JP7428607B2 - Cleaning unit and automatic analysis device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to cleaning units and automatic analysis devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Automatic analyzers that automatically analyze samples such as blood and urine are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a reagent cooler that keeps cold a reagent to be mixed with a sample to be analyzed, a reagent disk that is stored in the reagent cooler and rotates, and a reagent disk that is attached to an outer side surface of the reagent disk. An automatic analyzer is described that includes an elastic member that contacts the inner wall of the reagent cold storage.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-6140

In the automatic analyzer described in Patent Document 1, the elastic member is replaced by grasping and pulling out the pull-out hook (paragraph 0025 of Patent Document 1, FIG. 5). However, the drawer hook is small and attachment/detachment work is complicated.
The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning unit and an automatic analysis device that are easy to attach and detach.

The cleaning unit of the present disclosure is a cleaning unit that cleans the inner surface of a reagent storage of an automatic analyzer that analyzes a specimen, and is configured to be accommodated in a reagent holder of a rotatable disk accommodated in the reagent storage. , a cleaning member for cleaning the inner surface of the reagent storage , the cleaning member being disposed below the reagent holder through a first opening formed at the bottom of the reagent holder, and cleaning the inner surface of the reagent storage. Includes an accessible lower cleaning member . Other solutions will be described later in the detailed description.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a cleaning unit and an automatic analysis device that are easy to attach and detach.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic analyzer viewed from above. It is a sectional view of a reagent storage. It is a top view of a reagent storage. It is a figure showing the internal structure of a cleaning unit. It is a sectional view of a cleaning unit, and is a figure showing a state where a shaft is located below. It is a sectional view of a cleaning unit, and is a figure showing a state where a shaft is located above. It is a figure explaining the structure of a flow rate adjustment board. FIG. 6 is a projection view of grooves formed in the flow rate adjustment plate onto the lower cleaning member. It is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning unit is installed in the reagent holder, and is a cross-sectional view of the reagent storage. It is a figure explaining the flow of the cleaning liquid which flowed out from a cleaning unit, and is a top view of a reagent storage. It is a flowchart explaining the cleaning method in an automatic analyzer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific hardware configuration of a control device included in the automatic analyzer. This is the first screen displayed on the display unit when executing the cleaning method. This is a second screen displayed on the display unit when executing the cleaning method. It is a time chart when carrying out a cleaning method. It is a sectional view of a cleaning unit of a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure explaining the cleaning method using the cleaning unit of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structure of the cleaning unit of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structure of the cleaning unit of a 4th embodiment. It is a figure explaining the cleaning method using the cleaning unit of 4th embodiment. It is a figure explaining movement of the lower cleaning member at the time of cleaning using the cleaning unit of a 1st embodiment. It is a figure explaining the movement of the lower cleaning member at the time of cleaning using the cleaning unit of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structure of the cleaning unit of a 6th embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structure of the cleaning unit of a 7th embodiment.

Hereinafter, modes for implementing the present disclosure (referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and, for example, different embodiments may be combined or arbitrarily modified without significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure. Further, the same members will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, items having the same function shall be given the same name. The illustrated contents are merely schematic, and for convenience of illustration, the actual configuration may be changed within a range that does not significantly impair the effects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the automatic analyzer 100 viewed from above. The automatic analyzer 100 automatically analyzes samples such as blood and urine. The automatic analyzer 100 is operated by an operating section 12. The operation unit 12 includes a display unit 12a and an input unit 12b, and allows an operator to input information through the input unit 12b based on information displayed on the display unit 12a. The operation unit 12 is, for example, a personal computer, and is used by a user to request an analysis using an automatic analyzer. The display section 12a is, for example, a display, and the input section 12b is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reagent storage 18. The automatic analyzer 100 includes a reagent storage 18 that accommodates a reagent container 20 to be mixed with a sample to be analyzed. The reagent storage 18 is, for example, a reagent cold storage. The reagent cooler can maintain the stored reagent containers 20 at a low temperature. Further, in the reagent cold storage, the inside is cooled by cooling the side surface 18d, for example. Therefore, condensation water is likely to form on the side surface 18d due to the difference between the temperature on the side surface 18d and the temperature inside the reagent cooler. However, even if dew condensation occurs, a cleaning unit 50 (described later) that cleans the inner surface 18b of the reagent container 18 can clean the condensed water adhering to the inner surface 18b.

The automatic analyzer 100 includes a third opening 18a above the reagent storage 18. The third opening 18a allows the reagent container 20 to be taken in and taken out of the reagent storage 18, and the reagent container 20 can be taken in and taken out through the third opening 18a. The automatic analyzer 100 includes an opening/closing member 17 (see also FIG. 1; an example of a closing member; a door or the like may be used) that closes the third opening 18a. In the illustrated example, a lid 16 is provided to cover the entire reagent storage 18, and a part of the lid 16 is provided with an opening/closing member 17. Although the lid 16 is fixed, the opening/closing member 17 can be opened and closed, and by opening the opening/closing member 17, the inside and outside of the reagent storage 18 are communicated. On the other hand, by closing the opening/closing member 17, the inside of the reagent storage 18 is kept cool. In the illustrated example, two reagent storages 18 are provided, and two lids 16 and two opening/closing members 17 are provided above them. However, the number of reagent containers 18 may be one, or three or more.

