JPS6314904Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention relates to a stirring device suitable for automatic analyzers that perform biochemical analysis and immunological analysis, and in particular a stirring device that can perform stirring and heating simultaneously and effectively. Regarding equipment.

As is well known, this type of automatic analyzer weighs the required amount of the collected blood sample, dispenses it into a container such as a reaction tube, and then dispenses the required amount of reagent corresponding to the measurement item. Next, the liquid (sample and reagent) in the container is passed through a stirring device to ensure a uniform reaction between them.
In many cases, the liquid in the container is stirred and heated to the reaction temperature by an appropriate heating means, and then the colorimetric measurement is performed using an optical device.

By the way, in the case of an automatic analyzer configured to perform colorimetric measurements using this optical measuring device, since measurement light is configured to obtain analytical data by passing through the container, the container If the outer peripheral surface is a curved surface, the measurement light will be diffusely reflected on the curved surface, reducing the transmission efficiency of the measurement light.
It is desirable that the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the container is rectangular (square cell shape).

However, when the outer circumferential surface of the container is in the shape of a flat square cell, it is difficult to uniformly stir the liquid near the inner corner of the container using the stirring rod rotation method of the stirring device, and the reaction between the sample and reagent is not uniform. In addition, conventional automatic analyzers have the disadvantage that measurement irregularities tend to occur, and in the case of conventional automatic analyzers, the stirring device and the heating device are located in completely different locations, and the heating is performed from the outside of the container. Because it is configured so that
This has the problem of not only increasing the number of parts but also having poor heating efficiency.

This invention was devised in view of the current situation, and its purpose is to provide a stirring rod with an outer peripheral surface shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface shape of the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stirring device that can reliably uniformly mix and stir the liquid in the same container while heating it to a reaction temperature.

In order to achieve this object, in this invention, in a stirring device configured to stir the liquid contained in a container via a stirring rod inserted into the container, the stirring rod is used as a heat transfer member. It is constructed so that stirring and heating are performed simultaneously by moving the same rod up and down.

Hereinafter, this invention will be explained in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

The container 1 according to this embodiment has a U-shaped vertical section, and a square frame-shaped horizontal section as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the stirring rod 2 of the stirring device is made by printing tungsten, which is a pasty heating element, on a heat transfer member (for example, an alumina sintered substrate by a printing method, and then heating it at a high temperature to transfer tungsten onto the substrate. The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the outer circumferential surface is the same as the inner circumferential shape of the container 1. The stirring rod 2 is formed in a similar shape, that is, in a square shape with a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the container 1, and the stirring rod 2 is driven by a known drive device (for example,
A rack is fixed to the upper side of the stirring rod 2, and the stirring rod 2 is moved up and down continuously along the axis At the same time, an air hole 4 is opened through the central part along the axial direction X, and a required voltage is supplied to the stirring bar 2, as shown in FIG. A temperature control device 5 is connected to the container 1 so that the liquid 3 in the container 1 is heated to a required reaction temperature, and an air pump 6 is connected to the upper end of the air hole 4.

When heating the liquid 3 in the container 1, for example, a specimen and a reagent, to a required reaction temperature while stirring and mixing the liquid 3 in the container 1 with the stirring device configured in this way, the stirring rod 2 is moved at the required stirring position as shown in Fig. 2. Insert into container 1 as shown. At this time, the water level of the liquid 3 in the container 1 will rise due to the insertion of the stirring rod 2, but it is assumed, of course, that the amount of liquid 3 in the container 1 is contained in an amount that does not overflow from the upper opening of the container 1. In addition, in the same state, the stirring bar 2 is controlled by the temperature control device 5.
It is assumed that the air pump is turned on and heated to a required temperature, and compressed air is supplied to the air hole 4 via the air pump 6.

Next, the stirring rod 2 is moved up and down a required number of times via a drive device to stir the liquid 3 in the container 1. In this case, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the stirring rod 2 is similar to the shape of the inner peripheral side surface of the container 1. Since it is formed into a shape, the liquid 3 at the inner corner of the container 1 is also stirred, so the entire liquid 3 can be uniformly stirred and mixed. This improves stirring efficiency.
Moreover, the liquid 3 that comes into contact with the stirring rod 2 is
to the required reaction temperature. In this case, since the heating is performed while the liquid 3 is being stirred, the heating can also be performed extremely efficiently.

After the stirring and heating operations have been completed in this manner, the stirring rod 2 is guided upward and transferred to the outside of the container 1, where it is cleaned through a known cleaning device and is reused.
In this case, by constantly sending air to the air hole 4, contamination of the inner wall surface of the air hole 4 can be prevented.

In the above embodiment, the inner horizontal cross-sectional shape of the container 1 and the outer peripheral horizontal cross-sectional shape of the stirring rod 2 are formed into similar square shapes. The container is not necessarily limited to this, and may have a similar shape, for example, a circle, and is particularly suitable when the container has a polygonal shape.

Since this device has the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to uniformly stir and mix the liquid in the container and heat it to the required temperature regardless of the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the inside of the container, thereby eliminating measurement irregularities, etc. prevent,
The reliability of measurement accuracy is improved, the number of parts can be significantly reduced, and the entire device can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show a stirring device according to an embodiment of the invention, in which FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the schematic structure of the device, and FIG. 2 shows the device in operation. Partial cross-sectional explanatory diagram, Figure 3 is Figure 2-
It is a line enlarged sectional view. 1... Container, 2... Stirring bar, 3... Liquid, 5...
...Temperature control device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a stirring device in which a stirring means having a heating means is inserted into the container in order to stir and heat the liquid contained in the container, the outer surface shape of the liquid inlet tip of the stirring rod is set within the polygonal shape of the container. A stirring device characterized in that the stirring rod is formed to correspond to the circumferential surface and has air holes penetrating in the longitudinal direction of the stirring rod so that the stirring rod can be moved up and down in the container to perform stirring. .