JP7622160B2 - Reagent storage and automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a reagent storage and an automatic analyzer.

In automated analyzers for clinical testing, a certain amount of biological sample such as blood or urine (hereafter referred to as the sample) is mixed with a reagent to cause a reaction, and the mixture is irradiated with light to measure the amount of transmitted or scattered light obtained, thereby determining the concentration, activity value, and time required for change of the substance being measured.

The reagents are contained in reagent containers and kept cool in a reagent storage room installed in the automated analyzer. The reagents kept cool in the reagent storage room are aspirated from the reagent containers by a reagent dispensing probe at a timing based on the measurement, and dispensed into reaction containers.

In order to efficiently maintain a low temperature inside the reagent vault, air is circulated inside the reagent vault. This means that the reagents contained in the reagent containers may evaporate inside the reagent vault. In order to prevent this, conventional automated analyzers provide reagent containers with a reagent evaporation suppression mechanism, such as an automatic opening and closing cap or simple piercing, to suppress the evaporation of reagents inside the reagent vault.

However, providing a reagent evaporation suppression mechanism in a reagent container creates the problem that the structure of the automatic analyzer that drives the reagent evaporation suppression mechanism becomes complex.

JP 2012-194072 A

The problem that the invention aims to solve is to suppress evaporation of reagents in a reagent container with a simple structure.

According to an embodiment, the reagent storage comprises a mounting means, a housing, a lid, a separating means, a cooling means, and an air blowing means. The mounting means mounts a plurality of reagent containers. The housing is formed so as to be capable of storing the mounting means and the plurality of reagent containers mounted on the mounting means. The lid covers the opening of the housing. The separating means separates the space formed by the housing and the lid into a first space in which the openings of the plurality of reagent containers are present, and a second space in which the bodies of the plurality of reagent containers are present. The cooling means generates a cooling effect in the second space. The air blowing means generates a convection current of air cooled by the cooling means in the second space.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an automatic analyzer according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the analysis mechanism shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the reagent container shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a top view of the AA cross section in FIG. FIG. 5 is a top view of the cross section taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing convection currents in the reagent container shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another configuration of the reagent storage according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing convection currents occurring near the bottom surface inside the reagent container shown in FIG.

The following describes the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment. The automatic analyzer 1 shown in Figure 1 includes an analysis mechanism 2, an analysis circuit 3, a drive mechanism 4, an input interface 5, an output interface 6, a communication interface 7, a memory circuit 8, and a control circuit 9.

The analysis mechanism 2 mixes a sample, such as a standard sample or a test sample, with a reagent used for each test item set for this sample. The analysis mechanism 2 measures the mixture of the sample and the reagent, and generates standard data, which is expressed, for example, by absorbance or scattered light intensity, and test data.

The analysis circuit 3 is a processor that generates calibration data, analysis data, etc. by analyzing the standard data and test data generated by the analysis mechanism 2. The analysis circuit 3 reads an operating program from the memory circuit 8, and generates calibration data, analysis data, etc. according to the read operating program. For example, the analysis circuit 3 generates calibration data that indicates the relationship between the standard data and a standard value previously set for the standard sample, based on the standard data. The analysis circuit 3 also generates analysis data expressed as a concentration value, an enzyme activity value, and the time required for change, based on the test data and the calibration data of the test item corresponding to the test data. The analysis circuit 3 outputs the generated calibration data, analysis data, etc. to the control circuit 9.

The drive mechanism 4 drives the analysis mechanism 2 under the control of the control circuit 9. The drive mechanism 4 is realized by, for example, a gear, a stepping motor, a belt conveyor, a lead screw, etc.

The input interface 5 accepts settings such as analysis parameters for each test item related to a sample requested to be measured by an operator or via the hospital network NW. The input interface 5 is realized by, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touchpad where instructions are input by touching the operation surface. The input interface 5 is connected to the control circuit 9, converts operation instructions input by the operator into electrical signals, and outputs the electrical signals to the control circuit 9. Note that in this specification, the input interface 5 is not limited to those equipped with physical operation parts such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, an electrical signal processing circuit that receives an electrical signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the automatic analyzer 1 and outputs the electrical signal to the control circuit 9 is also included as an example of the input interface 5.

