JPH08272894A - Bar code reading mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent a bar code reading operation from being slowed down even if an empty location exists at the location where the reading objects having bar codes are to be stored. CONSTITUTION: An inspection rack 2 is provided with 5 inspection sample container storage locations 2a whose front surfaces are opened. In each inspection sample container storage location 2a, an inspection sample container 1 can be stored. The bar code 40 showing the kind of the inspection sample and inspection sample identification is imparted to the inspection sample container 1. On the internal wall surface on the opposite side to a bar code reading surface at the internal wall of the hole of the inspection sample container storage device 2a, the bar code 42 having the contents showing that the bar code is not placed at the inspection sample container storage location 2a is imparted. When the bar code is read by a bar code reader, it is judged that the inspection sample container is not placed at the location, the next reading operation can be transferred. As the result, the bar code is read at the same speed, regardless of the presence or absence of the inspection sample container.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention stores an object to be read having bar code information in a container in which the number of objects to be read is defined, and the object to be read is a barcode by moving the container. The present invention relates to a bar code reading mechanism in which bar code information is read by passing in front of a reading device. Such a bar code reading mechanism is used, for example, in a biochemical automatic analyzer and other devices that perform a biochemical test as a sample such as blood or urine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a biochemical automatic analyzer, a sample such as serum is dispensed into a reaction container and a reagent is added to the sample according to measurement items to detect the reaction between the sample and the reagent. In order to dispense a sample into a reaction container, a sample such as serum or urine is put in a sample container and set in a rack, and the rack is transferred to a sample dispensing position, whereby the sample is dispensed. For example, five sample containers are stored in the rack. In addition, the reagents are placed in a reagent container, arranged in a turntable-type reagent storage, transferred to a reagent dispensing position, and dispensed into a reaction container by a reagent dispensing mechanism.

[0003]

When a sample is set in a rack, even if the rack can accommodate 5 sample containers, 5 samples are not always set, and
In some cases, only two or two books are set and transferred to the sample dispensing position. A barcode is attached to the sample container to indicate the type of sample and sample identification.By passing the sample container in front of the barcode reading device before it is transferred to the sample dispensing position, the barcode information is displayed. Is read. In that case, the bar code reader sequentially reads the bar codes at the rack storage positions for five racks if the rack can store five sample containers. Once the bar code reader has read the bar code, the rack is moved for the next read. However, if there is an empty position where the sample container is not stored in the sample container storage position of the rack,
The bar code reader operates to read the bar code even in the empty position. However, since there is no bar code at that position, the reading operation was repeated many times at the same position, and if the bar code could not be read for a fixed time, for example, a few seconds, it could not be read. A signal indicating that is output to the control device outside the bar code reading device, and the process moves to the bar code reading operation at the next sample container storage position. The barcode reading operation when the sample container is stored in the rack can be performed in a short time, but when the sample container is not stored, the bar code reading operation at the next position is continued until a preset fixed time elapses. Since the read operation cannot be performed, for example, when the sample container is stored in only one of the five sample container storage positions, the read operation of all the five positions of the rack is completed. A problem that takes a long time occurs.

The same is true of the reagent container that stores the reagents, and not all reagent containers are stored in the reagent container storage position of the reagent container in which a plurality of reagents can be set, but the reagent containers are stored. If there is an empty position that has not been read, it takes a long time to read the barcode of the reagent container, similar to the barcode reading of the sample described above. As described above, when the bar code is not present at the position where the bar code is expected to exist, the bar code reading operation becomes slow and the operation rate of the apparatus is reduced.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is not to delay the bar code reading operation even if there is an empty position where the reading object is not stored at the position where the reading object having the bar code is stored. is there.

[0006]

According to the present invention, each reading object storage position of the storage container has a bar when the reading object is not stored and the storage position passes in front of the bar code reader. A barcode that can be read by the code reader and has information indicating that the object to be read is not housed in a portion that is shielded from being seen by the bar code reader when the object to be read is stored. Attach.

