JP5055258B2 - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that automatically analyzes components such as blood, and is particularly effective when applied to an apparatus that transports a sample by a rack.

  In an automatic analyzer that separates a sample from a specimen sample container containing a biological sample of blood or urine and analyzes a plurality of items from the collected sample, for example, a hemoglobin A1c analysis is performed before analysis. There is a measurement item in which the pretreatment liquid is mixed with the sample and the pretreatment reaction is performed for a predetermined time, and then the analysis by the analyzer is performed.

  In the conventional automatic analyzer, this pretreatment is performed by mixing the sample and the pretreatment liquid by the operator's method and storing it for a predetermined time, and then analyzing the mixed liquid with the automatic analyzer. Was taken.

  In addition, depending on the automatic analyzer, by providing a disk-shaped holding mechanism for placing the sample and the necessary pretreatment liquid, the automatic analyzer automatically dispenses the sample and the pretreatment liquid, A method of performing processing has been adopted (see Patent Document 1).

Specifically, the automatic analyzer having a disk-shaped holding mechanism has a disk-shaped sample holding mechanism 51 as in the automatic analyzer 50 shown in FIG. A container 52 is held. When the sample holding mechanism 51 rotates, the sample container 52 moves to the sample dispensing position 53, and the sample in the sample container 52 is dispensed by the sample dispensing mechanism 54. When pre-treatment is required, the pre-treatment liquid is placed on the sample holding mechanism 51, sucked together with the sample by the sample dispensing mechanism 54 or separately, and discharged and mixed into the reaction vessel of the reaction vessel 55 Thereafter, the measurement is performed by the measurement unit 56.
JP 2006-125953 A

  However, pre-processing by the operator's method requires personnel to perform pre-processing work, which not only deteriorates work efficiency but also affects analysis results due to sample and reagent mix-up and operator's proficiency level. There was a problem in reliability, such as giving.

  In the case of having a disk-shaped holding mechanism like the automatic analyzer described in Patent Document 1, the number of samples that can be held by the holding mechanism is limited, and it is difficult to deal with mass processing of samples. In addition, since the installation space is limited, there is a possibility that a space saving request cannot be met by providing a holding mechanism. Furthermore, in a rack-type automatic analyzer that processes by transporting a sample by a rack, the rack is moved away from the sample dispensing position after the sample is dispensed, and therefore a disk-shaped holding mechanism cannot be applied.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically perform pretreatment with a predetermined pretreatment liquid corresponding to an analysis item even in an automatic analyzer that transports a sample by a rack. Is to make it possible.

  The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  Of the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, the automatic analyzer of the present invention automatically analyzes a component contained in the sample based on photometric data of a mixed liquid obtained by mixing the sample and the reagent, and automatically transports the plurality of samples mixed with the reagent by the sample transport rack. It is an analyzer, and has a pretreatment rack in which a sample container for containing the sample and a pretreatment liquid container for containing a predetermined pretreatment liquid according to the analysis item of the sample are arranged.

  Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, effects obtained by typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, since it has a pretreatment rack in which a container for storing a sample and a container for storing a predetermined pretreatment liquid corresponding to the analysis item of the sample are arranged, the sample and the pretreatment placed in each container of the pretreatment rack By dispensing and mixing the liquid, the sample can be pretreated with a predetermined pretreatment liquid corresponding to the analysis item.

  Thereby, even if it is an automatic analyzer which conveys a sample with a rack, it becomes possible to automatically perform the pretreatment with a predetermined pretreatment liquid according to the analysis item.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof is omitted as much as possible.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an outline of an embodiment of the automatic analyzer of the present invention, FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view showing a standard rack, and FIG. 1 (b) is a perspective view showing a pretreatment rack.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic analyzer 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 and a control unit 3 connected thereto. The apparatus main body 2 includes a sample loading unit 4, an automatic analysis unit 5, a retest buffer unit 6 (retest standby position), and a sample storage unit 7 in this order, and the sample is forwarded in the longitudinal direction. A sample transport unit 8 for transporting in the reverse direction and a return transport unit 9 for transporting in the opposite direction are installed. The control unit 3 may be provided in the apparatus main body 2 without being connected to the apparatus main body 2 from the outside as illustrated.

  A sample transport rack 11 in which a plurality of sample containers 10 into which samples are injected is arranged and held in the sample loading unit 4.