The output interface 6 is connected to the control circuit 9 and outputs a signal supplied from the control circuit 9. The output interface 6 is realized by, for example, a display circuit, a printed circuit, and an audio device. The display circuit includes, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, and a plasma display. The display circuit also includes a processing circuit that converts data representing the display object into a video signal and outputs the video signal to the outside. The printed circuit includes, for example, a printer. The printed circuit also includes an output circuit that outputs data representing the print object to the outside. The audio device includes, for example, a speaker. The audio device also includes an output circuit that outputs an audio signal to the outside.

The communication interface 7 is connected to, for example, the hospital network NW. The communication interface 7 performs data communication with a Hospital Information System (HIS) via the hospital network NW. Note that the communication interface 7 may also perform data communication with the HIS via a laboratory information system (LIS) connected to the hospital network NW.

The memory circuit 8 includes a processor-readable recording medium, such as a magnetic or optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. Note that the memory circuit 8 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single storage device. For example, the memory circuit 8 may be realized by multiple storage devices.

The memory circuitry 8 stores the operating programs executed by the analysis circuitry 3 and the operating programs for realizing the functions of the control circuitry 9. The memory circuitry 8 stores the calibration data generated by the analysis circuitry 3 for each test item. The memory circuitry 8 stores the analysis data generated by the analysis circuitry 3 for each test sample. The memory circuitry 8 stores test orders input by the operator or test orders received by the communication interface 7 via the hospital network NW.

The control circuit 9 is a processor that functions as the core of the automatic analyzer 1. The control circuit 9 executes an operating program stored in the memory circuit 8, thereby realizing a function corresponding to the operating program. The control circuit 9 may also include a memory area for storing at least a portion of the data stored in the memory circuit 8.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the analysis mechanism 2 shown in Figure 1. The analysis mechanism 2 shown in Figure 2 includes a reaction disk 201, a thermostatic unit 202, a rack sampler 203, and a reagent storage 204.

The reaction disk 201 transports the reaction vessels 2011 along a predetermined path. Specifically, the reaction disk 201 holds a plurality of reaction vessels 2011 arranged in a ring shape. The reaction disk 201 is rotated and stopped alternately at predetermined time intervals by the drive mechanism 4. The reaction vessels 2011 are made of, for example, glass.

The thermostatic unit 202 stores a heat medium set to a predetermined temperature, and heats the mixture contained in the reaction vessel 2011 by immersing the reaction vessel 2011 in the stored heat medium.

The rack sampler 203 movably supports a sample rack 2031 capable of holding multiple sample containers containing samples requested to be measured. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a sample rack 2031 capable of holding five sample containers in parallel is shown.

The rack sampler 203 is provided with a transport area that transports the sample rack 2031 from an input position where the sample rack 2031 is input to a recovery position where the sample rack 2031 that has completed measurement is recovered. In the transport area, a plurality of sample racks 2031 aligned in the longitudinal direction are moved in the direction D1 by the drive mechanism 4.

The rack sampler 203 is also provided with a retraction area that retracts the sample rack 2031 from the transport area in order to move the sample container held by the sample rack 2031 to a predetermined sample aspiration position. The sample aspiration position is provided, for example, at a position where the rotational path of the sample dispensing probe 207 intersects with the movement path of the opening of the sample container supported by the rack sampler 203 and held by the sample rack 2031. In the retraction area, the transported sample rack 2031 is moved in direction D2 by the drive mechanism 4.

The rack sampler 203 also has a return area for returning the sample rack 2031, which holds the sample container into which the sample has been aspirated, to the transport area. In the return area, the sample rack 2031 is moved in the direction D3 by the drive mechanism 4.

The reagent storage 204 keeps multiple reagent containers 100, which contain reagents that react with standard samples and specific components contained in test samples, in cool storage. A turntable is provided in the reagent storage 204 so that it can rotate freely. The turntable holds multiple reagent containers 100 in a circular ring shape. In this embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 2, the reagent storage 204 is covered by a removable reagent cover. The reagent containers 100 are, for example, cylindrical glass containers. More specifically, the reagent containers 100 are cylindrical glass containers or polygonal prism-shaped glass containers that can be contained within a specific cylinder.

The analysis mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 2 also includes a sample dispensing arm 206, a sample dispensing probe 207, a reagent dispensing arm 208, a reagent dispensing probe 209, a stirring unit 210, a photometry unit 211, and a cleaning unit 212.

The sample dispensing arm 206 is provided between the reaction disk 201 and the rack sampler 203. The sample dispensing arm 206 is provided so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction and rotatable in the horizontal direction by the drive mechanism 4. The sample dispensing arm 206 holds a sample dispensing probe 207 at one end.

