JP7309637B2 - automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer having a dispensing mechanism.

Conventionally, there is an automatic analyzer that can determine the stop position of a dispensing nozzle. In Patent Document 1, a plurality of adjustment positions are set above a jig that is aligned with the center plane below each stop position of each dispensing nozzle, and each dispensing nozzle is horizontally moved to a plurality of adjustment positions. After that, move downward to a plurality of detection positions detected by each liquid level detector, generate movement distance data corresponding to the distance between the plurality of detection positions, and based on the generated movement distance data, Determining the detection position is described.

Further, in Patent Document 2, an analysis unit detector is arranged at a position moved by a reference distance from a reference position along the trajectory of the arm, detects the movement distance of the moved arm, and calculates the difference between the reference distance and the movement distance of the arm. It is described that the analysis unit is determined to be in an abnormal state when the difference is greater than the correction range.

JP 2007-285957 A JP 2010-145284 A

However, in Patent Document 1, the dispensing nozzle is horizontally moved to each stop position in order to determine each stop position, and then it is determined whether the dispensing nozzle has been moved to the correct position. Increased number of processes.

In addition, since Patent Document 2 determines the state of the nozzle only by the difference in distance along the track of the arm, for example, when the nozzle is rotationally driven, the distortion in the radial direction of the rotational driving cannot be determined.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention enables positioning of a dispensing nozzle in a short period of time and regardless of its deformed state in a dispensing mechanism having a horizontal movement mechanism having at least one rotary drive shaft.

An automatic analyzer, which is one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a dispensing nozzle for dispensing liquid, an arm having a rotary drive shaft for horizontally moving the dispensing nozzle, and a tip of the dispensing nozzle coming into contact with the liquid. a pipetting mechanism having a contact detector for detecting that the liquid has been dropped; a columnar jig having a first side surface; a second side surface forming a predetermined angle with the first side; and a plurality of dispensing nozzles. A data storage unit that stores position information data indicating the movement amount of the arm to be moved to the stop position, and a control unit that drives the arm according to the position information data and moves the dispensing nozzle to the stop position corresponding to the position information data. and the control unit determines the amount of movement of the arm when the tip of the dispensing nozzle is brought into contact with the first side surface of the columnar jig and the mounting position of the dispensing nozzle between the first side surface and the arm. based on the positional relationship of , the amount of movement of the arm when the tip of the dispensing nozzle is brought into contact with the second side surface of the columnar jig, and the positional relationship between the second side surface and the position of attaching the dispensing nozzle to the arm , a correction value for correcting the positional deviation between the tip of the dispensing nozzle and the attachment position of the dispensing nozzle to the arm is calculated.

A dispensing mechanism having a horizontal movement mechanism having at least one rotary drive shaft is capable of positioning a dispensing nozzle in a short time regardless of its deformed state.

Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

1 is an example of the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer; 4 is a configuration example of a dispensing mechanism of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the dispensing nozzle contacts the column; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the dispensing nozzle contacts the column; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the dispensing nozzle contacts the column; 4 is a flow chart of a dispensing nozzle positioning method of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the initial position and dimension of a coordinate system and each arm. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. 10 is a flow chart of a dispensing nozzle positioning method of Example 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing initial positions and dimensions of a coordinate system, a linear stage, and an arm; It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. 10 is a flow chart of a dispensing nozzle positioning method of Example 3. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coordinate system and initial positions and dimensions of arms; It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of a correction value. This is an example where multiple pipetting mechanisms share one column. This is an example where multiple pipetting mechanisms share one column. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of a present Example.

A mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and its constituent elements and elemental steps are not essential unless otherwise specified or obvious in principle.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer. The automatic analyzer mainly comprises a sample transport mechanism 19, a reagent disk 11 on which reagent bottles 12 are mounted, a reaction disk 1 on which reaction containers 2 are mounted, sample pipetting mechanisms 13 and 14, and a reagent pipetting mechanism 7. , 8, 9, 10, stirring mechanisms 5, 6, spectrophotometer 4, washing mechanism 3, washing tanks 15, 16, 30, 31, 32, 33, reagent pump 20, sample pump 21, washing pump 22 have. In addition, a control unit 41 for controlling each part of the automatic analyzer, a data storage unit 42 for storing various data, an input unit 43 for inputting necessary data from the outside into the data storage unit 42, and an absorbance obtained from the light amount obtained by the spectrophotometer 4 are calculated. It has a measuring unit 44 for calculation, an analysis unit 45 for determining the component amount from the absorbance, and an output unit 46 for externally displaying and outputting the analyzed component amount data.

