JP7206054B2 - Stirrer and automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a stirring device and an automatic analyzer.

In an automatic analyzer for clinical examination, a certain amount of a biological sample (hereinafter referred to as a sample) such as blood or urine and a predetermined reagent are mixed and reacted to prepare a mixed solution. Then, by applying transmitted light or scattered light to this mixed solution, the amount of light is measured, and the concentration and activity value of the substance to be measured and the time required for change are obtained.

A typical automatic analyzer has a reagent storage with a refrigeration function. In this reagent storage, liquid containers containing reagents, ie, reagent containers, are kept at a temperature of about 2 to 10° C., for example. In addition, this reagent storage has a closed structure because it is necessary to store and store reagents in a constant temperature state.

At this time, some reagents require stirring for reasons such as keeping the concentration constant. In order to stir such a reagent, a stirrer inserted into the reagent container and a driving device for rotating the stirrer are used to periodically stir the reagent.

JP-A-03-000122

However, since the reagent storage has a closed structure, the state of the reagent in the reagent storage cannot be easily observed from the outside. Therefore, if the stirrer is not put in the reagent that needs to be stirred, or if the driver continues to operate with the stirrer out of sync for some reason, the inside of the reagent storage cannot be easily seen from the outside. Abnormally difficult to notice.

As a result, the reagent may not be properly stirred. In addition, it is conceivable that when such a reagent that has not been properly stirred is mixed with a sample or the like and allowed to react, and the mixed solution is tested, the test result will be an abnormal value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically detect if a stirrer has been forgotten to be put into a liquid container or if the stirrer is out of step. This prevents the liquid from being properly agitated and results in abnormal test results, ensuring measurement accuracy.

A stirrer according to an embodiment includes a moving table, an exterior body, a drive device, a detection circuit, and a stirrer control circuit. The moving table movably mounts a liquid container holding therein a liquid to be stirred and a stirrer. The exterior body covers the moving table and the liquid container. The driving device rotationally drives the stirrer in the liquid container on the moving table from the outside of the exterior body using magnetic force without contact. A detection circuit detects the operating state of the drive device. The stirrer control circuit determines the operating state of the stirrer based on the detection result detected by the detection circuit.

1 is a functional block diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the details of the configuration of the analyzer of the automatic analyzer according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a top view showing the stirring device according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a side view of a stirring device according to an embodiment and showing its functions in a block diagram. 4 is a flow chart roughly explaining the flow of operation of the stirring device in the embodiment. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of pre-checking of the stirring device in the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of stirring processing of the stirring device according to the embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration of automatic analyzer]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer 1 according to an embodiment. This automatic analyzer 1 includes an analyzer 2 that measures the absorbance of a mixed liquid and generates standard data and test data, and an analysis control mechanism that drives and controls each analysis unit related to the measurement of this analyzer 2. 3. Details of the analyzer 2 will be described later.

The analysis control mechanism 3 has a driving mechanism 4 and a mechanism control device 5 . The driving mechanism 4 is composed of a known driving device for driving each device group of the analysis device 2 or a combination thereof. The mechanism control device 5 also controls the drive mechanism 4 . The analysis control mechanism 3 (mechanism control device 5) is finally controlled by the system control device 13, which will be described later.

Here, the mixed solution is, for example, a mixture of a sample such as a standard sample for each test item or a test sample collected from a subject and a reagent used for analysis of each test item.

The automatic analyzer 1 also includes a data processor 6 that processes standard data and test data generated by the analyzer 2 to generate calibration data and analysis data. The data processing device 6 comprises an arithmetic device 7 and a data storage device 8 .

The arithmetic device 7 performs arithmetic processing on the standard data and test data output from the analyzer 2 to generate calibration data and analysis data for each test item. Known devices and circuits can be used for the engine that performs arithmetic processing.

The data storage device 8 stores standard data and analysis data generated by the arithmetic device 7 . The data storage device 8 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor or a magnetic disk.

Further, the automatic analyzer 1 is provided with an external output device 9 for printing, displaying, and outputting the calibration data, analysis data, etc. generated by the data processing device 6 to the outside. This external output device 9 includes a printer 10 and a display device 11 .

The printing device 10 is, for example, a device such as a laser printer. Here, the explanation is given on the premise that the automatic analyzer 1 is provided with the printer 10, but for example, a printer provided outside the automatic analyzer 1 via a communication control circuit (not shown). may be used to output calibration data and the like to the outside.

The display device 11 displays various images such as a display of calibration data and an operation screen (for example, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving various instructions from a user) under the control of the system control device 13, which will be described later. As the display device 11, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display can be used.

As with the printing device 10, the explanation here is based on the premise that the automatic analyzer 1 is equipped with the display device 11. For example, the The calibration data and the like may be output to the outside using the provided display device.

Further, the automatic analyzer 1 includes an operation device 12 for inputting various command signals by medical personnel such as laboratory technicians. As the operation device 12, for example, a GUI or an input device such as a button, a keyboard, a trackball, or a touch panel displayed on the display device 11 can be used.

The system control device 13 controls the entire automatic analysis device 1, including the analysis control mechanism 3, the data processing device 6, and the external output device 9.

[Configuration of analyzer]
Next, the analyzer 2 will be explained. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the analysis device 2 in detail.

As shown in FIG. 2, the analysis apparatus 2 includes a sample container 21 that stores a sample such as a standard sample or test sample, and a sample disk 22 that holds the sample container 21 .

The analyzer 2 also includes a plurality of reaction vessels 23 arranged on a circumference and a reaction disk 24 holding the reaction vessels 23 . The reaction disk 24 has at least a circular outer peripheral portion, and a plurality of reaction vessels 23 are held on the reaction disk 24 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.

The analysis apparatus 2 includes a sample pipetting probe 25 that aspirates the sample in the sample container 21 held by the sample disk 22 and discharges it into the reaction container 23 for pipetting, and moves the sample pipetting probe 25 up and down. and a sample dispensing arm 26 that is pivotably held.

The sample pipetting arm 26 pivots the sample pipetting probe 25 to the position of the sample container 21 containing the sample to be pipetted, moves the sample pipetting probe 25 up and down at that position, and moves the sample pipetting probe 25 up and down. Aspirate the sample into 25 .

