WO2020188925A1

WO2020188925A1 - Automated analyzer

Info

Publication number: WO2020188925A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/049513
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英嗣田上; 洋一郎鈴木; 敬道坂下; 和広野田
Original assignee: 株式会社日立ハイテク
Priority date: 2019-03-19
Filing date: 2019-12-18
Publication date: 2020-09-24
Also published as: JP2022100417A

Abstract

Provided is an automated analyzer capable of highly accurately and inexpensively checking the weight of a sample or reagent dispensed into a reaction vessel.　This automated analyzer comprises a reaction vessel (108) capable of accommodating a sample and reagent, a support part for supporting the entire weight of the reaction vessel, and a weight measurement unit for measuring the entire weight of the reaction vessel and support part. As shown in the examples, the support part and weight measurement unit can be designed in various ways.

Description

Automatic analyzer

The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer.

An automatic analyzer that measures the concentration by adding a reagent to the sample and causing a biochemical reaction to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of the components to be measured contained in the biological sample such as blood and urine. Is known. Examples of the automatic analyzer are described in Patent Documents 1 to 4.

Such an automatic analyzer is widely used in large hospitals, inspection centers, etc. because it can improve the reproducibility of measurement results and speed up measurement. One of the reasons is that the samples and reagents required for biochemical reactions and antigen-antibody reactions can be automatically dispensed with high accuracy and speed, as compared with the conventional method. Since the concentration measurement is performed accurately by the reaction by mixing the sample and the reagent of the specified liquid volume, the accuracy and reproducibility of the dispensing amount in the dispensing device are important for ensuring the reliability of the analysis performance. Is. In particular, in a blood test for a blood sample for the purpose of blood transfusion, it is preferable to reduce the risk of infectious diseases due to blood transfusion as much as possible, and the reliability of analysis performance of infectious disease items is highly required.

In an automatic analyzer that requires a high degree of reliability of analysis results, it is possible to indirectly confirm the correctness of the analysis results by monitoring whether or not the expected operation of the analysis process in the apparatus is performed. It is common to do. In particular, the correctness of the analysis results is based on the premise that the liquid volume of the sample and the liquid volume of the analytical reagent at the time of analysis are mixed as expected, and improvement in the reliability of the analysis results is expected. This can be achieved by confirming that the process was carried out correctly. For example, if fibrin and the like are dispensed at the same time as the sample is dispensed, it may not be possible to dispense the specified amount of the sample.

In the dispensing device, the sample may be sucked into the probe pipe by making the pressure in the pipe connected to the thin probe pipe negative, and the sample may be transferred from the sample container into the probe to realize dispensing. At this time, a technique for monitoring clogging due to fibrin by monitoring the pressure in the probe pipe and the probe is known. As described above, the analysis step includes a dispensing step of dispensing a predetermined amount of the sample and the reagent from separate containers to the reaction vessel.

In the conventional method, the amount of sample or reagent is indirectly confirmed by confirming the correctness of the operation of the dispensing mechanism such as stop operation and channel condition monitoring. However, there has been no means to directly, highly accurately and inexpensively confirm whether the expected amount of liquid has been correctly dispensed into the reaction vessel as a result of the operation of such a dispensing mechanism.

In recent years, due to the rise in medical costs due to the aging of the population, there is a high demand for reduction of test costs related to analysis, and an automatic analyzer that has realized a reduction in the amount of sample and reagent used for one analysis has been realized. The amount of liquid to be mixed ranges from a few microliters to a few tens of microliters. In addition, the container has been miniaturized in order to accommodate such a liquid amount and realize a specified reaction. Further, in order to reduce the cost of the container, the weight of the reaction vessel itself has become as small as the weight of the reaction solution, such as by reducing the volume of the vessel itself. Therefore, in order to accurately measure the weight of the reaction solution including such a container, it is necessary to realize highly accurate weight measurement.

On the other hand, the facilities that perform inspections include clinics, laboratories in hospitals, and large-scale inspection centers that specialize in inspections, and the number of processes required ranges from 50 to 500 tests per hour. There is. In an automatic analyzer, samples and reagents are required to be mixed within a specified time for accurate analysis, and sample dispensing and reagent dispensing are performed in a specified order within one cycle of the analysis cycle. It is generally carried out in. For example, when two types of reagents are used, it is necessary to carry out a total of three steps of the sample dispensing step, the first reagent dispensing step, and the second reagent dispensing step as one cycle, and the weight of each dispensing step is increased. When the measurement process is included, it is necessary to carry out a total of 6 processes as one cycle by simple calculation. In this case, in order to realize 50 tests to 500 tests per hour, the time allocated to one process is about 1.2 seconds to 12 seconds by simple calculation. In this way, there is a range of time that can be used for weight measurement depending on the processing capacity.

International Publication No. 2015/072358 JP-A-11-094840 JP-A-2017-090242 JP 2002-350450

As described above, the conventional technique has a problem that there is no means for confirming the weight of the sample or reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel with high accuracy and at low cost.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that can confirm the weight of a sample or a reagent dispensed into a reaction vessel with high accuracy and at low cost.

The automatic analyzer according to the present invention is
A reaction vessel that can hold samples and reagents,
A support portion that supports the entire weight of the reaction vessel and
A weight measuring unit for measuring the total weight of the reaction vessel and the support unit is provided.
This specification includes the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-051200, which is the basis of the priority of the present application.

According to the present invention, the weight of the sample or reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel can be confirmed with high accuracy and at low cost.

Example of configuration of automatic analyzer according to Example 1 Example of processing progress when executing multiple analysis operations in parallel Example of configuration of support unit and weight measurement unit according to the first embodiment An example of the progress of a process including weight measurement when performing multiple analytical operations in parallel Example of configuration of support unit and weight measurement unit according to the second embodiment Example of configuration of support unit and weight measurement unit according to Example 3 Example of configuration of support unit and weight measurement unit according to Example 4 Operation example when the reagent probe dispenses the first reagent Example of configuration of support portion according to Example 5 Example of operation of the support portion according to the sixth embodiment The figure explaining the operation of the automatic analyzer which concerns on Example 7. The figure explaining the operation of the automatic analyzer which concerns on Example 8. Example of judgment processing and output processing using the specified amount range in FIG.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Example 1]
First, a specific example of the process related to the automatic analysis, which is a premise of the embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and then, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the weight measuring unit according to the embodiment will be described. The configuration will be described.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. The automated analyzer comprises a reaction vessel (108) capable of accommodating specimens and reagents. Further, the automatic analyzer includes a first reaction vessel transport main body (105) and a second reaction vessel transport main body (124) as reaction vessel moving portions for moving the reaction vessel (108). The reaction vessel (108) is movable with respect to an automated analyzer (more precisely, for example, the apparatus housing (110)).

