JPH05180847A - Automatic cycler for analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an automatic cycler which can dissolve sample, dissolution- resistant at room temperature, into solvent without dispersing the solvent vapor around there and exhausting the solvent. CONSTITUTION:A container 23 with sample put in solvent is intermittently carried via a turn table 21, and a stirring station and an analyzing station are arranged at the position where the container 21 is stopped. The stirring station is provided with a magnetic stirrer 14 to stir sample solution in the container 23 and a heater 13 to heat sample in the container 23 as well as a reflux cooler 31 to cool vapor vaporized out of the container 23 and put it back into the container 23, so that the solvent, if vaporized out of the container 23 by heat, is cooled down by the reflux cooler 31 and put back into the container 23 again.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to an automatic cycler such as an automatic titrator, and more particularly to an automatic cycler for automatically analyzing a sample which is difficult to dissolve in a solvent at room temperature and dissolves at a high temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic cycler is a device for sequentially carrying a container such as a flask filled with a sample solution on a turntable or the like, and automatically injecting, stirring, and analyzing the sample solution.
It is configured as an automatic titrator. In such an automatic cycler, select an appropriate solvent from the target substance to be analyzed and its analysis method, fill the flask with it, put the sample in the same solvent, dissolve the sample in the solvent and analyze it. Supply to. However, many samples, such as polymer substances, which are difficult to dissolve in a solvent, particularly those which do not dissolve in a solvent at room temperature, require pretreatment such as heating.

[0003]

However, in the automatic cycler, it is difficult to heat the solvent in the sample container in front of the analysis station because the sample containers are sequentially sent by a turntable or the like. In addition, since volatile organic solvents such as alcohols are mainly used as the solvent,
If the sample container is heated during the automatic cycler, the solvent will evaporate from the sample container and the environment will be adversely affected. Further, since the consumption of the solvent is large, there is a problem that the concentration of the substance dissolved in the solvent becomes higher than the actual concentration, which causes an error in the analysis result. Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention, in an automatic cycler, is capable of dissolving a poorly soluble sample in a solvent at room temperature, vapor of the solvent does not scatter to the surroundings, and the solvent is not consumed automatically. The purpose is to provide a cycler.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a conveying means for sequentially and intermittently conveying containers filled with a sample solution, and the containers are sequentially arranged at positions where the containers are stopped by the conveying means. In the cycler for an automatic analyzer having the agitating station and the analyzing station, the agitating station comprises an agitating means for agitating the sample solution in the container, a heating means for heating the sample solution in the container, and an evaporation from the container. A cycler for an automatic analyzer is provided, which comprises a reflux cooling means for cooling the vapor and returning it to the container. As the heating means in this automatic cycler, for example, a metal block in which a heater is installed under a tray on which a container conveyed by the conveying means is placed to move up and down to heat the container by hitting the tray can be used. A magnetic stirrer that moves up and down together with the metal block can be used as the stirring means. Further, as the reflux cooling means, it is preferable that it is placed on a container tray on which a container conveyed by the conveying means is placed, moves up and down, is joined to an opening of the tray, and cools and recirculates vapor evaporated from the container. ..

[0005]

In the above automatic cycler according to the present invention, a stirring means for stirring the sample solution in the container and a heating means for heating the sample solution in the container are provided, and the vapor evaporated from the container is cooled into the container. Since it has a reflux cooling means for returning, by heating the sample solution in the container, even if the solvent or the like is evaporated, the vapor that escapes from the opening of the container is cooled by the reflux cooling means and returned to the container again, The solvent vapor and the like do not scatter to the outside, and the solvent in the sample container is not consumed. In the case where the reflux cooling means moves up and down on the tray on which the container transported by the transport means is placed and is joined to the opening of the tray to cool the vapor evaporated from the container by reflux, the transport cooling means It is possible to sequentially pre-treat the containers that are sequentially conveyed.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic cycler has a turntable 21 that rotates intermittently in the direction of the arrow. On this turntable, twelve circular through holes are arranged at 30 ° intervals around the rotation center. Then, the turntable 21 rotates intermittently every 30 °. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a container tray 22 made of a metal having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum is fitted into the through hole.
It is held around the through hole with a surrounding collar. Further, a container 23 such as a flask containing a solvent and a sample is placed on the container tray 22. Due to the intermittent rotation of the turntable 21, the container 23 is brought to a position where it sequentially stops,
Dispensing station 61 for dispensing a reagent for pretreatment, heating and stirring station 62 for heating and stirring the sample solution in container 23, cooling station 63 for cooling the sample solution in container 23, container The analysis stations 64 for titrimetrically analyzing the sample solution in 23 are sequentially arranged, and the container 23 moves in each station in this order by intermittently rotating the turntable 21.

