JP7221637B2 - Cuvette transfer device and automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to cuvette transporters and automated analyzers.

Conventionally, there is a cuvette transport device that transports a cuvette used for sample analysis to a photometric unit, and a photometric unit that puts a sample and a reagent into the transported cuvette, irradiates it with light, and measures the amount of light transmitted through the cuvette. is known. In the cuvette transporter, rails are used to properly align the cuvettes as they are transported to the photometric unit. If the cuvettes are not properly aligned, mechanical errors can occur and stop the operation of the entire automated analyzer.

JP 2015-219012 A JP 2015-014572 A JP 2012-237173 A JP 2017-209795 A JP 2017-081734 A

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to proactively eliminate cuvettes that are not correctly aligned.

A cuvette transport apparatus according to an embodiment includes a supply unit that supplies cuvettes stored in a storage unit to a supply destination unit. The supply unit includes a supply rail provided within the storage unit, and by lifting the supply rail within the storage unit, the cuvettes aligned on the supply rail are transferred to the supply destination unit. and a plate-like member arranged above the supply rail and dropping misaligned cuvettes that are not aligned with the supply rail as the supply rail rises.

FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cuvette used in the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3A is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit and the transfer unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3B is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit and transfer unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining an example of a misaligned cuvette. FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining an example of a misaligned cuvette. 6A is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6B is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the flap plate of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; 8B is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8C is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8D is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8E is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8F is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8G is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8H is a diagram for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration (first modification) of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration (first modification) of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration (first modification) of the supply unit of the cuvette transport device of the automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a cuvette transport device and an automatic analysis device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment is not restricted to the following embodiments. In addition, the contents described in one embodiment are in principle similarly applied to other embodiments.

(First embodiment)
First, an automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of an automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic analyzer 100 includes a cuvette transporter 10, a photometry unit 50, and a storage unit 60. As shown in FIG. The storage unit 60 stores the input cuvettes 70 .

Here, the cuvette 70 stored in the storage unit 60 will be explained using FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cuvette 70 used in the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cuvette 70 is a bottomed cylindrical member with an open top. Cuvette 70 has a body portion 70a, a top portion 70b and a flange 70c.

The body portion 70a is a bottomed cylindrical member with an open top. Four photometry portions 70f are formed on the body portion 70a. The four photometry sites 70f have a planar shape, and any one of the four photometry sites 70f is irradiated with light from the photometry unit 50, which will be described later.

The flange 70c is an annular member and is provided on the opening 70c1 side of the body portion 70a. Also, the outer diameter of the flange 70c is larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 70a.

The top portion 70b is a hollow rectangular tubular member and has four flat surfaces 70e. The four planes 70e are erected on the upper surface of the flange 70c. The four planes 70e are provided so as to correspond to the four photometry portions 70f, respectively. In addition, when viewed from above, the top portion 70b has a substantially rectangular shape.

The cuvette 70 shown in FIG. 2 is transferred from the storage unit 60 to the photometry unit 50 by the cuvette transfer device 10 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the cuvette transport device 10 includes a supply unit 11, a transport unit 12, a rotation alignment mechanism 13, and an insertion mechanism 14. As shown in FIG. Here, in FIG. 1, illustration of part of the supply unit 11 and the transfer unit 12 is omitted.

3A and 3B are side views showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit 11 and transfer unit 12 of the cuvette transfer device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment. The supply unit 11 supplies the cuvette 70 stored in the storage unit 60 to the transfer unit 12, which is the supply destination unit.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the supply unit 11 includes supply rails 11a and 11b. The supply rails 11a and 11b are provided in the storage unit 60 (FIG. 1) at a position before being raised (reference position). The supply rails 11a, 11b are spaced apart by a predetermined distance to align the cuvettes 70. As shown in FIG. Here, the predetermined distance is a distance smaller than the flange 70 c of the cuvette 70 and larger than the outer diameter of the body 70 a of the cuvette 70 . For example, when the body 70a of the cuvette 70 is positioned between the supply rails 11a and 11b, the cuvette 70 is aligned with the supply rails 11a and 11b.

Here, although not shown, the storage unit 60 has a mortar shape, and a slit is formed in the central portion of the bottom surface of the storage unit 60 so that the supply rails 11a and 11b can be raised. When viewed from above, the gap is smaller than the outer diameter of the body portion 70a of the cuvette 70 so that the cuvette 70 does not fall into the gap between the slit and the supply rails 11a and 11b.

