JP5198380B2 - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer for automatically analyzing components such as blood, and more particularly to an automatic analyzer equipped with a system for improving the storage state of a reagent with low light resistance.

  The automatic analyzer has a configuration as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-157970 (Patent Document 1).

  The automatic analyzer shown in Patent Document 1 includes a dispensing window part in a reagent storage cover of a reagent cold storage in which a reagent disk on which a reagent container is placed is installed, and a dispensing mechanism is used from the dispensing window part. The reagent is dispensed.

JP 2008-157970 A

  Various reagents including weak light-resistant reagents and light-resistant reagents are used in automatic analyzers. The weak light resistance reagent is usually stored in a dark place at a constant temperature. However, after being mounted on the automatic analyzer, for example, when it stops at the dispensing position (position), incident of disturbance light from the dispensing window is inevitable.

  In the current system for dispensing automatic analyzers, the dispensing operation is performed after the reagent container is set at the dispensing position when the reagent is dispensed, and the system stops at the dispensing position until the next reagent dispensing. Therefore, there is a possibility that time for disturbance light to enter the reagent container becomes longer. In a reagent with low light resistance, exposure to ambient light in this way is an undesirable condition that leads to quality degradation.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that can suppress deterioration in quality due to light of a weak light-resistant reagent.

  The present invention provides an automatic analyzer having a dispensing window provided in a reagent storage where a reagent dispensing probe of a dispensing mechanism enters and exits, and dispenses a reagent dispensing probe entering from a dispensing window to a reagent container. After the reagent has been sucked by insertion into the spout, the movement of the reagent container or the dispensing window is closed so that light does not strike the reagent container.

  According to the present invention, since the light is not applied to the reagent except when it is dispensed by a dispensing mechanism, there is an advantage that a good storage state can be maintained for a reagent with low light resistance.

It concerns on the Example of this invention, and is an external view of a reagent storage. It is an external view of the reagent storage which concerns on the Example of this invention and fractured | ruptured partially and showed the inside. It is a top view of the reagent storage which concerns on the Example of this invention and shows the state at the time of reagent dispensing. It is a top view of the reagent storage which concerns on the Example of this invention and shows the state which moved the reagent disk after reagent dispensing. It is a control block diagram related to the reagent dispensing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the present invention and based on the control block shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is a control block diagram relating to a reagent dispensing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart according to another embodiment of the present invention, based on the control block shown in FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of the examples.

  First, a description will be given with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the automatic analyzer has a reagent storage / storage part reagent storage 1 and a reagent storage cover 2 included in the reagent storage / storage part. A reagent disk 6 is placed in the reagent storage 1. In the reagent disk 6, the reagent container 4 is circularly arranged around the rotation center.

  The dispensing window 3 is provided on the reagent storage cover 2. A plurality of dispensing windows 3 can be provided. The reagent container 4 has a dispensing port 7. The rotation path of the dispensing port 7 of the reagent container 4 that rotates on the reagent disk 6 is arranged so that the position of the dispensing window 3 coincides. By rotating the reagent disk 6, the dispensing port 7 of any reagent container 4 can be aligned with the dispensing window 3.

  When placing the reagent container 4 on the reagent disk 6, the lid of the dispensing port 7 is removed and set. Even if the reagent container or the lid is made of a material that blocks light, the light enters the reagent from the dispensing port 7 when placed on the reagent disk 6.

  A dispensing mechanism (not shown) has a reagent dispensing probe. The reagent dispensing probe is lowered through the dispensing window 3, inserted into the dispensing port 7 of the reagent container 4, and the reagent is sucked, and the reagent is placed in the reaction container or reaction disk placed in the reaction container arrangement portion. It is exhaled to the reaction container put. A reaction solution is generated by reacting with the sample in the reaction vessel. The reaction solution is analyzed by an analysis mechanism.

  Usually, the reagent containers 4 placed on the reagent disk 6 have the same size. For this reason, the reagent containers 4 arranged in a circle on the reagent disk 6 are placed at equal intervals. In addition, the dispensing port 7 of the reagent container 4 arranged in a circle is provided in the middle of the width in the arrangement direction in a circle.

