JPH1062375A - Electrolytic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly select and use a plurality or more of calibrating solutions with a simple passage structure by sucking a necessary quantity of the calibrating solution, holding it in a sample liquid holding tube, sucking, folding and discharging a sample solution to analyze it, and then successively discharging the calibrating solution to perform a measurement for calibration. SOLUTION: A first calibrating solution is held in a sample liquid holding tube 9 by moving the plunger of a micro syringe 3 in the sucking direction. Since the plungers of the syringe 3 and a dilution pump 4 are fixed to the sample rod connected to a first driving motor 95, a fixed quantity of pure water in a diluting bottle 8 is sucked into the barrier of the pump 4 simultaneously with the suction of the first calibrating solution. A probe 2 is put out from a first calibrating solution bottle and situated in the air. The plunger of the syringe 3 is then moved in the sucking direction to introduce air into the holding tube 9. The probe 2 is successively situated in a sample solution within a sample bottle 10. The plunger of the syringe 3 is moved in the sucking direction to suck the sample solution into the holding tube 9, and the pure water in the bottle 8 is added into the barrel of the pump 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrolyte analyzer for analyzing an electrolyte in a solution, and particularly to sodium ions (N) in blood, serum and urine in the field of clinical analysis.
a ⁺ ), potassium ion (K ⁺ ), chlorine ion (C
l ^-) used in the ion analysis device for measuring the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an electrolyte analyzer, an electrode method using an ion-selective electrode in a detection section is widely used.
Then, a dilution type apparatus for diluting a sample such as serum or urine in an electrode method apparatus, guiding the diluted solution to a flow cell provided with an ion-selective electrode, and measuring the diluted liquid is often used. Further, as the method of dilution used in this device,
A cup dilution method and a continuous dilution method are known.

When the electrode method is used, drift of the electrode response is unavoidable. To correct this drift, the calibration solution is measured immediately before or immediately after the sample solution measurement.
The correction amount is calculated, and the concentration of the sample liquid is calculated using this value.

[0004] In order to introduce the calibration liquid into the flow cell, an electrolyte analyzer employing a continuous dilution method employs two types of flow path systems. The two types of flow path systems will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a flow path of an electrolyte analyzer of a system in which the inside of a probe is filled with a calibration liquid. In the figure, reference numeral 33 denotes a calibration liquid bottle. The calibration liquid bottle 33 contains a calibration liquid.
Before aspirating the sample liquid, the calibration liquid is supplied to the sample liquid holding tube 9 and the probe 2
To be satisfied. Following the suction and discharge of the sample liquid, the calibration liquid is discharged from the probe 2, diluted with a diluent, and sent to the flow cell.

Next, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a flow path of an electrolyte analyzer of a type in which a calibration solution bypass pipe is provided.

In the drawing, reference numeral 41 denotes a calibration solution bypass pipe, reference numeral 42 denotes a first three-way valve, and reference numeral 43 denotes a second three-way valve. The diluent bottle 8 contains a calibration liquid. The sample solution is diluted by the calibration solution in the diluent bottle 8 even during the sample analysis operation.

When measuring the calibration liquid, the first and second three-way valves are switched, and the calibration liquid sucked and held by the diluent pump 4 is sent to the flow cell through the calibration liquid bypass pipe 41.

[0009]

An electrolyte analyzer employing the above method of filling the inside of the probe with a calibration solution consumes a large amount of the calibration solution at the time of cleaning the probe, so that the cost is high and wasteful.

On the other hand, an electrolyte analyzer employing a method of providing a calibration solution bypass pipe has a complicated flow path and is easily affected by the ambient temperature due to a difference in flow path. In addition, since it takes time and labor to replace the calibration solution with a different calibration solution, only one type of calibration solution is practically used. This is a problem that a calibration solution having an optimum concentration cannot be selected and used for measurement of a sample in which samples having different average electrolyte concentrations such as blood and urine are mixed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple flow path configuration and
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte analyzer capable of appropriately selecting and using the above calibration liquid.

[0012]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, a conventional sample liquid suction mechanism is used to first suction a required amount of a calibration liquid to thereby obtain a sample liquid holding tube. After the sample solution was sucked, held, discharged, and analyzed, the calibration liquid was subsequently discharged to perform measurement for calibration.

The order of suction of the calibration liquid and the sample liquid may be reversed.

