JP2001165937A - Automatic biochemical analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the throughput an automatic biochemical analyzer which does no transfer cuvettes after dispensing a sample and a reagent. SOLUTION: A cuvette-supplying section 8 arranges a new cuvette to a cuvette-supplying position A, and a sample probe 20 dispenses a sample at a sample sucking position D into the cuvette at the position A. A cuvette transfer arm 4 transfers the cuvette-containing the dispensed sample to a vacant fixed photometric portion 2 from the position A, and a reagent probe 6 sucks a reagent at a reagent sucking position B or C and dispenses the reagent into the cuvette positioned at the portion 2. When the reagent probe 6 moves rotationally forwards and backwards on the portion 2, the cuvette-mounting position is covered with a shutter 54. After the reagent is dispensed, the measurement of the progress of a coagulatory reaction is started immediately. After the measurement, the cuvette transfer arm 4 dumps the cuvette containing the measured sample into a cuvette damping port 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic biochemical analyzer used in the fields of clinical examinations and biochemistry. Such an automatic biochemical analyzer is generally used for biochemical analysis of a sample such as a blood coagulation reaction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a blood coagulation reaction analyzer as an example of an automatic biochemical analyzer, when a blood coagulation reaction is measured,
A sample and a reagent are placed in a cuvette, and the cuvette is moved to a coagulation reaction measurement site (photometry port) to perform measurement. In most blood coagulation reaction analyzers, the photometry port is provided with a photometer that irradiates the cuvette with measurement light from a light source and detects light scattered or transmitted by the sample reaction solution with a photodetector.

[0003] When analyzing the blood coagulation reaction, it is necessary to dispense the reagent into the sample and then continuously measure the coagulation reaction. Therefore, in order to increase the processing capacity in multi-sample processing, a plurality of photometric ports are required. Must be provided. Some blood coagulation reaction analyzers are provided with a plurality of photometric ports in which cuvettes can be detachably arranged. Here, a plurality of photometric ports are arranged on the circumference of a rotatable reaction table, and the reaction table is rotated to perform operations such as supply and disposal of cuvettes, sample dispensing, and reagent dispensing to those photometric ports. Automatically. Then, a sample or a reagent is dispensed to the photometry port at one place on the circumference of the reaction table.

[0004]

In the prior art, the dispensing position of the sample or the reagent to the photometry port is at one position on the reaction table. Although there is no influence on the port, the dispensing mechanism for the sample and the reagent needs to be arranged in a plane with respect to the reaction table. In addition, since the table on which the photometric ports are arranged is rotated, there is a concern that vibrations due to the operation affect reaction measurement.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to increase the processing capacity and reduce the size of the analyzer.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a plurality of cuvettes are detachably held at fixed positions, and measurement sites for measuring a reaction process between a sample and a reagent are arranged in an arc shape for each cuvette. A cuvette transfer mechanism for moving on the measurement site along the array of measurement sites by rotating and reciprocating around the center of the arc of the array of measurement sites and rotating the center of the arc of the measurement site array, and attaching and detaching the cuvette, and movement of the cuvette transfer mechanism At a height different from the height at which the cuvette supply unit that supplies the cuvette to the cuvette supply position provided on the track and the cuvette transfer mechanism moves on the measurement site,
A dispensing mechanism that moves on the measurement site along the array of the measurement site by rotating and reciprocating around the center of the circular arc of the measurement site array, and dispenses a sample or a reagent to a cuvette attached to the measurement site. An automatic biochemical analysis comprising a shutter mechanism for shielding at least the measurement site on the cuvette mounting position of the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism when the dispensing mechanism rotates and reciprocates on the measurement site. Device.

The cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism can rotate and reciprocate on the measurement site independently of each other. The cuvette transfer mechanism supplies the cuvette to an empty measurement site, and discards the cuvette for which measurement has been completed. The dispensing mechanism dispenses a sample or a reagent into a cuvette attached to a measurement site. Since the height at which the cuvette transfer mechanism rotates and reciprocates is different from the height at which the dispenser reaction section rotates and reciprocates, the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism can simultaneously rotate and reciprocate on the measurement site without contacting each other, Time efficient.

