JPH0665990B2 - Method and apparatus for automatically supplying strip-shaped test strips for automatic analysis in body fluid component analysis - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a test strip automatic supply device that regularly and sequentially takes out a large number of test strips that have been randomly placed in a storage unit. Related to various automatic analysis systems.

Currently, the most commonly used test strips for analysis of blood and urine are, as shown in Fig. 2, a transparent plastic strip (21) with one end having a number of reagent parts (22) according to the number of measurement items. Is provided, and the other end is used as the grip portion (23). Further, although a small piece of filter paper impregnated with a reagent is adhered as a reagent part (22) with a double-sided adhesive tape (24) as shown in the figure, the reagent part (22) is formed by applying the reagent together with the base material.
There is also a film. There is also a grip part (23) provided with paint layers (25) and (26) on the front surface and the back surface thereof for the purpose of distinguishing the presence or absence of a test piece, the type, and other purposes.

These test pieces were originally so-called Di which are used to measure the concentration of the test substance after being immersed in the test sample and compared with a colorimetric sample.
It is used for p and Read type inspection, but now it is
The Read stage has been instrumentalized to enable quantitative or semi-quantitative measurement, and there are also automated ones from photometry to calculation, concentration display, and test strip discharge.

However, when the number of specimens increases in the present situation where the step of Dip depends on human hands, the test pieces are taken out one by one from the closed container and then dipped in the test liquid to compare with the color chart or the measurement with the optical measuring device. Repetition of the work of setting the test piece to the section and discarding the test piece for which measurement has been completed imposes a great burden on the operator. Moreover, since a constant reaction time is required, the operator is completely restrained during the measurement. Further, if it is done manually, the immersion time and the time after the immersion until the start of measurement are apt to vary, and a measurement error is likely to occur. Therefore, it is desirable to perform full automation including the Dip stage.

By the way, the test pieces that are usually supplied to the market are randomly placed in a closed container containing a desiccant with the grip portion facing outward, and the surfaces of the reagent portions face in different directions. Therefore, in order to achieve complete automation including the Dip stage, a mechanism or device for regularly taking out the test pieces is required. At present, a cassette type test device in which test pieces are regularly arranged in advance (Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-33872) or a tape type test tool (Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-20582) is proposed.
A test piece dedicated to these automatic analyzers is difficult in terms of cost and other aspects. That is, in the former, it takes time to arrange the reagent parts in a regular manner so that the surface of the reagent part faces a certain direction, and to put them in the cassette container.
It is difficult to use for the read type visual judgment.

The present invention has been made from such a viewpoint, and it is an object of the present invention to automatically supply a test piece or the like which is also used for visual judgment on the market as it is. And the present invention stores a test piece between a bottom surface (bottom portion) having a test piece fitting groove and at least one inner wall surface whose base portion is parallel to the test piece fitting groove in plan view and an inner wall surface facing the inner wall surface. The main point is that the test pieces are fitted into the grooves by relatively reciprocating the two, and the test pieces are taken out one by one from the storage section. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the device of the present invention, FIG. 3, and FIG.
The figure is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. 5 is a partial transverse sectional view thereof.
And this test strip automatic supply device (1) is
The hopper (3) for feeding the water is separated into a bottom part (4) and a side part (5), and the bottom part (4) moves back and forth along the slide shaft (6). A test piece fitting groove (7) into which one test piece (2) is fitted is provided on the surface (bottom surface) of the bottom portion (4) at right angles to the moving direction of the bottom portion (4), and the side portion (5) is the bottom portion. Two-sided wall portion (8) orthogonal to the moving direction of (4)
(9) and the two wall portions (10) and (11) parallel to the moving direction. And the inner wall surface (8) of the wall parts (8) and (9)
a) and (9a) are parallel to the groove (7) in a plan view (the ridgeline at the lower end of the inner wall surface is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove (7)), and each of the four
The part surrounded by the two inner wall surfaces and the bottom surface becomes the storage part (12) of the test piece (2). Only the bottom (4) is the wall (10), (11)
The width is narrower than the space between, and they are installed with a certain gap between them (10) and (11). Further, reference numeral (13) in the figure is a detector for detecting the presence or absence of the test piece (2), (14) is a lever of the reversing mechanism, (15) is a motor, and (16) is fixed to the bottom (4). Rack (17), a pinion gear attached to the motor shaft, (18) a light shield fixed to the lower side of the bottom,
(19) is disposed on the side of the light shielding plate (18) and has a bottom (4)
Is a detector for detecting the position of, and (20) is a controller.