Returning to FIG. 1, the automatic analyzer 100 includes a specimen dispensing mechanism 13 that aspirates a specimen from a specimen container (not shown) loaded into the automatic analyzer 100 and discharges it into a reaction container 15. Furthermore, the automatic analyzer 100 includes a reagent dispensing mechanism 14 that sucks the reagent from the reagent container 20 (FIG. 2) through the hole 16a provided in the lid 16 through a reagent suction mechanism (not shown) and discharges it into the reaction container 15. Be prepared. In the reaction container 15, a sample and a reagent are mixed to produce a solution for analyzing the sample, and analysis results are obtained by applying a specific wavelength to the solution.

Returning to FIG. 2, the inner surface 18b of the reagent storage 18 includes a bottom surface 18c and a side surface 18d. The automatic analyzer 100 includes a rotatable disk 19 that includes a reagent holder 19a that accommodates a reagent container 20. A portion of the bottom of the reagent holder 19a is cut out to form a first opening 19b. The disk 19 has an annular shape when viewed from above, and is accommodated in a reagent storage 18 which also has an annular shape when viewed from above. The disk 19 is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 21 in each of the forward and reverse directions as shown by thick arrows 22 .

The bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18 has a slope that descends from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side, and the reagent storage 18 includes a drain port 23 on the bottom surface 18c on the outer circumferential side. Although details will be described later with reference to FIG. 10, the cleaning liquid W flowing out from the cleaning unit 50 is drained through the drain port 23.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the reagent storage 18. The disk 19 includes reagent holders 19a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and includes a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) reagent holders 19a in the radial direction. The reagent holder 19a has, for example, a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above. In the illustrated example, reagent containers 20 are accommodated in only some of the reagent holders 19a, and the remaining reagent holders 19a are empty. By housing the cleaning unit 50 in the reagent holder 19a and rotating the disk 19, the inner surface 18b of the reagent storage 18 is cleaned. The cleaning unit 50 will be explained.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the cleaning unit 50. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 4 shows a partially cut-out state. The cleaning unit 50 cleans the inner surface 18b (FIG. 2) of the reagent storage 18 (FIG. 2), and includes a cleaning member 5 that cleans the inner surface 18b. The cleaning member 5 includes at least one of an elastic member and a brush, and is a brush in the illustrated example. By including at least one of an elastic member or a brush, the inner surface 18b can be cleaned by wiping water with the elastic member or rubbing the inner surface 18b with the brush. The elastic member is, for example, a plate-shaped member made of, for example, rubber, resin, sponge, or the like. Among these, when the elastic member is a sponge, water droplets can be absorbed.

In the illustrated example, the cleaning member 5 is disposed below the reagent holder 19a through a first opening 19b (FIG. 9) formed at the bottom of the reagent holder 19a (FIG. 9) includes a lower cleaning member 6 that can be contacted. By including the lower cleaning member 6, the bottom surface 18c of the reagent container 18 can be cleaned by rotating the disk 19 (FIG. 9) while in contact with the bottom surface 18c. A specific cleaning method will be described later with reference to FIG.

The cleaning unit 50 includes a container 1, a shaft 4, a cap 8 (first flange), a flow rate adjustment plate 10 (second flange), and a seal member 7. The container 1 stores the cleaning liquid W (FIG. 5). The cleaning liquid W promotes the removal of dirt adhering to the bottom surface 18c (FIG. 2), and is, for example, water, an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, or the like. The upper part of the container 1 is open, and the opening is closed by a lid 3 (FIG. 5). This prevents the stored cleaning liquid W from overflowing.

The shaft 4 extends in and out of the container 1 through a second opening 1a formed at the bottom of the container 1, and a lower cleaning member 6, which is rectangular in top view, is connected to the outer end of the container 1, and extends in the vertical direction. It is movable. The cap 8 is formed into, for example, a circular flat plate shape, is placed inside the container 1, and is fixed to the shaft 4. The diameter of the cap 8 is larger than the diameter of the second opening 1a, which is formed into a circular shape, for example.

The flow rate adjustment plate 10 is configured in, for example, a circular flat plate shape, is arranged outside the container 1, and is fixed to the shaft 4. The diameter of the flow rate adjustment plate 10 is larger than the diameter of the second opening 1a. Moreover, a hollow part 1e whose wall thickness is partially reduced is formed in the lower part of the container 1, and the flow rate adjusting plate 10 is accommodated in the hollow part 1e. The hollow portion 1e is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the hollow portion 1e is longer than the diameter of the flow rate adjustment plate 10.

The sealing member 7 is, for example, an O-ring, and is arranged between the cap 8 and the flow rate adjusting plate 10. The seal member 7 is held in a groove formed on the side surface of the shaft 4, so that sliding of the seal member 7 with respect to the shaft 4 is suppressed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning unit 50, showing a state in which the shaft 4 is located below. In the illustrated example, a plurality of shafts 4 (two in the illustrated example) that act in the same manner are provided, and the lower cleaning members 6 include a first lower cleaning member 6a connected to one shaft 4, and a first lower cleaning member 6a connected to the other shaft 4. It includes a second lower cleaning member 6b connected to the shaft 4. Since the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b have the same function, unless otherwise specified, they will be collectively referred to as the lower cleaning member 6 to simplify the explanation.

