JP7126932B2 - automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to automated analyzers.

Conventionally, an inductive distance detection sensor or the like is known as a sensor capable of detecting a distance to an object to be measured. For example, in Patent Document 1, the distance to the object to be measured is calculated based on the amount of change in the inductance of the coil when the magnetic field generated when a current is passed through the coil changes according to the distance to the object to be detected. An eddy current type non-contact displacement meter (inductive distance detection sensor) for detecting is disclosed.

Further, the vibration state of the object to be measured is also detected based on the information on the time-series change in the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor.

JP-A-55-082013

However, the inductive distance detection sensor has individual differences in the electronic components that make up the sensor, various errors that occur in each process of manufacturing or assembling a device that includes the inductive distance detection sensor and the measurement object, etc. Its sensitivity changes. If the inductive distance detection sensor has such manufacturing errors, assembly errors, installation errors, etc., it will not be possible to correctly detect the vibration state of the object to be measured.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to correctly detect the vibration state of an object to be measured even when an inductive distance detection sensor has various errors.

Further, an automatic analyzer that reflects one aspect of the present invention includes a reaction unit that holds a container and dispenses a specimen and a reagent into the held container, and a container supply unit that supplies the container to the reaction unit. . The container supply unit includes a container storage section for storing a plurality of containers, a container discharge section for discharging the plurality of containers stored in the container storage section, and a container aligning section for aligning the containers discharged from the container discharge section. Prepare. The container aligning unit includes an alignment rail that conveys and movably supports a plurality of containers, a vibrator that vibrates the alignment rail, and an amount of change in the inductance of the coil that changes according to the distance between the alignment rail and the alignment rail. Based on the inductive distance detection sensor that detects the distance between the alignment rails, and based on the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor, the amplitude of the vibration of the detection target is measured, and the output of the inductive distance detection sensor A control unit that controls the control signal input to the vibration exciter as feedback so that the value becomes the target amplitude value, and the alignment rail and the induction type distance are adjusted so that the vibration amplitude of the alignment rail becomes a predetermined value. Measured output value, which is the amplitude value of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor corresponding to each interval when the interval between the detection sensors is changed, and the measured output value between the alignment rail and the inductive distance detection sensor when the alignment rail is stationary and a storage unit for pre-storing information indicating the correspondence relationship between the measured output value information, which is the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor corresponding to each interval when the interval is changed, and , acquire the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor while the alignment rail is stationary, and apply the acquired output value to the measured output value of the information indicating the correspondence relationship stored in advance in the storage unit. The measured output value of the inductive distance detection sensor is acquired, and the acquired measured output value is set as the amplitude target value to perform feedback control .

According to the vibration detection device and automatic analysis device of the present invention, even when the inductive distance detection sensor has various errors, it is possible to correctly detect the vibration state of the object to be measured. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an automatic analyzer according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container used in the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a container supply unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the container supply unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a side view showing a container supply unit according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the container aligning section of the container supply unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a vibration detection sensor section according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the vibration detection sensor section and alignment rails according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle of distance detection by the inductive distance detection sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of each block involved in vibration state control of the alignment rail according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of time-series data of detection values of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the interval and the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the correspondence between the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the size of the interval and the average value of the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention; be. 4 is a flow chart showing a procedure of sensitivity correction processing of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 9 is a graph showing the correspondence between the output value of each sensor and the interval when a plurality of inductive distance detection sensors according to the second embodiment of the present invention perform the same measurement; Correspondence between each stationary average value of a plurality of inductive distance detection sensors according to the size of the interval according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the average value of the amplitude of the output waveform of each inductive distance detection sensor It is a graph showing. FIG. 17 is a graph showing plots of the results of performing offset correction on each plot shown in FIG. 16 according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a configuration example of a calibration standard according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a specimen dispensing unit to which a dispensing probe transfer mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention is applied; FIG. 11 is a top view showing an example of the arrangement position of the inductive distance detection sensor according to the third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of the result of measuring the amount of vibration of the tip portion of the dispensing probe when the dispensing arm according to the third embodiment of the present invention has been transported by a predetermined distance in the θ-axis direction and then stopped.

Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, constituent elements having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

1. First Embodiment 1-1. Configuration of Automatic Analysis Apparatus First, an automatic analysis apparatus (an example of a vibration detection apparatus) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that FIG. 1 describes elements considered necessary for explaining the present invention or elements related thereto, and the automatic analyzer of the present invention is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

[Overview of automatic analyzer]
The automatic analyzer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an immune analyzer that performs immune analysis such as antigen-antibody reaction of a subject to which the automatic analyzer of the present invention is applied. The automatic analyzer 1 includes a measuring device 2 and a control device 80 that controls the entire automatic analyzer 1 including the measuring device 2 and analyzes measurement data output from the measuring device 2 .

The automatic analyzer 1 to which the immunoanalyzer is applied performs highly sensitive measurements using, for example, Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay (CLEIA). CLEIA has a reaction process, a separation process (BF separation) and a photometry process as main processes. In the reaction step, a specimen (antigen or antibody) and a reagent are reacted in a reaction vessel. In the separation step (BF separation), reaction products (bound) and unreacted substances (free) in the reaction vessel are separated. In the photometry step, the amount of luminescence generated from an immune complex produced by the reaction between each reagent and the specimen is measured.

[Measurement system of automatic analyzer]
The measurement apparatus 2 is roughly divided into a container supply unit 3, a sample installation unit 4, a container transport unit 5, a sample dispensing unit 6, a reagent cooling unit 7, a first reagent dispensing unit 8, and a second reagent dispensing unit 9. , an immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 (an example of a reaction unit), a first BF separation unit 11 , a second BF separation unit 12 , a substrate liquid refrigerator 14 , a container transfer unit 15 and a luminescence measurement unit 16 . Units such as the container supply unit 3 , the sample installation unit 4 , the substrate liquid refrigerator 14 , the container transfer unit 15 and the luminescence measurement unit 16 are accommodated in the apparatus exterior body 18 .

The container supply unit 3 accommodates a plurality of containers (cuvettes) 100 (see FIG. 2) and arranges the plurality of containers 100 one by one at the transfer position. The container 100 arranged at the transfer position is transferred to the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 by the container transfer unit 5 . A sample and a predetermined reagent are injected into the container 100 transported to the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 .

The container transport unit 5 includes an arm that can move vertically and rotate about a vertical line passing through the base end of the arm, and a holder provided at the tip of the arm. The container transport unit 5 holds the container 100 placed at the transport position of the container supply unit 3 with the holding part, rotates the arm, and transports the container 100 to the predetermined position of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 at a predetermined timing. do.

The sample installation unit 4 includes a turntable formed in a substantially cylindrical container shape with one end in the axial direction open. A plurality of sample containers 4a are accommodated in the sample installation unit 4 . The specimen container 4a contains a specimen (sample) such as blood or urine collected from a subject. A plurality of sample containers 4a are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the sample installation unit 4 . The specimen installation unit 4 is rotatably supported along the circumferential direction by a driving mechanism (not shown). Then, the specimen installation unit 4 is rotated at a predetermined speed in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angle range by a driving mechanism (not shown). In the example of FIG. 1, the rows of the sample containers 4a arranged in the circumferential direction of the sample installation unit 4 are provided in two rows in the radial direction of the sample installation unit 4 with a predetermined interval. As the sample, a sample diluted with a predetermined diluent or the like may be used.

The specimen pipetting unit 6 has a pipetting probe attached to the distal end for aspirating and discharging the specimen, and can move up and down in the vertical direction and rotate about a vertical line passing through its base end. and a dispensing arm. The sample pipetting unit 6 aspirates the sample in the sample container 4a moved to the predetermined position of the sample installation unit 4 with the pipetting probe, rotates the pipetting arm, and dispenses the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 at a predetermined timing. Dispense into containers 100 in place.

The reagent cooling unit 7 includes a turntable formed in the shape of a substantially cylindrical container with one end in the axial direction open, as with the specimen installation unit 4 . The reagent cooling unit 7 is rotatably supported in the circumferential direction by a driving mechanism (not shown), and the driving mechanism (not shown) rotates forward in the circumferential direction at a predetermined speed by a predetermined angular range. Or reverse rotation.

The reagent cooling unit 7 accommodates a first reagent container 7a and a second reagent container 7b. The first reagent container 7a and the second reagent container 7b are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the reagent cooling unit 7 . The first reagent container 7a contains, as a first reagent, a magnetic reagent composed of magnetic particles that react with the target antigen in the sample. The second reagent container 7b contains a labeling reagent (enzyme antibody) that reacts with a reaction product in which the antigen in the specimen and the magnetic reagent are bound as a second reagent. The inside of the reagent cooling unit 7 is kept at a predetermined temperature by a cooling mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the first reagent (magnetic reagent) contained in the first reagent container 7a and the second reagent (labeling reagent) contained in the second reagent container 7b are kept cool at a predetermined temperature. .