The reaction vessel (108) placed in the reaction vessel erection portion (109) is moved from the reaction vessel erection portion (109) to the first reaction vessel erection position (119) by the first reaction vessel transport main body portion (105). Moved and installed.

The disposable sample chip (104) placed on the reaction vessel erection unit (109) is moved vertically by the reaction vessel transport unit lateral movement mechanism (106) of the first reaction vessel transport main body (105) and the reaction vessel transport unit (106). It is moved by the mechanism (107), moved to the sample chip mounting portion (111), and installed.

The sample probe (103) rotates, and the sample chip (104) is mounted on the probe tip at the sample chip mounting portion (111). The sample container (102) is transported onto the sample setting unit (101) by the transport unit (100). The sample contained in the sample container (102) is sucked by the sample probe (103).

The reaction vessel installation unit (118) rotates to move the reaction vessel (108) installed in the first reaction vessel erection position (119) to the sample dispensing position (120). The sample probe (103) rotates after sucking the sample, and discharges a specified amount of the sample to the reaction vessel (108) at the sample dispensing position (120). After ejecting the sample, the sample probe (103) rotates further, and the used sample chip (104) is discarded by the sample chip discarding unit (112).

The reagent bottle (115) on the reagent disc (114) rotates and moves by the rotation of the reagent disc (114). When the reagent bottle (115) is in the reagent suction position (116), the reagent probe (113) sucks the first reagent from the reagent bottle (115). Next, the reaction vessel installation unit (118) rotates to move the reaction vessel (108) to the reagent dispensing position (122).

Next, the reagent probe (113) rotates and discharges the specified amount of the first reagent at the reagent dispensing position (122). The temperature of the reaction vessel setting unit (118) is controlled so as to be a constant temperature such as 37 ° C., and the first reagent contains an antibody that specifically binds only to a specific antigen in the sample, and the reaction vessel. In the reaction vessel (108) installed in the installation unit (118), the sample and the first reagent cause an antigen-antibody reaction.

The first reagent is a component in which an antibody and a fluorescent substance are bound in advance. After a certain period of time has elapsed and the antigen-antibody reaction has sufficiently progressed, the reaction vessel setting unit (118) moves the reaction vessel (108) to the reagent dispensing position (122) again.

Next, the reagent probe (113) sucks the second reagent from the reagent bottle (115). Here, the reagent bottle of the first reagent and the reagent bottle of the second reagent may be provided separately. The reagent probe (113) dispenses the second reagent into the reaction vessel (108) at the reagent dispensing position (122).

The second reagent is a reagent containing an antibody that specifically binds only to the antigen, and is a component in which the antibody and magnetic particles are bound in advance. As time passes and the antigen-antibody reaction proceeds to a certain extent, a sufficient amount of the final reaction product bound to the magnetic particles and the fluorescent illuminant is produced in the antigen present in the sample.

Next, the reaction vessel installation unit (118) rotates to the second reaction vessel erection position (121). The second reaction vessel transport main body (124) moves the reaction vessel (108) of the reaction vessel installation portion (118) to the reaction vessel cleaning position (126).

At the reaction vessel washing position (126), the reaction solution is discarded while being supplemented in the vessel with a magnet installed outside the reaction vessel by utilizing the magnetism of the magnetic particles bound to the antibody in the reaction solution in the reaction vessel. .. As a result, substances derived from the sample other than the antigen are washed away and removed, and B / F separation is carried out so that only the final reaction product remains in the reaction solution.

The cleaning reagent probe (129) discharges the buffer solution at the reaction vessel cleaning position (126). Next, the second reaction vessel transport main body (124) moves the reaction vessel (108) to the second reaction vessel erection position (121) of the reaction vessel installation portion (118). The second reaction vessel transport main body (124) can be moved by the second reaction vessel transport portion lateral movement mechanism (128).

The automatic analyzer may be provided with a reaction vessel cleaning tank (125) and a cleaning probe cleaning tank (117).

Next, the reaction vessel installation unit (118) rotates to move the reaction vessel (108) to the reaction vessel analysis suction position (123). The reaction solution suction probe (132) sucks the reaction solution from the reaction vessel (108) at the reaction vessel analysis suction position (123). Next, the reaction solution suction probe (132) sends the reaction solution to the reaction solution analysis unit (130) and measures the amount of light emitted from the phosphor.

The series of operations as described above is controlled by the mechanism operation control unit (133). The analysis operation control unit (134) acquires the amount of light emitted from the phosphor, performs analysis based on the amount of light emitted, and outputs the analysis result. In the analysis, for example, the principle that the information indicating the amount of the sample (specified liquid amount information) is proportional to the amount of light emitted from the phosphor and the number of antigens is used.

The above is an example of a unit of one analysis operation for measuring a sample. The automatic analyzer can perform the analysis operation a plurality of times at a time. Further, in the automatic analyzer, the mechanism operation control unit (133) can control the operation in a pipeline so that a plurality of analysis operations can be performed simultaneously. With such a configuration, it is possible to analyze a plurality of samples without delay.

Here, the time required for the analysis operation will be explained. One analysis operation includes five steps of sample dispensing step, first reagent dispensing step, second reagent dispensing step, washing step, and analysis step, and requires a considerable amount of time. For example, assuming that one analysis operation takes 10 minutes, when a plurality of analysis operations are sequentially executed, 30 minutes are required to perform three analysis operations.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the progress of processing when a plurality of analysis operations are executed in parallel. Five steps are required for each sample. First, the process 1 of the sample 1 is executed at time 1. Next, at time 2, the process 2 of the sample 1 and the process 1 of the sample 2 are executed at the same time. Next, at time 3, the process 3 of the sample 1, the process 2 of the sample 2, and the process 1 of the sample 3 are executed at the same time. As shown in the thick frame of FIG. 2, at time 5, all the processes 1 to 5 are executed simultaneously for different samples. By processing Specimen 1 to Specimen 5 in this way, 5 processes can be executed in parallel for 5 Specimens, and a plurality of analytical operations can be executed in a time shorter than 30 minutes. be able to.

