JP6815801B2 - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples such as blood and urine.

In the past, it was necessary for the operator to open the cap of the reagent container when installing the reagent container in the automatic analyzer, but in recent years, a slight notch is made in the cap of the reagent container with a needle, and the reagent probe is inserted into the notch. The method of sucking the reagent is also used, and since the reagent can be dispensed with the reagent container closed, the contact between the reagent and the outside air can be minimized, and the stability of the reagent can be maintained for a long period of time. Can be improved over.

As a technique related to such a reagent container, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-18531) describes a reagent kit containing at least one container containing a reagent, which is detachable from the bottom and side walls. Each reagent is substantially composed of a rectangular casing with a lid and a container placed in the casing, the lid having an opening through which the contents of the reagent container can be approached for automatic pipette distribution operations. The container is closed by a closure, the closure is perforated by the needle of a pipette distributor of the analyzer, and the closure also tends to close the perforation again after removing the pipette distributor needle. Reagent kits are disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-18531

By the way, when inserting a reagent probe by making a slight cut in the cap of the reagent container with a needle, if the reagent is sucked with the reagent probe inserted through the cut in the cap, the inside of the reagent container is momentarily negative when the reagent is sucked. It becomes pressure and air flows in through the gap between the reagent probe and the cap. Since the reagent attached when the reagent probe is pulled out exists in the notch of the cap, the reagent swells due to the air sucked from the gap between the reagent probe and the notch, and bubbles of the reagent are generated in the notch of the cap. It ends up. Since the generated bubbles fall inside the reagent container and accumulate inside the waviness prevention cylinder of the reagent container, the liquid level detection function may erroneously detect the bubbles as the liquid level, making it impossible to accurately manage the reagent volume. .. In particular, when the amount of reagent filled in the reagent container is large or the rotation speed of the reagent disk is high, the reagent in the reagent container shakes greatly due to the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the reagent disk and is introduced into the cap and the cap. It is conceivable that the reagent may adhere to the cut, the inflow path of the air is blocked, the pressure in the reagent container at the time of suction of the reagent decreases, and bubbles of the reagent are generated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer capable of suppressing the generation of reagent bubbles due to a decrease in pressure in a reagent container during reagent suction.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention mixes a sample dispensed from a sample container containing a sample to be analyzed and a reagent dispensed from a reagent container containing a reagent used for analysis. A reaction disk in which a reaction container is arranged, a reagent container transport section on which the reagent container is mounted, and a reagent container transport unit that transports the reagent from the reagent container to the reaction vessel to a dispensing position where the reagent is dispensed by a reagent probe of a reagent dispensing mechanism. A reagent container arrangement section in which a reagent container before being mounted on the reagent container transfer section is arranged, a reagent container transfer mechanism for transporting the reagent container from the reagent container arrangement section to the reagent container transfer section, and the reagent container arrangement. In the section, a notch for inserting the reagent probe for inserting the reagent probe of the reagent dispensing mechanism is introduced into the cap portion that closes the opening of the reagent container, and a notch for inserting the reagent probe in the reagent container is introduced. In addition, it shall be equipped with a piercing mechanism that introduces a notch for air inflow.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the generation of reagent bubbles due to a decrease in pressure in the reagent container during reagent suction.

It is a figure which shows schematic the whole structure of the automatic analyzer which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows roughly the autoloader mechanism extracted together with the peripheral structure including a reagent disk. It is a figure which shows roughly the structure of the reagent container transport mechanism. It is a top view which shows the structure of the reagent container schematicly. It is a figure which shows the structure of the reagent container schematicly, and is the C1-C1 line vertical sectional view in FIG. It is a side view which shows an example of the structure of a piercing mechanism. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of a piercing mechanism, and is the figure which saw the needle from the tip direction. It is the top view which shows the structure of the cap part schematicly. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cap part schematicly, and is the C2-C2 line vertical sectional view in FIG. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the notch for insertion of a probe introduced into a reagent container, and the notch for air inflow. It is a vertical cross-sectional view which shows roughly the state of moving in the reagent disk of the reagent container. It is a figure which shows the state of the bubble generation in the reagent container of the prior art. It is a figure which shows the state of the bubble generation in the reagent container of the prior art. It is a top view which shows typically the structure of the reagent container which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the reagent container which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and is the C3-C3 line vertical sectional view in FIG. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the notch for probe insertion and the notch for air inflow introduced into the reagent container which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the reagent container which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the reagent container which concerns on 3rd Embodiment, and is the C4-C4 line vertical sectional view in FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the notch for air inflow and the inner diameter of the through hole for piercing access.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of an automatic analyzer. Further, FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an autoloader mechanism extracted together with a peripheral configuration including a reagent disk.

