JP3344178B2 - Automatic chemical analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring the concentration or activity value of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as serum and urine, and more particularly to an apparatus for measuring multiple items at once. The present invention relates to an automated chemical analyzer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic chemical analyzer is provided with a reaction line in which reaction vessels are arranged in a line, and adjacent reaction vessels share different items. There is an automatic chemical analyzer referred to as a single / multi type that can perform measurement of multiple items. The single / multi-type automatic chemical analyzer has a reaction disk that holds a plurality of reaction vessels arranged in a row, a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the reaction disks, and a sample sampling mechanism that dispense samples into the reaction vessels. , A reagent injection device that injects a reagent into the reaction container, an absorptiometer that measures the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container, a warm water tank that keeps the reaction solution in the reaction container, and an absorption spectrometer that controls the operation of each part A control unit for calculating the concentration or activity value of the sample based on the absorbance from the meter.

[0003] Single-multi type automatic chemical analyzers are also used to measure a large number of samples with a small number of items. When multi-sample measurement is performed, the consumption of the reagent of the item naturally increases. The single-multi type is designed to measure many items, so the size of the reagent container is fixed to a relatively small one, and the number of reagent containers that can be stored in the reagent storage is also fixed. .

When the same reagent is consumed in large quantities, the following methods (1) to (3) are employed. (1) Measurement is performed until one reagent container becomes empty, and when it becomes empty, the entire reagent container is replaced. (2) Remove the partition of the reagent storage and use a large-capacity reagent container. (3) A plurality of reagent containers are placed for the same reagent and switched at a certain timing.

[0005] Among these methods, the method (1) requires that the analysis be interrupted every time one reagent is exhausted.
In the method (2), the partition must be removed in order to accommodate a large reagent container, and the location where the partition is removed differs depending on the reagent. Therefore, a reagent container storage tool for storing the reagent container in the reagent storage is formed. Not applicable if it is a product. Further, in the case of a large-capacity reagent container, the strength of the reagent container storage tool is reduced, which causes a problem in reliability. Therefore, the method (3) in which a plurality of reagent containers are placed for the same reagent is used relatively frequently.

A method of using a plurality of reagent containers for the same reagent will be specifically described with reference to FIG. Now, it is assumed that the same reagent is accommodated in a plurality of reagent containers (two in the example of the drawing, A and B). The analysis is started from the state of (a). Regarding which one of the reagent containers A and B is used, there are a method of using the reagent container from the lowest number where the reagent container is placed and a method of instructing the order by the operator. In any case, in this case, the reagent container A is used. When the amount of the reagent in the reagent container A decreases during the analysis, the mode is switched to the reagent container B at a certain timing as shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the analysis of the day ends in the state of (c). That is,
In this state, all the reagents in the reagent container A are used and some of the reagents in the reagent container B are used.

The first state on the next day is the state (c). Thereafter, the operator replaces the reagent at the position 1 together with the reagent container A, and the state is changed to (d). Since it is not preferable to mix a new reagent and an old reagent, it is not necessary to replenish the reagent container B in which a part of the reagent remains with the new reagent to obtain the state (a). Here, in the case where the analyzer is programmed to start using from the younger number where the reagent container is placed, the use starts from the reagent container A, and the new reagent is used as it is. Eventually, the old reagent will remain forever, and it is necessary to exchange the positions of the reagent containers A and B. In the case of an analyzer that employs a method in which the operator indicates the order of use, the operator must instruct that the reagent containers be used in the order of B to A. However, in each case, it is troublesome, and when there are a plurality of sets of reagents each containing the same reagent in a plurality of reagent containers, the operator may be confused.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention allows an operator to automatically start use of the next day from an old reagent when the same reagent is stored in a plurality of reagent containers, thereby allowing the operator to position the reagent container. It is an object of the present invention to obviate the need for troublesome operations such as changing the order of use and specifying the order of use.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a single / multi type automatic chemical analyzer in which a reagent injecting apparatus has a function of accommodating and using the same reagent in a plurality of reagent containers, a plurality of reagent containers are provided at the start of operation. The use of the same reagent contained in the reagent container is started from a reagent container having a small remaining amount of the reagent.

[0010]

FIG. 2 shows an example of an analyzer of an automatic chemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied. Reference numeral 2 denotes a reaction disk, and reaction vessels 4 also serving as cuvettes are arranged in a row along a cuvette roller 3 to form an annular reaction line 5. A sample sampling mechanism 6 is arranged along the reaction line 5 for injecting a sample of a sample into the reaction container. In the sample sampling mechanism 6, the sample cups 7 are arranged along the circumference of the sampling table 8, and a sample dispenser 9 is arranged for dispensing a sample from the sample cup 7 at the sample suction / collection position 13. . A dispensing nozzle 10 is provided at the tip of the sample dispenser 9. The dispensing nozzle 10 moves along the movement path 11 between the reaction container at the sample dispensing position 14 and the sample cup at the sample aspirating and collecting position 13. Moving. A cleaning pot 12 is provided on the moving path 11 so that the nozzle 10 can be cleaned.

