JPH07120474A - Automatic dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the error in selecting a specimen at the time of a dispensing work with high accuracy and improve a pretreatment work by providing a bar code reader to read each identification number of a parent specimen container and a rack for holding the container. CONSTITUTION:Specimen information regarding a parent specimen container 1 or the identification number of a rack 2 before a centrifugal process is read out by a bar code reader 28, and inputted to a control device 8. When the container 1 and the rack 2 after the centrifugal process reach the inspection and dispensing position of a dispensing transverse feed belt 43, a bar code reader 46 reads the specimen information regarding the parent specimen container 1 or the identification number of the rack 2 once more, and inputs the information or the number to a control device 80. As a result, even when the container 1 of different size or type is mixed, the elevation of the unplugging device 50 or the dispensing device 63 of an automatic dispensing device 60, and the selective control of a disposal tip can be again confirmed. According to this construction, error in selecting a specimen is prevented with high accuracy, and the reliability of a pretreatment work is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention automatically centrifuges a specimen in a parent specimen container such as a blood collection tube in which the specimen is stored, and then automatically removes the rubber stopper from the parent specimen container after the centrifugation. The present invention relates to an automatic pipetting device for dispensing a sample in the opened parent sample container to a sub-container for each test.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, preventing blood infection accidents,
In addition, from the viewpoint of labor saving and implementation of real-time medical care, it is of course possible to automatically perform clinical biochemical analysis and clinical immunological analysis of blood, etc. It is well known that various attempts have been made to experimentally carry out dispensing to a container and then transporting it to an automatic analyzer.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional sample pretreatment process, many human interventions are performed at present, and in the centrifugal separation process, batch processing by manual single operation is the mainstream. Blood vessel unplugging work is performed manually, and some automatic dispensing devices are used for inspection-specific dispensing, but most work is manual, so each work process is divided. However, in the field of inspection equipment and information processing, a fairly high level of operation is being carried out at present, and this pretreatment field is untouched as a system, and this improvement has been strongly demanded.

The present invention was devised in view of the present situation, and its purpose is to track in real time the information necessary for a series of dispensing operations from a parent sample container to a child container, And by outputting the collation of the parent sample container and the child container to the display device, printer, etc. in real time,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic pipetting device capable of preventing a mistake in sample mixing in this type of dispensing work with extremely high accuracy and increasing reliability in pretreatment work as much as possible. .

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a means for reading each identification number of a parent sample container and a rack holding the parent sample container is provided in the automatic pipetting apparatus. It is characterized by being installed.

Further, in the present invention, as another means for achieving the above-mentioned object, an automatic pipetting device for pipetting a sample from a parent sample container to a child container is technically premised, and the above-mentioned parent sample container is provided. It is characterized in that it is configured to output the carrying state, the centrifugal processing state, the dispensing mode to the sub-container and the dispensing operation state to a display unit or a printer connected to the control device.

Further, according to the present invention, as another means for achieving the above object, when a sample is dispensed from a parent sample container to a child container, a tip is attached to a pipette tip to dispense the sample. It is characterized in that a means for reading the identification number of the chip rack holding the above-mentioned chips and the identification number of the magazine holding the sub-containers is provided in the automatic dispensing apparatus for performing the work.

In the present invention, the means for reading the identification number of the magazine may be provided with a scanning means so that the magazine ID can be surely read even if magazines of different sizes are mixed. .

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fully-automatic pretreatment device incorporating an automatic pipetting device according to this embodiment includes a parent sample container 1 containing a collected blood sample, and a parent sample container 1 A rack 2 in which a plurality of parent sample containers 1 (five in the illustrated embodiment) are erected, and a parent sample container 1 held by the rack 2 are transported from a sample stock yard 10 to a centrifuge setting position a. The first transfer line 20 and the automatic centrifugal separator 3 arranged near the end of the first transfer line 20.
No. 0 and a second one for transporting the parent sample container 1 for which the centrifugal separation processing has been completed by the automatic centrifugal separation device 30 to the inspection-specific dispensing position e
The transfer line 40, the automatic cap opening device 50 disposed in the middle of the second transfer line 40, and the automatic cap opening device 50
The automatic dispensing device 60 that sucks a sample from the inside of the parent sample container 1 opened by the above and automatically dispenses it into each child container 6 for each examination, and the rack 2 of the parent sample container 1 for which the above dispensing work is completed A stocked container stock yard 70 to be stocked and a control device 80 for driving and controlling these devices in cooperation with each other are configured. Reference numeral 90 in the figure indicates an information input unit.

