JP4486006B2 - Sample dispensing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a specimen dispensing processing apparatus, and more particularly to a dispensing processing apparatus that dispenses a specimen from a container containing one or a plurality of identical specimens into one or a plurality of containers.

  As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, disposable nozzle tips are used for each specimen to automatically separate the specimens such as blood and urine from one container to the other container in an amount necessary for analysis and inspection. Thus, a dispensing processing device is used in which the sample is once sucked into the nozzle tip and then discharged to another container. Usually, one parent sample container is dispensed into one or a plurality of child sample containers. However, there are cases where the parent sample to be aspirated is contained in a plurality of containers as well as one. In addition, there may be a plurality of discharge destination child sample containers as well as a single case, and when only the sample in the first parent sample container is insufficient, the second and third parent sample containers are sequentially dispensed.

Japanese Patent No. 3410018 Japanese Patent No. 3519266

  The sample dispensing processing operation includes a first method (1: N dispensing) in which one parent sample is dispensed into one or more child samples, and one or more children from a plurality of parent sample containers of the same sample. There is a second method (N: N dispensing) for dispensing into a sample container, and these may be mixed and processed. These dispensing methods must be performed with as little sample waste as possible and without complicating processing.

  That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus that efficiently dispenses one or a plurality of the same specimens. The present invention proposes a method in which a sample is dispensed as efficiently as possible and the processing is not complicated.

  The present invention provides a dispensing processing apparatus that dispenses the specimen from one or a plurality of containers (parent specimen containers) containing the same specimen into one or a plurality of empty containers (child specimen containers). A 1: N dispensing process for dispensing the sample from a parent sample into one or more child sample containers, and dispensing the sample from one or more parent sample containers containing the same sample to one or more child sample containers Provided is a sample dispensing processing device characterized in that the N: N dispensing processing is switched according to information on a sample transport rack that carries the parent sample container and transports it.

  More specifically, the system of the present invention separates 1: N dispensing processing and N: N dispensing processing in units of sample transport racks, and in 1: N dispensing, a plurality of dispensing heads are simultaneously or Operate individually, sucking the amount of suction within the allowable range of the nozzle tip with a single suction, and discharging a plurality of times. N: N dispensing operates each of a plurality of dispensing heads separately, 1 suction 1 This can be realized by repeating the discharge N times, and when suction clogging occurs, replacing the nozzle tip with a new one and continuing the suction and discharge operations from the next container.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when suction clogging occurs, the sample is replaced with a new nozzle tip and the suction and discharge operations are continued from the next container, thereby reducing the waste of the sample and processing. It can be configured not to be complicated.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system. A plurality of dispensing heads 1 (# 1, # 2 in FIG. 1) are attached to the XYZ moving mechanism, and perform dispensing operations of specimens such as serum and urine. Here, the dispensing head 1 mainly includes a nozzle base portion to which the nozzle chip 2 is mounted, a vacuum suction portion for sucking and discharging a specimen, a pressure detector for converting a pressure change at the time of suction and discharge into an electrical signal, a signal The sample is composed of a processing circuit and the like, and a sample is aspirated and discharged from the tip hole of the nozzle chip 2. Although the signal processing circuit is not shown, the output signal of the pressure detector attached in the dispensing head 1 is processed by a microprocessor or the like to perform dispensing processing, abnormality detection, processing, and the like.

