JP2007316012A - Autoanalyzer and specimen-dispensing method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autoanalyzer capable of accurately measuring the concentration of blood corpuscle components, even if the times taken up to dispensing are different, and to provide a specimen-dispensing method therefor. <P>SOLUTION: The autoanalyzer is constituted so as to dispense a predetermined amount of a specimen, containing blood corpuscle components from a specimen container 9a by a dispenser 20 for making the same react with a reagent to perform analysis. The specimen-dispensing method for the autoanalyzer is also disclosed. The autoanalyzer includes a concentration detecting part 15a for detecting the concentrations of blood corpuscle components and a position control part 15b for controlling the suction position of the specimen in the vertical direction, at the dispensing by due to the dispenser. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer and a sample dispensing method thereof.

  Conventionally, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has been used as a diagnostic marker for diabetes. In an automatic analyzer, a certain amount of a sample (blood) containing blood cell components collected from a subject is dispensed, and a reagent, for example, It is measured as a ratio (%) to the total hemoglobin (T-Hb) from the concentration of total hemoglobin (T-Hb) and the concentration of hemoglobin A1c obtained from the absorbance of the hemolyzed sample in which the blood cell component is hemolyzed by adding the treatment solution. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). Here, if a specimen containing a blood cell component is left after collection, the blood cell component settles and separates into a plasma component and a blood cell component. For this reason, usually, a specimen containing blood cell components avoids sedimentation of the blood cell components by performing a process such as inversion mixing until the sample is dispensed into the reaction container after collection.

JP 2000-46843 A

  By the way, an automatic analyzer for analyzing a sample (blood) containing blood cell components holds sample containers such as blood collection tubes from which samples are collected in racks and sequentially analyzes the samples while transporting these racks. For this reason, the specimen containing the blood cell component is retained in the rack, transported to the dispensing position, and dispensed into the reaction container, so that the blood cell component settles and a concentration gradient is generated in the vertical direction. As a result, the automatic analyzer has the same position because the position at which the sample is dispensed is fixed if the time until the dispensing nozzle dispenses the sample differs after the rack holding the sample container is set. Even for a specimen, there is a problem that the concentration of blood cell components cannot be measured accurately due to the concentration gradient caused by sedimentation of blood cell components. In this case, it is conceivable to vibrate the specimen container to suppress sedimentation of blood cell components. However, if the automatic analyzer is provided with a vibration device, it is not preferable because the device becomes complicated and large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides an automatic analyzer capable of accurately measuring the concentration of blood cell components even when the time until dispensing differs, and a sample dispensing method thereof With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, an automatic analyzer according to claim 1 is an automatic analyzer that dispenses a predetermined amount of a sample containing blood cell components from a sample container by a dispensing device and reacts with a reagent for analysis. Based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection means and a concentration detection means for detecting the concentration of the blood cell component, the suction position of the specimen in the vertical direction when dispensing by the dispensing device is determined. And a position control means for controlling.

  The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the concentration detecting means detects the concentration of a blood cell component in a predetermined amount of sample dispensed from the sample container.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic analyzer according to the above-mentioned invention, wherein the position control means is configured such that when the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection means is less than a predetermined concentration, The vertical dispensing position for aspirating the specimen is lowered, and if the concentration of the blood cell component exceeds a predetermined concentration, the dispensing position is raised.

  In order to achieve the above object, the sample dispensing method of the automatic analyzer according to claim 4 is an automatic analysis in which a predetermined amount of a sample containing a blood cell component is dispensed from a sample container and reacted with a reagent for analysis. A sample dispensing method for an apparatus, a dispensing step for dispensing a predetermined amount of the sample, a concentration detecting step for detecting a concentration of a blood cell component of the sample dispensed in the dispensing step, and the concentration detecting step And a position control step for controlling the vertical suction position of the specimen at the time of dispensing based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the above.

  Further, in the sample dispensing method of the automatic analyzer according to claim 5, in the above invention, in the concentration detection step, the concentration of a blood cell component in a predetermined amount of sample dispensed from the sample container is detected. Features.

  In the automatic analyzer of the present invention, the position control means controls the aspiration position in the vertical direction of the specimen during dispensing by the dispensing apparatus based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection means. In the sample dispensing method of the automatic analyzer of the invention, in the position control step, the suction position in the vertical direction of the sample at the time of dispensing is controlled based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection step. An automatic analyzer capable of dispensing a predetermined concentration of a sample in consideration of a concentration gradient of a blood cell component and accurately measuring the concentration of the blood cell component even when the time to dispensing is different, and a sample dispensing method thereof There is an effect that can be provided.