  As the sample transport rack 11, a standard rack 11a shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the standard rack 11a contains five sample containers 10, and each sample container 10 has a sample barcode 12 for identifying a sample in the standard rack 11a itself. Is attached with a rack barcode 13 for confirming the analysis item. In the standard rack 11a of FIG. 2, the number of sample containers 10 that can be accommodated in the sample rack 11 is five, but it may be more or less. Moreover, it is not necessary to accommodate all the number which can be accommodated.

  When a request for analysis is input from the control unit 3 by the operator, the sample transport rack 11 is transported to the automatic analysis unit 5 through the sample transport unit 8 by a transport mechanism (not shown).

  The automatic analyzer 5 is provided with an in-analyzer transport section 14 along the longitudinal direction, and an ID reading section 15 is provided alongside the in-analyzer transport section 14. A reaction container section 16 is provided at the center, and a sample dispensing mechanism 17, a measuring section 18, and reagent dispensing mechanisms 19a and 19b are arranged in this order in the rotation direction of the reaction container section 16. . Note that only one of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 19a and 19b may be used or arranged.

  The sample transport rack 11 transported to the automatic analyzer 5 is transported through the intra-analyzer transport section 14 while the ID reading section 15 uses the sample barcode 12 and the standard rack 11a of the sample container 10 shown in FIG. The rack barcode 13 is read, and the requested sample is identified and the requested analysis item is confirmed. The sample transport rack 11 that has been confirmed is then transported to the sample dispensing position 20 on the intra-analyzer transport section 14.

  At the sample dispensing position 20, the sample is sucked from the transported sample container 10 by the sample dispensing mechanism 17 and discharged into a reaction container (not shown) in the reaction container unit 16. The reaction container section 16 in which the sample is dispensed into the reaction container rotates, and a reagent according to the item is discharged into the reaction container by the reagent dispensing mechanisms 19a and 19b at a predetermined position. Agitation with the reagent is performed. The sample that has been stirred with the reagent (mixed liquid in which the sample and the reagent are mixed) exhibits a colorimetric reaction, etc., and this reaction is detected by the measurement unit 18, and the detection result (photometric data) is displayed in the control unit 3. The result is output to a result display unit such as a monitor or a printer.

  When there is a request for an item that requires sample pretreatment, the operator prepares a pretreatment rack 11b shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the pretreatment liquid container 22 containing a predetermined pretreatment liquid corresponding to the analysis item of the sample is placed in the first position 21 of the pretreatment rack 11 b with the first position 21. The sample container 10 is placed at the adjacent second position 23. The preprocessing rack 11b is held in the sample loading unit 4 and then transferred to the automatic analysis unit 5 by the sample transfer unit 8 in the automatic analyzer 1 shown in FIG. In the automatic analyzer 5, the ID reader 15 reads the sample barcode 12 attached to the sample container 10 and the pretreatment liquid container 22 and the rack barcode 13 attached to the pretreatment rack 11b. Thus, it is identified that the placed sample is an item that requires pretreatment.

  Next, the pretreatment rack 11b is transported to the sample dispensing position 20 by the in-analyzer transporting section 14, and the pretreatment liquid is transferred from the pretreatment liquid container 22 arranged at the first position 21 by the sample dispensing mechanism 17. Aspirate. The sample dispensing mechanism 17 rises to the sample dispensing position 20 after the pretreatment liquid is sucked and stops. While the sample dispensing mechanism 17 is stopped, the pretreatment rack 11 b moves one position to the position of the sample container 10 at the second position 23. Then, the sample dispensing mechanism 17 that has stopped at the sample dispensing position 20 descends again and sucks the sample in the sample container 10. The sample dispensing mechanism 17 ascends after the sample is sucked, rotates and moves to the position of the reaction container unit 16, performs the descending operation again, and the pretreated liquid and the sample that have been previously sucked into the reaction container of the reaction container unit 16. And discharge.

  The reaction container section 16 in which the sample and the pretreatment liquid are discharged into the reaction container rotates, the reagent or the system water is discharged by the reagent dispensing mechanism 19a, and the pretreatment liquid in the reaction container section 16 is stirred by a stirring mechanism (not shown). The sample and the reagent or the system water are agitated, and the sample pretreatment operation is completed.

  The mixed liquid of the sample and the reagent or the system water for which the pretreatment has been completed is sucked again by the sample dispensing mechanism 17 and is transferred to a reaction vessel different from the reaction vessel of the reaction vessel portion 16 where the pretreatment operation has been performed. And discharged. Reagents are discharged into the reaction container from which the liquid mixture has been discharged by the reagent dispensing mechanisms 19a and 19b, and mixing with the reagent is promoted by a stirring mechanism (not shown) to cause the reaction between the sample and the reagent. The sample is analyzed by detecting the change in absorbance of the reaction solution (mixed solution) in the course of the reaction or after completion by the measurement unit 18 and processing the obtained photometric data in the control unit 3.