The sample transport mechanism 19 transports a rack (transport member) 18 capable of mounting one or more sample containers 17 containing samples (liquids) to be analyzed. A plurality of reagent bottles 12 containing reagents (liquids) used for sample analysis are arranged side by side on the reagent disk 11 in the circumferential direction. A plurality of reaction vessels 2 for mixing and reacting a sample and a reagent are arranged side by side on the reaction disk 1 in the circumferential direction. The sample dispensing mechanisms 13 and 14 each dispense the sample into the reaction container 2 from the sample container 17 transported to the sample dispensing position by the sample transport mechanism 19 . Reagent dispensing mechanisms 7, 8, 9, and 10 dispense reagents from reagent bottles 12 to reaction containers 2, respectively. The stirring mechanisms 5 and 6 stir the mixed liquid (reaction liquid) of the sample and the reagent dispensed into the reaction container 2 . The spectrophotometer 4 receives transmitted light obtained through the reaction liquid in the reaction container 2 from a light source (not shown). The cleaning mechanism 3 cleans the used reaction vessel 2 . The sample nozzle washing tanks 15 and 16 are arranged in the operating ranges of the sample dispensing mechanisms 13 and 14, respectively, and wash the sample nozzles 13a and 14a with washing water. Similarly, reagent nozzle washing tanks 30, 31, 32, 33 are arranged in the operation ranges of reagent dispensing mechanisms 7, 8, 9, 10, respectively, and wash reagent nozzles 7a, 8a, 9a, 10a with washing water. wash. In addition, near the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7, 8, 9, and 10, columnar jigs (pillars) 61 for positioning dispensing nozzles are arranged. The structure of the pillar 61 and the positioning process using the pillar 61 will be described later.

Analysis of the amount of components in a sample is performed in the following procedure. First, the sample in the sample container 17 placed on the rack 18 transported near the reaction disk 1 by the sample transport mechanism 19 is transferred to the reaction disk 1 by the sample nozzle 13a (14a) of the sample dispensing mechanism 13 (14). Dispense into upper reaction vessel 2. Next, the reagent used for the analysis is dispensed from the reagent bottle 12 on the reagent disk 11 by the reagent nozzles 7a (8a, 9a, 10a) of the reagent dispensing mechanism 7 (8, 9, 10). Dispense into container 2. Subsequently, the mixture of the sample and the reagent in the reaction container 2 is stirred by the stirring mechanism 5 (6). After that, the measurement unit 44 transmits the light generated from the light source to the reaction container 2 containing the mixed liquid after stirring, measures the light intensity of the transmitted light with the spectrophotometer 4, and stores the obtained absorbance data as data. Store in section 42 . The analysis unit 45 analyzes the accumulated absorbance data based on the calibration curve data and the Lambert-Beer law. By this analysis, the amount of components contained in the sample can be analyzed. Data necessary for controlling and analyzing each part of the automatic analyzer is input from the input part 43 to the data storage part 42, and various data and analysis results are displayed and/or output from the output part 46.

Note that the above is an example of the configuration when the automatic analyzer performs biochemical analysis, and the measurement mechanism differs depending on the content of the analysis performed by the automatic analyzer. The measurement methods used by automated analyzers include analysis methods that use reagents that change the color of the reaction solution by reacting with the analyte component in the sample (colorimetric analysis), and direct measurement of the analyte component in the sample. Alternatively, an analysis method (immunoanalysis) is known in which a labeled substance is added to a substance that indirectly specifically binds and a reagent is used to count the labeled substance (immunoanalysis). It includes a step of dispensing and mixing the reagent contained in the reagent bottle into the reaction vessel by the dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism of this embodiment can be applied to an automatic analyzer capable of executing analysis including a dispensing process.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the dispensing mechanism of the first embodiment. In this dispensing mechanism, one end of a _θ1 arm 52 is attached to the upper end of a shaft 51 that can be driven vertically (in the Z-axis direction) so as to be rotatable within the XY plane. One end of the _.theta.2 arm 53 is attached to the other free end of the _.theta.1 arm 52 so as to be rotatable within the XY plane. A dispensing nozzle 54 is attached to the other free end of the _θ2 arm 53 so as to extend downward in the Z-axis direction. Note that the dispensing nozzle 54 and the syringe 55 are connected via a tube 56 . The tube 56 is connected to one end side of the dispensing nozzle 54 from the pedestal of the shaft 51 through the shaft 51 , the _θ1 arm 52 and the _θ2 arm 53 . A plunger 57 is movably attached to the syringe 55 for varying its internal volume. A sample or reagent is sucked or discharged from the tip of the pipetting nozzle 54 according to the movement position of the plunger 57 . A contact detector 58 of a capacitance type is connected to the dispensing nozzle 54, and can detect contact of the dispensing nozzle 54 with a conductor such as a sample or a reagent.

3A to 3C show how the dispensing nozzle 54 comes into contact with the columnar jig (column) 61. FIG. A column 61 is a jig for positioning the dispensing nozzle 54, and is installed on the top plate of the automatic analyzer (see FIG. 1). 3A to 3C are horizontal views (side views), and vertical views (top views). Depending on the state of the dispensing nozzle 54, the amount of movement of the _θ1 arm 52 and the _θ2 arm 53 when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the first side surface 61a and the second side surface 61b of the column 61 differs. The pillar 61 is in a fixed position, and in the first embodiment, the dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with the pillar 61 to determine the correction value of the horizontal position adjustment value and store it in the data storage unit 42 .

