JPH08226923A - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an inexpensive and safe automatic analyzer wherein drainage from the automatic analyzer is automatically neutralized to reduce danger in neutralization. CONSTITUTION: A reaction container cleaning system 20 of an automatic analyzer is divided into thick drainage containing reaction liquid and thin drainage containing cleaning liquid, wherein they are discharged respectively into a thick drainage tank 24 and a thin drainage tank 25 while discharged amounts are being monitored by liquid level sensors 29. Cleaning liquid is accumulated into the thin drainage tank 25 also from a sample separation mechanism 21, a reagent dispensation mechanism 22 and a cleaning system 23 of a stirring mechanism. An optimum amount of neutralizing liquid is calculated by a computer, a pressure of a neutralizing liquid pump is adjusted accordingly, and a neutralizing liquid solenoid valve 28 is adjusted to inject a required amount of the neutralizing liquid. The liquid level sensor 29 senses that thin drainage has reached a predetermined amount after it is stirred in the thin drainage tank 25, and the drainage is discharged from a drainage solenoid valve 31.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer and inspection system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic biochemical analyzer dispenses a sample and a reagent in an arbitrary volume into a reaction vessel, causes them to react in a reaction tank at a constant temperature, and quantifies the test substance by the change in its absorbance or turbidity. This device is widely used mainly in the field of clinical examination. In the automatic analyzer, the reaction solution after the measurement is automatically sucked, then the reaction container detergent is discharged into the reaction container to automatically wash the reaction container, and the purified water is discharged.
After repeated aspiration and rinsing, it is ready for the next analysis. Therefore, after the analysis is completed, the reaction liquid in which the sample and the reagent are mixed, the cleaning liquid used for cleaning each part of the sample, the reagent probe, the reaction container, and the purified water are drained. Of these, the reaction liquid is called concentrated wastewater, and although the discharge is small,
Since the risk of infection is extremely high because it contains patient specimens, it is necessary to sterilize it with sodium hypochlorite and then discharge it as well as neutralize it. On the other hand, the amount of fresh wastewater used to wash each part is large and is not suitable for storage. However, since the wash water contains waste alkali in particular, it cannot be discharged as it is without treatment, and it is necessary to perform neutralization, incineration or ion exchange regeneration. For example, the Sewerage Law states that a detoxification facility must be provided when the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) is 5.0 or less or 9.0 or more. Other than that, it must be disposed of by the methods stipulated by laws such as the Water Pollution Control Law, the Sewage Treatment Law, and the Waste Treatment Law. Large facilities, such as those equipped with waste liquid treatment facilities, automatically neutralize wastewater, so no human labor is required.However, facilities without such facilities require much human power to neutralize wastewater. A place to store a large amount of wastewater was also necessary.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, the concentrated wastewater needs to be sterilized as well as neutralized in order to prevent infection. Not. However, although the amount of discharged fresh wastewater is large and can be discharged to the sewage by a simple neutralization process, the method of measuring the pH after storage for a certain period of time and neutralizing according to that was taken. . In such a case, it is not only labor-intensive, but a separate place for storing and treating wastewater is required.

In view of such a situation, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer which does not require any trouble in neutralizing wastewater.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention calculates the amount of a necessary neutralizing agent in advance from the pH of a reagent or a washing solution used for measurement in an automatic analyzer, or
It has a function of measuring the pH of the wastewater to determine the amount of the neutralizing agent, adding it automatically, and controlling the pH of the wastewater to an arbitrary range specified by law.

[0006]

According to the present invention, it is possible to save the trouble of neutralizing the wastewater and eliminate the need to install equipment for storing the wastewater. In addition, the neutralization work involves a danger because a high-concentration acid or base solution is used, but the danger can be prevented if it is automated.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 used for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described below. First, an operation example of the automatic analyzer will be described.

