JPH036462B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a washing and drying device for reaction tubes in an automatic chemical analyzer.

As is well known, an automatic chemical analyzer sequentially dispenses a large number of samples such as serum or urine into reaction tubes, then injects reaction reagents containing the chemical components to be analyzed to proceed with the reaction. This is a device that performs analysis (referred to as colorimetric method) by shining light on the sample solution after reaction and measuring the amount of transmitted light. By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, a reaction tube 1 used in this apparatus is attached to an endless drive member 2 such as a chain and rotated. After the analysis is completed, the reaction tube 1 is inverted, placed in an inverted state, and the sample inside the reaction tube 1 is discharged, and washing water is supplied from the branch pipe 3 of the cleaning device into the discharged reaction tube 1. The cleaning apparatus is configured such that after cleaning, a wiping member 4 having a sponge attached to the tip is inserted to remove water inside the reaction tube 1. In addition, in the figure, 5 is a reaction tank.

However, since the sponge of this type of cleaning device is dry when it is first used, its outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the reaction tube into which it is inserted.
Therefore, not only is it not possible to completely remove the moisture adhering to the inner wall of the reaction tube 1, but the sponge at the beginning of use has poor compatibility with water and has extremely low water absorption, so the moisture must be fully absorbed into the sponge before measurement. There is a problem in that the vehicle must be run dry until the end. Further, minute dirt remaining in the reaction tube 1 accumulates on the sponge after long-term use, and the sponge causes contamination in the reaction tube 1.
Furthermore, the sponge gradually deteriorates due to the residual reaction reagent, and its lifespan is significantly shortened, resulting in many problems such as the need to frequently replace the sponge. Moreover, in this type of cleaning device, the reaction tubes are inverted to clean them, so it is necessary to use more reaction tubes than are required for the reaction, and the reaction tubes must be inverted. Since a space for moving the device in an inverted state is also required, it is not possible to downsize the automatic chemical analyzer.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 2, a large number of reaction tubes 1 are attached to an endless drive member 2 such as a chain, and this is rotated on a horizontal circumference while remaining upright, and after the analysis is completed, it is moved to position A. The sample inside the reaction tube 1 is suctioned and discharged by the suction nozzle 6, and then at position B, washing water is injected and suctioned from the nozzle 7, and at position C, a wiping member 8 with a sponge attached to the tip is inserted. A cleaning device is configured to remove moisture within the reaction tube 1. However, although this cleaning device does not invert the reaction tubes or use an excessive number of reaction tubes as shown in FIG. still remains.

This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is an automatic chemical analyzer in which a sample and a reaction reagent are added to a plurality of reaction tubes arranged in an endless drive member and sequentially transferred for a predetermined analysis. without turning the reaction tube upside down and without using a wiping member with a sponge attached.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning/drying device capable of removing droplets remaining in a reaction tube and drying the inside of the reaction tube.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a washing/drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a drying nozzle in the drying device.

In the figure, the drying device is a compressed gas supply section 1.
0, a drying nozzle 11, a waste liquid suction part 12, and a control part 16 for controlling the reciprocating movement of the nozzle body 18 in the drying nozzle 11, and as shown in FIG. At the top of position C of the reaction tube rotating horizontally on the circumference,
A drying nozzle 11 is arranged (therefore,
A drying nozzle 11 is placed in place of the wiping member 8 to which a sponge is attached. ).

The compressed gas supply unit 10 includes at least a compressor 13 for compressing gas, a valve 14, and a pipe 15 for circulating the compressed gas, and when the valve 14 (for example, a solenoid valve) is opened, the compressor 13 supplies air through the pipe 15. The drying nozzle 11 is configured to be able to supply compressed gas (for example, air) to the drying nozzle 11.

The drying nozzle 11 is controlled by a control unit 1 located at the top.
6 (for example, a solenoid) and a nozzle body 18 having a gas flow hole 17 for ejecting the supplied gas into the reaction tube, and a housing for housing the nozzle body 18 when the drying nozzle 11 is not in use. a support body 2 that supports the body 19 and the housing 19 and is movable up and down by a drive device (not shown).
It is mainly composed of 0 and 0.