Next, the operating state of the device (1) will be described. First, the bottom part (4) is inserted and supported by two slide shafts (6) and (6), and is rotated by a motor (15) via a rack (16) and a pinion gear (17) in forward and reverse directions (right and left in the figure). Direction). This movement is performed between the position where the test piece fitting groove (7) is slightly over the left inner wall surface (9a) (position A in FIG. 3) and the stop position D which is outside the right wall portion (8). Done in. Meanwhile, the position B in the storage part (12) and the right inner wall surface (8
Pass the position C (the position where the detector (13) is) beyond point a). Further, if necessary, it moves beyond the stop position D to the reversal position E (reversal will be described later in detail). In the movement of these bottom parts (4), the detector (19) detects that the light shielding plate (18) is interrupted when the groove (7) comes to the positions A and D in this example, and the motor ( 15) is reversed. If the test piece (2) is reversed,
The motor (15) is further rotated in the forward direction for a certain period of time from the position D to move it to the reversal position E.

Then, the bottom portion (4) moves backward after the groove (7) stops at the position D and the test piece (2) is taken out from the groove (7) by the automatic test piece operation mechanism (not shown), and then moves to the position A. Reach. Then, go forward and take in the test piece (2) at the position B (in the storage part), and at the position C, the presence of the test piece (2) is checked by the detector (13). If it is inside 7), the bottom portion (4) stops at the position where the groove (7) is D. The stopped state continues until the next operation command is issued. This operation command is, for example, after a predetermined time has passed since the previous stop state,
After the test strip automatic operation mechanism detects that the test strip (2) has been taken out from the groove (7), it is taken out from the control section (20).
On the other hand, if the test piece (2) is not detected in the groove (7), the bottom portion (4) moves backward from the position C, and the test piece (2) moves in the groove (7).
The reciprocating motion is continued until it is fitted into. Alternatively, the test piece (2) may be moved between A and D until it is fitted into the groove (7).

For position control such as movement and stop of these bottom parts (4), the control part (20) equipped with a CPU and a clock mechanism detects the detector (13).
This is performed by receiving a signal from (19) and giving a forward / reverse rotation or stop signal to the motor (15).

Since the inner wall surfaces (8a) and (9a) (or at least the bases thereof) are parallel to the groove (7) in plan view, the test piece (2)
With the movement of the bottom portion (4), they are aligned parallel to the groove (7) on the inner wall surface portion, and the fitting into the groove (7) is promoted.

If the inner wall surface (9a) on the left side is inclined as shown in the figure,
It is convenient to take out the test piece (2) which is agitated or imperfectly fitted in the inner wall surface (9a) from the groove (7). In order to achieve these purposes more completely, it is advisable to project the lower end portions (9b) of both ends of the wall portion (9) slightly below the bottom surface. On the other hand, the inner wall surface (8a) on the right side may be vertical, but it is desirable to chamfer it so that even if the test piece (2) is slightly warped, it can be guided well into the groove.

On the other hand, if the test piece (2) is clogged in the gap between the bottom part (4) and the lower end of the wall part, etc., the reagent part (22) will be damaged, so it is necessary to stop the movement of the bottom part (4) immediately when an abnormality is detected. is there. As this abnormality detecting mechanism, for example, a perforated plate (3) having a large number of small holes (30) regularly formed at short intervals as shown in FIG.
1) is fixed to the bottom of the bottom (4) (Fig. 5), and a detector (32) such as a transmission type photointerrupter generates a regular bright and dark pulse signal as the bottom (4) moves. It is possible to input to.

