JPS58102162A - Method of feeding rack to automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a sample receptacle feed mechanism and a discharge mechanism, by a method wherein, after a given work is conducted in an automatic analyzer, a rach is returned to a given section of a cassette tray by a conveying mechanism and the rack in a next section is despatched. CONSTITUTION:When a sample is distributed, a rack 7, simultaneously, is conveyed intermittently, and after samples in all sample receptacles 6 plated on the rack 7 are distributed, the rack 7 is returned to an original section in a cassette tray 1. The cassette tray 1 is then moved forward by one full section through the wording of a claw 9, the rack 7 housed in a next section is conveyed to rollers 10 and 11, and the next rack 7 is conveyed by the rollers 10, 11 and a belt 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention mainly relates to a method for supplying several IW containers containing samples to be analyzed in an automatic analyzer into an automatic analyzer.

As a conventional method for supplying a sample container into an automatic analyzer, a method based on "Automatic Chemical Analyzer" disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 111806 by the applicant is known. The method for supplying sample containers in this device is to directly accommodate a plurality of sample containers in each section of a cassette divided into several sections.
These sample containers are sent to the automatic analysis equipment by a belt conveyor, and after performing the prescribed operations on the samples in the sample container in the automatic analysis equipment, the used sample containers are transferred to the belt conveyor and the sample containers are transferred to the sample container. A used sample container is fed into a separate empty cassette tray located at the opposite end of the container.

By the way, this conventional method for supplying sample containers in automatic analyzers requires both a cassette tray for feeding sample containers to the belt conveyor and an empty cassette tray for accommodating used sample containers discharged from the belt conveyor. However, there was a problem in that the entire device became large because it took up space. Also, due to the sample processing work in the automatic analyzer, the position of the cassette on the supply side of the sample container and the position of the cassette on the discharge side of the used sample container are layered. However, there is a problem in that a separate conveying mechanism must be used to connect these devices, which complicates the configuration of the device.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems in the conventional method of supplying sample containers to automatic analyzers, to achieve the systemization of the sample container supply mechanism and discharge mechanism to automatic analyzers, and to It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for supplying sample containers that can efficiently process sample containers without taking up much space.

In order to achieve this objective, the method of supplying racks to an automatic analyzer according to the present invention stores a plurality of containers used in the automatic analyzer, such as sample containers, in racks, and stores the racks in individual cassette trays having a plurality of compartments. The rays stored in the compartments of the cassette tray are delivered onto the rack transfer mechanism by intermittent operation one section at a time, and the ticks accommodated in the sections of the cassette tray are transferred to the automatic analyzer by this transfer mechanism. After carrying out the specified operations in the automatic analyzer, the rack is returned to the specified section of the Rikiryu by the transfer mechanism, and then The invention is characterized in that the sections are sent out onto the transfer mechanism.

The method for supplying racks to an automatic analyzer according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments of the present invention, the determination of storm fluid cap, Rh
We will explain how to supply ticks to automatic analyzers that perform determination, antibody screening, syphilis testing, and HBg antigen testing.

First, the structure of a rack for accommodating sample containers and a cassette tray for accommodating the rack, and a mechanism for feeding the footer into the automatic analyzer will be explained with reference to FIG. 1.1. 1st
In the figure, the cassette tray l includes a plurality of partition plates 3 arranged vertically with a constant gap, a first connecting member 8 connecting the vicinity of one end of these partition plates 8, and the partition plates 3. The outer side of the eighth connecting member 1 that connects the bottom of the partition [1] and the partition plate 3 in the last row in the transport direction of the cassette tray 1 leaves a space for the rack transfer mechanism to operate from the bottom of the section partitioned by the partition [1]. The rack consists of a handle 6 provided in the cassette tray 1, and a rack containing a plurality of sample containers I16 is housed in each compartment of the cassette tray I, one at a time. Since the cassette tray 1 is stored and used in the cassette tray holder S,
The racks are stored by dropping them into each section of the cassette tray 1 housed in the cassette tray receiver 8 from above.
do. The cassette tray receiver 8 has notches 8a on both sides of the bottom surface of the end in the transport direction of the cassette tray l, so that the claws 9 can protrude into the cassette tray receiver 8. This nail 9
The cassette tray 1 is intermittently transferred one section at a time in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

The rack stored in the compartment fed out by the claw 9 of the cassette tray I is sent out @1 m to the right in the figure by rollers 10 and 11, passed to a bell 111, and sent into an automatic analyzer. The p-rollers 10 and 11 are connected by a belt 1δ, and a motor 1 is connected directly to the shaft of the roller 11.
4.

