JPS5812550B2 - Multi-sample multi-item automatic chemical analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a chemical analysis device that adds a reagent to a sample liquid such as serum collected from a subject and measures the reaction results;
In particular, it relates to an apparatus that dispenses a large number of specimen samples into a large number of reaction containers, adds reagents to each of these, and automatically performs chemical analysis of multiple samples and multiple items.

When performing chemical analysis of multiple samples and multiple items, speedy processing is particularly required.

The present invention aims to provide a multi-analyte, multi-item automatic chemical analyzer that satisfies this requirement.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, in which a flat plate formed by integrally molding concave portions arranged in a grid pattern is stacked and stored in a sheet feeding device 1. The transparent sheets 2 are fed one by one to the right in the figure by the transfer means 3.

This transfer means 3 consists of two rollers 3l, a chain 3 wound between the rollers, and a drive means (
(not shown), and the sheet is transported with both ends loaded on the chain in the direction of travel.

As shown in the perspective view for explaining the reaction sheet in FIG. 2, the sheet 2 to be transferred is approximately 3
It is a sheet of transparent material such as vinyl chloride material in which approximately 10 rows of recesses 4 are arranged in the conveying direction, and chain claws are fitted into both ends of this sheet in the traveling direction. A matching transfer perforation 5 is provided.

One of the recesses 4 provided in this sheet has a shape as shown in FIG. 3 and functions as a reaction container, and its volume is approximately 700 to 1.
It is 300 microliters.

Each sample liquid is dispensed into each of the reaction vessels 4, and the same sample is dispensed into one row in the direction perpendicular to the advancing direction (arrow direction) of the inner sheet 2, respectively.

In order to dispense a sample liquid, as shown in FIG. 1, the sample liquid is sucked up from a sample container 7 in a sample rack 6 taken from a subject by a suction nozzle 8, and is dispensed through a cock-type sample dispenser 9.

In this case, the suction nozzle 8 is inserted into the sample liquid container 7 by an air cylinder 10, and a cock-type dispenser 9 is inserted into the sample liquid container 7.
The sample is sucked up by the suction bottle 12 which is brought to negative pressure by the vacuum pump 11 through the pipette 7 nozzle 9' of the pipettor 9.
Measured and dispensed from

The dispensing nozzle 9' is arranged in response to about 30 recesses in a direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction.

13 is a reagent tank, 14 is a reagent dispenser, and this dispenser 14
The reagent is also dispensed into the reaction container 4 from the dispensing nozzle 9 of the dispenser 9 described above.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a constant temperature water circulation device, which supplies hot water at a predetermined temperature to a heater H installed near the bottom of the reaction sheet 2 being transferred by the transfer means 3 and along the transfer direction, and supplies hot water at a predetermined temperature to each reaction vessel. This is to maintain the temperature of the solution in 4 at a predetermined constant temperature.

16' indicates the reaction sheet 2, dispenser 9, and heater H during transfer.
and a cover that surrounds almost the entire transport means 3 etc.,
The interior thereof is maintained at an appropriate temperature by an electric heater 17 and a blower 18, and as a result, together with the heater H, it constitutes a constant temperature bath 16 that rapidly raises the temperature of the sample, promotes the reaction, and maintains the entire temperature at a uniform temperature.

As is clear from the figure, this constant temperature bath has opening 1.
9.20 so that sheets can pass through it.

21 is the second reagent, which is used in the dispenser 2 when necessary such as in the rate method.
2 and is added to the reaction solution through its nozzle 22'.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a photometric means, and 24 denotes its light source, which reacts with the moving path of each concave portion (reaction container) of the sheet at the photometric end of the photometric means, and has an optical path that crosses the path below this path. At the photometric end, as shown in FIG.
5.25', the reaction liquid 4' in the reaction container (concave part) 4 in the movement path of the concave part is passed through, and returns downward, and is reflected by the half mirror 26 into two photocells 27, The transmittance of the reaction liquid 4' is spectroscopically measured using light of different wavelengths by color filters 28 and 28' arranged in front of each of the filters 27' and 27'.

The output of each photocell is separately processed and output, but the explanation will be omitted here.

In this case, since the reaction sheet 2 is transparent, the reaction container 4 can be used as it is as a photometric cell.

29 and 29' are lenses, and 30 is a base for these optical systems.

The reason why the photometric means is constructed using a prism or the like as described above is that the photometric means needs to be miniaturized.

In other words, as various instruments are placed above the seat, and for occasional observation and confirmation of the amount of sample dispensed into the reaction vessel from above, as much space as possible should be created above the seat. In order to keep this in mind, the photometric means is provided below the sheet in the present invention.

On the other hand, in order to provide the reactors below the sheet and to arrange them in correspondence with the number of valley reactors, the space for their arrangement becomes a problem.

Therefore, in this proposal, the photometering end is a total reflection plasma 25 as shown in the figure.
, 25' are provided to bend the optical path, and the reaction vessel is transferred between these sections to make it as compact as possible.

Note that, as is clear from FIG. 1, the light from the light source 24 is guided to each photometric means 23 using optical fibers, which makes it possible to make the device more compact.

The reaction sheet 2 measured by these optical systems is further transferred to the right in FIG. 1, and is sent to an external storage device 31 and discharged from the discharge port 20 of the cover 16/.