In this case, since the abnormality is detected by the disturbance of the pulse signal,
Immediately stop the rotation of the motor (15). Alternatively, the test piece (2) may be moved in the reverse direction to some extent, and then the test piece (2) may be rotated in the original direction again. If no abnormality is observed, the driving may be continued as it is. It is preferable that the motor (15) has a weak torque so as to immediately stop the rotation when clogging occurs or has a clutch mechanism that cuts a torque equal to or more than a predetermined torque.

Next, the detector (13) will be described. The number of detectors (13) may be one in order to check the presence or absence of the test piece, but a plurality of the same type or different types are used for the test piece (2).
It is also possible to determine whether the product is front or back or to detect an unqualified product.
The presence or absence of the test piece can be detected by, for example, checking the light-shielding portion (reagent portion (22) or coated surfaces (25) and (26) of the test piece (2) with a transmissive photo interrupter. Judgment is made from the difference in the amount of reflected light between the front (reagent part (22)) and the back (black tape) by an interrupter.

As another means for detecting the presence / absence of the test piece and determining the front and back sides, a reflective photointerrupter is used to set a threshold value for the reflected light amount stepwise, and the reflected light amount from the groove (7) at the bottom (4) and the strip (21 ) And the amount of reflected light from the adhesive tape (24) surface, the amount of reflected light from the reagent section (22), etc. are discriminated by the control section (20),
The presence / absence detection and the front / back determination can be performed by the same detector. In addition, the same means is carried out on the coated surface of the test piece (2), and the presence / absence detection and the front / back determination are performed at the same time from the difference in the amount of reflected light from the coated surfaces (25) and (26) and the amount of light when there is no test piece. Of course, you can do that. Furthermore, a plurality of detectors (13) are provided to monitor the individual reagent parts (22), and it is possible to discriminate the type or to detect defective products (for example, the reagent part (22) having peeling or scratches) by the change of the reflected light amount. It is also possible to check and remove non-qualified products such as different kinds and defective products from the system. As described above, the detector (13) can be used by combining a plurality of various detectors. Further, the mounting position of the detector (13) is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be provided in the vicinity of the inside or outside of the wall portion (8).

By the way, the above-mentioned front / back determination is performed when the test piece automatic operation mechanism (not shown) immerses the test piece (2) in the test liquid (not shown) and places it on the carrier table (not shown) of the photometric unit. This is because it is necessary to orient the reagent part (22) in a certain direction. However, if the arm of the test strip automatic operation mechanism has a function of reversing the test strip (2), it is sufficient to output a signal indicating that the test strip automatic operation mechanism is opposite to the front and back. If there is not, it is necessary to reverse the opposite so that the reagent part (22) always faces upward or downward.

This reversal is performed, for example, by a lever (14) pivotally supported on a part of the wall surface outside the hopper (3) (Figs. 1 and 5) and a pin () protruding laterally from the lower front portion of the bottom portion (4). 33) / (3
The reversing mechanism consisting of 3) is used. That is, the detector (1
When 3) gives a signal that the front and back are opposite (FIG. 7 (a)), the bottom part (4) advances so that the groove (7) goes further in the forward direction from the stop position D. Then, the lower part of the lever (14) is pushed by the pin (33) and the upper part rises, and the groove (7)
The test piece (2) in the inside is pushed out and inverted (Fig. 7 (b)). In this case, the test piece (2) is pushed closer to the wall (8) than the groove (7). Then, the bottom part (4) moves backward and the test piece (2) is cut into the groove (7) at the lower end of the outer wall surface of the wall part (8).
Drop into the inside (Fig. 7 (c)), continue the backward movement as it is, and check with the detector (13). If the reagent section (22) is correctly facing upward, it will go forward from here and stop at the stop position D.
As another reversing mechanism, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, it is conceivable that the groove (7) is reversed by a lever (14) driven by a motor or a solenoid at a certain position near the stop position D. The structure shown is simple.