The parent sample container 1 is formed in the same manner as a known blood collection tube or the like having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and a plastic sheet-like sealing stopper or rubber stopper 3 is provided at the upper end opening thereof.
Is sealed.

A bar code label (not shown) is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the parent sample container 1, and the sample information is previously input to the bar code label. As the sample information, for example, identification information such as a patient name, a patient registration number or sex, an insurance type or an insurance number, an inspection type, etc. is bar-coded and recorded. Of course, this identification information bar-coding means is publicly known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The rack 2 is constructed so that a plurality of parent sample containers 1 (five in the illustrated embodiment) are erected, and a rack identification number is recorded on the outer surface of the rack 2. A bar code label (not shown) is attached. Of course, this rack number can be formed by a magnetic storage medium or by a known means formed by combining a plurality of small holes through which light is transmitted.

The rack 2 in which a plurality of parent sample containers 1 are erected and held in this manner is set in the sample stock yard 10.

The sample stock yard 10 stocks a plurality of racks 2 set as described above in parallel. The rack 2 set in the sample stock yard 10
Are intermittently conveyed sequentially to the centrifugal setting position a via the first conveying line 20.

The first conveying line 20 includes a vertical feeding device 21 composed of two endless belts arranged in parallel,
A drive device (not shown) for intermittently driving the vertical feed device 21, a lateral feed device 22 arranged at the end of the vertical feed device 21, and a drive device for intermittently driving the lateral feed device 22 ( (Not shown) and the centrifugal setting position a is set to the stop position of the rack 2 conveyed by the transverse feeding device 22. The vertical feeding device 21 and its driving device, and the lateral feeding device 22 and its driving device are configured by appropriately combining a known intermittent driving mechanism of an endless belt and a rack intermittent pushing mechanism using a timing belt or the like. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The rack 2 transported to the centrifugal set position a by the first transport line 20 in this way is transferred to the automatic centrifugal separator 30 via the pickup robot 25.
Is set to.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the pick-up robot 25 has a guide rail 26 arranged in parallel with the vertical feed device 21 of the first transfer line 20 and a longitudinal direction of the guide rail 26. It is composed of a clamper 27 that is slidably and vertically movable, and a drive device (not shown) that drives the clamper 27. The guide rail 26 has a configuration similar to that of a known transport mechanism using a timing belt, and the clamper 27 is similar to that of a known pickup robot. Detailed description is omitted here.

The pick-up robot 25 constructed as described above clamps the rack 2 or the dummy cassette 7 transported to the centrifugal set position a, and then the rack 2 is opened in the window formed in the automatic centrifugal separator 30. From the part 31 to a rotor (not shown) arranged inside the automatic centrifugal separator 30, or by removing the rack 2 after the centrifugal separation processing from the rotor, the start end of the second transfer line 40 The drive is controlled so that the sheet is conveyed to the section c and placed.

The dummy cassette 7 is used when the rack 2 is set on the rotor of the automatic centrifugal separator 30.
It is mounted to keep the rotational balance, and is arranged in parallel with the centrifugal setting position a. Of course, the dummy cassette 7 is automatically supplied to the dummy cassette standby position b in synchronization with the transfer of the rack 2 by an automatic supply device (not shown).

