JPH03115866A - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the use amount of a washing solution and to realize highly reliable analysis by absorbing the washing solution in a degree capable of keeping a liquid column in a reagent distribution nozzle in the washing process of an automatic analyzer and moving the same up and down in the nozzle. CONSTITUTION:After a necessary amount of a reagent is distributed to a reaction container 2 from a reagent distribution nozzle 7, a nozzle control apparatus 15 operates a robot arm 4 to allow the nozzle 7 to move and fall to a washing solution container 8. The nozzle 7 stops falling by the signal of a liquid level detector 12 to suck a washing solution by a pump 11 in a degree capable of keeping a liquid column. Subsequently, the nozzle 7 is drawn up and the washing solution at the leading end of the nozzle is raised upwardly by the pump 11 and the reagent of the previous time stuck on the inner surface of the nozzle is separated. Next, predetermined reagent extruding water 9 is sucked in the pump 11 by a flow passage change-over valve 8 and the valve 8 is subsequently changed over toward the nozzle 7 to discharge extruding water and washing water in a washing well 6 and the outer wall of the nozzle 7 is washed by the spring water in the well.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer used in the field of clinical biochemistry.

(Prior art) Automatic analyzers used in the field of clinical biochemistry are designed to simplify the structure around the reaction vessel conveyance path and reduce costs, and usually handle multiple reaction reagents using a single reagent dispensing nozzle. It is configured to handle. For this reason, in analyzes where test items are changed for each reaction container, the previous reagent remaining in the reagent dispensing nozzle and the current reagent may mix in the dispensing nozzle, causing errors in the analysis results. There may be cases where

In order to solve this problem, before dispensing the reagent, wash the cleaning solution in an amount that is at least greater than the amount of reagent to be dispensed this time.
Alternatively, suck the reagent to be dispensed this time into the reagent dispensing nozzle,
After this cleaning, the next reagent dispensing operation can begin.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, since cleaning requires the same amount of cleaning liquid or cleaning reagent as the amount of reagent dispensed, there is a problem in that running costs increase.

The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to reduce running costs by minimizing the consumption of cleaning liquid for reagent dispensing nozzles. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new automatic analyzer that can perform the following steps.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve these problems, in the present invention, different reagents are sequentially dispensed into a reaction vessel using a reagent dispensing nozzle with a washing process in between the reagent dispensing processes. In an automatic analyzer that performs the washing step, a cleaning solution that is smaller than the amount of reagent dispensed last time and that is sufficient to maintain a liquid column within the reagent dispensing nozzle is sucked into the reagent dispensing nozzle. A control device M is provided for sucking the cleaning liquid to the depths of the reagent dispensing nozzle and then discharging it.

(Function) The liquid column of the cleaning liquid is moved up and down within the reagent dispensing nozzle so that the inner surface of the nozzle is evenly contacted with the cleaning liquid, so that the nozzle can be cleaned with a small amount of the cleaning liquid.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an example of the present invention, and reference numeral 1 in the figure indicates reaction vessels 2, 2, 2, etc., which also serve as reaction vessels.
The reaction container transfer mechanism is configured to move the reaction container to a sample dispensing station, a reagent dispensing station 3 to be described later, and a measurement station.

3 is the aforementioned reagent dispensing station; a dispensing nozzle 7 attached to the robot arm 4 and moving between the analytical reagent stand 5, the reaction container transfer mechanism 1, and the washing well 6;
It is composed of a brassiere-type pump 11 that communicates with a reagent extrusion water tank 9 and a dispensing nozzle 7 via a flow path switching valve 8 and is operated by a drive mechanism 10.

The reagent dispensing nozzle 7 is equipped with a liquid level detector 12 at its tip, as shown in FIG. 2, and is configured to output a signal when the tip 7a of the nozzle 7 comes into contact with the liquid surface.

A reagent dispensing nozzle control device 15 receives information from the specimen ID information display 16 to select necessary reagents and control the washing process. In addition, the reference numeral 17 in the figure
．． 17, 17, . . . indicate reagent containers, respectively.

In this embodiment, when the reaction container 2 containing the sample is moved to the reagent dispensing station 3, the reagent dispensing nozzle control device 115 performs a check on the test items registered in the specimen ID information information display 16. The analytical reagent stand 5 and the robot arm 4 are controlled to select the corresponding reagent, and the reagent dispensing nozzle 7 is inserted into the target reagent container. - When the reagent reaches the reagent liquid level, a signal is output from the liquid level detector 12.

The reagent dispensing nozzle control device M15 uses this signal to
Then, the flow path switching valve 8 is switched to the reagent dispensing nozzle 7, and the drive mechanism 10 operates the pump 11 to suck the required amount of reagent into the nozzle 7. When suction of the reagent is completed, the reagent dispensing nozzle control snowmaker 15 uses the robot arm 4 to move the reagent dispensing nozzle 7 to the reaction container 2 and transfer the reagent in the nozzle 7 to the reaction container 2.
Dispense.