The length L1 of the shaft 4 between the cap 8 and the flow rate adjustment plate 10 is the length L2 of the cleaning liquid flow path 1b connected to the second opening 1a and formed between the inner surface 1b1 and the side surface 4a of the shaft 4. longer than The length L2 is the distance between the bottom surface 1c and the outer bottom surface 1d. Therefore, by making the length L1 longer than the length L2, the shaft 4 can be moved in the vertical direction. When the shaft 4 is located downward, the cap 8 comes into contact with the bottom surface 1c of the container 1. Further, the sealing member 7 is arranged between the inner surface 1b1 of the cleaning liquid flow path 1b and the side surface 4a of the shaft 4. Therefore, the cleaning liquid flow path 1b connected to the second opening 1a is closed by the seal member 7. In particular, by arranging the seal member 7 at this position, the cleaning liquid flow path 1b can be closed by the frictional force generated between the inner surface 1b1, the seal member 7, and the side surface 4a, so that the seal strength can be improved.

In addition, by pushing the cap 8 using, for example, a finger or a jig in a state where the cleaning liquid W is not stored, the cap 8 can be brought into contact with the bottom surface 1c as shown in FIG. 5. By putting the cleaning liquid W into the container 1 in this state, the cleaning liquid W can be stored.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the cleaning unit 50, showing a state in which the shaft 4 is positioned upward. When the cleaning unit 50 is housed in the reagent holder 19a (FIG. 9), the lower cleaning member 6 is placed on the bottom surface 18c (FIG. 9). When the container 1 is pressed against the bottom surface 18c in this state, the container 1 moves downward by overcoming the frictional force generated between the inner surface 1b1, the sealing member 7, and the side surface 4a. comes into contact with the outer bottom surface 1d of. Thereby, the position of the shaft 4 is located relatively upward in the container 1. At this time, the cleaning liquid flow path 1b is unblocked by the seal member 7. Thereby, as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 6, the cleaning liquid W inside the container 1 flows through the cleaning liquid flow path 1b along the side surface 4a of the shaft 4, and reaches the flow rate adjusting plate 10. Here, the structure of the flow rate adjusting plate 10 will be explained.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the flow rate adjustment plate 10. The flow rate adjustment plate 10 is provided with a groove 10c extending from below the second opening 1a (FIG. 6) to the edge 10b of the flow rate adjustment plate 10 on the surface facing the container 1 (FIG. 6). In the illustrated example, the groove 10c extends horizontally from the side surface 4a of the shaft 4 below the second opening 1a (FIG. 6) to the edge 10b.

By providing the groove 10c, the cleaning liquid W flowing through the cleaning liquid flow path 1b (FIG. 7) along the side surface 4a as shown by the broken line arrow and reaching the flow rate adjustment plate 10 is directed through the groove 10c as shown by the broken line arrow. It can flow out. Further, the cleaning liquid W flowing through the cleaning liquid flow path 1b formed in the entire circumferential direction of the shaft 4 is collected in the groove 10c, and flows out by falling in the vertical direction from the end 10d of the groove 10c. Therefore, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid W can be adjusted by adjusting the shape (for example, width, depth, etc.) of the groove 10c. Thereby, the outflow time of the cleaning liquid W can be adjusted, for example, so that the cleaning liquid W continues to flow out during cleaning.

FIG. 8 is a projection view of the groove 10c formed in the flow rate adjusting plate 10 onto the lower cleaning member 6. The projected position of the end portion 10d of the groove 10c on the edge 10b side onto a plane (illustrated plane in FIG. 8) including the upper surface 6c of the lower cleaning member 6 is different from the position of the upper surface 6c of the lower cleaning member 6. That is, in the top view seen from the container 1, the end portion 10d does not overlap the top surface 6c, but is at a different position. By doing so, the cleaning liquid W flowing through the groove 10c can fall directly onto the bottom surface 18c (FIG. 2) of the reagent storage 18 without directly falling onto the lower cleaning member 6, and the cleaning efficiency of the bottom surface 18c with the cleaning liquid W can be increased. You can improve.

As described above, in the cleaning unit 50, communication between the inside and outside of the container 1 can be controlled by moving the shaft 4 in the vertical direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, by positioning the shaft 4 downward, the second opening 1a can be closed, and the container 1 can be filled with the cleaning liquid W. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, by moving the shaft 4 upward, the cleaning liquid flow path 1b is unblocked by the seal member 7, and the cleaning liquid W in the container 1 can flow out. Thereby, the lower cleaning member 6 can clean the bottom surface 18c using the cleaning liquid W.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning unit 50 is installed in the reagent holder 19a, and is a sectional view of the reagent storage 18. The cleaning unit 50 is configured to be housed in the reagent holder 19a. Specifically, the external dimensions of the cleaning unit 50 are the same as those of the reagent container 20 (FIG. 2), except that the cleaning unit 50 can protrude downward from the lower cleaning member 6 through the first opening 19b (FIG. 9). Almost the same. Therefore, the cleaning unit 50 can be accommodated in the reagent holder 19a with the same effort as when the user accommodates the reagent container 20 in the reagent holder 19a. Therefore, the cleaning unit 50 can be easily attached and detached.