  The above dispensing is performed at a dispensing position 5 (dispensing position) shown in FIG. As described above, a reagent with low light resistance is usually stored in a dark place at a constant temperature, but after loading in an automatic analyzer, the reagent container that has reached the dispensing position is the dispensing window 3. Inevitable light rays entering through.

  Therefore, the quality of the reagent can be prevented from deteriorating by minimizing the time during which the reagent container stops at the dispensing position 5 (dispensing position) and minimizing the time during which the light beam strikes the light-resistant reagent. .

  In the case of a reagent with low light resistance, the corresponding reagent container is placed in the system relating to the dispensing of the automatic analyzer. Then, after dispensing, the reagent container is moved by half, thereby eliminating the stop at the dispensing position (dispensing position) after dispensing, so that the reagent storage state can be kept good.

  This dispensing system will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the reagent disk 50 in which the reagent container is installed is provided with a motor 51 for driving rotation and a driver 52 for driving control. The dispensing probe 53 of the dispensing mechanism that dispenses the reagent from the reagent container of the reagent disk 50 is provided with a motor 54 for driving the dispensing mechanism and a driver 55 for driving control.

  The dispensing probe 53 is installed at a position accessible for dispensing from the reagent container of the reagent disk 50. A driver 52 that drives the reagent disk 50 and a driver 55 that drives the dispensing mechanism are connected to the mechanism control unit 56. The mechanism control unit 56 is provided with a mechanism control algorithm 57, a dispensing control algorithm 58, and a stop position control algorithm 59 that moves and stops a reagent container by half after dispensing.

  The control algorithm will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  After completion of sucking of the reagent by the dispensing mechanism (step 100), the information of the reagent container stopped at the dispensing position is confirmed in step 101, and the reagent container information and the reagent container information database are collated (step 102).

If it is determined in step 103 that the light-resistant reagent is not registered, the reagent disk does not move until an instruction to set the next reagent container is issued (step 104). That is, since it is a reagent container that is not a weak light-resistant reagent, it is stopped at the dispensing position (dispensing position). On the other hand, if the reagent container has a weak light-resistant reagent registered, the reagent disk moves to an intermediate position between the Nth reagent container and the (N + 1) th reagent container (step 105).
In step 106, the operation returns to the normal operation.

  By such a flow, it is possible to avoid the incidence of light on the reagent in the reagent container in which the weak light-resistant reagent is registered. That is, the reagent disk is moved from the dispensing position (dispensing position) and stopped so as to be at an intermediate position between the two reagent containers adjacent to the dispensing window. This intermediate position is a position where the dispensing port cannot be seen from the dispensing window, so that the light beam does not strike the reagent in the reagent container.

  The reason why the light beam does not strike at the intermediate position where the dispensing port cannot be seen from the dispensing window is that the reagent container 4 placed on the reagent disk 6 is normally the same size as described above. 6 is arranged in a circle, the reagent containers 4 are arranged at equal intervals, and the dispensing port 7 of the reagent container 4 arranged in a circle is provided in the middle of the width in the arrangement direction in a circle. , Etc. are useful.

  The position at which the dispensing port cannot be seen from the dispensing window, which is the intermediate position, is also a dispensing standby position for waiting for the next dispensing instruction. When a dispensing instruction comes, the reagent disk rotates and the designated reagent container is set at the dispensing position (dispensing position).

  In addition, when dispensing twice or 3 times from within the reagent container in which the weak light-resistant reagent is registered, it waits at the invisible position (dispensing standby position) for each dispensing, and the next dispensing Wait for order instructions. The movement from the dispensing window, which is an intermediate position, to a position where the dispensing opening cannot be seen can be moved in a short time with a small angle for turning the reagent disk.

  Further, the position where the dispensing port cannot be seen from the dispensing window can be provided between the reagent containers where a plurality of reagent containers are skipped from the reagent container in which the reagent is dispensed.