FIG. 3A shows the dispensing nozzle 54 in a normal (no deformation) state. As shown in the upper part, the dispensing nozzle 54 is straight from the base 54a to the tip 54b (without deformation such as bending or distortion), is arranged parallel to the shaft 51 and perpendicular to the _θ2 arm 53, and has a predetermined contacting the first side 61a of the post 61 placed in position. When the contact detector 58 (see FIG. 2) of the pipetting nozzle 54 detects contact with the column 61, when viewed from the vertical direction, the pipetting nozzle base 54a and the pipetting nozzle tip 54b are at the same time as shown in the lower part of the column. bordering on 61.

Here, if the user touches the dispensing nozzle 54 during user maintenance or collides with an obstacle while the dispensing nozzle 54 is moving, the dispensing nozzle 54 may bend. . This state is shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C. FIG. 3B shows the deformed dispensing nozzle 54 in contact with the first side surface 61a of the column 61, as in FIG. 3A. In this case, due to the deformation of the dispensing nozzle 54, there is a deviation between the position of the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the position of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b when viewed from the vertical direction, as shown in the lower part. Therefore, unless the amount of movement of the _.theta.1 arm 52 and the _.theta.2 arm 53 is corrected by this deviation, the tip 54b of the dispensing nozzle cannot be moved to the desired position. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the amount of movement of the arm when the dispensing nozzle 54 is deformed and the positional relationship between the side surface of the column 61 and the dispensing nozzle base 54a when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the column 61, Obtain the correction value for the horizontal position adjustment value.

Here, deformation of dispensing nozzle 54 can occur for any orientation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3C, the deformed dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with the second side 61b of the column 61, which is different from the first side 61a. The angle formed by the first side 61a and the second side 61b is known. Therefore, when obtaining the correction value for the horizontal position adjustment value, the dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with two different side surfaces of the column 61 with known angles, and the movement amount of the arm and the dispensing nozzle The positional relationship between the side surface of the column 61 and the dispensing nozzle base 54a when the column 54 is in contact with the column 61 is measured.

In this example, the post 61 is a cuboid and has a cylindrical structure 62 in the vertical direction. Cylindrical structure 62 is, for example, a cavity provided in column 61 . The cylindrical structure 62 is formed so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the column 61 and is used for positioning the column 61 . Since the actual arrangement of the pillars 61 includes errors during manufacturing and assembly, there is a deviation from the predetermined arrangement (reference position). Therefore, at the stage of installing the automatic analyzer, the center of the cylindrical structure 62 and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b are visually aligned, and from the amount of movement of the arm at this time, the arm is moved to the column 61 (= cylindrical structure) in the analysis unit 45. 62), a horizontal position adjustment value for moving the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center position is calculated and stored in the data storage unit 42 as position information data. The dispensing mechanism moves the dispensing nozzle tip 54b correctly to the center of the pillar 61 by moving the arm to the reference position of the pillar 61 by the amount of movement corrected by the horizontal position adjustment value obtained in the actual machine at the time of installation. can be done.

Also, the pillar 61 is made of metal. This is to utilize the contact detector 58 based on the capacitance method originally installed in the dispensing mechanism in order to detect whether or not the dispensing nozzle 54 is in contact with the liquid surface of the sample or reagent. Thereby, contact between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the column 61 can be detected without adding a new sensor or circuit board. This is just an example, and known contact detectors for detecting contact between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the liquid surface include continuity detectors, pressure detectors, collision detection detectors, and laser displacement detectors. The embodiment is applicable even in these cases, and the material of the column 61 may be a material that can be detected by an existing contact detector mounted on the dispensing mechanism.

A nozzle state detection and positioning method according to the first embodiment will be described below. The dispensing mechanism of Example 1 is equipped with a horizontal movement mechanism having two rotary drive shafts.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the dispensing nozzle positioning method of the first embodiment. The start of this flow (step 101) is automatically started by the control unit 41 after the reset operation is performed after the end of user maintenance. User maintenance is, for example, work such as a user replacing a reagent. Each mechanism of the automatic analyzer as shown in FIG. 1 is housed in a housing during normal operation, and the user cannot touch each mechanism. However, when the housing is opened for user maintenance, the user may inadvertently touch the dispensing nozzle. Therefore, if an event occurs that may cause an abnormality in the dispensing nozzle, by automatically executing this flow, it is possible to avoid continuing the analysis while the dispensing nozzle is abnormal. . Furthermore, the user may instruct the execution of this flow from the input unit 43 at any timing.

First, the control unit 41 receives the position information data (position adjustment value) stored in the data storage unit 42 and horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61 . Further, the _θ1 arm 52 and _θ2 arm 53 are driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the first side surface 61a. Subsequently, the shaft 51 is driven so that the dispensing nozzle tip 54b moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the θ ₁ arm 52 and the θ ₂ arm 53 are driven in the direction opposite to the above direction, and the contact from the contact detector 58, which is output when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the first side surface 61a of the column 61, is detected. Upon receipt of the detection signal, the driving of the _.theta.1 arm 52 and the _.theta.2 arm 53 is stopped (step 102). The movement amount of the arm at this time and the positional relationship between the first side surface 61a and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 103). Details of this will be described later.

