JPH09292398A - Automatic chemical analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the amount of moisture adhering to an agitating rod, after the completion of a course of washing the agitating rod of a reaction solution. SOLUTION: After the agitation of a reaction solution inside a reaction container with an agitating rod 30, the agitating rod 30 is returned to a washing tank 26, and the agitating rod 30 is lowered and rotated to wash. A washing tank 26 is opened at a lower part thereof to discharge washing water, while the washing water is continued to be supplied from a washing water supply passage 31. After washing, the supplying of the washing water is stopped and the agitating rod 30 is pulled up. With the water withdrawn from the washing tank 26, the agitating rod 30 is lowered and rotated to scatter water.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring the concentration or activity value of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as blood and urine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample into a reaction container along an annular reaction line in which the reaction containers are arranged and conveyed in a line in an analysis section of an automatic chemical analyzer.
Single-multi-system automatic chemical analysis that has at least a reagent injection mechanism that dispenses reagents into a reaction container in which a sample is injected, an absorptiometer that measures the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container, and a cleaning mechanism that cleans the reaction container The device is known.

In this automatic analyzer, a spatula-shaped stirring rod is placed in the reaction container at the stage where the sample and the reagent are placed in the reaction container, and the sample and the reagent are stirred. After stirring, the stirring rod goes to the washing pot and is immersed in the spring water for washing.

[0004]

However, in the conventional structure, when the stirring rod is washed with water, water adheres to the surface of the stirring rod, and when the stirring rod is attacked by the next reaction solution in this state, the liquid becomes thin, It is not preferable in terms of sensitivity and reactivity. In addition, there are variations in the amount of water attached, which leads to variations in measurement.

In order to reduce the amount of adhesion to the surface, it may be considered that the cleaning water in the cleaning pot is pulled up for as long as possible, but the amount of adhesion does not become zero. In addition, since the amount of adhesion changes depending on the degree of dirt on the surface, the value may change over time. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a device for reducing the amount of water adhered to a stirring rod to almost zero.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention dispenses a sample from a sample tray to a reaction disk in which reaction vessels are arranged and conveyed in a constant temperature bath and to the reaction vessel. Sample sampling mechanism, reagent injection mechanism that dispenses the reagent from the reagent tray to the reaction container in which the sample is injected, stirring mechanism that stirs the sample and reagent in the reaction container, washing tank that cleans the stirring mechanism, reaction container In an automatic chemical analyzer equipped with an absorptiometer for measuring absorbance and a drive mechanism for driving the reaction disk, a means for controlling the supply of washing water to the washing tank and the stirring after stopping the supply of washing water to the washing tank. A feature is that a mechanism for rotating the mechanism is provided.

Here, the reaction disk may be anything as long as a plurality of reaction vessels are arranged and driven integrally, for example, a circular turntable in which a plurality of reaction vessels are arranged on the outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of chain belts. For example, the one in which reaction vessels are connected is applicable. The drive mechanism of the reaction disk is, for example, a gear and a pinion are connected, and the pinion is driven by a motor. The reaction container is preferably a glass cuvette made by Pyrex, which is used for absorbance analysis when performing direct photometry. Further, the reaction container is stored in a constant temperature bath because the reaction is carried out at a constant temperature.

The sample tray is, for example, a circular turntable in which a plurality of sample containers are installed on the outer peripheral surface,
For example, a rectangular rack with multiple sample containers inserted. When using a rack, move it to the sample dispensing position with a belt conveyor. For the sample sampling mechanism, for example, a nozzle connected to a syringe pump can be used, and it is preferable that the nozzle can reciprocate between the sample tray and the reaction disk.

As the reagent tray, for example, a circular turntable similar to the above-mentioned sample tray or a rectangular box-shaped one can be used, but the reagent tray is not limited thereto. Note that the sample tray and the reagent tray are made of the same member by, for example, forming a plurality of concentric holes on a circular turntable, installing the sample container on the outermost periphery, and installing the reagent container on the inner periphery. It can also be configured. Like the sample sampling mechanism, the reagent injection mechanism can use, for example, a nozzle connected to a syringe pump,
The nozzle is preferably one that can reciprocate between the reagent tray and the reaction line. An absorptiometer consists of a photometer used for ordinary absorption analysis, that is, a light source, a spectroscope, and a detector.A deuterium lamp, a tungsten iodine lamp, or the like can be used as a light source, and a photo detector can be used. A diode array can be used. The photometric method may be either a direct photometric method in which the reaction tube is directly metered or a flow cell method in which the sample is sucked from the reaction tube into the flow cell to perform photometry. Further, the absorptiometer may be one that moves inside the reaction disk or one that is fixedly installed in each reaction container.

The stirring mechanism corresponds to a mechanism in which a spatula-shaped stirring rod is rotated by a motor or the like, and it is preferable that the cleaning tank keeps flushing water like spring water. A washing water supply passage and a washing water wastewater passage are connected to the washing tank, and by constantly supplying the washing water and discharging the washing water, the washing water continues to flow like spring water. The cleaning water supply control means for the cleaning tank is provided with, for example, an electromagnetic valve in the cleaning water supply passage, and controls the supply by turning the electromagnetic valve on and off. The rotation of the stirring mechanism in the cleaning tank is performed after the supply of the cleaning water is stopped, that is, the cleaning tank is empty.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic view of the automatic analyzer of the present invention, in which 1 is a reaction disk, which is intermittently rotated in the direction of the arrow by a rotary drive mechanism. An annular reaction line 4 is formed by arranging reaction vessels 3 which also serve as cuvettes in a line along the circumference of the cuvette roller 2 of the reaction disk 1.
Are formed. A sample sampling mechanism 5 is arranged along the reaction line 4 in order to inject a sample specimen into the reaction container 3. In the sample sampling mechanism 5, sample cups 7 are arranged along the circumference of the sampling table 6, and a sample dispenser 9 is arranged to dispense a sample from the sample cup at the sample suction and collection position 8. A sampling probe 10 is provided at the tip of the sample dispenser 9, and the probe 10 moves along the movement path 11 between the reaction container at the sample dispensing position 12 and the sample cup at the sample suction and sampling position 8. A washing cup 13 is provided on the moving path 11 so that the probe 10 can be washed.