  Further, the position where the dispensing port cannot be seen from the dispensing window is not limited to the intermediate position. It is possible to make an arbitrary position between two adjacent reagent containers viewed from the dispensing window part into a position where the dispensing opening cannot be seen. However, both ends between the two reagent containers are excluded.

  Another embodiment relating to the dispensing system will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In this embodiment, a reagent container containing a reagent with low light resistance is treated with a special label attached. The label dedicated to the reagent container is detected by the reading sensor 70 shown in FIG. The reading sensor 70 is provided near the reagent disk 50, reads a dedicated label on a reagent container that rotates around the reagent disk 50, and provides the read signal information to the mechanism control unit 56 to determine whether the reagent is weak in light resistance. This determination confirmation is performed as shown in FIG. 8 (step 200 / step 300).

  Except for using this sensor 70, the embodiment is the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. Description of common parts is omitted.

  Still another embodiment will be described.

  Instead of the above-described embodiment, a light-shielding lid that opens and closes in the dispensing window is provided, and the light-shielding lid is closed and shielded from light except during dispensing. By combining the raising / lowering operation of the reagent dispensing probe of the dispensing mechanism with the opening / closing timing of the light-shielding lid, it is possible to shorten the time during which light is incident during dispensing.

  Further, instead of turning the reagent disk, the reagent storage cover can be turned to keep the dispensing port invisible from the dispensing window.

  In addition, the reagent storage / storage section may be arranged in a reagent container in a matrix instead of the reagent disk, and a dispensing window section that moves vertically and horizontally may be provided on the upper cover.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reagent storage 2 ... Reagent storage cover 3 ... Dispensing window part 4 ... Reagent container 5 ... Dispensing position (dispensing position)
6 ... Reagent disc 7 ... Dispensing mouth

Claims (7)

A reagent disk in which a plurality of reagent containers are arranged in a circle around the center of rotation, a reagent storage in which the reagent disk is placed, a reaction disk in which a plurality of reaction containers are placed, and a reagent disk aspirated from the reagent container A dispensing mechanism for discharging the reagent into the reaction container of the reaction disk, an analysis mechanism for analyzing the reaction solution reacted in the reaction container, and a reagent dispensing probe for the dispensing mechanism inserted into the dispensing port of the reagent container. In an automatic analyzer comprising a dispensing window provided in the reagent storage to enter and exit,
Rotate the reagent disk to align the dispensing port with the dispensing window, insert the reagent dispensing probe into the dispensing port of the reagent container from the dispensing window, finish the sucking of the reagent after dispensing probe moves the reagent container to the position where the dispensing mouth is not visible from turning the reagent disk Once withdrawn from the dispensing mouth the dispensing window, in a position invisible the is stopped Wait,
In handling the light-resistant reagent in the reagent container and the light-resistant reagent in the reagent container, after moving the reagent container of the weak light-resistant reagent to a position where the dispensing port cannot be seen, stop and wait at the position where the light-resistant reagent is not visible. An automatic analyzer characterized in that the reagent container of the light-resistant reagent is deferred from moving to a position where the dispensing port cannot be seen. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the position where the dispensing port cannot be seen is an intermediate position between two reagent containers adjacent to each other when viewed from the dispensing window. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the position where the dispensing port cannot be seen exists between two reagent containers adjacent to each other when viewed from the dispensing window. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
An automatic analyzer characterized in that a position where the dispensing port cannot be seen is set as a dispensing standby position, and a dispensing instruction is waited for next at the dispensing standby position. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
When continuing to dispense weak light-resistant reagents from reagent containers, move the reagent container to a position where the dispensing port is not visible, wait for the next dispensing instruction, and move back to the position where dispensing is performed. Automatic analyzer characterized by The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
An automatic analyzer that determines whether the reagent container is a weak light-resistant reagent or the reagent container of a light-resistant reagent based on reagent information obtained from the reagent container. The automatic analyzer according to claim 6,
An automatic analyzer comprising a reading sensor for obtaining the reagent information.

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