Drying is performed by transferring the nozzle 16 for washing after washing up and down to the drying position 25 by rotating operation, sending it to the nozzle drying tank 20 by up and down movement, and opening and closing the suction valve 26 to open and close the cylindrical nozzle drying tank. The inside 20 is vacuum-sucked, and the cleaning water 17 remaining on the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle 16 is removed and dried without contact. Further, the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism 9 is arranged on the track of the pipetting mechanism 4 and the sampling mechanism 5 so that the suction, discharge cleaning and drying operations can be performed efficiently.
[0011]
In the present embodiment, the sampling mechanism 5 having the dispensing nozzle 16 rotates and moves up and down, so that the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism is fixed. However, the nozzle cleaning / drying mechanism itself is operated to perform cleaning and removal. Drying may be performed.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention described above, since the washing water remaining on the outer wall of the dispensing nozzle can be removed and dried, it is possible to provide an automatic analyzer that can cope with a small amount of reagents and specimens.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic analyzer to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view around a nozzle cleaning and drying mechanism to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram around a nozzle cleaning and drying mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reaction disk, 2 ... Reagent storage part, 3 ... Sample storage part, 4 ... Pipetting mechanism, 5 ... Sampling mechanism, 6 ... Photometer, 7 ... Reaction tank, 8 ... Cleaning mechanism, 9 ... Nozzle cleaning drying mechanism, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Reaction container, 12 ... Holder, 13 ... Reaction disk drive part, 14 ... Reagent container, 15 ... Sample container, 16 ... Dispensing nozzle, 17 ... Washing water, 18 ... Nozzle washing tank, 19 ... overflow tank, 20 ... nozzle drying tank, 21 ... reagent or specimen suction position, 22 ... reagent or specimen discharge position, 23 ... washing position of dispensing nozzle, 24 ... water supply valve, 25 ... dispensing nozzle Drying position,
26: Suction valve.

Claims (2)

A dispensing nozzle for dispensing reagents and specimens;
A nozzle cleaning tank for cleaning the inserted dispensing nozzle by supplying cleaning water;
Nozzle provided separately from the nozzle cleaning tank, which has a cylindrical shape and dries the inserted dispensing nozzle by vacuum suction inside the tank from an end different from the insertion end of the dispensing nozzle. A drying tank;
With
The automatic analysis characterized in that the nozzle cleaning tank and the nozzle drying tank are integrated, and an overflow tank is provided between the nozzle cleaning tank and the nozzle drying tank to prevent an overflow of cleaning water. apparatus. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1,
The automatic analysis apparatus , wherein the nozzle cleaning tank , the overflow tank, and the nozzle drying tank are provided on a moving track of the dispensing nozzle.

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