Next, the removal mechanism for removing the unqualified test piece (2) may have various structures, but the reversing mechanism may be used as it is. This is because the test piece (2) fitted in the groove (7) in the proper orientation as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the lever (14) of the reversing mechanism is reversed, and the bottom (4) is further moved as it is to move the lever (1).
4) is tilted to move the test piece (2) to the positive side of the lever (14) (the side opposite to the wall (8) (Fig. (C)), and then the bottom (4) is moved backward to move the lever (14). (14) is returned to the original posture and the bottom part (4) is moved backwards to release the test piece (2) from the bottom surface to the chute (34) (Fig. 8 (d)).

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, a lever (3
5) and each lever may be driven by a motor or the like. In FIG. 9, the bottom (4) is provided with vertical cuts (36) and (37) as shown in the drawing, and the lever (14) is provided there.
・ Through (35). Further, a mechanism for removing test pieces of different kinds or defective may be omitted.

Next, FIG. 10 shows the hopper (3) tilted (for example, about 15 degrees) in the above example. By doing so, the tips of the test pieces (2) are aligned, and the position where the gripping portion (23) is held is fixed when the test piece automatic operation mechanism is taken out, so that the dipping is accurately performed.

Furthermore, in order to keep the air in the storage section (12) dry,
It is advisable to provide a desiccant storage section (38) inside and outside the hopper (3) connected to the storage section (12). An example of this is shown in FIG. 1, in which a desiccant storage section (38) is provided in a part of the thick wall section (9).
Is equipped with a desiccant (39) inside. A lid (40) may be attached to the hopper (3) to keep it dry. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the inside and outside of the hopper (3) and the range where the bottom (4) moves are covered (4
It may be covered with 1) and dry air may be sent into the cover (41). This cover (41) has pipes (42) and (43) for taking air in and out, a lid (44) for inserting the test piece (2), and an opening lid that automatically opens and closes when the test piece (2) is taken out. (45) will be provided.

In each of the above examples, a suction port is installed in the test piece fitting groove (7) for the warp of the test piece (2) and suction is performed by an air pump to improve the adhesion, or the test in the storage part (12) is performed. Modifications such as a means for checking the remaining amount of the piece (2), for example, an optical sensor or a counter for counting the taken-out test pieces may be provided. Further, in the present invention, it suffices that the bottom part (4) and the side part (5) move relative to each other, and the bottom part (4) is fixed and each wall part (8), (9), (10),
(11) may be moved, or only the wall portion (8) and the wall portion (9) may be moved.

In each of the above examples, the inner wall surface (8a) of the wall portions (8) and (9)
Both (9a) are parallel to the groove (7) in a plan view, but only the inner wall surface (8a) may be parallel. Also, the inner wall surface itself does not necessarily have to be planar, and may be, for example, concavo-convex and the line connecting the protrusions may be parallel to the groove (7). Further, when the groove (7) is not orthogonal to the moving direction of the bottom portion (4),
The walls (8) and (9) are not orthogonal to the moving direction of the bottom (4).

As described above in detail, the present invention stores the test piece between the bottom surface (bottom portion) having the test piece fitting groove and the two wall surfaces parallel to the test piece fitting groove in a plan view, and relatively reciprocates them. By doing so, the test pieces are fitted in the grooves and taken out one by one from the storage section. Further, when the taken-out test piece is upside down, it is turned over so that the reagent portion always faces a fixed direction.

