WO2020179118A1

WO2020179118A1 - Analysis system management network

Info

Publication number: WO2020179118A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/040382
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩志大橋; 祐介横井
Original assignee: 株式会社島津製作所
Priority date: 2019-03-07
Filing date: 2019-10-15
Publication date: 2020-09-10
Also published as: JPWO2020179118A1; JP7342940B2

Abstract

This analysis system management network comprises a chromatograph analysis system (2) having a plurality of analysis devices (6, 8, 10, 12) fluidly connected through piping and a system management device (14) connected to the analysis devices (6, 8, 10, 12) so as to be capable of communicating with the same, and an information management device (4) connected to the system management device (14) of the chromatograph analysis system (2) so as to be capable of communicating with the same via a network line. The system management device (14) of the chromatograph analysis system (2) comprises a device information transmission unit that is configured to transmit, to the information management device and at a plurality of timings related to chromatograph analysis system (2) operation, information about the analysis devices (6, 8, 10, 12) assigned to each of the timings.

Description

Analysis system management network

The present invention relates to an analysis system management network for managing a chromatograph analysis system such as a liquid chromatograph (LC) analysis system or a supercritical fluid chromatograph (SFC) analysis system.

LC analysis system and SFC analysis system may be composed of a plurality of modules such as a liquid sending device, an autosampler, a column oven, and a detector, and a system management device provided so as to be communicable with each module. In this case, information about each module is aggregated in the system management device, and the occurrence of errors and the operating state in each module are centrally managed by the system management device.

If any error occurs in the analysis system, the engineer may have to directly check the analysis system and deal with it depending on the type of error. In such cases, engineers often cannot grasp in detail what kind of error is occurring due to what kind of error occurs until the corresponding analysis system is directly checked.

Therefore, it is conceivable to suck up the information possessed by the system management device of the analysis system to the information management device via the network line so that the engineer can obtain the information about the analysis system without directly checking the analysis system. However, the information about the analysis system is enormous, and if the information of each of a large number of analysis systems is sucked up to the information management device at regular intervals, the information management device will accumulate an enormous amount of information, which is large. A large-scale information management device is required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can provide information about an analysis system via a network line while suppressing the amount of information stored in an information management device connected to the analysis system via the network line. It is intended to be available.

The analysis system management network according to the present invention includes a chromatograph analysis system including a plurality of analysis devices fluidly connected by piping and a system management device communicatively connected to each of the analysis devices. An information management device communicatively connected to the system management device of the chromatograph analysis system via a network line, wherein the system management device of the chromatograph analysis system relates to the operation of the chromatograph analysis system. It includes an apparatus information transmission unit configured to transmit information about the analysis apparatus assigned to each timing to the information management apparatus at a plurality of timings.

In the analysis system management network according to the present invention, the information management device is configured to transmit the information regarding the analysis device assigned to each timing to the information management device at a plurality of timings related to the operation of the chromatographic analysis system. It is possible to obtain information about the analysis system via a network line while suppressing the amount of information stored in the device.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows one Example of an analysis system management network. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the transmission operation of the device information from the analysis system to the information management device in the same Example. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the transmission operation of the environmental information from the analysis system to the information management apparatus in the same Example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the analysis system management network of this embodiment includes a plurality of chromatograph analysis systems 2 (hereinafter referred to as analysis systems 2) and an information management device 4.

Each analysis system 2 is provided with a liquid sending device 6, an autosampler 8, a column oven 10 and a detector 12 as a plurality of analysis devices fluidly connected to each other by piping, and each analysis device 6, A system management device 14 capable of communicating with 8, 10 and 12 is provided. The system management device 14 can be realized by a dedicated computer and / or a general-purpose personal computer (PC), for example, by a combination of a system controller and a PC electrically connected to the system controller. The system management device 14 is connected to the information management device 4 via a network line (for example, an Internet line).

The system management device 14 of each analysis system 2 includes a device information transmission unit 16 and an environment information transmission unit 18. The device information transmission unit 16 and the environment information transmission unit 18 are functions obtained by the central processing unit (CPU) executing a program.