The nozzle body 18 has a ring-shaped flange 2 approximately in the middle thereof.
1, and the shape of the cylindrical body located below the flange 21 is almost similar to the inner wall surface of the reaction tube 36, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical body is approximately 0.2 to 0.6 greater than the inner diameter of the reaction tube 37. mm, and near the center axis of the cylinder there is a gas flow hole that leads from the inlet 22 provided on the upper circumferential surface of the cylinder to the ejection port 23 provided at the bottom of the cylinder. 1
7 is perforated, and the flange 21 is further provided with a number of holes or cutout grooves 24 that communicate from the lower surface to the peripheral side surface.
is provided. The nozzle body 18 has its upper portion inserted into the upper cover plate 25 of the housing 19 and
9, the nozzle body 18 is inserted into the middle cylinder body 27 provided on the lower cover plate 26 of No. It is housed and supported by 19. A biasing member 29 (for example, a coil spring) is attached to the nozzle body 18 from the upper surface of the flange 21 provided on the nozzle body 18 to the upper cover plate 25 of the housing 19, and when the solenoid 16 is demagnetized. Biasing member 2
Due to the biasing force 9, the lower surface of the flange 21 is pushed to the inner cylinder 26.
The nozzle body 18 is configured to descend until it comes into contact with the upper end surface of the nozzle body. Note that the nozzle body 18 can be suitably formed using a soft synthetic resin with excellent chemical resistance, such as a fluororesin.

The housing 19 has an upper lid plate 25 and a lower lid plate 26 fixed to the upper and lower opening ends of the outer cylinder 30, respectively, and the middle cylinder 27 is fitted into the lower lid plate 26. A buffer member 31 is fixed to the lower end surface of the cylinder body 27 to absorb the impact when the open end of the reaction tube 37 comes into contact with it and to connect the open end of the reaction tube and the lower end surface of the middle cylinder body 27 in an airtight manner. The housing 19 is supported by a support 20 and is configured to be moved up and down as a whole by a drive mechanism (not shown). Further, a suction pipe 32 is inserted into the outer cylinder 30 from the outside to the inside of the housing 19, and inside the housing 19, the suction pipe 32 is bent and the suction port is connected to the lower lid plate. 26, and the outer cylinder body 30, the lower cover plate 26 and the middle cylinder body 27
The waste liquid accumulated in the space formed by this is sucked and discharged to the outside of the casing 19. moreover,
A waste air hole 33 through which gas flows out is bored in the upper circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 30.

The waste liquid suction unit 12 includes at least a suction pump 36 that sucks the waste liquid, a valve 34, and a pipe 35 that circulates the waste liquid, and includes a valve 34 (for example, a solenoid valve).
By opening the suction pump 36, the waste liquid in the housing 19 can be discharged through a pipe 35 connected to the suction pipe 32.

Next, the operation of the drying apparatus constructed as described above will be described.

First, in an automatic chemical analyzer, as shown in FIG. 2, a large number of reaction tubes are attached to a driving member such as a chain and rotated on an endless track while remaining upright. After the analysis is completed, the suction nozzle 6
After the sample in the reaction tube is suctioned and discharged, a cleaning liquid is injected into the reaction tube through the nozzle 7, and then the cleaning liquid is suctioned and discharged. Thereafter, the reaction tube with residual droplets still attached to its inner wall is moved to the washing and drying device.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing 19 is lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the reaction tube 3
A buffer member 31 abuts against the open end of 7 . Then,
When the solenoid 16 is demagnetized, the nozzle body 18 is lowered by the urging of the urging member 29 until the lower surface of the flange 21 comes into contact with the upper end surface of the middle cylindrical body 27, and the lower part of the nozzle body 18 reacts. It is inserted into the reaction tube 37 without contacting the tube 37. Then, compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas supply section 10 to the drying nozzle 11. That is, when the valve 14 is opened, the gas compressed by the compressor 13 flows into the pipe 15.
It is supplied to the suction port 22 through. The compressed gas passes through the gas flow hole 17 from the suction port 22, and passes through the jet port 23.
The liquid is ejected into the reaction tube 37. Since the open end of the reaction tube 37 and the lower end surface of the middle cylindrical body 27 are airtightly joined via the buffer member 31, the compressed gas ejected from the spout 23 is transferred to the nozzle body 18 and the reaction tube 3.
7. It flows from bottom to top through the gap formed by the buffer member 31 and the middle cylinder body 27. At the same time, the compressed gas passes through the hole or notch 24 provided in the flange 21, accompanied by residual droplets adhering to the inner wall of the reaction tube 37, and then passes through the exhaust hole 33 provided in the outer cylinder 30. from the casing 19. On the other hand, the entrained residual droplets are removed from the outer cylinder 30,
The waste liquid is stored in the space formed by the lower lid plate 26 and the middle cylinder body 27, and the waste liquid is discharged to the outside of the casing 19 by the suction section 12. That is, when the valve 34 is opened, the waste liquid is sucked into the suction pipe 32 and the pipe 35 by the suction pump 36 and discharged.