The first reagent dispensing unit 8 includes a probe attached to the distal end portion for aspirating and discharging a sample, and can move up and down in the vertical direction and rotate about a vertical line passing through the base end portion of the first reagent dispensing unit 8. and an arm for performing The first reagent dispensing unit 8 uses the probe to aspirate the first reagent (magnetic reagent) in the first reagent container 7a that has been moved to a predetermined position in the reagent cooling unit 7, rotates the arm, and moves to a predetermined position. The first reagent is dispensed into the container 100 at a predetermined position of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 at the timing of .

The second reagent dispensing unit 9 has the same configuration as the first reagent dispensing unit 8 . The second reagent dispensing unit 9 uses the probe to aspirate the second reagent (labeling reagent) in the second reagent container 7b that has been moved to a predetermined position in the reagent cooling unit 7, rotates the arm, and moves to a predetermined position. The second reagent is dispensed into the container 100 at a predetermined position of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 at the timing of .

In the immuno-enzyme reaction unit 10, in containers 100 arranged in the circumferential direction, an immunoreaction between a specimen and a predetermined reagent corresponding to an analysis item, an immunocomplex generated by this immunoreaction, and an enzyme by a chemiluminescent substrate A reaction is performed. The immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 includes a turntable formed in a substantially cylindrical container shape with one end in the axial direction open, as in the specimen installation unit 4 . The immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 is rotatably supported along the circumferential direction by a drive mechanism (not shown), and is rotated in the circumferential direction by a predetermined angular range at a predetermined speed by the drive mechanism (not shown). . Here, the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 rotates counterclockwise. In the example of FIG. 1, the row of containers 100 arranged in the circumferential direction of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 is set in one row with a predetermined interval in the radial direction of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10. A row of containers 100 for one reagent and a row of containers 100 for a second reagent may be provided with a predetermined interval in the radial direction.

When the magnetic reagent is dispensed by the first reagent dispensing unit 8 into the container 100 into which the sample is injected, the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 stirs the mixture of the magnetic reagent and the sample by a stirring mechanism (not shown), The antigen in the specimen and the magnetic reagent are allowed to undergo an immune reaction for a certain period of time (primary immune reaction). Next, the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 moves this container 100 to the first magnetism collecting mechanism (magnet 13), and magnetizes the reaction product in which the antigen and the magnetic reagent are bound by magnetic force. In this state, the inside of the container 100 is washed to remove unreacted substances that have not reacted with the magnetic reagent (primary BF separation).

The first magnetic flux collection mechanism is fixed at a position corresponding to the first BF separation unit 11 arranged near the outer periphery of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 . The turntable of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 is composed of two layers, a fixed lower layer and a rotatable upper layer. A magnet 13 is arranged as a first magnetic collecting mechanism on the lower turntable, and a container 100 is arranged on the upper turntable. The magnet 13 magnetizes the reaction product inside the container 100 .

The first BF separation unit 11 includes an arm 25 , a nozzle 21 attached to the arm 25 and a washing tank 24 . The arm 25 can freely move up and down in the vertical direction and rotate about a vertical line passing through its base end. This arm 25 moves the nozzle 21 to the container 100 at the primary BF separation position of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 and the washing tank 24 at the nozzle washing position on the first BF separation unit 11 side. At the primary BF separation position, the nozzle 21 discharges and aspirates the cleaning liquid into the container 100 into which the sample and the magnetic reagent are injected, and cleans the container 100, thereby removing unreacted substances that have not reacted with the magnetic reagent (BF cleaning). .

The first BF separation unit 11 performs primary BF separation when the container 100 is transported to the primary BF separation position. By the primary BF separation and BF washing, a reaction product in which the target antigen in the sample and the magnetic reagent are bound is magnetically collected in the container 100 . When the primary BF separation is completed, the arm 25 moves the nozzle 21 to the nozzle cleaning position where the cleaning tank 24 is located.

After the primary BF separation, when the labeling reagent is dispensed by the second reagent dispensing unit 9 into the container 100 in which the reaction product remains, the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 mixes the labeling reagent with the labeling reagent by a stirring mechanism (not shown). The mixture of specimens is stirred, and the reaction product and the labeling reagent are immunoreacted for a certain period of time (secondary immunoreaction). Next, the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 moves this container 100 to a second magnetism collection mechanism (not shown), and collects the immune complex in which the reaction product and the labeling reagent are bound by magnetic force. In this state, the inside of the container 100 is washed to remove unreacted substances that have not reacted with the labeling reagent (secondary BF separation).

The second magnetic flux collection mechanism has a magnet similar to the magnet 13 of the first magnetic flux collection mechanism, and is located at a position corresponding to the second BF separation unit 12 arranged near the outer periphery of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10. Fixed. In the example of FIG. 1, the magnet included in the second magnetic flux collection mechanism is arranged below the nozzle 21 at the secondary BF separation position.

The second BF separation unit 12 has the same configuration as the first BF separation unit 11 and is arranged with a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction from the first BF separation unit 11 . The arm 25 can freely move up and down in the vertical direction and rotate about a vertical line passing through its base end. This arm 25 moves the nozzle 21 to the container 100 at the secondary BF separation position of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 and the washing tank 24 at the nozzle washing position on the second BF separation unit 12 side. At the secondary BF separation position, the nozzle 21 discharges and sucks the cleaning liquid into the container 100 into which the labeling reagent is injected to clean it, thereby removing excess unreacted substances that have not reacted with the labeling reagent (BF cleaning). .

The second BF separation unit 12 performs secondary BF separation when the container 100 is transported to the secondary BF separation position. By the secondary BF separation and BF washing, an immune complex in which a reaction product composed of the target antigen in the specimen and the magnetic reagent and the labeling reagent are bound is collected in the container 100 . When the secondary BF separation is completed, the arm 25 moves the nozzle 21 to the nozzle cleaning position where the cleaning tank 24 is located.

A substrate liquid dispensing unit 26 is further attached to the arm 25 of the second BF separation unit 12 . The substrate liquid dispensing unit 26 is arranged at a position farther from the rotation axis of the arm 25 than the nozzle 21 is. The substrate liquid dispensing unit 26 is connected via a tube (not shown) to a substrate liquid cooler 14 that stores and keeps the substrate liquid cool. The substrate liquid dispensing unit 26 performs secondary BF separation of the substrate liquid containing the chemiluminescent substrate that specifically reacts with the labeling reagent for the immunocomplex to which the magnetic reagent, the antigen, and the labeling reagent (enzyme antibody) are bound. Dispensing into subsequent containers 100 . Then, the container 100 into which the substrate liquid has been injected is conveyed to a predetermined position by the rotation of the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 . The container 100 transported to the predetermined position is transported to the luminescence measurement unit 16 by the container transport unit 15 .

The luminescence measurement unit 16 is a photometry unit using a photomultiplier tube (PMT) 16a as a detector, and measures the luminescence phenomenon caused by the immune complex and the chemiluminescent substrate by photocounting. That is, the light emission amount is measured. A photometric signal corresponding to the luminous flux (luminescence amount) detected by the luminescence measuring unit 16 is digitized by an analog-digital converter (not shown). The digitized photometric signal is input to the control device 80 via a serial interface (not shown) or the like, and analyzed by the control device 80 .

1-2. Configuration of Container Next, the configuration of the container 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a container 100 used in the automatic analyzer 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the container 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has a body portion 101 and a neck portion 102 . Examples of materials for the container 100 include resin and glass. Also, the container 100 is formed transparent or translucent.

One axial end portion of the body portion 101 forms the bottom portion of the container 100, and the bottom portion is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape. The neck portion 102 is provided at the other axial end portion of the body portion 101 . The outer diameter of this neck portion 102 is larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 101 . By forming the outer diameter of the neck portion 102 to be larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 101 , a step is formed between the neck portion 102 and the body portion 101 . A groove 102 a extending along the axial direction of the neck portion 102 is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 102 .

Note that the neck portion of the container may have an outer diameter larger than that of the body portion, and is not limited to one having a groove. As the neck of the container, for example, one having a first outer diameter portion larger than the outer diameter of the body portion and a second outer diameter portion larger than the outer diameter of the first outer diameter portion, or one having a portion of the body portion The outer diameter may be larger than the outer diameter.

1-3. Configuration of Container Supply Unit Next, the detailed configuration of the container supply unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. FIG. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the container supply unit 3, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the container supply unit 3. FIG. 6 is a side view of the container aligning section 34 of the container supply unit 3. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the container supply unit 3 includes a base portion 31 , a container storage portion 32 , a container discharge portion 33 , a container alignment portion 34 and a vibration detection sensor portion 110 . The base portion 31 is formed in a rectangular plate shape having an appropriate thickness.

