JP6088320B2 - Sample analyzer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sample analyzer for performing sample analysis by sucking a sample such as blood with a suction tube and discharging it in an analysis unit to create a measurement liquid.

  In the sample analyzer using the suction tube as described above, it is conceivable that the sucked sample is clogged by coagulation in the suction tube. In order to cope with such a problem, the blockage of the flow path is detected.

  For example, a pressure sensor is provided in a flow path for detection. This device is devised so as not to be affected by the pressure increase at the beginning of suction (see Patent Document 1). However, pressure cannot be detected when there is a leak in the flow path on the downstream side. In addition, when a pressure sensor is provided in the dispensing path, there is a possibility of affecting the dispensing accuracy.

  In addition, there is a type in which a constant current source for supplying a particle detection current to the aperture is provided to measure a change in electrical impedance due to passage of the test particle in the aperture (see Patent Document 2). However, this method has a problem that the configuration is complicated.

Japanese Patent No. 4337444 Japanese Patent No. 3129820 specification

  The present invention has been made in view of the current state of the sample analyzer as described above, and its purpose is to include an aspiration tube, and that abnormalities such as occlusion and disconnection of the tube have occurred in the path through which the cleaning liquid is delivered. An object of the present invention is to provide a sample analyzer capable of making a determination. It is another object of the present invention to provide a sample analyzer capable of determining an abnormality without affecting the dispensing accuracy.

A sample analyzer according to the present invention includes an aspiration tube for aspirating or discharging a sample, an analysis means for performing analysis using a measurement liquid prepared by discharging or dispensing the sample aspirated by the aspiration tube, and a cleaning liquid A first sending means for sending and discharging the cleaning liquid of the tank to the suction pipe; a first flow path for flowing the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank into the suction pipe; and a waste liquid tank for storing the cleaning waste liquid; A second delivery means for delivering the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe to the waste liquid tank; a second flow path for flowing the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe to the waste liquid tank; and the first flow A cleaning liquid detection means for detecting the flow of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank, and a waste liquid detection means for detecting the flow of the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe provided in the second flow path ; results detected by the washing liquid detection means Characterized in that serial based on the detection result by the waste detecting means comprises an abnormality determination means for determining an abnormality of the suction tube inside the reach the to the suction tube inside the first flow path and the second flow path And

  The sample analyzer according to the present invention is characterized in that the waste liquid detection means is constituted by a sensor that does not contact the waste liquid.

  The sample analyzer according to the present invention is characterized in that the cleaning liquid detecting means is constituted by a sensor that is not in contact with the cleaning liquid.

  In the sample analyzer according to the present invention, the determination means further determines the presence or absence of a cleaning liquid.

The sample analyzer according to the present invention includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the outside of the suction tube, and a third flow for sending the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank to the waste liquid tank through the cleaning unit without passing through the suction tube. A road is provided.

  The sample analyzer according to the present invention includes a first delivery means for delivering the washing liquid in the washing liquid tank to the suction pipe and discharging the waste liquid, a waste liquid detection means for detecting the washing waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe, and the waste liquid detection. And an abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality in the path connected to the suction pipe and the suction pipe based on the detection result by the means. It is possible to determine that an abnormality such as is occurring.

  In the sample analyzer according to the present invention, the waste liquid detection means and the cleaning liquid detection means are configured by sensors that are not in contact with the cleaning liquid, thereby determining abnormality in the route through which the cleaning liquid is delivered without affecting the dispensing accuracy. Is possible.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a sample analyzer according to the present invention. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a sample analyzer according to the present invention. The systematic diagram which shows the flow path of the washing | cleaning liquid in embodiment of the sample analyzer which concerns on invention.

  Embodiments of a sample analyzer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted. The cleaning liquid may be a rinsing liquid that reduces friction on the surface of a resin or the like, or a liquid that contains a cleaning component, but includes a liquid that does not contain any component such as distilled water. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a sample analyzer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a front view. Further, FIG. 3 shows a drawing mainly showing the flow path of the cleaning liquid. This sample analyzer has a support pole 13 that connects and supports a flat upper chassis 11 and a lower chassis 12 fixed to the housing 1. Two stepping motors 14 and 15 are provided at one end of the upper chassis 11. A pulley 16 is fitted on the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 14, and a pulley 17 is fitted on the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 15.

  A timing belt 18 is fitted to the pulley 16, and the timing belt 18 is fitted to a pulley 19 at the opposite side end of the upper chassis 11. A timing belt 21 is fitted to the pulley 17, and the timing belt 21 is fitted to a pulley 22 provided at a position adjacent to the pulley 19 of the upper chassis 11.

