JP2838207B2 - Blood collection tube transfer device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is to transfer a rack holding many blood collection tubes for separating blood into serum and blood to a rotor in a short time. The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring blood collection tubes that can be used.

(Prior art)

As is well known, when performing various blood tests such as biochemical analysis and immunological analysis, centrifugation of blood is performed as a pretreatment. Each blood collection tube containing the collected blood,
While taking into account the rotational balance, set one by one manually on the rotor of the centrifuge, then turn on the start switch to rotate the rotor at a high speed at a constant speed, and after a predetermined time, turn on the off switch. At present, the rotor is stopped, and when the rotor is completely stopped, the blood collection tube whose centrifugation has been completed is manually removed from the rotor.

[Problems of the prior art]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional centrifuge, since a plurality of blood collection tubes must be attached and detached one by one while considering the balance as described above, these operations are very complicated and require manual operations. There is also a large time loss, which is a major factor impeding the full automation of the blood test, and has a problem that the number of blood collection tubes that can be set in the rotor is small and the operation efficiency is very poor.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and a purpose thereof is to automatically set a large number of blood collection tubes in a rotor in a well-balanced manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a blood collection tube transfer device suitable for a centrifugal separator, which can greatly improve the operation efficiency of this type of centrifugal separator and can also fully automate this type of blood test. is there.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a blood collection tube transfer device is provided in which two or more rotors each having a plurality of rack baskets are arranged, and the start and stop timings of the rotors are different from each other. Drive control means for controlling the operation of the blood collection tube, transfer means for blood collection tubes for transferring the racks at a predetermined timing so as to insert and remove a plurality of racks holding blood collection tubes in the rotors, and A rack weighing unit that weighs the total weight of the rack held by the rotor; and a weight correction unit that corrects the rack weight based on the weighed value measured by the rack weighing unit. Then, the weight of each rack is corrected so as to maintain the symmetric balance in each rotor, and the transfer means maintains the rack whose weight has been corrected in the symmetric balance in each rotor. Drive control so as to be mounted on the rack basket of each rotor, and the drive control means starts the supply of the rack to another rotor after one rotor is started, and When the rotation of the rotor is stopped, the drive control is performed so that the rotation of the other rotor is continued, and when one of the rotors is stopped, the rack supply to the stopped rotor is performed. Alternatively, the drive is controlled to take out the rack from the rotor.

[Action]

Therefore, in the blood collection tube transfer apparatus according to the present invention, the rack holding a large number of blood collection tubes can be sequentially and reliably transferred to two or more rotors in a short time. As a result, a large number of blood collection tubes can be automatically set in the rotor in a well-balanced manner, thereby greatly improving the operation efficiency of this type of centrifugal separator. This type of blood test can also be fully automated.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the entire configuration of a centrifugal separator A to which the present invention is applied, and an "automatic centrifugal system" in which a blood collection tube p centrifuged by the centrifuge A is transferred to a target place in a fully automatic manner. ing.

That is, the centrifugal separator A to which the rack transfer device 6 according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied includes a pair of left and right rotors 1A and 1B.
And a plurality of (six in the illustrated example) rack baskets 2A, 2B pivotally supported at required intervals along the respective circumferential directions of the rotors 1A, 1B, and the rotors 1A, 1B at predetermined heights. A driving device (not shown) and a centrifugal control device (not shown) for controlling rotation at respective speeds, holding a required number of blood collection tubes p, and
A rack 5 inserted into and removed from the rack baskets 2A and 2B;
A rack weighing device 7 for measuring the total weight of the rack 5 held in each of the rack baskets 2A and 2B, and a weight correcting device (correcting the weight of the rack 5 based on the weighed value measured by the rack weighing device 7 ( (Not shown) and a dummy tube insertion / removal device 9 for supplying or removing the dummy tube q to or from an arbitrary position of the rack 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotors 1A and 1B each have a base member 10 fixed to a rotating shaft of a driving device constituted by a pulse motor or the like, and rotate around the base member 10. And the rack baskets 2A and 2B pivotally supported as possible.

The base member 10 is formed in a turret shape, and the rack baskets 2A, 2B
Are supported by six. That is, an arm 1 for pivotally supporting the rack baskets 2A and 2B is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the base member 10.
The rack baskets 2A and 2B are rotatably supported by the arms 11 and 11 via shafts 12 and 12 (see FIG. 3) projecting from both upper ends of the rack baskets 2A and 2B. ing. still,
A stopper piece (not shown) for maintaining the horizontal state of the rack baskets 2A and 2B when the rotor 10 rotates at a constant speed is formed at the arm projecting portion of the base member 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rack baskets 2A and 2B are formed in a substantially concave cross section, and the rack 5 is configured to be inserted into and removed from the upper openings of the rack baskets 2A and 2B. At the bottom of the baskets 2A and 2B, a storage portion 27 having a substantially L-shaped cross section for storing water supplied by a water supply bottle (not shown) constituting the weight device is formed. Of course, although not shown, when the rack 5 is mounted on the rack baskets 2A, 2B, for example, a lock is provided so that the rack 5 does not fall off the rack baskets 2A, 2B unnecessarily during centrifugal work. Desirably, it is configured to be automatically locked by the body.

