JP5033675B2 - Sample container discrimination device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a specimen container discriminating apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for discriminating the type of specimen container such as a blood collection tube without contact.

  The sample pretreatment apparatus includes a centrifuge unit, an opening unit, a dispensing unit, a closing unit, and the like. In the sample pretreatment apparatus, a rack holding a plurality of blood collection tubes is transported. The blood collection tube is provided with a stopper. Examples of the stopper include a rubber stopper and a seal stopper. There are various types of rubber plugs having different shapes, colors, etc., and the same applies to seal plugs. There are several types of blood collection tubes. There are typically multiple bodies of different lengths.

  In the above-described plug-opening unit, it is necessary to set the operation conditions in advance according to the type of the plug, and further depending on the type of the main body. For example, depending on the type of rubber stopper, seal stopper, etc., it is necessary to insert a blood collection tube into a dedicated opening mechanism and perform the opening operation with operating conditions suitable for the target blood collection tube. For this reason, it is desirable to measure the type of plug and the type of main body prior to opening.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a sample processing system including a sensor that detects the presence or absence and height of a stopper. Patent Document 2 describes an apparatus provided with a sensor that detects the height of a liquid level. Reflected light data corresponding to the scan position is obtained as the output of the sensor (see FIG. 5). However, it does not detect plugs.

JP 2007-85967 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-221392

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily determine the type of a specimen container.

  Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to determine both the type of stopper and the type of main body in a sample container.

  Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily and accurately discriminate the type of blood collection tube by applying a discrimination method suitable for the shape unique to the blood collection tube as a specimen container.

  The present invention provides a measuring means for acquiring a one-dimensional height profile for the specimen container by scanning the specimen container held in a rack with a light beam from above, and the specimen container is obtained for the specimen container. The present invention relates to a specimen container discriminating apparatus comprising: discriminating means for discriminating the type of the specimen container by analyzing a height profile.

  According to the above configuration, a one-dimensional height profile is acquired by moving the light beam relative to a sample container such as a blood collection tube. In this case, the light beam itself may be scanned, but it is fixed and the specimen container is forwarded by rack transport so that the light beam is scanned relative to the specimen container. May be. The one-dimensional height profile may be constituted by continuous sampling data or may be constituted by discrete sampling data.

  If multiple specimen containers are held on a rack and the overall height profile is obtained by continuous light beam scanning across them, the overall height profile is assigned to individual specimens prior to waveform analysis. It is desirable to perform a process of dividing the container into height profiles (partial waveforms). If the position of the rack is known, the existence range of each sample container on the rack can be easily specified. Of course, it is also possible to cut out the height profile for each specimen container by identifying the gap between the specimen containers in the overall height profile (and identifying the dip outside the specimen container at both ends). is there.

  Since the waveform profile of the height profile for each sample container reflects the upper shape of the sample container, it is possible to identify the type of the sample container by analyzing the waveform of the height profile. . If the object to be discriminated is a blood collection tube, the main body basically has a rotationally symmetric shape around the central axis, and the stopper (rubber stopper, aluminum seal stopper, etc.) also rotates around the central axis. Since it has a symmetric shape, no matter what rotation angle the blood collection tube takes, if a one-dimensional height profile that passes through its central axis (or its vicinity) is obtained, the type of blood collection tube Can be determined. In particular, since the upper form differs significantly depending on the type of plug, it is desirable to calculate at least one (preferably a plurality of) waveform feature quantities so that the different parts become clear. Some aluminum seal plugs have a hook-shaped tab, but this part may be excluded from the waveform analysis target, and if the tab is bent and the measurement fails, an error will occur. It is also possible to deal with it by processing. In addition to the above configuration, the type of the sample container may be determined in consideration of information such as the color of the stopper.

  In the above configuration, since a light beam is used, it is possible to perform type determination without contact. Thus, the problem of contamination can be avoided. It is also conceivable that the sample container is slightly inclined on the rack. For the inclination of the light beam in the scanning direction, it is desirable to find the reference coordinates of the specimen container on the height profile and determine the measurement coordinates using that as the origin. On the other hand, as long as the inclination of the light beam in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction is slight and a one-dimensional height profile reflecting the upper shape of the specimen container can be obtained, the above configuration is maintained as it is. It is possible to use. On the other hand, if an effective height profile cannot be obtained, error handling may be used, or multiple effective light beam scan paths can be set in parallel to selectively use an effective height profile. You may make it do.