When the cleaning unit 50 storing the cleaning liquid W is housed in the reagent holder 19a, the lower cleaning member 6 of the cleaning unit 50 comes into contact with the bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18. When the cleaning unit 50 is pushed into the reagent holder 19a in this state, as shown in FIG. leak. After the outflow starts, the cleaning unit 50 moves in the circumferential direction by rotationally driving the disk 19 by the drive mechanism 21, and cleans the bottom surface 18c in the circumferential direction. The cleaning liquid W used for cleaning flows to the outer circumferential side due to the downward slope of the bottom surface 18c, and is drained to the outside of the automatic analyzer 100 through the drain port 23 formed on the outer circumferential side.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the cleaning liquid W flowing out from the cleaning unit 50, and is a top view of the reagent storage 18. When the disk 19 rotates normally (counterclockwise), the cleaning unit 50 moves counterclockwise while the cleaning liquid W flows out, so that the cleaning liquid W flows in the direction of the arrow 27. On the other hand, when the disk 19 is reversed (clockwise), the cleaning unit 50 moves clockwise while the cleaning liquid W flows out, so that the cleaning liquid W flows in the direction of the arrow 28. In either case, the cleaning liquid W flowing out from the cleaning unit 50 disposed on the inner peripheral side flows along the bottom surface 18c (FIG. 9) as shown by the arrow 26. Although the cleaning liquid W is drained through the drain port 23 in either case of normal rotation or reverse rotation, drainage can be promoted by switching between normal rotation and reverse rotation of the cleaning unit 50 near the drain port 23. .

As shown in FIG. 3 above, since a plurality of reagent holders 19a are arranged in the radial direction, a plurality of cleaning units 50 can also be accommodated in the radial direction. Therefore, different types of cleaning liquids W can be used in the cleaning unit 50 on the outer circumferential side and the cleaning unit 50 on the inner circumferential side. For example, by putting detergent in the cleaning unit 50 on the outer peripheral side and water in the cleaning unit 50 on the inner peripheral side, the bottom surface 18c cleaned by the detergent flowing out from the cleaning unit 50 on the outer peripheral side can be cleaned on the inner peripheral side. The water flowing out from the cleaning unit 50 and flowing toward the outer periphery due to centrifugal force can be used for washing. Thereby, cleaning efficiency can be improved.

The cleaning unit 50 is stored in a reagent holder 19a in which no reagent container 20 is stored, or in the case where reagent containers 20 are stored in all the reagent holders 19a, some of the reagent containers 20 are taken out to empty the reagent. What is necessary is just to accommodate it in the holder 19a. Therefore, it is not necessary to take out all the stored reagent containers 20 from the reagent storage 18 for cleaning. Since the cleaning unit 50 can be accommodated through the third opening 18a formed by opening the opening/closing member 17, there is no need to remove the lid 16 and the opening/closing member 17 to take out the disk 19. Therefore, the inner surface 18b of the reagent container 18 can be easily cleaned. By cleaning, dirt such as mold can be generated, and even if it occurs, it can be removed, so the atmosphere in the reagent storage 18 can be improved and deterioration of the reagent can be suppressed.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning method in the automatic analyzer 100. Although not shown, steps S107 to S109 of this cleaning method can be performed using the control device 70 (FIG. 12) provided in the automatic analyzer 100. Note that in this embodiment, steps S101 to S106, S110, S111, and S112 are performed manually by the operator.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a specific hardware configuration of the control device 70 provided in the automatic analysis device 100. The control device 70 includes, for example, a CPU 71 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 72 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 73 (Read Only Memory), an I/F 74 (Interface), and the like. The control device 70 is realized by loading a predetermined control program stored in the ROM 73 into the RAM 72 and executing it by the CPU 71.

Returning to FIG. 11, when the operator operates the operating section 12 (FIG. 12), the first screen 29 (FIG. 13) is displayed on the display section 12a (FIG. 12) in order to perform a cleaning operation.

FIG. 13 shows the first screen 29 displayed on the display section 12a when executing the cleaning method. When the operator operates the operation unit 12, the first screen 29 is displayed on the display unit 12a. Since the cleaning operation is a function to be performed periodically, it is desirable to display it as a maintenance item, for example, but it may belong to any item as long as it is displayed on the display section 12a. The operator selects and presses the "reagent container cleaning mode" button 29a on the first screen 29 (step S101). As a result, a signal for controlling the operation of cleaning the reagent storage of the automatic analyzer 100 is transmitted from the operation unit 12 to the automatic analyzer 100. As a result, the second screen 30 (FIG. 14) is displayed on the display section 12a.

Returning to FIG. 11, the operator opens the opening/closing member 17 (FIG. 2) (step S102) and stores the cleaning unit 50 in the reagent holder 19a of the disk 19 (step S103). Cleaning liquid W is stored in the housed cleaning unit 50, and at this point, the cleaning liquid W has not yet started flowing out.

FIG. 14 shows the second screen 30 displayed on the display section 12a when executing the cleaning method. The operator operates the operation unit 12 and inputs the number of cleaning cycles into the cleaning frequency input box 30a (step S104). Thereby, the operation unit 12 transmits a signal indicating the number of repetitions of the drive pattern of the cleaning operation to the automatic analysis device 100. By entering the number of cleanings, you can run the same program continuously. However, the input box 30a does not need to be displayed as long as the specified value is set in advance in the automatic analyzer 100. After the input, the operator closes the opening/closing member 17 (step S105 in FIG. 11), selects and presses the execution button 30b on the second screen 30 (step S106 in FIG. 11), and opens the bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18 ( The cleaning shown in FIG. 9) is started.