For convenience of explanation, the cover 16 is shown as being disposed on the outside of the cover 16 in FIG. A blower 18 is provided which surrounds almost the whole area and makes the air inside the room uniform vertically.

Note that the heating block H located below the seat 2
A groove having a cross-sectional shape similar to the cross section of the reaction liquid container in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the reaction liquid container is provided in parallel to the transport direction of the sheet 2, so that heat to the reaction liquid container is reduced. Good transmission allows the temperature of the reaction solution to rise quickly, and the effect is further enhanced by the action of the blower.

Further, 32 is a hot water passage through which hot water is supplied from the hot water circulation device 15, and 33 is used to drive the air cylinder 10 or the dispenser 14.22, and is also used when separating sheets one by one. The detailed operation will be omitted here.

Next, we will briefly explain the operation of the apparatus configured as described above.The sample to be analyzed is placed in the sample rack 6.
When the sample is introduced into the sample container I inside, the nozzle 8 is inserted into the sample container γ by the operation of the air cylinder 10, and the sample is sucked through the vacuum pump 11, suction bottle 12, etc.

On the other hand, only the lowest sheet 2 is separated from the others from a large number of sheets stacked and stored in the sheet feeding device 1, and the conveying means 3
When the row of reaction containers arranged perpendicular to the sheet transfer direction is directly below the nozzle of the dispenser 9, the cock-type dispensing is carried out from the opening 19 of the constant temperature bath 16 to the lower part of the dispenser 9. The container 9 is operated and a sample is simultaneously dispensed from the nozzle 9' into each of, for example, 30 reaction vessels 4.

Further, before or after this, a reagent from the reagent tank 13 is also dispensed if necessary.

These dispensing operations are performed each time the reaction vessel row perpendicular to the sheet transport direction is positioned below the nozzle 9', that is, while the sheet is moved intermittently, but these series of operations are performed by a computer. However, since these control devices are not the gist of this application, their explanation here will be omitted.

The sheets into which reagents and the like have been dispensed as described above are transferred one after another (while another new sheet is being supplied from the opening 19), and in this process the sheets are heated from below by the heater H. The temperature of the sample in the reaction container is maintained at a predetermined constant temperature during the transfer within the constant temperature bath.

If necessary, remove the dispenser 22 and nozzle 22' during this step.
A reaction liquid is added through the nozzle 22 liters, and air is blown out from the nozzle 22 liters, which is used to sufficiently mix the sample, reagent, etc. in the reaction container.

As described above, when the sheet containing the sample, etc., which has been dispensed into each reaction container and maintained at a constant temperature, is transferred, the photometric means 22 optically measures the degree of reaction of the sample, etc.

The photometric means 23 are arranged along the transfer path of each reaction container in the same number as the reaction containers arranged in the direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction (for example, 30). The degree of reaction of the sample is immediately measured by passing the reaction container over the photometric means, and is output by a separate means.

The sheet measured by the above photometric means is discharged from the discharge port 20 of the thermostatic oven and stored in the storage device 31.

As described above, the present invention uses a transparent sheet with a large number of recesses (reaction containers) arranged in a grid pattern, and the sheet is sequentially transferred to dispense samples and reagents into each reaction container. It is a mechanism in which the dispensing is carried out sequentially, the sample is heated and reacted while being maintained at a constant temperature, and the reaction state is optically measured through the transparent sheet itself, so it can be applied to a large number of samples, and Since the sample is divided and dispensed into, for example, 30 reaction vessels, the processing capacity of the apparatus of the present invention is extremely large.

As described in detail above, the present invention stacks and stores sheets in which reaction containers for dispensing sample liquids such as serum obtained from a large number of specimens are stacked, and quickly separates and supplies the samples. After dispensing the liquid and reagents, quickly bringing the temperature to the specified reaction temperature and maintaining it, and measuring it spectroscopically,
It is possible to provide a multi-analyte, multi-item automatic chemical analyzer that processes used sheets in an orderly and prompt manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reaction sheet, FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective view of a reaction liquid container, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a measuring section. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Reaction sheet supply device, 2...Reaction sheet 3...Transfer means, 4...Reaction container, 9... Dispenser, 14... Reagent dispenser, 16... Constant temperature bath, 23... Photometric means, 31... Storage device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Means for stacking and storing a large number of sheets using sheets of transparent material having a large number of recesses arranged in a grid pattern, and transport for separating these sheets one by one and sequentially advancing them in the horizontal direction. a means for discharging and storing the transferred sheets; a constant temperature chamber arranged between the means for stacking and storing the sheets and the means for discharging and storing the sheets and configured to allow the sheets to pass through; means for dispensing samples and reagents into each of the recesses; a heater that controls the temperature of the sheet to a predetermined state provided close to the bottom of the reaction sheet during transfer; and movement of each recess of the sheet. A large number of photometric means having optical paths that correspond to the passage and cross the passage below the sheet are disposed, and the counter liquid (sample and reagent) in each concave portion of the sheet transferred in the thermostatic oven is arranged. A multi-analyte, multi-item automatic chemical analyzer, characterized in that it measures the absorbance of a mixed liquid (mixed reaction solution).