[0007] The operation of the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism can be performed by rotation and vertical movement when attaching and detaching the cuvette and dispensing, so that the configuration and operation of the apparatus are simplified. Since the center of the arc of the measurement site array, the rotation center of the cuvette transfer mechanism, and the rotation center of the dispensing mechanism are provided concentrically, the arrangement of the measurement site, the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing probe becomes compact in a plane. . Further, the shutter mechanism shields at least the measurement site on the cuvette mounting position of the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism when the dispensing mechanism is rotating and reciprocating on the measurement site. Even if the sample or the reagent drops from the dispensing mechanism, it is possible to prevent the sample or the reagent from being mixed into the measurement site and adhered with dirt.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The dispensing mechanism moves on a measurement site at a height higher than that of a cuvette transfer mechanism, and the shutter mechanism has a height between the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism during reciprocating rotation. It is preferable to shield between the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism. As a result, the cuvette can be attached to and detached from the measurement site by the cuvette transfer mechanism even when the space between the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism is shielded by the shutter mechanism. The dispensing mechanism dispenses only the reagent, and it is preferable that a separate sample dispensing mechanism for supplying a sample to the cuvette at the cuvette supply position is separately provided. As a result, mixed contamination of the specimen and the reagent can be prevented.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment. A plurality of photometric ports 2 are fixed to the cuvette reaction section 1 and are arranged in a fan shape on an arc. The photometry port 2 is kept at, for example, 37 ° C. As the photometric port 2, a scattering port for measuring the amount of scattered light and a colorimetric port for measuring the amount of transmitted light are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the scattering port holds a cuvette 34 into which a sample and a reagent are dispensed one by one, and detachably holds the cuvette 34. And a photodetector 38 such as a photodiode provided on an optical axis in a direction orthogonal to the direction of incidence of the measurement light in order to detect scattered light of the measurement light by the sample liquid. Although the colorimetric port is not shown, an optical fiber that guides light of a predetermined wavelength from a common light source to the cuvette from a plurality of colorimetric ports that measure the amount of transmitted light,
A photodetector such as a photodiode provided on the same optical axis as the incident direction of the measurement light.

Returning to FIG. 1, description will be continued. A cuvette transfer arm 4 and a reagent probe 6 which move along an arc in which the photometric ports 2 are arranged are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the cuvette transfer arm 4 and the reagent probe 6 are arranged on the cuvette reaction section 1 with a distance in the up-down direction, and have a common rotation center on an arc on which the photometric ports 2 are arranged. It is provided to rotate at different heights. Here, the reagent probe 6 is set to move upward, and the cuvette transfer arm 4 is set to move downward.