  Among analysis items that require pretreatment, there are items that need to be reacted with the pretreatment liquid for a predetermined time after mixing the sample and the pretreatment liquid.

  When measuring an item that requires a reaction time with the pretreatment liquid, the operator places a third position adjacent to the second position 23 in the pretreatment rack 11b shown in FIG. 24, a mixed liquid storage container 25, which is an empty container for storing a mixed liquid of the sample and the pretreatment liquid, is disposed. The pretreatment rack 11 b in which the respective containers are arranged is held in the sample loading unit 4.

  When the pretreatment rack 11b is held in the sample loading unit 4, it is transported to the automatic analysis unit 5 by the sample transport unit 8, and the ID reading unit 15 determines the following. i) The sample transport rack 11 that has been transported is the pretreatment rack 11b. ii) The transported sample is a specimen that requires pretreatment, and is an analysis item that requires reaction time after mixing with the pretreatment liquid. iii) The arranged pretreatment liquid is a pretreatment liquid that meets the required analysis, and the mixed liquid storage container 25 is arranged at a necessary position, that is, the third position 24.

  Next, the preprocessing rack 11b is transported to the sample dispensing position 20 by the intra-analyzer transporting section 14, and the position of the first position 21 is stopped at the sample dispensing position 20. Then, the pretreatment liquid in the pretreatment liquid container 22 disposed at the first position 21 stopped at the sample dispensing position 20 is sucked by the sample dispensing mechanism 17 by a predetermined amount. Next, the preprocessing rack 11b is moved to the second position 23 by the in-analyzer transport unit 14, and the sample in the sample container 10 is again sucked by a predetermined amount by the sample dispensing mechanism 17. Thereafter, the pretreatment rack 11b is moved by one position to the third position 24, and the pretreated liquid and the sample sucked previously are pushed out to the mixed liquid storage container 25 by the system water in the sample dispensing mechanism 17, discharged, and discharged. Mix.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pretreatment rack 11b on which the mixed liquid has been discharged is transported from the in-analyzer transport section 14 to the sample transport section 8, and transported to the retest buffer section 6 by the sample transport section 8 and stored. Is done. The pretreatment rack 11b is stored in the retest buffer unit 6 for about 10 minutes together with the standard rack 11a that holds a sample that does not require other pretreatment but requires retesting. A pretreatment reaction between the sample and the pretreatment liquid is performed.

  The pretreatment rack 11 b that holds the mixed liquid in which the pretreatment reaction has been completed moves from the area on the automatic analysis unit 5 side to the area on the sample storage unit 7 side in the retest buffer unit 6 and enters the return conveyance unit 9. Then, the sample is transported again to the intra-analyzer transport unit 14 via the return transport unit 9 and the sample transport unit 8, and stops at the sample dispensing position 20. The mixed solution dispensed into the mixed solution storage container 25 by the sample dispensing mechanism 17 is sucked and discharged to the reaction container unit 16, and the mixed solution is analyzed. The reaction time of the pretreatment liquid is not limited to 10 minutes depending on the apparatus configuration. For example, when the configuration is such that the sample transport rack 11 can be arbitrarily stored and taken out, the pretreatment can be performed in a time longer than 10 minutes or shorter.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 1, the sample transport rack 11 after the analysis of the sample is transported to the sample storage unit 7 by the sample transport unit 8 and stored in the sample storage unit 7.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the analysis procedure by the automatic analyzer of the present invention. The sample analysis procedure described above will be described in summary with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ID of the sample transport rack and the sample container is first read from the sample to be analyzed (S1). Whether or not pre-processing is necessary is determined based on the read ID (S2).

  If pretreatment is necessary, the pretreatment liquid is sucked (S3). After the pretreatment liquid is sucked, the sample is sucked (S4). When the pretreatment liquid and the sample are aspirated, different procedures are taken based on the necessity (S5) of the pretreatment reaction time determined by the ID read in advance.

  When the pretreatment reaction time is required, the pretreatment liquid and the sample are discharged into the mixed liquid storage container (S6). Thereafter, the sample transport rack is stored in the retest buffer unit (S7). After completion of the pretreatment reaction, the sample transport rack is transported to the sample dispensing position (S8). When transported to the sample dispensing position, the mixed solution is sucked from the mixed solution storage container (S9). The sucked mixed liquid is discharged into the reaction container (S10). Then, the mixed solution discharged into the reaction vessel is analyzed (S11).