The supply unit 11 further comprises a drive. The drive unit supplies the cuvettes 70 aligned on the supply rails 11a, 11b to the transfer unit 12 by raising the supply rails 11a, 11b within the storage unit 60 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the driving section includes a support member 11c, a rotating shaft 11d, and a driving mechanism such as a motor and an actuator.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the support member 11c is a member that supports the supply rails 11a and 11b. The rotating shaft 11d is provided at one end of the support member 11c. For example, the drive mechanism raises the supply rails 11a and 11b by rotating the support member 11c about the rotation shaft 11d by an angle θ1 with respect to the reference position. In this case, the direction of the supply rails 11a and 11b is inclined by an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction, and the supply rails 11a and 11b are inclined downward from the start end to the end end.

Then, the drive mechanism further raises the supply rails 11a and 11b by rotating the support member 11c about the rotation shaft 11d as a central axis by an angle θ2 larger than the angle θ1 with respect to the reference position. . In this case, the orientation of the supply rails 11a and 11b is inclined by an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction, and the supply rails 11a and 11b are further inclined downward from the start end to the end end.

In this way, the drive mechanism raises the supply rails 11a and 11b in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 80 by rotating the support member 11c by the angle θ2 with respect to the reference position. After performing the operation of raising the supply rails 11a and 11b, the driving mechanism performs the operation of lowering the supply rails 11a and 11b in order to return to the original position (reference position) before being raised.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the transfer unit 12 comprises transfer rails 12a, 12b. The transport rails 12a, 12b are spaced apart a predetermined distance to align the cuvettes 70. As shown in FIG. Here, the predetermined distance is the same as the predetermined distance provided on the supply rails 11a and 11b. That is, the predetermined distance is smaller than the flange 70c of the cuvette 70 and larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 70a of the cuvette 70 . The orientation of the transfer rails 12a, 12b is always inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction, and the transfer rails 12a, 12b are always inclined downward from the beginning to the end.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the supply rails 11a and 11b are raised by rotating the support member 11c by an angle θ2 with respect to the reference position, and the orientation of the supply rails 11a and 11b is oriented at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction. , the ends of the supply rails 11a, 11b and the beginnings of the transfer rails 12a, 12b are at the same height, and the cuvettes 70 aligned on the supply rails 11a, 11b are oriented in the direction indicated by the arrow 81. It is supplied to the transfer rails 12a and 12b while sliding.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment. Here, in FIG. 4, illustration of the storage unit 60 and the supply unit 11 is omitted. Also, in FIG. 4, illustration of part of the transfer unit 12 and the photometry unit 50 is omitted.

In the transfer unit 12, the transfer rails 12a and 12b slide the cuvettes 70 supplied from the supply rails 11a and 11b toward the rotary alignment mechanism 13, which is the transfer destination unit. Specifically, the cuvette 70 moves toward the rotation alignment mechanism 13 along the transfer rails 12a and 12b by its own weight.

The rotary alignment mechanism 13 aligns the cuvettes 70 in a desired orientation by rotating while holding the cuvettes 70 slid to the ends of the transfer rails 12a and 12b. The rotation alignment mechanism 13 includes a rotation holding mechanism 13a.

The rotation holding mechanism 13 a is a disk-shaped member, and rotates while holding the cuvette 70 . Two holding guides capable of holding the cuvette 70 are formed in the rotation holding mechanism 13a at intervals of 180 degrees along the circumferential direction of the rotation holding mechanism 13a. That is, the rotation holding mechanism 13 a can hold a plurality of cuvettes 70 . The rotation holding mechanism 13a rotates around a central axis 13b parallel to the vertical direction. For example, in the rotation holding mechanism 13, when the holding guide that does not hold the cuvette 70 reaches the position (carrying-in position) 13y facing the end of the transfer unit 12, the cuvette 70 transferred from the transfer unit 12 is moved to the position described above. It fits into the holding guide. The rotation holding mechanism 13a rotates 180 degrees to move the cuvette 70 fitted in the holding guide to the unloading position 13z. Here, the unloading position 13z is a position at which the cuvette 70 can be unloaded to the photometric unit 50, for example. Thus, the rotation holding mechanism 13a holds the cuvette 70 transported from the storage unit 60 at the load-in position 13y, and rotates while holding the cuvette 70 to the carry-out position 13z.