The dispensing station 61 is provided with a sensor 65 for detecting the container 23. When the sensor 65 detects that the container 23 arrives at the station 61, the reagent from the buret 66 is stored in the container 23. Will be dispensed. In the heating and stirring station 62, a heating and stirring device and a reflux cooling device, which will be described later, are arranged on the upper side and the lower side, and these are controlled by the control drive unit 67 and are driven as required.

The cooling station 63 is provided with a nozzle 68 for blowing cold air onto the surface of the container 23. The cold air blown onto the container 23 from here causes the sample solution heated in the preceding heating and stirring station 62 to flow from the surface of the container 23. To be cooled. The analysis station 64 includes an analysis unit 70 that is driven up and down, and a controller 69 that controls the analysis unit 70. The analysis unit 70 includes a buret for injecting a reagent, an electrode for detection and measurement necessary for analysis, and the like. This analysis unit 70 has a container 2 below it.
When 3 is stopped, the tip of the burette and electrodes are inserted into it through the upper opening of the container 23, and the sample is analyzed according to the procedure programmed in the computer incorporated in the controller 69.

Next, the detailed structure of the heating and stirring station 62 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the heating and stirring device 11 is arranged below the turntable 21 and directly below the position where the container tray 22 stops. The heater that constitutes the heating stirrer 11 is
The heater 13 is incorporated in the metal block 12 having good thermal conductivity. The heater 13 is connected to the power source through the controller 67 (see FIG. 4) via the lead wire 13 ′, and the power from the power source is supplied. The output is controlled while being supplied. Although not shown, it is general to measure the temperature with a temperature measuring element such as a thermocouple provided on the metal block 12, and perform feedback control based on the measured temperature value.

The metal block 12 is fixed on the motor box 18 via a column, and the motor box 18 is provided with a guide column 5 standing on a frame 51.
It is fixed to a slider 55 which is slidably attached to the slider 6. Further, this slider 55 is
A screw shaft 54 that is rotated by a motor 52 via a screw is screwed together, and is driven up and down by the rotation of the motor 52. Therefore, the motor box 18 and the metal block 12 are moved up and down by the rotation of the motor 52. The motor 52 is driven by the controller 6 described above.
7 (see FIG. 4). Motor box 1
A motor 17 is housed inside 8, and the rotation of the motor 17 is transmitted via a gear 16 to a magnetic stirrer 14 and a cooling fan 15 which form an agitator. The magnetic stirrer 14 is housed in a recess provided in the center of the metal block 12, and the cooling fan 15 is arranged below the magnetic stirrer 14 to cool the magnetic stirrer 14.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a reflux condenser 31 is arranged on the turntable 21 and right above the position where the container tray 22 stops. This reflux condenser consists of a double glass tube, the inside of which is the reflux section 3
7, the outside of which is a cooling unit 34 for cooling it.
A pipe (not shown) is connected to the cooling unit 34 via the upper and lower joints 32 and 33 to supply cooling water.
A flange-shaped joint 35 is provided at the lower end of the reflux condenser 31, and a lower end opening 38 of the reflux portion 37 is opened at the center of the front end surface thereof. A circular step is formed around the opening 38 of the joint 35, and the O-ring 36 is formed there.
Is fitted.

The middle portion of the reflux cooler 31 is fixed by a fixing bracket 48, and upper and lower sides thereof are held by guide brackets 49, 49 slidably in the vertical direction. The guide brackets 49, 49 are attached to a U-shaped mounting bracket 46, and a slide rod 45 is vertically installed on the mounting bracket. The fixed bracket 48 fixed to the reflux cooler 31 has a rod 48 ′ erected from the fixed bracket 48 which slidably penetrates the base of an upper guide bracket 49 and a spring fitted outside the rod 48 ′. 47 is mounted between the fixed bracket 48 and the guide bracket 49, and an initial stress is applied in a direction to separate them vertically by elastic force.

