JPS6010579B2 - automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that automatically performs multiple types of analyzes on various types of samples.

When performing one type of analysis on a large number of samples, it is sufficient to send the samples to the analysis operation section one after another at time intervals equal to the time required for analysis, so the configuration of an automatic analyzer requires an exceptionally difficult or difficult process in principle. do not have.

However, when the time required for multiple types of analysis methods is significantly different, even if the sample supply side tries to distribute each sample lined up in a row to multiple analysis units and combine them, the analysis side cannot control the supply base. The sample supply base cannot be matched to the required sample supply base, and the sample supply base ends up being matched to the time required for the analysis method that takes the most time, resulting in a highly inefficient automatic analyzer. In biochemical-related spectroscopic analysis, the time required for analysis is mainly the time required for sample pretreatment, and the time for performing spectroscopic illumination is approximately the same regardless of the type of analysis.

The present invention aims to provide an automatic analyzer that can be operated efficiently even when the required times of the various analysis methods as described above are different.

The present invention comprises means for sequentially transferring a large number of samples to a sample distribution section on a fixed basis, the distribution section for distributing each transferred sample to a plurality of analysis sections, and a plurality of analysis sections. "
In the above-mentioned analysis section, the section that performs the method that requires a long analysis time is designed to reduce the analysis time by transporting the sample along a path of an appropriate length, and in the analysis section that requires a short analysis time, the sample is transferred. To provide an automatic analyzer that performs instant analysis.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a conveyor that transfers a large number of samples to a sample distribution section on a fixed basis, which is a turntable in this embodiment, and 2 a container for storing samples, which is inserted into a hole on the circumference of the turntable 1.

The sample is, for example, serum, which can be subjected to 12 types of tests in this embodiment. The turntable 1 is detachable, and when all the samples on one turntable have been sent to the analysis section, it is replaced with another turntable that holds a container containing samples. 3 is a sample suction tube, and 4 is an arm that holds the tube, and rotates around 0 and moves up and down.

The tube 3 is inserted into the container 2 by the arm 4, and after aspirating the sample therein and sending it to the dispensing station, the arm 4 rises and pivots the tube 3 onto the washing liquid outlet 5. The cleaning liquid flows backward through the pipe 3 and is discharged to the flow port 5. Meanwhile, the turntable rotates by a pitch. When the cleaning is finished, the tube 3 is placed back onto the container 2 and the above-described operation is repeated. 6 is the set button P on the operation panel,
When P' etc. are pressed appropriately, the automatic control section 7 under the panel automatically performs the analysis operation and processes a large number of samples. The other end of the tube 3 leads to a sample dispensing section 81. 9 is an analysis section that requires a long time, and there are 6 of them.Each section has a turntable ST, which is a conveyor that holds a large number of analysis containers.
The sample is analyzed for as long as it travels around the circumference.

These turntables have the same time interval between rotations of one pitch as turntable 1 in the sample supply section, so while the sample is supplied at the same base as the rotation of turntable 1, the time interval between rotations of turntable 1 is Analysis proceeds in parallel with a difference of rotation time. At each turntable 9T, a sample is injected into the analysis container gb at position A. 10 is a type of analysis section that requires a short time, and each section divided by a chain line corresponds to one type of analysis, and there are 6 sections in total.
There are sections.

Fuki Qb, 10b'' is the analysis container, and the same sample is distributed in the distribution section 8.
The sample is dispensed into a package 8b, subjected to preliminary processing, and then transferred to another analysis container 10b' suitable for analysis at the bottom. The feature of the present invention is that it is divided into analysis parts 9 and 1.
The space that accommodates 0 is subjected to rough constant knitting control, and the analysis section that requires precise temperature values is further subjected to fence temperature control within it. 11 is cooled with an analysis reagent shelf, and the reagent containers therein are communicated with each analysis section through an injection pipe system.

