JPS61111445A - Device and method for automatic supply of test piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use commercially marketed test pieces used for visual discrimination as they are and to supply automatically the test pieces by storing the test pieces between a base having a groove for insertion of the test pieces and two pieces of wall surfaces parallel, when viewed from the plane, with said groove and moving back and both relatively with each other to insert the test pieces into the groove and taking out the test pieces by each sheet from the storage part. CONSTITUTION:The base part 4 is inserted to and supported by two pieces of sliding shafts 6, 6 and is moved forward and backward by a motor 15 via a rack 16 and a pinion gear 17. The movement is executed between the position where the groove 7 for insertion of the test pieces is slightly beyond the inside wall surface 9a on the left side and the stop position D on the outside of the right wall part 8. The base part passes through the position B in the storage part 12 and the position C beyond the right inside wall surface 8a during this time. The base part is further moved to the upsetting position E beyond the position D according to need. The movement of the pat 4 is executed by the motor 15 which is run backward by the signal of a detector 19 upon detection of the interruption of a light shielding plate 18 when the groove 7 comes to the positions A and D. The base part is further moved to the position E by the motor 15 which is further run for the specified time in the forward direction from the position D when the test piece 2 is in the contrary state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic test strip feeding device that regularly takes out a large number of test strips one by one that have been thrown into a storage part in a disorderly manner. Related to those used in automatic analysis systems.

Currently, the test strip most commonly used for analyzing blood, urine, etc. is a transparent plastic strip (21) with a reagent portion (as many as the number of measurement items) at one end, as shown in Figure 2. 22), and the other end is used as a gripping part (23). In addition, in the illustrated example, a small piece of filter paper impregnated with a reagent is pasted with double-sided adhesive tape (24) as the reagent part (22), but the reagent part (22) is formed by applying the reagent together with the base material. Some have been made into films. Furthermore, the grip part (2
In addition to 3), some have paint layers (25) and (26) provided on the front and back surfaces for purposes such as determining the presence or absence of a test piece and its type.

These test pieces are originally immersed in a test sample and then compared with a colorimetric sample to measure the concentration of the test substance.
It is used for IP and Read type inspection,
Nowadays, this Read stage has been instrumented, making it possible to perform quantitative or semi-quantitative measurements, and also to perform calculations from photometry.

Some even automate concentration display and test strip ejection.

However, with the current state of relying on manual labor for the Dip step, when the number of specimens increases, the test pieces must be taken out one by one from the sealed container, immersed in the test liquid, and compared with a color chart, or measured using an optical measuring device. The repeated work of setting the test piece in the test section and discarding the test piece after measurement imposes a heavy burden on the operator. Moreover, since a certain reaction time is required, the operator is completely restrained during the measurement. Also,
If done manually, the immersion time and the time after immersion until the start of measurement tend to vary and measurement errors are likely to occur. Therefore, Di
Full automation, including the p-step, is desirable.

By the way, test strips supplied on the market are normally stored in a closed container containing a desiccant in a random manner with the gripping portion facing outward, and the surfaces of the reagent portions are oriented in different directions. Therefore, in order to achieve complete automation including the dip stage, a mechanism or device for regularly taking out test pieces is required. At present, cassette-type test tools (Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-33872) and tape-type test tools (Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-20582), in which test pieces are arranged regularly on the front, have been proposed, but these automatic analyzers Additionally, specialized test specimens are problematic in terms of cost and other aspects. That is, the former method requires time and effort to arrange the reagents in a cassette container with the surfaces of the reagents facing in a certain direction in a regular manner, and the latter method is difficult to use for general dip-and-read visual determination.

The present invention has been made from this point of view, and it is an object of the present invention to automatically supply commercially available test pieces, etc., which are also used for visual judgment, by using them as they are. The present invention also provides a bottom surface (bottom portion) having a test piece insertion groove.

1 whose base is parallel to the test piece insertion groove in plan view;
The main idea is to store the test pieces between two inner wall surfaces and the opposite inner wall surface, and by relatively reciprocating the two, the test pieces are fitted into the grooves and taken out one by one from the storage section. Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the device of the present invention, Figures 3 and 4.
The figure is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view thereof.