  Exemplary embodiments of an automatic analyzer and a dispensing method thereof according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic analyzer according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sample dispensing apparatus used in the automatic analyzer of FIG.

  The automatic analyzer 1 is a device that automatically analyzes a sample such as blood or urine containing blood cell components. As shown in FIG. 1, the reagent tables 2 and 3, the cuvette wheel 4, the sample container transfer mechanism 8, the analysis optical system. 11, a cleaning mechanism 12, a first stirring device 13 and a second stirring device 14, a control unit 15, and a sample dispensing device 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, each of the reagent tables 2 and 3 includes a plurality of reagent containers 2a for the first reagent and a plurality of reagent containers 3a for the second reagent arranged in the circumferential direction. The reagent containers 2a and 3a are rotated by driving means. Transport in the circumferential direction. Each of the plurality of reagent containers 2a and 3a is filled with a reagent containing a pretreatment liquid that hemolyzes blood cell components in accordance with the test item, and information on the type, lot, and expiration date of the stored reagent is recorded on the outer surface. A recording medium (not shown) is added. Here, on the outer periphery of the reagent tables 2 and 3, a reading device that reads the reagent information recorded on the information recording medium added to the reagent containers 2 a and 3 a and outputs it to the control unit 15 is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cuvette wheel 4 has a plurality of reaction vessels 5 arranged in the circumferential direction, and is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow by a driving means different from the driving means for driving the reagent tables 2 and 3. Then, the reaction vessel 5 is moved in the circumferential direction. The cuvette wheel 4 is disposed between the light source 11a and the spectroscopic unit 11b, and has a holding unit 4a that holds the reaction vessel 5 and an optical path 4b that includes a circular opening that guides the light beam emitted from the light source 11a to the spectroscopic unit 11b. is doing. The holding portions 4a are arranged on the outer periphery of the cuvette wheel 4 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction, and an optical path 4b extending in the radial direction is formed on the inner peripheral side of the holding portion 4a.

  The reaction vessel 5 is an optically transparent material that transmits 80% or more of the light contained in the analysis light (340 to 800 nm) emitted from the analysis optical system 11, such as glass containing heat-resistant glass, cyclic olefin, and polystyrene. It is a container called a cuvette formed into a square cylinder shape by the like. In the reaction container 5, the reagent is dispensed from the reagent containers 2a and 3a of the reagent tables 2 and 3 by the reagent dispensing devices 6 and 7 provided in the vicinity. Here, each of the reagent dispensing devices 6 and 7 is rotated in a horizontal plane, and nozzles 6b and 7b for dispensing the reagent are provided on arms 6a and 7a that are moved up and down in the vertical direction. , 7b.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the specimen container transfer mechanism 8 transfers the plurality of arranged racks 9 while stepping one by one along the arrow direction. The rack 9 holds a plurality of sample containers 9a that store samples. Here, each time the step of the rack 9 transferred by the sample container transfer mechanism 8 stops, the sample is dispensed into each reaction container 5 by the sample dispensing device 20.

  The analysis optical system 11 is an optical system for performing analysis by transmitting analysis light (340 to 800 nm) through the liquid sample in the reaction vessel 5 in which the reagent and the sample have reacted. As shown in FIG. , A spectroscopic unit 11b and a light receiving unit 11c. The analysis light emitted from the light source 11a passes through the liquid sample in the reaction vessel 5 and is received by the light receiving unit 11c provided at a position facing the spectroscopic unit 11b. The light receiving unit 11 c is connected to the control unit 15.

  The cleaning mechanism 12 sucks and discharges the liquid sample in the reaction vessel 5 by the nozzle 12a, and then repeatedly injects and sucks a cleaning liquid such as detergent and cleaning water by the nozzle 12a, thereby performing analysis by the analysis optical system 11. The reaction vessel 5 that has been completed is washed.

  The first stirrer 13 and the second stirrer 14 stir the dispensed specimen and reagent with the stirrers 13a and 14a and cause them to react.