[Container storage part]
First, the container storage part 32 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , the container storage part 32 is formed in a hollow box shape with an open top, and stores a plurality of containers 100 . The container storage section 32 has four side plates 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d and a bottom plate 32e. The side plates 32a and 32b face each other, and the side plates 32c and 32d face each other.

A vertically extending notch 38 is formed in the side plate 32d. The container discharge part 33 is arranged in the notch 38 . A cover member 39 that covers the notch 38 and the container discharge portion 33 is attached to the side plate 32d. Inside the cover member 39, one end of an alignment rail 51 of the container alignment section 34, which will be described later, is arranged.

The inner surface of the bottom plate 32e is inclined so as to become lower from the side plate 32c toward the side plate 32d. As a result, the plurality of containers 100 stored in the container storage section 32 are guided by the bottom plate (not shown) and move toward the side plate 32d where the container discharge section 33 is arranged.

The opening of the container storage section 32 is normally closed by a storage section lid (not shown) provided on the apparatus exterior body 18 (see FIG. 1). When inserting a plurality of containers 100 into the container storage section 32 , the user opens the storage section lid to expose the opening of the container storage section 32 .

The container discharging section 33 discharges the plurality of containers stored in the container storing section 32 to the outside of the side plate 32d.
[Container discharge part]
Next, referring to FIG. 3 as well, the container discharge section 33 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3 , the container discharge unit 33 includes a ring belt 43 , a belt support mechanism 44 that rotatably supports the ring belt 43 , a belt rotation mechanism (not shown) that rotates the ring belt 43 , and a ring belt 43 . and a mounting member 45 provided in the .

The annular belt 43 is formed in an endless shape, and is stretched over a drive roller and a driven roller (both not shown) of the belt support mechanism 44 . Examples of materials for the annular belt 43 include rubber materials, synthetic resins, and metal wires.

A plurality of mounting members 45 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the annular belt 43 . The plurality of mounting members 45 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the annular belt 43 . The containers 100 stored in the container storage section 32 are placed on the plurality of mounting members 45 .

The belt support mechanism 44 has a drive roller, a driven roller, and a pair of roller support plates 46A and 46B. The pair of roller support plates 46A and 46B are generally rectangular plate bodies extending in the vertical direction, and one flat surfaces of the plate bodies are opposed to each other.

The drive roller is arranged between the pair of roller support plates 46A, 46B and rotatably supported below the pair of roller support plates 46A, 46B. The driven roller is arranged between the pair of roller support plates 46A and 46B and rotatably supported above the pair of roller support plates 46A and 46B. As a result, the annular belt 43 stretched over the drive roller and the driven roller is formed into a vertically elongated annular shape.

A motor that constitutes a belt rotation mechanism (not shown) is connected to the drive roller. When the motor is driven, the driving roller rotates, and the annular belt 43 stretched around the driving roller rotates.

As a result, the annular belt 43 is formed with an outward path along which the mounting member 45 moves upward and a return path along which the mounting member 45 moves downward. The outward path of the annular belt 43 is arranged inside the container storage section 32 , and the return path of the annular belt 43 is arranged outside the container storage section 32 .

In addition, the outward path of the annular belt 43 is switched to the return path via the curved portion that is the upper portion of the annular belt 43 . Then, the return path of the annular belt 43 is switched to the outward path through the lower curved portion (hereinafter referred to as the “lower curved portion”) of the annular belt 43 . The lower curved portion of the annular belt 43 is arranged below the bottom plate 32e of the container storage portion 32 together with the belt rotation mechanism.

The plurality of mounting members 45 convey the placed containers 100 on the outward path, and discharge the containers 100 toward the cover member 39 at the upper curved portion where the outward path and the return path are switched.
[Container alignment part]
Next, the container aligning section 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the container aligning section 34 aligns the containers 100 discharged from the container discharging section 33 and conveys the aligned containers 100 to the transfer position where they are transferred to the container transfer unit 5 .

The container aligning section 34 includes an aligning rail 51, a shutter mechanism 52, quantity monitoring sensors 53A and 53B, a container presence/absence sensor 54, an aligning section support member 90 that supports the aligning rail 51, and vibrates the aligning rail 51. A vibrator 55 and a vibration detection sensor unit 110 for detecting the vibration state of the alignment rail 51 are provided.

The alignment rail 51 has two flat plates 61A and 61B facing each other. These flat plates 61A and 61B are each formed in a laterally long substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged substantially parallel to the side plate 32d. The distance between the flat surfaces of the flat plates 61A and 61B facing each other is longer than the outer diameter of the body portion 101 of the container 100 and shorter than the outer diameter of the neck portion 102 of the container 100 . For example, the distance between the flat surfaces of the flat plates 61A and 61B facing each other is set to be longer than the outer diameter of the body portion 101 by about 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

A first inclined surface portion 61a (an example of an inclined surface portion), a second inclined surface portion 61b (an example of an inclined surface portion), and a stepped surface portion 61c are formed at upper ends of the flat plates 61A and 61B in the vertical direction. The first inclined surface portion 61a is inclined such that the height in the vertical direction continuously decreases toward the downstream side from the upstream side in the conveying direction, that is, the receiving position where the container 100 is received from the cover member 39 . The first inclined surface portion 61a is inclined at a first inclination angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction. The first inclination angle θ1 is set based on the transport speed of the container 100 and the timing of transferring the container 100 at the transfer position. The first inclination angle θ1 is set to twice the angle for obtaining the minimum carrying force for carrying the container 100 . The first tilt angle θ1 is set to 4.5°, for example.

Like the first inclined surface portion 61a, the second inclined surface portion 61b is inclined such that the height in the vertical direction continuously decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. The second inclined surface portion 61b is inclined at a second inclination angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal direction. The second tilt angle θ2 is set smaller than the first tilt angle θ1 (θ1>θ2). That is, the second inclined surface portion 61b is formed more gently than the first inclined surface portion 61a.

The second inclined surface portion 61b stabilizes the posture of the container 100 that has passed through the first inclined surface portion 61a. That is, when the container 100 passes through the second inclined surface portion 61b, the axial direction of the container 100 becomes substantially parallel to the vertical direction, and the posture of the container 100 is stabilized. The second inclination angle θ2 is set to an angle for obtaining a minimum carrying force for carrying the container 100 . The second tilt angle θ2 is set to 2°, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, one end of the alignment rail 51 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the upstream side in the conveying direction, penetrates the cover member 39 and is arranged in the cover member 39. . That is, the container 100 ejected from the container ejection section 33 is transferred to the alignment rail 51 inside the cover member 39 .

The shutter mechanism 52 is arranged on the downstream side of the alignment rail 51 in the transport direction, that is, in the vicinity of the transport position, closer to the cover member 39 than the transport position of the alignment rail 51 . The shutter mechanism 52 temporarily blocks movement of the plurality of containers 100 moving along the alignment rails 51 and sends out the containers 100 one by one to the transfer position of the alignment rails 51 .

The quantity monitoring sensors 53A and 53B are arranged between the cover member 39 and the shutter mechanism 52. As shown in FIG. These quantity monitoring sensors 53A and 53B are, for example, photosensors, and detect whether or not there are containers 100 at opposing positions.

When both the quantity monitoring sensors 53A and 53B or the quantity monitoring sensor 53B alone detects that there are containers 100 at opposing positions, it can be determined that there are more than a predetermined number of containers 100 before passing through the shutter mechanism 52. . Accordingly, information that at least a predetermined number of containers 100 are continuously supplied to the post-process can be transmitted to the control device 80 that controls the post-process.

Further, when at least the quantity monitoring sensor 53B of the quantity monitoring sensors 53A and 53B detects that there are no containers 100 at the opposing positions, the number of containers 100 before passing through the shutter mechanism 52 is less than the predetermined number. can be determined. This makes it possible to transmit information to the control device 80 that controls the post-process that at least the predetermined number of containers 100 are not continuously supplied to the post-process.

The container presence/absence sensor 54 is fixed to the support frame 71 via a bracket (not shown). The container presence/absence sensor 54 faces the container 100 arranged at the transfer position of the alignment rail 51 . The container presence/absence sensor 54 is, for example, a photosensor, and detects whether or not the container 100 is present at the opposing position (transfer position). When the container presence/absence sensor 54 detects that the container 100 is not at the transfer position, the controller 80 determines that clogging or jamming of the container 100 has occurred, and takes measures such as suspending the analysis operation. Above, the user is notified that the delivery of the container 100 has failed.

