JPH05302924A - Reagent container for automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a reagent container for an automatic analyzer having the simple probe moving mechansim without a special identifying means, which can be set with excellent space efficiency even if a plurality of reagents are required for the same item. CONSTITUTION:This is a reagent container used for an immunological automatic analyzer. A carrier container, which houses carriers 2 wherein antigen, antibody or reagent for analyzing the same item is made to be the solid phase, and a one or a plurality of reagent tanks 4, which individually contain one or plural kinds of liquid-state reagents required for analyzing the same item, are provided on the same supporting body 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reagent container used for an immunological automatic analyzer used in a clinical laboratory of a hospital or a laboratory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an immunological analysis method, a heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay method has been generally used. This heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay uses an insoluble carrier, for example, a synthetic resin such as plastic or glass beads, and an enzyme-labeled antibody or enzyme-labeled antigen that has reacted with the antigen or the antibody and unreacted B / This is a method of quantifying a test substance by performing F separation and obtaining the activity amount of the labeling enzyme after the B / F separation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an analysis process of the above-mentioned heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay method. The analysis process will be described with reference to FIG. 5. First, an antibody or an antigen that causes an antigen-antibody reaction with the test substance in the sample is immobilized on the insoluble carrier 21 in advance. Next, the carrier 21 and the sample are allowed to undergo an antigen-antibody reaction to bind the test substance 22 in the sample to the carrier 21. Next, after washing and B / F separation, the carrier 21 is allowed to react with the test substance 22 by a labeling reagent 23 in which a substance that causes an antigen-antibody reaction is labeled with an enzyme to cause an antigen-antibody reaction. Then, after washing again and B / F separation, a coloring reagent that reacts with the labeling enzyme in the labeling reagent 23 is added and reacted, and the reaction solution is subjected to colorimetric measurement to obtain the enzyme activity of the labeling enzyme. The test substance 22 is quantified.

Quantitative analysis of various samples based on this enzyme immunoassay is performed by an immunological automatic analyzer.
In this automatic immunological analyzer, a large number of carriers, each having an antigen or an antibody that causes an antigen-antibody reaction specifically with a test substance in a sample immobilized, are housed in a carrier container and taken out one by one. The sample and the buffer solution to be analyzed are supplied to the reaction vessels sequentially conveyed at a predetermined pitch, and the carrier and the sample are reacted. Also,
A buffer, a labeling reagent in which a substance that causes an antigen-antibody reaction with a test substance in a sample is labeled with an enzyme, and a coloring reagent that reacts with an enzyme in the labeling reagent is stored in a liquid state in each container, It is configured to be sequentially transported to the corresponding reaction container according to the test substance.

[0005]

As a container for containing a reagent used in the above-mentioned immunological automatic analyzer, for example, JP-A-61-258171 and JP-A-56-1470.
In JP-A-70, a reagent container for an automatic analyzer is known. Of these reagent containers, one reagent container contains only a single reagent, so if multiple reagents are required for the same item, each reagent container must be set separately in the automatic analyzer. In addition, it is separate from the carrier on which the antigen, antibody or reagent is solid-phased, and the carrier needs to be transferred from its original container to a dedicated container for an automatic analyzer, or replaced, which causes the following problems. Was occurring.

(1) Since a plurality of reagent containers must be set in the automatic analyzer, the setting is complicated. In particular,
When there are a wide variety of analysis items, the types of reagents to be set in the automatic analyzer also increase, and setting mistakes are likely to occur.
Due to the nature of the clinical test in which the reagent container of the present invention is used, this set error can even affect human life and must be absolutely prevented. (2) Space efficiency is poor because the reagent container is divided into multiple parts even within the same item. This is because if the reagent containers are too close to each other, it will be difficult for the operator to set them. For this reason, the automatic analyzer itself has become large.

(3) Since reagent containers are divided into a plurality of items even within the same item, means for identifying the same item is required. In particular, when a bar code is used as the identification means, it is necessary to take measures such as arranging the reagent containers on the same circumference, and the space cannot be effectively used. In addition, in that case, a barcode must be attached to a large number of reagent containers, and a complicated mechanism and determination means are required for reading by an automatic analyzer for determination.
Therefore, the automatic analyzer was complicated and large. (4) Since the reagent collection positions of the probes for collecting the reagents are scattered over a wide area, the mechanism for transferring the probes becomes complicated, which causes the cost of the apparatus to increase.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems,
An attempt to provide a reagent container for an automatic analyzer which is easy to set even if a plurality of reagents are required for the same item, has good space efficiency, does not require an identification means, and has a simple probe transfer mechanism. Is.

[0009]

A reagent container for an automatic analyzer according to the present invention is a reagent container used in an immunological automatic analyzer, and contains an antigen, an antibody or a reagent necessary for analyzing the same item. A carrier storage container for storing a solid-phase carrier, and one or more reagent tanks for separately storing one or more types of liquid reagents necessary for analyzing the same item,
It is characterized in that they are provided on the same support.

[0010]

In the above-described structure, the carrier storage container for storing all the carriers necessary for analyzing the same item and all the reagent tanks are provided on the same support and integrated, so that the same item is obtained. Even when a plurality of carriers and reagents are required, the setting is simple, no particular identification means is required, the space efficiency is good, and the probe transfer mechanism can be simplified.