  Desirably, the discrimination means discriminates at least the type of the stopper attached to each specimen container. For blood collection tubes, there are various rubber plugs and various seal plugs, and even if they are mixed and flowed, according to the above configuration, the type of plug can be individually determined for each blood collection tube, Useful information can be acquired in the subsequent process. Alternatively, it is possible to match the type actually measured against the type registered on the database.

  Preferably, the discrimination means further discriminates the type of the main body of the sample container, and the discrimination means discriminates a combination of the main body type and the stopper type as the sample container type. According to this configuration, even if the type of the main body is different as well as the type of the plug, it is possible to determine the combination by individually determining them.

  Preferably, the discrimination means is a reference coordinate specifying means for specifying a reference coordinate corresponding to a specimen container central axis on the height profile, and means for performing a waveform analysis on the height profile, wherein the reference profile Waveform analysis means having a function of performing waveform analysis using coordinates, and type determination means for determining the type of the sample container based on the waveform analysis result of the height profile. According to this configuration, the reference coordinates are first specified using, for example, container symmetry. If the reference coordinates are specified, it is possible to relatively appropriately determine the waveform reference region and the waveform reference point with the origin as the origin. In particular, even if the sample container is misaligned or inclined, the origin can be found and the waveform analysis can be performed based on the origin, so that accurate discrimination is possible.

  Preferably, the waveform analysis means includes an average height value in a first reference area extending in a horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin, and a degree of unevenness in a second reference area extending in a horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin. The value shown is obtained. The average value can be used, for example, when evaluating the height of the main body and the presence or absence of a stopper. A value indicating the degree of unevenness can be used in determining the presence or absence of a stopper, and in addition, a feature value for specifying the type of stopper can also be used. From a multifaceted viewpoint, that is, it is desirable to comprehensively determine the type from a plurality of feature amounts. The first reference area and the second reference area may be the same or different. Preferably, the waveform analysis means identifies a height peak on the height profile. This can also be used to determine the presence or absence of a stopper and the type of stopper.

  Preferably, the waveform analysis means includes a waveform feature amount for a central waveform portion that extends in a horizontal direction with the reference coordinate as an origin, and a waveform feature amount for a peripheral waveform portion that extends in a horizontal direction with the reference coordinate as an origin. , Ask. In particular, in the blood collection tube, an elastic member and a structure for penetrating the needle are provided in the center portion, and the form of the portion and the surrounding form differ depending on the blood collection tube. Therefore, the feature amount is obtained for each of the central portion and the peripheral portion.

  Preferably, the waveform analysis unit obtains a distance between two peaks in the height profile. Since the rising position of the peripheral part often differs depending on the type of the plug, the distance between peaks can be used as a feature value for determining the type. Preferably, the discrimination means further discriminates the absence of the sample container and the absence of the stopper.

  Preferably, the measurement unit includes a non-contact distance sensor that is provided above the rack conveyance path and forms the measurement beam downward, and the measurement beam is moved to the upper surface of the specimen container by the rack conveyance. Scanning is performed relatively across the center.

  The present invention is a measurement step of acquiring a one-dimensional height profile for the blood collection tube by scanning a light collection tube held from a rack with a light beam from above, and has been obtained for the blood collection tube. A waveform analysis step for obtaining a plurality of waveform feature amounts by analyzing a height profile; a determination step for determining a combination of a body type and a plug type in the blood collection tube based on the plurality of waveform feature amounts; Including a control step of changing at least one operation condition of the opening operation, the dispensing operation, and the closing operation according to the determined combination of the main body type and the plug type. It relates to the processing method.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the type of sample container can be easily determined. Alternatively, both the stopper type and the main body type in the sample container can be determined. Alternatively, the type of blood collection tube can be easily and accurately determined by applying a discrimination method suitable for the shape specific to the blood collection tube as the specimen container.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a specimen container discriminating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the main part thereof. This sample container discriminating device is incorporated in the sample pretreatment device in this embodiment. The sample container is a blood collection tube after centrifugation in the present embodiment. As is well known, a blood collection tube is composed of a main body and a plug attached to the upper opening thereof. The main body includes several main bodies having different heights, while the plug includes a rubber plug and a seal plug. In this embodiment, the rubber plug and the seal plug are discriminated. Of course, the type may be determined more finely for each of the rubber plug and the seal plug.