Further, the shutter mechanism 52 is provided with a stopper member 62 . The stopper member 62 is fixed to the support frame 71 via a fixing bracket 86 . The stopper member 62 is arranged above the stepped surface portion 61c of the alignment rail 51, which will be described later, and faces the stepped surface portion 61c with a gap therebetween in the vertical direction. Then, the stopper member 62 abuts on the neck portion 102 of the container 100 arranged at the movement position of the alignment rail 51 .

The vibration exciter 55 is attached to an alignment section support member 90 that supports the alignment rail 51 . As the vibration exciter 55, for example, a solenoid (coil) can be used. Vibration is applied to the alignment rails 51 by the vibration exciter 55, so that the containers 100 held on the alignment rails 51 gradually move toward the other end of the alignment rails 51, that is, downstream in the conveying direction. The downstream side of the alignment rail 51 is set at a transfer position for transferring the container 100 to the container transfer unit 5 described above.

In this embodiment, an example is given in which the vibration exciter for vibrating the alignment rail is configured by a coil (solenoid), but the present invention is not limited to this. Any actuator that can vibrate the alignment rails that align and transport the containers may be used as the vibrator.

Next, a detailed configuration of the alignment section support member 90 that supports the alignment rails 51 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6 , the alignment section support member 90 includes a fixed base 91A, a first vibrating body 91B, a second vibrating body 91C, and a vibrator 55. As shown in FIG.

The fixed stand 91A is a base for fixing the structure of the container aligning section 34 including the aligning rails 51 to the automatic analyzer 1 . A first vibrating body 91B is arranged on the fixed base 91A, and a second vibrating body 91C is arranged on the first vibrating body 91B. Alignment rails 51 are arranged on the second vibrating body 91C.

Of the surfaces of the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C, a first side surface Sd1 that is a surface on the downstream side in the conveying direction and a second side surface that is a surface on the upstream side in the conveying direction Sd2 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

The first vibrator 91B and the fixed base 91A are connected by plate-like plate springs 92A and 92B. The leaf spring 92A is attached to the first vibrating body 91B and the first side surface Sd1 of the fixed base 91A by bolts 93A to 93D (bolts 93B and 93D are not shown). The plate spring 92B is attached to the first vibrating body 91B and the second side surface Sd2 of the fixed base 91A by bolts 93E to 93H (bolts 93F and 93H are not shown). That is, the first vibrating body 91B is supported by the fixed base 91A via the leaf springs 92A and 92B so as to be reciprocally movable in the transport direction.

The second vibrating body 91C and the first vibrating body 91B are connected by flat leaf springs 92C and 92D. The leaf spring 92C is fixed on the first side surface Sd1 of the second vibrating body 91C and the first vibrating body 91B by bolts 93I to 93L (bolts 93J and 93L are not shown). The plate spring 92D is fixed on the second side surface Sd2 of the second vibrating body 91C and the first vibrating body 91B by bolts 93M to 93P (bolts 93N and 93P are not shown). That is, the second vibrating body 91C is supported by the first vibrating body 91B via the plate springs 92C and 92D so as to be able to reciprocate in the transport direction.

The first vibrating body 91B has a U-shaped opening 91Ba with an open upper end and a bottom formed at a lower end. A vibration exciter 55 formed of a coil (solenoid) is attached to the bottom of the opening 91Ba.

When a current is applied to the vibration exciter 55 composed of a coil, the second vibrator 91C is drawn toward the vibration exciter 55 side. On the other hand, when the current applied to the vibration exciter 55 is cut off, the leaf springs 92C and 92D return to their original positions, that is, the force in which the vibration exciter 55 attracts the second vibrator 91C is reversed. generates a force of As a result, the second vibrating body 91C returns to its original position. By repeating the application and interruption of current to the vibration exciter 55, the second vibrating body 91C vibrates in the vertical direction. At this time, the first vibrator 91B to which the vibration exciter 55 is attached receives a reaction force due to the reaction of the movement of the second vibrator 91C toward and away from the vibration exciter 55, and vibrates.

As described above, both the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C have the first side surface Sd1 and the second side surface Sd2 inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. As a result, the vertical vibrations of the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C are converted into the reciprocating motion of the alignment rails 51 arranged on the second vibrating body 91C in the conveying direction.

For example, when the first vibrating body 91B is completely fixed to the fixed base 91A, this reaction force escapes to the outside of the container aligning section 34 as a structural body, and the container aligning section 34 Vibration generation efficiency deteriorates. In this embodiment, by fixing the first vibrating body 91B and the fixed base 91A with leaf springs 92A and 92B, the first vibrating body 91B can be moved relative to the fixed base 91A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the reaction force due to the reaction is absorbed by the structure, it is possible to prevent the reduction of the vibration generation efficiency in the container aligning section 34 .

The application and interruption of current to the vibration exciter 55 is performed by a control signal having two values of ON and OFF to the vibration exciter 55 from the vibration exciter driver 205 (see FIG. 10) of the vibration state control section 200 described later. It is realized by being supplied. Here, the vibration exciter is arranged such that the frequency of the reciprocating motion of the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C matches the natural frequency of the container aligning section 34 as a structure including these vibrating bodies. By adjusting the period of the current supplied to 55, the container aligning section 34 is brought into a resonance state. Then, when the container arranging section 34 enters a resonance state, the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C vibrate greatly.

A vibration detection sensor unit 110 that detects the state of vibration of the alignment rail 51 is provided in the vicinity of the upstream end of the alignment rail 51 . The vibration state of the alignment rails 51 detected by the vibration detection sensor section 110 is supplied to the vibration state control section 200 (see FIG. 10) of the control device 80 . Then, the vibration state control unit 200 performs control to keep the vibration state of the alignment rail 51 constant using the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 as a feedback signal.

In this embodiment, an example in which a plurality of vibrating bodies (the first vibrating body 91B and the second vibrating body 91C) are connected via leaf springs was given, but the present invention is not limited to this. When an actuator capable of generating a force in the reciprocating direction of the alignment rail is used as the vibration exciter, the plate spring may not be used and a plurality of vibrators may not be provided.

1-4. Configuration of Vibration Detection Sensor Unit Here, a configuration example of the vibration detection sensor unit 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the vibration detection sensor section 110. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of the vibration detection sensor section 110 and the alignment rail 51, showing an example of the arrangement position of the vibration detection sensor section 110. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the vibration detection sensor section 110 includes an inductive distance detection sensor 111 , a bracket 112 , and a protective cover 113 that protects the inductive distance detection sensor 111 . The inductive distance detection sensor 111 has a coil 114 . A magnetic field generated when a current is passed through the coil 114 changes according to the distance to the object to be detected. Then, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 detects the distance to the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected, based on the amount of change in the inductance of the coil 114 after the current is passed through the coil 114. FIG. The coil 114 of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is formed, for example, as a wiring pattern of a printed circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 8, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 faces the side surface 51a at the upstream end of the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected. The inductive distance detection sensor 111 is arranged at a position spaced apart by a distance T from the side surface 51a of the end portion. The interval T is set to, for example, 1 to 1.5 mm. Inductive distance detection sensor 111 is supported by bracket 112 .

An inductive distance detection sensor 111 is fixed to the bracket 112 . The end of the bracket 112 on the side where the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is not attached is fixed to the base portion 31 (see FIG. 5). Since the base portion 31 does not vibrate even when the alignment rail 51 vibrates, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is aligned by fixing one end of the bracket 112 to which the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is attached to the base portion 31 . The influence of vibration of the rail 51 is eliminated. Thereby, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 can accurately detect the distance to the alignment rail 51 .

The protective cover 113 has a shape that covers the side surface and the back surface of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 (the surface on the side not facing the alignment rail 51), and is attached to the bracket 112 to protect the inductive distance detection sensor 111. Protect. The protective cover 113 is made of a non-magnetic material such as resin. Note that the protective cover 113 is not necessarily required, and a configuration in which the protective cover 113 is not provided may be employed.

Next, the principle of distance detection by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 of the vibration detection sensor section 110 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle of distance detection by an inductive distance detection sensor;

In FIG. 9, a rectangular parallelepiped shaped like a plate indicates the object to be detected Tg, and the spiral wire arranged above the object to be detected Tg indicates the coil Sc incorporated in the inductive distance detection sensor. The inductive distance detection sensor generates a high-frequency alternating magnetic field Mfs around the coil Sc by applying current to the coil Sc. The AC magnetic field Mfs generated around the coil Sc produces an eddy current (induced current) Ec on the surface of the object to be detected Tg.