  The pulley 19 is fixed to the shaft 23. The shaft 23 extends to the lower chassis 12 and is rotatably fitted to the upper chassis 11 and the lower chassis 12. The pulley 22 is fixed to the shaft 24. The shaft 24 extends to the lower chassis 12 and is rotatably fitted to the upper chassis 11 and the lower chassis 12. A screw 24 </ b> A is formed on the side wall of the shaft 24. A moving tube 25 having an inner wall with a threaded portion that engages with the screw 24A is screwed to the shaft 24 on the outside.

  A movement block 26 that is free in the axial direction but follows the rotation of the shaft 23 is fitted to the outer periphery of the shaft 23. A connecting bridge 27 extending from the moving tube 25 is connected to the moving block 26. Therefore, when the shaft 24 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 15 and the moving tube 25 moves up and down, the moving block 26 also moves up and down following this movement.

  On the upper part of the moving block 26, a disc body 28 having a plurality of holes formed at predetermined positions near the outer periphery is provided. A photo interrupter 29 is provided so as to sandwich the hole near the outer periphery of the disk body 28 from the vertical direction of the disk body 28, and the rotational position when the shaft 23 rotates according to the rotation of the stepping motor 14 can be detected. It has become. The signal from the photo interrupter 29 is sent to the control unit 80 and used for rotation control.

  A support arm 31 extending to the side away from the shaft 23 in the radial direction is attached to the moving block 26. The support arm 31 extends flat from the shaft 23, and is formed flat again through a portion bent upward. A guide arm 32 having substantially the same shape as the support arm 31 is provided on the lower chassis 12 side of the shaft 23. An auxiliary pole 33 is provided on the guide arm 32, and the auxiliary pole 33 extends from the guide arm 32 through the support arm 31 to the upper part of the moving block 26 and is fixed.

  A suction tube 34 for aspirating the specimen is provided at the tip of the support arm 31 in a suspended state. The suction tube 34 is made of superelastic metal, and the tip of the suction tube 34 can be lowered and raised through a through hole 32 </ b> A provided at the tip of the guide arm 32.

  When the shaft 23 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 14, the support arm 31, the guide arm 32, and the auxiliary pole 33 rotate integrally. At this time, the suction pipe 34 provided at the tip of the support arm 31 also rotates in a state where it enters the through hole 32 </ b> A of the guide arm 32.

  A cleaning unit 40 is provided at a position protruding outward from the rectangular surface of the lower chassis 12. The cleaning unit 40 is attached to the lower chassis 12 in a semi-fixed state with the lower end of the cylindrical base embedded in the lower chassis 12. A through-hole 44 that penetrates from the upper side to the lower side of the cleaning unit 40 is formed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a rinse liquid supply port 46 is formed from the lower outer wall of the cleaning unit 40 toward the through port 44 formed at the center of the base. Further, a rinse liquid suction port 47 is formed from the upper outer wall of the cleaning unit 40 toward the through port 44 formed at the center of the base. A connector 48 is coupled to the rinse liquid supply port 46 and a rinse liquid supply tube 52 is connected thereto. A connector 49 is coupled to the rinse liquid suction port 47 and a rinse liquid suction tube 53 is connected thereto.

  A flat plate 61 is erected in the vicinity of the end of the lower chassis 12 opposite to the cleaning unit 40, and the upper end is fixed to the upper chassis 11. Photo interrupters 62, 63, and 64 are provided on three sides of the flat plate 61 at three different heights. The support plate 25 </ b> A in the vertical position that protrudes from the moving tube 25 moves between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the photo interrupters 62, 63, 64. Signals from the photo interrupters 62, 63, 64 are sent to a control unit 80 constituted by a CPU or the like. The home position where the suction tube 34 is pulled up to the uppermost position depending on the passing / blocking state of the support plate 25A with respect to the photo interrupters 62, 63, 64, the position where the suction is performed from the specimen container 71, the reagent cell 72 and the rinse tank 73, The position where cleaning is performed at 40 can be detected.

