JPH08201396A - Reagent stirring/adding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To strongly stir a necessary reagent as required with a simple device by shifting a reagent container to a stirring/dispersing unit, stirring the reagent via air pressure, and shifting the reagent container to a reagent sucking/adding unit. CONSTITUTION: A reagent conveying device (disk) 1 mounted with many trapezoidal reagent containers 3 is rotated by a motor 2, and the required container 3 is conveyed to the sucking/adding position 4 and the stirring position 5. When the container 3 is conveyed to the stirring position 5, an air connection port 9 located above is lowered and connected to a reagent container port 7, and the fluctuating air pressure is fed from an air compressing/decompressing device 10 to stir a reagent in the container 3. When the stirred container 3 is conveyed to the sucking/adding position 4, a reagent pipette 6 located above is lowered, it sucks a prescribed quantity of the reagent from the reagent container port 7 and is lifted, and it is moved above a measured cell 8 and dispenses the reagent into the cell 8. The reagent is thoroughly stirred and dispersed immediately before it is used, and the precipitation and separation of the reagent can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The clinical specimen automatic analyzer using a reagent is generally used, and particularly, it is used for an apparatus for supplying a reagent in a reagent container in an immune automatic analyzer. It is a useful device for keeping a constant concentration of a reagent containing fine particles carrying an antigen or an antibody, without precipitating the fine particles in use. However, even in the automatic immunoassay device, it was put in a disposable container for each measurement. It is not used in methods that consume reagents.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With respect to reagents containing the above-mentioned fine particles, various ideas have been issued and implemented to prevent their precipitation. For example, by repeating the rotation and stop of the tray on which the reagent container is placed, the inside of the container is wavy to prevent sedimentation. Alternatively, the container itself is subjected to a rotational movement and other complicated movements to cause a rotational flow of the reagent to prevent sedimentation. It has been practiced to put balls, rods, etc. inside to enhance the effect of the above stirring, but in any case, it is a method to maintain the dispersed ones, and to re-install those that have once settled and separated. I can't find anything to disperse.

Of course, mixing of reagents added by aspiration and discharge with a pipette at the laboratory level is possible, but the reagent container of an automatic device is large enough to hold a large amount of reagent in view of the frequency of replacement. Is required,
Its capacity is tens of milliliters. It is impossible to agitate the whole reagent container by suction / discharge with a pipette of several hundred microliters.

[0004]

The reagent containing fine particles used for immunoassay is not set at a level at which it is maintained at a uniform concentration by maintaining it in a well-dispersed state such as by shaking by hand, but by sedimentation. The purpose is to redisperse and homogenize the fine particles that have been formed by the device itself. For this purpose, a strong stirring means is required.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problem] A means for solving the problem is to install a strong stirring mechanism in the apparatus. For that purpose, there is a spatial impossibility in the place where the reagent is aspirated and added, and therefore, it is necessary to use another device. Will be installed in the place. For this reason, it is necessary to move the reagent carrying device for selecting the reagent by one extra step. By increasing the transfer of the reagent container by one stage, the object to be stirred can be concentrated on a specific container without all reagent containers, so that the range of selection of the mountable stirring mechanism can be expanded.

According to the conventional method, since the fine particle concentration should be kept uniform by some means, when adding the reagent, the reagent required for the reagent transporting device is simply aspirated.
It suffices to convey to the addition position, but according to the present invention, first, the mixture is conveyed to the stirring position, sufficiently stirred, and then transferred to the suction / addition position. Regarding the powerful stirring device here, the first conceivable thing is the so-called stirrer, which is a method of stirring from the outside of the container using a magnet, but the reagent containing fine particles used for immunoassay has magnetism. Many of them are magnets and cannot be used because they cause agglomeration.

In principle, the above-mentioned pipetting method (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-39224) has shown good results. That is, a pipe having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth of the reagent container is inserted and fixed in the reagent container. The inner diameter of this pipe is preferably 10% or more of the floor area of the container. By connecting an air source for pressurizing / depressurizing to this pipe, the reagent in the container is strongly stirred and homogenized. Depending on the nature of the reagent, the time required to disperse the reagent during measurement is only a few seconds, so for reagents that are difficult to redisperse, the reagent container can be re-dispersed sequentially in the start-up patent of the device. All reagents could be homogenized by redispersion for a few seconds.