Returning to FIG. 11, the cleaning operation is performed by rotating the disk 19 forward and backward (step S107). The control device 70 of the automatic analyzer 100 rotates the disk 19 housing the cleaning unit 50 by sending a drive signal to the drive mechanism 21 . The bottom surface 18c is cleaned by the rotation of the disk 19, and dirt can be washed away. The control device repeats the cleaning the number of times inputted in step S104 (step S108). After completing the input number of cleanings, the control device performs a drainage operation by normal rotation of the disk 19 (step S109). As a result, the cleaning liquid W adhering to the bottom surface 18c is drained to the drain port 23 (FIG. 9).

After the draining is finished, when the completion of the cleaning operation is displayed on the display section 12a, the operator opens the opening/closing member 17 (step S110) and takes out the cleaning unit 50 from the reagent holder 19a (step S111). Then, when the operator closes the opening/closing member 17 (step S112), the cleaning method ends.

FIG. 15 is a time chart when executing the cleaning method. The cleaning operation is usually performed together with the draining operation. The cleaning operation involves repeating forward and reverse rotation of the disk 19 multiple times, and the draining operation involves repeating forward rotation. Here, one rotation in the forward direction or in the reverse direction means that the cleaning unit 50 makes one revolution around the annular bottom surface 18c. Therefore, in the illustrated example, during the cleaning operation, the cleaning unit 50 is driven in one cycle, that is, it rotates once in the forward direction, once in the reverse direction, once in the forward direction, and finally in the reverse direction. Go around once. Further, during the draining operation, the cleaning unit 50 repeats one revolution in the normal rotation direction four times. The rotational speed is, for example, the same in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction, but may be different.

In the illustrated example, the cleaning operation consists of forward rotation, reverse rotation, forward rotation, and reverse rotation in this order as one cycle, and only one cycle is illustrated, but the cleaning operation is performed with the number of cycles corresponding to the number of cleaning times input in step S104. It will be done. Further, the contents of one cycle are not limited to the illustrated example, and the cleaning operation can be performed only in forward rotation or only in reverse rotation. However, the cleaning operation preferably includes one or more forward rotations and one or more reverse rotations, and by alternately performing the forward rotations and reverse rotations, uneven cleaning can be suppressed and cleaning efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, the drainage operation is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be a combination of forward rotation and reverse rotation, or only reverse rotation. The number of rotations of the draining operation (four times in the illustrated example) can be determined depending on, for example, the size of the disk 19, the rotational speed of the disk 19, and the like.

According to the automatic analyzer 100, the inner surface 18b of the reagent storage 18 can be cleaned using the cleaning unit 50. Further, the cleaning unit 50 can be accommodated in the reagent holder 19a through the third opening 18a (FIG. 2) when necessary, such as during cleaning, and the cleaning unit 50 can be removed from the reagent holder 19a through the third opening 18a at other times. can. Therefore, the cleaning unit 50 can be attached and detached in the same manner as the reagent container 20 (FIG. 2) is accommodated and removed, and attachment and detachment can be easily performed.

In the illustrated example, the cleaning unit 50 is installed manually in the automatic analyzer 100, but, for example, an automatic analyzer equipped with a reagent autoloader (not shown) that can automatically transport the reagent container 20 to the disk 9 can be used. It is also applicable to a device (not shown). In this case, the cleaning unit 50 is automatically loaded using a reagent autoloader. In particular, when installing the cleaning unit 50 on the disk 9 with the reagent autoloader, it is preferable to operate the cleaning unit 50 so as to press it downward. This allows the shaft 4 to be moved upward, improving versatility.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the cleaning unit 501 of the second embodiment. In addition to the components of the cleaning unit 50 (FIG. 6) described above, the cleaning unit 501 is arranged on the side of the reagent holder 19a (FIG. 17) and can come into contact with the side surface 18d (FIG. 17) of the reagent storage 18. A side cleaning member 11 is provided. The side cleaning member 11 is included in the cleaning member 5, but unlike the lower cleaning member 6, the cleaning liquid W is not supplied to the side cleaning member 11. Therefore, the side cleaning member 11 cleans the side surface 18d by, for example, scraping off dirt, dew condensation, etc. adhering to the side surface 18d. The side cleaning member 11 is fixed to the container 1 via an arm 11a. The side cleaning member 11 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side, which is the direction in which the side cleaning member 11 is viewed from the container 1, and is arranged in the vertical direction.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning method using the cleaning unit 501 of the second embodiment. When the cleaning unit 50 is accommodated in the reagent holder 19a, the arm 11a is arranged above the side wall 19a1 of the reagent holder 19a. Thereby, the side cleaning member 11 is placed on the side of the reagent holder 19a and comes into contact with the side surface 18d. When the disk 19 is rotationally driven in this state, the side cleaning member 11 moves in the circumferential direction while cleaning the side surface 18d. As a result, the dirt, condensation water, etc. adhering to the side surface 18d fall to the bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18, and the fallen dirt, condensation water, etc. are collected by the lower cleaning member 6, and together with the cleaning liquid W, the drain port 23 (see Fig. 9) is drained from the water.