Subsequently, the controller 41 drives the shaft 51 so that the tip 54b of the dispensing nozzle moves to a position higher than the upper surface of the column 61, and then horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61. FIG. Thereafter, the _θ1 arm 52 and _θ2 arm 53 are driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the second side surface 61b. Subsequently, the shaft 51 is driven so that the dispensing nozzle tip 54b moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the θ ₁ arm 52 and the θ ₂ arm 53 are driven in the direction opposite to the above direction, and the contact from the contact detector 58 output when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the second side surface 61b of the column 61 is detected. Upon receipt of the detection signal, the driving of the _.theta.1 arm 52 and the _.theta.2 arm 53 is stopped (step 104). The movement amount of the arm at this time and the positional relationship between the second side face 61b and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 105). Details of this will also be described later.

The control unit 41 performs dispensing based on the movement amount of the arm when the dispensing nozzle is brought into contact with the two side surfaces of the column 61 stored in the data storage unit 42 and the positional relationship between the side surface and the dispensing nozzle base. A correction value for correcting the positional deviation based on the deformation of the note nozzle is obtained. Details of this will also be described later. By adding the obtained correction value to the position adjustment value for each stop position of the dispensing nozzle 54 stored in the data storage unit 42, the position information data is updated (step 106). In order to ensure that the pipetting mechanism operates correctly, each stop position of the pipetting nozzle 54 has a position to absorb errors during manufacturing and assembly when the automatic analyzer is installed, in the same way as the column 61 has already been explained. The adjustment values are obtained using the actual machine and stored in the data storage unit 42 as position information data.

First, it is determined whether or not a predetermined operating range of the dispensing nozzle is exceeded when the dispensing nozzle 54 is moved by adding the correction value to the position adjustment value (step 107). If it cannot move to the target position within the time limit allowed in the operation cycle of the automatic analyzer, it is determined that the operation range is exceeded. If it cannot be moved (NO at step 107), an error is output to the output unit 46 to warn the user of the dispensing nozzle abnormality (step 109).

If it is possible to move (YES in step 107), it is determined whether or not the correction value is within the range of the correction amount that does not affect the dispensing accuracy, which has been experimentally confirmed in advance (step 108). Cases that affect dispensing accuracy include, for example, cases in which deformation of the dispensing nozzle affects the amount of suction and discharge, and cases in which cleaning of the dispensing nozzle cannot be properly performed. If the correction value reaches the correction amount that affects the dispensing accuracy (NO in step 108), an error is output to the output unit 46 indicating that dispensing/washing is impossible, and the user is warned of the dispensing nozzle abnormality ( step 109). If dispensing/washing is possible (YES at step 108), the completion of correction is output to the output section 46 to inform the user that the correction has been completed without error (step 110). The order of the check in step 107 and the check in step 108 is arbitrary and may be reversed or may be performed in parallel.

Calculation of the correction value in the first embodiment will be described below. FIG. 5 shows the coordinate system used in the following description and the initial positions and dimensions of each arm. As shown in the figure, the root of the dispensing nozzle (position where the dispensing nozzle 54 is attached to the _θ2 arm 53) 54a is the coordinate origin, and the axial direction of the _θ2 arm 53 is the X axis. Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the rotation axis of the _θ1 arm 52 is the coordinate origin, and the direction parallel to the first side surface 61a of the column 61 and forming an acute angle with the _θ1 arm 52 is the X' axis. . Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X'-axis is defined as the Y'-axis. The arm length of the _θ1 arm 52 is _l1 , and the arm length of the _θ2 arm 53 is _l2 .

The _.theta.1 arm 52 and _.theta.2 arm 53 are each driven by a stepping motor. Therefore, the angle of each arm after the dispensing nozzle 54 is moved is the initial angle of the _θ1 arm 52 and the _θ2 arm 53 before driving, and each movement pulse that gives the movement amount (rotation amount) with respect to the initial angle. It can be obtained from the number and the moving angular resolution indicating the angle by which the arm rotates by one pulse.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the coordinate position (x' _p1 , y' _p1 ) in the X'Y' plane of the dispensing nozzle base 54a is determined by the length of each arm and the angle of each arm (Equation 1). can ask.

FIG. 6B also shows the coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b within the X'Y' plane. The coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) is the length of each arm and the angle of each arm, the angle θ between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the _θ2 arm 53, the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the dispensing nozzle It can be obtained by (Equation 2) from the distance d from the tip 54b viewed in the vertical direction (the distance between the dispensing nozzle base 54a projected on the X'Y' plane and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b).

FIG. 7A shows a state in which step 102 of the flow chart shown in FIG. 4 has been executed. At step 103, the controller 41 determines the angle θ _1A between the θ ₁ arm 52 _{and the X' axis in the X'Y' plane, and the θ 1 arm} 52 in the X'Y' plane. _2A and the distance d _A between the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the first side surface 61a of the column 61 are stored in the data storage unit . As shown in FIG. 7A, the distance d _A is the distance along the Y'-axis direction, where the Y'-coordinate of the first side surface 61a is _y'0 and the Y'-coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a is _y'A. If so, it is given by d _A =y' ₀ -y' _A.