Therefore, by simply aligning the grips of the test strips and inserting them into the storage compartment, you can surely take out the specimens one by one with their reagent surfaces facing in a fixed direction.
Ad-type measurement can be fully automated, contributing to the improvement of analysis accuracy. In addition, since the conventional test piece that is commercially available is used as it is, a test piece that is particularly specialized for automation is unnecessary, and the measurement cost is low and it is versatile. Further, the present invention is extremely economical because the reliability of measured values is increased because it is possible to select other kinds of test pieces and check for defective products, and the operation of the device is simple because the structure of the device is simple and inexpensive. is there.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view showing an example of an apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a test piece, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a moving range of a bottom portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. Is also a block diagram,
5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the same, FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the abnormality detection mechanism, and FIGS. 7 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views showing a state in which the test piece is reversed, and FIG. Figures (a), (b),
(C) and (d) are explanatory views showing a state in which the test piece is removed,
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the reversing / removing mechanism, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing yet another example. 1 …… Test strip automatic feeder 2 …… Test strip 22 …… Reagent section 23 …… Grip section 3 …… Hopper 4 …… Bottom section 5 …… Side section 7 …… Test strip fitting groove 8.9 …… Wall section 8a ・ 9a …… Inner wall 12 …… Storing part 13 ・ 19 ・ 32 …… Sensor 14 …… Lever 15 …… Motor 18 …… Shading plate 20 …… Control part 31 …… Perforated plate 38 …… Drying agent storage Part 41 …… Cover

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A large number of strip-shaped test strips for analyzing body fluid components are put into a storage section including a bottom surface provided with a test piece fitting groove and one inner wall surface parallel to the groove in plan view, and the wall is placed. While checking the presence or absence of the test piece in the groove and determining the front and back of the test piece on the part side, the groove is moved in the forward and reverse directions relative to the wall surface, and the test piece fitted in the groove In the case of the reverse direction, the test piece is pushed out to the wall side by the reversing mechanism at the stop position or in the vicinity thereof to be reversed, and the test piece is fitted into the groove at the lower end of one outer wall surface while the bottom surface is moving in the opposite direction. A method for automatically supplying strip-shaped test strips for automatic analysis in body fluid component analysis, which comprises stopping the groove at a predetermined position outside the storage part after confirming that the groove has been fitted into the groove. 2. When the test piece fitted in the groove is an unqualified product, the test piece is pushed out to the side opposite to the wall portion by the removing mechanism at or near the stop position to remove the test piece. A method for automatically supplying strip-shaped test pieces for automatic analysis in the analysis of body fluid components according to item 1. 3. A hopper into which a strip-shaped test piece for analyzing a body fluid component is placed, a bottom portion provided with the test piece fitting groove, and a wall portion at least the base portion of which includes one inner wall surface parallel to the groove in plan view,
The test piece fitting groove has a reciprocating means for reciprocating the bottom part or a part thereof so that the groove can take at least one of the inside and the outside of the wall part. On the side wall portion or in the vicinity thereof, a detector for detecting the presence or absence of the test piece fitted in the groove and determining the front and back of the test piece is provided, and on the outside of the wall portion through which the test piece fitting groove passes. An apparatus for automatically supplying strip-shaped test strips for automatic analysis in body fluid component analysis, comprising a reversing mechanism for reversing test strips in the test strip fitting groove which are opposite to each other. 4. An inner wall surface parallel to the test piece fitting groove and at least one of the other inner wall surfaces except the inner wall surface facing the inner wall surface are parallel to the moving direction of the test piece fitting groove in a plan view,
4. An automatic feeder for a strip-shaped test piece for automatic analysis in body fluid component analysis according to claim 3, wherein the bottom surface is inclined so as to be lowered at any of the parallel inner wall surfaces. 5. The test piece fitting groove is provided on the outside of a wall portion passing therethrough,
The automatic supply device for a strip-shaped test strip for automatic analysis in body fluid component analysis according to claim 3, further comprising a removing mechanism for pushing out an unqualified test strip fitted in the test strip fitting groove in a direction opposite to the wall portion. .