The heavy belt 18 is driven by the motor 14 via the belt 1, shaft 16, and pulley 1. As a result, roller 1
0,11. and bell) 1 m can be driven in conjunction with the motor 14.

Figure 1 shows the state in which the cassette tray 1 is housed in the cassette tray holder 8 and set on the footer supply section 18 of the automatic analyzer main body.
Force the lay 1 with the claw 9 shown in the figure,
The racks stored in the cassette tray 1 are delivered one by one onto the cassette tray 1 into the automatic analyzer. As shown in FIG. ) Reed relay installed below 11! This permanent magnet 19 is detected by O, and the passage of the rattuff is confirmed.

8 and 4 are diagrams showing the rack supply mechanism and the suction mechanism for the sample accommodated in the sample container 6 of the rank bearer shown in FIG. 1.3. 8.4 The rack supply and storage method using this device will be explained with reference to Figure 4. At 11118, the sample container 6 placed on the racket contains a sample that has been centrifuged and separated into eight layers of blood cells and serum. The cassette tray l containing the racks is manually set in the rack supply section 1s of the automatic analyzer main body together with the cassette tray receiver l. Thereafter, the cassette tray 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow by the claw 9 shown in Figure #11, and the first IKII of the cassette tray I is moved onto the rollers 10, 11 and stopped. Next, reelers 10, 11 and belt 1
By driving g, the racks stored in the first section of the cassette tray l are transferred to the middle left of the tray 11. The rack is intermittently transferred by this belt 13 in accordance with the arrangement pitch of the sample containers 6, and is sequentially transferred so as to stop at point B for approximately 10 minutes. Means sS for picking up the IDle (bar food, etc.) that was placed in the outer bell of the sample container 6 during the period when the Ratsukuma was stopped at point B.
By projecting and receiving light, the sample information, measurement items, etc. are read for each sample, and subsequent analysis processing by the automatic analyzer is processed based on this memorized data. At the same time, the sample dispensing nozzle 3δ is
, 14 are lowered into the sample container 6, a predetermined amount of serum is aspirated from the nozzle s8 by the syringe 18&, and the syringe s
A predetermined amount of blood cells is suctioned from the nozzle 14. During this single suction, these nozzles al
This is done by detecting a change in resistance using an electrode (not shown) provided adjacent to the electrodes 1 and 14. After aspirating the serum and blood cells, these nozzles jl, 8 * m 4 are raised and rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 8, and at the same time, the screw shaft s6 is rotated by the motor 1, and the nozzle holding stand is rotated. ! Move the nozzle to the left in FIG. 8 and position the tips of the nozzles SS and S* on the dilution container s9 placed on the support plate 8 (see Figure 8). The dilution container is one support stand.
Four dilution containers from 39 to Hatake 8 are placed on top 8, and support agreement a is placed on belt 88, which allows it to be transferred to the left of Uki Jl and 4 WiA. .

A predetermined amount of serum is dispensed into the dilution container s9 from the nozzle s8 on the dilution container s9, and then the screw shaft s6 is rotated by the motor 8s to move the nozzle ill and 114 to the left in the fourth WJ, and the serum is removed from the dilution container s9. 80 and 81, and dispense a predetermined amount of serum from nozzle II. As a result, only the serum of the same specimen sample is gently dispensed into three equal parts into the arrival station passenger equipment AS, GO, and AX. After dispensing serum to dilution spring 111s1, nozzle l
Move the vS ink as4 further to the left in the 4th W, stop it above the dilution container 8s, and remove the dilution container 811 from the nozzle 14.
Dispense a predetermined amount of blood cells into the tube. At the same time as dispensing the blood cells, the diluted liquid in the diluent gII is aspirated from the syringe No. 8 and discharged from the nozzle 8 into the diluted liquid gII to mix the blood cells and the diluted liquid to create a blood cell suspension. The dispensing of the diluent is started at the same time as or earlier than the dispensing of the own blood cells, and the dispensing of the diluent is finished after the dispensing of the blood cells is completed.