FIG. 7B shows a state in which step 104 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 has been executed. At step 105, _{the controller} 41 determines the angle θ _1B between the θ ₁ arm 52 and the X' axis in the X'Y' plane, _2B and the distance d _B between the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the second side surface 61b of the column 61 are stored in the data storage unit . As shown in FIG. 7B, the distance d _B is the distance along the X'-axis direction, where x' ₀ is the X' coordinate of the second side surface 61b and x' _B is the X' coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a. If so, it is given by d _B =x' _B -x' ₀ .

At step 106, the control unit 41 uses the angles θ _1A , θ _2A , the distance d _A , the angles θ _1B , the angles θ _2B and the distances d _B accumulated in the data storage unit 42 to calculate correction values. FIG. 7C shows the coordinate position (x, y) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane. Using the information accumulated in the data storage unit 42, the coordinate position of the dispensing nozzle root 54a, the first side surface 61a, and the second side surface 61b are coordinate-transformed from the X'Y' plane to the XY plane, so that FIG. Obtainable. Here, the dispensing nozzle tip 54b exists on the first side surface 61a and the second side surface 61b, and when measured in step 103 and when measured in step 105, the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the dispensing nozzle Since the positional relationship with the nozzle tip 54b does not change, the coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is nothing but the intersection of the first side face 61a and the second side face 61b on the XY plane. The coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is calculated by (Equation 3).

The coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is determined by the angle θ between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the _θ2 arm 53, can be converted to distance d (see FIG. 6B).

The control unit 41 calculates a correction value based on the calculated d and θ, and drives _{the θ1} arm 52 and the _θ2 arm 53 to adjust the dispensing nozzle tip 54b to the desired value regardless of the deformation of the dispensing nozzle. position. If the calculated value of d deviates greatly from the design value of the dispensing nozzle 54, an alarm is output from the output unit 46 to prompt the user to confirm, as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

As described above, in Example 1, when the dispensing mechanism has two rotary drive shafts, the tip of the dispensing nozzle 54 can be positioned accurately and quickly at a predetermined position without adding new sensors or circuit components. make it possible to

In Example 2, the dispensing mechanism realizes horizontal movement of the dispensing nozzle 54 by a combination of one linear drive shaft and one rotary drive shaft. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with the two side surfaces of the column 61 to determine the correction value of the horizontal position adjustment value and store it in the data storage unit 42 . The pipetting mechanism of the second embodiment is, for example, a pipetting mechanism adopted as the sample pipetting mechanisms 13 and 14 in FIG. An arm having a rotary drive shaft is provided.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a dispensing nozzle positioning method according to the second embodiment. This flow is the same as the flow of FIG. 4 except that the calculation method of the correction value is different due to the difference in the driving method of the dispensing mechanism. Duplicate descriptions of processing contents common to the flow of FIG. 4 are omitted.

The control unit 41 receives the position information data (position adjustment value) stored in the data storage unit 42 and horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61 . Furthermore, the linear stage and θ arm are driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the first side surface 61a. Subsequently, the θ arm is moved so that the height of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b is lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the linear stage and the θ arm are driven in the opposite direction to receive a contact detection signal from the contact detector 58 output when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the first side surface 61a of the column 61. to stop driving the linear stage and the .theta. arm (step 202). The amount of movement of the linear stage and arm at this time and the positional relationship between the first side surface 61a and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 203). Details of this will be described later.

Subsequently, the control unit 41 moves the θ arm so that the tip 54b of the dispensing nozzle is higher than the upper surface of the column 61, and then horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61. FIG. After that, the linear stage and θ arm are driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the second side surface 61b. Subsequently, the θ arm is moved so that the height of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b is lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the linear stage and the θ arm are driven in the direction opposite to the above direction, and a contact detection signal from the contact detector 58 output when the dispensing nozzle 54 contacts the second side surface 61b of the column 61 is received. , stops driving the linear stage and the θ arm (step 204). The amount of movement of the linear stage and arm at this time and the positional relationship between the second side face 61b and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 205). Details of this will be described later.

The processing of steps 206 to 210 differs from the flow of FIG. 4 in the data for obtaining the correction value, but the processing content is the same as the processing of steps 106 to 110 in the flow of FIG. are omitted.

Calculation of the correction value in the second embodiment will be described below. FIG. 9 shows the coordinate system used in the following description and the initial positions and dimensions of the linear stage and arm. As shown in the figure, the base of the dispensing nozzle (position where the dispensing nozzle 54 is attached to the θ arm 72) 54a is the coordinate origin, and the axial direction of the θ arm 72 is the X axis. Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the movable direction of the linear stage 71 is aligned with the X' axis. In this example, the pillar 61 is arranged such that the first side surface 61a is parallel to the movable direction of the linear stage 71 in the horizontal direction. Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X'-axis is defined as the Y'-axis. Let l be the arm length of the θ arm 72 .

