JPH0985071A - Sample stirring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sample stirring mechanism capable of uniformly dispersing a sedimented materiality component in a sample when a liquid sample containing materiality component such as urine is stirred. SOLUTION: A sample is sucked and emitted on the bottom of a sample container 1 to float a sedimented materiality component and, subsequently, a nozzle 2 is moved upwardly and rotated to stirr the whole in the container and the materiality component is uniformly dispersed in the container.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sample stirring device used in an automatic analyzer and the like, and more particularly to a sample stirring device capable of uniformly dispersing formed components in a sample container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to analyze formed particles in a sample with an analyzer, it is necessary to homogenize the sample before sampling the sample. The conventional stirring method is
The method of inverting the container and the method of putting a stirring rod in the sample container and rotating it are well known. However, it is necessary to seal the container and cannot be used for a container without a lid. Also, in the case of an elongated container, it cannot be sufficiently stirred. Particularly, in the case of a container for urine sediment, the bottom is often narrowed, and it is difficult to uniformly disperse the formed component that has settled on the bottom.

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-66466, a mixed solution once dispensed and mixed in a reaction vessel is sucked into a dispensing nozzle,
An apparatus for discharging and stirring in the reaction vessel is described. And at that time, in the reaction container containing the sample, the reagent is discharged from the nozzle and mixed with the reagent, and thereafter,
A method is described in which the tip of the nozzle is lowered to the bottom of the reaction vessel, almost the entire amount of the mixed liquid is sucked into the nozzle, and then the entire amount is discharged from the nozzle. However, JP-A-63-6646
According to the publication No. 6, since the suction is performed at the bottom and the discharge is performed at the bottom, the stirring effect is not sufficient. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-40123 describes a method in which a sample in a sample container is aspirated and discharged while being moved in the sample container by using a pump.

[0004]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-401
The method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 23 is stirring only by suction and discharge, and if the amount of the sample is different, the stirring effect may be different.
When a large amount of sample is contained in the sample container, for example, in the case of a urine collection cup, it cannot be sufficiently stirred only by suction and discharge stirring. Further, it is necessary to perform suction and discharge several times before the formed components are uniformly dispersed, and it takes time to obtain the analysis result.

According to the present invention, a liquid sample in a state in which a formed material contained in an elongated container is settled or a sample capable of efficiently dispersing the formed formed material in a large volume sample in a short time It is to provide a stirring device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the sample stirring apparatus of the present invention, the nozzle is moved to the bottom of the sample container and the pump is used to suck and discharge the sample in the sample container. The formed material that has settled to the bottom is raised. The nozzle is moved upward by raising the entire sampling mechanism, and the nozzle is rotated by the motor to generate a vortex in the sample container, so that the formed component separated from the sample container bottom is made uniform in the sample container. It is characterized by being dispersed.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the materials, dimensions, shapes, and other relative arrangements of the constituent devices described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto unless otherwise specified. , It is just an example of explanation. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the sample stirring mechanism of the present invention. Reference numeral 2 is a nozzle for sample suction / discharge and rotation stirring. A motor for vertical movement and suction / discharge means 5 are connected to the nozzle 2. In FIG. 1, a syringe pump (hereinafter referred to as a syringe) is shown as an example of the suction means 5.
Is used. The sample contained in the sample container 1 is sucked and discharged from the nozzle 2 using the syringe 5, so that the formed component deposited on the bottom of the sample container 1 shown in FIG. 2 is raised from the bottom.

Subsequently, the sampling mechanism 4 is raised and the nozzle 3 is conically rotated using the motor 3 to generate a vortex in the entire sample container 1 to stir the entire sample. If the amount of the sample is small, the nozzle 2 and the sample will not come into contact with each other due to the rise of the sampling unit. In this case, however, only the suction and discharge performed first sufficiently disperse the formed components. It is more effective if the syringe 5 is driven while the nozzle 2 is being rotated and suction and discharge of the sample are also performed. The rising distance of the sampling mechanism 4 can be set according to the sample container.

FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the apparatus of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the rotation of the nozzle is after the nozzle is raised. This is because the bottom of the sample container is narrowed in the case of urinary sediment examination. It doesn't matter if you start.

[0010]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

(1) Since the formed material deposited on the bottom of the sample container is rolled up from the bottom of the sample container by sucking and discharging the sample, the damage to the formed material is minimized.

(2) Since the formed material that has settled on the bottom of the sample container is rolled up from the bottom of the sample container by suction and discharge of the sample and the whole sample is stirred, the formed material can be uniformly dispersed in a short time. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing movement of a nozzle and a behavior of a formed component accompanied with the movement.

FIG. 3 is a time chart of a stirring operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Sample container, 2 ... Nozzle for sample suction / discharge and rotary stirring,
3 ... Nozzle rotation motor, 4 ... Sampling mechanism, 5 ...
Syringe.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sample stirring mechanism by injecting a nozzle into a sample container and sucking and discharging the sample using the nozzle, wherein the nozzle is sucked and discharged and stirred at the bottom of the sample container. Is moved above the sample container, and the sample is stirred by rotating the nozzle. 2. The sample stirring device according to claim 1, wherein when the sample is stirred by rotating the nozzle above the sample container, stirring by suction and discharge is also performed.