A plurality of sample cups 1 containing the sample are set on the sample disk 2. The sample disc 2 is controlled by the computer 3 via the interface 4. The sample disc 2 is rotationally moved to the bottom of the sample dispensing probe 5 according to a pre-registered order, and a predetermined amount of the sample is dispensed into the reaction container 6 by the sample pump 7 connected to the sample dispensing probe 5. It The reaction container 6 into which the sample has been dispensed moves to the first reagent addition position in the reaction tank 9 connected to the constant temperature tank 8. The reaction container 6 that has moved to the first reagent addition position is added with a predetermined first reagent sucked from the reagent bottle 12 by the reagent pump 11 connected to the reagent dispensing probe 10. After the addition of the first reagent, the reaction container 6 moves to the position of the stirring device 13 and the first stirring is performed. The reaction container 6 in which the contents are stirred passes through the light flux emitted from the light source 14, and the absorbance at this time is detected by the multi-wavelength photometer 15. The detected absorbance signal is analog / digital (A
/ D) via the converter, the computer 3 enters through the interface 4 and is converted into the concentration to be measured in the sample. After the measurement, the reaction container 6 is moved to the position of the cleaning mechanism 19, and the reaction container cleaning system 20 cleans it with water after discharging the liquid inside, and provides it for the next analysis. The measurement result is printed out from the printer 17 or displayed on the CRT screen 18. Which item is to be measured for one sample is input by the operator from the keyboard 16 in advance and stored in the computer 3 via the interface 4, and the apparatus is controlled so as to measure the requested item. Similarly, for certain measurement items, analysis conditions such as reagent volume, sample volume, measurement wavelength, reaction time, etc. are input by the operator in advance from the keyboard 16 as analysis parameters and stored in the computer 3 via the interface 4. The pH of the reagent and the cleaning liquid used for cleaning each part is also stored together with this analysis parameter. Next, details of the cleaning system will be described with reference to FIG. The reaction container cleaning system 20 is divided into concentrated waste water containing the reaction liquid and fresh waste water containing the cleaning liquid for the reaction container, which are respectively discharged to the concentrated drain tank 24 and the fresh drain tank 25. Each tank has a liquid level sensor 29 to monitor the amount of drainage. The cleaning liquid is accumulated in the fresh drainage tank 25 from the sample dispensing mechanism cleaning system 21, the reagent dispensing mechanism cleaning system 22, and the stirring mechanism cleaning system 23. The neutralization liquid tank 26 injects the neutralization liquid into the fresh drainage tank 25 via the neutralization liquid pump 27 and the neutralization liquid electromagnetic valve 28. The amount of the neutralizing solution is calculated in advance by the computer 3 in accordance with the stored reagent and the pH of the cleaning solution used for cleaning each part. Interface 4 from computer 3 according to the calculation result.
The pressure of the neutralizing solution pump 27 is adjusted via the, the opening / closing time of the neutralizing solution electromagnetic valve 28 is changed, and a necessary amount of the neutralizing solution is injected. After stirring in the fresh drainage tank 25, when the liquid level sensor 29 detects that the fresh drainage has reached a certain amount, the drainage solenoid valve 31 is opened to drain the drainage.

The second embodiment is a case where the fresh drainage tank 25 has a pH sensor 30. The pH of the waste water is constantly monitored by the pH sensor 30. The range in which the pH is controlled is stored in the computer 3 in advance via the interface 4 from the keyboard 16. Interface 4 from computer 3 to enter this set range
The pressure of the neutralizing solution pump 27 is adjusted via the, the opening / closing time of the neutralizing solution electromagnetic valve 28 is changed, and a necessary amount of the neutralizing solution is injected. After stirring in the fresh drainage tank 25, when the liquid level sensor 29 detects that the fresh drainage has reached a certain amount, the drainage solenoid valve 31 is opened to drain the drainage.

[0010]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the neutralization treatment of the waste water, which has hitherto been done manually, can be automatically carried out, and the labor cost and the storage space cost can be saved. Further, it is possible to reduce the risk of using a high concentration of acid or base due to a person performing a neutralization operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an automatic analyzer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a cleaning system.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 ... Reaction container cleaning system, 21 ... Sample dispensing mechanism cleaning system, 2
2 ... Reagent dispensing mechanism cleaning system, 23 ... Stirring mechanism cleaning system, 24
... concentrated drainage tank, 25 ... fresh drainage tank, 26 ... neutralizing solution tank, 27 ... neutralizing solution pump, 28 ... neutralizing solution solenoid valve,
29 ... Liquid level sensor, 30 ... pH sensor, 31 ... Drainage solenoid valve.

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location C02F 1/66 530 C02F 1/66 530P

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An automatic analyzer having a function of forming a reaction liquid of a sample and a reagent in a reaction container and automatically washing the reaction container after the measurement of the reaction liquid is completed. Calculate the pH and adjust it within the range specified by law.
An automatic analyzer characterized by having a function of adding a neutralizing solution so as to control the temperature. 2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, which has a pH sensor and has a function of arbitrarily controlling the pH of waste water. 3. An inspection system including an automatic analyzer having the function of claim 1.