When the rotationally aligned cuvette 70 is inserted into the photometry unit 50 by the insertion mechanism 14, the rotation holding mechanism 13a moves the holding guide, which does not hold the cuvette 70, to the carry-in position 13y. , and further rotates by 180 degrees. In this manner, the rotation holding mechanism 13a successively holds the cuvettes 70 transferred from the transfer unit 12 at the loading position 13y and moves them to the carrying-out position 13z.

The insertion mechanism 14 inserts the cuvette 70 into the photometric unit 50 while keeping the orientation rotationally aligned by the rotational alignment mechanism 13 . For example, when the cuvette 70 held by the rotation holding mechanism 13a is arranged at the carry-out position 13z in a photometric orientation, the insertion mechanism 14 inserts the cuvette 70 into the photometric unit 50 while maintaining a photometric orientation. That is, the insertion mechanism 14 inserts the cuvette 70 rotationally aligned by the rotational alignment mechanism 13 into the photometry unit 50 in a state where the cuvette 70 has reached the unloading position 13z. The insertion mechanism 14 includes a pushing member 14a and a driving portion 14b.

The pushing member 14a is a rod-shaped member. The pushing member 14a is supported by the main body of the insertion mechanism 14 so that the longitudinal direction of the pushing member 14a coincides with the vertical direction and the pushing member 14a is movable in the vertical direction. The unloading position 13z in the rotation holding mechanism 13a is, for example, a position where a line segment passing through the pushing member 14a of the insertion mechanism 14 and extending in the vertical direction intersects the upper surface of the rotation holding mechanism 13a. . That is, the unloading position 13z is also the position below the pressing member 14a in the vertical direction.

The drive unit 14b includes a drive mechanism such as a motor and an actuator, and moves the pushing member 14a in the vertical direction. For example, when the cuvette 70 is moved to the unloading position 13z, the drive unit 14b moves the pushing member 14a downward in the vertical direction. As the pushing member 14a is moved downward in the vertical direction, the cuvette 70 arranged vertically below the pushing member 14a is pushed toward the photometry unit 50 by the pushing member 14a.

After moving the pushing member 14a downward in the vertical direction to push in the cuvette 70, the drive unit 14b moves the pushing member 14a upward in the vertical direction to return to the original position before movement. perform the action that causes the

The photometry unit 50 puts the sample and the reagent into the cuvette 70 transported by the cuvette transport device 10, irradiates the cuvette 70 containing the mixed solution of the sample and the reagent with light, and measures the amount of light transmitted through the cuvette 70. . For example, when the automatic analyzer 100 is an automatic analyzer for clinical examination, a biological sample such as blood or urine is input as a sample. Then, based on the measured amount of light, a quantitative analysis of the sample is performed by an analysis device (not shown). For example, an analysis device analyzes the concentration or activity value of a substance to be measured, or the time required for change.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the photometry unit 50 includes a holding unit 51 , a dispensing unit 52 and a measurement unit 53 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the holding unit 51 is a disk-shaped member that rotates while holding the cuvette 70 . A plurality of holding guides capable of holding the cuvette 70 are formed in the holding unit 51 along the circumferential direction of the holding unit 51 . 1 indicate the plurality of cuvettes 70 held by the plurality of holding guides formed in the circumferential direction. The holding unit 51 rotates about a central axis 51a parallel to the vertical direction.

For example, when the holding guide of the holding unit 51 is positioned vertically below the cuvette 70 arranged at the unloading position 13z, the cuvette 70 is fitted into the holding guide by the insertion mechanism 14 described above. Specifically, in FIG. 4, the cuvette 70 is pushed by the pushing member 14a, and the cuvette 70 pushed by the pushing member 14a is inserted into the holding guide of the holding unit 51 positioned below the cuvette 70 in the vertical direction. be done.

In FIG. 1, the holding unit 51 holds the cuvette 70 at a position where the sample can be dispensed by the dispensing unit 52 (sample dispensing position 86) and a position where the reagent can be dispensed (reagent dispensing position 86). Rotate so that the cuvette 70 is placed in the position 87). The holding unit 51 holds the cuvette 70 into which the sample and reagent have been dispensed by the dispensing unit 52, and the cuvette 70 is arranged at a position where the measurement unit 53 can measure the amount of light (measurable position 88). Rotate like The cuvette 70 for which light amount measurement has been completed is removed from the holding unit 51 by a removal mechanism (not shown) and discarded.