The inductance of the coil Sc changes according to the magnitude of the overcurrent Ec generated on the surface of the inductive distance detection sensor. That is, the inductance of the coil Sc changes according to the change in the distance between the coil Sc and the detection object Tg. In addition, the inductance of the coil Sc also changes depending on the material type (aluminum, stainless steel, steel, etc.) of the detection target Tg. The inductive distance detection sensor detects changes in the inductance of the coil Sc. Therefore, the inductive distance detection sensor can measure the distance between the object to be detected Tg and the inductive distance detection sensor by detecting changes in the inductance of the coil Sc.

In such an inductive distance detection sensor, by designing and/or adjusting the coil, it is possible to detect displacement amounts in sub-micron units. In this embodiment, an example in which the coil of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is formed as a wiring pattern on a printed circuit board has been given, but the present invention is not limited to this. The coil of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 may be composed of copper wire windings or the like. However, forming the coil of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 as a wiring pattern on a printed circuit board can further improve the manufacturing accuracy of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 .

Also, the alignment rail 51 as the object to be detected by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 must be made of a conductive material. can be used.

As described above, the physical quantity measurable by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is the distance between the end of the side surface 51a of the alignment rail 51 as the object to be detected. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vibration state control section 200 calculates the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51, which indicates the vibration state of the alignment rail 51, based on the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. FIG. The amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51 can be calculated based on time-series change information (time-series data) of the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 . A method for detecting the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51 from the time-series data of the detection values of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11 described later.

1-5. Configuration of Blocks Related to Vibration State Control Next, referring to FIG. 10, the configuration of blocks related to vibration state control of the alignment rails 51 of the container alignment section 34 will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of each block involved in controlling the vibration state of the alignment rail 51. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 schematically shows the container aligning section 34, the inductive distance detection sensor 111, and the vibration state control section 200, which are blocks related to the vibration state control of the alignment rails 51. As shown in FIG. The container aligning unit 34 includes a first vibrating body 91B in which a vibration exciter 55 is installed, a second vibrating body 91C connected to the first vibrating body 91B by leaf springs 92A to 92D, and a second vibrating body 91C. and an alignment rail 51 arranged on the upper part of the vibrating body 91C.

The inductive distance detection sensor 111 is arranged at a position near the side surface 51 a of the alignment rail 51 of the container alignment section 34 . The inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the vibration state control section 200 are connected so as to be able to transmit and receive data to each other.

A vibration state control unit 200 (an example of a control unit) has a sensor control unit 206 , a detection unit 201 , an oscillator 202 , a control circuit 203 , a storage unit 204 and a vibrator driver 205 . The operation of each part constituting the vibration state control section 200 is controlled by the control section 210 .

The detection unit 201 has an amplitude average value detection unit 201a and a static average value detection unit 201b. The amplitude average value detection unit 201a detects the amplitude of vibration when the alignment rail 51 vibrates. The static average value detection unit 201b detects the static average value corresponding to the interval T between the side surface 51a of the alignment rail 51 and the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the alignment rail 51 is stopped.

The sensor control unit 206 switches the output destination of the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 between the amplitude average value detection unit 201a and the static average value detection unit 201b. A user can determine which of the amplitude average value detection unit 201a and the stationary average value detection unit 201b is selected by the sensor control unit 206 through an input unit (for example, a switch) (not shown). Alternatively, one of the amplitude average value detection unit 201a and the static average value detection unit 201b is automatically selected based on the detection result of the operating state of the vibrator driver 205. good too. Specifically, if the vibrator driver 205 is operating, the amplitude average value detection unit 201a selects, and if the vibrator driver 205 does not operate, the static average value detection unit 201b selects , the controller 210 may instruct the sensor controller 206 .

The amplitude average value detection unit 201 a detects (measures) the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51 based on the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and outputs the detected amplitude value to the control circuit 203 . Further, the amplitude average value detection unit 201a also corrects the sensitivity of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. FIG. A procedure of sensitivity correction processing of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14 described later.

The oscillator 202 generates a fundamental wave of the control signal to be applied to the vibration exciter 55 and outputs it to the control circuit 203 . The control circuit 203 compares the actual amplitude value input from the average amplitude detector 201a with a preset target value, and changes the duty ratio of the waveform so that the actual amplitude approaches the target value. . Then, the control circuit 203 supplies the control signal whose waveform duty ratio is changed to the vibrator driver 205 .

In this embodiment, the vibration state control section 200 performs feedback control by changing only the duty ratio of the waveform of the control signal applied to the vibrator 55, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vibration state control section 200 may perform control to change only the frequency of the control signal applied to the vibrator 55, or control to change both the frequency of the control signal and the duty ratio of the waveform.

The storage unit 204 stores a target value of the amplitude of the vibration exciter 55, an approximate function expression, a data table, and the like, which are used when the vibration state control unit 200 controls the vibration of the alignment rail 51, which will be described later.

The vibration exciter driver 205 is composed of, for example, an amplifier, etc., and amplifies the control signal input from the control circuit 203 to a level at which the vibration exciter 55 can operate, and applies the amplified control signal to the vibration exciter 55 . The vibration exciter 55 generates a magnetic field when a control signal is applied from the vibration exciter driver 205, and vibrates the second vibrating body 91C.

By measuring the peak-to-peak period of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, the vibration state control unit 200 secondarily detects the frequency (driving frequency) of the control signal for driving the vibrator 55. can also be calculated.

Next, time-series data of detection values of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of time-series data of detection values of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. As shown in FIG. The vertical axis of the graph in FIG. 11 indicates the amplitude (mm) of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, and the horizontal axis indicates time (s).

In the graph shown in FIG. 11, the period of the waveform (rectangular) of the control signal applied to the vibration exciter 55 is set to 8.33 ms (120 Hz), and the ON time of the waveform is set to 500 μs, 800 μs, and 1000 μs, and the duty ratio is changed. Output waveforms of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 corresponding to each case are shown. In FIG. 11, the solid line indicates the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the ON time of the waveform of the control signal is 500 μs, and the broken line indicates the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the ON time is 800 μs. The output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the ON time of the waveform of the control signal is 1000 μs is indicated by a dashed line. The amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is divided into the apex of the waveform (the furthest part in the distance from the alignment rail 51 as the detection target) and the trough of the waveform (the alignment rail 51 as the detection target). is indicated by the difference (both amplitudes) from the nearest in the distance between .

As shown in FIG. 11, the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 differs depending on whether the control signal waveform ON time is 500 μs, 800 μs, or 1000 μs. Specifically, as the ON time of the waveform of the control signal increases, the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 also increases. The longer the ON time of the waveform of the control signal, the greater the amplitude of the vibration of the alignment rail 51 and therefore the greater the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 . In other words, it can be said that the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 represents the state of the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51 .

In this embodiment, the vibration state control section 200 controls the control signal input to the vibration exciter 55 based on the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail 51 calculated based on the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 . Specifically, the vibration state control unit 200 performs feedback control so that the measured amplitude of the vibration of the alignment rail 51 approaches a predetermined target amplitude (hereinafter also referred to as “amplitude target value”). . Feedback control by the vibration state control unit 200 can be performed by changing the ON time of the waveform of the control signal applied to the vibration exciter 55, or the like.

Since it is experimentally known that the vibration amplitude of the alignment rails 51 and the transport speed of the containers 100 on the alignment rails 51 are roughly proportional, the target value of the vibration amplitude of the alignment rails 51 is It can be set based on the optimum conveying speed.

However, for example, when the distance T between the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the end of the alignment rail 51 changes, the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 also changes along with the change. When the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 changes with the change in the interval T, even if the vibration state control section 200 performs feedback control, the vibration state of the alignment rail 51 is optimized. It's gone.

Here, the relationship between the distance T between the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the side surface 51a of the alignment rail 51 and the output waveform value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the interval T and the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. As shown in FIG.

The vertical axis of the graph shown in FIG. 12 represents the time average value (digital value) of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the alignment rail 51 is in a stationary state (hereinafter also referred to as “static average value” (actual measurement An example of the output value)) is shown. The horizontal axis represents the interval T (mm) between the side surface 51 a of the alignment rail 51 and the inductive distance detection sensor 111 .

FIG. 12 shows that the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 increases as the interval T narrows, and decreases as the interval T widens. That is, it can be seen that the gap T and the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 have a one-to-one relationship once the gap T in the stationary state is determined.

When the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected, is constantly vibrating, the gap T changes from moment to moment around the stationary point. However, if the gap T changes due to a manufacturing error or the like, the amplitude measured by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will also change according to this error. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the stationary average value measured at a position shifted by 0.2 mm in the positive direction from the setting value of the interval T of 1 mm, and the interval T shifted by 0.2 mm in the negative direction from 1 mm The values are significantly different from the stationary average values measured at the position.

That is, even if the vibration state of the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected, is the same, if the interval T between the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the alignment rail 51 changes, the inductive distance detection The amplitude measured by sensor 111 will also change.

