JPH10185928A - Analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel analyzer in which bubbling is suppressed in a waste liquid container. SOLUTION: Reaction liquid in a reaction tube is delivered to a waste liquid container 1 through operation of a vacuum pump 8 upon reaching position (a) of a cleaning and waste liquid unit. Bubbles are generated when the reaction liquid enters into waste liquid container 1 and cleaning liquid is delivered into waste liquid container 1 from a reaction tube located at position (e) of the cleaning and waste liquid unit. Since the cleaning liquid is discharged from the upper part of the reaction liquid, generated bubbles are suppressed by the cleaning liquid delivered through an SUS pipe.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a biochemical automatic analyzer for automatically analyzing samples such as blood and urine, and a blood coagulation analyzer for automatically analyzing a blood coagulation reaction, for example, in the field of clinical examination. The present invention relates to an analyzer for dispensing a sample contained in a sample container into a reaction tube, reacting the sample with a reagent, and measuring the reaction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an automatic analyzer supports a plurality of reaction tubes, a measuring means for measuring a reaction of a reaction solution in the reaction tubes, and a plurality of sample containers. The apparatus includes at least a sample dispensing mechanism for aspirating a sample with a probe and dispensing the sample into a reaction tube, and a reagent dispensing mechanism for dispensing a reagent into a reaction tube at a reagent dispensing position. In this automatic analyzer, the reaction liquid whose measurement has been completed is sucked by a suction nozzle or the like and discharged to a waste liquid container, and the reaction tube that has drained the reaction liquid is washed with washing water or the like.

[0003]

However, in the conventional apparatus, when a reagent which easily foams in the reaction is used, the foaming of the reagent in the waste liquid container causes the adverse effect of damaging the piping system due to the foam. . As a means for solving this, it is conceivable to provide a so-called protective pot for trapping generated bubbles. However, this means requires a separate container and complicates the structure of the piping system.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an analyzer that suppresses foaming of a reagent in a waste liquid container without newly providing a new container.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is to react a sample with a reagent in a reaction tube, analyze the reaction, discharge the reaction solution to a waste liquid container, and wash the reaction tube. An analyzer that connects a reaction solution delivery pipe for delivering a reaction solution from a reaction tube to the waste solution container and a washing solution delivery pipe for delivering a washing solution after washing the reaction tube; Is disposed above the waste liquid port of the reaction solution sending pipe.

Here, the reaction tube may be, for example, a glass cuvette made of Pyrex, a cuvette made of polyacrylamide, or the like, but is not limited thereto.
For example, a plurality of reaction tubes can be arranged on the outer periphery of a circular turntable or connected to a plurality of chain belts and used as a reaction disk. The reaction disk can be rotated, for example, by connecting a gear and a pinion and driving the pinion with a motor.

A sample and a reagent are provided in a plurality of containers, for example, on the outer peripheral surface of a circular turntable, stored therein, and are dispensed from the containers to a reaction tube by a dispensing nozzle. The dispensing nozzle uses a nozzle connected to the syringe pump,
Those that can reciprocate between a reaction tube, a sample, and a reagent turntable are preferable.

[0008] The reaction is measured using, for example, an absorptiometer. The absorptiometer comprises the structure of a photometer used for ordinary absorption spectroscopy, ie, a light source, a spectrometer, and a detector. A lamp, a tungsten iodine lamp, or the like can be used, and a photodiode array can be used as a detector. In addition, the photometric method includes
Either a direct photometric method in which the reaction tube is directly photometrically measured, or a flow cell type in which a sample is sucked from the reaction tube into the flow cell and photometry is performed may be used. The absorptiometer may be one that moves in the reaction disk or one that is fixedly installed in each of the reaction tubes.

As the waste liquid container, for example, a glass cuvette made of Pyrex or a cuvette made of polyacrylamide can be used in the same manner as the reaction tube. When the liquid is sent from the reaction tube to the waste liquid container, the pressure inside the waste liquid container is reduced. Either a liquid feeding method or a liquid feeding method using a liquid feeding pump may be used. As a washing solution for washing the reaction tube, any of water, an acid, an alkali solution, or a combination thereof can be used. A corrosive pipe such as Teflon or SUS is used as a reaction liquid supply pipe for supplying the reaction liquid from the reaction tube to the waste liquid container and a cleaning liquid supply pipe for supplying the cleaning liquid after cleaning the reaction tube. The waste liquid port of the cleaning liquid feed pipe is disposed above the waste liquid port of the reaction liquid feed pipe, that is, the cleaning liquid is sent from above the reaction liquid bubbles generated in the waste liquid container. Therefore, the positional relationship between the waste liquid port of the cleaning liquid supply pipe and the waste liquid port of the reaction liquid supply pipe is not particularly limited as long as the positional relation is such that the bubbles of the reaction liquid are suppressed.

The analyzers to which the present invention is applied include, for example, automatic chemical analyzers and blood coagulation analyzers, but are not limited thereto, and all analyzers which waste a reaction solution (measurement solution) are used. Applicable device.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An analyzer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an overall schematic diagram of an automatic chemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. In the drawing, reference numeral 32 denotes a reaction disk, which is intermittently rotated in the direction of an arrow by a rotation drive mechanism described later. Along the circumference of the cuvette roller 33 of the reaction disk 32, reaction tubes 34 also serving as cuvettes are arranged in a row to form an annular reaction line 35.