In FIG. 1, dispensing unit 52 dispenses sample into cuvette 70 located at sample dispensing position 86 . Thereafter, the dispensing unit 52 dispenses the reagent into the cuvette 70 into which the sample has been dispensed and located at the reagent dispensing position 87 . In this way, the dispensing unit 52 dispenses the reagent after dispensing the sample into the cuvette 70 , but may be configured to dispense the sample after dispensing the reagent into the cuvette 70 .

In FIG. 1 , the measurement unit 53 irradiates a cuvette 70 into which a sample and a reagent are dispensed and is placed at a measurable position 88 , and measures the amount of light transmitted through the cuvette 70 . Here, if any one of the four photometry portions 70f of the cuvette 70 faces the light emitting portion of the measurement unit 53 that emits light, the amount of light obtained by photometry by the photometry unit 50 is The reliability of the analyzed analysis result becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined standard.

The overall configuration of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above. With this configuration, the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment can eliminate in advance cuvettes that are not properly aligned.

As described above, in the cuvette transporting device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment, when transporting the cuvettes 70 to the photometry unit 50, the cuvettes are correctly aligned using the rails. For example, the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 uses rails (supply rails 11a and 11b) when supplying the cuvettes 70 stored in the storage unit 60 to the supply destination unit (transfer unit 12). Align the cuvette 70 correctly. However, when the supply unit 11 raises the supply rails 11a, 11b, there may be cuvettes 70 on the supply rails 11a, 11b that are not properly aligned with the supply rails 11a, 11b. A cuvette 70 that is not properly aligned with the supply rails 11 a , 11 b is hereinafter referred to as a misaligned cuvette 71 .

5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining an example of the misaligned cuvette 71. FIG. In the misaligned cuvette 71 shown in FIG. 5A, its body 70a is positioned substantially parallel to the feed rails 11a, 11b, but the top 70b of the cuvette 70, which is already aligned with the feed rails 11a, 11b. It is not properly aligned with the feed rails 11a, 11b due to contact. In the misaligned cuvette 71 shown in FIG. 5B, its body 70a is not properly aligned with the supply rails 11a, 11b by being positioned substantially perpendicular to the supply rails 11a, 11b. Thus, the presence of misaligned cuvettes 71 can cause mechanical errors and stop the operation of the entire automated analyzer 100 . Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the misaligned cuvettes 71 in advance.

Therefore, in the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment, the supply unit 11 further includes a plate-like member arranged above the supply rails 11a and 11b. The misaligned cuvette 71 is dropped as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise.

6A and 6B are side views showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the supply unit 11 further includes a flap plate 110 as a plate-like member. The flap plate 110 is arranged above one side of the supply rails 11a and 11b (for example, the supply rail 11a). The position where the flap plate 110 is provided is higher than the positions of the supply rails 11a and 11b before being lifted.

As shown in FIG. 6A, one end portion 110a of the flap plate 110 is provided with a rotation shaft 120. As shown in FIG. For example, the rotation axis 120 is tilted by an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction. The rotating shaft 120 is provided at a position that does not interfere with the upward and downward movement of the supply rails 11a and 11b.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the shape of the flap plate 110 is, for example, tapered from one end portion 110a to the other end portion 110b. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the flap plate 110 is a tapered shape in which the other end portion 110b is tapered from the bottom surface of the flap plate 110 toward the top surface. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the flap plate 110 of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the supply unit 11 raises the supply rails 11a and 11b, cuvettes 70 that are not correctly aligned with the supply rails 11a and 11b (improper cuvettes) are placed on the supply rails 11a and 11b. There may be an alignment cuvette 71). For example, it is assumed that the misaligned cuvettes 71 exist on the supply rails 11a and 11b when the supply rails 11a and 11b are tilted by an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6B, the flap plate 110 causes the misaligned cuvette 71 to contact the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 when the supply rails 11a and 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 80. , causing the misaligned cuvette 71 to drop. For example, until the orientation of the supply rails 11a and 11b is tilted by an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction, the flap plate 110 moves the misaligned cuvette 71 to the flap plate 110 according to the rise of the supply rails 11a and 11b. is brought into contact with the other end 110b. The misaligned cuvette 71 contacts the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 and rolls in the direction indicated by the arrow 83 on the supply rails 11a and 11b. Then, the misaligned cuvette 71 rolling on the supply rails 11a and 11b falls in the direction indicated by the arrow 84. FIG. That is, the misaligned cuvettes 71 are again stored in the storage unit 60 as the cuvettes 70 .

