JPH04303772A - Automatic analyzer for biochemistry - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid not only the influence of contamination among reagents, but also the influence of contamination by a detergent. CONSTITUTION:Data about items receiving the influence of contamination among reagents and data about the reference of an item contaminated by a detergent and that detergent are previously input in a main CPU 30, those data are respectively made a down-load to CPUs 26a and 26b of each analyzing unit, and item-measuring order, and the washing method of a reacting vessel 15 and dispensers 20a, 20b for injecting separately the reagent are controlled with several analyzing units 12a, 12b.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer for performing biochemical tests on samples such as blood and urine, and more particularly to a single-multi type automatic analyzer.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic biochemical analyzer, a sample such as blood is dispensed into a reaction container, reagents are added to the sample for each measurement item, and reactions between the sample and the reagents are detected. In a reagent dispensing mechanism for dispensing reagents into reaction containers, a common reagent dispenser is used to dispense a plurality of reagents in order to simplify the device configuration. At this time, in order to reduce the influence of contamination between reagents, the relationship between items that are susceptible to contamination between reagents is set in advance in the instrument, and when analyzing reagents that are highly affected by contamination between reagents, A method has been proposed in which the order of analysis is controlled so that multiple items are analyzed in an order that thoroughly cleans the dispenser and reduces the influence of contamination to a negligible level (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-14542,
(See Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-47746). Furthermore, some recent automatic analyzers are designed to avoid contamination between reagents, automatically detect stains in reaction vessels over time, and automatically clean them with detergent.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present inventor investigated the relationship between many measurement items and detergents, and found that certain measurement items were affected by specific detergents, resulting in measured values becoming larger or smaller. It was discovered that some detergents can also cause contamination. However, although conventional automatic biochemical analyzers take into account contamination between reagents, none take into account contamination caused by detergents. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic biochemical analyzer that can avoid not only the effects of contamination between reagents but also the effects of contamination with detergents.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the present invention, the relationship between items susceptible to contamination between reagents, items susceptible to contamination by detergents, and their relationships with detergents are set in advance in the control unit. , the control unit controls either or both of the reagent dispensing order and the cleaning method to avoid the effects of contamination between reagents and contamination by detergent. For measurement items that are affected by contamination between reagents, reduce the effect of contamination by thoroughly cleaning the reagent dispenser and reaction container, or changing the measurement order of the items. When cleaning with detergent,
Check based on preset data regarding the relationship between contamination between the detergent and the measurement item, and if it is determined that the detergent will be affected, take measures to avoid the effect.
For example, washing with water without using detergent or using a different detergent may be performed.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an example of an automatic biochemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied. Samples such as blood are placed in sample containers, and there is a sample rack 2 in which multiple sample containers are arranged.
is moved along a belt conveyor type conveyance path 4. The transport path 4 consists of an outgoing path 4a for transporting the sample rack 2 from left to right in the figure, and a return path 4b for transporting the sample rack from right to left. In the figure, a sample rack supply section 6 for sending the sample rack 2 to the outward path 4a is provided at the left end of the outward path 4a, and a storage section 8 for storing the sample rack 2 after measurement is provided at the left end of the return path 4b. It is being In the figure, a rack standby section 10 is provided at the right end portion of the transport path 4, which temporarily accommodates the sample rack 2 sent on the outgoing path 4a, and sends it out to the incoming path 4b. Sample rack 2 is outbound 4
While the sample a is being transferred, it is stopped at the sample dispensing position of the analysis units 26a and 26b, and is dispensed into the reaction tubes of the analysis units 26a and 26b. On the return trip 4b, the sample that needs to be retested is re-dispensed in accordance with the measurement results of the sample dispensed and measured on the outbound trip 4a.

Two analysis units 12 are installed along the transport path 4.
a and 12b are arranged. Both have the same structure. In each analysis unit, a reaction disk 14 in which a reaction container 15 that also serves as a cuvette is arranged is placed near the transport path 4, and a reaction disk 14 is placed in the transport paths 4a and 4b.
A stopping device (not shown) is provided to stop the sample rack 2 at a sample dispensing position near the sample rack 4 . Conveyance path 4a or 4
A pipettor 16 equipped with a nozzle is disposed to dispense a sample from the sample rack 2 stopped on the sample rack 2 into the reaction container 15. Two turntable-type reagent stores 18a, 18b are arranged in each analysis unit 12a, 12b for dispensing reagents into the reaction container 15. Dispensers 20a and 20b are provided for dispensing. A cleaning mechanism 22 is provided to clean the reaction container after analysis is completed using the reaction disk 14. The reaction disk 14 is provided with an optical analysis section for measuring the reaction in the reaction container 15 containing the sample and reagent, but it is not shown.

The sample rack supply section 6 and the storage section 8 are provided with an interface and a CPU 24, and each analysis unit 12a and 12b is also provided with an interface and a CPU, respectively.
PUs 26a and 26b are provided, and the standby section 10 is also provided with an interface and a CPU 28. Those CPUs 24, 26a, 26b, 28 are main CPUs
It is connected to 30. The main CPU 30 also has C
An RT 32, a keyboard 34 and a printer 36 are connected.

