JP6419641B2 - Automatic analyzer and multiple measurement method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer and a multiplex measurement method for analyzing components contained in a specimen.

  Biochemical analyzers that analyze various components contained in specimens such as blood and urine (hereinafter also referred to as “general specimens”) are known. A biochemical analyzer, which is one of automatic analyzers, includes a measurement mechanism that is a main body of the analyzer and a computer that controls the measurement mechanism. The measurement mechanism includes a sample turntable that holds a specimen container called a cuvette into which a specimen is injected, a reaction turntable that performs measurement by reacting the specimen with a reagent, and a reagent turntable that holds a plurality of reagents. When a measurement instruction is given from the computer to the measurement mechanism, the measurement mechanism sucks a specified amount of sample from the sample container of the sample turntable and injects it into the reaction container of the reaction turntable. Then, the measurement mechanism injects the reagent held on the reagent turntable into the reaction container, reacts the sample and the reagent, and measures the sample. Usually, measurement is performed on a plurality of designated items for one sample, and therefore, multiple measurements are performed for one sample.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a sample turntable.
In the sample turntable 100 shown in FIG. 1, the sample containers holding the samples are arranged in a double manner on a concentric circle. The sample turntable 100 can hold a general specimen 110 in a specimen container on the outer circumference, and can hold a calibration / control specimen 120 in a specimen container on the inner circumference. Here, the calibration sample and the control sample are collectively referred to as “calibration / control sample”.

  Usually, there is a limit to the number of specimens that can be held on the sample turntable 100, that is, specimen containers. Therefore, when a general sample is analyzed beyond the limit of the number of sample containers that can be placed on the sample turntable 100, the measurement mechanism and the computer, as shown in FIG. The turntable 100 is held as N virtual turntables 210-1 to 210-N. When measuring a general specimen on the sample turntable 100, the measurement mechanism and the computer use the virtual specimen (measurement instruction) using the virtual turntable group 200 including N virtual turntables 210-1 to 210-N. / Measurement results). N is an arbitrary natural number.

  The measurement result of the general specimen is stored for each virtual turntable 310-1 to 310-N held by the computer as shown in FIG. The virtual turntables 310-1 to 310-N are expressed as a state in which general specimens are arranged in a line, and hold each element thereof, that is, specimen information 320-1 to 320-N. When the number of specimen containers that can be arranged on the sample turntable 100 is 84, the maximum number of specimen information that can be held on one virtual turntable is 84. The number of virtual turntables and the number of specimen information need not match.

  Each of the sample information 320-1 to 320-N corresponds to each of the general samples 110 arranged on the sample turntable 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the sample information 320-k of a general sample on a certain virtual turntable includes a sample ID (sample identification information), a measurement item, and a measurement result. However, the program executed by the computer is designed so that each measurement item is always different, and the actual sample turntable 100 and each virtual turntable 210-1 to 210-N (virtual turntable 310-1 to 310- N) corresponds one to one.

  Further, the measurement result of the calibration / control sample 120 is stored in a virtual turntable 410 held by the computer as shown in FIG. In the case of calibration / control, a plurality of virtual turntables do not exist, and the actual sample turntable 100 and virtual turntable 410 correspond one-to-one. Each of the specimen information 420-1 to 420 -N held in the virtual turntable 410 corresponds to each calibration / control specimen 120 arranged on the sample turntable 100. However, as shown in FIG. 5, in the virtual turntable 410 for calibration / control, sample information 421 to 425 having, for example, a five-stage multilayer structure is prepared for one piece of sample information. In this case, the same calibration / control sample 120 can be measured a plurality of times (up to 5 times) under the same conditions, and the measurement result can be stored in the depth direction (penetration direction). is there.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the measurement result 330 of the general sample 110 is output in units of sample information. In the example of FIG. 6, measurement is performed on a general sample whose sample ID is “general sample A” under the measurement condition of (TTNo: 1 Pos: 22), and the concentrations, absorbances, and the like for item A and item B The result of is output. (TTNo: 1 Pos: 22) indicates that the general specimen to be measured is arranged at the position 22 in the first turn sample turntable 100.

  For the calibration / control sample 120, as shown in FIG. 7, a measurement result 430 including sample information of a multilayer structure is output. In the example of FIG. 7, measurement is performed on the calibration sample whose sample ID is “Calibration A” under the measurement condition of (TTNo: 0 Pos: 2), and each of item A and item B is performed five times. The measurement result is output. (TTNo: 0 Pos: 2) represents that the calibration sample to be measured is arranged at the second position on the sample turntable 100 for the first rotation. Here, TTNo: 0 is set to avoid overlapping the expression of the sample position of the general sample 110 and the calibration / control sample 120, but this expression is arbitrary as long as these samples can be distinguished.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for performing measurement a plurality of times on a sample in the same reaction container to confirm measurement accuracy. That is, in Patent Document 1, a sample and a reagent are dispensed into a plurality of reaction containers arranged on a circular disk to form a reaction liquid, and the disk rotates and the reaction container passes through the optical path of the photometer. In connection with this, in an automatic chemical analyzer that measures the absorbance of a reaction solution, a technique for monitoring the difference between before and after absorbance measured a plurality of times for the same reaction vessel is disclosed.