[0008]

In addition, for reagents whose sedimentation is not so bad, redispersion was possible by forward / reverse rotation of the container without using the pipetting method. According to the present invention, it is not necessary to constantly stir and homogenize all reagents, and the necessary reagents are stirred and used when necessary, so that the apparatus is simple and powerful stirring is possible. As a stirring action, the liquid discharged and sucked from the inserted pipe due to air pressure fluctuations causes a vortex at the pipe bottom, which contributes to the stirring as a whole.

[0009]

EXAMPLE FIG. 1 shows an outline of a reagent stirring / adding device according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a reagent carrier, which is a turntable type in this example. That is, the disk on which the trapezoidal reagent container 3 is placed is rotated by the motor 2, and the required reagent container is conveyed to the suction / addition position 4 and the stirring position 5. At the suction / addition position, the reagent pipe 6 at the upper part of the stopped reagent container descends, aspirates a predetermined amount of reagent from the reagent container port 7 and then ascends, moves to the upper part of the measuring cell 8 and moves into the reagent container. To dispense. At the stirring position 5, the air connection port 9 on the upper side
Is lowered and connected to the reagent container port 7, and then the content liquid is stirred by the fluctuating air pressure sent from the air pressurizing / depressurizing container 10. The pressurizing / depressurizing device 10 is composed of a diaphragm 11, a crank 12, and a reduction motor 13 as shown in the figure. The rotation of the motor causes the diaphragm to move to cause a change in air pressure.

An example of a cross section of the reagent container shown in FIG. 2 is shown.
From the principle of stirring, it is desirable to add roundness to the bottom corner, and in the experiment, a radius of 5 mm is added. The air connection port 9 is connected to the stirring pipe 14 inserted from the reagent container port 7 via the O-ring 15. The liquid 16 in the pipe 14 moves up and down by the pressurization / depressurization of air pressure and flows out from the pipe tip.
By repeating the inflow, a vortex flow is generated, and the sediment 17 is rolled up and dispersed in the entire reagent solution. 30ml according to the experiment
For the container of 800, use a stirring pipe with an inner diameter of 8 mm
The fine particles settled by applying a varying air pressure with a frequency of cycles / minute were redispersible within 10 seconds.

[0011]

Industrial Applicability In recent years, with the automation of immunoassay, reagents containing fine particles have come to be used, and its sedimentation is a problem. However, there is no definitive countermeasure, and well dispersed reagents are sedimented. Measures are taken to prevent it. According to the present invention, a powerful stirring / dispersing mechanism is used as the reagent container holding and conveying mechanism.
It is introduced into a place where the reagent is sufficiently stirred and dispersed immediately before it is used, and there is no need to worry about sedimentation and separation of the reagent.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a reagent stirring / adding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reagent container of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Reagent Transfer Device 2 Motor 3 Reagent Container 4 Suction / Addition Position 5 Stirring Position 6 Reagent Pipette 7 Reagent Container Port 8 Measurement Cell 9 Air Connection Port 10 Air Pressurization / Decompression Device 11 Diaphragm 12 Crank 13 Deceleration Motor 14 Stirrer Pipe 15 O-ring 15 Liquid 16 Sediment

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 3, 1995

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0007

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

In principle, the above-mentioned pipetting method (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-39224) has shown good results. That is, a pipe having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth of the reagent container is inserted and fixed in the reagent container. The inner diameter of this pipe is preferably 10% or more of the floor area of the container. Container in the reagent by connecting the air source to the pressurized and depressurizing this pipe strongly stirred, is uniform. Depending on the nature of the reagent, the time required to disperse the reagent during measurement is only a few seconds.Therefore, for reagents that are difficult to redisperse, it is possible to redisperse the reagent containers one by one at the start-up of the device. All reagents could be homogenized by redispersion for a few seconds.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A unit for agitating / dispersing a reagent in a clinical laboratory automatic analyzer, wherein a reagent container is transferred to the agitating / dispersing unit before reagent addition and sufficiently agitated, and then a reagent suction / addition unit. A reagent stirring / adding device, which is characterized in that the reagent is transferred to a container to add the reagent. 2. A reagent stirring / adding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein air pressure is used as a unit for stirring / dispersing the reagent. 3. The reagent stirring and adding device according to claim 2, wherein the pipe is inserted into the reagent container, and the liquid is moved by applying air pressure that repeats pressurization and depressurization to mix the liquid. . 4. A reagent agitation / addition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein agitation by forward / reverse rotation of a reagent container is used as a unit for agitating / dispersing a reagent.