This is to prevent blood cells from adhering to the dilution container 811 and at the same time to stir the blood cells and diluent. In this way, the dispensing and dispensing of serum and blood cells from the same specimen is completed. After this, the support stand s8, which has finished dispensing the sample, is moved to the belt 8.
By δ, the sample is transferred to the left in the 111, and the next support stand s8 is placed at the sample dispensing position.

At this time, on the support stand sI after dispensing the sample - station building 1i#
9, 80.81 are Nozzle Hatake 1.1S respectively.

It will be located below 89. The diluent in the diluent containers 411, 44, 41 is aspirated by the syringes 40, 41, and 41 connected to these nozzles, respectively, and is injected into the diluent containers 1G, 80, and 81 from nozzles 3F and 88.89, respectively. Dispense a fixed amount of the diluent into the dilution container 19.80.
81 and diluted the serum to prepare a diluted serum solution of δllll1. xl created in this way
A multi-item test is performed using Lli's blood cell suspension and Hatake's diluted serum, but the relationship between these is described in Part 1 below.
On the other hand, after the nozzles Sa and S* have completed dispensing and dispensing m balls from the nozzle 14, the motor aSS is reversed, and the nozzle holding table 8
Move the nozzle 18.14 to the right in the 4th WJ, stop the nozzle 18.14 above the cleaning tank 46, and then lower it to clean the outer wall of the nozzle 18.14 in the cleaning tank 46.
! ! Pour the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid volume-5sb shown in I into the syringe 3.
Suction by Hatake a, discharge from nozzle s8, cleaning liquid spring -
The cleaning liquid in I4b is sucked by the syringe 1411 and discharged from the nozzle 14 to clean the inside of the nozzles m8 and 14. Noah C/&/fi8. ! After completion of the cleaning in step 14, the nozzle 3814 is pulled up from the cleaning liquid tank 46 and rotated in the direction of the hour hand in FIGS. 8 and 4, completing one cycle of dispensing the sample into the dilution container. During this one cycle, the Terakuchi is transferred by one pitch of the interval between the sample containers placed on the Terratough, A;) 1 m, and the next sample container 6 placed on the Terratough is stopped at three points. In this way, the Tera-Tough is intermittently transferred along with the sample dispensing, and the samples in all the sample containers 6 placed on the TERA-Tough are dispensed, and the belt 11 and the roller 10.11 are reversed and the TERA-Tough is moved. Return it to the original compartment of the cassette tray 1, and then operate the claw 9 to return the cassette tray! ! The rack □・ma stored in the next compartment is sent out onto the rollers 10 and 11, and the next rack is sent into the automatic analyzer using the 4-ra 1O11 and the bell) 11. The sample in the sample container 6 placed on the rack 7 is dispensed. In this way, the TeraTough stored in the successive compartments of Kasetsu)) is sent into the automatic analyzer, and as shown in the fourth @, the TeraTough stored in the last compartment is sent into the automatic analyzer and when they overlap, While dispensing the sample in the sample container 6 placed on this tray, the operator returns the cassette tray l to the holder and fills the m1llth section of the cassette tray l as shown in sig+. - Replace with a new cassette tray l that does not contain a rack. As a result, the cassette trays sent out from the cassette tray 1 before replacement can be stored in the first section of the new cassette tray 1, and the next cassette tray can be sent from the first section to the automatic analyzer. In this way, racks can be supplied to the automatic analyzer without interruption, so that the dispensing operation in the automatic analyzer and the operation cycle of the apparatus are not delayed. It usually takes 8 minutes and 80 seconds for Terakuchi to be sent from Ray 1 into the automatic analyzer and then stored again.
It is only necessary to replace the cassette) Ray 1 within 1 to 8 minutes after the Terakuchi is sent out from the last section of the Ray 1.