The cuvette transfer arm 4 mounts a cuvette on each photometric port 2 of the cuvette reaction section 1 or removes a cuvette from the photometric port 2. The cuvette transfer arm 4 includes a cuvette supply position A for receiving the cuvette from the cuvette supply unit 8, a cuvette disposal port 10 for discarding the cuvette,
The cuvette into which the sample and the reagent are dispensed is moved to the stirring port 12 for stirring, and is driven so as to be stopped. The cuvette transfer arm 4 takes out the cuvettes stored in the cuvette supply unit 8 one by one at the cuvette supply position A, transfers the cuvette to one of the photometric ports 2 and mounts the cuvette, or finishes the measurement of any of the photometric ports 2 The subsequent cuvette is taken out and discarded in the cuvette discarding port 10.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic structural views showing a shutter mechanism, wherein FIG. 4A is a top view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG. 4C is a side view. Two shutter mechanisms 52 are arranged near the outer periphery of the cuvette reaction unit 1. The shutter mechanism 52 has a shutter 54 formed along the arrangement of the photometric ports 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the shutter 54 is attached to an LM guide 58 via a shutter support plate 56, and a rack 60 is attached to a moving member of the LM guide 58 to which the shutter support plate 56 is attached.
When the pinion 62 provided in contact with the rack 60 is rotated by the stepping motor 64, the rack 60 is linearly reciprocated in the rail direction of the LM guide 58, and the shutter 54 is also linearly reciprocated in the rail direction. I do. The moving distance of the shutter 54 is, for example, 8
〜１０10 mm. The shutter 54 moves to a position (closed) covering the cuvette mounting position of the photometric port 2 when the reagent probe 6 is rotating and reciprocating on the cuvette reaction unit 1, and at other times, the outer periphery of the cuvette reaction unit 1 Is moved to a position (open) not covering the cuvette mounting position on the side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the two shutters 54 are arranged so as not to overlap each other and to be able to cover all cuvette mounting positions. As shown in FIG. 3, the shutter 54 is located at a position higher than the cuvette transfer arm 4 during the reciprocating rotation and at a position lower than the nozzle of the reagent probe 6 at the time of the reciprocating rotational movement. Is provided so as to be able to be shielded. As a result, even if a reagent droplet drops from the nozzle of the reagent probe 6 that is rotating and reciprocating, the reagent remains on the shutter 5.
4 can be prevented from being mixed into the photometry port 2 and adhered with dirt, and the adverse effect of the reagent falling onto the photometry port 2 can be prevented. Further, the shutter 5
The cuvette transfer arm 4 can attach and detach the cuvette 34 even when the cuvette 4 is closed.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic structural views showing a cuvette supply section, where FIG. 5A is a partially cutaway side view, FIG. 5B is a top view around a guide rail, and FIG. 5C is arranged in the cuvette supply section. (D) is a cross-sectional view of the cuvette. The cuvette 34 is a transparent plastic molded product, and the flange 34a at the opening of the cuvette 34 is formed to have a size larger than the body 34b. Tsuba 34
A band-like grain (a part having unevenness on the surface and a reduced transparency) 34c is formed around the body part 34b on the a side. The grain 34c is formed at a position that does not affect the measurement of the sample. The cuvette supply unit 8 is provided with a cuvette accommodating unit 40 for accommodating a plurality of such cuvettes 34 at random. The cuvette accommodating portion 40 is wider than the body portion 34b of the cuvette 34 and has a flange 34a.
Two turntables are arranged at a smaller interval. By the rotation of the rotating discs, the cuvettes 34 stored in the cuvette storage unit 40 are sequentially discharged from the cuvette outlet 42 with the opening side upward.

At the cuvette outlet 42, a cuvette 34
2 at an interval wider than the body portion 34b and narrower than the flange 34a.
One end of the guide rail 44 is arranged. The guide rail 44 is arranged so as to be inclined with one end being high and the other end being low, and the cuvette 34 supplied from the cuvette outlet 42 slides from one end to the other end, whereby the guide rail 44 is moved. Are arranged.

At the other end of the guide rail 44, a cuvette slide 46 for receiving the cuvette 34 sliding on the guide rail 44 and supplying the arranged cuvettes 34 to the cuvette supply position A one by one is provided. . One end of the guide rail 44 sandwiches a space in which the cuvettes 34 are arranged, and an L
ED 48 and photodetector 5 for detecting light from LED 48
0 is arranged. The LED 48 and the photodetector 50 are installed such that when the cuvette 34 reaches one end of the guide rail 44, the grain 34c of the cuvette 34 exists between the LED 48 and the photodetector 50.

When the cuvette 34 is accommodated in the cuvette accommodating section 40 and the supply of the cuvette is started, the LED 4
8 lights up. When the cuvette 34 does not exist between the LED 48 and the photodetector 50, the light of the LED 48 is detected by the photodetector 50. The turntable in the cuvette storage unit 40 is rotated in response to the detection signal, and the cuvette 34 is supplied to the cuvette outlet 42. The cuvette 34
Slides from one end to the other end of the guide rail 44 and is received by the cuvette slide 46.