After that, it is rotated to a predetermined position of the reaction container 23, and the sample pipetting probe 25 is moved up and down at that position. This causes the sample to be discharged into the reaction vessel 23 . This sample suction/discharge is performed by a sample dispensing pump (not shown). Also, control of the sample pipetting probe 25 and the sample pipetting arm 26 is performed by the analysis control mechanism 3 .

The analyzer 2 also includes a stirring device 40 that stores reagents and performs necessary stirring processing on reagents that require stirring. Therefore, the stirring device 40 corresponds to a so-called reagent storage. However, in a narrower sense, the later-described exterior body constituting the stirring device 40 corresponds to the reagent storage.

In the following description, an example in which the stirring device 40 corresponds to the reagent storage constituting the automatic analyzer 1 will be described. However, this stirring device 40 can be used for stirring liquids other than reagents that require stirring, does not constitute the automatic analyzer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and exists as a device that can function independently. is of course possible. Details of the stirring device 40 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

The reagent pipetting arm 31 has a reagent pipetting probe 32 for sucking a reagent from a liquid container (not shown in FIG. 2) held by the stirring device 40 and discharging it into a predetermined reaction container 23 . The reagent-dispensing arm 31 causes the reagent-dispensing probe 32 to swivel and move up and down to aspirate the reagent stored in the stirring device 40 .

After that, the reagent pipetting arm 31 rotates the reagent pipetting probe 32 to a predetermined position of the reaction container 23 , and vertically moves the reagent pipetting probe 32 at that position to discharge the reagent into the reaction container 23 . The absorption and discharge of this reagent is performed by a reagent dispensing pump (not shown). Also, the control of the reagent dispensing arm 31 and the reagent dispensing probe 32 is performed by the analysis control mechanism 3 .

The analyzer 2 also has a stirring mechanism 33 that stirs the sample and reagent in the reaction container 23 to generate a mixed solution. In addition, a photometry unit 34 which is arranged at a measurement position and measures the absorbance of the mixed liquid in the reaction container 23 and sucks the measured mixed liquid in the reaction container 23, and also cleans and dries the inside of the reaction container 23. and a cleaning unit 35 .

Washing mechanisms (not shown) for washing the probes are arranged on the turning loci of the sample pipetting probe 25 and the reagent pipetting probe 32, respectively.

[Configuration of stirring device]
Next, the configuration of the stirring device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the stirring device 40 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a side view of the stirring device 40 according to the embodiment and showing its functions in a block diagram.

The stirrer 40 includes a moving table 41 , an exterior body 42 , a drive device 43 , a detection circuit 44 and a stirrer control circuit 45 . As described above, since FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the top surface of the stirring device 40, the exterior body 42 and the insertion port 421 provided in the exterior body 42 for loading and unloading the liquid container. A lid 422 covering the is shown in solid lines. In addition, in FIG. 3, the insertion port 421 is indicated by a dashed line because it cannot be seen.

Further, an information acquisition device D for acquiring information about the holding contents of the liquid container B placed and stored in the stirring device 40 is arranged at a position close to the exterior body 42 . Therefore, the information acquisition device D is also indicated by a solid line.

On the other hand, the liquid container B, which is covered with the exterior body 42 and cannot be seen normally, is indicated by a broken line. Further, an insertion port 421 for carrying in and out the liquid container, and a driving device 43 arranged at a position facing the exterior body 42 and used to stir the liquid L held in the liquid container B using the stirrer S. is also shown with a dashed line.

A liquid container B, which is a reagent container, is indicated by a double circular dashed line in FIG. Inside the liquid container B, various reagents are held. In particular, the liquid container B that holds therein the liquid L that requires periodic stirring and the stirrer S is hereinafter referred to as "liquid container B1". Liquids that require stirring include, for example, liquids whose concentration changes over time, liquids whose content separates over time, liquids that harden over time, and the like. As a reagent, for example, a dry reagent for blood clotting time measurement can be considered.

Further, in FIG. 3, eight liquid containers B and B1 are placed on the moving table 41 along the outer periphery of the moving table 41 . In other words, the liquid containers B and B1 are placed in a ring shape at regular intervals on a circular moving table 41 that is rotatable. The moving table 41 is indicated by a large circular dashed line in FIG.

Of the eight liquid containers B and B1 shown in FIG. Suppose that the liquid container is the liquid container B1 holding the stirrer S therein. On the other hand, it is assumed that the other liquid container is the liquid container B that does not hold the stirrer S inside.

Moreover, in FIG. 4, only three liquid containers B and B1 are particularly shown, and illustration of the other liquid containers B is omitted. Of the three liquid containers B and B1 shown in FIG. The one shown in the middle is the liquid container B which does not hold the stirrer S inside.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rotating shaft 411 is provided at the center of the moving table 41 . The rotating shaft 411 is led out from the center of the lower portion of the exterior body 42 while maintaining the sealed state of the exterior body 42 . This lead-out rotating shaft 411 is connected to a table rotating mechanism 412 arranged at the center of the lower outside of the exterior body 42 .

The table rotating mechanism 412 intermittently or continuously rotates the moving table 41 via a rotating shaft 411 in the direction of one of the arrows indicated by broken lines in FIG. move the position of

The exterior body 42 covers the moving table 41 and the liquid containers B, B1 and accommodates them therein. That is, the exterior body 42 stores the moving table 41 and the liquid containers B and B1 placed on the moving table 41 in order to keep the reagent (liquid L) contained in the liquid containers B and B1 in a cold state. It has a structure that Therefore, the exterior body 42 may be made of a thick and light-shielding material so that the reagent is not affected by changes in atmospheric temperature, external light, or the like. Since the outer body 42 employs such a structure, the inside of the outer body 42 cannot be viewed by medical personnel from the outside of the outer body 42 .

The reagents held in the liquid containers B and B1 are liquids that need to be stored in a cold state. is.