JP 09-229939 A

  In recent years, in order to confirm the accuracy of automatic analyzers such as biochemical analyzers, the number of times of measurement of accuracy confirmation samples (hereinafter referred to as “multiple measurement samples”) has increased. Examples of the accuracy confirmation sample include a survey sample provided by a medical association. However, the program (software) installed in the current automatic analyzer cannot measure the same sample multiple times under the same conditions. For example, using a sample container holding a control sample, the measurement can be performed up to 5 times as shown in FIG. 5, but the measurement cannot be performed 6 times or more. Although it is possible in hardware to prepare a large sample container and measure multiple times, the software is not compatible. The current software program is designed on the assumption that the number of measurements and the mechanism for managing the measurement results are up to five.

  In order to solve such a problem, it can be considered to add a new program for the multiple measurement specimen. For example, adding the specimen information having a multilayer structure as shown in FIG. 5 to the specimen information 320-1 to 320-N of the virtual turntables 310-1 to 310-N of the general specimen in FIG. Is possible. In addition, for multiple measurement samples, it is possible in software to expand the multilayer structure sample information 421 to 425 of the virtual turntable 410 of the calibration / control sample of FIG. . However, these coping methods extend the data structure, affect the entire measurement mechanism and the computer, and easily cause errors in data processing.

  In addition, since the amount of data to be processed increases, the number of operation confirmation steps increases, and the development cost also increases. There is a need to be able to measure multiple measurement samples while minimizing data processing errors and reducing development costs.

  Furthermore, in order to cope with the specimen information having a multilayer structure, it is necessary to newly develop a method for displaying the measurement state (status) of each specimen. Even when the software is recreated from the beginning, the same problem occurs if the automatic analyzer has a program and data structure for multiple measurement samples.

  With the technique described in Patent Document 1, it has not been possible to realize multiple measurements under the same conditions for a sample injected into one sample container.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described situation, and makes it possible to realize multiple measurements under the same conditions for a sample injected into one sample container.

An automatic analyzer according to one aspect of the present invention includes a real turntable, a measurement unit, a plurality of virtual turntables, a turntable correspondence table, and a control unit.
The actual turntable is formed so that a plurality of containers into which a specimen is injected can be arranged in the circumferential direction. The measurement unit measures the sample injected into the container arranged on the actual turntable. The plurality of virtual turntables have a plurality of sample information storage areas for holding sample measurement results. The turntable correspondence table stores the correspondence between the positions of the containers arranged on the actual turntable and a plurality of virtual turntables. The control unit measures the sample injected into the container by the measurement unit a plurality of times, and based on the turntable correspondence table, the measurement result of the sample is a virtual corresponding to the position of the container placed on the actual turntable. The sample information is stored in the specimen information storage area at a position corresponding to the number of measurements on the turntable.
Here, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the number representing the position of the container placed on the actual turntable and the virtual turntable, and the number representing the position of the specimen information storage area on the virtual turntable corresponds to the number of measurements of the specimen. .

In the multiplex measurement method of one embodiment of the present invention, an actual turntable formed so that a plurality of containers into which a specimen is injected can be arranged in the circumferential direction, and a specimen injected into the container placed on the actual turntable. Correspondence between a measurement unit to measure, a plurality of virtual turntables having a plurality of sample information storage areas for holding measurement results of the samples, and positions of containers arranged on the actual turntable and a plurality of the virtual turntables A multi-measurement method using an automatic analyzer including a turntable correspondence relation table representing a relation, and includes the following processing steps.
The multiple measurement method includes a step of measuring the sample injected into the container a plurality of times by the measurement unit, and a sample measurement result based on the turntable correspondence table by the control unit provided in the automatic analyzer. Is stored in the specimen information storage area at a position corresponding to the number of measurements on the virtual turntable corresponding to the position of the container placed on the actual turntable.

According to at least one aspect of the present invention, by associating the position of the container disposed on the actual turntable with each of the plurality of virtual turntables one to one, without changing the data structure, one specimen Multiple measurements (multiple measurements) are possible under the same conditions. Further, since there is no need to change the data structure, multiplex measurement can be realized without increasing the size and complexity of the software of the automatic analyzer.
Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments.

It is the schematic which shows an example of a sample turntable. It is a figure which shows the concept of the virtual turntable of a general sample. It is a figure which shows an example of the virtual turntable of the general specimen stored in memory. It is a figure which shows an example of the sample information of the general sample which a virtual turntable hold | maintains. It is a figure which shows an example of the calibration / control virtual turntable stored in memory. It is a figure which shows the example of an output of the measurement result of a general sample. It is a figure which shows the example of an output of the measurement result of a calibration / control sample. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the automatic analyzer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the example of an internal structure of the computer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows an example of the sample turntable holding the multiple measurement specimen. It is a figure which shows an example of a turntable corresponding | compatible relationship table. It is a figure which shows an example of a measurement frequency table. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the test result monitor of a general sample. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the test result monitor of a calibration / control sample. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the test result monitor of the multi-measurement sample. It is the schematic which shows an example of the sample turntable holding the multiple measurement sample of a measuring object. It is a figure which shows the example of an output of the measurement result of a multiple measurement sample.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each figure, about the component which has the substantially same function or structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