Further, a bar code reader 28 having a known structure for reading the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 before being subjected to the centrifugal separation process is arranged at the centrifugal set position a. This barcode reader 28
The light-emitting body and the light-receiving body are configured to be vertically scannable. Then, the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 read by the barcode reader 28 are the control device 8
It is automatically input to 0. In this way, by reading the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 with this barcode reader 28, even if the parent sample containers 1 having different sizes are mixed, the capping device 50 and the automatic dispensing device described later will be described. 60
It is possible to automatically control the pipette up and down and the tip selection control.

In the automatic centrifuge device 30, the rotor and the rotor driving portion are closed by a transparent or semitransparent lid 32 so that a hand or the like cannot be inserted by mistake.
The rack 2 and the dummy cassette 7 are detached / attached by the pickup robot 25 via the window 31 formed in the lid 32, and other configurations / operations are known. Since it is the same as the centrifugal separator of the processing system, its detailed description is omitted here.

Of course, the automatic centrifuge 30 can be installed in the Japanese Patent No. 1523287 of the present applicant (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-10267).
No.), etc., so that continuous centrifugation can be performed, the standby time of the rack 2 can be significantly shortened. In addition, in the window portion 31,
A known shutter mechanism that opens and closes the window 31 in synchronization with the attachment / detachment operation of the rack 2 and the dummy cassette 7 by the pickup robot 25 may be attached.

The rack 2 (the sample in the parent sample container 1 held in the rack 2) which has been subjected to the centrifugal separation process by the automatic centrifugal separator 30 in this manner is moved by the pickup robot 25 to the second transfer line 40. It is conveyed to the starting end portion c. Of course, after this work, the dummy cassette 7 is removed from the rotor by the pickup robot 25 and automatically returned to the dummy cassette standby position b.

The second conveying line 40 includes a horizontal feed belt device 41, a vertical feed belt device 42 arranged at the end of the horizontal feed belt device 41, and a vertical feed belt device 42.
To the end portion of the horizontal feed belt device 41. The rack 2 set at the starting end portion c of the horizontal feed belt device 41 is connected to the end portion of the horizontal feed belt device 41. , The rack 2 is transferred to the vertical feed belt device 42, and after the rack 2 reaches the end of the vertical feed belt device 42, the rack 2 is transferred to the dispensing horizontal feed belt device 43. Is configured to be sequentially transported to the inspection-specific dispensing position e set in the middle of the horizontal dispensing belt device 43.

The second transfer line 40 constructed in this way
The opening position d, which is a midway portion of the lateral feed belt device 41
Is provided with a stopper 44 and an automatic cap opening device 50. Further, a stopper 45 is provided at the inspection-specific dispensing position e of the dispensing lateral feed belt device 43, and the inspection-specific distribution is performed. A bar code reader 46 for reading the rack ID is arranged in front of the pouring position e.

The stopper 44 stops the rack 2 reaching the opening position d at the opening position d until the rubber stopper 3 of the parent sample container 1 held by the rack 2 is removed. Further, it is configured to open and close the conveying path of the lateral feed belt device 41.

The stopper 45 keeps the rack 2 reaching the inspection-specific dispensing position e until the sample aspirating / dispensing work from the parent sample container 1 held by the rack 2 is completed. The delivery path of the above-mentioned dispensing lateral feed belt device 43 is opened and closed so as to stop at the inspection-specific dispensing position e.

The vertical feeding belt device 42 and its driving device 47, the lateral feeding belt device 41, the dispensing lateral feeding belt device 43 and their driving devices 48 and 49 are the same as those of the first conveying line 20. Since a known drive mechanism for an endless belt, a rack intermittent push-out mechanism using a timing belt, and the like can be appropriately combined, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The bar code reader 46 is constructed in the same manner as the bar code reader 28, and the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 read by the bar code reader 46 are sent to the controller 80. It is automatically entered. In this way, by reading the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 again with this barcode reader 46, even if the parent sample containers 1 of different sizes are mixed, the capping device 50 and the automatic distribution It is possible to confirm the pipette up / down control and the tip selection control of the injection device 60 again without making a mistake, and it is possible to finally confirm whether or not the rubber plug 3 is left unremoved. Improves reliability.