  In FIG. 1, the rack 10 holds a plurality of blood collection tubes in an upright state. In FIG. 1, only one blood collection tube 12 is shown. A blood sample is accommodated in the blood collection tube 12, and specifically, a blood sample after centrifugation is accommodated. The blood collection tube 12 includes a main body 14 as a tube and a plug 16 attached to the upper opening thereof. Various types of plugs 16 exist. There are several main bodies 14 having different lengths. While there are a plurality of types of such stoppers and main bodies, according to the sample container discriminating apparatus of this embodiment, it is possible to individually determine the types of the stoppers and the main bodies. Incidentally, a label 18 such as a bar code label is affixed to the main body 14, and the optical measurement unit 20 is located above the transport path of the rack 10 in order to determine the type without being affected by such a label. Is provided.

  The optical measurement unit 20 includes an LD (laser diode) 22 that generates a light beam and a lens 24, and a light beam 26 is formed by them. As shown in FIG. 2, the light beam passes through the center of the upper surface 16A of the plug 16 as much as possible, and specifically, a line passing through the central axis as indicated by reference numeral 34 is formed. In addition, the light beam 26 is positioned. Returning to FIG. 1, the light reflected by the upper surface 16 </ b> A is received by the optical measurement unit 20 as indicated by reference numeral 28. Specifically, the light is detected by the photodetector 32 through the lens 30.

  A drive signal from the driver 36 is supplied to the LD 22, and the detection signal from the photodetector 32 is output to the distance calculation unit 40 described later. In FIG. 1, a transport mechanism that transports the rack 10 is not shown. Although the light beam 26 is fixedly set, the light beam 26 is scanned relative to the blood collection tube 12 as the rack 10 is transported. As a result, the one-dimensional height described below is obtained. A profile (hereinafter simply referred to as a profile) is obtained.

  The arithmetic control unit 38 is configured by a CPU, an operation program, and the like. However, some functions of the arithmetic control unit 38 may be realized by another module. The distance calculation unit 40 calculates the distance at each position based on the signal output from the photodetector 32, thereby generating a one-dimensional profile. That is, a profile representing a variation in height along the transport direction of the rack 10 is acquired. The analysis unit 42 performs waveform analysis on the generated profile. Although a specific method will be described later, the analysis unit 42 performs a process of dividing the profile in units of blood collection tubes after applying preprocessing to the acquired profile, and from the profile for each blood collection tube A plurality of waveform feature amounts are obtained and the information is output to the operation control unit 44. The operation control unit 44 has a function of discriminating the type of blood collection tube, specifically the type of stopper and the type of main body based on the waveform analysis result. Based on the determination result, the operation control of each component such as a plug-opening device, a dispensing device, a plug-closing device, etc. existing in the subsequent stage is performed. Since the type is specifically specified for each blood collection tube in advance, for example, in a plug opening device, each unit dedicated to a seal plug and a rubber plug is appropriately used, and the operating conditions are set appropriately. The advantage that the opening process can be performed is obtained.

  Next, the type determination method will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 50 represents the rack 10 holding a plurality of blood collection tubes 54 to 62. The blood collection tubes 54 to 62 are different from each other in the illustrated example, and the combination of the main body and the stopper is different from each other in each blood collection tube. In the present embodiment, even when various blood collection tubes are mixed, the type of each blood collection tube can be appropriately determined.