The reaction container 2 is transferred to a measurement station by the transfer mechanism 1, and the reaction between the target component and the reaction reagent is measured.

On the other hand, the reagent dispensing nozzle control device 15 operates the robot arm 4 to move the nozzle 7 to the cleaning liquid container 18,
Lower the nozzle 7 into the cleaning liquid. When the liquid level detector 12 reaches the cleaning liquid during its descent and outputs a liquid level detection signal, the reagent dispensing nozzle control device 115 stops the descent of the nozzle 7 and operates the pump 11 to maintain the liquid column. Aspirate a very small amount of cleaning liquid C as much as possible (Fig. 3)
When a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid has been sucked, the reagent dispensing nozzle control snowmaking 15 pulls up the nozzle 7 from the cleaning liquid container 18, and with the flow path switching valve 8 communicating with the nozzle 7, causes the pump 11 to suck the nozzle. The cleaning liquid at the tip is raised to the nozzle main body 7b at least to a position closer to the pump 11 than the previous reagent suction level, which is above in this embodiment (Fig. 3). As a result, the cleaning liquid C in the nozzle 7 is The liquid column rises inside the nozzle 7 while maintaining the liquid column, and the previous reagent that has adhered to the inner surface of the nozzle 7 is detached from the inner wall surface.

Next, the flow path switching valve 8 is used to connect the pump to the reagent extrusion wood tank 9, and the pump 11 is activated to suck a predetermined amount of reagent extrusion water into the pump 1, and then the flow path switching valve 8 is connected to the nozzle 11 side. Switch to In this state, the robot arm 4 is operated to move the nozzle 7 to the cleaning well 6.

At this stage, the pump 11 is operated to discharge the cleaning liquid C together with the reagent extrusion water into the cleaning well 6, and the outer wall of the nozzle 7 is washed with foam by the spring water in the well. As a result, the previous reagent adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the nozzle 7 is washed away by the cleaning liquid with an extremely low I content, thereby preventing contamination during the next injection of the reagent.

By the way, depending on the type of reagent, for example, free M fatty acid analysis after dispensing a reagent for total cholesterol analysis, or fructosamine analysis after dispensing a reagent for total protein analysis, cleaning with a washing solution alone may cause contamination. There are some things that can cause errors in the analysis results. In the case of such a combination of reagents, the reagent dispensing nozzle control device 1
15, based on the data registered in the specimen ID information storage device M16, after cleaning with the cleaning liquid, move the nozzle to the reagent container 17 to be used next, use this reagent as the cleaning liquid, and perform the above-mentioned process. In the same way as cleaning with a cleaning solution, the liquid column is suctioned to the extent that it can be maintained (Fig. 3, 1), and then sucked up to the top of the nozzle.Next, the extruded water is sucked into the pump 11, and the reagent in the nozzle 7 along with the extruded water is sucked up to the top of the nozzle. is discharged into the washing well 6. As a result, the inner wall of the nozzle 7 is co-washed with a very small amount of the reagent to be used next, and the influence of the previous reagent can be reliably removed.

In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid container is arranged on the reagent pedestal, but it is clear that the same effect can be achieved even if it is arranged elsewhere in the movement path of the reagent dispensing nozzle.

Further, in this embodiment, co-washing with a reagent is performed after washing with a cleaning liquid, but co-washing with a reagent may be performed directly.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, in an automatic analyzer that sequentially dispenses different reagents into a reaction container using a reagent dispensing nozzle while interposing a cleaning process between reagent dispensing processes, the cleaning The cleaning liquid is sucked into the reagent dispensing nozzle in an amount that is smaller than the amount of reagent dispensed in the previous process and is sufficient to maintain a liquid column within the reagent dispensing nozzle. Equipped with a control device M that sucks up the reagent to the top and then discharges it, making it possible to remove the reagent remaining in the nozzle with as little cleaning liquid as possible, reducing running costs and improving reliability. A high level of analysis can be performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a reagent dispensing nozzle used in the same apparatus, and Figure 3 (1) and ([) are , and are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the above device, respectively. 1... Reaction container transfer mechanism 3... Reagent dispensing station 7... Reagent dispensing nozzle 2... Reaction container 5... Reagent stand 11... Pump

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic analyzer that sequentially dispenses different reagents into a reaction container with a cleaning process of the reagent dispensing nozzle between the reagent dispensing processes, the amount of reagent dispensed before the cleaning process is smaller than the amount of reagent dispensed before the reagent dispensing process, and Equipped with a control device that sucks an amount of cleaning liquid into the reagent dispensing nozzle to maintain a liquid column in the injection nozzle, then sucks the cleaning solution to the side of the pump from the previous reagent suction position, and then discharges it. Automatic analyzer.