An insertion port 421 for loading and unloading the liquid containers B and B1 is provided at a portion of the moving locus of the liquid containers B and B1 on the moving table 41 above the exterior body 42 . A lid 422 is further provided to cover the insertion opening 421 . In the embodiment of the present invention, an insertion port 421 and a lid 422 are provided at positions as shown in FIG.

By opening the lid 422, the liquid containers B and B1 can be taken in and out of the stirring device . For example, the lid 422 may be manually opened and closed when the liquid containers B and B1 are taken in and out, or may be opened and closed automatically.

The position directly below the lid 422 where the liquid containers B and B1 are placed on the moving table 41 is hereinafter referred to as the "pickup position".

As shown in FIG. 4, a driving device 43 is located at a position opposite to the exterior below the exterior body 42 and farthest from the dispensing position on the rotational trajectory of the liquid containers B and B1. are placed. This driving device 43 is used to rotate the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 by magnetic force.

The driving device 43 rotates the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 on the moving table 41 from the outside of the exterior body 42 . The drive device 43 is controlled by a stirrer control circuit 45 via a drive control circuit 46 shown in FIG. The drive control circuit 46 may be finally controlled by the system control device 13 of the automatic analyzer 1 via the stirrer control circuit 45 .

The drive device 43 includes a magnetic force generator 431 , a drive motor 432 and a power source 433 . The magnetic force generator 431 rotationally drives the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 in a non-contact state. That is, the magnetic force generator 431 applies rotational force to the stirrer S by magnetic force from the lower portion of the exterior body 42 through the moving table 41 by the rotation of the drive motor 432 . The rotation of the stirrer S stirs the liquid L in the liquid container B1, that is, the reagent.

The position at which the drive device 43 rotates the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 to stir the liquid L in the liquid container B1 is hereinafter referred to as the "stirring position". For example, the liquid container B1 on the right side in FIG. 4 is arranged at the stirring position. This stirring position is provided at a position farthest from the dispensing position where the reagent in the liquid containers B and B1 is sucked by the reagent dispensing probe 32 shown in FIG. That is, the dispensing position is a position facing the stirring position. In FIG. 3, the liquid container B arranged at the dispensing position is indicated by hatching. On the other hand, in FIG. 4, the position where the liquid container B is arranged on the left side is the dispensing position.

The reason why the dispensing position is arranged at the farthest position from the stirring position is as follows. That is, when dispensing, it is necessary to detect the liquid surface with a sensor provided at the tip of the reagent dispensing probe. If dispensing is performed at the stirring position, the liquid level must be detected at the stirring position, and the liquid level in the liquid container B1 shakes due to stirring, making it impossible to detect the liquid level. Therefore, considering that the dispensing is performed after the fluctuation of the liquid surface stops, the dispensing position is provided at the farthest position (opposite side) from the stirring position.

The drive motor 432 causes the magnetic force generator 431 to generate magnetic force. A DC motor, for example, is used as the drive motor 432 . Also, the power supply 433 drives the drive motor 432 .

Between the drive motor 432 and the power supply 433 is mounted a current detector 441 for detecting the current value of the current (driving current) flowing from the power supply 433 to the drive motor 432 and connected to the detection circuit 44 . there is

A detection circuit 44 detects the operating state of the driving device 43 . That is, the detection circuit 44 detects a state in which the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 arranged at the stirring position facing the magnetic force generator 431 is rotating, a state in which the stirrer S is not in the liquid container B1, and a state in which the stirrer S is not in the liquid container B1. The current value in each state of the stirrer S being out of step is detected via the current detector 441 .

Therefore, in the detection circuit 44, the current value when the stirrer S is present in the liquid container B1 and rotating normally and the current value when the stirrer S is not in the liquid container B1 or when the stirrer S is detached are detected. The current values in the state of being adjusted are detected respectively.

When the stirrer S is not inserted, the current value is low because there is no load. On the other hand, when the stirrer S is out of step, a larger load is applied than when the stirrer is not included, so the current value is higher than the current value when the stirrer is not included. . Paying attention to the fact that the current value changes depending on the load state, the detection circuit 44 detects this change. The current value detected by the detection circuit 44 is used by the stirrer control circuit 45 as a criterion for determining the presence or absence of the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 and the presence or absence of step-out.

Here, as described above, the current detector 441 is provided between the driving motor 432 and the power source 433 . However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, a configuration in which the drive control circuit 46 is provided with a current detection function may be employed.

The stirrer control circuit 45 rotates the stirrer B in the liquid container B1 located at the stirring position facing the driving device 43 by the driving device 43 to control the liquid held in the liquid container B1. Allow L to stir. Further, by driving the driving device 43, it is possible to determine whether or not the stirrer S is held in the liquid container B1 arranged at the stirring position, or whether or not the stirrer S is out of step. The state of child S is determined based on the detection result by detection circuit 44 . Each function of the stirring bar control circuit 45 will be described later.

The drive control circuit 46 controls the table rotation mechanism 412 for rotating the moving table 41 under the control of the stirrer control circuit 45 . That is, the rotation direction, rotation speed, etc. of the moving table 41 are controlled via the rotating shaft 411, and the moving table 41 can be rotated forward/reverse, intermittently, or continuously. Further, by controlling the power supply 433 of the drive device 43, the rotation of the drive motor 432 is controlled, and the intensity of the magnetic force applied to the stirrer S from the magnetic force generator 431 is controlled.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the drive control circuit 46 controls the rotation of the moving table 41 and the like under the control of the stirrer control circuit 45 . However, a configuration in which the stirrer control circuit 45 directly controls the rotation of the moving table 41 or the like may be employed.

The memory circuit 47 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor or a magnetic disk. The storage circuit 47 stores, for example, changes in the current value when the liquid L is stirred by rotationally driving the stirrer S in the liquid container B1. Further, the change in the current value when the stirrer S is not held in the liquid container B1, or the change in the current value when there is a step-out state is stored.

In the storage circuit 47, for example, which liquid container B or B1 is placed at which position on the moving table 41 is stored in association with information such as the rotation direction and rotation distance of the moving table 41. there is

As described above, the various information described above is stored here in association with the storage circuit 47, but for example, the data storage device 8 of the automatic analyzer 1 may store the various information.