  Reference numeral 52 in FIG. 3 represents a profile obtained when the light beam is scanned relative to the plurality of blood collection tubes 54 to 62. The profile 52 represents a distance, that is, a height depending on each position, and since it fluctuates in the horizontal X direction, it can be handled as a waveform. In the present embodiment, filtering is executed as necessary prior to analysis of the profile 52. For example, a median filter, an averaging filter, or the like is used to remove noise or the like existing in the profile. After such pre-processing is executed as necessary, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, processing for dividing the entire profile for each blood collection tube is executed. That is, the plurality of lines 66 represent dividing lines, and as a result of dividing the overall profile 52 by such a plurality of lines 66, each blood collection unit as a partial waveform corresponding to each section ae. The profile will be obtained. The profile is indicated by reference numerals 54A to 62A. Incidentally, reference numeral 64 represents a gap existing between adjacent blood collection tubes in the overall profile. Waveform drops also occur outside the blood collection tubes at both ends. In any case, the profile is cut out for each blood collection tube by the above-described division processing.

  Incidentally, in the profile dividing process, if the position of the rack is known, the existence range of each blood collection tube on the rack can be easily specified. Therefore, the dividing process may be performed based on the rack position. Alternatively, in the overall profile 52, if it is possible to specify the gap 64 generated between adjacent blood collection tubes or a depression existing outside, the dividing line 66 may be set based on them. . There are several other methods. In the lower part of FIG. 3, X represents the transport direction. L represents the distance seen from the optical measurement unit side. In other words, it represents the height at each position.

  In the present embodiment, the types of the main body and the stopper are specified based on the determination method shown in FIG. First, the process indicated by reference numeral 70 will be described. In this step, the waveform analysis shown in FIG. 5 is executed. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 100 represents a profile of a blood collection tube as a target. First, a center line 71 is specified for the profile 100. The center line 71 may be a barycentric point or median value in the waveform, or may be the center coordinates of the insertion hole on the rack. Desirably, it is desirable to determine the center line 71 so that the center coordinates of the actual blood collection tube can be specified as accurately as possible in order to cope with the inclination of the blood collection tube. When the center line 71, that is, the origin is specified in this way, the reference area A is defined as a section covering a certain distance 72 on both sides of the center line 71. The reference area A is an area for paying attention to the central part of the line and the surrounding local form.

An average value L _AV of the height in the reference area A and a gap (variation) L _d between the highest point and the lowest point in the reference area A are obtained. The gap L _d corresponds to the height variation range, and in this embodiment, the height variation is specified as the size between the maximum value and the minimum value of the distance.

When the average value L _AV and the variation L _d are obtained in this way, the analysis process I shown in FIG. 4 is executed. Specifically, it is determined which of the conditions shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows five conditions F to J in the present embodiment, and specifies which condition the average value L _AV and the variation L _d obtained as described above correspond to. Is done. The condition F is a condition that the average value L _AV is larger than the threshold value L _H1 , smaller than the threshold value L _H2 , and the variation L _d is smaller than the comparison value Δa _H. That is, the condition F is satisfied when the average value is within the range corresponding to the long main body, the variation is not large, and the stopper is not present.

Similarly, the condition G is a condition that the average value L _AV is larger than the threshold value L _S1 and smaller than the threshold value L _S2 , and the variation L _d is smaller than the comparison value Δa _S. That is, it is a condition for determining that the average value falls within a range corresponding to a short main body, and that the variation is small and the plug is not absent.

Next, the condition H is a condition for determining whether or not the average value L _AV corresponds to the height L _B of the bottom of the rack, is estimated that there is no blood collection tube itself when the condition is satisfied The Condition J is a condition that the average value L _AV is smaller than the comparison value L _H1 , and this condition is for judging an error. Furthermore, the condition I is a condition for determining cases other than the conditions F, G, H, and J described above. FIG. 7 shows several threshold values and comparison values that are compared with the average value L _AV, and clearly shows a range to which each condition is applicable.

  Returning to FIG. 4, when the condition H is satisfied in the analysis step I, it is determined that there is no tube, that is, the blood collection tube itself, as indicated by reference numeral 76. On the other hand, when the condition J is satisfied, as indicated by reference numeral 78, it is predicted that the tube, that is, the blood collection tube is floating, and an error is determined because it is not an appropriate state anyway. On the other hand, when the conditions F, G, and I are satisfied, the analysis process II described below is executed. Incidentally, the threshold value and the comparison value used in the analysis step I described above may be appropriately determined according to the blood collection group to be discriminated. You may make it perform the analysis process I mentioned above using feature values other than an average value and dispersion | variation.