  When the pretreatment reaction time is not required, the pretreatment liquid and the sample are directly discharged into the reaction container (S10) and analyzed (S11).

  Moreover, only the sample is aspirated as the sample which does not require pretreatment in S2 (S12). After suction, it is discharged into the reaction container (S10) and analyzed (S11).

  Thus, since the automatic analyzer 1 of the present invention includes the pretreatment rack 11b in which the sample container 10 containing the sample and the pretreatment liquid container 22 containing the pretreatment liquid can be arranged, the analysis item of the sample Accordingly, when pretreatment is necessary, the sample dispensing mechanism 17 sucks the sample and the pretreatment liquid and discharges them to the reaction container or the like, so that the pretreatment can be performed with any pretreatment liquid.

  That is, in the rack-type automatic analyzer 1 that processes a large amount of samples by transporting samples by the sample transport rack 11, a space for providing a mechanism for holding a pretreatment liquid corresponding to all samples in the automatic analyzer 5. There is no. Further, since the sample transport rack 11 is transported after the sample is dispensed and is separated from the sample dispensing position 20, the mechanism cannot be applied. Therefore, by providing the pretreatment rack 11b, even the rack-type automatic analyzer 1 can automatically perform any pretreatment.

  Moreover, the automatic analyzer 1 of the present invention arranges the mixed solution storage container 25 for storing the mixed solution of the sample and the pretreatment liquid together with the pretreatment rack 11b in the analysis item that requires the pretreatment reaction time. Then, the sample dispensing mechanism 17 dispenses the sample and the pretreatment liquid into the mixed liquid storage container 25, and the reprocessing buffer unit 6 stores the pretreatment rack 11b for a predetermined reaction time. After the pretreatment reaction is performed by this storage, the pretreatment rack 11b is transported to the sample dispensing position 20 again. Therefore, it is possible to automatically perform the pretreatment and the sample analysis while ensuring the reaction time between the sample and the pretreatment liquid in the retest buffer unit 6.

  Furthermore, since the pre-processing is performed by the automatic analyzer, the work that has been performed by the conventional method can be automated, and the work efficiency and data reliability in the laboratory can be improved.

  The present invention is applicable to an automatic analyzer that automatically analyzes components such as blood.

It is the schematic which shows the outline of one Embodiment of the automatic analyzer of this invention. (A) is a perspective view which shows a standard rack, (b) is a perspective view which shows the rack for pre-processing. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the analysis procedure by the automatic analyzer of this invention. It is the schematic which shows a disk type automatic analyzer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic analyzer 2 Apparatus main body 3 Control part 4 Sample input part 5 Automatic analyzer 6 Retest buffer part (retest stand-by position)
7 Sample storage section 8 Sample transport section 9 Return transport section 10 Sample container 11 Sample transport rack 11a Standard rack 11b Pretreatment rack 12 Sample barcode 13 Rack barcode 14 Internal transport section 15 ID reading section 16 Reaction container section 17 Sample Dispensing mechanism 18 Measuring unit 19a Reagent dispensing mechanism 19b Reagent dispensing mechanism 20 Sample dispensing position 21 First position 22 Pretreatment liquid container 23 Second position 24 Third position 25 Mixed liquid storage container

Claims (1)

Analyzing components contained in the sample by photometric data of a mixed liquid in which a sample and a reagent are mixed, and an automatic analyzer that transports a plurality of the samples mixed with the reagent by a sample transport rack,
Have a processing rack before the pretreatment liquid container holding a predetermined pre-treatment solution in accordance with the analysis items of the sample and sample container holding the sample is placed,
The sample or the pretreatment liquid is placed in each of the sample container and the pretreatment liquid container arranged in the pretreatment rack, and is transported to an automatic analysis unit. In the automatic analysis unit, the sample is dispensed by a sample dispensing mechanism. And sucking the pretreatment liquid and discharging it to a reaction vessel for reacting the sample and the pretreatment liquid,
When an empty container is further arranged in the pretreatment rack, and a predetermined reaction time is required after mixing the sample and the pretreatment liquid, the sample sucked into the empty container by the sample dispensing mechanism and the sample The pretreatment liquid is discharged, the pretreatment rack is transported to the retest standby position, and after waiting for the predetermined reaction time at the retest standby position, the pretreatment rack is transported again to the automatic analyzer, and the sample dispensing mechanism An automatic analyzer that sucks a mixture of the sample and the pretreatment liquid and discharges the mixture into the reaction vessel .

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