In FIG. 1, the automatic analyzer 100 includes a sample container 15 containing a biological sample (hereinafter, simply referred to as a sample) such as blood or urine to be analyzed, and a sample rack 16 on which one or more sample containers 15 are mounted. , The sample transport mechanism 17 for transporting the sample rack 16, the reagent container 10 containing the reagent used for sample analysis, and a plurality of reagent containers 10 are mounted side by side in the circumferential direction, and the reagent component is charged from the reagent container 10 to the reaction vessel 2. A reagent disk 9 as a reagent container transporting unit that transports the reagent to the dispensing position where the reagent is dispensed by the injection mechanisms 7 and 8 and a reagent disk 9 provided on the upper part of the reagent disk 9 are automatically transported to the reagent disk 9. The autoloader mechanism 200, the reaction vessel 2 for mixing and reacting the sample and the reagent, the reaction disk 1 in which a plurality of reaction vessels 2 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, and the sample transfer mechanism 17 transferred the sample to the sample dispensing position. Reactions with the sample dispensing mechanism 11 that dispenses the sample from the sample container 15 to the reaction vessel 2 and the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 that dispense the reagent from the reagent container 10 conveyed to the dispensing position to the reaction vessel 2. By measuring the transmitted light obtained through the reaction solution of the reaction container 2 from a light source (not shown) and stirring mechanisms 5 and 6 for stirring the mixed solution (reaction solution) of the sample and the reagent dispensed into the container 2. It is roughly composed of a spectrophotometer 4 for measuring the absorbance of the reaction solution, a cleaning mechanism 3 for cleaning the used reaction vessel 2, and a control unit 21 for controlling the overall operation of the automatic analyzer 100. The reagent disk 9 is installed inside a reagent cold storage (not shown), and the reagent disk 9 and an autoloader mechanism 200 installed above the reagent disk 9 in order to store the reagent in the reagent container 10 in the reagent cold storage at an appropriate temperature. A reagent cold storage cover (not shown) is provided between them. In the analysis process in the automatic analyzer 100, the spectrophotometer 4 measures the absorbance of the mixed solution (reaction solution), and the concentration of a predetermined component of the analysis item according to the reagent is calculated from this absorbance. In FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity of illustration, the connection between each mechanism constituting the automatic analyzer and the control unit 21 is partially omitted.

The sample dispensing mechanism 11 has a sample probe 11a arranged with its tip facing downward, and a sample pump 19 is connected to the sample probe 11a. The sample dispensing mechanism 11 is configured to be capable of horizontal rotation and vertical movement, and the sample probe 11a is inserted into the sample container 15 to suck the sample, and the sample probe 11a is placed in the reaction vessel 2. By inserting and discharging the sample, the sample is dispensed from the sample container 15 to the reaction container 2. A cleaning tank 13 for cleaning the sample probe 11a with a cleaning liquid is arranged in the operating range of the sample dispensing mechanism 11.

The reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 have reagent probes 7a and 8a arranged with their tips facing downward, and a reagent pump 18 is connected to the reagent probes 7a and 8a. The reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 are configured to be able to rotate and move up and down in the horizontal direction, and the reagent probes 7a and 8a are provided in the cap portion 401 of the reagent container 10 for inserting the reagent probe. The reagent is dispensed from the reagent container 10 to the reaction vessel 2 by inserting the reagent into the notch 401a (described later) and sucking the reagent, inserting the reagent probes 7a and 8a into the reaction vessel 2 and discharging the reagent. .. Cleaning tanks 32 and 33 for cleaning the reagent probes 7a and 8a with a cleaning liquid are arranged in the operating range of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8.