  A host CPU (Central Processing Unit), a conveyance path control CPU, and a dispensing control CPU are coupled by a local data communication line. The transport path control CPU performs transport control of the sample rack. The dispensing control CPU controls the XYZ mechanism and dispensing head of the dispenser and the sample transport mechanism in the dispenser by sending a dispensing instruction information inquiry and dispensing result information to the host CPU by the rack ID. Perform the dispensing operation. One or a plurality of parent sample containers 3 containing parent samples are mounted on the sample container transport rack 10 and transported in units of racks.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of a work area for explaining the outline of the sample rack transport operation of the sample dispensing apparatus. The racks 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c loaded with the parent sample containers that have been transported by the external transport line 101 are carried into the dispenser by the carry-in mechanism 102 and are transported to the dispensing position by the parent line 103. At this time, the bar code attached to the rack is read by the bar code reader 20, and the rack is identified from the rack ID. A rack on which a child sample container to be dispensed is loaded is carried into a carrying line 106, 107, 108 from a rack supply mechanism (not shown) and is carried to each dispensing position. The dispensing head 1 mounts the nozzle chip 2 from the chip racks 109a, 109b, 109c on which the nozzle chip 2 is mounted, and performs a dispensing operation. The sample rack that has been dispensed is unloaded to the external transfer line 101 by the unloading mechanism 104 and is transferred to the next processing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the outline of one embodiment of the processing flow of the dispensing control CPU. When the parent sample rack reaches the carry-in position, the dispensing control CPU communicates with the transport path control CPU, acquires instruction information related to dispensing, and carries the parent sample rack. The ID of the parent sample rack is read from the barcode or the like and transmitted to the host CPU, and dispensing instruction information is received. A dispensing operation is performed based on the dispensing instruction information. After the dispensing operation is completed, the dispensing result is transmitted, and the parent sample and child sample racks are carried out.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the outline of one embodiment of the dispensing operation of the sample dispensing processing apparatus. The nozzle tip 2 is attached to the dispensing head 1, the specimen 4 is sucked into the nozzle tip 2 from the parent specimen container 3, discharged to the child specimen containers 6 and 7, and finally the nozzle tip 2 is discarded. For the parent sample, the collected blood is centrifuged, separated into serum and blood clot with the separating agent 5, and only the serum is used for the test.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the outline of one embodiment of the 1: N dispensing operation of the sample dispensing apparatus. The sample A is sucked into the nozzle chip 2 from one parent sample container 3 and dispensed into the child sample containers 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b7c by the amounts a, b, c, d and e, respectively. The amount of a + b + c + d + e is sucked and discharged at a time.

  If A ≧ a + b + c + d + e, dispensing can be performed, but if A <a + b + c + d + e, dispensing cannot be performed, and the parent sample is returned to proceed to the next process. In this case, the nozzle tip reaches the separating agent 5 during suction, and suction clogging occurs. As a result of dispensing, suction clogging occurs and undispensed. At this time, when there are a plurality of dispensing heads, they can be operated simultaneously.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the outline of one embodiment of the N: N dispensing operation of the sample dispensing processing apparatus. Samples A and B of the same patient are contained in the parent sample containers 3a and 3b. The child sample containers 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, and 7c are dispensed in amounts of a, b, c, d, and e, respectively. In the same dispensing process as in FIG. 5, first, the amount from 3a to a + b + c + d + e is sucked at a time. When the number of parent specimens is small, clogging occurs due to the separation agent 5a, and the specimen is discharged back and changed to suction from 3b, and the amount of a + b + c + d + e is sucked at once. If the amount of the sample is small even in 3b, clogging occurs, and the sample is spit out and undispensed.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the outline of an embodiment of the N: N dispensing operation of the sample dispensing processing apparatus of the present method. Even in a dispenser having a plurality of dispensing heads, only one dispensing head is operated, and the amount of 3a to a is first sucked and discharged to 6a. Next, an amount b is sucked from the same 3a and discharged to 6b. Furthermore, the amount c from the same 3a is sucked and discharged to 7a. If suction clogging occurs due to insufficient sample amount during this suction, the sample is discharged again, the nozzle tip at that time is discarded, and a new nozzle tip is mounted. Then, the amount c is aspirated from the next parent sample container 3b and discharged to 7a. Furthermore, dispensing can be completed normally by dispensing d and e. The reason why the nozzle tip is changed to a new nozzle tip when moving from the parent specimen container 3a to 3b is that the liquid level of 3b cannot be detected if the tip of the nozzle tip is blocked by the specimen. Since the previous suction end position is stored in the same container and the next suction can be performed from there, liquid level detection is only required at the beginning.