  The outside of the lower chassis 12 at the position where the cleaning unit 40 is provided is the outside of the housing 1 partially shown in FIG. 3, and the specimen container 71 is positioned by the examiner when the specimen is aspirated. A cylindrical rinse tank 73 is provided in the housing 1 at a position corresponding to a first predetermined point on an arc drawn by the tip of the suction pipe 34 when the shaft 23 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 14. ing. A suction tube 54 is provided at the bottom of the rinse tank 73. A reagent cell 72 is set in the housing 1 at a position corresponding to a second predetermined point on an arc drawn by the tip of the suction tube 34 when the shaft 23 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 14. At the set position of the reagent cell 72, an analysis processing unit and, if necessary, a mixing processing unit are executed by the analysis unit.

  A rinse liquid is accumulated in the rinse liquid tank 81, and tubes 51 and 52 are connected via a piston 82 and a valve 83. The tube 51 is connected to the upper end portion of the suction tube 34 and can supply a rinsing liquid into the suction tube 34. Thus, the piston 82 constitutes a first delivery means for delivering the cleaning liquid in the rinsing liquid tank, which is a cleaning liquid tank, to the suction pipe and discharging it.

  The waste liquid tank 84 stores the waste liquid after washing and the rinse liquid after the rinse treatment. The waste liquid tank 84 is connected to tubes 53 and 54 via a pump 85 and a valve 86. Further, a valve 89 for switching between suction from the rinse liquid tank 81 to the piston 82 and delivery of the rinse liquid from the piston 82 to the valve 83 is provided between the rinse liquid tank 81 and the piston 82. A control unit 80 including a CPU or the like controls the supply and suction of the cleaning liquid (rinsing liquid) by controlling the piston 82 and the valves 83, 86 and 89. Here, the pump 85 constitutes a second delivery means for delivering the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe 34 to the waste liquid tank 84.

  A liquid sensor 93 that detects the rinsing liquid is provided at the outlet of the rinsing liquid tank 81. In other words, the liquid sensor 93 is disposed in the tube 92 from the valve 89 to the rinse liquid tank 81. A liquid sensor 94 that detects waste liquid is provided at the inlet of the waste liquid tank 84. That is, in order to detect the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe 34, the liquid sensor 94 is disposed in the rinsing tank 73 or on the downstream side of the rinsing tank 73. The liquid sensors 93 and 94 are preferably non-contact sensors for liquid that detect the presence or absence (or flow) of liquid by light, ultrasonic waves, sound, temperature, or the like. However, a sensor that does not affect the dispensing accuracy may not be a non-contact sensor with respect to the liquid. In the above, the liquid sensor 94 constitutes a waste liquid detecting means for detecting the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe 34. Further, the liquid sensor 93 constitutes a cleaning liquid detecting means for detecting the cleaning liquid in the rinse liquid tank 81 which is a cleaning liquid tank.

  The control unit 80, the rinsing liquid tank 81, the piston 82, the valves 83, 86, 89, the pump 85, and the tubes 51 to 54 in FIG. 1 are provided at predetermined positions in the housing 1, and the figure is configured. It shows existence. These configurations are omitted in FIG. In FIG. 2, the liquid sensors 93 and 94 are omitted.

  In the sample analyzer configured as described above, the control unit 80 is operated by a program, for example, and performs sample analysis processing by controlling each unit. The power is turned on by a power switch (not shown), and analysis processing starts. The control unit 80 controls the rotation of the stepping motors 14 and 15 to position the tip of the suction pipe 34 above the rinse tank 73, and further descends toward the rinse tank 73 to place the tip at a predetermined position in the rinse tank 73. Position. The controller 80 opens the valve 89 and drives the piston 82 to suck the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid tank 81. Thereafter, the valve 89 is closed and the valve 83 is switched to the suction tube 34 side to be supplied into the rinsing tank 73 through the suction tube 34, so that the surface of the suction tube 34 is wetted with the rinsing liquid. At this time, the valve 86 is closed, and suction from the rinse tank 73 is not performed. The valve 86 and the pump 85 are controlled later, and the rinse liquid in the rinse tank 73 is sucked and guided to the waste liquid tank 84.

  Subsequently, the suction tube 34 is pulled up from the rinse tank 73 and rotated to position the suction tube 34 above the opening 43 of the cleaning unit 40. Further, the suction pipe 34 is lowered. At this time, since the surface of the suction pipe 34 is wet with the rinse liquid, it is possible to prevent generation of unpleasant noise due to friction when passing through the cleaning unit 40. The suction tube 34 is further lowered to be exposed to the outside of the housing 1 and positioned at the sample suction position.

  The examiner holds the sample container 71 containing the sample, and enters the sample container 71 from the tip of the suction tube 34 so that the sample can be aspirated. When the examiner operates the aspiration start switch while the suction tube 34 is placed in the sample in the sample container 71, a predetermined amount of the sample is sucked into the suction tube 34 by the control of the valve 83 and the piston 82 by the control unit 80. The suction tube 34 is pulled up and positioned at the cleaning position.