The stirring mechanisms 5 and 6 are configured to be capable of rotating in the horizontal direction and moving up and down, and agitate the mixed solution (reaction solution) of the sample and the reagent by inserting it into the reaction vessel 2. In the operating range of the stirring mechanisms 5 and 6, cleaning tanks 30 and 31 for cleaning the stirring mechanisms 5 and 6 with a cleaning liquid are arranged.

The cleaning mechanism 3 has a means for discharging the liquid contained in the reaction vessel 2 and a means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the reaction vessel 2, and after discharging the reaction liquid for which the measurement has been completed from the reaction vessel 2, reacts with the cleaning liquid. Wash container 2. A cleaning pump 20 is connected to the cleaning mechanism 3.

In FIG. 2, the autoloader mechanism 200 automatically carries in and out the reagent container 10 installed in the reagent container arrangement unit 201 into and out of the reagent disk 9, and is arranged on the upper part of the reagent disk 9. The reagent container arranging unit 201 in which the reagent container 10 before being mounted on the reagent container 10 is arranged, the reagent container transferring mechanism 203 for transferring the reagent container 10 from the reagent container arranging unit 201 to the reagent disk 9, and the reagent container arranging unit 201 are transferred. A needle that cleans and impresses the reagent container transport mechanism 202, the horizontal drive motor 204 for moving the reagent container transport mechanism 203 in the horizontal direction, and the piercing mechanism 301 (described later) arranged in the reagent container transport mechanism 203. A washing tank 205 and a needle drying tank 206 are provided, and each of these mechanisms is attached to a single metal plate 207 supported on the upper part of the reagent disk 9 by a support column 208.

The reagent container arranging unit 201 is for the operator to install the reagent container 10 for mounting on the reagent disk 9, and has a configuration in which a plurality of the plurality of reagent containers 10 can be linearly arranged. The reagent container arranging unit 201 operates in the horizontal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) along the reagent container arranging unit transport mechanism 202.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the reagent container transport mechanism.

In FIG. 3, the reagent container transport mechanism 203 transports the reagent container 10 arranged in the reagent container arrangement unit 201 to the reagent disk 9 via the opening / closing cover 210 attached to the reagent cold storage cover. Driving a piercing mechanism 301 that introduces a notch into the reagent container 10 arranged in the reagent container 201, a gripper mechanism 302 that grips the reagent container 10, and a belt 306 wound around the upper pulley 304 and the lower pulley 305. The piercing mechanism 301 and the gripper mechanism 302 connected to the belt 306 via the base 307 are roughly configured by the vertical drive motor 303 that drives the gripper mechanism 302 in the vertical direction via the upper pulley 304 and the belt 306. The reagent container transport mechanism 203 is moved in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2) by the horizontal drive motor 204.

6 and 7 are views showing an example of the structure of the piercing mechanism, FIG. 6 is a side view, and FIG. 7 is a view of the needle viewed from the tip direction.

The piercing mechanism 301 introduces a notch for inserting the probe and a notch for air inflow 10a (see FIG. 10 below) for inserting the reagent probes 7a and 8a into the reagent container 10 and its cap portion 401. A needle 308 is provided, which is arranged so that the sharply processed tip portion protrudes downward.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example, the needle 308 is composed of a triangular prism-shaped trunk portion 308a and a triangular pyramid-shaped tip portion 308b at the tip thereof. The needle 308 may have a shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as it approaches the tip, and is not limited to the shapes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That is, when introducing a notch for inserting a probe, the needle 308 pierces the needle 308 from the tip portion 308b to the trunk portion 308a (to the position of H1 in FIG. 6) to make a cut corresponding to the cross-sectional area of the trunk portion 308a. It can be introduced, and when introducing the notch 10a for air inflow, by piercing only the tip 308b (up to the position of H2 in FIG. 6) and introducing the notch, the notch for probe insertion is more than A small notch 10a for air inflow can be introduced in a short time.

Here, the size of the notch 10a for air inflow introduced into the reagent container 10 is smaller than the notch for inserting the probe. This is because the notch for inserting the probe needs to be large enough to allow the reagent probes 7a and 8a to be inserted, but the notch 10a for air inflow may serve as an inflow path for air when the reagent is sucked. By reducing the notch 10a for air inflow, the time required for introducing the notch can be shortened.