Next, we will explain the jam report when supplying and storing TeraTough. As mentioned above in Figure S, the first
A permanent magnet 19 is embedded in the bottom of the 11th sample container accommodating section, and a relay 20 is inserted into the magnet 1 when the material is transferred to the automatic analyzer by the bell 11.
9 is detected, and a timer (not shown) is activated by this detection signal. After the dispensing of the sample in the sample container 6 placed on the TeraTough is completed, the magnet 19 crosses over the reed relay 10 again to activate the reed relay 10.

If the time from the first activation of this reed relay sO to the next activation is within the power setting time of the timer, it will be determined that the transfer of Terakuchi is operating normally and will not issue an alarm.
If this time is longer than the power setting time, it will be determined that the system is in trouble, and an alarm will be issued to stop the transportation operation of the system.

In the method for supplying racks to an automatic analyzer of the present invention configured as described above, the cassette tray containing the racks before sample dispensing and the cassette tray containing the racks after sample dispensing can be used in common, and can be done in the same location. Since racks can be supplied before use and racks can be stored after use, the automatic analyzer itself can be made more compact together with the rack transport mechanism, and the sample dispensing operation by the automatic analyzer and the analysis cycle of the instrument metal body can be made more compact. The cassette tray containing used racks can be exchanged with the cassette tray containing unused racks without interruption, and the racks contained in the cassette trays have been analyzed. A rack supply with various advantages such as being able to easily determine whether the analysis is to be performed by checking whether the first section of the cassette tray is empty or the last section is empty. It's a method.

Figure 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of a rack transport mechanism used in the method of supplying racks to an automatic analyzer of the present invention, and Figure Sw is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of a rack transport mechanism used in the method of supplying racks to an automatic analyzer of the present invention.
Figures 8 and 4 are partially cutaway cross-sections showing the state of supply into the dynamic analyzer. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic diagram showing the rack supply part of an automatic analyzer having a rack transport mechanism shown in mW.

l...cassette tray, 3...partition plate, hatch...
・First connecting member, 4...Third connecting member, i,...
Handle, 6...Sample container, 7...Rack, 8...Cassette tray holder, 9...
・Claw, 10.11...φ豐-ra, 1爲, 18...Belt, 14...Moo red, 1 ink...
・Belt, 16...shaft, 1te...pulley,
18...Rack supply unit, 19...Permanent magnet, SO...Reed tree-111...Hand,
3rd...Reading: 11.14...
Sample dispensing nozzle, 181L, fia&-" syringe, 1M...Moss, 16...Screw shaft, 3 pieces...Nozzle holding stand, 1B...Supporting stand, 19
．． 80,81.81--Dilution container, s8... Belt, s4... Syringe, si... Dilution liquid container,
86.8), 18.89・Φ・nozzle,
40,41,41... e-syringe,
4g, 44.45... diluent container,
46...Cleaning tank.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] L In a method for sequentially supplying racks into an automatic analyzer from a cassette tray in which racks each containing 1111 containers are individually housed in a plurality of sections, the cassette tray is The cassette tray is sent onto the rack transfer mechanism by intermittent operation, and the rack accommodated in the section of the cassette tray from which it has been sent is sent into the automatic analyzer by this transfer mechanism, and the containers accommodated in the racks are transferred to the automatic analyzer. After performing a predetermined harvest in the tray, the rack is returned to a predetermined section of the tray by the transfer mechanism, and then the next section is sent out to the transfer side. How to supply racks to equipment. 2. The sections of the cassette tray in which the racks are accommodated in the trays, except for the first section of the intermittent transfer meat of the cassette, and the racks are already being supplied into the automatic analyzer. When a rack stored in a cassette is sent into an automatic analyzer and returned to a compartment in a cassette tray, the rack is returned to the first compartment of the next cassette. How to supply racks to the automatic analyzer described.