JPH078769U - Cassette sampler device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] When additional inspection is required, a cassette holding a new sample container can be easily set in the row where sampling has been completed, greatly expanding inspection flexibility. (EN) Provided is a cassette sampler device capable of performing an emergency inspection quickly. A cassette sampler device is provided with at least two or more cassette bodies for holding a plurality of sample containers in series, a connecting body for detachably holding the cassette bodies in parallel, and a cassette body fixed to the connecting body. A driving device for intermittently transferring each sample container to a sampling position, and a pipette device for sucking a required amount of sample specimen from the sample container that has reached the sampling position and dispensing it into another container However, the driving device is configured so that the axial centers of the sample containers held by the cassette bodies of the first and other rows are located on the rotation locus of the pipette device, and the cassette bodies of the first and other rows are arranged. The drive control was performed so that the transfer distances of P.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a cassette sampler device suitable for an automatic analyzer for biochemical analysis and immunological analysis.

[0002]

[Prior art and its problems]

 Conventionally, in the cassette sampler device provided in the automatic analyzer, as shown in FIG. 4, the cassette body 2 formed of a rectangular parallelepiped corresponds to the rotation trajectory of the sampling pipette (not shown). A plurality of sample container holding holes 2a are formed by displacing the hole axes of the respective rows, for example, two rows of 10 samples are provided in each row, and sample samples such as serum are stored in the sample container holding holes 2a. There is known a cassette sampler device configured to fit and hold individual sample containers 1 and transfer them to a predetermined sampling position.

However, in the conventional cassette sampler device described above, since one cassette body 2 has 20 sample container holding holes 2a in two rows integrally formed therein, for example, for an emergency inspection. Even if an additional sample is generated as described above, the above-mentioned additional sample cannot be loaded unless all sample containers 1 held in the cassette body 2 have been tested, which is very convenient. I had a problem that it was bad.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned current situation, and its purpose is to perform an additional inspection in a cassette sampler device in which a plurality of rows of sample container holding holes are opened in one cassette. If the above is required, the present invention intends to provide a cassette sampler device having a simple structure in which a cassette holding a new sample container can be easily set in a row where sampling has been completed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a cassette sampler device includes at least two or more cassette bodies for holding a plurality of sample containers in series, and the cassette body. And a driving device for sequentially and intermittently transferring each sample container of the cassette body fixed to the connection body to the sampling position, and a required amount from the sample container reaching the sampling position. And a pipette device that aspirates the specimen sample and dispenses it into another container.The above-mentioned drive device is the axial center of the sample container held in the cassette body of the first and other rows. Drive control is performed such that the transfer distances of the cassette bodies of the first row and the other rows are different so that the cassette bodies are located on the rotation locus of the pipette device. Than it is.

[0006]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cassette body 21 used in the cassette sampler device C according to this embodiment is composed of a first row of cassette bodies 21 a and a second row of cassette bodies 21 a formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The main body 21b and the main body 21b are integrally connected in parallel by a connecting body 23. The cassette main bodies 21a and 21b each have a plurality of sample container holding holes 22a in which the sample containers 1a and 1b are vertically held. , 22b are opened in series in a row.

The sample container holding holes 22a and 22b of the cassette main bodies 21a and 21b are opened in parallel at the same intervals, and the sample container holding holes 22a and 22b of the cassette main bodies 21a and 21b are opened. The sample containers 1a and 1b are fitted and held in the 22b, respectively.

A bar code indicating a cassette number or a known identification means is attached to the side of each of the cassette bodies 21a and 21b, and the cassette number is arranged in the cassette transfer path. The cassette ID readers 24a and 24b are automatically read to prevent mistaking of the sample. The cassette ID reading devices 24a and 24b may be, for example, known bar code readers, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

On the other hand, the connecting body 23 holds the cassette bodies 21a and 21b integrally in a parallel state and detachably, and as shown in FIG. 2, the front shape is substantially concave. The length of the rising pieces 23a, 23b at both ends is substantially the same as the length of each of the cassette bodies 21a, 21b, and each of the cassette bodies 21a, 21b. It is configured so that it can be easily attached and detached by fitting and pinching. Of course, instead of this, for example, a convex strip is formed on the flat plate portion of the connecting body 23, and a groove portion (not shown) is fitted to the bottom portion of each cassette body 21a, 21b to easily attach and detach. It can also be configured to be capable.

Although not shown, the drive unit is the same as the intermittent drive unit used in the known cassette type autosampler, and is held by the cassette bodies 21a and 21b fixed to the connecting body 23. Each sample container 1a, 1b is configured to be sequentially and intermittently transferred to the sampling position a or b.