4 and 5 are views schematically showing the structure of the reagent container, FIG. 4 is a top view, and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line C1-C1 in FIG. 8 and 9 are views schematically showing the structure of the cap portion, FIG. 8 is a top view, and FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along line C2-C2 in FIG.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the reagent container 10 extends continuously from the opening to the vicinity of the bottom of the reagent container 10 and the cap portion 401 that closes the opening provided at the top. It has an arranged wavy prevention cylinder 402, and the reagent Ra is stored in the cylinder. The rippling prevention cylinder 402 extends from the opening of the reagent container 10 to the inside of the reagent Ra, so that the liquid level of the reagent Ra is separated inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402, and is generated outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It is configured so that bubbles and the like floating on the liquid surface of the reagent Ra do not enter the liquid surface inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402. An air connection port 402a for connecting the outside of the bubbling prevention cylinder 402 and the opening of the reagent container 10 is arranged near the opening of the rippling prevention cylinder 402 so that air is not blocked inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It has become. A concave probe insertion portion 401a is arranged above the cap portion 401, and the reagent probes 7a of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 are arranged in the probe insertion portion 401a of the cap portion 401 in which the notch is introduced by the piercing mechanism 301. , 8a is inserted to suck the reagent at the position inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cap portion 401 introduces a notch 10a for air inflow into the outer peripheral portion of the probe insertion portion 401a into which a notch is introduced to insert the reagent probes 7a and 8a. have. The upper surface portion 401b is configured to be thinner than the other portions (thinning treatment), and the cutting can be easily introduced by the piercing mechanism 301. The upper surface portion 401b of the cap portion 401 can be cut more easily by using a rubber material or a soft resin having chemical resistance (for example, Teflon (registered trademark)) (material change processing). Further, when the thinning treatment or the material changing treatment is applied to the upper surface portion 401b of the cap portion 401, it is desirable to perform the same treatment over the outer circumference 360 degrees of the probe insertion portion 401a on the upper surface portion 401b. That is, since the caps are aligned in the circumferential direction by the thread cutting portion 401c and attached to the opening of the reagent container 10, the direction of the cap portion 401 when the attachment of the cap portion 401 is completed cannot always be constant. By performing the same treatment over 360 degrees in the circumferential direction, when introducing the cut 10a for air inflow, it is possible to always introduce the cut in the portion where the thinning treatment and the material change treatment have been performed.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the notch for inserting the probe and the notch for air inflow introduced into the reagent container.

As shown in FIG. 10, the distance from the rotation center of the reagent disc 9 to the position of the notch for probe insertion introduced into the probe insertion part 401a of the cap part 401 is L1, and the distance to the position of the notch 10a for air inflow. When is L2, the notch 10a for air inflow is introduced at a position where the relationship of L2 ≦ L1 is established. The position of the notch 10a for air inflow in the reagent container 10 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 10, and if the relationship of L2 ≦ L1 is established, the position for air inflow to the upper surface portion 401b of the cap portion 401. A notch can be introduced.

The operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

In the autoloader mechanism 200 of the present embodiment, the reagent container 10 to be mounted on the reagent disk 9 is installed in the reagent container arrangement unit 201 which is moved to the lower side (front side) in FIG. 2 by the operator pressing a button (not shown). To do. Then, by pressing the button again, the reagent container arranging unit 201 moves upward (back side) in FIG. 2 and moves to a position below the piercing mechanism 301 of the reagent container transport mechanism 203.

After that, the position of the reagent container 10 is adjusted by the reagent container arranging portion 201 so that the piercing mechanism 301 is located above the probe insertion portion 401a of the cap portion 401 of the reagent container 10, and the piercing is performed by lowering the reagent container transport mechanism 203. The needle 308 of the mechanism 301 is lowered to introduce a notch for inserting a probe into the cap portion 401. Subsequently, the position of the reagent container 10 is adjusted by the reagent container arranging unit 201 so that the piercing mechanism 301 is located above the position where the notch 10a for air inflow of the reagent container 10 is introduced, and the reagent container transport mechanism 203 By lowering, the needle 308 of the piercing mechanism 301 is lowered, and a notch 10a for air inflow is introduced into the reagent container. After that, the needle 308 is washed in the needle washing tank 205 and dried in the needle drying tank 206.