In FIG. 4, in the analysis step II, the peak value L _TOP in the profiles 102 and 104 is obtained as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIGS. 8 and 9 show profiles 102 and 104 corresponding to different blood collection tubes, respectively. The peak value L _TOP may be a peak value in each divided section, or may be a peak value in a predetermined range set in the horizontal direction with the center line 71 as a reference.

When the peak value L _TOP is obtained in this way, it is determined which condition shown in FIG. 10 is satisfied. FIG. 10 shows three conditions K, L, and M in this embodiment. The condition K is a condition that the peak value L _TOP is larger than the threshold value L _{H3 and} smaller than the threshold value L _H4 , and according to this condition, it is possible to discriminate a long main body regardless of the presence or absence of a stopper. The condition L is a condition that the peak value L _TOP is larger than the threshold value L _{S3 and} smaller than the threshold value L _S4 , and according to this condition L, it is possible to discriminate a short main body regardless of the presence or absence of a stopper. The condition M is a condition when the above conditions K and L are not satisfied. FIG. 11 shows the respective threshold values on the distance L, and simultaneously shows the ranges of the condition K and the condition L. In addition, what is necessary is just to determine suitably about each threshold value according to the blood-collection group used as object similarly to the above.

  Returning to FIG. 4, in the analysis step II, it is determined which condition is satisfied, and as shown in the figure, depending on the combination with the condition determined in the previous analysis step I, the next process or The judgment contents are different. Specifically, when the condition F and the condition K are satisfied, the next analysis process III is executed. When conditions other than the condition K are satisfied even though the condition F is satisfied, error processing is executed assuming that it is not assumed as indicated by reference numeral 80. Similarly, when the condition G is satisfied and the condition M is satisfied, error processing is executed. When the condition G and the condition L are satisfied, the analysis process III is executed. When the condition G and the condition K are satisfied, as indicated by reference numeral 82, the absence of the stopper is determined and it is determined that the main body is a long tube.

  When the condition I and the condition K are satisfied, the determination indicated by the reference numeral 82 is executed. When the condition I and the condition L are satisfied, the absence of the stopper and the main body are short as indicated by the reference numeral 84. It is determined that it is a tube. If conditions I and M are determined, an error is output as described above.

Next, the analysis process III shown in FIG. 4 will be described. In this step, two types of average values shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 are calculated. Specifically, with reference to the center line 71, a reference area B is set in the center portion, and a reference area C is set around it. The reference area C is composed of sections C ₁ and C ₂ . That is, in determining the type of plug, the shape of the central part of the plug and the form of the peripheral part thereof can be feature quantities, and two types of reference areas are set in order to perform individual evaluation according to the part. The FIGS. 12 to 14 show profiles 106, 108, and 110 corresponding to different blood collection tubes. In each of the profiles 106, 108, and 110, combinations of forms or heights in the reference region B and the reference region C are shown. It can be said that it is quite different.

In the present embodiment, the average value L _B of height in the reference area B, a mean value L _C of height in the reference area C is calculated. Then, the calculation of ΔD = L _B −L _C is executed, and it is determined which condition ΔD satisfies that condition shown in FIG. In FIG. 15, the condition P is a condition that the index ΔD is smaller than −s. Here, s is the maximum value that can be taken by the index ΔD when the liquid level is detected without a stopper, and s is a value close to 0, for example. The condition Q is a condition that the index ΔD is larger than s. The condition R is a condition that the absolute value of the index ΔD is smaller than s.