For the sake of explanation, FIG. 1 shows that processing 1 is a sample dispensing step, treatment 2 is a first reagent dispensing step, treatment 3 is a second reagent dispensing step, treatment 4 is a washing step, and treatment 5 is an analysis step. As you can see, the reaction vessel installation unit (118) is shared in all processing steps. In order to realize this, a plurality of reaction vessels (108) are installed in the reaction vessel installation unit (118), and each reaction vessel (108) is rotated at each time by rotating the reaction vessel installation unit (118). Moved to the proper position. These positions include a sample dispensing position (120), a reagent dispensing position (122), a second reaction vessel erection position (121), and a reaction vessel analysis suction position (123).

When one analysis operation is completed in 60 seconds, that is, when the analysis operation is executed in a cycle of 60 seconds, the time that can be allocated to each process is 12 seconds on average.

Next, the configuration and operation of the weight measuring unit according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment includes a first reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (127) and a second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (131). These weighing mechanisms are fixed to an automatic analyzer (more precisely, for example, the device housing (110)).

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the support unit and the weight measurement unit according to the first embodiment. This example represents, for example, the configuration of the second reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (131). FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the reaction vessel (108) installed in the second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (131). It is assumed that the reaction vessel (108) contains the reaction solution (301).

The second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (131) includes an apparatus housing (110), a reaction vessel accommodating portion (300), a connection portion (302), a strain body (303), a strain sensor (304), and the like. It is provided with a strain fixing portion (305). The strain sensor (304) is a weight measuring unit in this embodiment.

The reaction vessel accommodating portion (300) and the connecting portion (302) are fixed as a unit, and are configured as a support portion that supports the entire reaction vessel (108), that is, the entire weight. In the example of FIG. 3, it is supported by accommodating the reaction vessel (108).

The reaction vessel accommodating portion (300) is coupled to the strain body (303) via the connecting portion (302). The strain body (303) is connected only to the connecting portion (302) and the strain body fixing portion (305). For the sake of simplicity, the strained body (303) is a curved rectangular parallelepiped beam shape here, but the strained body (303) shape and configuration can be arbitrarily designed as long as it is distorted by the weight from the connection part. Is. For example, it may have a shape like a diaphragm.

A strain sensor (304) is attached to the strain body (303). The strain sensor (304) can measure the amount of strain of the strain body (303). Although the output of the strain sensor (304) is not particularly shown, it is configured to transmit a signal representing the amount of strain to the weight measurement control unit (135) of FIG. 1, for example.

The reaction vessel accommodating portion (300) is provided with a bottom portion and a peripheral wall portion, and can support the reaction vessel (108) in a state where the reaction vessel (108) does not come into contact with any other support structure or the like. Is. Therefore, the reaction vessel container (300) can support the total weight of the reaction vessel (108) and its contents, if any.

As a comparative example, in a configuration in which the reaction vessel housing portion supports only the bottom portion of the reaction vessel and another independent structure supports the side surface of the reaction vessel (for example, the side surface is supported so as to lean against the wall). Since static friction occurs in the reaction vessel, the reaction vessel housing may not be able to support the entire weight of the reaction vessel.

Next, an example of a weight measurement operation using the second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (131) will be described. After the sample probe (103) dispenses the sample at the sample dispensing position (120), the reaction vessel setting unit (118) rotates and the reaction vessel (108) is moved to the first reaction vessel erection position (119). Let me. Next, the first reaction vessel transport main body (105) moves the reaction vessel (108) from the first reaction vessel erection position (119) to the second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (131).

The reaction vessel (108) is supported by the reaction vessel housing (300) so that the reaction solution (301) does not spill. The strain body (303) is distorted by receiving the weight transmitted from the connection portion (302), and the amount of the distortion (or the amount of change in the strain) is measured by the strain sensor (304).

More specifically, in the absence of the reaction vessel (108), the strain sensor (304) causes the strain (303) to generate strain according to the weight of only the reaction vessel accommodating portion (300) and the connecting portion (302). Measure the amount. Further, in a state where the reaction vessel (108) is supported by the reaction vessel accommodating portion (300), the strain sensor (304) has the reaction vessel accommodating portion (300), the connection portion (302), and the reaction vessel (108). ) And its contents (for example, reaction solution (301)), if present, the amount of strain generated in the strain body (303) is measured.

In the example of FIG. 3, the position where the strain sensor (304) is attached to the strain body (303) is near the portion (root) where the strain body (303) is connected to the strain body fixing portion (305). In this way, the strain can be measured at the position where the strain is the largest. However, the position of the strain sensor (304) is not limited to this, and the strain sensor (304) can be attached to the front surface, the back surface, or any other position as long as it is distorted according to the weight.

The amount of strain will be described. When the strain body (303) is composed of a beam of a leaf spring made of stainless steel (Young's modulus (E) 193 GPa), the force F [N] applied to the tip of the beam is generated on the surface of the tip opposite to the beam. It is known that the relationship with the strain amount ε is expressed by the following equation.

However, b is the width of the strained body (303), for example, b = 6 [mm]. L is the length of the strained body (303), for example, L = 40 [mm]. h is the thickness of the strained body (303), for example, h = 0.5 [mm].

When the amount of the reaction solution corresponding to the amount of the sample is 4 μl, the amount of strain is 0.032 μST as an example. When a 120Ω resistor (gauge factor 2) is used as the strain sensor (304), the change in resistance value is about 8 μΩ.

The strain sensor (304) transmits a signal indicating the amount of change in the resistance value to the weight measurement control unit (135). The strain sensor (304) may convert the amount of change in the resistance value into an electric signal and then transmit the signal. The change in resistance value may be converted into a voltage as a DC signal by a bridge circuit, for example, or may be converted into an impedance change by connecting a frequency circuit.