<1. One Embodiment>
[Configuration example of automatic analyzer]
The apparatus shown in FIG. 8 is a biochemical analyzer 1 applied as an example of the automatic analyzer of the present invention. The biochemical analyzer 1 is an apparatus that automatically measures the amount of a specific component contained in a biological sample such as blood or urine.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the biochemical analyzer 1 includes a measurement mechanism 1 </ b> A and a computer 30. The measurement mechanism 1A is an example of a measurement unit, and includes a sample turntable 2, a dilution turntable 3, a first reagent turntable 4, a second reagent turntable 5, and a reaction turntable 6. . The measurement mechanism 1A includes a sample dilution pipette 7, a sampling pipette 8, a dilution stirring device 9, a dilution washing device 11, a first reagent pipette 12, a second reagent pipette 13, and a first reaction stirring device 14. And a second reaction stirrer 15, a multi-wavelength photometer 16, a thermostatic chamber 17, and a reaction vessel cleaning device 18.

  The sample turntable 2 is an example of an actual turntable and corresponds to the sample turntable 100 of FIG. The sample turntable 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with one end in the axial direction opened. The sample turntable 2 contains a plurality of specimen containers 21 and a plurality of diluent containers 22. Inside the sample turntable 2, a calibrator 2a (standard sample) and a controller 2b (management sample) are installed. The calibrator 2a corresponds to the calibration sample in FIG. 1, and the controller 2b corresponds to the control sample in FIG. Further, the inner part (two inner rows) of the sample turntable 2 is kept cold mainly for the purpose of keeping the calibrator 2a and the controller 2b cold. The specimen container 21 contains a specimen (sample) made of blood, urine, or the like. The diluent container 22 stores a special diluent other than physiological saline which is a normal diluent. Incidentally, when driving the sample turntable 2, the inner side and the outer side are driven simultaneously.

  The plurality of sample containers 21 are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the sample turntable 2. Further, two rows of the specimen containers 21 arranged in the circumferential direction of the sample turntable 2 are set at a predetermined interval in the radial direction of the sample turntable 2.

  The plurality of diluent containers 22 are arranged on the inner side in the radial direction of the sample turntable 2 than the row of the plurality of sample containers 21. The plurality of diluent containers 22 are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the sample turntable 2, similarly to the plurality of sample containers 21. The rows of the diluent containers 22 arranged in the circumferential direction of the sample turntable 2 are set in two rows at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the sample turntable 2.

  Note that the arrangement of the plurality of specimen containers 21 and the plurality of diluent containers 22 is not limited to two rows, but may be one row or may be arranged in three or more rows in the radial direction of the sample turntable 2. .

  The sample turntable 2 is supported so as to be rotatable along the circumferential direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). The sample turntable 2 is rotated at a predetermined speed in a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction by a driving mechanism (not shown). A dilution turntable 3 is arranged around the sample turntable 2.

  Like the sample turntable 2, the dilution turntable 3, the first reagent turntable 4, the second reagent turntable 5, and the reaction turntable 6 are formed in a substantially cylindrical container shape having one axial end opened. ing. The dilution turntable 3 and the reaction turntable 6 are rotated at a predetermined speed by a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). Note that the reaction turntable 6 is set so as to rotate, for example, more than a half turn in one movement.

  A plurality of dilution containers 23 are accommodated in the dilution turntable 3 side by side in the circumferential direction of the dilution turntable 3. The dilution container 23 accommodates a diluted specimen (hereinafter referred to as “diluted specimen”) that is aspirated from the specimen container 21 disposed on the sample turntable 2.

  In the first reagent turntable 4, a plurality of first reagent containers 24 are accommodated in the circumferential direction of the first reagent turntable 4. A plurality of second reagent containers 25 are accommodated in the second reagent turntable 5 side by side in the circumferential direction of the second reagent turntable 5. The first reagent container 24 stores the concentrated first reagent, and the second reagent container 25 stores the second reagent.

  Furthermore, the first reagent turntable 4, the first reagent container 24, the second reagent turntable 5, and the second reagent container 25 are kept at a predetermined temperature by a cold insulation mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the first reagent stored in the first reagent container 24 and the second reagent stored in the second reagent container 25 are kept cold at a predetermined temperature.

  The reaction turntable 6 is arranged between the dilution turntable 3, the first reagent turntable 4 and the second reagent turntable 5. A plurality of reaction vessels 26 are accommodated in the reaction turntable 6 side by side in the circumferential direction of the reaction turntable 6. The reaction container 26 includes a diluted sample sampled from the dilution container 23 of the dilution turntable 3, a first reagent sampled from the first reagent container 24 of the first reagent turntable 4, and a second reagent of the second reagent turntable 5. The sampled second reagent is injected from the reagent container 25. In the reaction container 26, the diluted specimen, the first reagent, and the second reagent are agitated to perform the reaction.

  The sample dilution pipette 7 is arranged around the sample turntable 2 and the dilution turntable 3. The sample dilution pipette 7 is supported by an unillustrated dilution pipette drive mechanism so as to be movable in the axial direction (for example, up and down direction) of the sample turntable 2 and the dilution turntable 3. The sample dilution pipette 7 is supported by a dilution pipette driving mechanism so as to be rotatable along a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the openings of the sample turntable 2 and the dilution turntable 3. The sample dilution pipette 7 reciprocates between the sample turntable 2 and the dilution turntable 3 by rotating along the horizontal direction. When the sample dilution pipette 7 moves between the sample turntable 2 and the dilution turntable 3, the sample dilution pipette 7 passes through a cleaning device (not shown).