  The control unit 15 includes the reagent tables 2 and 3, the reagent dispensing devices 6 and 7, the sample container transfer mechanism 8, the analysis optical system 11, the cleaning mechanism 12, the stirring devices 13 and 14, the input unit 16, the display unit 17, and the sample distribution. It is connected to the injection device 20 and the like to control the operation of these parts, and a microcomputer or the like is used. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 15 controls the concentration detection unit 15 a that detects the concentration of the liquid sample in the reaction vessel 5 based on the optical information input from the analysis optical system 11, and the drive mechanism 22. And a drive mechanism control unit 15b. At this time, the drive mechanism control unit 15b controls the raising / lowering operation and the turning operation of the arm 20a by the drive mechanism 22, but when dispensing the sample by the sample dispensing apparatus 20 by controlling the raising / lowering operation of the arm 20a. This is a position control means for controlling the suction position in the vertical direction of the specimen held in the specimen container 9a by the dispensing nozzle 20b.

  Further, in the control unit 15, the concentration detection unit 15a obtains the absorbance for each wavelength of the liquid sample in each reaction vessel 5 based on the light amount signal for each wavelength input from the light receiving unit 11c, and calculates the component concentration of the specimen. analyse. At this time, the automatic analyzer 1 previously stores the standard relationship between the suction position in the vertical direction of the sample collected in the sample container 9a by the dispensing nozzle 20b and the concentration of the blood cell component at that time in the concentration detection unit 15a. Based on this relationship, the concentration detector 15a sets the sample suction position by the dispensing nozzle 20b based on this relationship. Further, based on information read from the information recording medium added to the reagent containers 2a, 3a, the control unit 15 stops the analysis work when the reagent lot is different or when the expiration date is out of date, etc. Or alert the operator.

  The input unit 16 is a part that performs an operation of inputting an inspection item or the like to the control unit 15, and for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like is used. The display unit 17 displays analysis contents, analysis results, alarms, or the like, and a display panel or the like is used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the sample dispensing device 20 is provided with a dispensing nozzle 20 b that dispenses a sample to an arm 20 a that is driven by a drive mechanism 22. The arm 20 a is supported by a support column 21 that is driven to rotate up and down by a drive mechanism 22. A liquid level detection electrode 23 connected to the liquid level detection unit 24 is attached to the dispensing nozzle 20b. The liquid level detection unit 24 electrically detects the liquid level of the sample S held in the sample container 9a by a current that changes when the liquid level detection electrode 23 touches the liquid level.

  In the automatic analyzer 1 configured as described above, the reagent dispensing device 6 sequentially dispenses the first reagent from the reagent container 2a to the plurality of reaction containers 5 conveyed along the circumferential direction by the rotating cuvette wheel 4. Note. In the reaction container 5 into which the first reagent has been dispensed, the specimen is sequentially dispensed from the plurality of specimen containers 9 a held in the rack 9 by the specimen dispensing apparatus 20. The reaction container 5 into which the sample has been dispensed is stirred by the first stirring device 13 each time the cuvette wheel 4 is stopped, and the first reagent reacts with the sample. The reaction container 5 in which the first reagent and the sample are stirred is sequentially stirred by the second stirring device 14 when the cuvette wheel 4 is stopped after the second reagent is sequentially dispensed from the reagent container 3a by the reagent dispensing device 7. Further reaction is promoted. Here, depending on the sample to be analyzed, both the first reagent and the second reagent are not necessarily dispensed, and either one of them may be present.

  Next, when the cuvette wheel 4 is rotated again, the reaction vessel 5 sequentially moves relative to the light source 11 a and the reaction vessel 5 passes through the analysis optical system 11. Thereby, the light receiving unit 11 c outputs an optical signal to the control unit 15. The control unit 15 obtains the absorbance for each wavelength of the liquid sample in each reaction vessel 5 based on the light amount signal for each wavelength input from the light receiving unit 11c, and analyzes the component concentration and the like of the specimen. At this time, the control unit 15 stores the analysis result such as the component concentration of the analyzed sample, and displays the analysis result on the display unit 17. Thus, after the analysis is completed, the reaction vessel 5 is washed by the washing mechanism 12 and then used again for analyzing the specimen.