For example, when the stirrer control circuit 45 determines that the stirrer S is not held in the liquid container B1, the output circuit 48 notifies the medical staff to that effect. As for the output circuit 48, for example, it may be notified by voice, or may be notified as character information via a display. That is, any notification method may be used as long as it appeals to the five senses of the medical staff, and the configuration for that purpose can be freely adopted.

The input circuit 49 is, for example, a switch for turning ON/OFF the power of the stirring device 40 . Alternatively, for example, it is an input interface for inputting information about the contents held in the liquid containers B and B1.

The information acquisition device D is, as described above, a device that acquires information about the contents of the liquid containers B and B1 placed and stored in the stirring device 40 . Information on the liquid L, reagents, etc. held in the liquid containers B, B1 is stored in, for example, barcodes or QR codes (registered trademark) attached to the outer walls of the liquid containers B, B1. ing. Further, information regarding the presence or absence of the stirrer S may be stored. The information acquisition device D reads the information about the holding contents of the liquid containers B and B1 stored in these barcodes and the like, and stores the information in the storage circuit 47, for example.

It is desirable that the information acquisition device D acquires information about the contents held in the liquid containers B and B1 before the process of stirring the liquid L in the liquid container B1 is started. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, if the moving table 41 rotates counterclockwise, the information acquisition device D is desirably arranged in front of the stirring position.

As described above, the detection circuit 44, stirrer control circuit 45, drive control circuit 46, storage circuit 47, output circuit 48, input circuit 49, and information acquisition device D are connected to each other via the bus 50. FIG. Signals are exchanged between these circuits via the bus 50 .

The stirrer control circuit 45 executes each function of a detection result comparison function, a stirring function, and a timer function. These functions performed by the stirrer control circuit 45 will be described for each process performed by the stirrer 40 .

In order for the stirring device 40 to use the stirring function to stir the liquid L in the liquid container B1, various preparations must be made in advance. That is, preparation for storing the liquid containers B and B1 in the stirring device 40 by the operator.

First, medical personnel classify reagents into reagents that require periodic stirring and reagents that must be stored in a cold state but can be stored in a stable state without stirring. The reagents are stored separately in a liquid container B for storing reagents that do not require periodic stirring and a liquid container B1 for storing reagents that require periodic stirring.

Here, the liquid container that holds the stirrer S inside and stores the reagent that requires periodic stirring is particularly referred to as "liquid container B1". There is no special difference per se. However, this does not prohibit providing a difference in container structure between the two.

At this time, a stirrer S is also accommodated inside the liquid container B1 containing the reagent that requires periodic stirring. The stirrer S is rotationally driven by the driving device 43 to stir the liquid L in the liquid container B1. If a liquid container containing a reagent that requires periodic stirring is determined in advance, the stirrer S may be placed in advance in the liquid container B1.

When the reagent held in the liquid container B1 is, for example, the above-described dried reagent for measuring the blood coagulation time, the medical staff puts the necessary amount of water in the liquid container B1 and shakes the liquid container B1. Equally, the reagent and water are mixed in advance. After the above preparations are completed, the medical staff carries the liquid containers B and B1 into the stirring device 40 as the next preparation.

The medical staff opens the lid 422 to place the prepared liquid containers B and B1 on the moving table 41 . Note that the lid 422 is opened and closed manually or automatically.

With the lid 422 open, the medical staff rotates the moving table 41 to sequentially place the liquid containers B and B1 on the moving table 41 . At this time, the moving table 41 is intermittently rotated to sequentially move the mounting position of each liquid container. This intermittent rotation is performed, for example, by the medical staff selecting the rotation mode of the moving table 41 through the input circuit 49 .

By rotating the moving table 41, the mounting position of each liquid container is sequentially moved to the take-out position facing the lid 422, so that the medical staff can move the liquid containers B and B1. It is placed on the table 41 and stored in the exterior body 42 .

When the liquid containers B and B1 are placed on the moving table 41, the barcodes and the like attached to the liquid containers B and B1 are placed in such an orientation that the information acquisition device D can read them. must be placed.

In this manner, the lid 422 is closed with the liquid containers B and B1 placed thereon, and the inside of the exterior body 42 is hermetically sealed. As a result, the reagents contained in the liquid containers B and B1 are stored in a cold state.

In this state, the inside of the exterior body 42 cannot be viewed from the outside. Therefore, the medical staff can directly confirm at which position on the moving table 41 the liquid container B1 containing the reagent requiring stirring is located, that is, the state of the stirrer contained in the liquid container B1. It is in a state where it cannot be done.

As described above, the stirring device 40 is ready to perform the process of stirring the liquid L in the liquid container B1 using the stirring function. Therefore, when the stirrer control circuit 45 detects that the lid 422 of the exterior body 42 is closed, it performs the stirring process.

The transition to the stirring process may be performed, for example, by the medical staff issuing an instruction to the stirring device 40 via the input circuit 49 to start the stirring process. Alternatively, the stirring process may be automatically started by detecting that the lid 422 is closed. In addition to detecting that the lid 422 is closed, for example, it may also be possible to detect that the liquid containers B and B1 are placed on the moving table 41 as well.

The stirring bar control circuit 45 uses the stirring function to start the stirring process. However, it is unclear whether or not the stirrer S is held in the liquid container B1 simply by storing the liquid containers B and B1 inside the exterior body 42 by the medical staff. Further, even if the stirrer S is actually rotated, it is conceivable that the stirrer S does not rotate well, resulting in a step-out state. Therefore, in the stirrer control circuit 45, the state of these stirrers S is first checked. That is, a preliminary check is performed to properly perform the stirring process.

What is checked here is whether or not the stirrer S is held in the liquid container B1 that is stored in the exterior body 42 of the stirrer 40, particularly in which the stirrer S is held therein. This is because if the stirrer S is not held in the liquid container B1, the liquid container B1 cannot be stirred.

The stirrer control circuit 45 first confirms again whether or not the liquid containers B and B1 have been stored inside the exterior body 42 . This is determined, for example, based on information such as that the lid 422 remains open.