In this way, the first reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (127) and the second reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (131) are the total weights of the reaction vessel (108), the reaction vessel accommodating portion (300), and the connecting portion (302). To measure. In this case, when the contents are contained in the reaction vessel (108), the weight of the contents is also included in the total weight.

The automatic analyzer may convert the amount of strain into weight. The specific processing related to the conversion can be appropriately designed based on a known technique or the like related to the distortion sensor. Further, a method for calculating the weight of a specific component from the weight measured at each stage can also be appropriately designed based on a known technique.

The shape and material of the strain body (303) can be arbitrarily designed in consideration of the vibration establishment time and the noise condition of the detection circuit system. It may have a different shape or material. For example, if the same material is used and the strain amount is to be changed for the same weight change, the strain can be doubled by halving the width (b) of the leaf spring. Further, as long as the shapes are the same, metal materials or resin materials having different Young's moduluss may be used.

The position of the second reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (131) is not limited to that shown in FIG. The reaction vessel (108) may be arranged at any position as long as it can be moved from the reaction vessel installation portion (118). The first reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (127) is arranged within a range in which the second reaction vessel transport main body (124) can be moved, and the second reaction vessel transport main body (124) is the reaction vessel. (108) can be moved to the first reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (127).

Although the weight measurement after dispensing the sample has been described here as an example, the weight measurement at other stages of the analysis operation is also possible. For example, the first reagent or the second reagent may be dispensed and then weighed. For example, after the reagent probe (113) dispenses the first reagent or the second reagent into the reaction vessel (108) at the reagent dispensing position (122), the reaction vessel installation unit (118) rotates and the reaction vessel (108) rotates. ) Is moved to the first reaction vessel erection position (119) or the second reaction vessel erection position (121), after which the reaction vessel (108) measures the first reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (127) or the second reaction vessel weight measurement. The weight can be measured by being moved to the mechanism (131). Further, the weight measurement of the reaction solution after the buffer is dispensed by the washing reagent probe (129) can be performed in the same manner as in the case of measuring the reaction solution after dispensing by the sample probe and the reagent probe. Further, the same weight measurement may be performed in a state (for example, an empty state) before the sample is dispensed into the reaction vessel (108).

As described above, according to the automatic analyzer according to Example 1, the weight of the sample or reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel (108) can be confirmed with high accuracy and at low cost.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the progress of processing including weight measurement when a plurality of analysis operations are executed in parallel. Similar to FIG. 2, treatment 1 is a sample dispensing step, treatment 2 is a first reagent dispensing step, treatment 3 is a second reagent dispensing step, treatment 4 is a washing step, and treatment 5 is an analysis step. Further, in FIG. 4, the process G is a weight measurement step. The analytical operation for 10 samples is shown.

As shown in FIG. 4, since the weight measurement step (treatment G) is carried out after each of the steps 1 to 5, the total number of treatments required for one sample is 10 steps. When process 1 (sample dispensing step) is repeated once every 60 seconds (processing capacity 60 test / h), 10 steps need to be completed in 60 seconds and can be assigned to each step. The average time is 6 seconds.

In the example of FIG. 4, for the sake of explanation, an example in which weight measurement is performed after each step of all processes 1 to 5 is shown. However, the weight measurement may be performed at least once in one cycle. Further, when it is desired to prioritize the processing capacity, the weight measurement may be performed only after a specific dispensing step.

Further, in order to reduce the influence of the mechanical vibration derived from the device on the weight measuring unit, the weight may be measured during the time when the mechanical unit of the device is not operating. Further, although the strain body fixing portion (305) is directly connected to the device housing (110) in FIG. 3, when noise is added to the strain sensor due to vibration from the device, a vibration damping material for damping is used. Or may be connected via an elastic body.

In addition, if the signal output reproducibility deteriorates due to self-heating of the sensor detection system immediately after energization in the strain sensor (304) or its surroundings, avoid the time zone immediately after energization and use it as a basis for weight calculation. The signal acquisition timing from the distortion sensor (304) may be arbitrarily selected.

[Example 2]
FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the support unit and the weight measurement unit according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the support portion and the weight measuring portion are provided in the reaction vessel moving portion (for example, the first reaction vessel transport main body portion (105) and the second reaction vessel transport main body portion (124)). It may be fixed to the reaction vessel moving part.

This example shows, for example, the configuration related to the first reaction vessel transport main body (105). The first reaction vessel transport main body (105) includes a strain sensor (304) as a weight measuring unit.

After the sample is dispensed into the reaction vessel (108), the reaction vessel installation unit (118) moves the reaction vessel (108) from the sample dispensing position (120) to the first reaction vessel erection position (119). The first reaction vessel transport main body (105) moves the reaction vessel (108) to the first reaction vessel erection position (119) of the reaction vessel installation portion (118).

The first reaction vessel transport main body (105) is provided with a grip portion, and when the reaction vessel (108) is moved, the reaction vessel (108) can be gripped and pulled up. The grip portion is composed of, for example, a first grip portion (502) and a second grip portion (504), and when these two grip portions sandwich the reaction vessel (108) from both sides, the reaction vessel (108) is pulled up. It is configured so that it can be gripped.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the distance between the first grip portion (502) and the second grip portion (504) is relatively large at the time of release, and the reaction vessel (108) is not gripped. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the distance between the first grip portion (502) and the second grip portion (504) is relatively small during movement, and the reaction vessel (108) is gripped. The gripping force is designed so that, for example, the weight of the reaction vessel (108) and its contents can be sufficiently held by friction.

For example, a first spring (503) is used to enable such an operation. Both ends of the first spring (503) are fixed to the first grip portion (502) and the second grip portion (504), respectively, and urge the first spring (503) to approach each other.

On the other hand, the first reaction vessel transport main body (105) includes a housing (500), an opening / closing mechanism claw (505), and an opening / closing mechanism. The opening / closing mechanism includes an opening / closing mechanism main body (507) and an opening / closing mechanism cylinder (506), and the opening / closing mechanism is configured to expand and contract as the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (506) moves. The opening / closing mechanism is fixed to the housing (500).

Further, both ends of the second spring (508) are fixed to the housing (500) and the opening / closing mechanism claw (505), respectively, and urge the second spring (508) to approach each other. As shown in FIG. 5A, the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (506) is housed inside the opening / closing mechanism main body (507) at the time of release, and the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (506) is not in contact with the opening / closing mechanism claw (505). ..