  Thus, in N: N dispensing with a plurality of parent sample containers of the same patient, normal dispensing can be performed by performing suction and discharge for each child sample. In addition, by mounting samples from the same patient in the same rack and separating them from samples from different patients, the rack that performs the 1: N dispensing process and the rack that performs the N: N dispensing process can be divided in units of racks. Can simplify the process.

  FIG. 8 shows a flow. The rack ID is recognized by a detection unit such as a barcode or IC tag attached to the rack, the dispensing process is determined in units of racks, and the 1: N dispensing process or the N: N dispensing process is distinguished. Controls order processing. When dispensing a sample for storage, in the case of dispensing with a normal parent sample, the indicated amount is dispensed, or when the parent sample amount is small, the entire amount is dispensed. In this case, even if suction clogging occurs, the amount of suction until then is discharged to the child sample container without discharging again. In the case of multiple parent samples, if the first parent sample is short of the indicated amount, the indicated amount is obtained by aspirating the shortage from the second and subsequent parent sample containers and adding it to the first discharge amount. Can be dispensed.

  The first suction amount can be calculated from the suction time until suction clogging occurs, or the number of pulses until clogging occurs when driven by a stepping motor. If there is a shortage even twice, the dispensing instruction amount can be secured by continuing dispensing as long as there is a parent sample.

  Since only the parent sample container of the same patient is mounted on the N: N dispensing processing rack, the identification is facilitated by making the ID for each parent sample container the same, and the number of IDs is not increased. Conventionally, even in the same patient sample, a different ID (barcode or IC tag) is used for each parent sample container so as not to overlap, and the same ID (same barcode or IC tag) is assigned to the same patient sample. ) Can be assigned. In the case of barcodes, it can be confirmed visually whether they are the same, and sample confusion can also be prevented.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of a control system. It is a diagram of one Example of the work area explaining the outline of the sample rack transport operation of the sample dispensing processing device. It is a flowchart explaining the outline | summary of a process of dispensing control CPU. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of the dispensing operation | movement of a sample dispensing processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of one Example of 1: N dispensing operation | movement of a sample dispensing processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of one Example of N: N dispensing operation | movement of a sample dispensing processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of one Example of the N: N dispensing operation | movement of the sample dispensing processing apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the dispensing process discrimination | determination flow per rack of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Dispensing head, 2 ... Nozzle chip, 3 ... Parent sample container, 4 ... Parent sample, 5 ... Separation agent, 6, 7 ... Child sample container, 10 ... Rack for sample container conveyance.

Claims (6)

From the parent sample container containing the same analyte multiple, in dispensing apparatus for dispensing the sample into an empty child sample container multiple,
The sample from one source sample to double number of child sample container is dispensed by a plurality of dispensing heads are operated at the same time 1: and N dispensing process,
Said plurality of parent sample containers containing the same analyte to double number of child sample container sample, a plurality of dispensing heads individually operated Dispense N: the N dispensing process, by mounting the parent sample container A sample dispensing processing apparatus configured to switch between the 1: N dispensing process and the N: N dispensing process based on information on a sample transport rack to be transported. The specimen dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A detection unit is provided in the sample transport rack, the detection unit is read when the sample transport rack is loaded into the dispensing processing apparatus, and the switching means detection is controlled by communication with a host CPU. Dispensing device. The specimen dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The sample transport rack carrying a plurality of parent sample containers containing the same sample and the sample transport rack containing all the different samples are separated from each other by separating the 1: N dispensing process and the N : A sample dispensing apparatus characterized by separating the N dispensing process. The specimen dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
In the N: N dispensing process, each of a plurality of dispensing heads is operated separately, and each dispensing repeats one aspiration and one discharge operation N times. The specimen dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The N: N dispensing processing operation is characterized in that when suction clogging occurs, the sample is discharged again, replaced with a new nozzle tip, and the sample is sucked from the next parent sample container. apparatus. The specimen dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
When suction clogging occurs at the time of the dispensing instruction for storage in the N: N dispensing processing operation, the suction amount is stored, the sample is discharged into the child sample container, and replaced with a new nozzle tip. A specimen dispensing apparatus characterized in that a deficient specimen amount is aspirated from the parent specimen container and discharged into the child specimen container.

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