The reagent container 10 for which the notch for inserting the probe and the notch 10a for air inflow have been introduced is moved to the gripping position by the gripper mechanism 302 of the reagent container transport mechanism 203 by the reagent container arranging unit 201, and is gripped by the gripper mechanism 302. In this state, it is conveyed to and mounted on the reagent disk 9 via the opening / closing cover 210.

The effects of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13.

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the reagent container according to the present embodiment is moving in the reagent disk. Further, FIGS. 12 and 13 are views showing the state of foam generation in the reagent container of the prior art.

In the past, it was necessary for the operator to open the cap of the reagent container when installing the reagent container in the automatic analyzer, but in recent years, a slight notch is made in the cap of the reagent container with a needle, and the reagent probe is inserted into the notch. The method of sucking the reagent is also used, and since the reagent can be dispensed with the reagent container closed, the contact between the reagent and the outside air can be minimized, and the stability of the reagent can be maintained for a long period of time. Can be improved over.

However, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the reagent probes 7a and 8a are inserted by making a slight notch in the cap portion 401 of the reagent container 10A with a needle, the reagent probes 7a and 8a are inserted from the notch in the cap portion 401. When the reagent is sucked in the inserted state, the pressure inside the reagent container 10A momentarily becomes negative when the reagent is sucked, and air flows in from the gap between the reagent probes 7a and 8a and the cap portion 401. Since the reagent attached when the reagent probes 7a and 8a are pulled out is present in the notch portion of the cap portion 401, the reagent swells due to the air sucked from the gap between the reagent probes 7a and 8a and the notch portion, so that the cap portion 401 Reagent bubbles Ba are generated in the cut portion. The generated foam Ba falls inside the reagent container 10A and accumulates inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402 of the reagent container 10A, so that the liquid level detection function erroneously detects the foam as the liquid level, and the reagent volume can be managed accurately. There is a risk of disappearing. In particular, when the amount of the reagent filled in the reagent container 10A is large or the rotation speed of the reagent disk 9 is high, the reagent in the reagent container 10A shakes greatly due to the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the reagent disk 9, and the cap The reagent may adhere to the notch introduced in the part 401 and the cap, the inflow path of the air is blocked, the pressure in the reagent container 10A at the time of suctioning the reagent decreases, and foam Ba of the reagent is generated. Can be considered.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the sample dispensed from the sample container 15 containing the sample to be analyzed and the reagent dispensed from the reagent container 10 containing the reagent used for analysis are mixed. The reaction disk 1 in which the reaction vessel 2 is arranged and the reagent vessel 10 are mounted, and the reagent is dispensed from the reagent vessel 10 to the reaction vessel 2 by the reagent probes 7a and 8a of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8. Reagent disk 9 as a reagent container transfer unit to be transported, reagent container arrangement unit 201 in which the reagent container 10 before mounting on the reagent disk 9 is arranged, and reagent container 10 is transferred from the reagent container arrangement unit 201 to the reagent disk 9. In the reagent container transport mechanism 203 and the reagent container arranging unit 201, for inserting the reagent probes 7a and 8a of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 into the cap portion 401 that closes the opening of the reagent container 10. In addition to introducing the notch, the reagent container 10 is provided with a piercing mechanism for introducing the notch 10a for air inflow in addition to the notch for inserting the reagent probe. Therefore, the reagent is provided through the notch for air inflow at the time of reagent suction. Air flows into the inside of the container 10, and it is possible to suppress the generation of reagent bubbles due to a decrease in pressure inside the reagent container when the reagent is sucked.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, when the filling amount of the reagent contained in the reagent container 10 is increased, the liquid level in the reagent container 10 becomes high and the distance between the cap portion 401 and the liquid level becomes short, so that the reagent Due to the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the disk 9, the reagent in the reagent container 10 may reach the upper surface of the reagent container 10 and the cap portion 401. After the reagent container 10 is installed on the reagent disc 9, the reagent container 10 is moved by the rotational operation of the reagent disc 9. At this time, due to the rotation of the reagent disc 9, the reagent Ra in the reagent container 10 is biased outward from the center of rotation due to centrifugal force. As a result, there is a high risk of reagent adhering to the upper surface of the reagent container 10 located farther from the center of rotation than the cap portion 401 and the cap position.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a notch for air inflow is provided at a position where the reagent does not adhere even when the reagent disc 9 is rotated. That is, when the distance from the rotation center of the reagent disk 9 to the position of the notch for probe insertion introduced into the probe insertion part 401a of the cap portion 401 is L1 and the distance to the position of the notch 10a for air inflow is L2. Since the notch 10a for air inflow is introduced at the position where the relationship of L2 ≦ L1 is established, even when the filling amount of the reagent is large, the foam of the reagent due to the pressure drop in the reagent container at the time of suction of the reagent Can be suppressed.