Here, the operation of the sample dilution pipette 7 will be described.
When the sample dilution pipette 7 moves to a predetermined position above the opening in the sample turntable 2, the sample dilution pipette 7 descends along the axial direction of the sample turntable 2, and the pipette provided at the tip thereof is moved to the specimen container 21. Insert inside. At this time, the sample dilution pipette 7 operates a sample pump (not shown) to suck a predetermined amount of the sample stored in the sample container 21. Next, the sample dilution pipette 7 rises along the axial direction of the sample turntable 2 and extracts the pipette from the specimen container 21. Then, the sample dilution pipette 7 rotates along the horizontal direction and moves to a predetermined position above the opening in the dilution turntable 3.

  Next, the sample dilution pipette 7 descends along the axial direction of the dilution turntable 3 and inserts the pipette into a predetermined dilution container 23. Then, the sample dilution pipette 7 discharges the aspirated specimen and a predetermined amount of diluent (for example, physiological saline) supplied from the sample dilution pipette 7 itself into the dilution container 23. As a result, the specimen is diluted to a predetermined multiple concentration in the dilution container 23. Thereafter, the sample dilution pipette 7 is washed by a washing device.

  The sampling pipette 8 is arranged between the dilution turntable 3 and the reaction turntable 6. The sampling pipette 8 is supported by a sampling pipette drive mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable and rotatable in the axial direction (vertical direction) and the horizontal direction of the dilution turntable 3, similarly to the sample dilution pipette 7. The sampling pipette 8 reciprocates between the dilution turntable 3 and the reaction turntable 6.

  The sampling pipette 8 inserts a pipette into the dilution container 23 of the dilution turntable 3 and sucks a predetermined amount of diluted specimen. Then, the sampling pipette 8 discharges the sucked diluted specimen into the reaction container 26 of the reaction turntable 6.

  The first reagent pipette 12 is disposed between the reaction turntable 6 and the first reagent turntable 4, and the second reagent pipette 13 is disposed between the reaction turntable 6 and the second reagent turntable 5. The first reagent pipette 12 is supported by an unillustrated first reagent pipette drive mechanism so as to be movable and rotatable in the axial direction (vertical direction) and horizontal direction of the reaction turntable 6. The first reagent pipette 12 reciprocates between the first reagent turntable 4 and the reaction turntable 6.

  The first reagent pipette 12 inserts a pipette into the first reagent container 24 of the first reagent turntable 4 and aspirates a predetermined amount of the first reagent. Then, the first reagent pipette 12 discharges the sucked first reagent into the reaction container 26 of the reaction turntable 6.

  Further, the second reagent pipette 13 can be moved and rotated in the axial direction (vertical direction) and the horizontal direction of the reaction turntable 6 by a second reagent pipette drive mechanism (not shown), similarly to the first reagent pipette 12. It is supported. The second reagent pipette 13 reciprocates between the second reagent turntable 5 and the reaction turntable 6.

  The second reagent pipette 13 inserts a pipette into the second reagent container 25 of the second reagent turntable 5 and sucks a predetermined amount of the second reagent. Then, the second reagent pipette 13 discharges the sucked second reagent into the reaction container 26 of the reaction turntable 6.

  The dilution stirring device 9 and the dilution cleaning device 11 are arranged around the dilution turntable 3. The dilution stirrer 9 inserts a stirring bar (not shown) into the dilution container 23 and stirs the specimen and the diluted solution.

  The dilution cleaning device 11 is a device for cleaning the dilution container 23 after the diluted specimen is aspirated by the sampling pipette 8. The dilution cleaning device 11 has a plurality of dilution container cleaning nozzles. The plurality of dilution container cleaning nozzles are connected to a waste liquid pump (not shown) and a detergent pump (not shown). The dilution cleaning device 11 inserts a dilution container cleaning nozzle into the dilution container 23 and drives the waste liquid pump to suck in the diluted specimen remaining in the dilution container 23 by the inserted dilution container cleaning nozzle. Then, the dilution cleaning device 11 discharges the sucked diluted specimen to a waste liquid tank (not shown).

  Thereafter, the dilution cleaning device 11 supplies the detergent from the detergent pump to the dilution container cleaning nozzle, and discharges the detergent into the dilution container 23 from the dilution container cleaning nozzle. The inside of the dilution container 23 is washed with this detergent. Thereafter, the dilution cleaning device 11 sucks the detergent through the dilution container cleaning nozzle and dries the inside of the dilution container 23.

  The first reaction stirring device 14, the second reaction stirring device 15, and the reaction vessel cleaning device 18 are arranged around the reaction turntable 6. The first reaction stirrer 14 inserts a stirring bar (not shown) into the reaction vessel 26 and stirs the diluted specimen and the first reagent. As a result, the reaction between the diluted specimen and the first reagent is performed uniformly and rapidly. In addition, since the structure of the 1st reaction stirring apparatus 14 is the same as the dilution stirring apparatus 9, the description is abbreviate | omitted here.