By providing the side cleaning member 11, the side surface 18d of the reagent storage 18 can be cleaned by rotating the disk 19 while in contact with the side surface 18d.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cleaning unit 502 according to the third embodiment. The cleaning unit 502 is the same as the cleaning unit 50 except that it includes a hole 10e instead of the groove 10c (FIG. 7) of the cleaning unit 50 described above. The flow rate adjusting plate 10 includes a hole 10e formed below the second opening 1a (FIG. 5). Note that the hole 10e and the groove 10c (FIG. 7) may be used together.

By providing the holes 10e, when the flow rate adjustment plate 10 contacts the outer bottom surface 1d of the container 1 as shown in FIG. It can flow out through the hole 10e. Furthermore, the cleaning liquid W flowing through the cleaning liquid flow path 1b formed in the entire circumferential direction of the shaft 4 is collected in the hole 10e and flows out. Therefore, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid W flowing out through the hole 10e can be increased. Further, the outflow speed of the cleaning liquid W can be adjusted by adjusting the shape (for example, size, etc.) of the hole 10e. Thereby, the outflow time of the cleaning liquid W can be adjusted, for example, so that the cleaning liquid W continues to flow out during cleaning.

Although not shown, the projection position of the hole 10e onto a surface including the upper surface 6c of the lower cleaning member 6 (for example, the illustrated surface in FIG. 8) and the position of the upper surface 6c of the lower cleaning member 6 are shown in FIG. Similarly to the end portion 10d of the groove 10c, the groove 10c is different. That is, in the cleaning unit 502, the hole 10e does not overlap the top surface 6c in the projection view. By doing so, the cleaning liquid W flowing out from the hole 10e can fall directly onto the bottom surface 18c (FIG. 2) of the reagent storage 18 without directly falling onto the lower cleaning member 6, and the cleaning liquid W can effectively clean the bottom surface 18c. can be improved.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cleaning unit 503 according to the fourth embodiment. The cleaning unit 503 is the same as the cleaning unit 50 (FIG. 7) except that the lower cleaning member 6 is rotatable (swingable) relative to the shaft 4.

The cleaning unit 503 includes a rotation shaft 35 disposed on the shaft 4. The rotation shaft 35 is, for example, a pin that penetrates the shaft 4 in the radial direction. The lower cleaning member 6 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 35 and is connected to the shaft 4 by the rotation shaft 35. By configuring the cleaning unit 503 in this way, the lower cleaning member 6 can be tilted in accordance with the slope of the bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18. Thereby, the contact area of the lower cleaning member 6 with the bottom surface 18c can be increased, and uneven cleaning can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the rotation shaft 35 is installed so that the lower cleaning member 6 can be rotated along the bottom surface 18c which has an inclination downward toward the outer circumference when installed in the reagent holder 19a (FIG. 9). By doing so, the lower cleaning member 6 can be tilted along the bottom surface 18c of the reagent storage 18 to increase the contact area.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning method using the cleaning unit 503 of the fourth embodiment. When the cleaning unit 503 is housed in the reagent holder 19a (FIG. 9), the shaft 4 is arranged vertically. In the example of FIG. 9, the bottom surface 18c is inclined, so the lower cleaning member 6 connected to the shaft 4 rotates along the slope of the bottom surface 18c. This increases the contact area between the lower cleaning member 6 and the bottom surface 18c. When the disk 9 (FIG. 9) is rotationally driven in this state, the cleaning unit 503 moves in the circumferential direction with an increased contact area with the bottom surface 18c, thereby suppressing uneven cleaning of the bottom surface 18c.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating movement of the lower cleaning member 6 during cleaning using the cleaning unit 50 of the first embodiment. As described with reference to FIG. 5, the lower cleaning member 6 includes a first lower cleaning member 6a and a second lower cleaning member 6b, both of which are rectangular in top view. A central axis L3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the first lower cleaning member 6a and a central axis L4 extending in the longitudinal direction of the second lower cleaning member 6b coincide with each other. The central axis here refers to a straight line passing through the center in the lateral direction.

When the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b move in the circumferential direction as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. The washed cleaning liquid W is directed toward the outer periphery of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b by centrifugal force, as shown by an arrow 38. Therefore, for example, the cleaning liquid W that has come into contact with the front side in the moving direction of the second lower cleaning member 6b on the inner peripheral side passes through the gap formed between the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b, and is directed backward. flows.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating movement of the lower cleaning member 6 during cleaning using the cleaning unit 504 of the fifth embodiment. Unlike the cleaning unit 50 of FIG. 21, the central axis L5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the first lower cleaning member 6a is different from the central axis L6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the second lower cleaning member 6b. By doing so, the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b can be tilted or shifted, and when the cleaning liquid W comes into contact with the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b, The flow of the cleaning liquid W can be adjusted, and the cleaning liquid W can be easily drained.

In the illustrated example, the central axis L5 and the central axis L6 are parallel but located at different positions. Specifically, the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b are each arranged to be tilted forward with respect to the normal rotation direction (direction of arrow 22). That is, in each of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b, the inner peripheral side is arranged on the rear side, and the outer peripheral side is arranged on the front side. As a result, the central axis L6 of the second lower cleaning member 6b on the inner circumferential side is arranged further forward in the normal rotation direction than the central axis L5 of the first lower cleaning member 6a on the outer circumferential side.