<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.

This embodiment shows a case where a reagent container containing a plurality of types of reagents is used.

14 and 15 are views schematically showing the structure of the reagent container according to the present embodiment, FIG. 14 is a top view, and FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view taken along line C3-C3 in FIG. In the figure, the same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIGS. 14 and 15, the reagent container 10B has a structure in which two reagent containers having the same shape are connected to each other, and a cap portion 401 for closing the opening provided at the upper portion and the reagent container 10B, respectively. It has a waviness prevention cylinder 402 arranged so as to extend continuously from the opening to the vicinity of the bottom inside the opening, and reagents Rb and Rc are stored in the waviness prevention cylinder 402. The rippling prevention cylinder 402 extends from the opening of the reagent container 10B to the inside of the reagents Rb and Rc, thereby separating the liquid levels of the reagents Rb and Rc inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402, and is outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It is configured so that bubbles and the like generated in the above and floating on the liquid surface of the reagents Rb and Rc do not enter the liquid surface inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402. An air connection port 402a for connecting the outside of the bubbling prevention cylinder 402 and the opening of the reagent container 10B is arranged near the opening of the rippling prevention cylinder 402, so that air is not blocked inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It has become. A concave probe insertion portion 401a is arranged above the cap portion 401, and the reagent probes 7a of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 are arranged in the probe insertion portion 401a of the cap portion 401 in which the notch is introduced by the piercing mechanism 301. , 8a is inserted to suck the reagent at the position inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the notch for inserting the probe and the notch for air inflow introduced into the reagent container according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 16, the distance from the rotation center of the reagent disk 9 to the position of the notch for probe insertion introduced into the probe insertion part 401a of the cap part 401 is L3, L5, to the position of the notch 10a for air inflow. When the distances are L4 and L6, the notch 10a for air inflow is introduced at a position where the relationship of L3 ≦ L4 and L5 ≦ L6 is established in each of the plurality of reagent containers constituting the reagent container 10B. The position of the notch 10a for air inflow in the reagent container 10B is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 16, and if the relationship of L3 ≦ L4 and L5 ≦ L6 is established, the position of the notch 10a for air inflow is not limited to the position shown in FIG. A notch for air inflow can be introduced.

Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

Also in the present embodiment configured as described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Third embodiment>
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18.

The present embodiment shows a case where the reagent container lid is attached to the reagent container.

17 and 18 are views schematically showing the structure of the reagent container according to the present embodiment, FIG. 17 is a top view, and FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view taken along line C4-C4 in FIG. Further, FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the relationship between the notch for air inflow and the inner diameter of the through hole for piercing access. In the figure, the same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIGS. 17 and 18, the reagent container 10C extends continuously from the opening to the vicinity of the bottom of the reagent container 10C and the cap portion 401 that closes the opening provided at the top. It has an arranged wavy prevention cylinder 402, and reagents Rb and Rc are stored in the cylinder. The rippling prevention cylinder 402 extends from the opening of the reagent container 10C to the inside of the reagent Ra, so that the liquid level of the reagent Ra is separated inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402, and is generated outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It is configured so that bubbles and the like floating on the liquid surface of the reagent Ra do not enter the liquid surface inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402. An air connection port 402a for connecting the outside of the bubbling prevention cylinder 402 and the opening of the reagent container 10C is arranged near the opening of the rippling prevention cylinder 402 so that air is not blocked inside and outside the rippling prevention cylinder 402. It has become. A concave probe insertion portion 401a is arranged above the cap portion 401, and the reagent probes 7a of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 are arranged in the probe insertion portion 401a of the cap portion 401 in which the notch is introduced by the piercing mechanism 301. , 8a is inserted to suck the reagent at the position inside the waviness prevention cylinder 402.