  Returning to FIG. 4, in the analysis step III, it is determined which condition shown in FIG. 15 is satisfied. Here, when it is determined that the condition P is satisfied, the determination indicated by reference numeral 86 or the determination indicated by reference numeral 90 is made according to the combination of the conditions determined in the two previous analysis steps. The determination indicated by reference numeral 86 is the content that it is a seal plug and the main body is a long tube. The determination indicated by reference numeral 90 is a seal stopper, and the content is that the main body is a short tube. When it is determined that the condition Q is satisfied, a determination indicated by reference numeral 88 or a determination indicated by reference numeral 92 is made according to the combination of the conditions determined in the two previous analysis configurations. The determination indicated by reference numeral 88 is a rubber plug and has a content that the main body is a long tube, and the determination indicated by reference numeral 92 is a rubber plug and has a content that the main body is a short tube. It is. Further, in the analysis step III, when it is determined that the condition R is satisfied, similarly to the above, the determination indicated by the reference numeral 82 or the reference numeral 84 is indicated according to the combination of the conditions determined in the analysis steps I and II. Judgment is made. The determination indicated by reference numeral 82 has the content that there is no plug and the main body is a long tube, and the determination indicated by reference numeral 84 has the content that there is no plug and the main body is a short tube.

  As described above, as shown in FIG. 4, not only the plug type but also the main body type (height in the embodiment) is individually determined by observing the waveform feature values in a multifaceted manner. In addition, there is an advantage that it is possible to determine whether or not there is a stopper and whether or not the blood collection tube itself is present. Each feature amount described above is an example, and other feature amounts may be used. It is desirable to determine the feature amount so that the portion where each blood collection tube stands out in the blood collection tube group to be discriminated becomes clearer. In some cases, it is also possible to recognize the color of the stopper and adopt the color as a criterion. Furthermore, since the diameter of the plug can be easily observed from the profile, the diameter can be used as a feature amount. In the above embodiment, the center line is first identified in the profile corresponding to each blood collection tube, and the waveform analysis is performed using the center line as the coordinate origin. Therefore, even if there is a deviation in the position of the test tube, the analysis accuracy can be improved. There is an advantage that a decrease can be prevented. Similarly, even if the blood collection tube is slightly inclined, there is an advantage that an accurate determination can be performed by executing the above-described process as it is. Of course, when the blood collection tube is greatly tilted or tilted in the orthogonal direction to such an extent that a profile cannot be acquired, error processing may be applied, or the light beam is scanned in the orthogonal direction. May be used in combination.

When sufficient determination cannot be performed in the determination process shown in FIG. 4 described above, a method as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 may be further used. FIG. 16 shows a profile 112 in a certain blood collection tube. By applying a strong smoothing process to this, a profile 112A as shown in FIG. 17 can be obtained. That is, the rectangular protrusions rising on both sides of the center line 71 are rounded so that their peaks can be specified. Here, two peaks P ₁ and P ₂ are specified, and the interval ΔP is recognized as one feature amount for determining the type of plug, so that it is further utilized, Alternatively, it is possible to determine the type of the plug with higher accuracy by using instead of any of the above-described feature examples. Further, the error factor due to the bending of the tab existing at the edge portion of the sealing plug may be excluded from the height shift at the peak position or the like.

  According to the determination method of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to acquire a one-dimensional profile in combination with rack transportation only by irradiating a light beam and measuring the height of each blood collection tube unit by software analysis on the profile. It is possible to specify the type in detail. If the information thus identified is reflected in the operation conditions such as the subsequent opening process, there is an advantage that the operation efficiency and reliability of the entire sample pretreatment apparatus can be remarkably improved. Conventionally, even in a sample pretreatment device that has been difficult to receive a rack in which a large number of blood collection tubes are mixedly mounted as described above, if the sample container determination device described above is incorporated on the upstream side, There is an advantage that the sample pretreatment can be smoothly performed on the rack in the mixed loading state. It is possible to image a blood collection tube from above or from the side instead of the light beam in the above-described embodiment, and determine the type by analyzing the image that is the imaging result. The problem of up is likely to occur. According to the above configuration, the type can be determined simply and quickly only by scanning with a one-dimensional light beam, so that there is an advantage that a highly practical determination device can be configured.