The position of the rotation axis of the .theta. arm 72 after the dispensing nozzle 54 has been moved is given by the amount of movement (for example, the number of pulses) of the linear stage 71 with respect to the initial position (the origin of the X'-axis). The angle of the .theta. arm 72 can be obtained from the initial angle of the .theta. arm 72 before driving, the number of movement pulses that give the movement amount (rotation amount) with respect to the initial angle, and the movement angular resolution.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the coordinate position (x' _p1 , y' _p1 ) in the X'Y' plane of the dispensing nozzle base 54a is determined by the length l of the θ arm 72, the angle θ ₂₁ of the θ arm, and It can be obtained from the coordinate _x'G1 on the X'-axis of the rotation axis of the .theta.

FIG. 10B also shows the coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b within the X'Y' plane. The coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) includes the length of the arm, the angle of the arm, the position of the axis of rotation of the arm, the angle θ between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the θ arm 72, and the base of the dispensing nozzle. The distance d between 54a and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b when viewed from the vertical direction (the distance between the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b projected on the X'Y' plane) can be obtained by (Equation 6). can be done.

FIG. 11A shows a state in which step 202 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 has been executed. In step 203, the control unit 41 controls the coordinate x' _A of the rotation axis of the θ arm 72 in the X'Y' plane, the angle θ _A between the θ arm 72 and the X' axis, and the nozzle base 54a and the column 61 is stored in the data storage unit ₄₂ . As shown in FIG. 11A, the distance d _A is the distance along the Y'-axis direction, where the Y' coordinate of the first side surface 61a is _y'0 and the Y' coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a is _y'A . If so, it is given by d _A =y' ₀ -y' _A.

FIG. 11B shows a state in which step 204 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 has been executed. In step 205, the control unit 41 determines the coordinate x' _B of the rotation axis of the θ arm 72 in the X'Y' plane, the angle θ _B between the θ arm 72 and the X' axis, and the nozzle base 54a and the column 61. is stored in the data storage unit ₄₂ . As shown in FIG. 11B, the distance d _B is the distance along the X'-axis direction, where x' ₀ is the X' coordinate of the second side surface 61b and x' _B is the X' coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a. If so, it is given by d _B =x' ₀ -x' _B .

At step 206, the control unit 41 calculates a correction value using the coordinates x' _A , the angle θ _A , the distance d _A , the coordinates x' _B , the angle θ _B , and the distance d _B accumulated in the data storage unit . FIG. 11C shows the coordinate position (x, y) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane. Using the information accumulated in the data storage unit 42, FIG. Obtainable. As in the first embodiment, the coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is calculated by (Equation 7).

The coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is determined by the angle θ formed by the dispensing nozzle 54 and the θ arm 72 and the dispensing nozzle root 54a by (Equation 4), as in the first embodiment. It can be converted into a distance d (see FIG. 10B) from the injection nozzle tip 54b.

As described above, in Example 2, when the dispensing mechanism has one linear drive shaft and one rotary drive shaft, the tip of the dispensing nozzle 54 can be precisely and short-handed without adding new sensors or circuit components. Allows positioning in place in time.

In Example 3, the dispensing mechanism realizes horizontal movement of the dispensing nozzle 54 by one rotary drive shaft. In Example 3, as in Examples 1 and 2, the dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with two side surfaces of the column 61, and the horizontal position stored in the data storage unit 42 is determined based on the amount of movement of the arm at this time. Determines the correction value for the adjustment value. The dispensing mechanism of Example 3 corresponds to, for example, the dispensing mechanism of FIG. 2 in which the arm having two rotational drive shafts on the shaft 51 is changed to an arm having one rotational drive shaft.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an overview of a dispensing nozzle positioning method according to the third embodiment. This flow is the same as the flow of FIG. 4 or FIG. 8, except that the method of calculating the correction value is different due to the difference in the driving method of the dispensing mechanism. Duplicate descriptions of processing contents common to the flow of FIG. 4 or FIG. 8 are omitted.

The control unit 41 receives the position information data (position adjustment value) stored in the data storage unit 42 and horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61 . Furthermore, the θ arm is driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the first side surface 61a. Subsequently, the shaft 51 is driven so that the dispensing nozzle tip 54b moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. After that, the .theta. Stop driving the arm (step 302). The movement amount of the arm at this time and the positional relationship between the first side surface 61a and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 303). Details of this will be described later.

Subsequently, the controller 41 drives the shaft 51 so that the tip 54b of the dispensing nozzle moves to a position higher than the upper surface of the column 61, and then horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle 54 to the center of the column 61. FIG. After that, the θ arm is driven to move the dispensing nozzle 54 from the center of the column 61 toward the second side surface 61b. Subsequently, the shaft 51 is driven so that the dispensing nozzle tip 54b moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the column 61. Then, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the .theta. is stopped (step 304). The movement amount of the arm at this time and the positional relationship between the second side face 61b and the dispensing nozzle base 54a are stored in the data storage unit 42 (step 305). Details of this will be described later.