The sample dispensing probe 207 rotates along an arc-shaped rotational orbit in association with the rotation of the sample dispensing arm 206. The opening of the sample container held by the sample rack 2031 on the rack sampler 203 is positioned on this rotational orbit. In addition, a sample discharge position for discharging the sample aspirated by the sample dispensing probe 207 into the reaction container 2011 is provided on the rotational orbit of the sample dispensing probe 207. The sample discharge position corresponds to, for example, the intersection of the rotational orbit of the sample dispensing probe 207 and the movement orbit of the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201.

The sample dispensing probe 207 is driven by the drive mechanism 4 and moves vertically directly above the opening of a sample container held in the sample rack 2031 on the rack sampler 203 or at the sample discharge position. The sample dispensing probe 207 also aspirates a sample from a sample container located directly below it under the control of the control circuit 9. The sample dispensing probe 207 also aspirates the aspirated sample into a reaction container 2011 located directly below the sample discharge position under the control of the control circuit 9.

The reagent dispensing arm 208 is provided between the reaction disk 201 and the reagent storage 204. The reagent dispensing arm 208 is provided so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction and rotatable in the horizontal direction by the drive mechanism 4. The reagent dispensing arm 208 holds a reagent dispensing probe 209 at one end.

The reagent dispensing probe 209 rotates along an arc-shaped rotational orbit in association with the rotation of the reagent dispensing arm 208. A reagent aspirating position is provided on this rotational orbit. The reagent aspirating position is provided, for example, at a position where the rotational orbit of the reagent dispensing probe 209 intersects with the movement orbit of the opening of the reagent container 100 placed in an annular shape on the turntable. In addition, a reagent ejection position is set on the rotational orbit of the reagent dispensing probe 209 for ejecting the reagent aspirated by the reagent dispensing probe 209 into the reaction container 2011. The reagent ejection position corresponds to, for example, the intersection of the rotational orbit of the reagent dispensing probe 209 and the movement orbit of the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201.

The reagent dispensing probe 209 is driven by the drive mechanism 4 and moves up and down at a reagent aspirating position or a reagent dispensing position on the rotation orbit. The reagent dispensing probe 209 also aspirates reagent from a reagent container stopped at the reagent aspirating position under the control of the control circuit 9. In other words, the reagent dispensing probe 209 is an example of an aspirating unit. The reagent dispensing probe 209 also aspirates the aspirated reagent into a reaction container 2011 located directly below the reagent dispensing position under the control of the control circuit 9.

The stirring unit 210 is provided near the outer periphery of the reaction disk 201. The stirring unit 210 has a stirrer, and uses the stirrer to stir the sample and reagent contained in the reaction vessel 2011 located at the stirring position on the reaction disk 201.

The photometry unit 211 optically measures a specific component in the mixture of sample and reagent dispensed into the reaction vessel 2011. The photometry unit 211 has a light source and a photodetector. The photometry unit 211 irradiates light from the light source according to the control of the control circuit 9. The irradiated light enters the first side wall of the reaction vessel 2011 and exits from a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The photometry unit 211 detects the light exiting from the reaction vessel 2011 with the photodetector.

Specifically, for example, the photodetector detects light that has passed through a mixture of a standard sample and a reagent in the reaction vessel 2011, and generates standard data represented by absorbance or the like based on the intensity of the detected light. The photodetector also detects light that has passed through a mixture of a test sample and a reagent in the reaction vessel 2011, and generates test data represented by absorbance or the like based on the intensity of the detected light. The photometry unit 211 outputs the generated standard data and test data to the analysis circuit 3. The photodetector may also detect scattered light scattered by the mixture in the reaction vessel 2011, and generate standard data and test data represented by scattered light intensity.

The cleaning unit 212 cleans the inside of the reaction vessel 2011 after the measurement of the mixed liquid has been completed by the photometry unit 211.

The control circuit 9 shown in FIG. 1 executes an operation program stored in the memory circuit 8 to realize a function corresponding to the program. For example, the control circuit 9 has a system control function 91 by executing an operation program. Note that, although the present embodiment describes a case in which the system control function 91 is realized by a single processor, this is not limiting. For example, the control circuit may be configured by combining multiple independent processors, and the system control function 91 may be realized by each processor executing an operation program.

The system control function 91 is a function that controls each part of the automatic analyzer 1 based on the input information input from the input interface 5.