  The second reaction stirrer 15 inserts a stirring bar (not shown) into the reaction vessel 26 and stirs the diluted specimen, the first reagent, and the second reagent. As a result, the reaction between the diluted specimen, the first reagent, and the second reagent is performed uniformly and rapidly. In addition, since the structure of the 2nd reaction stirring apparatus 15 is the same as the dilution stirring apparatus 9, the description is abbreviate | omitted here.

  The reaction vessel cleaning device 18 is a device for cleaning the inside of the reaction vessel 26 that has been inspected. The reaction container cleaning device 18 has a plurality of reaction container cleaning nozzles. The plurality of reaction container cleaning nozzles are connected to a waste liquid pump (not shown) and a detergent pump (not shown), similarly to the dilution container cleaning nozzle. In addition, since the washing | cleaning process in the reaction container washing | cleaning apparatus 18 is the same as that of the dilution washing | cleaning apparatus 11 mentioned above, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The multiwavelength photometer 16 is disposed so as to face the outer wall of the reaction turntable 6 around the reaction turntable 6. The multi-wavelength photometer 16 is optically measured on diluted specimens (including standard specimens) that have been injected into the reaction container 26 and reacted with the first chemical liquid and the second chemical liquid, and various components in the specimen. The measurement result with the amount of the sample as numerical data called “absorbance” is output, and the reaction state of the diluted specimen is detected. A computer 30 is connected to the multiwavelength photometer 16.

  Furthermore, a constant temperature bath 17 is disposed around the reaction turntable 6. The thermostatic chamber 17 is configured to always keep the temperature of the reaction vessel 26 provided on the reaction turntable 6 constant.

[Example of computer configuration]
Next, a configuration example of the computer 30 will be described.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the computer 30.
The computer 30 includes a control unit 31, an analysis unit 32, an input unit 33, a display unit 34, a storage unit 35, a temporary storage unit 36, and a clock unit 37, which are connected to a bus (not shown). .

  The control unit 31 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microcomputer, or the like. The control unit 31 is connected to each unit of the biochemical analyzer 1 (measurement mechanism 1A) via an interface unit (not shown), and controls the operation of each unit by instructing operation timing and transferring data to each unit. And overall control of the operation of the device. The control unit 31 controls the operation of each unit in the biochemical analyzer 1 by reading out and executing the program stored in the storage unit 35. The control unit 31 is connected to the analysis unit 32, and outputs the measurement result to the analysis unit 32 when the measurement result of the absorbance of the reaction vessel 26 measured by the multiwavelength photometer 16 of the measurement mechanism 1 </ b> A is input.

  The analysis unit 32 analyzes the component concentration of the specimen based on the measurement result by the multiwavelength photometer 16 and outputs the analysis result to the control unit 31.

  The input unit 33 accepts an operation input to the biochemical analyzer 1 performed by the user and outputs an input signal to the control unit 31. For the input unit 33, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like is used. The user operates the input unit 33 to input information necessary for analysis such as the type and number of samples to be measured, analysis items, time zone (time range) for performing analysis, and the like.

  The display unit 34 displays an analysis result screen, a warning screen, an input screen for inputting various settings, and the like. For the display unit 34, for example, a liquid crystal display device or the like is used.

  The storage unit 35 is configured by a ROM such as a flash memory that can be updated and stored, for example. Alternatively, the storage unit 35 may be realized by a large-capacity recording device such as an HDD (Hard disk drive) connected by a built-in or data communication terminal, an information storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and a reading device thereof. The storage unit 35 stores various programs necessary for the operation of the biochemical analyzer 1, data related to the execution of these programs, in addition to the analysis results. The storage unit 35 stores a measurement target designating program 35a, a measurement control program 35b, a measurement setting table 35c, a turntable correspondence table 35d, and a measurement result table 35e in order to realize this embodiment.

  The measurement target designating program 35a is a program executed by the control unit 31 so that, for example, the user operates the input unit 33 to designate a sample or item to be measured. The control unit 31 sets the sample and items to be measured by executing the measurement target designating program 35a. The measurement target designating program 35a designates a multiple measurement sample (an example of a sample) as a measurement target. Here, the user may be able to specify the time interval or time at which the measurement of the sample is performed by operating the input unit 33, or according to the sample or item when the sample or item is specified. A predetermined time interval or time may be automatically set. Then, the control unit 31 creates the measurement setting table 35 c based on the content specified by the measurement target specifying program 35 a and stores it in the storage unit 35.

  The measurement control program 35b is a program executed by the control unit 31 in order to measure a specified specimen or item. The control unit 31 reads the content of the operation stored in the measurement setting table 35c, and executes an operation (measurement of the sample or item to be measured) based on the content of the read operation. Multiple measurement specimens are measured by the measurement control program 35b. Note that the control unit 31 starts measurement immediately upon receiving an instruction to start measurement from the input unit 33.

  The measurement setting table 35c is a table that defines a correspondence relationship between the content of an operation executed at the time of measuring a specimen and a time interval or time (time zone) at which the operation is executed. An operation at the time of measuring a multi-measurement sample (number of times of measurement), a time interval or time (time zone) at which the operation is executed, and the like are set in the measurement setting table 35c.

