JPH0666819A - Sample tube holder recovery device for automatic biochemical analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the re-arrangement of holders by rotating the holders by 180 deg. between an identifying information readout position and a sample t' holder. CONSTITUTION:Testees are arranged on a supply-side carrier belt 6 in sequence of 1-100 as shown in an arrangement 30, to stick bar-code labels to sample pipe holders on the front side in a proceeding direction. When the testees arranged on the belt 6 are carried in one direction, analyzed and then carried via a recovery-side carrier belt 7 in the opposite direction for recovery, as their orientation remain unchanged, the bar-code labels are directed downward of the paper, likewise before analysis. The holders are rotated 180 deg. by a rotating mechanism before fed to a holder bank. In an arrangement, 31 where the rotated holders are stored in the holder bank in sequence and fed out to a recovery tray, the bar-code labels are located on the front side. When the whole arrangement 31 is rotated 180 deg.. it is completely the same as the arrangement 30. Consequently, analyses are performed again as the holders are, without giving one- lay-one re-arrangement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a biochemical automatic analyzer, and in particular, the arrangement of sample tube holders having identification information on one side thereof is made the same in the supply section and the recovery section, thereby eliminating the need for rearranging sample holders. The present invention relates to a sample tube holder recovery device for an automatic biochemical analyzer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional automatic analyzer will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 6, the sample tubes 11 having the sample tubes 11 set therein, for example, five sample tube holders 10 in each row are set in a plurality of rows in the supply tray 1. The sample tube holder 10 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) (plan view) and FIG. 7 (b) (side sectional view), a hole 10a for a sample tube set and a hole 10b for a dedicated disposable chip set for each sample tube are provided.
A window 10d is provided in front of the hole 10a for setting the sample tube so that the amount of the sample in the sample tube can be recognized. Further, the bar code label 10c giving the sample identification information can be inserted.

The sample tube holder 10 set on the supply tray 1 is discharged onto the supply belt 2 by a lever (not shown) and is sequentially conveyed in the direction of arrow a. The sample tube holder 10 that has reached the tip position is pushed by a lever (not shown), moves in the direction of arrow b, and is brought onto the conveyor belt 6.
At this position, the sample amount and the like are checked by a sensor (not shown), and then sequentially conveyed by the conveyor belt 6 in the direction of arrow c and stopped at a predetermined position of each block A, B, C of the analysis unit 4 and the dispensing mechanism. In step 5, a predetermined amount of sample is collected and analyzed. When the analysis is completed, the sample tube holder 10
Is moved in the direction of arrow d by a lever (not shown), is conveyed in the direction of arrow e by the conveyor belt 7, and is moved to the collecting portion 15 by being pushed in the direction of arrow f by a lever (not shown) at the end thereof. At this position, it is pushed by the lever 8 to move in the direction of arrow g, and when 5 pieces for one row are aligned, the lever 9 pushes it onto the recovery tray 3 in the direction of arrow h. The movements of the supply belt, the conveyor belt, and the levers are controlled by a controller (not shown).

[0004]

By the way, the sample tube holder 10 has an asymmetrical shape as shown in FIG.
A barcode label is attached to one side of it,
In the automatic analyzer shown in FIG. 6, the sample tube holder 10
Is transported in one direction and moved to the analysis position.
Instead of changing direction, they are transported in the opposite direction and collected. As a result, the arrangement of the collected sample tube holders is different from that at the time of supply, and there is a problem that the arrangement must be changed one by one when the sample tube holder is to be subjected to analysis again.