[0007]

[Function] Even when the object to be read is not stored at the position where the object to be read by the barcode of the storage container is stored,
Since the bar code is attached at that position, the bar code reader can proceed with the reading operation at the same speed as when the object to be read is stored at that position of the storage container. Therefore, even if there is an empty position where the object to be read is not stored in the storage container, the bar code reading operation will not be delayed, and the operation rate of the device equipped with the bar code reading mechanism such as the biochemical automatic analyzer. Can be prevented.

[0008]

1 shows a biochemical automatic analyzer as an example of an apparatus to which the present invention is applied. A sample such as blood is put in a sample container, and a sample rack 2 in which a plurality of sample containers are arranged is transferred along a conveyor path 4 of a belt conveyor type. The transport path 4 is composed of a forward path 4a for transferring the sample rack 2 from the left to the right in the figure and a reverse path 4b for transferring the sample rack from the right to the left. In the figure, a sample rack supply section 6 for sending the sample rack 2 to the outward path 4a is provided at the left end portion of the outward path 4a, and a storage section 8 for storing the sample rack 2 after the measurement is provided at the left end portion of the return path 4b. Has been. In the figure, at the right end portion of the transport path 4, there is provided a rack standby section 10 for primarily containing the sample rack 2 sent through the outward path 4a and sending it out to the return path 4b. The sample rack 2 transfers the analysis unit 12a,
Analysis unit 1 is stopped at the sample suction position of 12b.
It is dispensed into the reaction tubes 2a and 12b. In the return path 4b, according to the measurement result of the sample dispensed and measured in the outward path 4a,
Specimens that need retesting are redistributed.

Two analysis units 12 are provided along the transport path 4.
a and 12b are arranged. Both have the same structure. In each analysis unit, a reaction disk 14 in which a reaction container 15 also serving as a cuvette is arranged is arranged in the vicinity of the conveying path 4, and the reaction disk 1 is arranged in the conveying paths 4a and 4b.
A stop device (not shown) that stops the sample rack 2 at the sample suction position near 4 is provided. Transport path 4a or 4
A pipettor 16 equipped with a nozzle is arranged to dispense a sample from the sample rack 2 stopped on b to the reaction container 15. Each of the analysis units 12a, 12b is provided with two turntable type reagent storages 18a, 18b for dispensing a reagent into the reaction container 15, and each reagent storage 18a, 18b is provided with a reagent in the reaction container 15. Dispensers 20a and 20b for dispensing are provided. A cleaning mechanism 22 is provided to clean the reaction container after the analysis is completed on the reaction disk 14. The reaction disk 14 is provided with an optical analysis unit for measuring the reaction of the reaction container 15 containing the sample and the reagent, but it is not shown.

The sample rack supply section 6 and the storage section 8 are provided with an interface and a CPU 24, and each analysis unit 12a and 12b has an interface and a C, respectively.
The PUs 26a and 26b are provided, and the standby unit 10 is also provided with an interface and a CPU 28. The CPUs 24, 26a, 26b, 28 are main CPUs.
It is connected to 30. Further C in the main CPU 30
The RT 32, the keyboard 34, and the printer 36 are connected.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the sample rack 2. The sample rack 2 is provided with five sample container storage positions 2a, and the sample containers 1 can be stored in each sample container storage position 2a. The sample container 1 is provided with a bar code 40 indicating the type of sample and sample identification.
The sample container storage position 2a is a hole for storing the sample container, and the front surface of the hole is opened so that the barcode attached to the sample container can be read, and serves as a barcode reading surface. A bar code 42 indicating that no bar code is placed at the sample container storage position 2a is attached to the inner wall surface of the hole at the sample container storage position 2a opposite to the barcode reading surface. . The bar code 42 is a special bar code such as "000000", and when it is read by the bar code reader, it is determined that the sample container is not placed at that position, and the next reading operation is performed. You can move to. As a result, the barcode is read at the same speed regardless of the presence or absence of the sample container.