  Here, in the specimen (blood) collected in the specimen container 9a, blood cell components are precipitated with time. FIG. 3 shows a state in which blood cell components of the sample S collected in the sample container 9a are sedimented. Since the specific gravity of the blood cell component is larger than that of the plasma component in the sample S, as shown in FIG. 3, even when the blood cell component is uniformly distributed in the plasma at the time of collection, the blood cell component settles with time. However, the upper layer part of the sample S has a thin blood cell component, and the lower layer part of the sample S becomes thicker.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the change over time of the reference concentration R1 (upper limit Lu, lower limit Ll) of the blood cell component resulting from such sedimentation of the blood cell component in the reaction vessel.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the time immediately after blood collection in which the blood cell component and the plasma component are uniformly distributed is defined as t0, the blood cell component is uniformly distributed in the plasma component at the time t0 and is the reference as a whole. The density is R1. At time t1, sedimentation of blood cell components begins, and an area with a concentration R0 lower than the reference concentration R1 is formed in the upper layer portion of the sample S, and a region with a concentration R2 higher than the reference concentration R1 is formed in the lower layer portion. The At time t2, sedimentation of blood cell components proceeds, the region of concentration R0 expands downward, the region of concentration R2 expands upward from the lower layer, and the region of reference concentration R1 shrinks. At time t3, the areas of density R0 and density R2 are further enlarged, and the area of reference density R1 is further narrowed. Therefore, even if a concentration gradient of the blood cell component occurs in the vertical direction due to sedimentation over time, the sample S can be separated without any influence of sedimentation if the reference concentration R1 is within the range between the predetermined upper limit Lu and the lower limit Ll. Can be noted.

  On the premise of the relationship between the sedimentation of the blood cell component and the reference concentration, the control unit 15 uses the automatic analyzer 1 to analyze the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of the blood cell component contained in the blood collected from the subject. A dispensing method according to the present invention, in which the suction position of the specimen in the vertical direction by the dispensing nozzle 20b is controlled by controlling the raising / lowering operation of the arm 20a by the drive mechanism 22, will be described below. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit 15.

  First, the control unit 15 causes the distal end of the dispensing nozzle 20b to enter a predetermined depth from the liquid level of the specimen (blood) by the drive mechanism control unit 15b, and performs initial setting for the penetration depth (step S101). Next, the controller 15 drives the sample dispensing device 20 to suck the sample, and then performs temporary dispensing to discharge the sucked sample to the reaction container 5 (step S102). The preliminarily dispensed specimen is subjected to the pretreatment liquid after the above-described procedure, the blood cell component is hemolyzed, and the photometric measurement is performed by the analysis optical system 11.

  Next, the control unit 15 measures the concentration R of the hemolyzed sample by the concentration detection unit 15a based on the input from the analysis optical system 11 (step S103). Thereafter, the control unit 15 determines whether or not the measured concentration R of the hemolyzed sample is within a reference concentration R1 having an upper limit value Lu and a lower limit value Ll (step S104). When the concentration R is within the reference concentration R1 (step S104, Yes), the control unit 15 drives the sample dispensing device 20 to hold the tip of the dispensing nozzle 20b at the same position as that of the temporary dispensing, and the sample. This dispensing is performed (step S105).

  On the other hand, when the measured concentration R of the hemolyzed sample is not within the reference concentration R1 (step S103, No), the control unit 15 determines whether the concentration R is less than the reference concentration R1 by the concentration detection unit 15a (step S106). ). When the measured concentration R of the hemolyzed sample is less than the lower limit value Ll (step 106, Yes), the control unit 15 controls the drive of the drive mechanism 22 by the drive mechanism control unit 15b to lower the dispensing nozzle 20b by a predetermined distance. (Step S107).

  In this case, when the concentration R is less than the lower limit L1, it takes time until the sample is dispensed, and the blood cell component at the sample aspirating position has settled compared to the case where the sample is uniformly distributed. . For this reason, the dispensing nozzle 20b is lowered and moved downward with higher concentration. At this time, the predetermined distance for lowering the dispensing nozzle 20b is determined by the concentration detection unit 15a from the standard relationship between the suction position in the vertical direction of the specimen by the dispensing nozzle 20b stored in advance and the concentration of blood cell components. To do.

  On the other hand, when the concentration R is not less than the reference concentration R1 (No in step S106), the concentration R of the hemolyzed sample at the specimen suction position exceeds the upper limit value Lu due to sedimentation of blood cell components. For this reason, the control part 15 controls the drive of the drive mechanism 22 by the drive mechanism control part 15b, and raises the dispensing nozzle 20b for a predetermined distance (step S108). At this time, the concentration detector 15a also determines a predetermined distance for raising the dispensing nozzle 20b.

  Thereafter, the main dispensing of the specimen is performed at a new suction position where the dispensing nozzle 20b is lowered or raised (step S105). This completes the sample dispensing method of the present invention. In this case, the new suction position is set by the concentration detector 15a based on the relationship between the standard blood cell component concentration and the sample suction position by the dispensing nozzle 20b.