Some reagents, such as enzymes, do not last long at room temperature, so they are kept refrigerated. It is. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the tubing system between the sample distribution section, the analysis section, and the reagent container 16.

As for the analysis section, only one 9 for long time and 10 for short time is written as a representative. The sample distribution section 8 distributes the same sample 12 to the analysis section, and is a slide valve that performs measuring tube type measurement. The upper and lower parts 8S and 8V are respectively measured by U.
The shaped tube m is a continuous tube, one end of which is conveyed to the sample suction tube 3, and the end of which is connected to the syringe CI.
While the tip of the tube 3 is inserted into the sample container 2, the piston of the syringe CI is pulled and the sample is sucked into a series of measuring tubes m, and then the 8V slides a little and each measuring tube is As shown in Fig. 4b, each has a diluent syringe C2 (there are 12) and a liquid sending pipe 1 to 3 (IZ number) leading to each analysis section.
It is passed through the lotus. At this stage, the three-way cock V2 communicates with the syringe C2 and the diluent container 14, the syringe C2 is pulled, and then the piston of the syringe C2, which is rotated in the direction connecting each measuring tube m and the syringe, is moved to the three-way cock V2. It moves forward and pushes out the sample together with the diluent from the measuring tube m and sends it to each analysis section. Thereafter, 8V returns to the position shown in Fig. 4a, valve VI' opens (VI remains closed), syringe CI' sucks in the cleaning liquid 15, then V turtle' closes, VI opens, and syringe C8'
This causes the cleaning liquid to flow backward through the continuous measuring tube m. Prior to this, the tip of the tube 3 is connected to the cleaning liquid outlet 5.
has been moved above. As described above, the analysis sections 9 and 10 receive samples. First, the operation of the analysis section 9 will be described. A large number of analysis containers gb are attached to the turntable ST, and a sample is injected into each container at position A. As the turntable 9T rotates, the container into which the sample is injected moves, and reagents are sequentially injected from the reagent container 16 at a plurality of locations by the operation of the syringe C3 or the like. The reason for dispensing reagents in this way is that if different types of reagents are mixed, they will not last long, so they are mixed in the analysis container. The container filled with the reagent in this manner comes to the measuring section 9M. It takes 7 minutes from sample injection to step (a), during which time the reaction between the sample and the injected reagent is completed. This method is adopted because it takes several minutes for the reaction to complete. The measurement is a colorimetric analysis, and a two-wavelength method is adopted to eliminate the influence of the container 9b itself. The leakage light is performed for wavelengths that are not affected, and the results are sent to a computer via a preamplifier, and the measurement results are printed on tape. The container 9b that has passed through the measurement section 9M comes to the cleaning position, where the cleaning liquid 17 is injected, the waste liquid is drawn by the vacuum pump and sucked out into the liquid reservoir 18, and the container 9b returns to the position A. Next, the operation of the analysis section 10 will be described.

In the analysis section 10 (there are 6 sets, each of them) has 2 analysis containers l.
ob, 10b', and the sample has 10b as described above.
A reagent is injected into the same container from one of the reagent containers 16 using a syringe, the magnetic piece f is rotated by a rotating magnetic field, a preliminary reaction is carried out, and after about 1 minute, a reagent is injected into the container 10b'. be transferred. This transfer is performed by containers 10b, 1
Due to the head difference of 0b', open the valves 10V and 10V' through both lotus tubes 10C, and set the three-way cock 10K to the position shown in the figure. The sample transferred 10 times is then injected with another reagent from one of the containers 16 using a syringe and condensed to proceed with the main reaction. When the progress of the reaction is stabilized, colorimetric analysis is performed using 10M over time. This measurement is approximately 2
It is held over the actual item, and the total time is 1 minute). After the sample is transferred to 10b', the cleaning liquid 19 is injected into the lob by the syringe CIO, and the waste liquid is discharged through the valve 10V.
is opened, the cock 10K is turned in the proper direction between the liquid reservoir 18 and the liquid reservoir 10B, and the sample is discharged.The next sample is injected, and the process proceeds to sample injection preliminary reaction. After the measurement is completed at 10b', the sample is discarded into a liquid reservoir 18 through a valve 10V' and a cock 10K, a cleaning liquid 19 is injected with a syringe, and the waste liquid is discharged into the liquid reservoir 18.