Further, in order to inject the reagent into the reaction container in which the sample is dispensed, the reagent injection mechanism 1 is provided along the reaction line 4.
4 are arranged. In the reagent injection mechanism 14, a reagent container 16 is arranged along the circumference of the reagent tray 15, and a reagent dispenser 18 is arranged to dispense a reagent from the reagent container at the reagent suction and collection position 17. A reagent probe 19 is provided at the tip of the reagent dispenser 18, and the probe 19 moves along a movement path 21 between the reaction container at the reagent dispensing position 20 and the reagent container at the reagent aspirating and sampling position 17.
A washing cup 22 is arranged on the moving path 21 so that the probe 19 can be washed. The reagent tray 15 is cooled by a thermo module (not shown) due to deterioration of the reagent.

A stirring mechanism 23 is arranged along the reaction line 4 in order to stir the liquid in the reaction container in which the sample and the reagent are dispensed. The stirring mechanism 23 is provided with a stirrer 24 having a stirring rod at its tip, and moves between the reaction vessel at the stirring position 25 and the cleaning tank 26 along the movement path 27. The stirrer 24 is moved up and down by a drive unit (not shown).
Is rotated. Further, a washing and dehydrating device 28 is further arranged along the reaction line 4, and an absorptiometer 29 is also arranged along the reaction line 4.

The operation of the present apparatus having the above-mentioned structure is performed as follows. The reaction disk 1 is driven to position one of the empty reaction vessels 3 at the sample dispensing position 12, and a certain amount of the sample collected by the sampling probe 10 of the sample dispenser 9 is dispensed into the reaction vessel 3. Once the sample has been dispensed,
The reaction disk 1 is moved one revolution (or half revolution) +1 pitch, and then the sample is similarly dispensed to the reaction container which has reached the sample dispensing position. The probe 10 is washed with the washing cup 13 for each dispensing. When the reaction container in which the sample is dispensed moves and is positioned at the reagent dispensing position 20, the probe 19 collects a certain amount of the reagent from the reagent container at the reagent suction sampling position 17 of the reagent tray 15, and then the reagent is loaded. Dispense into reaction vessel. Similarly, the probe 19 is washed with the washing cup 22 for each dispensing.

The reaction container into which the sample and the reagent have been dispensed moves and is positioned at the stirring position 25. The reaction container at the stirring position 25 is stirred by the stirrer 24, and after stirring, the stirrer 24 is washed by the washing tank 26.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the process of stirring and washing. The stirring rod 30 of the stirrer descends into the reaction vessel at the stirring position 25, stirs, and rises (FIG. 2 (a)). After stirring, the stirring rod 30 returns to the washing tank 26, the stirring rod 30 is lowered (FIG. 2 (b)), and the stirring rod 30 is rotated to perform washing (FIG. 2 (c)). In addition, in the process of FIG. 2 (b) (c), the cleaning tank 2
The lower portion 6 is opened to drain the wash water, and the wash water is continuously supplied from the wash water supply passage 31.

After washing, the supply of washing water is stopped and the stirring rod 3
0 is pulled up (FIG. 2 (d)), and the water is released from the washing tank 26, and the stirring rod 30 is lowered and rotated to scatter the water (FIG. 2 (e)). The stirring rod 30 that has finished cleaning stirs the liquid in the reaction container that has newly arrived at the stirring position 25.

The absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction vessel 3 is
It is measured when the reaction disk 2 makes one revolution (or half revolution) and passes through the absorptiometer 29.

In the above description, the stirring rod 30 was once pulled up (FIG. 2 (d)) during the washing process of the stirring rod, and the stirring rod 30 was lowered again with water drained from the washing tank 26. The present invention is not limited to this, and water may be spattered by draining water while the stirring rod 30 is rotating in the cleaning tank 26 (FIG. 2 (c)).

[0020]

According to the present invention, the washing water adhering to the stirring rod is blown off, so that the amount of water brought into the reaction solution is reduced,
The accuracy can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 Schematic diagram of an automatic chemical analyzer

[Fig. 2] Schematic diagram of stirring / washing process

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Reaction disk 3: Reaction vessel 24: Stirrer 26: Washing tank 30: Stirring bar

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reaction disk in which reaction vessels are arranged and transported in a line in a constant temperature bath, a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample from a sample tray into the reaction vessel, and a reagent tray into a reaction vessel into which the sample has been injected. Reagent injection mechanism for dispensing the reagent, a stirring mechanism for stirring the sample and the reagent in the reaction container, a washing tank for cleaning the stirring mechanism, an absorptiometer for measuring the absorbance in the reaction container, and a drive for driving the reaction disk An automatic chemical analyzer equipped with a mechanism, comprising means for controlling the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning tank and a mechanism for rotating the stirring mechanism after stopping the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning tank. Analysis equipment.