This will be described with reference to FIG. 8. Reference numerals 1, 2, 3 ... 100 in FIG. 8 indicate the sequence numbers of the sample tube holders, and the analysis is performed in the order of these numbers. 1
When the 00 samples are analyzed in the order of 1, 2, 3 ... 100, they are arranged like the array 20 on the supply side belt. At this time, each sample tube holder has a bar code label 10 on the front side in the traveling direction.
c is attached, and from the array 20 on the supply side belt,
As indicated by an arrow b, it is transferred onto the conveyor belt 6 and conveyed in one direction. After the analysis is completed, they are conveyed in the opposite direction without changing the direction. Therefore, the sample belt holder 1 can be
The barcode label 10c affixed to the sample tube holder both when 0 is transported to the analysis unit 4 and when it is transported and collected by the transport belt 7 after the end of the analysis faces downward on the paper surface. Therefore, the bar code label of the array 21 of the sample tube holders 10 when collected in the collection tray 3 is located on the rear surface as shown in the drawing. When the collected sample tube holder group is arranged again on the supply side belt for the next analysis, the array 21 is temporarily left as "1, 2, 3, 3.
"4,5" is at the top, and "96,97,98,99,10"
If the "0" is placed on the supply side belt so that it is at the rear end, the barcode label will be at the rear side and the position will be different. However, since the bar code label reading device is provided only on one side of the conveyor belt 6, it cannot be read as it is. The sample tube holder shown in FIG. 7 does not have a structure in which barcode labels can be attached to both sides. Therefore, the sample tube holders 10 collected like the array 21 in FIG. 8 need to be turned by 180 ° one by one in order to be arranged like the array 20.
The work becomes difficult.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to eliminate the work of rearranging the sample tube holders by collecting them so that the sample tube holders on the supply side and the recovery side have the same arrangement. An object of the present invention is to provide a sample tube holder recovery device of a biochemical automatic analysis device that can be used.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a sample tube containing a sample is held, a plurality of sample tube holders having identification information on one side are conveyed in one direction, the identification information is read, and at the same time, on the conveyance path. After stopping the sample tube holder at multiple points and dispensing the sample and performing analysis according to the analysis item,
In an analyzer in which the sample tube holder is collected by transporting the sample tube holder in the opposite direction to the one direction, the direction of the sample tube holder is set to 180 between the identification information reading position and the sample tube holder collecting section. It is characterized in that a rotation mechanism for rotating is provided.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when the sample tube holder having the identification information on one side is sequentially conveyed in one direction and analyzed, and then the sample tube holder is conveyed in the opposite direction without changing the direction and collected, the sample tube is read after the identification information is read. Until the holder is collected, the holder rotating mechanism rotates the sample tube holder 180 ° to collect it. As a result, when the entire sample tube holders arranged in the collection tray are rotated by 180 °, the arrangement becomes the same as the arrangement of the sample tube holders on the supply side.
It is possible to eliminate the work of rearranging books one by one.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the recovery of a sample tube holder in the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for arranging the recovered sample tube holder again on the supply belt for the next analysis, and FIG. The figure explaining the whole structure of the automatic analyzer of this invention, FIG.4, FIG.5 is a figure explaining a holder rotation mechanism. In the figure,
1 is a supply tray, 2 is a supply belt, 3 is a recovery tray, 4
Is an analysis unit, 6, 7 is a conveyor belt, 15 is a collection unit, 16 is a holder reservoir, 8, 9, 70 to 73 are levers, 30 is a supply side arrangement, 31 is a collection side arrangement, 36 to 63 are sensors, 65 Is a cup stop valve (CSV), 75 is a holder rotating mechanism, 80 is a DC motor, 81 and 82 are pulleys, 83 is a belt, 84 is a rotating shaft, 85 is a turntable, 86 is a rotating plate, 86a is a notch, and 87 is A position sensor, 88 is a turning lever, and 89 is a stopper.

The automatic analyzer of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the supply tray 1 is arranged so that five sample tube holders 10 can be arranged in one row, and the sensor 37 detects that the holders are arranged on the entire supply tray 1, or the start button is pressed. The lever 70 is operated to push the sample tube holder onto the supply belt 2. When the lever 70 is pushed out, the fact that the lever 70 is located at the starting end or the leading end on the supply tray means that the sensor 38,
It is detected at 39. The sample tube holders are conveyed in the direction of the arrow a on the supply belt 2, and the number of rows of the sample tube holders 10 on the supply belt 2 can be detected by 39 sensors 40 in this embodiment. ing.

When the sensor 42 detects that the leading sample tube holder has reached the end position of the supply belt, the lever 72
Is operated to push out the sample tube holders one by one in the right direction in the figure, and push out by one row, the lever 62 returns. At this time, the supply belt 2 is stopped. The sensor 41 detects that the lever 62 has returned to the original position. When the sample tube holder is pushed out from the supply belt 2 and detected by the sensors 44 and 45, the lever 71 operates and pushes it onto the conveyor belt 6 as indicated by arrow b. At this time, the return of the lever 71 is detected by the sensor 43. The conveyor belt 6 is intermittently driven by the sequence control to move the sample tube holder to the arrow c.
Transport in the direction indicated by and transport to each analysis block. Each analysis block is provided with a stopper (not shown) operated by the cup stop valve 65, and the sample tube holder is stopped so that the sample tube holder does not fall when the transport belt 6 stops, and the sample is collected. And analyzed.
Prior to this analysis, at the first stop position, the sensor 60 reads the barcode and the identification information of the sample tube, and the liquid level sensor 59 detects the liquid level of the sample in the sample tube. The dummy block D among the analysis blocks A to D is
It is a spare block that is used according to user specifications.

When the sensor 62 detects that the sample tube holder has reached the end of the conveyor belt 6 after the analysis is completed, a lever (not shown) operates to push the sample tube holder onto the conveyor belt 7 as indicated by an arrow d. . At this time, the movement of the lever is detected by the sensor 46. When the sensor 63 detects that the sample tube holder is positioned on the conveyor belt 7, the sample tube holder is indicated by the arrow e.
When the sensor 49 detects that it has been conveyed by the conveyor belt 7 and reaches the end of the conveyor belt 7, the lever 73 operates and pushes the sample tube holder toward the recovery section 15 as indicated by arrow f. If abnormal data is obtained by the analysis, the lever 73 moves the sample tube holder so as to return it to the conveyor belt 6 side again, and the change of the sample tube holder at this time is detected by the sensors 47 to 49. .