Here, with reference to FIG. 13, the correspondence relationship between the interval T and the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the correspondence between the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the average value of the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 according to the size of the interval T. FIG.

The graph shown in FIG. 13 shows the distance T between the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the side surface 51a of the alignment rail 51 and the amount of change in the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 when the alignment rail 51 vibrates at a constant amplitude. is shown. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 13 indicates the stationary average value (digital value) of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 corresponding to each interval T when measurement is performed while changing the interval T. FIG. That is, the horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 13 corresponds to the vertical axis of the graph shown in FIG.

The vertical axis of the graph shown in FIG. 13 represents the average value (digital value) ( An example of the measured output value) is shown. In the example shown in FIG. 13, at several intervals T shown in FIG. 12, the vibration amplitude of the side surface 51a of the alignment rail 51 is adjusted to 0.2 mm. This adjustment is performed, for example, based on the result of vibration amplitude measurement by a laser displacement meter (not shown).

When the vibration state control unit 200 controls the vibration amplitude of the alignment rail 51 to be constant, theoretically, the static average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is also a constant value regardless of the interval T. should show However, as shown in FIG. 13, the narrower the interval T, the larger the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, and the wider the interval T, the smaller the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. In other words, it can be seen that the inductive distance detection sensor 111 has the characteristic that the amplitude of the measured vibration apparently changes as the interval T changes.

Therefore, in order to appropriately perform feedback control using the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 having such characteristics, it is necessary to perform calibration work. The calibration work includes, for example, actually measuring the gap T when the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is installed, calculating a correction coefficient for correcting the value of the measured amplitude based on the actually measured gap T, and calculating the correction coefficient. This can be done, for example, by applying the coefficient to the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 .

However, in performing such calibration work, it is necessary to precisely measure the gap T, and also to accurately measure the amplitude of the vibration of the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected. It is difficult to have the user perform calibration work that requires these complicated procedures when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed, etc., and it is considered difficult to mass-produce products that require such calibration work. be done.

In this embodiment, the vibration state control unit 200 corrects the sensitivity of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 before the alignment rail 51, which is the object to be detected, starts operating. In sensitivity correction of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, first, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 performs measurement while the alignment rail 51 is not vibrated and is stationary. Next, the vibration state control section 200 determines whether or not the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is within a preset reference range.

When the output value of inductive distance detection sensor 111 is within a preset reference range, vibration state control section 200 obtains a target amplitude value corresponding to the output value of inductive distance detection sensor 111 . For example, when the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is " 3.10E +07", the amplitude average value corresponding to this value is approximately "800,000" as shown on the vertical axis of FIG. . Therefore, the vibration state control unit 200 sets the amplitude target value of the alignment rail 51 to "800,000". Then, the vibration state control section 200 performs feedback control so that the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 becomes the amplitude target value.

The amplitude target value is, for example, the correspondence between the static average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 according to the size of the interval T and the amplitude average value of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 shown in FIG. The vibration state control section 200 can appropriately calculate using an approximate function expression representing the relationship. It is assumed that the approximate function expression is stored in advance in the storage unit 204 (see FIG. 10) or the like.

Alternatively, the correspondence relationship between the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 corresponding to the size of the interval T and the amplitude average value of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 shown in FIG. may be stored in the storage unit 204 as . Note that the approximate relational expression and the data table may be stored in a memory (not shown) in the substrate of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 instead of the storage unit 204 .

When the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is out of the preset reference range, the vibration state control section 200 outputs an error and does not start the vibration of the alignment rails 51 . For the reference range of the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, for example, a set value ±0.5 mm can be set.

It is assumed that the sensitivity correction of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is performed at a predetermined timing such as when the power of the automatic analyzer 1 is turned on, for example.

1-6. Sensitivity Correction Processing of Inductive Distance Detection Sensor Next, sensitivity correction processing of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 . FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing a procedure of sensitivity correction processing of the inductive distance detection sensor. First, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 starts measurement while the alignment rail 51 is stationary (step S1). Next, the static average value detection unit 201b of the vibration state control unit 200 calculates the average output value (static average value) of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 (step S2).

Next, the stationary average value detection unit 201b determines whether or not the stationary average value calculated in step S2 is outside the predetermined installation reference range (step S3). The installation reference range is defined by the stationary average value corresponding to the set value of the interval T±the allowable range. If it is determined in step S3 that the static average value is outside the installation reference range (YES in step S3), the static average value detection unit 201b outputs an error (step S4), and the alignment rail 51 Do not start the vibrating action of the

The installation reference range is defined by the static average value corresponding to the set value ± allowable range of the interval T as described above, that is, the range of the interval T that the automatic analyzer 1 can tolerate. be. If the gap T is too narrow, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the alignment rail 51 may come into contact with each other. There is When the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is out of the reference range, the stationary average value detection unit 201b outputs an error so that the alignment rail 51 does not start vibrating, thereby preventing these problems from occurring. can be prevented.

If it is determined in step S3 that the stationary average value is within the installation reference range (NO determination in step S3), the stationary average value detection unit 201b detects the alignment rail 51 based on the stationary average value. A vibration amplitude target value is determined (step S5). The amplitude target value of the vibration of the alignment rail 51 can be calculated by applying the stationary average value to the approximate function expression stored in the storage unit 204 . Alternatively, the amplitude target value corresponding to the static average value can be determined by selecting from the data table stored in the storage unit 204 .

Next, the vibration state control section 200 sets the amplitude target value determined in step S5 in the control circuit 203 (step S6). Next, the vibration state control section 200 starts vibrating the alignment rails 51 (step S7). At this time, the sensor control unit 206 (see FIG. 10) switches the output destination of the detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 from the stationary average value detection unit 201b to the amplitude average value detection unit 201a.

According to the first embodiment described above, even if the gap T deviates from the set value due to part manufacturing errors, assembly errors, etc. of the product, the vibration state control section 200 can independently set an appropriate amplitude target value. can be set easily and effectively. As a result, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 can obtain a constant measurement value without being affected by individual product differences, so the vibration state control section 200 can correctly control the amplitude of the vibration of the alignment rail 51. be detectable.

2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the vibration state control unit 200 corrects the sensitivity of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 according to the deviation amount of the interval T from the set value, Sensitivity correction is performed according to the error in the detected value.

The detection value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 also changes due to manufacturing errors such as the wire diameter, the number of turns, and the pitch of the coil. Here, with reference to FIG. 15, changes in the output value with respect to the interval T due to individual differences of the inductive distance detection sensors will be described. FIG. 15 is a graph showing the correspondence between the output value of each sensor and the interval T when a plurality of inductive distance detection sensors perform the same measurement. Measurement by each inductive distance detection sensor was performed for the alignment rail 51 in a stationary state at each position when the interval T was changed within the range of ±0.5 mm from the reference position.

The vertical axis of FIG. 15 indicates the stationary average value (digital value) of the inductive distance detection sensor, and the horizontal axis indicates the interval T (mm). The graph in FIG. 15 shows the measurement results of the five inductive distance detection sensors SC1 to SC5. In FIG. 15, the measured values of the inductive distance detection sensor SC1 are indicated by diamond markers, and the measured values of the inductive distance detection sensor SC2 are indicated by square markers. The measured values of the inductive distance detection sensor SC3 are indicated by triangular markers, and the measured values of the inductive distance detection sensor SC4 are indicated by crossed markers. Measurements of the inductive range sensor SC5 are indicated by asterisk markers.

FIG. 15 shows that even when measurements are made at the same interval T, the stationary average values measured by the inductive distance detection sensors are different. Such a difference in output values is caused by errors occurring in the manufacturing process of the inductive distance detection sensor, as described above.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the correspondence between the stationary average values of the inductive distance detection sensors SC1 to SC5 and the amplitude average values of the output waveforms of the inductive distance detection sensors SC1 to SC5 according to the size of the interval T. be. The vertical axis in FIG. 16 indicates the average amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor, and the horizontal axis indicates the stationary average of the inductive distance detection sensor when the alignment rail 51 in the stationary state is measured. indicate a value.

FIG. 16 shows that the slopes of the plots of the inductive distance detection sensors SC1 to SC5 are similar, but the positions of the plots along the horizontal axis spread out in the horizontal direction of the graph. . That is, due to the individual differences of each of the inductive distance detection sensors SC1 to SC5, the graph of the plot showing the correspondence between the amplitude average value of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor and the stationary average value of the inductive distance detection sensor. It can be seen that the position in the horizontal axis direction is misaligned.

When the vibration state control unit 200 controls the vibration state of the alignment rail 51 using the detection results of the inductive distance detection sensors having individual differences in this way, even if the same amplitude target value is set, The vibration state resulting from the control has variations according to individual differences.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, correction is performed by offsetting the position in the horizontal axis direction of the graph showing the measurement results of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 according to the amount of deviation based on individual differences.