The processing of steps 306 to 310 differs from the flow of FIG. 4 or FIG. Since it is the same as the processing of steps 206 to 210, detailed description is omitted.

Calculation of the correction value in the third embodiment will be described below. FIG. 13 shows the coordinate system and initial positions and dimensions of the arms used in the following description. As shown in the figure, the base of the dispensing nozzle (position where the dispensing nozzle 54 is attached to the θ arm 81) 54a is the coordinate origin, and the axial direction of the θ arm 81 is the X axis. Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the axis of rotation of the .theta. Also, the axial direction orthogonal to the X'-axis is defined as the Y'-axis. Also, the arm length of the θ arm 81 is _l0 . The angle of the .theta. arm 81 can be obtained from the initial angle of the .theta. arm 81 before driving, the number of movement pulses that give the amount of movement (the amount of rotation) with respect to the initial angle, and the movement angular resolution.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the coordinate position (x' _p1 , y' _p1 ) of the dispensing nozzle base 54a in the X'Y' plane is determined by the length l ₀ of the θ arm 81 and the angle θ ₂₁ of the θ arm. (Equation 8).

FIG. 14B also shows the coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b within the X'Y' plane. The coordinate position (x' _p2 , y' _p2 ) includes the length and angle of the arm, the angle θ between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the θ arm 81, and the perpendicular between the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b. It can be obtained by (Equation 9) from the distance d (the distance between the dispensing nozzle base 54a and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b projected on the X'Y' plane) viewed from the direction.

FIG. 15A shows a state in which step 302 of the flow chart shown in FIG. 12 has been executed. In step 303, the control unit 41 determines the angle θ _A between the θ arm 81 and the X' axis in the X'Y' plane, and the distance d _A between the nozzle base 54a and the first side surface 61a of the column 61. Stored in the data storage unit 42 . As shown in FIG. 15A, the distance d _A is the distance along the Y'-axis direction, where the Y'-coordinate of the first side surface 61a is _y'0 and the Y'-coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a is _y'A . If so, it is given by d _A =y' ₀ -y' _A.

FIG. 15B shows a state where step 304 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 has been executed. In step 305, the control unit 41 determines the angle θ _B between the θ arm 81 and the X' axis in the X'Y' plane and the distance d _B between the nozzle base 54a and the second side surface 61b of the column 61. Stored in the data storage unit 42 . As shown in FIG. 15B, the distance d _B is the distance along the X'-axis direction, where x' ₀ is the X' coordinate of the second side surface 61b and x' _B is the X' coordinate of the dispensing nozzle base 54a. If so, it is given by d _B =x' _B -x' ₀ .

At step 306, the control unit 41 uses the angle θ _A , the distance d _A , the angle θ _B , and the distance d _B accumulated in the data storage unit 42 to calculate a correction value. FIG. 15C shows the coordinate position (x, y) of the dispensing nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane. FIG. 15C can be obtained by transforming the coordinates of the first side face 61a and the second side face 61b from the X'Y' plane to the XY plane using the information stored in the data storage unit 42. FIG. As in the first or second embodiment, the coordinate position (x, y) of the nozzle tip 54b on the XY plane is calculated by (Equation 7).

The coordinate position (x, y) of the tip of the nozzle 54b on the XY plane is determined by the angle θ between the dispensing nozzle 54 and the θ arm 81 and the dispensing nozzle It can be converted into the distance d (see FIG. 14B) between the root 54a and the dispensing nozzle tip 54b.

As described above, in the third embodiment, when the dispensing mechanism has one rotary drive shaft, the tip of the dispensing nozzle 54 can be accurately and quickly positioned at a predetermined position without adding new sensors or circuit components. make it possible to

The present invention has been described in detail above using three embodiments. In the above embodiment, an example in which one dispensing nozzle 54 is brought into contact with one columnar jig 61 has been described. The tool 61 may be shared to determine the correction value of the horizontal position adjustment value. 16A shows two dispensing mechanisms contacting the first side 61a of the post 61 with dispensing nozzles, and FIG. It shows a state in which the injection nozzle is in contact. Here, the case of the dispensing mechanism of Example 1 is shown, but the case of Example 2 or Example 3 is the same.

FIG. 17 shows the amount of movement (rotational angle) of each arm required to move the dispensing nozzle to each stop position in the case of the dispensing mechanism having two rotary drive shafts shown in Example 1. , a movement amount 401 before correction and a movement amount 402 after correction. According to this embodiment, there are a plurality of stop positions for the dispensing nozzle, such as the nozzle washing position, the reagent aspirating position, and the reagent discharging position. The correction amounts for the stop positions of these multiple dispensing nozzles can be obtained at once. The stop positions shown in the table of FIG. 17 are only examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Here, the case of the dispensing mechanism of Example 1 is shown, but the case of Example 2 or Example 3 is the same.

The present invention is not limited to the above examples, and includes various modifications. For example, the planar shape of the columnar jig 61 may not be rectangular. A number of fixed lines with known positions in the X'Y' plane are all that is needed. Therefore, the two sides of the columnar jig with which the dispensing nozzles are brought into contact do not need to be perpendicular to each other, nor do they need to be adjacent to each other.