The automatic opening device 50 removes the rubber stoppers 3 from all the parent sample containers 1 held upright on the rack 2 at the midway portion d of the transverse feed belt device 41. Since a known automatic opening mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-178394 (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-361092) previously proposed by a person can be applied, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The automatic pipetting device 60 includes a rail body 61 that is movable in the left and right directions, and an arm body 62 that is slidable from the front to the depth direction along the longitudinal direction of the rail body 61 and that can be raised and lowered. The rail body 6 is provided except that the pipe body 63 is attached to the arm body 62.
Since the movement control mechanism 1 and the slide / elevation control mechanism of the arm body 62 are the same as the known XY transfer mechanism, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, the configuration of the pipette device 63 itself is similar to that of a known pipette device applied to an automatic analyzer or the like, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

The automatic dispensing device 60 having the above-mentioned structure
When the rack 2 reaches the inspection-specific dispensing position e, the controller 80 receives information from the control device 80 to confirm the size of the parent sample container 1 to be dispensed, and based on this information, the arm body 62
However, after moving to the upper part of one of the tip racks 100 and 110 in which the disposable chip that fits the parent sample container 1 is erected and held, it descends to the lower end of the pipette (not shown) of the pipette device 63. Attach an unused disposable chip to. As a matter of course, in the chip racks 100 and 110, the identification numbers such as bar code labels arranged on the body of the chip racks are read by the chip rack readers 101 and 111 and are input in advance to the control device 80.

After that, the arm body 62 rises, moves to a position above the test-specific dispensing position e and descends, and is pipetted (disposable tip) into the serum in the parent sample container 1 held upright on the rack 2. ) Is immersed in the pipette device 63.
Is activated, the required amount of the above-mentioned serum is sucked and lifted, and the plurality of sub-containers 6 are transferred to above magazines 120 and 130 in which they are erected.

When the arm body 62 is transferred to the predetermined upper position of the magazines 120 and 130 in this way, the arm body 62 is then lowered and the tip portion of the pipette (disposable tip) is moved to the child position. It is inserted into the container 6 and the sucked serum is discharged in a required amount. This discharge operation is continuously performed on each child container 6 in correspondence with the designated number of inspection items.

When the serum dispensing operation is completed in this way, the arm body 62 rises and returns to the current position, and at this current position, the disposable tip is removed from the tip of the pipette and discarded. At the same time, although not shown, the inside of the pipette is drive-controlled to be washed again with washing water by a washing device connected to the pipette device 63 and then to repeat the above operation.

In this embodiment, the sub-containers 6 are vertically held in two magazines 120 and 130, for example, 50 each. The magazine 120 is used for biochemical analysis, and the magazine 130 is immunological. It is arranged to be used for each test, such as for analysis. Of course, in the present invention, the two magazines 120 and 130 can be set according to the needs of each delivery destination without using the two magazines 120 and 130 as in the above-described example, and the number thereof is also limited to the above-mentioned example. is not.

Magazine readers 121 and 131 for reading a magazine ID formed of a bar code or the like are attached to the installation sites of the magazines 120 and 130.
Since the magazine readers 121 and 131 have the same configuration as the reader that reads the rack ID,
The detailed description is omitted here.

The processed container stock yard 70 is a place for stocking the rack 2 in which the parent sample container 1 for which the above-mentioned dispensing work has been completed is held, and is conveyed to the terminal end of the above-mentioned horizontal dispensing belt device 43 for dispensing. The rack 2 is sequentially pressed and transferred to the processed container stock yard 70 via the vertical feeding device 71.

The control device 80 is composed of a computer CPU, and continuously controls the operation in a state in which the above-mentioned mechanisms are linked to each other, and the bar code readers 28 and 4 are also provided.
The rack ID and magazine reader 121 read in 6
The magazine ID read in 131 is compared to manage the sample so that a mistake in dispensing does not occur, and the installation state of the rack 2 on the automatic centrifuge 30 and the centrifuge time are controlled. ing.