When the light of the LED 48 is detected by the photodetector 50, the cuvette 34 from the cuvette container 40 is
Is repeated, and the cuvettes 34 are sequentially arranged on the guide rail 44 from the other end side. Guide rail 44
The cuvettes 34 arranged in an
When stopped at a position between 0, the LED 48 causes the photodetector 50 to stop.
The light irradiated to the side is blocked by the grain 34c of the cuvette 34, and the light of the LED 48 is not detected by the photodetector 50 or falls below a predetermined threshold level. The cuvette supply from the storage unit 40 is stopped.

Thereafter, the cuvette slide 46
When the cuvette 34 is supplied to the cuvette supply position A, the cuvette 34 arranged on the guide rail 44
Each of them slides toward the cuvette slide 46 by the dimension of the flange 34a. Then, the LED 48 and the photodetector 50
Since the cuvette 34 does not exist in the middle, the light detector 5
When 0, the light of the LED 48 is detected, and the cuvette supply from the cuvette storage unit 40 is restarted. Cuvette 3
Since the crevice 34c is formed at a position corresponding to between the LED 48 and the photodetector 50, the LED 48 and the photodetector 5
The detection output of the photodetector 50 greatly differs between the case where the cuvette 34 exists between 0 and the case where the cuvette 34 does not exist, the threshold value can be easily set, and the malfunction can be eliminated.

Returning to FIG. 1, the description will be continued. A plurality of reagents are arranged on the circumference of the disk-shaped reagent table 14.
The reagent table 14 can be rotated and stopped in a reciprocating direction by a drive mechanism not shown in the figure. On the back side of the reagent table 14, a magnetic stirrer (not shown) for rotating the magnetic bar member by magnetism is arranged at a position corresponding to the bottom surface of the reagent container at a predetermined position. By placing the magnetic bar member in the reagent container, when the reagent container is transferred to the position of the magnetic stirrer, the reagent is stirred and the precipitation of the reagent can be suppressed.

The reagent probe 6 is connected to each of the photometric ports 2,
It is moved to the reagent suction positions B and C on the reagent table 14 and the cleaning port 16 for cleaning the nozzle of the reagent probe 6, respectively, and driven to stop. A disk-shaped sample table 18 is provided on the outer periphery of the reagent table 14,
A plurality of samples are arranged on the circumference of the sample table 18. The sample table 18 is rotated in a reciprocating direction separately from the reagent table 14 by a driving mechanism not shown in the drawing,
It can be stopped. Since the reagent table 14 and the sample table 18 are arranged concentrically with each other,
A compact arrangement can be achieved.

A sample probe 20 is provided near the sample table 18. The sample probe 20 aspirates the sample transferred to the sample suction position D of the sample table 18 and stores the sample in the cuvette at the cuvette supply position A. Is dispensed. The sample probe 20 includes a cuvette supply position A, a sample suction position D, a washing port 22 for washing the nozzle of the sample probe 20, an emergency sample port 24, a buffer port 26, a diluent port 28, a detergent port 30, and an external sample port 32. , And are driven so that they can be stopped. The reagent table 14 and the sample table 18 are cooled to a predetermined temperature by a cooling mechanism (not shown) in order to prevent deterioration of the placed sample and the reagent. Since the photometric port is kept at 37 ° C., hot water is circulated through the nozzle of the reagent probe 6 in order to avoid a temperature change when the reagent is dispensed. When dispensing the reagent, the temperature of the reagent is set to a predetermined temperature or higher.

In this embodiment, the sample table 18 is of a turntable type, but may be of a rack type. Although the reagent table 14 is of a turntable type, a reagent container may be arranged on the trajectory of the reagent probe 6. Further, in this embodiment, the reagent table 14 and the sample table 18 are rotated by different drive mechanisms, but may be simultaneously rotated and rotated by the same drive mechanism.

The reagent probe 4 may be provided with a function of dispensing a sample, and may be configured so that the sample probe 20 is not installed. Also, two shutter mechanisms 5
Although the cuvette installation position of the photometry port 2 is covered by two shutters 54, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reagent probe 4 rotates and reciprocates on the photometry port 2 The number of shutters and the drive mechanism may be any mechanism as long as it can cover the cuvette installation position. Further, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a blood coagulation reaction analyzer, but the automatic biochemical analyzer of the present invention can also be applied to analysis of samples other than blood.