  As described above, the automatic analyzer 1 uses the sample dispensing method of the present invention, and after the rack 9 holding the sample is set in the automatic analyzer 1, the sample dispensing device 20 puts it in the reaction container 5. Even if the time until dispensing is different, it is possible to dispense the reference concentration specimen in consideration of the concentration gradient of the blood cell component, so that the concentration of the blood cell component can be accurately measured. For this reason, the automatic analyzer 1 can stabilize the measurement accuracy of the blood cell component and increase the reliability of the measurement result. Further, the automatic analyzer 1 can continuously analyze a large number of samples (blood) because the operator does not need to mix the samples (blood) manually even when the sedimentation of blood cell components has started. .

  The distance by which the dispensing nozzle 20b is moved up and down is determined by the concentration detector 15a. However, when the measured concentration R of the hemolyzed sample greatly exceeds the reference concentration R1, the lifting distance is increased and the concentration R is the reference. When the density R1 is slightly exceeded, the elevation distance may be shortened.

  If the concentration R of the hemolyzed sample in the case where the sample is dispensed at the new suction position where the dispensing nozzle 20b is lowered or raised, the control unit 15 again returns to the reference concentration R1. The concentration R of the hemolyzed sample may be measured again by moving the dispensing nozzle 20b up and down a predetermined distance to a new suction position determined by the concentration detection unit 15a to perform the main dispensing of the specimen.

  Furthermore, although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the case where hemoglobin A1c was measured as a blood cell component, if it is a measurement of the blood cell component which receives the influence of the sedimentation resulting from the difference in time to dispensing, it will be other than hemoglobin A1c. For example, it can be applied to the measurement of red blood cells (including hemoglobins A1a and A1b), white blood cells or platelets.

  On the other hand, although the automatic analyzer of the present invention has been described with respect to the case where two reagent dispensing devices are provided, the number of reagent dispensing devices may be one. Moreover, the automatic analyzer of the present invention may be configured by combining a plurality of units with the automatic analyzer 1 as one unit.

It is a schematic block diagram of the automatic analyzer of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the sample dispensing apparatus used with the automatic analyzer of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that the blood cell component contained in the sample (blood) extract | collected in the sample container precipitates. It is a schematic diagram which shows the time change of the reference | standard density | concentration resulting from sedimentation of the blood cell component contained in a test substance (blood). It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the dispensing operation | movement concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic analyzer 2,3 Reagent table 4 Cuvette wheel 5 Reaction container 6,7 Reagent dispensing apparatus 8 Sample container transfer mechanism 9 Rack 9a Sample container 11 Analytical optical system 12 Washing mechanism 13,14 Stirrer 15 Control part 15a Concentration detection Unit 15b Drive mechanism control unit 16 Input unit 17 Display unit 20 Sample dispensing device 21 Column 22 Drive mechanism 23 Liquid level detection electrode 24 Liquid level detection unit

Claims (5)

In an automatic analyzer that dispenses a predetermined amount of a sample containing blood cell components from a sample container with a dispensing device and reacts with a reagent for analysis.
Concentration detecting means for detecting the concentration of the blood cell component;
Based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection means, a position control means for controlling the suction position of the specimen in the vertical direction when dispensing by the dispensing device;
An automatic analyzer characterized by comprising:   The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the concentration detection unit detects a concentration of a blood cell component in a predetermined amount of sample dispensed from the sample container.   The position control means, when the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection means is less than a predetermined concentration, lowers the vertical dispensing position for aspirating the sample by the dispensing device, 2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing position is raised when the concentration of blood cell components exceeds a predetermined concentration. A sample dispensing method for an automatic analyzer that dispenses a predetermined amount of a sample containing blood cell components from a sample container and reacts with a reagent for analysis.
A dispensing step of dispensing a predetermined amount of the specimen;
A concentration detection step for detecting the concentration of blood cell components of the sample dispensed in the dispensing step;
Based on the concentration of the blood cell component detected by the concentration detection step, a position control step for controlling the vertical suction position of the specimen during dispensing,
A sample dispensing method for an automatic analyzer characterized by comprising:   5. The sample dispensing method for an automatic analyzer according to claim 4, wherein in the concentration detection step, the concentration of a blood cell component in a predetermined amount of sample dispensed from the sample container is detected.

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