Further, the control unit 80 includes a power source 81,
A printer 82, a display formed by a CRT, a key board 83, and an IC card reader 84 are connected, and the state of centrifuge processing and management data of the dispensing work (parent sample container identification number, rack identification number, relevant parent identification number). The chip type based on the sample container size, the magazine identification number for the sub-container into which the sample is dispensed, the sequential number of the sub-container that is the dispensing destination, etc.) are displayed in real time on the display unit 83, and the printer 82 is also displayed. It is designed to be printed out. The IC card reader 84 reads this program from an IC card (not shown) to which a program such as the operator number of the fully automatic preprocessing apparatus and the preprocessing conditions is input, and the IC card reader 84 causes the control apparatus 80 to read the program. To drop,
The fully automatic pretreatment device is drive-controlled based on this program. Of course, the control conditions can also be directly input on the keyboard 83.

Further, the control device 80 inputs control conditions and the like through a telephone line from the information input section 90 which is an external terminal, or monitors the dispensing result and the operating condition of the device from the outside. It is also configured so that, for example, the cause of failure and repair method can be checked and instructed without visiting the delivery destination.

The information input section 90 is a computer (C
PU) 91, a display unit formed of a CRT or the like, a keyboard 92, and a printer 93.

Therefore, in the automatic dispensing apparatus according to this embodiment, the bar code reader 28 and the bar code reader 46 are used to centrifuge the sample information and the rack identification number of the parent sample container 1 before and after centrifugation ( By reading before the dispensing work), even if the parent sample containers 1 having different sizes are mixed, the pipetting up / down control and the tip selection control of the capping device 50 and the automatic dispensing device 60 described later are automatically performed. It is also possible to finally confirm whether or not the rubber plug 3 is left unplugged, and the chip size corresponding to the size of the parent sample container 1 is automatically determined based on the information read by the chip rack readers 101 and 111. In addition, the magazine readers 121 and 131 are used to read the distinction between the magazines 120 and 130 in which the sub-container 6 that is the dispensing destination is held by the magazine readers 121 and 131. Since the sequential number of 6 and the identification number of the parent sample container 1 can be collated and displayed in real time and displayed or printed out, the dispensing mode and dispensing status of the sample can be grasped in real time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent mistakes in mixing the samples with a very high probability.

[0045]

As described above, the automatic dispensing apparatus according to the present invention tracks in real time the information necessary for a series of dispensing operations from the parent sample container to the sub-container, and the parent sample container. Since it is configured to output the collation between the container and the sub-container in real time to a display device, a printer, etc., it is possible to prevent mistakes in mistaking the sample in this type of dispensing work with extremely high accuracy, and in the pre-processing work. It has an excellent effect that reliability can be increased as much as possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a fully automatic pretreatment device in which an automatic dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is an overall plan view showing a schematic configuration of the fully automatic pretreatment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 parent sample container 2 rack 6 child container 20 first transfer line 28,46 barcode reader 30 automatic centrifuge 40 second transfer line 50 automatic capping device 60 automatic pipetting device 63 pipette 80 controller 82 printer 83 display section 100,110 Chip rack 101,111 Chip rack reader 120,130 Magazine 121,131 Magazine reader

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G01N 35/00 D 8506-2J 35/04 H 8506-2J 35/10

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An automatic pipetting apparatus comprising a parent sample container and a means for reading each identification number of a rack holding the parent sample container. 2. An automatic dispensing device for dispensing a sample from a parent sample container to a sub-container, wherein the controller controls the carrying state of the parent sample container, the centrifugal processing state, the dispensing mode to the sub-container, and the dispensing work state. An automatic dispensing device characterized by outputting to a display unit or a printer connected to. 3. When a sample is dispensed from a parent sample container to a sub-container, an automatic pipetting device that mounts a tip on a pipette tip to perform a pipetting operation identifies a chip rack holding the chip. An automatic dispensing device characterized in that it is provided with means for reading the identification number of the magazine holding the number and the sub-container. 4. The automatic dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for reading the identification number of the magazine is provided with a scanning means.