In the collecting section 15, when the sensor 64 detects that the sample tube holder has been sent, the lever 8 operates to move the sample tube holder as shown by an arrow g. A rotating mechanism 75 is arranged in this moving passage,
The sample tube holder is placed on the lever 8 and rotated by 180 °. At this time, the lever 8 is returned to the position detected by the sensor 51 so as not to collide with the holder on the rotating mechanism.

The rotating mechanism has a structure as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4B, the DC motor 80
Of the belt 8 stretched between the pulley 81 and the pulley 82
In step 3, the rotary shaft 84 is transmitted, and the turntable 85 is rotated. A rotary lever 88 is provided on the rotary shaft 84, and
When it is rotated 180 ° as shown in FIG.
Hits the left and right stoppers 89 and stops. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B, the rotary shaft 84 is provided with a rotary plate 86, and a position sensor 87 is provided to detect a rotational position with the rotary plate sandwiched therebetween. Rotating plate 86
5A, a notch 86a is provided as shown in FIG. 5A, and when the notch is detected, the DC motor 80 is switched between normal rotation and reverse rotation, and the turntable 85 alternately rotates by 180 °. Mounted sample tube holder 10
Will rotate 180 °.

After rotating 180 ° in this way, when the sensor 55 detects that the sample tube holders are pushed out toward the holder reservoir 16 again by the lever 8 and one row is aligned, the lever 9 operates to move in the direction indicated by the arrow h. When the sensor 57 detects that the holder tube 16 is full, the sample tube holder is pushed out to
The lever 61 pushes out all the sample tube holders placed in the holder reservoir to the collection tray 3. The movement of the lever at this time is detected by the sensors 54, 56 and 58.

Next, the arrangement of the sample tube holders according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Similar to the case of FIG. 8, 100 specimens are arranged in the order of 1, 2, 3, ... If the bar code label 10c is attached to the front side of each sample tube holder in the traveling direction, the sample tube holders are placed on the conveyor belt 6 and conveyed in one direction, and after the analysis is completed, the conveyor belt 7 is turned in the opposite direction. The barcode label 10c affixed to the sample tube holder when it is transported and collected without change faces the lower side of the paper surface before the analysis.

Next, before being sent to the holder reservoir 16, the rotating mechanism 75 rotates 180 °. The array 31 when the rotated sample tube holders are sequentially accumulated in the holder reservoir 16 and sent out to the recovery tray 3 is as shown in FIG.
Comes to the front. Therefore, when the entire array 31 is rotated by 180 ° as shown in FIG. 2, the arrangement is exactly the same as the array 30 of the supply side belts in FIG. Therefore, the sample tube holder can be used again for analysis in this state, and it is not necessary to rearrange the sample tube holders one by one.

In the above embodiment, the rotation mechanism is provided at the position immediately before the collection, but this rotation mechanism may be provided at any position from the reading of the identification information to the collection of the sample tube holder.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sample tube holder is rotated by 180 ° before the collection after the analysis is completed. Therefore, the array of the collected sample tube holder is rotated by 180 ° as a whole. If this is done, it will be the same as at the time of supply, and it will be possible to use it again for analysis without the work of rearranging one by one as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating recovery of a sample tube holder in an apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the collected sample tube holders are arranged again on the supply side belt for the next analysis.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the automatic analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a holder rotation mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a holder rotation mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional automatic analyzer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a sample tube holder.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of sample tube holders on the supply side and the recovery side.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Supply tray, 2 ... Supply belt, 3 ... Recovery tray, 4
... Analysis part, 6,7 ... Conveying belt, 15 ... Collection part, 16 ...
Holder reservoir, 8, 9, 70 to 73 ... Lever, 30 ... Supply side array, 31 ... Recovery side array, 36 to 63 ... Sensor, 65 ...
Cup stop valve (CSV), 75 ... Holder rotating mechanism, 80 ... DC motor, 81, 82 ... Pulley, 83 ... Belt, 84 ... Rotating shaft, 85 ... Turntable, 86 ... Rotating plate, 86a ... Notch, 87 ... Position Sensor, 88 ... Rotating lever, 89 ... Stopper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample tube holding a sample is held and a plurality of sample tube holders having identification information on one surface are conveyed in one direction,
While reading the identification information, stop the sample tube holder at multiple points on the transport path to dispense the sample, perform analysis according to the analysis item, and then transport without changing the direction to the one direction and the opposite direction. In the analyzer which collects the sample tube holder by means of the above, a rotation mechanism for rotating the direction of the sample tube holder by 180 ° is provided between the identification information reading position and the sample tube holder collecting part. Sample tube holder recovery device for automatic chemical analyzer.