That is, the present invention provides an ion-selective electrode, a flow cell for the ion-selective electrode, and a sample liquid having one end connected to a micro-syringe and the other end connected to a probe for sucking and holding the sample liquid to be measured. A holding pipe and a mixing pipe connected to the flow cell, and a fixed amount of diluting liquid synchronized with an operation of pushing out a plunger of a micro syringe to discharge the sample liquid held in the sample liquid holding pipe to the mixing pipe. Having a diluent pump for sending the liquid to the mixing tube,
In an electrolyte analyzer for measuring an ion concentration in a sample solution diluted with a diluting solution, a calibration solution is arranged in a movable range of the probe, the calibration solution is sucked from the probe and held in the sample solution holding tube, and the sample is sampled. The diluent is sent from the diluent pump to the mixing tube to dilute the diluent from the diluent pump in synchronization with an operation of discharging the calibration liquid to the mixing tube in a fixed time from the liquid holding tube, and the diluent of the calibration liquid is diluted. An electrolyte analyzer characterized by measuring the ion concentration in the medium and correcting the drift of the ion-selective electrode using the measured value.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the flow path of the electrolyte analyzer according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a flow cell, 2 is a probe, 3
Is a micro syringe, 4 is a diluent pump, 5 is a first drive motor, 6 is a dilution pot, 7 is a mixer, 8 is a diluent bottle, 9 is a sample liquid holding tube, 10 is a sample bottle, and 11 is a first calibration liquid. A bottle, 12 is a second calibration liquid bottle, and 13 is a washing pot.

In addition to the components shown in FIG. 1, this electrolyte analyzer has a reference electrode solution and a pump for feeding the solution, or a cleaning solution for cleaning the flow path and the pump and a solution for sending the solution. Although there are components such as a pump, they are not shown in the figure because they are the same as the conventional device, and are omitted from the following description of the operation.

Next, the operation of the present apparatus will be described.

The case where serum is contained in the sample bottle 10 will be described. First, the probe 2 is positioned in the first calibration liquid in the first calibration liquid bottle 11. The first calibration solution is a normal value in serum, Na ⁺ 140, K ⁺ 4, Cl ^- 100 mmol.
/ L.

The first calibration solution is held in the sample solution holding tube 9 by the plunger of the micro syringe 3 moving in the suction direction (downward in the figure). Micro syringe 3
And the plunger of the diluent pump 4 is fixed to the same rod connected to the first drive motor 5, so that a certain amount of pure water in the diluent bottle 8 It is sucked into the barrel of the pump 4.

Next, the probe 2 exits the first calibration solution bottle and is positioned hollow. Here, the plunger of the micro syringe 3 moves in the minute amount suction direction, and air is introduced into the sample liquid holding tube 9. At the same time, the plunger of the diluent pump 4 also moves in the suction direction, so that the pure water in the diluent bottle 8 is sucked into the barrel of the trace diluent pump 4.

Subsequently, the probe 2 is positioned in the sample liquid in the sample bottle 10. Here, the plunger of the micro syringe 3 moves in the suction direction by a fixed amount, and the sample liquid is sucked into the sample liquid holding tube 9 and at the same time pure water in the diluent bottle 8 is added into the barrel of the diluent pump 4. .

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the inside of the sample liquid holding tube 9 after suction of the sample liquid.

As shown in FIG. 2, a sample liquid, an air layer,
The first calibration liquid and pure water are held. Here, the air layer is introduced to prevent mixing of the sample liquid and the first calibration liquid, and the pure water is pure water used for washing the flow path, which is directly retained, The micro-syringe 3 has a role of accurately transmitting the amount of suction and discharge of the syringe to the tip of the probe 2.

Next, the probe 2 is positioned in the dilution pot 6. The plunger of the micro syringe 3 moves in the discharge direction (upward in FIG. 1), and the plunger of the diluent pump 4 fixed to the same rod also moves in the discharge direction. The sample liquid discharged into the dilution pot is mixed with a diluent (pure water) at a fixed ratio determined by the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the plunger of the micro syringe 3 and the plunger of the diluent pump 4.
, And pass through the flow cell 1. During this time, Na ⁺ , K
^+, Cl ^- ion concentration is measured.