In the analyzer of FIG. 1, the bar code is read when the sample rack 2 is sent from the sample rack storage section 6 to the outward path 4a of the transport path 4 and moves.
The bar code reading device 44 is provided at the left end position of the outward path 4a.
Is arranged. Since the bar code 42 attached to the inner wall surface of the sample container storage position 2a of the rack 2 and the position of the bar code 40 attached to the sample container 1 differ only in the distance corresponding to the diameter of the sample container 1, this bar The code reader 44 can be a reader with a shallow depth of focus.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the reagent storage.
A reagent container 50 is provided in the reagent storage 18 (18a, 18b, etc.).
A storage position 52 for storing each of the storage positions is provided, a window is opened on the outer surface of each storage position 52, and a reagent container 50 with a barcode 54 containing information indicating a reagent is stored at the storage position 5.
When it is stored in 2, the bar code 54 appears from the window. The window serves as a bar code reading surface, and a bar code 56 indicating that no reagent container is placed at that position is attached to the inner wall surface of each storage position 52 opposite to the bar code reading surface. There is. The barcode is a special barcode such as "000000". Bar code readers 60a and 60b are provided near each reagent storage so that the bar code 54 of the reagent container can be read prior to reagent dispensing. The bar code readers 60a and 60b read the bar code 54 of the reagent container at the reading position or, if the storage position is empty, read the bar code 56 on the inner wall surface at the back of the storage position to determine whether or not there is a reagent container. I will read the barcode at the same speed regardless of.

As shown in FIG. 3, the depth of the reagent container 50 is provided between the position of the bar code 56 on the inner wall surface at the back of the reagent container and the position of the bar code 54 on the reagent container 50. Due to the difference in distance, this bar code reader 60
It is necessary that a and 60b are bar code readers having a deep depth of focus.

In order to determine whether a sample or reagent is not stored at that position according to the contents of the bar code read by the bar code reader, as shown in FIG. 4, the special bar code is stored in the storage unit 70. The contents of are stored. The special bar code read by the bar code reader 40 (same for 60a and 60b) is the main C
It is output to the comparison unit 72 realized by the PU 30 and compared with the barcode data stored in the storage unit 70, and it is determined that there is no sample container or reagent container at that position, and the next reading operation is performed. It's about to move.

The embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a bar code reading mechanism installed in a biochemical automatic analyzer.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a bar code reading mechanism in which a predetermined number of objects to be read can be stored in a storage container and a bar code is marked on each object to be read.

[0017]

According to the present invention, even if there is a vacancy in the storage container that can store a predetermined number of objects to be read, the bar code attached at that position can be read to advance the bar code reading operation at high speed. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic biochemical analyzer as an example to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sample rack in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing a reagent storage in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a portion for determining an empty position of a storage container from a barcode reading device in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Specimen Container 2 Specimen Rack 2a Specimen Container Storage Position 18, 18a, 18b Reagent Storage 40 Bar Code Attached to Specimen Container 42 Bar Code 44, 60a, 60b Bar Code Reader Attached to Specimen Container Storage Position 50 Reagent Container 52 Reagent Container Storage Position 54 Bar Code Attached to Reagent Container 56 Bar Code Indicating Vacant Space Attached to Reagent Container Storage Position

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An object to be read having bar code information is stored in a storage container having a predetermined number of objects to be read, and the object to be read passes in front of a bar code reader by moving the storage container. In a bar code reading mechanism for reading bar code information, when each read object storage position of the storage container does not contain a read object, when the storage position passes in front of the bar code reader. A bar code that can be read by a bar code reader and has information indicating that the object to be read is not housed in a portion that is shielded from being seen by the bar code reader when the object to be read is housed. Bar code reading mechanism characterized by being attached.