The slide rod 45 has a frame 41.
Are vertically slidably supported by the tip ends of the brackets 42, 42 provided on the above-mentioned bracket 42, and are connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 43 via a cam mechanism 44. The cam mechanism 44 transmits the rotation of the rotation shaft of the motor 43 as vertical movement to the slide rod 45. When the motor 43 makes one rotation, the slide guide 45 and the mounting bracket 4 are moved.
6, the reflux condenser 31 is moved up and down via the spring 47 and the fixing bracket 48. The stroke for vertical movement is shown in Fig. 2.
The upper limit is the position of the reflux condenser 31 shown in Fig. 3 and the lower limit is the position of the reflux condenser 31 shown in Fig. 3. In this lower limit position,
The joint 35 of the reflux cooler 31 hits the opening edge 24 of the container 23, and while the O-ring 36 is crushed slightly, the center part thereof slightly enters the opening of the container 23. The spring 47 alleviates the impact reaction force that the reflux cooler 31 receives from the container 23 from the upper limit to the lower limit.

In this automatic cycler, as shown in FIG. 4, when the container 23 stops at the heating / stirring station 62, the controller 52 operates to drive the motor 52 shown in FIG. From the position indicated by
Push up to the position shown in FIG. Then, the metal block 1
The upper surface of 2 hits the lower surface of the container tray 22, and the container tray 22 is lifted slightly above the turntable 21. As a result, the heater 13 causes the metal block 12 to
The container 23 is heated via the container tray 22 and the sample solution a therein. Further, the motor 17 is also driven, the magnetic stirrer 14 and the cooling fan 15 are rotated, and the stirrer (not shown) previously placed in the container 23 is magnetically rotated to stir the sample solution a.

On the other hand, the operation of the controller 67 causes the motor 43 shown in FIG. 2 to rotate to push down the reflux cooler 31 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG.
The joint 35 is pressed against the opening edge portion 24 of the container 23 via, and the reflux portion 37 of the reflux cooler 31 is air-tightly connected to the inside of the container 23. By flowing the cooling water to the cooling unit 34 in this state, the vapor that evaporates from the solution a due to the heating of the sample solution a and rises to the cooling unit 34 is cooled by the surrounding cooling unit 34.
It is cooled by and becomes a liquid and is refluxed in the container 23.
After that, when heating, stirring, and reflux are completed, the heating stirrer 11 and the reflux cooler 31 return to their original positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. After that, when the next container 23 arrives at the heating and stirring station 62, the same operation is repeated again.

The above-described embodiment is an embodiment of the present invention, and each element can be changed appropriately. For example, instead of the turntable 21, it is possible to use a track-type transfer means or a conveyor-type transfer means. Further, the heater may be a hot plate type or a radiant heating type heater that heats from the surroundings.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, in an automatic cycler, a difficult sample can be dissolved in a solvent at room temperature, and the vapor of the solvent does not scatter to the surroundings.
It is possible to provide an automatic cycler that consumes no solvent.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of a lower configuration of a heating and stirring station showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of the upper configuration of the heating and stirring station showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of a central part configuration of a heating and stirring station showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of an automatic sucker.

[Explanation of symbols]

 a sample solution 11 heating stirrer 13 heater 14 magnetic stirrer 21 turntable 23 container 31 reflux condenser 62 heating stirrer station 64 analysis station

Claims (4)

[Reference number] 0910222-02 [Claims] 1. A cycler for an automatic analyzer, comprising: a transporting means for sequentially and intermittently transporting a container filled with a sample solution, the cycler for an automatic analyzer having an agitation station and an analysis station, which are sequentially arranged at a position where the container is stopped by the transporting means. The agitation station includes an agitation unit that agitates the sample solution in the container, a heating unit that heats the sample solution in the container, and a reflux cooling unit that cools the vapor evaporated from the container and returns it to the container. Cycler for automatic analyzers. 2. The heating means according to claim 1, wherein the heating means is a metal block incorporating a heater for raising and lowering under a tray on which a container conveyed by the conveying means is placed and heating the container by hitting the tray. Cycler for automatic analyzers characterized by. 3. The cycler for an automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the stirring means is a magnetic stirrer that moves up and down together with the metal block. 4. The reflux cooling means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reflux cooling means moves up and down on a container tray on which a container conveyed by the conveying means is placed, and is joined to an opening of the tray to remove the container from the container. A cycler for an automatic analyzer, which cools and recirculates vaporized vapor.