The reagent container lid 403 is arranged on the upper portion of the reagent container 10C so as to have an upper surface shape along the height of the upper surface of the cap portion 401 and to cover the entire upper surface of the reagent container 10C. The 403 eliminates the upward convex shape of the opening of the reagent container 10C and the cap portion 401, so that the upper portion of the reagent container 10C is formed flat.

The reagent container lid 403 is provided with a piercing access through hole 403a for the piercing mechanism 301 to access the storage space of the reagent container of the reagent container 10C and introduce a notch for air inflow. The piercing access through hole 403a is arranged directly above the introduction portion of the air inflow notch 10a of the reagent container 10C, the outer diameter of the piercing mechanism 301 is Φ1, and the diameter of the piercing access through hole 403a is Φ2. In the case of, it is formed so that the relationship of Φ1 <Φ2 is established (see FIG. 19).

Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

Also in the present embodiment configured as described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations.

For example, in the above embodiment, a reagent disk 9 of a type in which a plurality of reagent containers 10 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the reagent container 10 is arranged in the XY direction (horizontal direction). You may use the type which arranges in the direction).

Further, a needle for introducing a notch for inserting a probe into the cap portion 401 and a needle for introducing a notch for introducing air into the reagent container 10 are used at fixed relative positions, and a notch for inserting a probe and air are used. It may be configured to introduce the notch for inflow at the same time. In this case, it is not necessary to carry out the cut introduction operation in a plurality of times, and the cut introduction operation can be completed in a short time.

1 Reaction disk 2 Reaction vessel 3 Cleaning mechanism 4 Spectrophotometer 5 Stirring mechanism 6 Stirring mechanism 7, 8 Reagent dispensing mechanism 7a, 8a Reagent probe 9 Reagent disc 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Reagent container 11 Sample dispensing mechanism 11a Sample Probe 13 Cleaning tank 15 Sample container 16 Sample rack 17 Sample transfer mechanism 18 Reagent pump 19 Sample pump 20 Cleaning pump 21 Control unit 30, 31, 32, 33 Cleaning tank 100 Automatic analyzer 200 Autoloader mechanism 201 Reagent container arrangement unit 202 Reagent container placement transfer mechanism 203 Reagent container transfer mechanism 204 Horizontal drive motor 205 Needle cleaning tank 206 Needle drying tank 207 Metal plate 208 Strut 210 Open / close cover 301 Pierce mechanism 302 Gripper mechanism 303 Vertical drive motor 304 Upper pulley 305 Lower pulley 306 Belt 307 Base 308 Needle 308a Trunk 308b Tip 401 Cap 401a Probe insertion 401b Top surface 401c Cap is threaded 402 Rippling prevention cylinder 402a Air connection port 403 Reagent container lid 403a Through hole for piercing access

Claims (3)

A reaction disk in which a reaction vessel for mixing a sample dispensed from a sample container containing a sample to be analyzed and a reagent dispensed from a reagent container containing a reagent used for analysis are arranged.
A reagent container transport unit that mounts the reagent container and transports the reagent from the reagent container to the reaction vessel to a dispensing position where the reagent is dispensed by a reagent probe of a reagent dispensing mechanism.
A reagent container arranging unit in which the reagent container before mounting on the reagent container transporting unit is arranged,
A reagent container transport mechanism for transporting the reagent container from the reagent container arrangement section to the reagent container transport section,
In the reagent container arrangement portion, a notch for inserting the reagent probe for inserting the reagent probe of the reagent dispensing mechanism is introduced into the cap portion that closes the opening of the reagent container, and the reagent inside the reagent container is inserted. A piercing mechanism that introduces a notch for air inflow in addition to the notch for inserting the reagent probe is provided at a position on the outside of the waviness prevention cylinder that separates the liquid level of An automatic analyzer characterized by the fact that. In the automatic analyzer according to claim 1,
The reagent container transport unit is a reagent disk in which a plurality of the reagent containers are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction and the reagents are transported by rotating in the circumferential direction.
The piercing mechanism is characterized in that the notch for air inflow is introduced at a position closer to the center of the rotation axis of the reagent disk than the notch for inserting the reagent probe introduced into the cap portion of the reagent container. Automatic analyzer. In the automatic analyzer according to claim 2,
The piercing mechanism is an automatic analyzer characterized by introducing a notch for air inflow having a diameter smaller than that for inserting the reagent probe.

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