And this test piece automatic supply device (1) is a test piece (2).
The hopper (3) into which the
The bottom part (4) can move back and forth along the slide shaft (6). Surface of the bottom (4) (bottom surface)
A test piece fitting groove (7) into which one test piece (2) is fitted is provided perpendicular to the movement direction of the bottom part (4), and the side part (5)
are two walls (8) perpendicular to the moving direction of the bottom (4).
(9) and two walls (10) and (11) parallel to the moving direction.
). The inner wall surfaces (8a) and (9a) of the wall portions (8) and (9) are parallel to the groove (7) in plan view (the ridgeline at the lower end of the inner wall surface is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove (7)), The area surrounded by the four inner walls and the bottom of each wall is the test piece (2)
This is the storage section (12) for the. However, the bottom part (4) is the wall part (10
)・(11), and both (I・(11)
) are installed with a certain gap. In the figure, the symbol (13) is a detector for detecting the presence or absence of the test piece (2), (1◇ is the lever of the reversing mechanism, (15) is the motor, (1
6) is a rank fixed to the bottom (4), (17) is a pinion gear attached to the motor shaft, (8) is a light shielding plate fixed to the lower side of the bottom, and (I9) is the light shielding plate. (18)
Detector (2o) is placed on the side of the bottom (4) to detect the position of the bottom (4). It's the details.

Next, the operating state of the above device (1) will be explained. First, the bottom part (4) is inserted and supported by two slide shafts (6) and (6), and is driven by a motor (15) through a rack (16) and pinion gear (17) in forward and reverse directions (right and left in the figure). direction). This movement is between the position where the test piece insertion groove (7) somewhat exceeds the left inner wall surface (9a) (position A in Figure 3) and the stop position outside the right side wall (8). It will be held in During that time, it passes through a position B inside the storage section (12) and a position C beyond the right inner wall surface (8a) (the position where the detector (13) is located). Furthermore, if necessary, it moves beyond the stop position to the reversal position E (reversal will be explained in detail later). In this example, the movement of these bottom parts (4) is caused by grooves (7).
A detector (19) detects that the light shielding plate (I8) is interrupted when the light shielding plate (I8) reaches the positions A and D, and the motor (15) is rotated in reverse according to the signal. Also test piece (2)
If it is reversed, the motor (15) is further rotated in the forward direction from position D for a certain period of time to move to the reverse position E.

Then, the groove (7) of the bottom part (4) stops at position D and the test piece (2) is moved to the groove (7) by the test piece automatic operation mechanism (not shown).
), it moves backwards and reaches position A. Next, the test piece (2) is taken in at position B (inside the storage part) by going forward, and after the presence or absence of the test piece (2) is checked by the detector (13) at position C, the test piece (2) is inserted into the groove ( 7), the bottom (4) will stop at the groove (7) at position D. The stopped state continues until the next operation command is issued. This operation command is
After a predetermined period of time has passed since the previous stopped state ended, or after the test piece automatic operation mechanism detects that the test piece (2) has been taken out from the groove (7), the test piece (2) is taken out from the control unit (2). If the test piece (2) is not detected in the groove (7), the bottom (4)
) moves backward from position C and continues the reciprocating movement until the test piece (2) fits into the groove (7). Or test piece (2
) may be moved between A and D until it fits into the groove (7).

Position control such as movement and stopping of these bottom parts (4) is performed by the CPU.
and a control unit equipped with a clock mechanism (the second one is the detector (13)
- In response to the signal from (19), this is done by giving a signal to the motor (15) for forward/reverse rotation or stop.

In addition, since the inner wall surfaces (8a) and (9a) (or at least their bases) are parallel to the groove (7) in plan view, the test piece (2) moves on the inner wall surface as the bottom (4) moves. It is aligned parallel to the groove (7) to facilitate insertion into a(7).