First, for example, a reference plot (hereinafter referred to as a "reference plot": an example of a reference output value) is determined based on an average value obtained from measured values of a plurality of inductive distance detection sensors. Next, the reference plot and the plot of the inductive distance detection sensor (an example of the actual measurement plot) are compared. Then, if there is a deviation between the two plots, the plot of each inductive distance detection sensor is offset in the direction of the reference plot by the amount of deviation. By performing such offset correction, it is possible to minimize the influence of individual differences in inductive distance detection sensors.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing plots of the results of performing offset correction on each plot shown in FIG. Here, the average value of the stationary average values for each amplitude average value detected by each sensor from sensor Sc1 to sensor Sc5 was calculated, and a plot composed of the average values was used as a reference plot. The information indicated by the vertical and horizontal axes in FIG. 17 are the same as those in FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the plots showing the correspondence between the output values of the inductive distance detection sensors and the average amplitude values are generally aligned on a straight line due to the offset correction.

The amount of deviation of the measured plot from the reference plot when offset correction is performed can be measured using, for example, the jig shown in FIG. 18 (hereinafter referred to as "calibration standard"). FIG. 18 is a side view showing a configuration example of a calibration standard.

As shown in FIG. 18, calibration standard 70 includes base portion 701 and fixture 702 . The base portion 701 is made of a non-conductive member and has a first concave portion 701a and a second concave portion 701b. The first recess 701a and the second recess 701b are recesses recessed downward from the upper surface of the base portion 701 in the vertical direction. The first concave portion 701a is a concave portion in which a standard object 703 as a measurement target of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is arranged. The width of the first concave portion 701 a is formed substantially the same as the width of the standard object 703 . The width of the standard object 703 is set narrower than the width of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 .

The second recess 701b is a recess formed vertically above the first recess 701a. An inductive distance detection sensor 111 is arranged in the second recess 701b. The depth of the second concave portion 701b is set so that the interval T between the standard object 703 arranged in the first concave portion 701a and the inductive distance detection sensor 111 arranged in the second concave portion 701b is equal to the interval T. The depth is strictly adjusted to the standard interval Ts, which is a value (design value).

The fixture 702 is arranged vertically above the second recess 701b so as to face the second recess 701b. The fixture 702 presses the inductive distance detection sensor 111 arranged in the second concave portion 701b toward the first concave portion 701a of the base portion 701 with a constant force. Note that the calibration standard 70 can also be configured without the fixture 702 .

The standard object 703 is placed in the first recess 701a of the calibration standard 70 configured in this way, and the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is placed in the second recess 701b. Then, the measured value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is obtained. As a result, the stationary average value (value including variations due to individual differences) of each inductive distance detection sensor 111 when measuring the standard object 703 at a position separated by the standard interval Ts can be obtained.

Note that the jig for measuring the amount of deviation from the reference plot is not limited to the calibration standard 70 shown in FIG. Any shape can be used for the jig as long as the distance T between the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the standard object 703 can be strictly set to the standard distance Ts. may be of

According to the second embodiment described above, even if the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 corresponding to the interval T varies due to the influence of an error occurring in the manufacturing process of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, vibration The state control unit 200 can appropriately acquire the vibration state of the alignment rails 51 .

3. 3rd Embodiment Next, the 3rd Embodiment of this invention is described. In the third embodiment, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 detects the vibration state of the dispensing probe for quantitatively transferring the sample or reagent in the automatic analyzer 1 . Then, the control unit controls the operation of the dispensing probe transfer mechanism including the dispensing probe based on the vibration state of the dispensing probe.

The dispensing probe transfer mechanism is a mechanism that each of the specimen dispensing unit 6, the first reagent dispensing unit 8, and the second reagent dispensing unit 9 shown in FIG. 1 has. In the following, an example applied to the sample pipetting unit 6 will be given, but the pipetting probe transfer mechanism of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to the first reagent pipetting unit 8, the second reagent pipetting unit 9, etc. may apply.

3-1. Configuration of Specimen Dispensing Unit First, the configuration of the dispensing probe transfer mechanism according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the specimen dispensing unit 6 to which the dispensing probe transfer mechanism is applied. As shown in FIG. 19, the sample pipetting unit 6 includes a transfer section 601, a support shaft 602, a pipetting arm 603, a pipetting probe 604, a weighing pump 616 (see FIG. 21) and an inductive distance detection sensor 111 (FIG. 20). , see FIG. 21).

The support shaft 602 is arranged in the transfer section 601 so that its axial direction is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The support shaft 602 is rotatably supported by the transfer section 601 in the θ-axis direction and supported by the transfer section 601 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). A dispensing arm 603 is fixed to one end of the support shaft 602 in the axial direction, that is, the upper end in the vertical direction.

A dispensing probe 604 is provided at the end of the dispensing arm 603 opposite to the end supported by the support shaft 602 . The transfer section 601 is provided with a driving section 611 (see FIG. 21) that moves the dispensing probe 604 in the Z-axis direction or the θ-axis direction via the dispensing arm 603 .

The dispensing probe 604 protrudes downward in the vertical direction from the end of the dispensing arm 603 . The dispensing probe 604 aspirates the sample in the sample container 4a (see FIG. 1) and discharges (dispenses) the aspirated sample into the container 100 at a predetermined position in the immunoenzyme reaction unit 10 to which it is transferred. . A specimen aspirated by the dispensing probe 604 is weighed by a weighing pump 616 (see FIG. 21) connected to the dispensing probe 604 .

The tip of the dispensing probe 604 has a small diameter of 1 mm or less for the purpose of improving the accuracy of weighing, and it extends in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) for the purpose of securing the amount of liquid that can be dispensed. It has an elongated tubular shape. One end of such an elongated tubular shape is fixed to the dispensing arm 603, and the other end is a free end. Therefore, when the dispensing arm 603 is moved in the Z-θ direction at high speed under the control of the driving section 611, the tip of the dispensing probe 604 vibrates with an amplitude of about ±1 mm.

In this embodiment, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is used to determine whether or not the vibration amplitude of the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 has become equal to or less than a specified amount (permissible vibration width). FIG. 20 is a top view showing an example of an arrangement position of the inductive distance detection sensor 111. As shown in FIG.

The inductive distance detection sensors 111a and 111b are arranged at positions near the positions Ps1 and Ps2, which are the stop positions of the dispensing probe 604 .

More specifically, the inductive distance detection sensor 111a is one moving end of the dispensing probe 604 and is arranged at a position near the position Ps1 where the dispensing probe 604 aspirates the sample. The inductive distance detection sensor 111b is the other moving end of the dispensing probe 604, and is arranged at a position near the position Ps3 where the dispensing probe 604 ejects the sample.

Since the inductive distance detection sensors 111a and 111b detect the distance to the object to be detected as described in each of the above embodiments, the installation position thereof is the dispensing probe 604, which is the object to be detected. It is desirable that the sensor surface is perpendicular to the tangential line of the movement locus.

3-2. Configuration of Control System of Specimen Dispensing Unit Next, the configuration of the control system of the specimen dispensing unit 6 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control system of the specimen dispensing unit 6. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the specimen dispensing unit 6 includes a transfer section 601 , a dispensing arm 603 , a dispensing probe 604 , an inductive distance detection sensor 111 and a control mechanism 610 .

The control mechanism 610 includes a control section 612 , a vibration detection section 613 , an operation section 614 and a storage section 615 . The control unit 612, the vibration detection unit 613, the operation unit 614, and the storage unit 615 are each connected by a system bus (not shown). The control mechanism 610 is also connected to the transfer section 601 and the weighing pump 616 and controls driving of the transfer section 601 and the weighing pump 616 . Furthermore, the control mechanism 610 is also connected to the display device 40 and performs display control for displaying various information on the screen of the display device 40 .

The control unit 612 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like. The control unit 612 reads and executes programs stored in the storage unit 615 to control operations of the above-described units.

As in the above-described embodiments, the inductive distance detection sensor 111 generates a high-frequency alternating magnetic field around the coil by passing a current through the coil, and detects a change in the inductance of the coil, thereby detecting the object to be detected. The distance between the dispensing probe 604 as an object and the sensor is measured. A value detected by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 is output to the control unit 612 .

A vibration detection unit 613 calculates the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 . The control unit 612 determines whether or not the amplitude of the output waveform of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 falls within a predetermined vibration tolerance width. be implemented. The next operation of the dispensing probe 604 includes, for example, an operation of inserting the dispensing probe 604 into the container 100, an operation of horizontally moving the dispensing probe 604, and the like.