When it is confirmed that the liquid containers B and B1 have been stored inside the exterior body 42, the stirrer control circuit 45 next informs the information acquisition device D of the content held in each of the liquid containers B and B1. Instruct to obtain information. In order for the information acquisition device D to acquire the information, the information acquisition device D must place the liquid containers B and B1 at positions where, for example, the labels affixed to the liquid containers B and B1 can be read. . Therefore, the stirrer control circuit 45 applies a driving force to the table rotation mechanism 412 via the drive control circuit 46 to rotate the moving table 41 .

By rotating the moving table 41, the liquid containers B and B1 on the moving table 41 are arranged at positions close to the information acquisition device D in sequence. The information acquisition device D acquires information about the content held in each of the liquid containers B and B1, and stores the information in the storage circuit 47. FIG. At this time, by also storing information relating to the rotation of the moving table 41, it is possible to grasp which liquid container B, B1 is placed at which position on the moving table 41. FIG.

As a result of the information acquisition device D acquiring the information on the content to be held, if the liquid container having the target information on the content to be held is the liquid container B containing the reagent that does not require stirring, the stirrer control circuit 45 does not drive the driving device 43 even when the liquid container B is placed at the stirring position.

On the other hand, as a result of the information acquisition device D acquiring the information on the content to be held, if the liquid container having the target information on the content to be held is the liquid container B1 containing the reagent that requires stirring, the liquid The driving device 43 is driven when the container B1 is placed at the stirring position. The reason why the stirrer control circuit 45 drives the driving device 43 is to confirm whether or not the liquid container B1 holds the stirrer S therein, as described above.

The stirrer control circuit 45 drives the drive device 43 after confirming that the target liquid container B1 is placed at a position facing the drive device 43 (stirring position). The drive device 43 drives the drive motor 432 based on the instruction from the drive control circuit 46 and causes the magnetic force generator 431 to generate a magnetic force that acts on the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 arranged thereabove.

The magnetic force generated at this time can be smaller than the magnetic force required to rotate the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 for stirring by adjusting the power supply 433 by the drive control circuit 46. be. This is because the purpose of this process is to confirm whether or not the stirrer S is held in the target liquid container B1. not to do.

Then, the detection circuit 44 detects the current value at this time via the current detector 441 . The detection circuit 44 transmits the detected current value to the stirring bar control circuit 45 . Also, the detected current value may be stored in the storage circuit 47 .

On the other hand, the stirrer control circuit 45 acquires the current value in the state where the stirrer S is not held in the liquid container B1, which is stored in advance from the storage circuit 47, as a comparison target. The stirrer control circuit 45 compares the current value detected by the detection circuit 44 with the current value obtained from the storage circuit 47 to determine whether the stirrer S is held in the liquid container B1.

Here, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition device D, it is distinguished whether the liquid container B1 includes the stirrer S or the liquid container B does not include the stirrer S. It was confirmed whether or not the stirrer S was held inside by driving the driving device 43 only for the other. However, the process of applying magnetic force to all the liquid containers B and B1 may be performed without distinguishing between the liquid containers B and B1.

The stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not confirmation of the presence or absence of the stirrer S for all the liquid containers B and B1 placed on the moving table 41 has been completed. If B1 is found, the confirmation result is notified to the medical staff via the output circuit 48 . Then, it is confirmed whether or not the medical staff has corrected the liquid container B1 to be notified by inserting the stirrer S into the liquid container B1, and the preliminary check is completed. In this state, the stirrers S are held in all the liquid containers B1.

Next, the stirrer control circuit 45 starts stirring the liquid L (reagent) in the liquid container B1. First, the stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the liquid container B1 to be stirred is placed at the stirring position.

Here, in the memory circuit 47, the position of the liquid container B1 on the moving table 41 is stored in association with information such as the rotational direction and the rotational distance of the moving table 41. FIG. Therefore, when the liquid container B1 is not placed at the stirring position, the stirrer control circuit 45 rotates the moving table 41 based on the information to move the liquid container B1 to the stirring position.

When the liquid container B1 to be stirred is placed at the stirring position, the stirrer control circuit 45 causes the driving device 43 to start driving via the drive control circuit 46 . In this manner, the driving device 43 starts driving after it is confirmed that the liquid container B1 is placed at the stirring position.

This requires a very large magnetic force at the start of rotation to rotate the stirrer S when it is not rotating. Therefore, for example, if the liquid container B1 is placed in a state where the driving device 43 is already generating a magnetic force (stirring position), the magnetic force is not appropriately applied to the stirrer S, causing a step-out state. Cheap. Therefore, the driving device 43 starts driving after it is confirmed that the liquid container B1 to be stirred is placed at the stirring position.

By driving the driving device 43, a magnetic force is applied to the stirrer S in the liquid container B1. The stirrer S starts rotating by magnetic force.

The detection circuit 44 uses the current detector 441 to detect the current value flowing between the power source 433 and the drive motor 432 in the drive device 43 . The detected current value is sent to the stirrer control circuit 45 . Therefore, the stirrer control circuit 45 acquires the current value when the stirring process is appropriately performed, which is stored in advance in the storage circuit 47 as reference data, and detects the acquired appropriate power value. The current value detected in circuit 44 is compared.

As a result, if the current value is lower than the current value indicated during appropriate stirring processing, it is determined that the stirrer S is out of step in the liquid container B1. It is conceivable that the determination result similar to that of the out-of-synchronization state is obtained when a plurality of stirrers S are held in the liquid container B1.

When the stirrer control circuit 45 determines that the stirrer S in the liquid container B1 is out of step, the driving of the driving device 43 is stopped. Then, based on the comparison result, the medical staff is notified via the output circuit 48 that appropriate agitation processing cannot be performed. After that, the liquid container B1 is moved to the take-out position.

The stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the medical staff has corrected the error according to the reported contents, and moves the liquid container B1 to the stirring position again when the error has been corrected. Then, the stirring process is started again.

On the other hand, when the stirrer control circuit 45 compares the appropriate power value with the current value detected by the detection circuit 44 and finds that the current value is the same as the appropriate current value, the drive device 43 outputs the stirrer S as it is. Add a magnetic force to The range within which the difference between the current value detected by the detection circuit 44 as a result of the comparison and the appropriate power value is determined to be the same current value as the appropriate current value can be set arbitrarily. be able to.