It is a principal part block diagram which shows suitable embodiment of the sample container discrimination device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the scanning path | route of a light beam. It is explanatory drawing which shows the some blood collection tube mounted on the rack, the profile corresponding to them, and the like. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the whole flow of the classification determination method which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the average value and dispersion | variation as a feature-value. It is a figure for demonstrating the conditions determined in a 1st analysis process. It is a figure for demonstrating the mutual relationship of several conditions shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the peak value as another feature-value. It is a figure for demonstrating the peak value as another feature-value. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the conditions determined in a 2nd analysis process. It is a figure for demonstrating the mutual relationship of several conditions shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the average value of the center part as another feature-value, and the average value of a peripheral part. It is a figure for demonstrating the average value of the center part as another feature-value, and the average value of a peripheral part. It is a figure for demonstrating the average value of the center part as another feature-value, and the average value of a peripheral part. It is a figure for demonstrating the conditions determined in a 3rd analysis process. It is a figure which shows the profile of a blood collection tube. FIG. 17 shows a profile after smoothing processing is applied to the profile shown in FIG. 16, and is a diagram for explaining the identification of two peaks.

Explanation of symbols

  10 racks, 12 blood collection tubes, 14 main bodies, 16 plugs, 20 optical measurement units, 38 calculation control units, 40 distance calculation units, 42 analysis units, 44 operation control units.

Claims (12)

Measuring means for acquiring a one-dimensional height profile for the specimen container by scanning the specimen container held in a rack with a light beam from above;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of the specimen container by analyzing the height profile acquired for the specimen container;
A specimen container discriminating apparatus comprising: In the specimen container discriminating apparatus according to claim 1,
The specimen container discriminating apparatus characterized in that the discriminating means discriminates at least the type of the stopper attached to each specimen container. The specimen container discriminating apparatus according to claim 2,
The determining means further determines the type of the main body of the sample container,
The specimen container discriminating apparatus, wherein the discriminating means discriminates a combination of the main body type and the stopper type as the specimen container type. In the sample container discriminating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The discrimination means includes
Reference coordinate specifying means for specifying reference coordinates corresponding to the central axis of the specimen container on the height profile;
A means for performing waveform analysis on the height profile, wherein the waveform analysis means has a function of performing waveform analysis using the reference coordinates;
Type discrimination means for discriminating the type of the sample container based on the waveform analysis result of the height profile;
A specimen container discriminating apparatus comprising: In the specimen container discriminating apparatus according to claim 4,
The waveform analysis means includes an average height value in a first reference area extending in the horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin, and a value indicating a degree of unevenness in a second reference area extending in the horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin. Seeking,
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. In the sample container discriminating apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,
The waveform analysis means identifies a height peak on the height profile;
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. In the sample container discriminating device according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
The waveform analysis means obtains a waveform feature amount for a central waveform portion extending in the horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin, and a waveform feature amount for a peripheral waveform portion extending in the horizontal direction with the reference coordinates as an origin. ,
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. In the sample container discriminating device according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
The waveform analysis means obtains a distance between two peaks in the height profile;
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. In the sample container discriminating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The determining means further determines the absence of the sample container and the absence of the stopper;
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. In the sample container discriminating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The measuring means includes a non-contact type distance sensor that is provided above the rack conveyance path and forms the measurement beam downward.
By the transport of the rack, the measurement beam is scanned so as to relatively traverse the center of the upper surface of the specimen container.
A specimen container discriminating apparatus. Measuring means for acquiring a height profile reflecting the shape of the stopper of the blood collection tube by scanning a light beam on the stopper of the blood collection tube;
A discriminating means for discriminating the type of plug of the blood collection tube by analyzing the height profile acquired for the blood collection tube;
Control means for changing the operating condition of the opening operation according to the type of stopper of the blood collection tube;
A specimen pretreatment apparatus comprising: A measurement step of acquiring a one-dimensional height profile for the blood collection tube by scanning a light beam from above the blood collection tube held in the rack;
A waveform analysis step for obtaining a plurality of waveform features by analyzing a height profile acquired for the blood collection tube;
A determination step of determining a combination of a main body type and a plug type in the blood collection tube based on the plurality of waveform feature amounts;
A control step of changing at least one operation condition of the opening operation, the dispensing operation, and the closing operation according to the determined combination of the main body type and the plug type,
A specimen pretreatment method comprising:

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