  When the suction pipe 34 is positioned at the cleaning position, the valve 83 is switched by the controller 80, and the rinse liquid is supplied from the rinse liquid tank 81 via the tube 52 by the piston 82. 85 is controlled so that the rinse liquid supplied to the cleaning unit 40 is sucked through the tube 54. At this time, the suction pipe 34 is moved up and down in the cleaning unit 40 to perform cleaning.

  When the cleaning is completed, the supply and suction of the rinsing liquid are also terminated, and the suction pipe 34 is lifted and pulled out from the cleaning unit 40 and rotated. As a result of this rotation, the suction tube 34 is positioned above the reagent cell 72 and is lowered to pass through the seal surface of the reagent cell 72 and lowered to a predetermined depth. When the aspirating tube 34 is in a predetermined position, the specimen is discharged into the reagent cell 72, the specimen and reagent are mixed and stirred, and the specimen in which the reagent is mixed from the reagent cell 72 is aspirated. Note that the reagent cell 72 is previously set by the inspector with a necessary reagent.

  When the sample and reagent mixing and stirring are completed, the suction tube 34 is lifted and rotated to be positioned above a predetermined cell (analysis tank) of the reagent cell 72 and lowered to a predetermined height to mix and mix the sample and reagent. The analyzed liquid to be analyzed (measurement liquid) is discharged. The analysis means performs analysis under the control of the control unit 80, displays the result on the display unit of the own apparatus, prints it out from a printer, or sends it to a personal computer to enable processing such as display.

  Based on the signals obtained from the liquid sensors 93 and 94 after the power is turned on, the control unit 80 determines that an abnormality such as blockage of the suction pipe 34 and a path connected to the suction pipe 34 or disconnection of the tube has occurred. (Abnormality determination means). When no liquid is detected by the liquid sensor 93, it is determined that there is no rinse liquid. The determination result can be displayed on the display unit of the device itself, printed out from a printer, or sent to a personal computer to enable processing such as display.

In the present embodiment, the rinsing liquid is accumulated in the rinsing liquid tank 81, but the cleaning liquid may be accumulated instead of the rinsing liquid and used. In this embodiment, the surface of the suction tube 34 is wetted by the rinsing liquid in the rinsing tank 73 before the suction tube 34 is passed through the cleaning unit 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the apparatus is started up or before the sample is aspirated, the aspirating tube 34 is moved to the position of the cleaning unit 40 and positioned so that the rinsing liquid is discharged from the aspirating tube 34 while penetrating the cleaning unit 40. You may comprise. Even when this configuration is adopted, it is determined by the above-described abnormality determination means that an abnormality such as a blockage or detachment of the tube has occurred in the path including the suction pipe 34 and the cleaning liquid is delivered. Sample analysis can be performed.

34 Suction tube 40 Cleaning unit 72 Reagent cell 73 Rinse tank 80 Control unit 81 Rinse liquid tank 84 Waste liquid tank 93, 94 Liquid sensor

Claims (5)

An aspiration tube for aspirating or discharging a specimen;
An analysis means for performing an analysis using a measurement liquid prepared by discharging or dispensing a sample sucked by the suction tube;
First delivery means for delivering the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank to the suction pipe and discharging it;
A first flow path for flowing a cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank into the suction pipe;
A waste liquid tank for storing the cleaning waste liquid;
Second delivery means for delivering the cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe to the waste liquid tank;
A second flow path for flowing cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe to the waste liquid tank;
A cleaning liquid detecting means provided in the first flow path for detecting the flow of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank;
Waste liquid detection means provided in the second flow path for detecting the flow of cleaning waste liquid discharged from the suction pipe;
Based on the cleaning liquid detection means detecting result of the detection result and the waste liquid detection unit according to the abnormality determination for determining an abnormality of the suction tube inside the reach the to the suction tube inside the first flow path and the second flow path And a sample analyzer. 2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the waste liquid detection means is constituted by a sensor that does not contact the waste liquid. 3. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid detecting means is constituted by a sensor that is not in contact with the cleaning liquid. The sample analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit further determines the presence or absence of a cleaning liquid. A cleaning section for cleaning the outside of the suction tube;
  5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third flow path for sending the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank to the waste liquid tank through the cleaning unit without passing through the suction pipe. Sample analyzer.

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