The device information transmission unit 16 transmits information (device information) regarding each

analysis device

6, 8, 10, and 12 assigned to each timing to the information management device 4 at a plurality of timings related to the operation of the analysis system 2. Is configured to.

As the timing for transmitting the device information to the information management device 4, the first timing when the analysis system 2 is activated (each

analysis device

6, 8, 10, 12 and the system management device 14 are in a communicable state and the system The timing when the whole is started), the second timing when the analysis of the sample is started, and the third timing when some error occurs in any of the

analysis devices

6, 8, 10 and 12.

For each timing of the first to third timings, a part of the information about the

analytical devices

6, 8, 10 and 12 is used as the first information, the second information and the third information, respectively. The device information transmission unit 16 is assigned, and the device information transmission unit 16 receives the first information at the first timing, the second information at the second timing, and the third information at the third timing, respectively. Configured to send to. Since the analysis is not started immediately at the first timing, it is possible to transmit data of a relatively large size. Therefore, as the first information transmitted at the first timing, information on consumables such as mobile phase solvents provided in the

analytical devices

6, 8, 10 and 12, and the

analytical devices

6, 8 are used. Information on parts attached to 10 and 12, information on usage status of each

analytical device

6, 8, 10 and 12 (operation information, motor rotation speed, etc.) and the like can be mentioned. At the second timing, it is necessary to transmit information about the analysis, so it is necessary to transmit the data within a range that does not affect the analysis. Therefore, as the second information transmitted at the second timing, information regarding the separation column for separating the sample into each component (for example, the number of times of analysis), sensor information (leak sensor value, current value of Peltier element, etc.) is used. , Voltage value, normal value of motor encoder value). Further, at the third timing, since the analysis system is stopped, a relatively large amount of information can be transmitted. Therefore, as the third information transmitted at the third timing, information on the error, for example, information on the sensor provided in each analysis device 2 (in the case of a leak sensor error, an abnormal value of the leak sensor value). And so on.

In addition, the device information transmission unit 16 transmits information (operation information) regarding the operating state of the liquid delivery device 6 to the information management device 4 at the timing when the liquid delivery device 6 operates and the timing when the liquid delivery device 6 stops operating. It is configured to send. Whether or not the analysis system 2 is actually operating can be grasped from the operating state of the liquid feeding device 6. Therefore, by transmitting the movable information of the liquid feeding device 6 to the information management device 4, the operating state of each analyzer 2 can be confirmed through the network.

In addition to the above, the device information transmission unit 16 may be configured to transmit information about the replaced parts even when the parts are replaced in any of the

analysis devices

6, 8, 10 and 12. ..

While the analysis system 2 is operating, the environment information transmission unit 18 manages information about the external environment of the analysis system 2 (for example, the temperature (room temperature) in the space where the analysis system 2 is installed) at regular intervals. It is configured to send to the device 4.

Environmental information such as room temperature is an important factor due to troubles in the analysis system 2, but if the analysis system 2 is installed in a space where air conditioning is controlled, the room temperature may change significantly in a short time. There is no. Therefore, it is not necessary to frequently send and monitor the room temperature to the information management device 4 each time the sample analysis is performed (for example, once every 10 minutes), and the information management device 4 receives information that hardly changes. If the transmission is continued, the amount of information accumulated in the information management device 4 becomes huge.

On the other hand, if the room temperature fluctuates during analysis, it will affect the analysis result, so it is necessary to monitor the room temperature at regular time intervals. The transmission frequency Y of the environmental information is, for example, the number of transmissions X required for one day (24 hours) and the safety factor α in consideration of the time zone when the analysis system 2 is not operating,
Y=(24÷X)÷α
Can be obtained by For example, if the number of transmissions required for one day is X=4 and the safety factor α=6, then Y=1 (hour). In this case, the environmental information transmission unit 18 transmits the environmental information to the information management device 4 at a frequency of once per hour while the analysis is being performed in the analysis system 2.