In addition, if the left inner wall surface (9a) is tilted as shown in the figure, the test piece can be stirred on the inner wall surface (9a), and the test piece (2) that is incompletely fitted can be taken out from the groove (7). It is convenient for In order to more fully achieve these purposes, it is preferable that the lower portions (9b) of both ends of the wall (9) protrude somewhat downward from the bottom surface. On the other hand, the inner wall surface (8a) on the right side may be vertical, but it is preferably chamfered so that even if the test piece (2) is slightly warped, it can be guided well into the groove.

On the other hand, if the test piece (2) gets stuck in the gap between the bottom part (4) and the lower end of the wall, it will damage the reagent part (22), so if an abnormality is detected, it is necessary to stop the movement of the bottom part (4) immediately. be.

As this abnormality detection mechanism, for example, a perforated plate (31) in which a large number of small holes (3o) are bored regularly at short intervals as shown in Fig. 6 is fixed to the lower part of the bottom part (4) (Fig. 5). ,
The bottom part (4) is
) may input regular bright and dark pulse signals to the control unit (20) as the controller moves.

In this case, the abnormality is detected by the disturbance of the pulse signal, so
Immediately stop the rotation of the motor (15). Alternatively, a method may be adopted in which the test piece (2) is moved in the opposite direction by slightly reversing the test piece, and then rotated in the original direction again, and if no abnormality is found, the drive is continued as it is. Furthermore, as the motor (15),
It is preferable to use a clutch mechanism with a weak torque so as to stop rotation immediately when a blockage occurs, or a clutch mechanism that can cant a torque exceeding a predetermined torque.

Next, the detector (13) will be explained. Detector (13)
In order to check the presence or absence of the test piece, it may be sufficient to use one test piece, but it is possible to use multiple test pieces of the same or different types to check the presence of the test piece (2
) can also be used to determine the front and back sides of items and to detect non-conforming products. The presence or absence of the test piece can be detected, for example, by checking the light shielding part (2) of the test piece (2).
Check the reagent part (22) or the painted surface (25)/(2B)) with a transmission type photointerrupter.

Further, front/back determination is made based on the difference in the amount of reflected light between the front (reagent part (22)) and the back (black tape) using, for example, a reflective photointerrupter.

As another means of detecting the presence or absence of a test piece and determining whether it is front or back, a reflective photointerrupter is used to set a darkness value in stages for the amount of reflected light, and the amount of reflected light from i (7) of the bottom part (4), the amount of light reflected from the strip (21) ), the amount of light reflected from the adhesive tape (24) surface, the amount of light reflected from the reagent part (22), etc., by the control unit (2), and it is also possible to perform presence/absence detection and front/back determination using the same detector. In addition, the same method was carried out on the painted surface of the test piece (2), and the presence/absence detection and front/back determination were simultaneously performed from the difference in the amount of reflected light from the painted surfaces (25) and (26) and the amount of light when there was no test piece. Furthermore, a plurality of detectors (13) are provided to monitor the individual reagent sections (22), and changes in the amount of reflected light can be used to identify types and detect defective products (for example, reagent sections (22)). It is also possible to check for peeled or damaged items) and remove unsuitable items such as different types or defective items from the system.In this way, the detector (13) can detect multiple items of various types. They can also be used in combination.Also, the mounting position of the detector (13) is not limited to that shown in the drawings, but may be installed near the inside or outside of the wall (8).

By the way, the above-mentioned front/back determination is performed when the test piece automatic operation mechanism (not shown) immerses the test piece (2) in the test liquid (not shown) and places it on the support stand (not shown) of the photometry section. This is due to the necessity of keeping the reagent part (22) in a fixed direction. However, if the arm of the automatic test piece operation mechanism has a function to turn the test piece (2) upside down, it is only necessary to send a signal to the automatic test piece operation mechanism that the test piece (2) is reversed. If not, turn the reagent part (22) so that it always faces up or down.
You need to reverse the opposite direction.