As described above, in the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment, the supply unit 11 uses the flap plate 110 to move the misaligned cuvettes 71 according to the rise of the supply rails 11a and 11b. can be dropped.

Here, when the direction of the supply rails 11a and 11b is inclined by an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction, the terminal ends of the supply rails 11a and 11b and the starting ends of the transfer rails 12a and 12b are at the same height. Therefore, the cuvettes 70 aligned on the supply rails 11a and 11b are supplied to the transfer rails 12a and 12b while sliding in the direction indicated by the arrow 81. As shown in FIG. As described above, the cuvettes 70 supplied to the transfer rails 12a and 12b move to the rotary alignment mechanism 13 and are rotary aligned by the rotary alignment mechanism 13. FIG. The cuvettes 70 aligned in rotation are inserted into the photometric unit 50 by the insertion mechanism 14. The cuvettes 70 inserted into the photometric unit 50 are loaded with the sample and the reagent and irradiated with light.

Next, the manner in which the misaligned cuvette 71 contacts the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 and falls from the supply rails 11a and 11b to the storage unit 60 will be described in detail. 8A to 8H are diagrams for explaining an example of processing of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment.

First, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the supply rails 11a and 11b are not raised, the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 is provided at a position 91 which is an initial position above the supply rails 11a and 11b. It is At this stage, there are no misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a, 11b.

Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is assumed that the misaligned cuvette 71 exists on the supply rails 11a and 11b for some reason. A misaligned cuvette 71 on the supply rails 11a, 11b is already aligned with the supply rails 11a, 11b, although for example its body 70a is arranged substantially parallel to the supply rails 11a, 11b. By contacting the top 70b of the cuvette 70, it is not properly aligned with the supply rails 11a, 11b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the supply rails 11a and 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 80 from the position before the rise by the height indicated by the arrow 80a. At this time, the misaligned cuvette 71 contacts the other end 110 b of the flap plate 110 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 8D, the supply rails 11a, 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by arrow 80 above and by a height indicated by arrow 80b. At this time, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are lifted as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. Here, by lifting the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b, the flap plate 110 rotates around the pivot shaft 120, and the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 moves from position 91 to It is lifted to position 92 which is slightly higher than position 91 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 8E, the supply rails 11a, 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by arrow 80 above and by a height indicated by arrow 80c. At this time, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are further lifted as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. Here, by lifting the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a, 11b, the flap plate 110 rotates around the pivot shaft 120, and the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 moves from position 92 to It is lifted to position 93, which is slightly higher than position 92. As a result, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the supply rails 11a and 11b (direction indicated by arrow 83) while being pushed by the other end 110b of the flap plate 110. start.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8F, the supply rails 11a, 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by arrow 80 above and by a height indicated by arrow 80d. At this time, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are further lifted as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. In this case, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are pushed by the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 and roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the supply rails 11a and 11b. Here, as the misaligned cuvette 71 rolls on the supply rails 11a, 11b, the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 is lowered by gravity from position 93 to position 94, which is slightly lower than position 93. FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8G, the supply rails 11a, 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by arrows 80 and by a height indicated by arrows 80e. At this time, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are further lifted as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. In this case, the misaligned cuvettes 71 on the supply rails 11a and 11b are pushed by the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 and roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the supply rails 11a and 11b. Here, the misaligned cuvettes 71 rolling on the supply rails 11 a and 11 b fall in the direction indicated by the arrow 84 and are again stored in the storage unit 60 as the cuvettes 70 . Also, by dropping the misaligned cuvette 71, the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 is lowered from the position 94 to a position 95 slightly lower than the position 94 by gravity.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8H, the supply rails 11a, 11b are raised in the circumferential direction indicated by arrow 80 above, and by a height indicated by arrow 80f. At this time, as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise, the flap plate 110 rotates around the rotation shaft 120, so that the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 moves from the position 95 to a position higher than the position 95. It is lifted to position 96.