When the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b move in the circumferential direction as shown by solid line arrows in FIG. 22, they come into contact with the front sides of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b in their respective movement directions. The washed cleaning liquid W flows as shown by an arrow 39. That is, the cleaning liquid W that has come into contact with the second lower cleaning member 6b on the inner circumference side flows toward the outer circumference along the front side of the second lower cleaning member 6b that tilts forward, against the centrifugal force. The cleaning liquid W flowing toward the outer periphery contacts the first lower cleaning member 6a that is also tilted forward and is adjacent to the second lower cleaning member 6b, and flows toward the outer periphery along the front side of the first lower cleaning member 6a. , reaching the outer circumferential side of the bottom surface 18c.

By doing so, the cleaning liquid W that has come into contact with the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b can flow from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side, so that uneven flow can be suppressed and drainage It can be easily poured into the mouth 23. Thereby, excess cleaning liquid W can be quickly drained, and cleaning efficiency can be improved.

The degree of forward inclination of each of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b, that is, the angles θ1 and θ2 of the central axes L5 and L6 with respect to the central axes L3 and L4, is determined by the degree of forward inclination of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b. It is preferable that the angle is such that the first lower cleaning member 6a on the outer circumferential side can receive the cleaning liquid W flowing toward the outer circumferential side from 6b by centrifugal force (an angle that causes a flow as shown by arrow 39). Specifically, the angles θ1 and θ2 are each, for example, 45° or less, preferably 30° or less. By setting the angles θ1 and θ2 within this range, the flow of the cleaning liquid W shown by the arrow 39 can be formed. Note that the angle θ1 of the central axis L5 with respect to the central axes L3 and L4 and the angle θ2 of the central axis L6 with respect to the central axes L3 and L4 may be the same or different, but are preferably the same.

Further, the length of the gap formed between the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b is the same in the example of FIG. 21 and the example of FIG. 21, but may be different. The length of the gap here refers to the distance between the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b at the portion where the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b are closest to each other. The length of the gap may be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the placement locations of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b, and by adjusting the respective widths of the first lower cleaning member 6a and the second lower cleaning member 6b. may be changed.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cleaning unit 505 according to the sixth embodiment. The cleaning unit 505 is the same as the cleaning unit 50 except that the seal member 7 is disposed at a different location from the cleaning unit 50 (FIG. 5) described above.

In the cleaning unit 505, the sealing member 7 is arranged between the bottom surface 1c of the container 1 and the cap 8. By arranging the sealing member 7 in this position, the shaft 4 can be moved downward by its own weight and the cleaning liquid flow path 1b can be closed, so that there is no need to manually push down the shaft 4 when filling the container 1 with the cleaning liquid W. can be omitted. Further, by simply moving the shaft 4 slightly upward, a gap can be formed between the bottom surface 1c of the container 1 or the cap 8 and the seal member 7, and the cleaning liquid W can easily flow out. For example, the seal member 7 can be arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the second opening 1a, or can be arranged in an annular shape along the lower surface of the cap 8, which is circular in top view, along the edge.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the cleaning unit 506 of the seventh embodiment. The cleaning unit 506 is the same as the cleaning unit 501 (FIG. 16) except that the side cleaning members 11 are arranged to be inclined in the vertical direction.

In the cleaning unit 506, the side cleaning member 11 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side, which is the direction in which the side cleaning member 11 is viewed from the container 1, and has an inclination of an angle θ3 with respect to the vertical direction indicated by a broken line L7. will be placed. By adjusting the angle θ3 of the center line L8 of the side cleaning member 11 with respect to the vertical direction, dirt adhering to the side surface 18d (FIG. 17) can be easily removed to the bottom surface 18c. The angle θ3 is, for example, 20° or less.

Regarding the form of inclination, when cleaning using the cleaning unit 506, the side cleaning member 11 can be inclined so that the upper side of the side cleaning member 11 is the front side with respect to the rotational drive direction of the disk 19 (FIG. 17). preferable. By doing so, for example, when the disk 19 rotates normally, dirt adhering to the side surface 18d can be pushed downward along the surface of the side cleaning member 11. Thereby, the dirt removed from the side surface 18d is quickly pushed out to the bottom surface 18c, so that the cleaning efficiency of the side surface 18d can be improved.