In this state, the opening / closing mechanism claw (505) is attracted toward the housing (500) by the second spring (508). Therefore, the second grip portion (504) is pushed out in the direction opposite to that of the first grip portion (502), and the reaction vessel (reaction vessel (504) is placed between the first grip portion (502) and the second grip portion (504). It creates enough space for 108) to be inserted.

As shown in FIG. 5 (b), when moving, that is, when the first reaction vessel transport main body (105) grips the reaction vessel (108), the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (506) is the opening / closing mechanism main body (507). It is pushed out more, whereby the opening / closing mechanism claw (505) overcomes the force of the second spring (508) and is pushed out in the direction opposite to the housing (500).

At this time, the first spring (503) contracts when the force stretched by the opening / closing mechanism claw (505) is released. As a result, the first grip portion (502) and the second grip portion (504) sandwich and grip the reaction vessel (108) between them.

The first grip portion (502) is connected to the strain body (303) only via the connecting portion (501). The connecting portion (501) may form a part of the grip portion. In this embodiment, the connecting portion (501), the first grip portion (502), the second grip portion (504), and the first spring (503) determine the total weight of the reaction vessel (108). It constitutes a support part to support.

The reaction vessel (108) is pulled up from the reaction vessel installation portion (118) by moving the first reaction vessel transport main body portion (105) in the vertical direction. At this time, strain corresponding to the weight of the reaction vessel (108) is generated in the strain body (303). The strain body (303) is connected only to the strain body fixing portion (305), and a signal corresponding to the weight of the reaction vessel (108) is output by the strain sensor (304) provided on the strain body (303). ..

As described above, according to the automatic analyzer according to Example 2, the weight of the sample or reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel (108) can be confirmed with high accuracy and at low cost as in Example 1.

[Example 3]
FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the support unit and the weight measurement unit according to the third embodiment. The automatic analyzer according to the third embodiment includes a reaction vessel pulling portion that is separate from the reaction vessel moving portion (that is, the first reaction vessel transport main body portion (105) and the second reaction vessel transport main body portion (124)). So, it is different from Example 2.

The reaction vessel pull-up portion is provided to pull up the reaction vessel (108). The raised reaction vessel (108) can be further moved by the reaction vessel moving section. In this embodiment, the support part and the weight measuring part are provided on the upper part of the reaction vessel.

The configuration of the support unit and the weight measurement unit is the same as in the second embodiment. At the time of release, the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (609) of the opening / closing mechanism main body (610) is housed inside the opening / closing mechanism main body (610), and the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (609) is not in contact with the opening / closing mechanism claw (608). The opening / closing mechanism claw (608) is attracted to the pulling mechanism housing (600) by the third spring (611), and the force causes the second grip portion (607) to move to the opposite side of the first grip portion (605). Extruded. This creates a sufficient space between the first grip portion (605) and the second grip portion (607) for the reaction vessel (108) to enter.

When measuring the weight, that is, when grasping the reaction vessel (108), the opening / closing mechanism cylinder (609) is pushed out from the opening / closing mechanism main body (610), and the opening / closing mechanism claw (608) overcomes the force of the third spring (611). It is pushed out in the direction opposite to the pulling mechanism housing (600). At this time, the first spring (606) and the second spring (613) connected the first grip portion (605) and the second grip portion (607), and were stretched by the opening / closing mechanism claw (608). By contracting when the force is released, the reaction vessel (108) between the first grip portion (605) and the second grip portion (607) is sandwiched and gripped.

The first grip portion (605) is connected to the strain body (602) only via the connecting portion (604). In this embodiment, the connecting portion (604), the first grip portion (605), the second grip portion (607), the first spring (606), and the second spring (613) are formed in a reaction vessel ( It constitutes a support portion that supports the entire weight of 108).

Further, in the present embodiment, the pull-up mechanism housing (600), the pull-up drive unit (612), the strain body (602), the strain body fixing portion (603), the connection portion (604), and the first The grip portion (605), the second grip portion (607), the first spring (606), and the second spring (613) form a reaction vessel pulling upper portion that pulls up the reaction vessel (108). The pull-up drive unit (612) is fixed to, for example, the device housing (110).

The reaction vessel (108) is pulled up from the reaction vessel installation portion (118) by moving the pulling mechanism housing (600) in the vertical direction by the pulling drive unit (612). At this time, strain corresponding to the weight of the reaction vessel (108) is generated in the strain body (602). The strain body (602) is connected only to the strain body fixing portion (603), and the strain sensor (601) provided on the strain body (602), that is, the weight measuring unit, adjusts the weight of the reaction vessel (108). A signal is output.

As described above, according to the automatic analyzer according to Example 3, the weight of the sample or reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel (108) can be confirmed with high accuracy and at low cost as in Example 1.

Such reaction vessel pull-ups can be installed at multiple positions in the automatic analyzer. For example, the reaction vessel is placed at the sample dispensing position (120), the reagent dispensing position (122), the reaction vessel washing position (126), and the reaction vessel analysis suction position (123) at any time during the analysis operation cycle. It is possible to measure the weight of (108).

In Example 1, when the sample dispensing step was repeated once every 60 seconds (processing capacity 60 test / h), the time that could be allocated to each of the 10 steps was 6 seconds on average. Here, when trying to support an automatic analyzer with a processing capacity of 500 tests / h, it is necessary to carry out the sample dispensing step once every 7.2 seconds if the same method is used, and each of the 10 steps is required. The time that can be allocated to is only 0.72 seconds on average. In such a case, it is difficult to secure time for moving the reaction vessel for weight measurement by the reaction vessel moving portion.

On the other hand, according to the third embodiment, for example, by pulling up the reaction vessel (108) during the dispensing operation, the weight measurement can be performed in a short time. The only time effect of performing the weighing is the additional lifting time by the reaction vessel pull-up.

[Example 4]
FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the support unit and the weight measurement unit according to the fourth embodiment. In the automatic analyzer according to the fourth embodiment, as in the third embodiment, a support portion and a weight measuring portion are provided on the upper part of the reaction vessel.