This reversal is achieved by, for example, levers (10 (Figs. 1 and 5) pivoted on a part of the wall outside the hopper (3) and the bottom (Figs.
Pins (33) and (3) protruding laterally from the front lower part of 4).
This is done by a reversing mechanism consisting of 3). That is, the detector (1
When the bottom part (4) issues a signal that the front and back sides are reversed (FIG. 7(a)), the bottom part (4) advances so that the groove (7) goes further in the positive direction from the stop position. Then, the lower part of the lever (14) is pushed by the pin (33), the upper part rises, and the groove (
7) Invert the test piece (2) inside while pushing it out (7th
Figure (b)). In this case, the test piece (2) is pushed closer to the wall (8) than the groove (7). Next, the bottom part (4) moves backwards and inserts this test piece (2) into the groove (7) at the lower end of the outer wall surface of the wall part (8).
) (Fig. 7 (C1), continue in the reverse direction and check with the detector (13) to make sure it is correct in the reagent section (22).
If it is pointing upwards, it will move forward from here and stop at the stop position. Other reversing mechanisms may include a lever (1◇) driven by a motor or solenoid at a certain position near the stop position of the groove (7) as shown in Fig. 9, for example. The structure shown is simple.

Next, various structures can be considered for the removal mechanism for removing the unsuitable test piece (2), but the above-mentioned reversing mechanism can also be used as is. This means that the test piece (2) inserted into the groove (7) in the normal direction as shown in Figure 8(a),
As shown in the same figure (bl), it is reversed using the lever (14) of the reversing mechanism, and then the bottom (4) is further moved forward and the lever (
14) and move the test piece (2) to the lever (one forward direction side (opposite side to the wall part (8)) (Figure (C)), then move the bottom part (4) backwards and move the test piece (2) to the lever (1). 14) is returned to its original position and the bottom (4) is moved backwards to release the test piece (2) from the bottom into the chute (3IO) (FIG. 8(d)).

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 9, a lever (a different lever from 110)
35), and each lever may be driven by a motor or the like. In addition, in FIG. 9, vertical notches (36) and (37) are provided in the bottom part (4) as shown in the figure, and the levers (14) and (35) are passed through these. Further, a mechanism for removing test pieces of different types or defects may be omitted.

Next, FIG. 10 shows a version in which the hopper (3) is tilted (for example, about 15 degrees) in the above example. Thus,
Since the tips of the test pieces (2) are aligned and the gripping portion (23) is held at a constant position when taken out by the test piece automatic operation mechanism, immersion is performed accurately.

Furthermore, in order to keep the air in the storage section (12) dry, desiccant storage sections (38) may be provided inside and outside the hopper (3) connected to the storage section (12). The one shown in FIG. 1 is an example of this, in which a desiccant storage section (38) is provided in a part of the thick wall section (9), and a desiccant (39) is stored inside. In addition, it is recommended to attach a lid (4) to the hopper (3) to keep it dry. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 11!
Yoyo, off 2, - (31 (7) ka 4 yako, 4) ka 4 yukao.

The enclosure may be covered with a cover (41) and dry air may be fed into this cover (41). This cover (41
) contains vibrators (42) and (43) for letting in and taking out air, a lid part (44) for putting in the test piece (2), and a test piece (
2) An opening lid (45) is provided that automatically opens and closes when taking out the item.

On each side of the surface, a suction port is installed in the test piece insertion groove (7) to prevent warping of the test piece (2), and suction is performed using an air pump to improve adhesion. It is also possible to make modifications such as providing a means for checking the remaining amount of the test piece (2), such as an optical sensor or a counter for counting the number of test pieces taken out. Further, in the present invention, it is only necessary that the bottom part (4) and the side parts (5) move relatively,
Fix the bottom part (4) and attach each wall part (8), (9), (10)
(1) or only the wall (8) and wall (9) may be moved.

In addition, on each side, the inner wall surface (8a) of the wall portions (8) and (9)
- Both (9a) are parallel to the groove (7) in plan view, but only the inner wall surface (8a) may be parallel. Further, the inner wall surface itself does not necessarily have to be planar, but may be, for example, uneven as long as the line connecting the protrusions is parallel to the groove (7). Furthermore, if the groove (7) is not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bottom (4), the walls (8) and (9) are not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the bottom (4).