The driving device is constituted by, for example, various known motors such as a pulse motor capable of obtaining stable rotation.

The centrifugal control device controls the start, rotation, and stop of the rotors 1A, 1B at different timings. The control timing is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the start, rotation, and stop of the rotors 1A, 1B. When the time is set to 10 minutes each, rotor 1B
Is configured to start after 5 minutes of the startup of the rotor 1A, whereby the centrifugal separation process is performed continuously at intervals of 5 minutes.

As described above, the rack 5 holds a required number of blood collection tubes p and, if necessary, the required number of the dummy tubes q, and as shown in FIG. 5, the rack baskets 2A, 2B
The rack body 13 has a plurality of bottomed holding holes 14 having an outer shape for accommodating the blood collection tube p and the dummy tube q (shown in the figure). In this example, 15) are established. Although not shown, when the rack 5 holding the blood collection tube p and the dummy tube q is held in the rack baskets 2A and 2B, the lid is covered to cover the blood collection tube p and the dummy tube q. It is also possible to reliably prevent q from falling off.

Next, the rack transfer device 6 according to this embodiment includes two parallel transverse feeders 15, 16 and longitudinal feeders 17, 18 disposed at both ends of the transverse feeders 15, 16. And is composed of

A plurality of traversing devices 15 and 16 (13 in the illustrated embodiment) are provided.
) Are controlled by motors # ₁ and # ₂ to intermittently transfer the rack 5 at the same speed. still,
In the illustrated embodiment, the traverse device 15 drives the rack 5 to move leftward in FIGS. 2 and 6, and the traverse device 16 drives the rack 5 to move rightward in FIGS. 2 and 6. Is controlled.

In addition, the vertical feeders 17 and 18 transfer the rack 5 transported from the horizontal feeders 15 and 16 to the respective end portions with the other horizontal feeders 16 and 15.
An arm 20 having an L-shaped locking body 19 at the tip, a screw body 21 screwed to the arm 20,
A motor 22 for moving the arm 20 forward and backward by rotating the screw body 21, and a switch 23 disposed at a position where the arm 20 stops moving, respectively.

Therefore, the required number of blood collection tubes p extracted from the blood collection rack 25 by the blood collection robot 24 is terminated at one side (lower side in FIG. 1, lower right side in FIGS. 2 and 6) of the traversing device 16. When the controller 5 is set in the rack 5 located in the section, the controller CPU detects this and activates the vertical feeder 17, and the arm 20 feeds the rack 5 vertically to the horizontal feeder 15. After this,
The rack 5 is transferred to the rack insertion / removal positions a ₁ and a ₂ by the traversing device 15, and the rack 5 having reached the rack insertion / removal positions a ₁ and a ₂ is collectively moved by a rack measuring device 7 described later. After the weight is measured, it is stored in the rack baskets 2A and 2B by a pickup robot (not shown).

Next, a specific example of the transfer of the rack 5 by the rack transfer device 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 22. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, now rack basket 2A ₁ of the rotor _{1A, 2A 2, 2A 3,} 2A 4, 2A 5, it should be set to 2A ₆ rack x
_{1, x 2, x 3,} x 4, x 5, x 6 is set to the left from the right end of the horizontal feeding device 16 in order, also, rack baskets 2B ₁ of the rotor 1B,
6 racks y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , y ₆ to be set in 2B ₂ , 2B ₃ , 2B ₄ , 2B ₅ , 2B ₆ , 2B ₆ follow rack x ₆ is set in the order Te, further, the rack z ₂ as well as other rack z ₁ is set on the left side of the transverse feeding device _{16, z 3, z 4,} z 5, set z ₆ from the left side of the transverse feed device 15 in order It is assumed that it is.

When the traversing devices 15 and 16 start operating from this state, first, the racks x ₁ and x ₂ are moved back to the traversing device 15 as shown in FIG. 4 from left end
Th and transported to the fifth position, and the rack x _3, x _4,
x ₅ , x ₆ , y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , y ₆ , z ₁ move to the right of the traversing device 16 2
The racks z ₂ and z ₃ are transferred by the
To the traversing device 16.