That is, in the drive device, the axial center of each sample container 1a held in the cassette main body 21a in the first row is intermittently transferred to the sampling position a, which is located on the rotation trajectory of the pipette 3 of the sampling pipette device. Is controlled so that the shaft center of each sample container 1b held in the cassette body 21b in the second row moves to the sampling position b located on the rotation path of the pipette 3 of the sampling pipette device. The drive control is performed so that the cassettes are sequentially transferred intermittently. The drive control is performed so that the transfer distances of the cassette bodies 21a and 21b are different between the first row and the second row. Such drive control is automatically performed based on the inspection cassette ID read by the cassette ID reading devices 24a and 24b.

The sampling pipette device, like the sampling pipette device having a known configuration, aspirates a required amount of the sample specimen from the inside of the sample container 1a or 1b that has reached the sampling position a or b. Since it is configured to dispense this into a container (not shown), detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the operation of the cassette sampler device configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the cassette body 21 integrated with the connecting body 23 is set in the cassette transfer path L and a start switch (not shown) is turned on, the pipette 3 rotates to the sampling position a. Will be transferred.

On the other hand, in synchronization with this, the cassette main body 21 is intermittently transferred leftward in FIG. 3 by the driving device, and the sample containers 1a of the cassette main body 21a in the first row are intermittently transferred to the sampling position a. It

In this way, when the sample container 1a of the first-row cassette body 21a reaches the sampling position a, the pipette 3 descends to suck a required amount of the sample specimen from the sample container 1a, It is drive-controlled to dispense this into another container. This sampling operation is continuously performed on all the sample containers 1a standingly held on the first row of cassette bodies 21a.

After the sampling work is completed for all the sample containers 1 a standingly held on the first row of cassette bodies 21 a in this way, the drive device operates on the cassette bodies 21 held by the connecting body 23. Back to the first set position, and a controller (not shown) controls sampling of the sample container 1b held in the second row cassette body 21b based on the sample cassette ID read by the cassette ID reader 24b. When the command is issued, the driving device is activated again to intermittently transfer the cassette main body 21 held by the connecting body 23 to the left in FIG. It is intermittently transferred to the sampling position b.

In this way, when the sample container 1b of the cassette body 21b in the second row reaches the sampling position b, the pipette 3 descends to suck a required amount of the specimen sample from the sample container 1b. , It is driven and controlled to dispense this into another container. This sampling operation is continuously performed on all the sample containers 1b standingly held on the second-row cassette body 21b.

Therefore, for example, when an emergency inspection is requested while the sampling work for the second-row sample container 1b is being performed, the cassette body 21a is removed from the connecting body 23, and the cassette body 21a is removed. Set a new cassette body (not shown) for the emergency inspection at the position where was removed, and operate the operation board (keyboard etc.) of the controller to operate the sample container 1b in the second row. After the sampling work is completed, by instructing the sample containers held in the cassette body for emergency testing to be sampled continuously, it is possible to quickly and continuously without interrupting the sampling work. You can undertake the above-mentioned emergency inspection.

Of course, in the cassette sampler apparatus according to this embodiment, the sampling position is fixed to one location of “a”, and after the sampling of each sample container 1a in the first row is completed, It is also possible to take out the cassette main body 21a, move the second row cassette main body 21b to the position where the cassette main body 21a is removed, and sequentially mount the next cassette main body in this empty portion. Of course, the sampling position may be fixed to "b".

Further, in the cassette sampler device according to this embodiment, when the sample sampler device is applied to the automatic immune analyzer, the sample sample is stored in the sample container 1a held in the cassette main body 21a in the first row. Then, the sample container 1b held in the second-row cassette body 21b is used as a diluting container, and the sample sample aspirated from the sample container 1a is diluted with the sample container 1b to a predetermined magnification. It can also be configured to aspirate a required amount of diluted specimen sample and dispense it into another container.

[0023]

[Effect of device]

 Since the cassette sampler device according to the present invention is configured as described above, if additional inspection is required, a cassette holding a new sample container can be easily set in the row where sampling has been completed. In addition, the flexibility of the test is greatly expanded, and the emergency test can be performed quickly, and because the configuration is simple, it can be provided at a low price. Play.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cassette body used in a cassette sampler device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cassette body.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing a schematic configuration of the cassette sampler device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a cassette body used in a conventional cassette sampler device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C Cassette sampler device a, b Sampling position 1a, 1b Sample container 3 Pipette 21, 21a, 21b Cassette body 23 Connected body 24a, 24b Cassette ID reader

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. At least two or more cassette bodies for holding a plurality of sample containers in series, a connecting body for detachably holding the cassette bodies in parallel, and each sample of the cassette body fixed to the connecting body. A drive device for sequentially and intermittently transferring the container to the sampling position, and a pipette device for sucking a required amount of the specimen sample from the sample container that has reached the sampling position and dispensing it into another container In the drive device described above, the axis of the sample containers held in the cassette bodies of the first and other rows is
A cassette sampler device, characterized in that the cassette sampler device is drive-controlled so as to make the transfer distances of the cassette bodies of the first row and the other row different so that they are located on the rotation trajectory of the pipette apparatus.