Additional notes regarding the above disclosure are as follows.
(Additional note 1)
A cleaning unit that cleans the inner surface of a reagent storage of an automatic analyzer that analyzes a specimen,
configured to be accommodated in a reagent holder of a rotatable disk accommodated in the reagent storage;
A cleaning unit comprising: a cleaning member that cleans the inner surface of the reagent storage.
(Additional note 2)
Supplementary note 1, wherein the cleaning member includes a lower cleaning member that is disposed below the reagent holder through a first opening formed at a lower part of the reagent holder and can come into contact with the bottom surface of the reagent storage. Cleaning unit as described.
(Additional note 3)
a container for storing cleaning liquid;
a shaft that extends in and out of the container through a second opening formed at a lower portion of the container, the lower cleaning member is connected to an outer end of the container, and is movable in an up-down direction;
a first flange disposed inside the container and fixed to the shaft;
a second flange located on the exterior of the container and fixed to the shaft;
a seal member disposed between the first flange and the second flange,
When the shaft is located downward, the cleaning liquid flow path connected to the second opening is closed by the sealing member,
The cleaning unit according to appendix 2, wherein when the shaft is located upward, the cleaning liquid flow path is unoccluded by the sealing member.
(Additional note 4)
The cleaning unit according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning member includes a side cleaning member that is disposed on a side of the reagent holder and can come into contact with a side surface of the reagent storage. .
(Appendix 5)
a rotatable disk comprising a reagent holder containing a reagent container;
a reagent storage housing the disk;
An automatic analysis device comprising: a cleaning unit that is configured to be housed in the reagent holder and includes a cleaning member that cleans the inner surface of the reagent storage.
(Appendix 6)
The second flange is
a hole formed below the second opening, or
a groove extending from below the second opening to the edge of the second flange on the side facing the container;
The cleaning unit according to supplementary note 3, comprising at least one of the following.
(Appendix 7)
The projected position of either the hole or the end of the groove on the edge side onto a plane including the upper surface of the lower cleaning member is different from the upper surface of the lower cleaning member. The cleaning unit described in appendix 6.
(Appendix 8)
The cleaning unit according to appendix 3, wherein the sealing member is disposed between an inner surface of the cleaning liquid flow path and a side surface of the shaft.
(Appendix 9)
The cleaning unit according to appendix 3, wherein the sealing member is disposed between the bottom surface of the container and the first flange.
(Appendix 10)
a rotation axis disposed on the shaft;
The cleaning unit according to appendix 3, wherein the lower cleaning member is rotatable about the rotation shaft.
(Appendix 11)
The lower cleaning member includes a first lower cleaning member and a second lower cleaning member, both of which are rectangular in top view,
A longitudinally extending central axis of the first lower cleaning member is different from a longitudinally extending central axis of the second lower cleaning member.
The cleaning unit according to appendix 2 or 3, characterized in that:
(Appendix 12)
The cleaning unit according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning member includes at least one of an elastic member and a brush.
(Appendix 13)
The cleaning unit according to appendix 4, wherein the side cleaning member has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side and is arranged with an inclination with respect to the vertical direction.
(Appendix 14)
The automatic analyzer according to appendix 5, wherein the reagent storage is a reagent cold storage.
(Additional note 15)
The automatic analyzer according to appendix 5, further comprising a closing member that closes a third opening through which the reagent container can be taken in and out of the reagent storage.

1 Container 10 Flow rate adjusting plate (second flange)
100 Automatic analyzer 10b Rim 10c Groove 10d End 10e Hole 11 Side cleaning member 11a Arm 12 Operation section 12a Display section 12b Input section 13 Sample dispensing mechanism 14 Reagent dispensing mechanism 15 Reaction container 16 Lid 16a Hole 17 Opening/closing member ( closure member)
18 Reagent storage 18a Third opening 18b Inner surface 18c Bottom surface 18d Side surface 19 Disk 19a Reagent holder 19a1 Side wall 19b First opening 1a Second opening 1b Cleaning liquid channel 1b1 Inner surface 1c Bottom surface 1d Outer bottom surface 1e Hollow part 20 Reagent container 21 Drive mechanism 22 , 26, 27, 28, 38, 39 Arrow 23 Drain port 29 First screen 29a Button 3 Lid 30 Second screen 30a Input box 30b Execution button 35 Rotation axis 4 Shaft 4a Side 5 Cleaning member 50, 501, 502, 503 , 504, 505, 506 Cleaning unit 6 Lower cleaning member 6a First lower cleaning member 6b Second lower cleaning member 7 Seal member 70 Control device 71 CPU
72 RAM
73 ROM
74 I/F
8 Cap (first flange)
9 Disc L1, L2 Length L3, L4, L5, L6 Central axis W Cleaning liquid θ1, θ2, θ3 Angle

Claims (4)

A cleaning unit that cleans the inner surface of a reagent storage of an automatic analyzer that analyzes a specimen,
configured to be accommodated in a reagent holder of a rotatable disk accommodated in the reagent storage;
a cleaning member for cleaning the inner surface of the reagent storage ;
The cleaning member includes a lower cleaning member that is disposed below the reagent holder through a first opening formed at a lower part of the reagent holder and can contact the bottom surface of the reagent storage.
A cleaning unit characterized by: a container for storing cleaning liquid;
a shaft that extends in and out of the container through a second opening formed at a lower portion of the container, the lower cleaning member is connected to an outer end of the container, and is movable in an up-down direction;
a first flange disposed inside the container and fixed to the shaft;
a second flange located on the exterior of the container and fixed to the shaft;
a seal member disposed between the first flange and the second flange,
When the shaft is located downward, the cleaning liquid flow path connected to the second opening is closed by the sealing member,
The cleaning unit according to claim 1 , wherein when the shaft is located upward, the cleaning liquid flow path is no longer blocked by the seal member. The cleaning unit according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the cleaning member includes a side cleaning member that is arranged on a side of the reagent holder and can come into contact with a side surface of the reagent storage. a rotatable disk comprising a reagent holder containing a reagent container;
a reagent storage housing the disk;
a cleaning unit that is configured to be housed in the reagent holder and includes a cleaning member that cleans the inner surface of the reagent storage ;
The cleaning member includes a lower cleaning member that is disposed below the reagent holder through a first opening formed at a lower part of the reagent holder and can contact the bottom surface of the reagent storage.
An automatic analyzer characterized by:

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