A sample sampling mechanism 36 is arranged along a reaction line 35 for injecting a sample into a reaction tube 34. In the sample sampling mechanism 36, sample cups 37 are arranged along the circumference of the sampling table 38, and a sample dispenser 45 is arranged to dispense a sample from the sample cup at the sample suction / collection position 43. A sampling probe 4 is provided at the tip of the sample dispenser 45.
0 is provided, and the probe 40 moves along the movement path 41 between the reaction tube at the sample dispensing position 44 and the sample aspirating and collecting position 43.
Move between sample cups. A cleaning pot 42 is provided on the moving path 41 so that the probe 40 can be cleaned.

In order to inject a reagent into a reaction tube into which a sample has been dispensed, a reagent injection mechanism 4 is provided along a reaction line 35.
6 are arranged. In the reagent injection mechanism 46, a reagent container 47 is arranged along the circumference of the reagent tray 48, and a reagent dispenser 49 for dispensing a reagent from the reagent container at the reagent suction / collection position 53. A reagent probe 50 is provided at the tip of the reagent dispenser 49. The probe 50 is connected to the reaction tube at the reagent dispensing position 54 and the reagent suction and collection position 5.
3 along the movement path 51 between the reagent tubes. A cleaning pot 52 is arranged on the moving path 51 and a probe 50 is provided.
Can be washed.

A washing and waste water device 56 is further arranged along the reaction line 35, and an absorptiometer 57 is also arranged along the reaction line 35. The absorptiometer 57 is rotated along the reaction line 35 by a rotation drive mechanism (not shown).

A schematic of the cleaning and waste water device 56 is shown in FIG. 2 represent the position of the reaction tube 34 described above, and the reaction tube moves from a to f. In FIG. 2, a is a reaction liquid discharge position, e is a cleaning liquid discharge position, a reaction liquid discharge pipe 2 is disposed at the reaction liquid discharge position a, and a cleaning liquid discharge pipe 3 is disposed at the cleaning liquid discharge position e. Will be arranged. Although not shown, any or all of b to c are the cleaning liquid discharge positions.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a waste liquid container to which the above-mentioned washing liquid feed pipe 3 and reaction liquid feed pipe 2 are connected. Further, a vacuum suction pipe 4 is connected to the waste liquid container 1, and the vacuum suction pipe 4 is connected to a vacuum pump 8 via a vacuum tank 7. Therefore, by evacuating the vacuum tank 7, the pressure of the waste liquid container 1 is reduced,
The reaction solution and the washing solution in the reaction tube are sucked. In addition, 5 is an opening / closing valve and 6 is a relief valve.

FIG. 3 shows details of the inside of the waste liquid container 1.
The above-mentioned washing liquid feed pipe 3, reaction liquid feed pipe 2, and vacuum suction pipe 4 are attached to the waste liquid container 1 by a rubber stopper 13. SUS pipes 9 and 11 are attached to the tip of the washing liquid sending pipe 3 and the tip of the reaction solution sending pipe 3, respectively. The SUS pipe 9 of the reaction solution sending pipe 2 extends to the bottom of the waste liquid container 1,
Bubbles are generated from the bottom, and the cleaning solution feed pipe 3
The SUS pipe 11 is bent so as to come to the upper center of the waste liquid container 1.

In the above configuration, the operation of the present apparatus is performed as follows. The reaction disk 32 is driven to position one of the empty reaction tubes at the sample dispensing position 44, and a predetermined amount of sample collected by the sampling probe 40 of the sample dispenser 45 is dispensed into the reaction tube. When the dispensing of the sample is completed, the reaction disk 32 can be moved one turn (or half a turn) +1 pitch, and the sample is similarly dispensed to the reaction tube that has come to the sample dispensing position.

When the reaction tube into which the sample has been dispensed moves and is positioned at the reagent dispensing position 54, a certain amount of reagent is collected from the reagent container 47 of the reagent tray 48, and then the reagent is dispensed into the reaction tube. . The measurement of the reaction solution is performed when the reaction disk 32 makes one round (or half round) and passes through the absorptiometer 57.

The reaction tube after the reaction and located in the washing and waste water device 56 is subjected to waste water and washing here. For the waste water and washing, when the reaction tube comes to the position a of the washing and waste water device 56 shown in FIG. When the reaction liquid enters the waste liquid container 1, bubbles 12 are generated. At this time, the cleaning liquid is sent into the waste liquid container 1 from the reaction tube located at the position c of the washing and waste water device 56. Since the cleaning liquid is discharged from the upper part of the reaction liquid, the generated bubbles 12 are suppressed by the cleaning liquid 11 from the SUS pipe 11. In addition, the waste liquid container 1
The waste liquid therein is discharged by opening the open / close valve 5 every cycle.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the generated bubbles are crushed by the force of the waste liquid of the cleaning liquid, and the water solubility increases, so that the waste liquid can be easily operated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an automatic chemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the cleaning and waste water device 56 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a waste liquid container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Waste liquid container 2: Reaction liquid feed pipe 3: Cleaning liquid feed pipe 4: Vacuum suction pipe 9, 10: SUS pipe 11: Cleaning liquid 12: Foam

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An analyzer for reacting a sample with a reagent in a reaction tube, analyzing the reaction, discharging the reaction solution to a waste liquid container, and washing the reaction tube. And a washing liquid sending pipe for sending the washing liquid after washing the reaction tube, and a waste liquid port of the washing liquid sending pipe is located above the waste liquid port of the reaction liquid sending pipe. An analyzer characterized by being provided.