The automatic analyzer includes a pair of pulling action units (707). Each pull-up action section (707) is connected to the strainer (702) by a corresponding pull-up arm (706), a corresponding pull-up arm column (705), and a common pull-up shoulder (704). are doing.

In this embodiment, the pulling action section (707), the pulling arm (706), the pulling arm column (705), and the common pulling shoulder (704) make up the entire or total weight of the reaction vessel (108). It constitutes a support part to support.

The strain body (702) is fixed to the strain body fixing portion (701) connected to the apparatus housing (700) at the end portion, and the strain sensor (703), that is, the weight measuring portion is mounted on the strain body (702). Has been done.

In this embodiment, the strain fixing portion (701), the strain body (702), the pulling shoulder portion (704), the pulling upper arm column (705), the pulling upper arm (706), and the pulling action portion (707) are , The reaction vessel pulling upper part for pulling up the reaction vessel (108) is formed.

The pulling action unit (707) is installed at a position above the reaction vessel installation unit (118). More specifically, it is installed at an empty position such as a sample dispensing position (120), a reagent dispensing position (122), a second reaction vessel erection position (121), and a reaction vessel analysis suction position (123).

FIG. 8 shows an operation example when the reagent probe (113) dispenses the first reagent. The same applies when the second reagent or sample is dispensed. In this embodiment, the reaction vessel (108) is provided with an overhang portion (800) on the side surface thereof, and the pulling action portion (707) supports the overhang portion (800) to support the reaction vessel (108). ) Can be supported.

In the state of FIG. 8A, the reaction vessel (108) is not pulled up. When the reaction vessel setting section (118) rotates and the reaction vessel (108) is moved to the reagent dispensing position (122), the overhanging section (800) of the reaction vessel (108) becomes the reaction vessel setting section (118). As shown by the arrow, it rides on the pulling action unit (707) and is pulled up from the reaction vessel installation unit (118) to reach the state shown in FIG. 8 (b).

The distance at which the reaction vessel (108) is pulled up depends on the shape of the pulling action portion (707). The shape of the pulling action portion (707) may be any shape as long as it can be pulled up to a height at which the reaction vessel (108) does not come into contact with the reaction vessel installation portion (118) at all.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the reaction vessel (108) is automatically pulled up in response to the rotation of the reaction vessel installation portion (118), so that the weight can be measured more efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the weight measuring unit measures the total weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the supporting portion with the pulling action portion (707) supporting the overhanging portion (800).

Further, the curvature of the pulling action portion (707) may be designed according to the rotation speed of the reaction vessel installation portion (118). For example, the pulling speed is determined so that the reaction solution in the reaction vessel (108) does not pop out with the pulling.

Further, in FIG. 8, the overhanging shape of the reaction vessel is described as being overhanging from the outer shape of the reaction vessel so as to be a shoulder like the overhanging portion (800), but the shape of the overhanging portion is the entire reaction vessel (108). Any shape can be designed as long as it can be supported. For example, the shape can be adapted to the shape of the pulling action portion (707) so that a force for pulling up in the vertical direction can be generated when the reaction vessel (108) enters in the lateral direction. As a specific example, in FIG. 8, a tapered surface (801) is formed on the outer periphery of the reaction vessel (108), and this tapered surface (801) functions as an overhanging portion and is supported by the pulling action portion (707). It may be configured as follows.

Further, it is preferable that the surface of the pulling action portion (707) is polished so that the reaction vessel (108) can be pulled up smoothly when it is pulled up. Alternatively, a bearing or the like may be provided at a portion of the pulling action portion (707) that comes into contact with the overhanging portion (800).

[Example 5]
FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the support portion according to the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the configurations of the pulling action portion (707) and the pulling upper arm (706) are changed in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of a part of the support portion viewed from above, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of a part of the support portion seen from the side direction.

In the fifth embodiment, the support portion includes an opening / closing portion that can be elastically opened and closed. In the example of FIG. 9, the opening / closing part is composed of two arms. The first arm has a first spring portion (900) extending in the horizontal longitudinal direction, a first horizontal retract guide (902), a first fixing guide (904), a third fixing guide (906), and a first arm. (3) A horizontal retracting guide (908) is provided. The first spring portion (900) can be bent in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the horizontal plane.

Similarly, the second arm has a second spring portion (901) extending in the horizontal longitudinal direction, a second horizontal retracting guide (903), a second fixing guide (905), and a fourth fixing guide (907). It is provided with a fourth horizontal retracting guide (909). The second spring portion (901) can be bent in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the horizontal plane.

The opening / closing portion shown in FIG. 9 opens / closes in the horizontal direction and in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the reaction vessel (108) due to the deflection of the first spring portion (900) and the second spring portion (901). It is configured to be possible.

The pulling action portion according to this embodiment is composed of a first fixing guide (904), a second fixing guide (905), a third fixing guide (906), and a fourth fixing guide (907).

It is assumed that the reaction vessel installation unit (118) moves the reaction vessel (108) in the clockwise direction (CW direction) with the rotational movement. The outer wall of the reaction vessel (108) (eg, the overhang, but may be below the overhang) enters along the third horizontal lead (908) and fourth horizontal lead (909). To do.

At this time, stresses that deform in opposite directions are generated in the first spring portion (900) and the second spring portion (901), and the third horizontal lead-in guide (908) is formed along the outer wall of the reaction vessel (108). And the fourth horizontal pull-in guide (909) spread in the horizontal direction. Along with this, the reaction vessel (108) has a pulling action portion (that is, a first fixing guide (904), a second fixing guide (905), a third fixing guide (906), and a fourth fixing guide (907). )) Move to the support space formed by).

At the same time, the reaction vessel (108) is pulled upward from the reaction vessel installation section (118) along the first pull-up guide (910) and switches to the pull-up action section. In this state, the weight measuring unit measures the total weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the support unit.

Here, according to the fifth embodiment, since the reaction vessel (108) is fixed in the support space surrounded by the four fixing guides, the weight measurement can be performed in a more stable state.

If the reaction vessel installation section (118) rotates clockwise after weighing, the reaction vessel (108) moves toward the first horizontal lead-in guide (902) and the second horizontal lead-in guide (903). , Along the second pulling guide (911), it is guided to fall from the pulling action part to the reaction vessel setting part (118) by its own weight.