  The turntable correspondence table 35d is a table that defines the correspondence between the position of the specimen container 21 arranged on the sample turntable 2 and a plurality of virtual turntables 721 (FIG. 15 to be described later). As shown in FIG. 10, the multiple measurement specimen 130 is injected into the specimen container 21 disposed on the outer circumference of the sample turntable 2. That is, the multiple measurement sample 130 and the general sample 110 are mixed on the outer circumference of the sample turntable 2. For example, five sample containers 21 holding the multi-measurement sample 130 can be arranged on the sample turntable 2, but the number is not limited to five.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the turntable correspondence table 35d.
The turntable correspondence table 35d has fields of “sample position (RPNo) of actual turntable” and “virtual turntable number (VTNo)”. The sample position (RPNo) of the actual turntable is a number representing the position of the sample container 21 arranged on the sample turntable 2. That is, the number indicating the position of the specimen container 21 arranged on the sample turntable 2 and the virtual turntable 721 (FIG. 15) correspond one-to-one. In the present embodiment, since the number of specimen containers 21 that can be arranged on the sample turntable 2 is 84, virtual turntables VTNo1 to VTNo84 are associated with specimen positions RPNo1 to RPNo84 of the actual turntable.

  The measurement result table 35e is a table for accumulating the measurement results of the multiple measurement specimen 130. FIG. 12 shows an example of the measurement result table 35e. The measurement result table 35e has fields of "virtual turntable number (VTNo)", "virtual turntable sample position (VPNo)", "measurement count", and "measurement result". The sample position (VPNo) of the virtual turntable is a number indicating the position of the virtual sample container shaken in the circumferential direction of the virtual turntable 721, and is also a sample information storage area in which sample information is stored. The number (VTNo) of the virtual turntable 721 in the measurement result table 35e is constant.

  The control unit 31 executes the measurement control program 35b, and performs the measurement of the multi-measurement sample 130 injected into the sample container 21 by the measurement mechanism 1A based on the measurement setting table 35c a predetermined number of times. Then, the control unit 31 refers to the turntable correspondence table 35d, and displays the measurement result of the multi-measurement specimen 130 on the virtual turntable 721 corresponding to the position of the specimen container 21 being measured placed on the sample turntable 2. Is stored in a predetermined sample container (sample information storage area). The number indicating the position of the sample container displayed on the virtual turntable 721 corresponds to the number of times of measurement of the multi-measurement sample 130.

  Returning to the description of FIG. The temporary storage unit 36 is configured by a RAM such as a flash memory that can be updated and stored. The temporary storage unit 36 temporarily stores programs and data read from the storage unit 35 by the control unit 31, some or all setting contents of various setting tables, measurement results, and the like.

  The clock unit 37 keeps time and notifies the control unit 31 of the time. For the clock unit 37, for example, a real time clock (RTC), which is an IC that outputs current date and time information, which is installed in a general personal computer or the like, is used.

[Process when measuring multiple samples]
Next, processing at the time of measurement of the multiple measurement specimen 130 will be described in detail.
When measuring the multi-measurement sample 130, the measurement function for the general sample 110 is diverted (the measurement process of the calibration / control sample 120 is not affected). As described above, in the measurement of the general specimen 110, the actual sample turntable (TTNo) and the virtual turntable (VTNo) are one-to-one (FIG. 2), and the actual sample turntable specimen position (RPNo) and virtual The sample position (VPNo) on the turntable also has a one-to-one relationship (FIG. 3). However, in this embodiment, the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable and the virtual turntable number (VTNo) are in a one-to-one relationship. Further, the virtual turntable number (VTNo) is set to the same value as the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable.

  The one-to-one relationship between the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable 2 and the number (VTNo) of the virtual turntable 721 means that the virtual turntable number (VTNo1) in FIG. ), And assigning the virtual turntable number (VTNoN) to the sample position (RPNoN) of the sample turntable.

  Conventionally, when the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable changes, the sample position (VPNo) of the virtual turntable has the same value. However, this embodiment does not change the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable as long as it is within the same virtual turntable (VTNo). By counting up only the sample position (VPNo) of the virtual turntable, the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable and the virtual turntable (VTNo) can be easily in a one-to-one relationship. In this state, if the sample position (RPNo) of the virtual turntable is increased while keeping the sample position (RPNo) of the actual sample turntable constant, the multiple measurement sample 130 designated by the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable The number of times specified by the sample position (VPNo) on the virtual turntable can be used under the same conditions. Then, the measurement result is stored in the element of the sample information (sample information storage area) designated by the sample position (VPNo) of the virtual turntable.

  When measuring the multi-measurement sample 130 at the next sample position of the sample turntable, the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable is the sample position of the multi-measurement sample 130 to be measured placed on the actual sample turntable. Replace. The virtual turntable number (VTNo) is the same value as the sample position (RPNo) of the sample turntable. That is, when measuring different multiple measurement specimens 130, different virtual turntables are used.

  Such an advantage of the present embodiment is that the measurement state display method of the multi-measurement specimen 130 can be used without changing the conventional measurement state display method of the specimen.

  Here, a display example of the test result monitor of the general sample 110 and the calibration / control sample 120 will be described.

[Display example of test results monitor for general samples and calibration / control samples]
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a test result monitor for a general sample.
The test result monitor screen 500 includes a turntable selection unit 510, a turntable display unit 520, a measurement mode display unit 530, a measurement state explanation unit 540, and a sample information display unit 550.