At the same time, the stirrer control circuit 45 uses the timer function to start clocking. This is because the stirring time, the stirring interval, etc. are determined depending on the liquid L (reagent) to be stirred. The time to be counted is determined by the stirrer control circuit 45 based on the information about the stored content read by the information acquisition device D, which is acquired from the storage circuit 47 .

After the set time has elapsed, the stirrer control circuit 45 stops driving the driving device 43 . This completes the stirring process. After that, the timer function is used to measure the stirring interval.

That is, the stirrer control circuit 45 uses the timer function to start timing for measuring the stirring interval. Then, when the predetermined interval has passed, the process of stirring the liquid L (reagent) held in the target liquid container B1 is executed again.

If the predetermined interval has not passed, the stirrer control circuit 45 is in a standby state and determines whether the process of stirring the liquid L (reagent) held in the target liquid container B1 has been completed. to confirm. If the required stirring process has not been completed, the stirring process is executed again after a predetermined interval has elapsed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the stirring process has been completed, the stirring process for the liquid container B1 is completed.

As described above, for reagents that require periodic stirring, the stirrer control circuit 45 measures the timing using the timer function. The rotational distance of the moving table 41 is determined so as to reach the stirring position from the current position of .

Further, as described above, the stirrer control circuit 45 may measure the interval required for the stirring process and perform the stirring process at predetermined intervals. Alternatively, in consideration of the dispensing process, for example, when there is time between the dispensing processes, the liquid container B1 is moved to the stirring position so as to perform the stirring process on the liquid container B1 as much as possible. It can be processed.

Here, for example, the detection result comparison function, the stirring function, and the timer function of the stirrer control circuit 45 can be performed by causing the processor to execute a program such as a stirring program stored in a predetermined memory, storage circuit 47, or the like. It is also possible to realize by Here, the term "processor" in this specification refers to, for example, a dedicated or general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), an arithmetic circuit (circuitry), or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (eg, Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)).

The processor realizes its functions by reading and executing a program stored, for example, in the memory circuit 47 or directly incorporated in the circuit of the processor. The recording circuit that stores the program may be provided individually for each processor, or, for example, even if it stores a program corresponding to the function performed by the automatic analyzer 1 in FIG. Furthermore, the configuration of the storage circuit 47 shown in FIG. 4 may be employed. For the configuration of the memory circuit, for example, a memory device such as a general RAM (Random Access Memory) such as a semiconductor or a magnetic disk or a HDD (Hard Disc Drive) is applied.

[motion]
Next, the stirring process performed on the liquid container B1 stored in the stirring device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart roughly explaining the flow of operation of the stirring device 40 in the embodiment.

The processing operations in the stirring device 40 can be roughly divided into two large processes, as shown in FIG. They are a "pre-check (ST1)" which is a preparation performed before performing the stirring process, and a "stirring process (ST2)" which is performed after the preliminary check. In the following, the "pre-check" and the "stirring process" will be explained in order. First, there is the “pre-check”.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart explaining the flow of pre-check of the stirring device 40 in the embodiment. First, the stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the medical staff has stored the liquid containers B and B1 in the exterior body 42 (ST11).

If the storage work is continuing by the medical staff (NO in ST11), the stirring device 40 is in a standby state because the storage is not completed. On the other hand, when the storage work by the medical staff is completed and, for example, the stirrer control circuit 45 detects that the lid 422 has been closed, it is determined that the storage work has been completed (YES in ST11).

Next, the stirrer control circuit 45 rotates the moving table 41 via the drive control circuit 46 to sequentially move the liquid container B placed on the moving table 41 to the position where the information acquisition device D is arranged. , B1 are moved. Then, the information acquisition device D is caused to read, for example, labels attached to the liquid containers B and B1 (ST12).

The information about the holding content of the liquid container acquired by the information acquisition device D is stored in the storage circuit 47 as appropriate, and is also transmitted to the stirrer control circuit 45 . The stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the stirrer S is the liquid container B1 held therein based on the received information about the contents held in the liquid container (ST13), and then controls the liquid container B1. (YES in ST13), it is confirmed whether or not the stirrer S is actually held in the liquid container B1. If the liquid container is not the liquid container B1 holding the stirrer S therein (NO in ST13), the process proceeds to step ST16, which will be described later.

Specifically, the stirrer control circuit 45 rotates the moving table 41 to move the liquid container B1 to the stirring position facing the driving device 43 . At this position, the drive device 43 is driven through the drive control circuit 46 (ST14). A current value generated by driving the drive device 43 is detected by the detection circuit 44 .

In the stirrer control circuit 45, the current value detected by the detection circuit 44 is compared with the current value stored in advance in the storage circuit 47, for example, when the stirrer S is not held in the liquid container B1. do. Based on this comparison result, the stirrer control circuit 45 determines whether or not the stirrer S is present in the liquid container B1 (ST15). As described above, the current value acquired from the storage circuit 47 may be, for example, the current value when the stirrer S is held in the liquid container B1.

The stirrer control circuit 45 determines whether or not the process of confirming whether or not the stirrer S is included in all the liquid containers B and B1 placed on the moving table 41 has been completed. (ST16). When the movement table 41 has made one revolution and confirmation processing has not been completed for all the liquid containers B and B1 placed on the movement table 41 (NO in ST16), all the liquid containers B1 are held. The presence or absence of the stirrer S, which may have been used, has not been confirmed. Therefore, the process returns to step ST12 again to determine whether or not the stirrer S is present based on the information about the contents held in the liquid containers B and B1.

On the other hand, if the stirrer control circuit 45 determines that the confirmation process for all the liquid containers B and B1 placed on the moving table 41 has been completed (YES in ST16), then in this confirmation process , and confirms again whether or not there is a liquid container B1 in which the stirrer S is not held (ST17). If there is a liquid container B1 in which the stirrer S is not held (YES in ST17), the stirrer control circuit 45 issues an instruction to the output circuit 48 to notify the medical staff to that effect (ST18). ).