[0008] Data regarding items affected by contamination between reagents and data regarding the relationship between items contaminated by detergent and the detergent are input in advance to the main CPU 30, and these data are input to the CPU 26 of each analysis unit.
The data are downloaded to the analysis units 12a and 26b, respectively, and the order of item measurement and the method of cleaning the reaction container 15 and dispensers 20a and 20b are controlled in each analysis unit 12a and 12b.

Since contamination between reagents is well known and measures have already been taken to avoid contamination between reagents, examples of items affected by detergents will be given here. For example, the item alkaline phosphatase is affected by the detergent Contaminon LA or Contaminon L (these are alkaline detergents, products of Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and for example, the measured value was 121, but the detergent Due to the influence, it becomes 110, and the correct measurement value is also 20.
The numerical value appears smaller, such as a value of 0 becoming 180 due to the influence of the detergent. For example, the item PL (phospholipids) is affected by the detergent Green 99L-100T (a product of Clean Chemical Co., Ltd.), and for example, the measured value was 182, but it became 215, and the measured value was also incorrect. 252 was 275
In this case, the numerical value appears large, such as .

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. Reagents and detergents necessary for measurement of each item are set in reagent storages 18a and 18b of the analysis unit. C of each analysis unit
For each item, data regarding contamination between reagents and data regarding contamination by detergent are downloaded from the main CPU 30 to the PUs 26a and 26b.

When the sample racks 2 are arranged in the supply unit 6 and the operation is started from the keyboard 34, the washing mechanism 22 washes them with washing water. After washing, water is poured into the reaction vessel 15 and a blank measurement is performed. When the reaction container 15, which has completed the blank measurement, moves to the sample dispensing position,
The sample rack 2 is sent along the outward path 4a of the transport path, is stopped at the sample dispensing position, and first, for the measurement item to be analyzed, the sample is reacted by the pipetter 16 by the amount of sample determined for each measurement item. It is dispensed into a container 15. After dispensing the sample, the nozzle of the pipettor 16 is moved to a washing pot (not shown), and the inside and outside of the nozzle are washed with pure water. Thereafter, the next item of the same sample or the next different sample is sequentially dispensed into other reaction vessels 15.

[0012] In the automatic analyzer according to the present invention,
In order to determine the next measurement item to be aspirated during the continuous sample aspiration and dispensing operations using a pipettor, when checking to see if there is any interference with the previous dispensing,
Even if the previous dispensing was detergent dispensing, it is also considered whether that measurement item is appropriate based on data regarding detergent contamination. Here, when expressed as "last minute dispensing",
Although this refers to contamination with the reagent probe, the same judgment should be applied to the reaction vessel to be dispensed, and consideration should also be given to contamination with the measurement item or detergent used in the reaction vessel just before (one week ago). Can be done. Data regarding contamination is set for each probe and reaction vessel.

When the reaction container 15 into which the sample has been dispensed by the reaction disk 14 moves to the reagent dispensing position, a predetermined amount of a predetermined reagent is sucked by the dispenser 20a or 20b and dispensed into the reaction container 15. . After dispensing, the probes of the dispensers 20a and 20b are moved to a cleaning position not shown in the figure, and the inside and outside of the probes are cleaned with pure water. Thereafter, the dispensers 20a and 20b move on to the next reagent dispensing operation.

[0014] The sample rack 2 travels on the outward path and waits in the standby section 10, waits for the analysis results of the samples, is sent out to the return path 4b, and is stored in the storage section 8. While moving on the return path 4b, the sample that needs to be retested is stopped at the sample dispensing position, and sample dispensing is performed again. In the reaction disk 14, the absorbance of a reaction solution containing a sample and a reagent is measured by a measuring section. After the analysis has been completed, the reaction vessel 15 is at a washing position where the reaction liquid is sucked and discharged, washed with water, and the water inside the reaction vessel is drained, thereby preparing it as a reaction vessel for a new sample.

The present invention is applicable not only to an automatic biochemical analyzer of the type in which a sample rack is moved by a belt conveyor as shown in FIG. 1, but also to an automatic biochemical analyzer of various types conventionally used. It can be applied to

[0016]

According to the present invention, not only contamination between reagents can be avoided, but also contamination with detergent can be avoided, so that the automatic cleaning function can be fully utilized. In addition, even if some detergents have excellent cleaning ability but cause stains on specific items, they can be effectively used for items that do not affect them.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an automatic biochemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Sample rack 4
Rack transport path 6
Rack supply section 8 Storage section 10 Standby section 12a, 12b Analysis unit 14 Reaction disk 15
Reaction container 16 Pipetter 18a, 18b Reagent storage 20a, 20b Dispenser 22 Cleaning mechanism 24, 26a, 26b, 28 Interface and CPU

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A reagent dispensing unit that dispenses a reagent into a reaction container containing a specimen using a reagent dispenser common to multiple types of reagents;
Equipped with a cleaning mechanism that can wash the reaction container after reaction and the reagent dispenser after dispensing reagents with detergent, and the relationship between items susceptible to contamination between reagents, items susceptible to contamination by detergents, and their detergents. The relationship between the two is set in advance in the control unit, and the control unit controls either or both of the reagent dispensing order and the cleaning method to avoid the effects of contamination between reagents and contamination by detergent. Automatic biochemical analyzer.