  When the turntable selection unit 510 represented as “STT / CTT” in FIG. 13 is selected, a turntable display unit 520 is displayed. Note that when a rack selection unit labeled “RACK” is selected, a rack display unit representing a transport line (not shown) is displayed. In the mode for measuring the general sample 110, “general sample” is displayed on the measurement mode display unit 530, and the virtual turntable 521 for the general sample is displayed on the turntable display unit 520. The virtual turntable 521 and the actual sample turntable 2 have a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, the virtual turntable 521 displays the measurement state of the general specimen 110 arranged at each specimen position on the sample turntable 2. In the measurement state explanation part 540, the meaning of display of the measurement state of each general sample in the virtual turntable 521 is displayed.

  The number (TTNo) of the sample turntable 2 is displayed in the center turntable number section 522 of the virtual turntable 521. The sample information display unit 550 displays sample information of the general sample being measured. For the general sample, the sample information of the general sample being measured is displayed in the sample information unit shown in FIG. Here, the measurement result of a general sample whose sample ID (sample identification information) shown in FIG. 6 is “general sample A” is displayed. That is, the sample information of the general sample 523 arranged at the 22nd position in the first turn sample turntable 2 (TTNo1) is displayed. By specifying (clicking etc.) the general sample 523 using the input unit 33, the sample information is displayed on the sample information display unit 550.

  The turntable number section 522 may display the virtual turntable number “1” instead of the sample turntable number “1”. In FIG. 13, “under measurement” is displayed in the sample information display unit 550, but when the measurement is completed for each item, the measurement result is displayed. The same applies to FIGS. 14 and 15.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the test result monitor of the calibration sample (calibrator 2a). The same applies to the control sample (controller 2b).

  In the test result monitor screen 600, when the calibration sample (calibrator 2a) is in the measurement mode, “calibration” is displayed on the measurement mode display unit 530. In addition, the virtual turntable 621 for the calibration sample is displayed on the turntable display unit 520. The virtual turntable 621 and the actual sample turntable 2 have a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, the virtual turntable 621 displays the measurement state of the calibration sample arranged at each sample position of the sample turntable 2.

  The sample information display unit 550 displays sample information of the calibration sample currently being measured. The sample information of the calibration sample being measured is displayed including the sample information in the depth direction (multi-layer structure of five layers) as shown in FIG. Here, the measurement result of the calibration sample whose sample ID is “calibration A” shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. That is, the sample information of the calibration sample 623 arranged at the second position in the sample turntable 2 (TTNo0) for the first rotation is displayed. The turntable number section 522 may display the sample turntable number “1” or the virtual turntable number “1”.

[Example of test result monitor for multiple measurement specimens]
Next, a display example of a test result monitor for multiple measurement specimens will be described.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a test result monitor for multiple measurement specimens. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a sample turntable that holds multiple measurement specimens to be measured. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, an example will be described in which multiple measurement specimens 130 a arranged at the specimen position “10” of the actual sample turntable 2 are multiplexed.

  The test result monitor screen 700 includes a turntable selection unit 510, a turntable display unit 520, a measurement mode display unit 530, a measurement state explanation unit 540, and a sample information display unit 550.

  In the mode for measuring multiple measurement samples, “Multiple measurement sample” is displayed on the measurement mode display unit 530, and the virtual turntable 721 for the multiple measurement sample is displayed on the turntable display unit 520. The virtual turntable 721 displays the measurement state of the multiple measurement specimen 130a placed at the specimen position “10” of the sample turntable 2. The virtual turntable 721 has a one-to-one relationship with the sample position of the actual sample turntable 2. Therefore, “TTNo10” is displayed in the turntable number portion 522 reflecting the specimen position “10” of the actual sample turntable 2. The sample position 723 of the virtual turntable for the multi-measurement sample corresponds to the sample information storage area, and the number of the sample position 723 is the same as the number of measurements of the multi-measurement sample 130a.

  That is, in FIG. 15, the sample position “10” in the actual sample turntable 2 of the multi-measurement sample 130a being measured is shown in the center turntable display unit 520, and the number of measurements and the measurement state are set to the normal sample position 723. Indicated.

  The sample information display unit 550 displays sample information of the multiple measurement sample 130a being measured. That is, the specimen information display unit 550 displays the measurement state of the twentieth measurement count of the multiple measurement specimen 130a placed on the specimen position “10” of the actual sample turntable 2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the sample ID is displayed as “Multiple measurement 10_20”. As described above, the present embodiment can display the measurement state of the multi-measurement sample without changing the conventional method of displaying the measurement state of the sample (particularly a general sample).