The above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. In addition, it is possible to replace part of an embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

Moreover, each configuration, function, and processing unit described above may be realized in part or in whole as, for example, an integrated circuit or other hardware. Further, each configuration, function, etc. described above may be realized by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. That is, it may be implemented as software. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in storage devices such as memories, hard disks, SSDs (Solid State Drives), and storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

Also, the control lines and information lines indicate what is considered necessary for explanation, and do not represent all the control lines and information lines necessary for the product. In practice, it may be considered that almost all configurations are interconnected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... reaction disc, 2... reaction container, 3... washing mechanism, 4... spectrophotometer, 5, 6... stirring mechanism, 7, 8, 9, 10... reagent dispensing mechanism, 7a, 8a, 9a, 10a... reagent Nozzle, 11... Reagent disk, 12... Reagent bottle, 13, 14... Sample dispensing mechanism, 13a, 14a... Sample nozzle, 15, 16, 30, 31, 32, 33... Washing tank, 17... Sample container, 18... Rack (conveying member) 19 Sample conveying mechanism 20 Reagent pump 21 Sample pump 22 Washing pump 41 Control unit 42 Data storage unit 43 Input unit 44 Measurement unit , 45... Analysis unit, 46 _... Output unit, 51... Shaft, 52... ? ₁ arm, 53... ? , 56... tube, 57... plunger, 58... contact detector, 61... columnar jig (column), 61a... first side surface, 61b... second side surface, 71... linear stage, 72, 81... θ arm.

Claims (12)

a dispensing nozzle for dispensing liquid;
a dispensing mechanism having an arm that has a rotary drive shaft and horizontally moves the dispensing nozzle; and a contact detector that detects that the tip of the dispensing nozzle comes into contact with the liquid;
a columnar jig having a first side surface and a second side surface forming a predetermined angle with the first side surface;
a data storage unit that stores position information data indicating the amount of movement of the arm that moves the dispensing nozzle to a plurality of stop positions;
a control unit that drives the arm according to the position information data and moves the dispensing nozzle to a stop position corresponding to the position information data;
The controller controls the amount of movement of the arm when the tip of the dispensing nozzle is brought into contact with the first side surface of the columnar jig and the attachment of the dispensing nozzle to the first side surface and the arm. position, movement amount of the arm when the tip of the dispensing nozzle is brought into contact with the second side surface of the columnar jig, and the dispensing nozzle to the second side surface and the arm. an automatic analyzer that calculates a correction value for correcting a positional deviation between the tip of the dispensing nozzle and the mounting position of the dispensing nozzle on the arm based on the positional relationship between the mounting position of the dispensing nozzle. In claim 1,
The control unit corrects each of the position information data corresponding to the plurality of stop positions with the correction value, and drives the arm according to the corrected position information data. In claim 1,
The automatic analyzer, wherein the control unit calculates the correction value after performing a reset operation after user maintenance is finished. In claim 1,
The automatic analyzer, wherein the controller warns of an abnormality in the dispensing nozzle when a positional deviation between the tip of the dispensing nozzle and the mounting position of the dispensing nozzle on the arm exceeds a predetermined amount. In claim 2,
When driving the arm in accordance with the position information data corrected by the correction value among the plurality of stop positions, the control unit controls when there is a stop position that exceeds the operating range of the dispensing nozzle. is an automatic analyzer that warns of an abnormality in the dispensing nozzle. In claim 1,
the position information data includes a position adjustment value with respect to a reference position;
The reference position is a predetermined arrangement of the plurality of stop positions,
The position adjustment value is an adjustment amount of the movement amount of the arm with respect to the reference position obtained so that the tip of the dispensing nozzle is positioned at each of the plurality of stop positions in the actual machine when the automatic analyzer is installed. automatic analyzer. In claim 6,
As the position information data related to the columnar jig, the center of the columnar jig obtained so that the tip of the dispensing nozzle is positioned at the center of the columnar jig in the actual machine when the automatic analyzer is installed. An automatic analyzer that stores a position adjustment value, which is an adjustment amount of the movement amount of the arm with respect to the reference position, in the data storage unit. In claim 1,
Having a plurality of the dispensing mechanisms,
The automatic analyzer, wherein the control unit calculates the correction value for each of the plurality of dispensing mechanisms using the common columnar jig. In claim 1,
The dispensing mechanism has a vertically movable shaft and first and second arms as the arms,
One end of the first arm is attached to the shaft, one end of the second arm is attached to the free end of the first arm, and the dispensing nozzle is attached to the other end of the second arm. automated analyzer. In claim 1,
The dispensing mechanism has a linear stage,
The automatic analyzer, wherein the arm is attached to the linear stage so as to be horizontally movable. In claim 1,
The dispensing mechanism has a vertically movable shaft,
An autoanalyzer in which said arm is attached to said shaft. In claim 1,
The automatic analyzer, wherein the material of the columnar jig is a material that allows the contact detector to detect contact with the tip of the dispensing nozzle.

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