On the other hand, when the reaction vessel installation portion (118) rotates in the counterclockwise direction (CCW direction) after the weight measurement, the reaction vessel (108) has a third horizontal lead-in guide (908) and a fourth horizontal lead-in guide (908). It moves toward 909) and is guided to fall from the pulling action section to the reaction vessel installation section (118) by its own weight along the first pulling guide (910).

When the reaction vessel installation unit (118) pulls the reaction vessel (108) toward the pulling action portion in the counterclockwise direction (CCW direction), the reaction vessel (108) is referred to as the first horizontal retracting guide (902). And enter along the second horizontal pull-in guide (903).

At this time, stresses that deform in opposite directions are generated in the first spring portion (900) and the second spring portion (901), and the first horizontal pull-in guide (902) is formed along the outer wall of the reaction vessel (108). And the second horizontal pull-in guide (903) spread in the horizontal direction. Along with this, the reaction vessel (108) has a pulling action portion (that is, a first fixing guide (904), a second fixing guide (905), a third fixing guide (906), and a fourth fixing guide (907). )) Move to the support space formed by).

At the same time, the reaction vessel (108) is pulled upward from the reaction vessel installation section (118) along the second pull-up guide (911) and switches to the pull-up action section. In this state, the weight measuring unit measures the total weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the support unit. Since the operation after the weight measurement is the same as the operation in the clockwise direction, the description thereof will be omitted.

The first spring portion (900) and the second spring portion (901) may be provided, for example, as a part of the pulling upper arm (706) in the fourth embodiment (FIG. 7). Further, a specific configuration can be arbitrarily designed as long as the pulling upper arm (706) is provided with a portion deformed by the stress generated by each horizontal pulling guide. For example, the deformable spring portion may be provided in the pull-up shoulder portion (704) and the pull-up arm column (705) shown in FIG. 7, and the pull-up shoulder portion (704) and the pull-up arm column (705) may be provided. It may be provided at the connecting portion, or may be provided at the connecting portion between the pulling upper arm column (705) and the pulling upper arm (706).

[Example 6]
FIG. 10 shows an example of the operation of the support portion according to the sixth embodiment. The configuration of the support portion can be, for example, the same as in Example 4 (FIGS. 7 and 8) or Example 5 (FIG. 9).

FIG. 10 shows the flow of the process from when the reaction vessel (108) is installed in the reaction vessel installation section (118) to when it is discarded. The weight 1 obtained by measuring the weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the like at the timing when the first reagent is not yet dispensed into the reaction vessel (108), and the weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the like after the first reagent is dispensed. By calculating the difference from the measured weight 2, the net weight of the first reagent can be calculated.

When the second reagent is additionally dispensed, the weight 3 obtained by measuring the weight of the reaction vessel (108) or the like after the second reagent is dispensed and the above weight 2 are added. By calculating the difference, the weight of the net second reagent can be calculated.

The weight calculation may be performed by the weight calculation unit. That is, when the sample or each reagent is dispensed into the reaction vessel (108), the automatic analyzer of the dispensed sample or each reagent is based on the weight before dispensing and the weight after dispensing. A weight calculation unit may be provided for calculating the weight. The weight calculation unit is composed of, for example, a weight measurement control unit (135).

Note that, in this embodiment, the automatic analyzer may include a storage unit that stores the weight measured at each timing. The storage unit is composed of, for example, a weight measurement control unit (135).

In this way, since the weight of the reaction vessel (108) or the like can be measured in parallel with the dispensing step, the weight of the reaction solution or the like can be measured with almost no effect on the speed of the analysis process. be able to.

[Example 7]
The operation of the automatic analyzer according to the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Information representing the specific gravity of each component (for example, liquid) to be dispensed is registered in advance in the weight measurement control unit (135).

The automatic analyzer is equipped with a volume calculation unit. This volume calculation unit calculates the volume of the sample or each reagent based on the weight of the sample or each reagent. For example, the volume of a sample can be calculated by dividing the weight calculated for the sample by the specific gravity of the sample. The volume calculation unit is composed of, for example, a weight measurement control unit (135).

Although specific numerical values are shown in FIG. 11 for explanation, these numerical values can be arbitrarily set in advance.

According to Example 7, not only the weight of the sample and each reagent but also the volume can be automatically measured.

[Example 8]
The operation of the automatic analyzer according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The automatic analyzer includes a storage unit, which stores a specified amount range as shown in FIG. 12 for a sample or each reagent. The storage unit is composed of, for example, a weight measurement control unit (135). In the example of FIG. 12, the specified amount range is the volume range, but the specified amount range may be the weight range.

This specified amount range represents the range of allowable error of each component. In the example of FIG. 12, two specified amount ranges of "range 1" and "range 2" are registered for each component, but the specified amount range may be one for each component. There may be three or more ways. Further, the storage unit may store a standard amount (standard amount, for example, a standard volume amount) for the sample or each reagent.

The automatic analyzer is equipped with a judgment unit and an output unit. The determination unit and the output unit are configured as, for example, a weight measurement control unit (135). The determination unit determines whether or not the amount of the sample or each reagent is within the specified amount range based on the weight of the sample or each reagent and the specified amount range. In addition, the output unit outputs the result of the determination by the determination unit.

FIG. 13 shows an example of determination processing and output processing using the specified amount range of FIG. In the example of FIG. 12, range 2 is wider than range 1. The determination unit first determines whether or not the difference between the standard amount of the sample or each reagent and the measured amount of the sample or each reagent is included in the range 1. When the difference is included in the range 1, the output unit does not output the flag as the determination result.

When the difference exceeds the range 1, the determination unit determines whether or not the difference is included in the range 2. When the difference is included in the range 2, the output unit outputs a flag as a determination result. This flag indicates, for example, that the specified amount may not have been aspirated. The output flag may be stored in the storage unit, or may be output to the user (using a display device or the like). Such a situation can be caused by a brief blockage of the flow path due to inhalation of fibrin.

When the difference exceeds the range 2, the output unit outputs a signal for canceling the subsequent processing as a judgment result. This corresponds to the case where a hardware abnormality such as a piping abnormality occurs in the device.