In order to inject a reagent into a reaction vessel into which a sample has been dispensed, a reagent injecting device 16 is arranged along the reaction line 5 along the reaction line. In the reagent injecting device 16, a reagent container 17 is arranged along the circumference of the reagent tray 18, and a reagent dispenser 19 is arranged for dispensing a reagent from the reagent container 17 at the reagent suction and sampling position 23. .
A dispensing nozzle 20 is provided at the tip of the reagent dispenser 19, and the dispensing nozzle 20 moves along a movement path 21 between the reaction container at the reagent dispensing position 24 and the reagent container at the reagent suction and sampling position 23. Moving. A cleaning pot 22 is arranged on the moving path 21 so that the nozzle 20 can be cleaned.

A washing and dehydrating device 2 is further provided on the reaction line 5.
6 and an absorptiometer 27 along the reaction line 5. The reaction line 5 rotates intermittently in the direction of arrow 15. Although not shown in the figure, a warm water tank for keeping the reaction solution in the reaction vessel 4 under the reaction line 5 is provided. Further, a control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of each unit and calculating the concentration or activity value of the sample based on the absorbance from the absorptiometer 27 is also provided.

The reagent injection operation will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, two reagent containers A,
It is assumed that a certain reagent contained in B has ended in the state of (c). Before starting the first analysis the next morning,
The apparatus automatically reads the remaining amount of the set reagent in order to check whether the necessary reagent amount has been secured on that day. At this time, if a plurality of reagent containers contain the same reagent, the order of use is automatically determined so that the reagent with the smaller amount is used first. That is, (d)
Assuming that the remaining amount is read in the state described above, the use of the reagent container B is started.

The remaining amount is measured by the dispensing nozzle 2 of the reagent dispenser 19.
It is calculated by the descending distance of 0. Naturally, the remaining amount is monitored in real time by the lowering of the dispensing nozzle 20 during the analysis, but the switching of the used reagent container is not performed based on the remaining amount of the reagent during the analysis.

The measurement of the remaining amount of the reagent includes an error due to the fluctuation of the liquid level. For example, when the remaining amount is measured in the state (a), an error occurs as to which of the reagent containers has a small remaining amount due to fluctuation of the liquid level. Therefore, for example, the remaining amount is measured in the state of (a), and (the difference between the remaining amounts of the containers A and B) × 100 / (the remaining amount of the container A)
If ≦ ± 5%, it may be determined that the use is started from the reagent container A with the smaller position number. The same applies to the case where the same reagent is stored in three or more reagent containers.

[0016]

According to the present invention, at the start of the analysis operation of the day, in the case of a reagent contained in a plurality of reagent containers,
The order of use is automatically determined so that the reagents are used starting with the reagents with the least amount, so even if there are reagents that have been partially used the previous day and have remaining reagents, Since it is used, it is possible to prevent a disadvantage that an old reagent remains forever. In addition, in order to determine the order of use in such a manner, it is not necessary for the operator to change the positions of the reagent containers or to instruct the order of use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a use state of reagent containers of the same reagent.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an analyzer of an automatic chemical analyzer to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Reaction Disk 4 Reaction Container 6 Sample Sampling Mechanism 16 Reagent Injector 18 Reagent Tray 17 Reagent Container 19 Reagent Dispenser 26 Washing and Dehydrating Device 27 Spectrophotometer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-50770 (JP, A) JP-A-57-82769 (JP, A) JP-A-5-84864 (JP, A) JP-A-6-86 66813 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 35/00-35/10

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A reaction disk for holding a plurality of reaction vessels arranged in a line, a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the reaction disk, a sample sampling mechanism for dispensing a sample into the reaction vessel, and a plurality of reagent vessels. It controls the operation of each part, including a reagent injection device that stores and injects a reagent into the reaction container, an absorptiometer that measures the absorbance of the reaction solution in the reaction container, a warm water tank that maintains the reaction solution in the reaction container. In a single / multi-type automatic chemical analyzer having a control unit for calculating the concentration or activity value of a sample based on the absorbance from the absorptiometer, the reagent injection device accommodates the same reagent in a plurality of reagent containers. The control unit has a function to use the same reagent contained in a plurality of reagent containers at the start of operation from a reagent container with a small remaining amount of reagent at the start of operation. Automated chemical analyzer characterized in that it comprises.