The operation section 614 generates an input signal according to an operation input to the specimen dispensing unit 6 performed by the user, and outputs the input signal to the control section 612 . A mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like, for example, is used for the operation unit 614 .

The storage unit 615 stores programs, information, a table of parameters, and the like for performing dispensing operations. In addition, the storage unit 615 stores the sensor output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111, various threshold values used when the control unit 612 performs control, and the like. For the display device 40, for example, a liquid crystal display device or the like is used.

A weighing pump 616 is connected to the transfer section 601 via a tube 618 provided with a solenoid valve 617 . Then, the weighing pump 616 weighs the specimen sucked by the dispensing probe 604 and transferred into the transfer section 601 . A tube 620 provided with an electromagnetic valve 619 is connected to the weighing pump 616, and the end of the tube 620 not connected to the weighing pump 616 is inserted into a tank 621 filled with a cleaning liquid or the like. . The weighing pump 616 sucks the washing liquid in the tank 621 and discharges it from the dispensing probe 604 . This cleans the inner wall of the dispensing probe 604 .

Note that the control mechanism 610 is not limited to a control mechanism that controls only the operation of the specimen dispensing unit 6, and may be the control device 80 that controls the entire automatic analyzer 1. FIG.

Next, the vibration state of the dispensing probe 604 detected by the inductive distance detection sensor 111 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 22 is a graph showing an example of the result of measuring the amount of vibration of the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 when the dispensing arm 603 was moved in the θ-axis direction by a predetermined distance and then stopped. The vertical axis of the graph in FIG. 22 indicates the amount of displacement of the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 measured by a laser displacement meter (not shown). The horizontal axis indicates the elapsed time (ms) from the completion (stop) of transfer of the dispensing arm 603 .

A displacement position of 0 mm indicates the transfer completion position of the dispensing arm 603 . In the graph of FIG. 22, after the dispensing arm 603 stops at the transfer completion position, the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 gradually converges to the 0 mm point while repeatedly damping overshoot and undershoot. situation is shown.

The dispensing arm 603 moves the dispensing probe 604 in the θ direction and then in the Z direction, and inserts the dispensing probe 604 into the container 100 at the transfer completion position. However, if the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 vibrates when inserting the dispensing probe 604 into the container 100, the liquid held in the dispensing probe 604 may splash outside, or the dispensing probe 604 may There is a danger of colliding with the container 100 . Therefore, the operation of inserting the dispensing probe 604 into the container 100, which is performed after the transfer of the dispensing probe 604, is performed after the settling time Ts, which is the time required for the vibration of the dispensing probe 604 to fall within a predetermined vibration tolerance width, has passed. need to be

In the above-described third embodiment, the controller 612 instructs the dispensing probe 604 to perform the next operation after the vibration of the dispensing probe 604 falls within the predetermined vibration tolerance range. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the liquid held in the dispensing probe 604 from splashing outside and the dispensing probe 604 from colliding with the container 100 .

Note that the control unit 612 may output a time-over error when the amplitude does not fall within the allowable range within a predetermined specified time. By configuring in this way, it is possible to detect abnormalities in the drive mechanism of the transfer unit 601, such as loss of synchronism, elongation of the belt over time, loosening of screws, and deterioration of the elastic body, which are assumed to cause time over. becomes.

In addition, the stop position of the dispensing probe 604 is a part that needs to be adjusted for each individual automatic analyzer 1, and, like manufacturing and assembly errors of the alignment rails 51 of the container supply unit 3, there are variations for each individual device. This is the part where it occurs. Therefore, the control unit 612 may perform control to determine the target amplitude value, that is, the permissible vibration width of the tip portion of the dispensing probe 604 according to the device-specific variations.

The determination control of the allowable vibration width by the control unit 612 is performed by, for example, holding the relationship between the sensor output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 and the target allowable vibration width in the storage unit 615 or the like in advance as a correction function formula, table data, or the like. It can be implemented by performing the same offset correction as in the second embodiment.

By performing such offset correction, even if the inductive distance detection sensor 111 has an error that occurs in each process of product manufacturing, such as a part manufacturing error or an assembly error of the product, the control unit 612 will be able to obtain constant measurements. This allows the controller 612 to correctly detect the vibration amplitude of the dispensing probe 604 .

Furthermore, also in the third embodiment, sensitivity correction of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 similar to that in the first embodiment may be performed. By performing such correction, the control unit 612 can correctly detect the vibration amplitude of the dispensing probe 604 even when there is an error in the installation position of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 .

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various other application examples and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention described in the claims. . For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example of obtaining an average value (amplitude average value, static average value) of the output values of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 was given, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the average value, the maximum or minimum output value of the inductive distance detection sensor 111 or the maximum frequency may be obtained.

In addition, each of the above-described embodiments is a detailed and specific description of the configuration of the device (the vibration detection device and the automatic analysis device) in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and does not necessarily include all the configurations described. It is not limited to

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Automatic analyzer, 2... Measuring apparatus, 3... Container supply unit, 4... Specimen installation unit, 4a... Specimen container, 5... Container transport unit, 6... Specimen dispensing unit, 7... Reagent cooling unit, 7a... Second 1 reagent container, 7b... second reagent container, 8... first reagent dispensing unit, 9... second reagent dispensing unit, 10... immunoenzyme reaction unit, 11... first BF separation unit, 12 2nd BF separation unit 13 magnet 14 substrate liquid refrigerator 15 container transfer unit 16 luminescence measurement unit 16a photomultiplier tube 18 apparatus exterior body 21 nozzle 24 Washing tank 25 Arm 26 Substrate liquid dispensing unit 31 Base part 32 Vessel storage part 33 Vessel discharge part 34 Vessel alignment part 39 Cover member 40 Display device 43 Circular belt 44 Belt support mechanism 45 Mounting member 51 Alignment rail 55 Vibrator 70 Calibration standard 80 Control device 90 Alignment section support member 91A Fixed stand 100 Container 101 Body 102 Neck 102a Groove 110 Vibration detection sensor 111, 111a, 111b Inductive distance detection sensor 112 Bracket 113 Protective cover 200 Vibration state control unit , 201a... Amplitude average value detection unit 201b... Stationary average value detection unit 202... Oscillator 203... Control circuit 204... Storage unit 205... Exciter driver 206... Sensor control unit 210... Control unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 601... Transfer part 602... Support shaft 603... Dispensing arm 604... Dispensing probe 610... Control mechanism 611... Driving part 612... Control part 613... Vibration detection part 614... Operation part 615... Memory part 616 Weighing pump 701 Base part 701a First concave part 701b Second concave part 702 Fixing tool 703 Standard object

Claims (4)

An automatic analyzer including a reaction unit that holds a container and dispenses a specimen and a reagent into the held container, and a container supply unit that supplies the container to the reaction unit,
The container supply unit is
a container storage unit that stores a plurality of containers;
a container discharge unit for discharging the plurality of containers stored in the container storage unit;
a container aligning unit that aligns the containers discharged from the container discharge unit;
The container aligning unit
an alignment rail that conveys and movably supports the plurality of containers;
a vibrator that applies vibration to the alignment rail;
an inductive distance detection sensor that detects the distance from the alignment rail based on the amount of change in the inductance of the coil that changes according to the distance from the alignment rail;
Control for measuring the amplitude of vibration of the alignment rail based on the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor and inputting the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor to the amplitude target value as feedback to the vibrator. a control unit that controls the signal ;
When the interval between the alignment rail and the inductive distance detection sensor is changed in a state where the vibration amplitude of the alignment rail is adjusted to a predetermined value, the inductive distance detection sensor corresponding to each interval is changed. A measured output value that is an amplitude value of an output waveform, and the inductive distance detection sensor corresponding to each interval when the interval between the alignment rail and the inductive distance detection sensor is changed while the alignment rail is in a stationary state. A storage unit that stores in advance information indicating the correspondence between the measured output value that is the output value of
The control unit obtains an output value of the inductive distance detection sensor while the alignment rail is stationary, and converts the obtained output value to the actual measurement of information indicating the correspondence relationship stored in advance in the storage unit. By applying it to the output value, the measured output value of the associated inductive distance detection sensor is obtained, and the obtained measured output value is set as the amplitude target value to perform feedback control.
Automatic analyzer. The automatic analyzer according to Claim 1, wherein the information indicating the correspondence between the measured output value and the actually measured output value is defined in advance as an approximate function expression or a data table. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein the controller outputs an error when the measured output value is outside a predetermined reference range. The control unit performs an actual measurement plot showing the correspondence between the output value of the inductive distance detection sensor and the amplitude target value in a state in which the distance between the alignment rail and the inductive distance detection sensor is set to a design value. and a predetermined reference plot, and if there is a deviation between both plots, perform correction to offset the measured plot in the direction of the reference plot. Automatic analyzer .

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