Further, the stirring bar control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the correction has been made based on the confirmation result (ST19). This modification is, for example, when the medical staff receives notification from the output circuit 48, takes out the corresponding liquid container B1 from the exterior body 42, inserts the stirrer S, and stores it in the exterior body 42 again. . The stirrer control circuit 45 determines such processing by the medical staff, for example, based on whether the lid 422 has been opened or closed.

If the stirrer control circuit 45 determines that the correction by the medical staff has not been completed (NO in ST19), it stands by until the correction is made by the medical staff. On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction by the medical staff has been completed (YES in ST19), then the preliminary check is complete.

If there is no liquid container B1 in which the stirrer S is not held (NO in ST17), it means that the stirrer S is held in all of the liquid containers B1. complete.

With the above, the above-mentioned "pre-check" is completed. Next, the "stirring process" is started. Note that the transition from the preliminary check to the agitation process may be performed automatically, or may be transitioned to the agitation process by the medical staff.

Next, the stirring process executed by the stirring device 40 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the stirring process of the stirring device 40 according to the embodiment.

First, the stirrer control circuit 45 confirms whether or not the liquid container B1 to be stirred is placed at the stirring position (ST21). The location of the liquid container B1 is determined from, for example, the positional information of the moving table 41 stored in the storage circuit 47 and the information about the holding contents of the liquid container B1 acquired by the information acquisition device D. The stirrer control circuit 45 makes the determination. Therefore, when the liquid container B1 is not placed at the stirring position (NO in ST21), the moving table 41 is rotated to move the liquid container B1 to be stirred to the stirring position (ST22).

If the stirrer control circuit 45 determines that the liquid container B1 is placed at the stirring position (YES in ST21), then the driving device 43 is started (ST23). When the driving device 43 is driven, a magnetic force is applied from the magnetic force generator 431 to the stirrer S held in the liquid container B1, and the stirrer S starts rotating.

As described above, the current value applied from the power source 433 of the drive device 43 to the magnetic force generator 431 via the drive motor 432 is detected by the detection circuit 44 via the current detector 441 . Therefore, the stirrer control circuit 45 uses the detection result comparison function to compare the current value detected by the detection circuit 44 with the current value data (reference data) stored in the storage circuit 47 that can be detected in the stirring process. ) are compared (ST24).

As a result, when the detected current value indicates a value lower than the current value of the reference data (YES in ST25), the stirring bar control circuit 45 stops the driving device 43 (ST26). This is because when the detected current value is lower than the current value of the reference data, the stirrer S may not rotate normally and may be out of step, for example.

Therefore, the stirring bar control circuit 45 notifies the medical staff of the possibility of being out of synchronism via the output circuit 48 (ST27). Then, the moving table 41 is rotated via the drive control circuit 46 to move the target liquid container B1 to the take-out position (ST28).

The medical staff opens the lid 422 and checks the state of the stirrer S in the liquid container B1. The stirring bar control circuit 45 detects, for example, the open/closed state of the lid 422, and confirms whether or not the medical staff has made corrections based on the comparison results (ST29). If the lid 422 has not been opened, the correction has not been made yet, so the system waits (NO in ST29).

On the other hand, if it is detected that the lid 422 has been opened and closed, it can be determined that the correction has been made (YES in ST29), so the process returns to step ST21 to move the liquid container B1 to the stirring position again and stir. Start processing.

When the detected current value indicates a value similar to the current value of the reference data (NO in ST25), the stirrer control circuit 45 uses the timer function to perform the stirring process of the liquid container B1. start measuring the time (ST30).

It is conceivable that the time required for the stirring process differs for each liquid container B1 to be stirred. Therefore, the stirrer control circuit 45 grasps the time required for the stirring process based on the information about the contents held in the liquid container B1, and executes the stirring process while measuring the time for the stirring process using the timer function. do.

If the predetermined time has not passed (NO in ST30), the stirring bar control circuit 45 continues the stirring process. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has passed (YES in ST30), the driving device 43 is stopped (ST31) to complete the stirring process.

In this case, the driving device 43 is stopped when the stirring process is completed. However, this does not necessarily mean, for example, that the drive 43 has completely stopped before the liquid container B1 leaves the stirring position. That is, even if the driving device 43 is not stopped, the moving table 41 may be rotated to move the liquid container B1 to be stirred away from the stirring position to a position where the magnetic force does not reach.

From this point, the stirrer control circuit 45 uses the timer function to start measuring the interval until the next stirring process is started in order to know when to stir the liquid container B1 next time (ST32). . Due to the properties of the liquid L (reagent) held in the liquid container B1, once the stirring process is performed, subsequent stirring processes are not necessarily unnecessary, and it is necessary to perform the stirring process regularly at certain intervals.

The stirrer control circuit 45 counts whether or not a predetermined interval has passed, and if it has not passed (NO in ST33), it stands by as it is. At the same time, it is confirmed whether or not the stirring process for the liquid container B1 has been completed (ST34). If the stirring process has not been completed (NO in ST34), confirmation is continued as to whether or not the predetermined interval has elapsed.

If it is determined that the predetermined interval has passed (YES in ST33), the process returns to step ST21 to check again whether or not the liquid container B1 is placed at the stirring position, and the stirring process is executed. be.

When the necessary stirring process for the liquid container B1 is completed (YES in ST34), the stirring process is completed.

As described above, according to at least one embodiment, by using the above-described stirrer, it is possible to automatically detect if the stirrer is left in the liquid container or if the stirrer in the liquid container is out of step. By doing so, it is possible to avoid that the liquid is not properly stirred and that the inspection result becomes an abnormal value, and the measurement accuracy can be ensured.

In the description so far, the current flowing from the power supply 433 to the drive motor 432 using the current detector 441 is detected when the stirrer S is forgotten to be inserted into the liquid container B1, or when step-out occurs. was determined by detecting the current value of However, the method for detecting the operation of the stirrer S is not limited to this method.