As described in detail above, the present invention stores a test piece between a bottom surface (bottom part) having a test piece insertion groove and two walls that are parallel to the test piece insertion groove in a plan view, and moves the two relatively back and forth. By doing so, the test pieces are inserted into the groove and taken out one by one from the storage section. In addition, if the removed test piece is upside down, it can be turned over so that the reagent part always faces in the same direction.
It is intended to do so.

Therefore, by simply aligning the grips of the test strips and placing them into the storage section, you can reliably take out one test piece at a time with the reagent section facing in a fixed direction.
nd Read type measurement can be fully activated, contributing to improved analysis accuracy.

In addition, since the conventionally commercially available test pieces can be used as they are, there is no need for specialized test pieces for automation, making the measurement cost low and versatile. In addition, the present invention increases the reliability of measured values because it allows the selection of different types of test pieces and checks for defective products, and the simple structure of the device makes it easy to operate and obtain at low cost, making it extremely economical. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a test piece, FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the movement range of the bottom of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. is the same block diagram,
Figure 5 is the same (partial cross-sectional view, Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the abnormality detection mechanism, Figure 7 (a). (bl, fc) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the test piece is inverted, Figure 8 ta>, cb>, tc> are explanatory diagrams showing the state in which the test piece is removed, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the reversal/removal mechanism, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing still another example. 1... Automatic test piece supply device 2... Test piece 22... Reagent section 23... Gripping section 3... Hopper 4...・Bottom part 5... Side part 7... Test piece insertion groove 8, 9... Wall part 8a, 9a... Inner wall surface 12... Storage part 13, 19, 32... Detector 14. ... Lever 15 ... Motor 18 ... Light shielding plate 20 ... Control section 31 ... Perforated plate 38 ... Desiccant storage section 41 ... Cover No. 5 No. 60 No. 7 No. 8 9th 10th PjJ 11th Procedure Nefu Seisho (Method) March 5, 1985

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A hopper into which a test piece is placed has a bottom portion provided with a test piece insertion groove, and a wall portion at least at the base of which includes one inner wall surface parallel to the groove in plan view; or a portion thereof is configured to be separated so that the groove can move reciprocally relative to the wall so that the groove can take positions at least on the inside and outside of the wall. 2. At or near the wall on the side where the test piece insertion groove passes,
The automatic test strip feeding device according to claim 1, comprising a detector for detecting and/or determining the test strip fitted into the groove. 3. At least one of the inner wall surfaces other than one inner wall surface parallel to the test piece insertion groove and the inner wall surface opposite thereto is parallel to the moving direction of the test piece insertion groove in plan view, and the bottom surface is The automatic test piece feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the test piece automatic feeding device is inclined so as to be lower on the parallel inner wall surface side. 4. Claim 1 or 2 further comprising a reversing mechanism for reversing the front and back of the test piece fitted into the test piece insertion groove on the outside of the wall portion through which the test piece insertion groove passes. Automatic test piece feeding device. 5. Claim 1, comprising a removal mechanism provided outside the wall through which the test piece insertion groove passes, for pushing out an unsuitable test piece that has fit into the test piece insertion groove in a direction opposite to the wall. Or the automatic test piece feeding device according to item 2. 6. Bottom surface with a test piece insertion groove and 1 parallel to the groove in plan view
A large number of test specimens are placed in a storage section that includes two inner wall surfaces, and a detector is used on the wall side to check the presence or absence of test specimens in the groove, and then adjust the groove to the correct position relative to the wall surface. An automatic method for taking out a test piece, which comprises moving the test piece in the opposite direction and, after confirming that the test piece has fit into the groove, stopping the groove at a predetermined position outside the storage section. 7. If the test piece inserted into the groove is facing the wrong way, at or near the stop position, the reversing mechanism pushes the test piece toward the wall and reverses it, and as the bottom surface moves in the opposite direction, one side is 7. The method for automatically taking out a test piece according to claim 6, wherein the test piece is inserted into the groove at the lower end of the wall surface. 8. If the test piece inserted into the groove is an unsuitable product, the test piece is removed by being pushed out to the opposite side of the wall by a removal mechanism at or near the stop position. Automatic extraction method of test piece described.