Thus successively rack x _{1 in, x 2, x 3, x} 4, x 5, x 6, y 1, y 2,
The y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , y ₆ and z ₁ , z ₂ , z ₃ , z ₄ , z ₅ , z ₆ are transferred from the traversing device 15 to the traversing device 16 while being transferred, and the rack x ₁ , x
₂ , x ₃ , x ₄ , x ₅ , x ₆ are connected to the traverse device 15 as shown in FIG.
When the racks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ , x ₄ , x ₅ , and x ₆ are arranged in the first order by a pickup robot (not shown),
As shown in FIG. 0 and FIG. 11, the racks 2A ₁ , 2A ₂ , 2A ₃ , 2A ₄ , 2A ₅ , 2A ₆ of the rotor 1A are set in order, and the rotor 1A is Start rotation.

Thus, the rack baskets 2A ₁ , 2A of the rotor 1A
_{2, 2A 3, 2A 4,} 2A 5, 2A 6 in the rack _{x 1, x 2, x 3} , x 4, x 5, when x ₆ is set, the rack _{y 1, y 2, y 3} , y _4, y _5, y _6, the first
As shown in Figure 1, from the rack inserting and removing device a ₂ of transverse feed device 15 are set in a state of ordered, thereafter, the rack _{y 1, y 2, y 3} , y 4, y 5, y ₆ is, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the rotor 1B
Racks 2B ₁ , 2B ₂ , 2B ₃ , 2B ₄ , 2B ₅ , and 2B ₆ in this order.
1B starts centrifugal rotation.

And, while the rotors 1A and 1B are performing centrifugal rotation, the traverse devices 15 and 16 continue to operate, and the first
As shown in FIG. 4, the other racks z ₁ , z ₂ , z ₃ , z ₄ , z ₅ , and z ₆ are sequentially transferred to the traversing device 15 and transferred.

Thus centrifuged working of the rotor 1A and is completed, as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the rack x _1, x _2, x ₃ of the centrifugal separation operation is completed, x _4, x _5, x ₆ is rack basket 2
A ₁ , 2A ₂ , 2A ₃ , 2A ₄ , 2A ₅ , and 2A _{6 are} sequentially transferred back to the traverse device 15 by the pickup robot, and thereafter, the rack x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ , x ₄ , x ₅ , x ₆ are transferred back to the traversing device 16 via the longitudinal feeding device 18. Of course, at this time
The rotor 1B continues the centrifugation operation. Also,
Racks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ , x ₄ , transferred to the traverse device 16
x _5, x _6, at an intermediate portion of the transverse feed device 16, the blood collection tube dispensing transport unit 26 to be described later via the distribution robot 28, for example, transferred a plurality of types of automatic blood system to the (not shown) in order The empty racks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ , x ₄ , x ₅ , x ₆ which were returned and transferred to one end of the traversing device 16 (the right end in FIG. 16).
, New blood collection tubes p are sequentially set by the blood collection robot 24 and transferred in the same procedure as described above.

Rack _{x 1, x 2, x 3} , x 4, x 5, when the recombinant work transferred to the transverse feed device 16 of the x ₆ has been completed, another rack z ₁ of _{the, z 2, z 3, z} 4,
As shown in FIG. 17, z ₅ and z ₆ are set on the traversing device 15 in a state where they are arranged in order from the left end.
As shown in FIG. 18, z ₁ , z ₂ , z ₃ , z ₄ , z ₅ , z ₆
Racks 2A ₁ , 2A ₂ , 2A ₃ , 2A ₄ , 2A ₅ , 2A ₆ are set in this order, and the rotor 1A
Starts centrifugal rotation.

After this, when the centrifugal separation of the rotor 1B is completed,
As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 20, the racks y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , and y _{6 for} which centrifugation has been completed are placed in rack baskets ₂ B ₁ , ₂ B ₂ , ₂ B ₃ , 2.
B ₄ , 2B ₅ , and 2B _{6 are} sequentially transferred back to the traverse device 15 by the pickup robot, and thereafter, the racks y ₁ and y
₂ , y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , y ₆ are transferred back to the traverse device 16 via the longitudinal device 18.