Next, the operation of transmitting device information from the analysis system 2 to the information management device 4 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 2 together with FIG.

When the analysis system 2 is activated, the device information transmission unit 16 transmits the first information including consumables information to the information management device 4 (step 101). After that, when the user sets the analysis conditions (step 102), the liquid feeding device 6 operates according to the set liquid feeding conditions (step 103). At this time, the device information transmission unit 16 transmits information indicating that the liquid feeding device 6 has been operated to the information management device 4 (step 104).

The sample is injected into the analysis flow path through which the mobile phase flows by the autosampler 8 and the analysis is started (step 105). At this time, the device information transmission unit 16 transmits the second information including the information about the separation column to the information management device 4 (step 106). From the start of the analysis to the end of the analysis, the system management device 14 monitors the presence or absence of an error based on the signals of the sensors provided in the

analysis devices

6, 8, 10, and 12 ( Steps 107, 108). When the analysis is completed without error, if there is a sample to be analyzed in the next sample, the next sample is injected into the analysis flow path by the autosampler 8 and the next analysis is executed (step 108). , 109 and 105). If there is no sample to be analyzed next, the operation of the liquid feeding device 6 is stopped (step 110), and the device information transmitting unit 16 sends information indicating that the operation of the liquid feeding device 6 is stopped to the information management device 4. It is transmitted (step 111).

On the other hand, when some error occurs in the analysis system 2 during the analysis (step 107), the device information transmission unit 16 causes the third information including the information of the sensor provided in each of the

analysis devices

6, 8, 10, and 12. Is transmitted to the information management device 4 (step 112). If the error is caused by a malfunction of the liquid feeding device 6 or a clogging of the flow path, the operation of the liquid feeding device 6 is stopped (step 113). In that case, the device information transmission unit 16 transmits information indicating that the operation of the liquid feeding device 6 has stopped to the information management device 4.

Next, the operation of transmitting environmental information from the analysis system 2 to the information management device 4 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 3 together with FIG.

When the analysis system 2 is started, it is confirmed whether or not the analysis is being executed in the analysis system 2 at preset constant time intervals (steps 201 and 202), and when the analysis is being executed, environmental information is provided as information. It is transmitted to the management device 4 (step 203).

In the examples described above, the chromatograph analysis system 2 is an LC analysis system, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the SFC analysis system. In the SFC analysis system, a back pressure regulator is provided as an analysis device after the detector in order to maintain carbon dioxide in the mobile phase flowing through the analysis flow path in a supercritical state.

Further, the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example of an embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention. The embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention is as follows.

In an embodiment of an analysis system management network according to the present invention, a chromatographic analysis having a plurality of analysis devices fluidly connected by piping and a system management device communicatively connected to each of the analysis devices. A system and an information management device communicatively connected to the system management device of the chromatographic analysis system via a network line, wherein the system management device of the chromatographic analysis system is the chromatographic analysis system. The device information transmission unit is configured to transmit information about the analysis device assigned to each timing to the information management device at a plurality of timings related to the operation of the above.

In the first aspect of the above embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention, the device information transmission unit is the first of the information about the analysis device at the first timing when the chromatograph analysis system is activated. The information is transmitted to the information management device, and the second information of the information about the analysis device is transmitted to the information management device at the timing when the analysis is started in the chromatograph analysis system. In (3), the third information related to the error is transmitted to the information management device when the error occurs. According to such an aspect, only the necessary information among the information about each analysis device of the chromatograph analysis system is transmitted to the information management device at the required timing, and the amount of information stored in the information management device is reduced. be able to.

In the first aspect, the first information can include information about consumables provided in the analytical apparatus. At the first timing when the chromatographic analysis system is activated, data is not collected by analysis, so that information on relatively large consumables can be transmitted.

In the first aspect, the second information can include information about a separation column for separating the sample by component. Since the life of the separation column can be predicted to some extent by the number of times and time used for the analysis, the information about the separation column is transmitted to the information management device at the second timing when the analysis is started, so that the information can be predicted through the network. It is easy to manage the replacement time of the separation column.