For example, the operating state of the stirrer S can also be detected by detecting the number of revolutions per unit time of the drive motor 432 . That is, when the stirrer S is not included in the liquid container B1, the load on the drive motor 432 is zero. Therefore, the rotation speed of the drive motor 432 becomes the rotation speed that balances the voltage input to the drive motor 432 . On the other hand, when the stirrer S is included in the liquid container B1 (including both normal rotation and step-out), the drive motor 432 is loaded. Therefore, the rotation speed of the drive motor 432 is lower than when the stirrer S is not included in the liquid container B1.

For example, for the sake of understanding, if the number of rotations is 100 rpm when the stirrer S is contained in the liquid container B1, the number of rotations of the drive motor 432 is, for example, 105 to 125 rpm when the drive motor 432 is out of step. , when the stirrer S is not included, the speed is, for example, 130 rpm. That is, the number of revolutions of the drive motor 432 decreases in the following order: when the stirrer S is not included, when the stirrer S is out of step, and when the stirrer S is included.

By detecting the rotation speed of the drive motor 432 in this way, it is also possible to determine whether or not the stirrer S is contained in the liquid container B1. In particular, when the stirrer is small or the viscosity of the liquid in the liquid container B1 is low, the difference in torque applied to the drive motor 432 between the presence and absence of the stirrer S becomes very small. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of the stirrer S more reliably than using the detection result of the current value.

When detecting the number of rotations of the drive motor 432, the difference in the number of rotations of the drive motor 432 is detected in the short-time detection process, as in the case of detecting the current value. However, there may be a case where the detected difference is small and it is difficult to determine whether or not the stirrer S is present. In such a case, it is also possible to determine by grasping the “number of times” that the drive motor 432 rotates instead of the number of revolutions (rotational speed) of the drive motor 432 . Furthermore, for example, by grasping how many times the rotation occurred in how many seconds and using the integrated value, it is possible to make a more reliable determination.

That is, even if the difference in the number of rotations due to the presence or absence of the stirrer in a short period of time such as one second is small, by accumulating these times, it is possible to You can clearly see the difference from when it is not included. For example, assume that the number of rotations is 50 when the stirrer S is included and the number of rotations when the stirrer S is not included is 52 when measured for one second. In this case, the difference is so small that it is difficult to judge whether it is an error or not. On the other hand, if the number of rotations is measured for, for example, one minute and integrated, the number of rotations when the stirrer S is included is 3000 rotations, and the number of rotations when the stirrer S is not included is At 3120 rpm, the absolute value of the difference in the rpm increases, and the error is smoothed as the integration time increases, making it possible to clearly grasp the presence or absence of the stirrer S.

As a configuration for detecting the number of rotations of the drive motor 432, known devices such as an encoder, a phytointerrupter, and a magnetic detector can be used.

Here, the preliminary check and the stirring process by the stirring device have been described as processes that are performed regardless of the state of the automatic analyzer, for example, whether the power of the automatic analyzer is ON. Therefore, even if the automatic analyzer is powered off, the stirrer can perform the above processes. On the other hand, when the power ON/OFF of the stirring device is linked to the power ON/OFF of the automatic analyzer, the above-described processes are performed only when the power of the automatic analyzer is ON. .

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 Automatic analyzer 40 Stirrer 41 Moving table 42 Exterior body 43 Drive device 44 Detection circuit 45 Stirrer control circuit 46 Drive control circuit 47 Storage circuit 48 Output circuit 49 Input circuit D Information acquisition device

Claims (12)

a moving table for movably mounting a liquid container holding therein a liquid to be stirred and a stirrer;
an exterior body that covers the moving table and the liquid container;
a driving device that rotationally drives the stirrer in the liquid container on the moving table from the outside of the exterior body using a magnetic force in a non-contact manner;
a detection circuit that detects an operating state of the driving device;
a stirrer control circuit that determines the operating state of the stirrer based on the detection result detected by the detection circuit;
with
The stirrer control circuit determines whether it is necessary to stir the reagent contained in the liquid container based on the information regarding the contents held in the liquid container acquired by the information acquisition device that acquires the information related to the contents held in the liquid container. determine whether or not
If it is determined that a reagent requiring stirring is stored and the liquid container is not placed at the stirring position, rotating the moving table to move the liquid container to the stirring position;
1. A stirrer, wherein when it is determined that a reagent that does not require stirring is contained, the driving device is not driven even if the liquid container is placed at the stirring position . 2. The stirrer according to claim 1, wherein the stirrer control circuit detects out-of-step of the stirrer in the liquid container based on the operating state of the drive device detected by the detection circuit. . 2. The stirrer according to claim 1, wherein the stirrer control circuit detects the presence or absence of the stirrer in the liquid container based on the operating state of the drive device detected by the detection circuit. 4. The stirrer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stirrer control circuit determines the operating state of the stirrer based on the current value of the current flowing from the power supply to the drive motor. . The stirrer control circuit controls the drive current of the drive device to be lower when determining the presence or absence of the stirrer in the liquid container than when detecting out-of-step of the stirrer. The stirring device according to claim 4, characterized by: 4. The stirrer according to claim 1, wherein said stirrer control circuit determines the operating state of said stirrer based on the number of revolutions per unit time of a drive motor. The stirrer control circuit starts stirring the liquid in the liquid container when it is determined that the stirrer is held in the liquid container and is not out of step. The stirring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The information acquisition device, when performing processing for detecting the presence/absence of the stirrer in the liquid container, provides information about the content held by the liquid container before the liquid container holding the stirrer reaches the stirring position. 8. The stirring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the stirring device is arranged so as to obtain a The stirring device further comprises a memory circuit,
the storage circuit stores information about the holding contents of the liquid container and position information of the moving table;
9. The stirrer control circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the stirrer control circuit stirs the liquid container to be stirred based on the information about the content held in the liquid container and the position information. The stirring device according to . When the stirrer control circuit detects that the stirrer is not held in the liquid container or is out of step, the stirrer control circuit notifies the fact via the output circuit. 8. The stirring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . 1. The exterior body has an insertion port for inserting and removing the liquid container at a position farthest from the stirring position, and is a reagent storage for keeping and storing the liquid container in a cold state. 11. A stirring device according to any one of claims 10 to 13. In an automatic analyzer that dispenses a sample and a reagent into a reaction vessel and measures the mixture,
An automatic analyzer comprising the stirring device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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