[0011]

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of an example of a reagent container for an automatic analyzer according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the reagent container of the present invention is the same as the carrier container 3 for housing the carrier 2 having the antigen, antibody or reagent solid phase necessary for analyzing the same item on the support 1 and the same item. One or more (here, two) reagent tanks 4 (4-1, 4-2) that separately store one or more types of liquid reagents necessary for
Is provided and configured. A bar code 5 in which information such as items and expiration dates is described is provided on the side surface of the support 1. The carrier storage container 3 is configured by forming a plurality of vertical holes 3-2 capable of housing a plurality of carriers 2 separately in the container body 3-1. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the support 1 has a shape for accommodating the carrier accommodating container 3 and the reagent tank 4, but these 3 members may be partly integrated or may be integrated depending on the use or molding. All may be integrally formed.

In the reagent container shown in FIG. 1, since the carrier 2 and the reagent tank 4 used for one-item analysis are made into one pack, the carrier 2 and the reagent tank 4 can be easily set in the automatic analyzer, Further, the movement stroke of the probe at the time of carrying the carrier 2 and the reagent in the reagent tank 4 to the reaction container can be reduced. Further, due to the simplification of the carrier storage container 3, the carrier moving unit can only take out the carriers in order from the carrier storage container 3 and the carrier carry-out error does not occur.

Further, the user simply sets the reagent container of the corresponding analysis item at a predetermined position of the automatic analyzer, and the apparatus automatically reads the information such as the inspection item and the expiration date from the bar code 4, and if necessary, Can be configured to notify the user accordingly. For example, when the expiration date has expired, the user who knows that by the warning need only replace the reagent container. Further, since the expiration dates of a plurality of reagents in the reagent container are the same, the possibility of mistakenly taken by the user is greatly reduced.

Further, it is economically advantageous if one or a plurality of reagents can be independently exchanged in the reagent container. In particular, it is very advantageous when only one kind of reagent has a short life. In this case, if the barcode 4 is provided with information independently for each reagent, the device can automatically determine the life of the reagent.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of another example of the reagent container for an automatic analyzer of the present invention. 2, the same members as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. 2 differs from FIG. 1 in that the outer shape of the reagent container is wedge-shaped with respect to the line AA in FIG. 2 and the carrier storage container 3 and the support 1 are integrated by resin molding, for example. That is the point. Further, unlike the example shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of vertical holes 3-2 of the carrier storage container 3 are communicated with each other. In FIG. 2, the integrated parts are the container body 3-1 and the vertical hole 3-2 of the carrier accommodating part 3, the legs 1-2 of the support 1, the reagent tank upper surface height adjusting part 1-3, and the reagent tank fixing. Plates 1-4.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the reagent tank upper surface height adjusting section 1-3 is configured so that the carrier container upper surface B and the reagent tank upper surfaces C and D are flush with each other. With this configuration, a simple means such as a flat plate can be used as a means for protecting the reagent from the reagent tank 4 from vaporization and the carrier 2 in the carrier storage container 3 from being dried. The legs 1-2 are for facilitating positioning when the reagent container is placed on the device or a turntable for transportation, and for maintaining stability even when placed on an uneven surface or the like. Since the legs 1-2 have three points, the stability is even higher. Further, since the carrier storage container 3 has a simple structure in which a plurality of vertical holes are communicated with each other, the carrier of the manufacturer can be easily filled with the carrier and the user can easily discharge the carrier. It is also advantageous in handling a carrier on which a protein is immobilized.

In the reagent container shown in FIG. 2, a part of the mold used for molding is replaceable so that the dimensions and shapes of the reagent tank adjusting section 1-3 and the reagent tank fixing plate 1-4 can be changed. It is possible to create various shapes. For example, in the example shown in FIG.
Although −1 and 4-2 have the same shape, it is also possible to combine and use reagent tanks having different shapes.

Since the reagent container shown in FIG. 2 has a wedge shape when viewed from above, it is very advantageous in terms of space when a plurality of reagent containers are placed on the turntable 11 as shown in FIG. Become. Further, when the apparatus is made to automatically read information such as items of reagent containers, as shown in FIG.
By rotating the turntable 11 and aligning the barcode 5 of the target reagent container with the reading position, the barcode reader 12 can be read by a simple mechanism.

[0019]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the carrier storage container for storing all the carriers required for analyzing the same item and all the reagent tanks are the same. Since it is provided on the support and integrated, even when multiple carriers and reagents are required for the same item, it is easy to set and does not require identification means, space efficiency is good, and the probe transfer mechanism is simple. Can be Moreover, since the space for setting the reagent container is small, the analyzer can be downsized. Furthermore, since it is not necessary for the user to transfer the carrier to the storage container, the complexity of the operation can be eliminated, and the risk of the operator touching the carrier on which the viral membrane of infectious disease is immobilized can be eliminated. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an example of a reagent container for an automatic analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of another example of the reagent container for an automatic analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which the reagent container of the present invention is placed on a turntable.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of reading information by a barcode reader in the example shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an analysis process of a heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay method.

[Brief description of symbols] 1 support 2 carrier 3 carrier storage container 4 (4-1, 4-2) reagent tank 5 bar code 11 turntable 12 bar code reader

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A carrier container for use in an immunological automatic analyzer, which contains a carrier on which an antigen, an antibody or a reagent necessary for analyzing the same item is immobilized.
For an automatic analyzer, characterized in that one or a plurality of reagent tanks for separately storing one or a plurality of liquid reagents necessary for analyzing the same item are provided on the same support. Reagent container.