For example, in a certain analysis, it is assumed that the standard volume of the first reagent is 60 μl and the volume calculated based on the weight of the first reagent is 20 μl. Since the error is -40 μl and exceeds the range 2, the subsequent processing is cancelled.

Further, for example, it is assumed that the standard volume of the sample is 30 μl and the volume calculated based on the weight is 28 μl. In this case, the error is -2 μl, which exceeds the range 1 but is included in the range 2, so that the analysis result is flagged.

Although specific numerical values are described in FIG. 12 for explanation, these numerical values can be arbitrarily set in advance. Further, the branching condition for the determination by the determination unit can be arbitrarily designed, and different branching conditions may be defined for each type in consideration of the influence on the performance for each reagent.

As described above, according to Example 8, when the amount of the sample or each reagent is not normal, appropriate treatment can be performed.

[Modification example]
In Examples 1 to 7, the following modifications can be added.
The number of reaction vessel moving portions for moving the reaction vessel (108) may be one or more. For example, one of the first reaction vessel transport main body (105) and the second reaction vessel transport main body (124) may be omitted, or three or more reaction vessel moving portions may be provided.

Further, the number of weight measuring units for measuring the total weight of the reaction vessel (108) and the support unit may be one or more. For example, in Example 1, one of the first reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (127) and the second reaction vessel weight measuring mechanism (131) may be omitted, or three or more weight measuring units may be provided.

Any strain sensor can be used as the weight measuring unit. For example, a method using the principle that physical properties change as the shape of a member changes can be used. More specifically, a method of measuring a change in the electrical resistance value caused by a change in the degree of expansion and contraction of the member may be used. Alternatively, a method of measuring the magnitude of strain (change in distance) using laser light, ultrasonic waves, or the like may be used.

Further, a weight sensor other than the strain sensor may be used for the weight measuring unit. For example, a weight sensor of a method that acquires the weight of the measurement target by generating a force that is commensurate with the weight of the measurement target and measuring the magnitude of the force and the control amount for generating the force is used. Can be done.

105 First reaction vessel transport main body (reaction vessel moving part)
108 Reaction vessel 124 Second reaction vessel transport main unit (reaction vessel moving unit)
127 First reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (weight measurement mechanism)
131 Second reaction vessel weight measurement mechanism (weight measurement mechanism)
135 Weight measurement control unit (storage unit, weight calculation unit, volume calculation unit, judgment unit, output unit)
300 Reaction vessel housing (support)
302 Connection (support)
304 Strain sensor (weight measuring unit)
501 Connection (support)
502 First grip part (support part, grip part)
504 Second grip (support, grip)
600 Pulling mechanism housing (upper part of reaction vessel pulling)
601 Strain sensor (weight measuring unit)
602 Strained body (upper part of reaction vessel)
603 Strained body fixing part (upper part of reaction vessel pull)
604 Connection (support, upper part of reaction vessel)
605 First grip part (support part, upper part of reaction vessel pull)
607 Second grip (support, upper part of reaction vessel pull)
606 First spring (support part, upper part of reaction vessel pull)
612 Lifting drive unit (upper part of reaction vessel pulling)
613 Second spring (support part, upper part of reaction vessel pull)
701 Strained body fixing part (upper part of reaction vessel pull)
702 Strained body (upper part of reaction vessel)
703 Strain sensor (weight measuring unit)
704 Raised shoulder (upper part of reaction vessel)
705 Pulling arm column (Reacting vessel pulling upper part)
706 Pulling arm (reacting container pulling upper part)
707 Pulling action part (upper part of reaction vessel pulling)
800 Overhang 801 Tapered surface (overhang)
900 First spring part (support part, opening / closing part)
901 Second spring part (support part, opening / closing part)
902 First horizontal pull-in guide (support part, opening / closing part)
903 Second horizontal retractable guide (support part, opening / closing part)
904 First fixing guide (support part, opening / closing part)
905 Second fixed guide (support part, opening / closing part)
906 Third fixed guide (support part, opening / closing part)
907 Fourth fixed guide (support part, opening / closing part)
908 Third horizontal pull-in guide (support part, opening / closing part)
909 Fourth horizontal retractable guide (support part, opening / closing part)
910 First pull-up guide (support part, opening / closing part)
911 Second pulling guide (support part, opening and closing part)
All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Claims

A reaction vessel that can hold samples and reagents,
A support portion that supports the entire weight of the reaction vessel and
An automatic analyzer comprising the reaction vessel and a weight measuring unit for measuring the total weight of the support unit.
The weight measuring unit is included in a weight measuring mechanism fixed to the automatic analyzer.
The automatic analyzer includes a reaction vessel moving unit that moves the reaction vessel to the weight measuring mechanism.
The support portion is provided in the weight measuring mechanism.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.
The automatic analyzer includes a reaction vessel moving unit that pulls up the reaction vessel.
The support portion and the weight measuring portion are provided in the reaction vessel moving portion.
The support portion is configured as a grip portion that grips the reaction vessel when the reaction vessel is pulled up.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.
The automatic analyzer includes a reaction vessel moving unit for moving the reaction vessel and a reaction vessel pulling portion for pulling up the reaction vessel.
The support portion and the weight measuring portion are provided on the upper part of the reaction vessel.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.
The reaction vessel is provided with an overhang on the side surface of the reaction vessel.
The support portion supports the reaction vessel by supporting the overhanging portion.
The weight measuring unit measures the total weight in a state where the supporting portion supports the overhanging portion.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 4.
The support portion includes an opening / closing portion that can be elastically opened and closed.
The opening / closing portion can be opened / closed in a horizontal direction and in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the reaction vessel.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 5.
The automatic analyzer
A storage unit that stores the total weight,
When the sample or reagent is dispensed into the reaction vessel, the weight of the dispensed sample or reagent is calculated based on the total weight before dispensing and the total weight after dispensing. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a weight calculation unit.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 7, wherein the automatic analyzer includes a volume calculation unit that calculates the volume of the sample or the reagent based on the weight of the sample or the reagent.
The automatic analyzer
A storage unit that stores a specified amount range for the sample or the reagent, and
A determination unit for determining whether or not the amount of the sample or the reagent is within the specified amount range based on the weight of the sample or the reagent and the specified amount range.
The automatic analyzer according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising an output unit that outputs a determination result by the determination unit.