Further, the second information can include data on normal values of the sensor mounted on the analysis device. Since the second timing is a state in which the analysis can be normally executed, the sensor value at such a timing can be treated as a normal value. In addition, the second information may include information about the number of analyzes.

In the first aspect, the third information can include information on a sensor mounted on the analysis device. By transmitting the sensor information to the information management device at the third timing when the error occurs, it becomes easier to grasp the cause of the error through the network, and it becomes possible to quickly respond to the error, and the chromatograph analysis system Downtime can be reduced.

In the second aspect of the above embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention, one of the analysis devices is a liquid transfer device for feeding a mobile phase, and the device information transmission unit is the liquid feed device. The device is configured to transmit information regarding the operating state of the liquid delivery device to the information management device at the timing when the device starts the liquid delivery operation and the timing when the device finishes the liquid delivery operation. With such a mode, it becomes possible to confirm the operating state of the chromatographic analysis system through the network. This second aspect can be combined with the first aspect.

In the third aspect of the above-described embodiment of the analysis system management network according to the present invention, the system management device confirms whether or not the analysis is being executed in the chromatographic analysis system at regular time intervals, and the analysis is executed. It is provided with an environment information transmission unit configured to transmit information about the external environment of the chromatograph analysis system to the information management device. In this manner, environmental information such as room temperature, which affects the analysis results, is managed at a necessary and sufficient frequency, not at a high frequency such as each time the analysis is executed, and at the timing when the analysis is executed. Since it is transmitted to the device, it is possible to prevent a large amount of unchanged information from being accumulated in the information management device. This third aspect can be combined with the first aspect and / or the second aspect described above.

In the third aspect, the information about the external environment may be the temperature in the space where the chromatographic analysis system is installed.

2 Chromatographic analysis system 4 Information management device 6 Liquid transfer device 8 Autosampler 10 Column oven 12 Detector 14 System management device 16 Device information transmission unit 18 Environmental information transmission unit

Claims

A plurality of analytical devices fluidly connected by piping, and a chromatographic analysis system having a system management device communicatively connected to each of the analytical devices,
An information management device communicatively connected to the system management device of the chromatographic analysis system via a network line,
The system management device of the chromatographic analysis system is configured to transmit information regarding the analysis device assigned to each timing to the information management device at a plurality of timings regarding the operation of the chromatographic analysis system. An analysis system management network that includes a device information transmission unit.
The device information transmission unit transmits, to the information management device, first information of information about the analysis device at a first timing when the chromatographic analysis system is activated, and the analysis is performed in the chromatograph analysis system. The second information of the information relating to the analysis device is transmitted to the information management device at the start timing, and the third information related to the error is transmitted to the information management device when the error occurs in the chromatographic analysis system. The analysis system management network according to claim 1, which is configured to transmit to a management device.
The analysis system management network according to claim 2, wherein the first information includes information on consumables provided in the analysis device.
The analysis system management network according to claim 2, wherein the second information includes information on a separation column for separating a sample for each component.
The analysis system management network according to claim 4, wherein the second information includes data on normal values of sensors mounted on the analysis device.
The analysis system management network according to claim 2, wherein the third information includes information on a sensor mounted on the analysis device.
One of the analytical devices is a liquid delivery device for delivering a mobile phase,
The device information transmission unit is configured to transmit information regarding an operating state of the liquid delivery device to the information management device at the timing when the liquid delivery device starts and ends the liquid delivery operation. The analysis system management network according to 1.
The system management device confirms whether or not the analysis is executed in the chromatograph analysis system at regular time intervals, and manages the information about the external environment of the chromatograph analysis system when the analysis is executed. The analysis system management network according to claim 1, further comprising an environmental information transmitter configured to transmit to the apparatus.
The analysis system management network according to claim 8, wherein the information regarding the external environment is the temperature in the space where the chromatograph analysis system is installed.