During this time, a preliminary reaction is being carried out in 10b. In the measuring section 0, each container 10b and ob' is allotted a time of 1 minute per sample, and one sample can be analyzed in 2 minutes. This analysis is aimed at tracking the progress of the reaction, and unlike the inspection of the state at the end of the reaction in step 9, it is completed in a short time. The reason why there are two analysis containers in the measuring section 10 is to increase efficiency by allowing the measurement of one sample, cleaning, and preliminary reaction of the next sample to proceed simultaneously in parallel, so it is not necessary to separate the containers into two. There isn't. In addition, since the containers 10b and 10b'' require precise temperature control, they are surrounded by heater blocks for precise temperature control. Since the analysis sections 9 and 10 are both located in a constant temperature room and are generally subject to temperature control, the fence temperature control based on the heater block date can be easily refined. As long as the above-mentioned device is constantly woven and the reagent shelf is kept cooled, analysis can be carried out immediately at any time.

The sample is moved to the offering table by the turntable 1, but in order to insert the emergency sample, the arm 4 in Figures 1 and 2 can be turned to position E, and the sample to be inserted can be placed at position E. can also respond to urgent interrupt analysis.
This point is described in Samurai Publication No. 56-48074 filed by the present applicant and the same attorney on the same day, entitled Sample Interrupting Device for Automatic Analyzer. When performing multiple types of analysis on one sample, the sample is dispensed into multiple analysis containers and multiple types of analysis are performed simultaneously in parallel.

At this time, if the pretreatment time required for each analysis is the same, it is sufficient to combine the samples by treating the required time as one cycle.
If an analysis that requires a long time is included in the analysis, the pitch of sample supply will depend on the time required for the analysis that requires a long time, and when there are a large number of samples, it takes a very long time to digest the samples. In the present invention, as described above, the sample supply pitch is adjusted to match the analysis time for analyzes requiring a short preprocessing time, and for analyzes requiring a long preprocessing time, there is a gap between the sample distribution section and the analysis section. A conveyor (turntable 9T in the above embodiment) for transferring sample containers is interposed, and this conveyor sequentially transfers a large number of sample containers in accordance with the sample supply pitch, and each sample container receives a sample at the sample distribution section. By allocating the time from when a sample is dispensed to when it arrives at the analysis department as the preprocessing time, the preprocessing of multiple samples can be performed in parallel by delaying one cycle of sample supply. By matching the joining pitch to types of analyzes that can be completed in a short time, it is possible to proceed with analyzes that take a long time at the same time, and it is possible to improve sample digestion efficiency when performing multiple types of analyzes on a large number of samples. It can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; the first figure is a perspective view of the exterior, the second is a plan view of the exterior, the third is a line diagram showing the tubing system, and the first diagram is a developed view of the sample dispensing section. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Consists of a sample conveyor that holds a large number of sample containers and sequentially transfers them to the sample distribution section, and a plurality of analysis sections that receive samples from the sample distribution section. The multiple types of analysis units are divided into two groups, and each analysis unit belonging to one group is divided into two groups. and one analysis container located within the analyzer, and each analysis section belonging to the other group holds an analyzer and a number of analysis containers, and sequentially transfers the analysis containers from the sample distribution section to the analyzer. It consists of an analysis container conveyor for transferring and a reaction reagent injection means placed on the analysis container path from the sample distribution section of this analysis container conveyor to the analysis device, and the sample conveyor and analysis container conveyor are operated at the same time interval. An automatic analyzer characterized in that it is driven to transfer one container at a time.