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an output example of the measurement result of the multiple measurement specimen.
In the measurement result 750 of the multi-measurement specimen 130a, information on the sample position of the multi-measurement specimen 130a in the actual sample turntable 2 and the number of times of measurement of the multi-measurement specimen 130a is given to the specimen ID. In the measurement result 750 of FIG. 17, the specimen IDs of “Multiple measurement 10_1” to “Multiple measurement 10_20” are displayed. Similarly, in the column of measurement conditions, the sample position of the multiple measurement sample 130a in the actual sample turntable 2 and the number of measurements of the multiple measurement sample 130a are shown. In the measurement result 750 of FIG. 17, the measurement conditions of (TTNo: 10 Pos: 1) to (TTNo: 10 Pos: 20) are displayed for the specimen IDs of “Multiple measurement 10_1” to “Multiple measurement 10_20”. Yes. Such a measurement result 750 is displayed on the sample information display unit 550 of the test result monitor 700.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the multiplex measurement function is realized without changing the measurement data region (data structure) of the general specimen (adopting the multilayer structure of FIG. 5 or expanding in the depth direction). doing. Therefore, there is no need to change the method for displaying the measurement state of the multiple measurement specimen, the process for converting the concentration based on the measurement result, and the process for displaying the measurement result. As shown in FIG. 17, by adding information on the sample position and the number of times of measurement in the sample turntable 2 to the sample ID, the user simply looks at the sample ID, and the position in the sample turntable 2 of the multiple measurement sample, The number of measurements can be easily recognized. In other words, when the user confirms the measurement result, it is possible to determine from which position in the sample turntable 2 the sample is located and the number of times of measurement from the sample ID.

  If a program that extends in the depth direction when a data structure is changed, the influence range is large, and correction on the measurement mechanism 1A side is necessary. The computer 30 that receives the measurement result also needs to correct the display method of the measurement state, the concentration conversion process, and the display method of the measurement result. However, by adopting the configuration according to the present embodiment, the multiple measurement function can be realized without changing the data structure.

  In the present embodiment, the multiple measurement function can be realized without changing the data structure by associating the sample position of the actual sample turntable with the virtual turntable on a one-to-one basis. That is, according to the present embodiment, in order to realize the multiplex measurement function, it is necessary to change the software generally used for displaying the measurement state of the multiplex measurement sample, calculating the measurement result, and displaying the measurement result. There is no. As a result, this embodiment can perform multiple measurements of multiple measurement specimens and management of measurement results without increasing the size and complexity of software of an automatic analyzer such as the biochemical analyzer 1. .

  The present embodiment is not limited to the case where an automatic analyzer is developed and manufactured from scratch, and the same effect can be obtained when an existing automatic analyzer is modified. That is, when modifying an existing automatic analyzer, modification of an existing program (data structure) can be minimized.

  As mentioned above, this invention is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above, Of course, unless it deviates from the summary described in the claim, various other modifications and application examples can be taken.

  For example, the above-described exemplary embodiments are detailed and specific descriptions of the configuration of the apparatus and the system in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described above. . Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. In addition, the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of a certain embodiment. Moreover, it is also possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations for a part of the configuration of each exemplary embodiment.

  Each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, and the like may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them with, for example, an integrated circuit. Each of the above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function by the processor. Information such as programs, tables, and files for realizing each function can be stored in a recording device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

  Further, the control lines and information lines indicate what is considered necessary for the explanation, and not all the control lines and information lines on the product are necessarily shown. Actually, it may be considered that almost all the components are connected to each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Biochemical analyzer, 1A ... Measurement mechanism, 2 ... Sample turntable, 30 ... Computer, 31 ... Control part, 34 ... Display part, 35 ... Memory | storage part, 35d ... Turntable correspondence table, 35e ... Measurement result table 110: General sample, 120: Calibration / control sample, 130, 130a ... Multiple measurement sample, 520 ... Virtual turntable display unit, 522 ... Turntable number unit, 530 ... Measurement mode display unit, 550 ... Sample information display unit 700 ... Test result monitor screen 721 ... Virtual turntable 723 ... Sample position 750 ... Measurement result

Claims (4)

An actual turntable formed so that a plurality of containers into which specimens are injected can be arranged in the circumferential direction;
A measurement unit for measuring the specimen injected into the container disposed on the actual turntable;
A plurality of virtual turntables having a plurality of sample information storage areas for holding measurement results of the samples;
A turntable correspondence table representing a correspondence relationship between the position of the container arranged on the actual turntable and the plurality of virtual turntables;
The measurement of the sample injected into the container by the measurement unit is performed a plurality of times, and the measurement result of the sample is set to the number of measurements on the virtual turntable corresponding to the position of the container arranged on the actual turntable. A control unit that stores the sample information in the sample information storage area at a corresponding position. The specimen information storage areas of the plurality of virtual turntables are identified using a number indicating the position of the container placed on the actual turntable and the number of times of measurement of the specimen injected into the container. The automatic analyzer according to 1. A display unit for displaying the virtual turntable in a ring shape together with a number indicating the position of the container placed on the actual turntable and the number of times of measurement of the sample injected into the container; The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 2. An actual turntable formed so that a plurality of containers into which a sample is injected can be arranged in the circumferential direction, a measuring unit for measuring the sample injected into the container arranged on the actual turntable, A plurality of virtual turntables having a plurality of sample information storage areas for holding measurement results, and a turntable correspondence table representing the correspondence between the positions of the containers arranged on the actual turntable and the plurality of virtual turntables A multiplex measurement method using an automatic analyzer comprising:
Performing the measurement of the sample injected into the container a plurality of times by the measurement unit;
The number of measurements on the virtual turntable corresponding to the position of the container placed on the actual turntable, based on the turntable correspondence table, by the control unit included in the automatic analyzer. Storing in the specimen information storage area at a position according to the multiple measurement method.

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