Thereafter, the supply rails 11a, 11b descend in the direction opposite to the circumferential direction indicated by the arrow 80 described above. When the supply rails 11a and 11b are lowered, the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 is lowered from the position 96 to the initial position 91 by gravity.

Here, when the supply unit 11 supplies the cuvette 70 to the supply destination unit (transfer unit 12), it is preferable that no unnecessary vibration occurs. As described above, the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 is lowered to the initial position (position 91) by gravity. That is, in the supply unit 11, the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 is returned to the initial position by gravity without using power such as an actuator. Therefore, in the supply unit 11, vibration due to the power of the actuator or the like does not occur.

Although the supply unit 11 returns the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 to the initial position by gravity without using power such as an actuator, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the supply unit 11 may return the other end 110b of the flap plate 110 to the initial position by spring force.

In addition, since the flap plate 110 drops the misaligned cuvettes 71 by contacting the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110, the material of the flap plate 110 is cutting powder generated by the contact between the cuvettes 70 and the flap plate 110. It is preferred that materials that do not generate are used. As the material of the flap plate 110, it is preferable to use a material that does not generate static electricity between the cuvette 70 and the flap plate 110 as much as possible. For example, resin such as engineering plastic is used as the material of the flap plate 110 . Engineering plastics include POM (polyacetal resin).

Further, when the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 is lifted from the position 95 to the position 96, the supply rail 11a and the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 come into contact with each other. As for the shape, it is preferable that the contact between the supply rail 11a and the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 does not generate cutting dust. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the other end portion 110b of the flap plate 110 is preferably a tapered shape that tapers from the bottom surface of the flap plate 110 toward the top surface.

(First modification)
In the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment, the flap plate 110 is composed of one sheet, but is not limited to this, and the misaligned cuvettes 71 are eliminated in advance. In order to increase the probability, the flap plate 110 may be composed of a plurality of sheets.

9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of another configuration (first modification) of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, two flap plates 110 are provided with respect to the rotation shaft 120, and the two flap plates 110 rotate independently. Alternatively, three or more flap plates 110 may be provided with respect to the rotating shaft 120 . For example, as shown in FIG. 10, nine flap plates 110 are provided with respect to the rotation shaft 120, and the nine flap plates 110 rotate independently.

As described above, in the first modification of the first embodiment, a plurality of flap plates 110 are provided with respect to the rotation shaft 120, thereby increasing the probability of eliminating the misaligned cuvettes 71 in advance. can be done.

(Second embodiment)
In the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the first embodiment, the flap plate 110 is configured in one stage, but the invention is not limited to this. In the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the second embodiment, the flap plate 110 may have a multistage configuration in order to increase the probability of preliminarily removing the misaligned cuvettes 71 .

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the flap plates 110 are provided in multiple stages above one side of the supply rails 11a and 11b (for example, the supply rail 11a). For example, when the flap plate 110 has a two-stage structure, first, the supply unit 11 causes the misaligned cuvette 71 to drop by the first-stage flap plate 110 as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. Next, the supply unit 11 causes the second stage flap plate 110 to drop the misaligned cuvettes 71 that could not be dropped by the first stage flap plate 110 as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the flap plate 110 is provided in multiple stages above one side of the supply rails 11a and 11b (the supply rail 11a). You can increase your odds of rejection. Although the flap plate 110 has a two-stage configuration as an example, it may have a multi-stage configuration having three or more stages.

(First modification)
In the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the second embodiment, the flap plate 110 is provided in multiple stages above one side (supply rail 11a) of the supply rails 11a and 11b. However, it is not limited to this, and may be provided above both sides of the supply rails 11a and 11b.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration (first modification) of the supply unit 11 of the cuvette transport device 10 of the automatic analyzer 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the flap plates 110 are provided above both sides of the supply rails 11a and 11b. For example, the flap plate 110 has a two-stage structure, the first flap plate 110 is provided above the supply rail 11b, and the second flap plate 110 is provided above the supply rail 11a. In this case, first, the supply unit 11 drops the misaligned cuvette 71 by the flap plate 110 of the first stage as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise. Next, the supply unit 11 causes the second stage flap plate 110 to drop the misaligned cuvettes 71 that could not be dropped by the first stage flap plate 110 as the supply rails 11a and 11b rise.