After the work of transferring the racks y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ , y ₄ , y ₅ , y _{6 to} the traversing device 16 in this manner, the rack x holding the new blood collection tube p _{1, x 2, x 3,} x 4, x 5, x 6 , as shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, the rack baskets 2B ₁ of the rotor 1B by the pickup robot not shown, 2B _2, 2B _3, 2B ₄ ,
2B _5, are sequentially set to 2B _6, at the same time the rotor 1B When this set is finished, after starting the centrifugal rotation, the centrifugal separation operation is performed using the same procedure described above. In addition, the rack basket 2A, 2
B is stored in the rack 5 to be transferred first, the rack 5 to be transferred next, and the third and fourth racks 5 and the fifth and fifth racks. The sixth rack 5 is transported so as to be set at symmetric positions of the rotors 1A and 1B, respectively. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 26 denotes
FIG. 3 shows a blood collection tube distributing / transporting device disposed in the middle of the traversing device 16, showing a blood collection tube p subjected to centrifugal separation processing.
Through the distribution robot 28, for example, the method rack device 53, distributed along the blood collection tube distribution transfer path
Automatic blood devices 54,55, RIA analyzers 56,57, blood cell counter 5
8, 59, which is transferred to the blood collection tube stocker 60 via the pickup robot 61.

The rack weighing device 7 is provided at the rack insertion / removal position a ₁ or a ₂
, Which measures the total weight of the rack 5, and various known pressure sensors such as a silicon diaphragm type measurement pressure sensor to which a piezoresistance effect is applied can be applied.

When the total weight of the rack 5 is weighed by the rack weighing device 7 configured as described above, the weighing information is input to the control device CPU, and the control device CPU controls the weight correction device based on the weighing information. Operation control, rack basket 2A, 2
Correction is made so that the weight of the rack 5 held by B is balanced at the symmetric positions of the rotors 1A and 1B.

The weight correction device supplies a required amount of water from the water supply bottle to the storage portion 27 of the rack baskets 2A and 2B, based on the total weight value of the rack 5 by the rack weighing device 7, or the rack basket 2A, The weight of the rack baskets 2A and 2B is corrected by sucking water in the storage section 27 of the 2B into drainage bottles constituting a weight correction device.

Of course, if there is not enough blood collection tube p to be centrifuged,
The dummy pipe q is supplied from the dummy pipe insertion / removal device 9 to the rack 5.

The weights of the first and second racks 5 set at the symmetric positions of the rotors 1A and 2B in this manner also
When the weights of the fifth and fourth racks 5 and the weights of the fifth and sixth racks 5 are balanced at the symmetric positions, the control device CPU causes the rotors 1A and 1B to rotate at the above timing. Drive control.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a rack transfer device includes two parallel traverse devices intermittently driven at a predetermined timing, and a vertical traverse device disposed at both ends of the traverse device. , And the racks transferred by the horizontal feeder and the vertical feeder are configured to be inserted into and removed from the rack baskets of the respective rotors at the respective rack insertion / removal positions of the two or more rotors. As a result, a large number of blood collection tubes can be automatically set in the rotor in a well-balanced manner, thereby greatly improving the operation efficiency of this type of centrifugal separator, and also enabling this type of blood test. This is advantageous in that it is suitable for a centrifugal separator that can also be fully automated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a centrifugal separator to which a rack transfer device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of the centrifugal separator, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a rack basket, FIG. 4 is a time chart showing drive timing of two rotors, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the rack transfer device, and FIGS. 7 to 22 are explanatory diagrams sequentially showing the rack transfer process. [Explanation of Symbols] A: Centrifugal separator, 1A, 1B: Rotor 2A, 2B: Rack basket 5: Rack, 6: Rack transfer device 15, 16: Horizontal feed device 17, 18: Vertical Feeding device p ... blood collection tube

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-57-53264 (JP, A) JP-A-54-117974 (JP, A) JP-A-50-139787 (JP, A) JP-A-61-13158 (JP) JP-A-62-299762 (JP, A) JP-A 50-29571 (JP, U) JP-A 50-85877 (JP, U) JP-B 56-37506 (JP, B2) JP-B 7-98162 (JP, B2) JP 498991 (JP, B1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01N 35/00-35/10 G01N 33/48 B04B 9 / 14 B04B 11/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of rack baskets are provided on each of two or more rotors, drive control means for controlling the start and stop timings of the rotors differently from each other, and a blood collection tube for each rotor. A blood collection tube transfer means for transferring the rack at a predetermined timing to insert and remove the plurality of held racks, and a rack weighing means disposed on the transfer means and measuring the total weight of the rack held by each rotor; Weight correction means for correcting the rack weight based on the weighed value measured by the rack weighing means, wherein the weight correction means adjusts the weight of each rack so as to maintain a symmetric balance in each rotor. In this case, the transfer means mounts the rack whose weight has been corrected on the rack basket of each rotor so that the symmetric balance of each rotor is maintained. The drive control means starts supply of a rack to another rotor after one rotor is started, and when the rotation of one rotor is stopped, the rotation of the other rotor is stopped. Is controlled so as to continue, and when one of the rotors is stopped, the transfer means supplies a rack to the stopped rotor or removes a rack from the rotor. A transfer device for a blood collection tube, which is drive-controlled.