[0025]

In the automatic biochemical analyzer according to the present invention, the photometric parts are arranged in an arc shape, and the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism are arranged at different heights with the center of the arc as the center of rotation. The cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism are operated by rotation and up / down movement along the photometric region, respectively, and the shutter is rotated when the dispensing mechanism is rotationally reciprocated on the measurement region. Because the mechanism shields at least the measurement site on the cuvette mounting position of the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism, a mechanism for performing operations such as cuvette supply and disposal, sample dispensing, reagent dispensing, and the like. The operation can be simplified, and the processing ability can be increased. Further, the arrangement of the measurement site, the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing probe becomes compact in a plane. Further, even if the sample or reagent droplets drop from the reciprocating dispensing mechanism, the shutter mechanism can prevent the sample or the reagent from being mixed into the measurement site and adhered to the dirt. Further, since the table on which the photometric ports are arranged does not rotate, there is no concern that vibrations due to the rotation affect the reaction measurement.

Further, the dispensing mechanism is rotated and reciprocated at a height higher than that of the cuvette transfer mechanism, and the shutter portion moves and moves the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism at a height between the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism. If the cuvette is shielded, the cuvette can be attached to and detached from the measurement site by the cuvette transfer mechanism even while the space between the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism is shielded by the shutter mechanism. Further, the dispensing mechanism dispenses only the reagent,
If a sample dispensing mechanism for supplying a sample to the cuvette at the cuvette supply position is separately provided, mixed contamination of the sample and the reagent can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a photometric part in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a cuvette transfer arm, a reagent probe, and a shutter in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a shutter mechanism;
(A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a cuvette supply unit;
(A) is a partially cutaway side view, (B) is a top view around a guide rail, (C) is a side view showing a cuvette arranged in a cuvette supply unit, and (D) is a cross-sectional view of the cuvette. .

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 cuvette reaction section 2 photometry section 4 cuvette transfer arm 6 reagent probe 8 cuvette supply section 10 cuvette disposal port 12 stirring port 14, 22 reagent table 16 washing port 18 sample table 20 sample probe 24 emergency sample port 26 buffer port 28 diluent port Reference Signs List 30 detergent port 32 external sample port 34 cuvette 40 cuvette storage part 44 guide rail 46 cuvette slide 52 shutter mechanism 54 shutter 56 shutter support plate 58 LM guide 60 rack 62 pinion 64 stepping motor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A reaction section in which a plurality of cuvettes are detachably held at fixed positions, and a measurement section for measuring a reaction process between a sample and a reagent is arranged in an arc shape for each cuvette; A cuvette transfer mechanism for moving on the measurement site along the array of the measurement sites by rotating and reciprocating around the center of the circular arc of the circular arc of the cuvette to attach and detach cuvettes; and provided on a movement locus of the cuvette transfer mechanism. A cuvette supply unit for supplying a cuvette to a cuvette supply position, and a cuvette transfer mechanism that rotates and reciprocates at a height different from a height at which the cuvette transfer mechanism moves on the measurement site around a center of an arc of the measurement site array. By moving on the measurement site along the sequence of the measurement site by the sample, a sample or a reagent is placed in a cuvette attached to the measurement site. A dispensing mechanism for dispensing, and when the dispensing mechanism is rotating and reciprocating on the measurement site, shields at least a space between the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism on the cuvette mounting position of the measurement site. An automatic biochemical analyzer, comprising: a shutter mechanism. 2. The dispensing mechanism moves on the measurement site at a height higher than that of the cuvette transfer mechanism, and the shutter mechanism operates between the cuvette transfer mechanism and the dispensing mechanism during reciprocating rotation. 2. The automatic biochemical analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the measurement site and the dispensing mechanism are shielded at a height. 3. The automatic biochemical analysis according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism dispenses a reagent, and further includes a sample dispensing mechanism for supplying a sample to the cuvette at the cuvette supply position. apparatus.