Thus, in the first modification of the second embodiment, the flap plates 110 are provided above both sides of the supply rails 11a and 11b, thereby reducing the probability of pre-exclusion of the misaligned cuvettes 71. can be raised. Although the flap plate 110 has a two-stage configuration as an example, it may have a multi-stage configuration having three or more stages.

As described above, according to each embodiment, cuvettes that are not properly aligned can be eliminated in advance.

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

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 cuvette transport device 11 supply unit 11a, 11b supply rail 11c support member (driving unit)
11d rotation shaft (driving unit)
100 automatic analyzer 110 flap plate (plate-like member)
110a One end 110b Other end 120 Rotating shaft

Claims (10)

a supply unit that supplies the cuvettes stored in the storage unit to a supply destination unit;
with
The supply unit is
a supply rail provided within the storage unit;
a driving unit that supplies the cuvettes aligned on the supply rail to the supply destination unit by raising the supply rail in the storage unit;
Disposed above the supply rail, a pivot shaft is provided at one end, and a misaligned cuvette that is not aligned with the supply rail is brought into contact with the other end as the supply rail rises, a plate-shaped member for dropping the misaligned cuvette ;
Cuvette transport device with The other end of the plate member is
Lifted from a first position, which is an initial position, to a second position higher than the first position in accordance with the rise of the supply rail;
When the supply rail is lowered, it is lowered from the second position to the first position by gravity or spring force.
A cuvette transport device according to claim 1 . A plurality of the plate-shaped members are provided with respect to the rotation shaft,
3. A cuvette transport device according to claim 1 or 2 . The plate-shaped member is provided in multiple stages above the supply rail,
The cuvette transport device according to any one of claims 1-3 . The plate-shaped member is provided above both sides of the supply rail,
The cuvette transport device according to any one of claims 1-4 . The other end of the plate-shaped member has a tapered shape that tapers from the lower surface toward the upper surface of the plate-shaped member.
The cuvette transport device according to any one of claims 1-5 . The cuvette has a body portion that is a bottomed member with an open top, a top portion that is a hollow member provided on the opening side of the body portion, and a bottom portion of the top portion that has an outer diameter of and a flange that is a member larger than the outer diameter of the body,
The supply rail has a first rail and a second rail spaced apart by a predetermined distance,
The predetermined distance is a distance smaller than the flange and larger than the outer diameter of the body,
The misaligned cuvette is a cuvette in which the body is not arranged between the first rail and the second rail.
The cuvette transport device according to any one of claims 1-6 . a supply unit that supplies the cuvettes stored in the storage unit to a supply destination unit;
with
The supply unit is
a supply rail provided within the storage unit;
a driving unit that supplies the cuvettes aligned on the supply rail to the supply destination unit by raising the supply rail in the storage unit;
Disposed above the supply rail, a pivot shaft is provided at one end, and a misaligned cuvette that is not aligned with the supply rail is brought into contact with the other end as the supply rail rises, a plate-shaped member for dropping the misaligned cuvette;
with
The other end of the plate member is
Lifted from a first position, which is an initial position, to a second position higher than the first position in accordance with the rise of the supply rail;
When the supply rail is lowered, it is lowered from the second position to the first position by gravity or spring force.
Cuvette transfer device. a supply unit that supplies the cuvettes stored in the storage unit to a supply destination unit;
with
The supply unit is
a supply rail provided within the storage unit;
a driving unit that supplies the cuvettes aligned on the supply rail to the supply destination unit by raising the supply rail in the storage unit;
Disposed above the supply rail, a pivot shaft is provided at one end, and a misaligned cuvette that is not aligned with the supply rail is brought into contact with the other end as the supply rail rises, a plate-shaped member for dropping the misaligned cuvette;
with
The other end of the plate-shaped member has a tapered shape that tapers from the lower surface toward the upper surface of the plate-shaped member.
Cuvette transfer device. a storage unit for storing the cuvette;
a cuvette transporting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , which transports the cuvettes stored in the storage unit;
a photometry unit that puts at least one of a sample and a reagent into the cuvette conveyed by the cuvette conveying device, irradiates the cuvette with light, and measures the amount of light transmitted through the cuvette;
Automatic analyzer with

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