Subsequently, while the probe 2 is still positioned in the diluent pot 6, the plungers of the micro syringe 3 and the diluent pump 4 continue the discharging operation, and the first calibration liquid diluted with pure water is discharged. The ion concentration of Na ⁺ , K ⁺ , and Cl ^{− in} the calibration solution is introduced into the flow cell 1 and measured. Since the electrode drift value is obtained from the measured value, the measured ion concentration of the sample diluent is calibrated.

Thereafter, the probe 2 is positioned in the washing pot 13, and the flow paths of the probe 2, the sample holding tube 9, and the micro syringe 3 are washed with pure water.

When the sample liquid in the sample bottle 10 is urine, for example, Na ⁺ 100, K ⁺ 40, Cl ⁻ 100 m
A second calibration solution with an ion concentration of mol / l is used.

As a modified embodiment, a plurality of overflow type liquid reservoirs having the same structure as the cleaning pot 13 are provided, and first and second liquid reservoirs are provided therein.
Put the second calibration solution, position probe 2 here,
The sample solution holding tube 9 can also suck and hold the calibration solution.

It is also optional to measure the sample solution immediately after measuring the calibration solution by first sucking the sample solution and then aspirating the calibration solution.

Further, the micro syringe 3 and the diluent pump 4 are not physically connected as shown in FIG. 1, but a plurality of drive motors may be electrically connected to operate the two pumps in synchronization.

^{Further, Na +, K +, Cl} - measuring ionic species is illustrative, for example can be used as it is to other measurements of ionic species such as calcium ion (Ca ²⁺⁾ or lithium ions (L ⁺⁾ .

The electrolyte analyzer according to the present invention can be used as a single device, and can be realized and used as an electrolyte analyzer incorporated in an automatic biochemical analyzer. In the latter case, an autosampler system, a pure water supply system, and the like can be shared with the biochemical automatic analyzer that is the main body.

[0035]

As described above, the electrolyte analyzer according to the present invention has a simple flow path structure, so that the apparatus is inexpensive, and the cleaning and maintenance of the flow path of the apparatus become easy.

Further, since two or more calibration solutions can be appropriately selected and used, even if a heterogeneous sample such as serum or urine is mixed during a series of analysis, the optimal calibration solution can be selected and used. Similarly, since the ion concentration of the sample and the calibration solution can be close to each other, even if the temperatures of the sample diluent and the calibration solution when they pass through the flow cell are different, the influence of the temperature can be reduced.

Further, since the sample solution and the calibration solution measurement system use the same flow path, it is expected that the temperatures of the sample diluent and the calibration solution diluent when passing through the flow cell are substantially equal, and the influence of the concentration should be reduced. Can be.

Further, compared with the conventional apparatus employing the method of providing the calibration solution bypass pipe, the consumption of the calibration solution is small and the calibration solution is not wasted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a flow path of an electrolyte analyzer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the inside of a sample liquid holding tube 9 after suction of the sample liquid.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a flow path of a conventional electrolyte analyzer of a system in which a probe is filled with a calibration liquid.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a flow path of a conventional electrolyte analyzer of a type in which a calibration solution bypass pipe is provided.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Flow cell 2. Probe 3. Micro syringe 4. Diluent pump 5. First drive motor 6. 6. dilution pot Mixer 8. Diluent bottle 9. Sample liquid holding tube 10. Sample bottle 11. First calibration liquid bottle 12. Second calibration liquid bottle

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ion-selective electrode, a flow cell for the ion-selective electrode, and a sample liquid holding tube connected to a micro-syringe at one end and a probe at the other end for sucking and holding a sample liquid to be measured. A mixing tube communicatively connected to the flow cell, and a fixed amount of the diluting liquid synchronized with an operation of pushing out a plunger of a micro syringe to discharge the sample liquid held in the sample liquid holding tube to the mixing tube. An electrolyte analyzer for measuring an ion concentration in a sample solution diluted with a diluent, wherein one or more calibration solutions are arranged in a movable range of the probe, Before the suction, the calibration liquid is sucked from the probe and held in the sample liquid holding tube, and the dilution is performed in synchronization with the operation of discharging the calibration liquid from the sample liquid holding tube to the mixing tube for a certain period of time. Pumping and diluting the diluting solution to the mixing tube, measuring the ion concentration of the calibration solution in the diluting solution, and correcting the drift of the ion-selective electrode using the measured value. Electrolyte analyzer.