After removing the residual droplets in the reaction tube 36 and drying the inside of the reaction tube 37, the nozzle body 18 rises against the urging force of the urging member 29 due to the energization of the solenoid 16 and comes into contact with the reaction tube 37. The nozzle body 18 is removed from the reaction tube 37 without doing so. Thereafter, the housing 19 is raised by a drive mechanism (not shown) to prepare for removing residual droplets adhering to the next moving reaction tube and drying the inside of the reaction tube.

The above operations are repeated to wash and dry the reaction tube rotating on the endless orbit.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, it goes without saying that this invention is not limited to the one embodiment described above, and includes various modifications as long as the gist of the invention is not changed.

According to this invention, the following effects can be achieved. In other words, the nozzle body is inserted into the reaction tube without coming into contact with the reaction tube, and the residual droplets are entrained by compressed gas, so the residual droplets can be completely and quickly discharged and the reaction can be carried out without damaging the reaction tube. The inside of the tube can be dried. The cleaning and drying apparatus of the present invention does not use a sponge to wipe the inner wall of the reaction tube, so even if it is used many times, it does not cause back contamination inside the reaction tube unlike when a sponge is used. Furthermore, since there is no need to replace the sponge, costs can be reduced accordingly. Furthermore, the washing and drying apparatus of the present invention is suitable for washing and drying reaction tubes arranged in an endless drive member and sequentially transferred in an upright state within a reaction tank, so that it can be used with the reaction tubes in an inverted state. This eliminates the need for unnecessary reaction tubes, such as those required for washing and drying, and it is possible to downsize the automatic chemical analyzer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic explanatory diagrams showing the principle of cleaning the inside of a reaction tube rotating on an endless orbit, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drying device which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a drying nozzle in the drying device. 10... Gas supply section, 11... Drying nozzle, 1
2... Suction part, 16... Control part (solenoid),
18... Nozzle body, 19... Housing, 20... Support body, 36... Suction pump, 37... Reaction tube.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic chemical analyzer in which samples and reaction reagents are added to a plurality of reaction tubes arranged on an endless drive member and sequentially transferred and subjected to a predetermined analysis, a cylindrical case having an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate is used. a support body that supports this housing and moves between a position above the reaction tube and a position in close contact with the reaction tube; a nozzle body that is movable up and down and whose tip part can reciprocate between the upper part of the reaction tube and the inside of the reaction tube; and an intermediate cylinder that is installed on the lower cover plate of the housing and forms a gap between the nozzle body and the nozzle body. a gas supply section that allows gas to pass through the nozzle body; and a gas supply section that allows gas to pass through the nozzle body, and when the support body comes into close contact with the reaction tube, the gas ejected from the tip of the nozzle body causes the middle cylinder body to be heated from the bottom of the reaction tube. It is characterized by comprising a suction pump that suctions waste liquid that is blown upward through the gap and accumulates at the bottom of the casing through a pipe inserted from outside the casing, and a control unit that controls the reciprocating movement of the nozzle body. Washing and drying equipment.