Next, the reagent storage 204 in which the reagent containers 100 are kept cool will be described in detail. FIGS. 3 to 5 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the reagent storage 204 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of a cross-sectional view of the reagent storage 204, FIG. 4 shows an example of a top view at cross-section A-A in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 shows an example of a top view at cross-section B-B in FIG. 3. The reagent storage 204 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 has a reagent cover 2041, a housing 2042, a table rotation mechanism 2043, a convection separator plate 2044, a fan 2045, and a cooling element 2046.

The reagent cover 2041 is a lid that covers the opening of the housing 2042. The reagent cover 2041 is provided with a reagent suction port (not shown). The reagent suction port is a hole that penetrates the reagent cover 2041, and is provided at a position where the rotational path of the reagent dispensing probe 209 and the movement path of the opening of the reagent container 100 intersect.

The housing 2042 has an opening at the top end, and is formed so as to be capable of housing the rotating table 20431 of the table rotation mechanism 2043 and the convection separator plate 2044 inside. The opening of the housing 2042 is covered by a reagent cover 2041. The inner surface of the housing 2042 is formed from a material such as aluminum that has excellent thermal conductivity. The housing 2042 also has an insulating part made of a heat insulating material that is formed to cover the inner surface.

The table rotation mechanism 2043 transports the reagent container 100 to the reagent aspirating position under the control of the control circuit 9. The table rotation mechanism 2043 includes, for example, a rotating table 20431, a crown portion 20432, a support portion 20433, and a rotating shaft 20434.

The turntable 20431 is a platform on which the reagent containers 100 are placed. In other words, the turntable 20431 is an example of a placement means. The positions on the turntable 20431 on which the reagent containers 100 are placed are set in advance. Figures 2 to 5 show an example in which multiple reagent containers 100 are placed in a double annular shape. Note that the reagent containers 100 are not limited to being placed in a double annular shape, and may be placed in a single or triple annular shape, etc.

The placement positions of the reagent containers 100 are set so that adjacent reagent containers 100 on the circumference are placed with a preset distance between them. By setting the placement positions regularly, unevenness in the temperature distribution within the reagent storage 204 is less likely to occur.

The annular mounting position provided on the inside is set so that the reagent containers 100 placed on this mounting position face the inner wall of the housing 2042 from between the reagent containers 100 arranged on the outer circumference. This allows the cold air passing between the reagent containers 100 arranged on the outer circumference to directly impinge on the reagent containers 100 arranged on the inner circumference.

The shape of the reagent container 100 to be placed directly on the turntable 20431 is set in advance. For example, in FIG. 5, a cylindrical reagent container 100 is set to be placed directly on the turntable 20431. Note that the shape of the reagent container 100 that can be placed directly on the turntable 20431 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a polygonal prism shape.

Even if the shape of the reagent container 100 that can be placed directly on the turntable 20431 is preset, this does not mean that only containers of that shape can be placed on it. An adapter (auxiliary device) corresponding to the placement shape of the turntable 20431 may be attached to the container, and the container with the adapter attached may be placed on the turntable 20431. By preparing such an adapter, it becomes possible to accommodate containers of various shapes as long as the adapter can be attached. The function of the adapter is not limited to complementing the shape of the reagent container 100. If the height of the reagent container 100 is low and the opening of the reagent container 100 does not come out of the protruding hole 20441 formed in the convection separator plate 2044 when it is placed directly on the placement position, the adapter may be used to complement the height of the reagent container 100.

The turntable 20431 has grooves and holes for adjusting the amount of cold air passing between the reagent containers 100 placed on it. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the turntable 20431 has a plurality of adjustment grooves 204311 and adjustment holes 204312. The adjustment grooves 204311 are grooves for forming gaps between the turntable 20431 and the inner wall of the housing 2042. The adjustment grooves 204311 are formed, for example, by cutting the table end radially outward from the outer placement position provided on the turntable 20431 into a substantially semicircular shape in the thickness direction. A gap is formed between the adjustment grooves 204311 and the inner wall of the housing 2042 to allow air to pass through. The shape of the adjustment grooves 204311 is not limited to a substantially semicircular shape, and can be set arbitrarily as long as it does not cause bias or turbulence in the air passing through. The width and number of the adjustment grooves 204311 can be set arbitrarily according to the temperature distribution in the reagent storage 204. Furthermore, the position where the adjustment groove 204311 is provided is not limited to the end of the table radially outward from the outer placement position of the reagent container 100, but can be set to any position that does not cause bias or turbulence in the air passing through.

The adjustment hole 204312 is a hole for electrically connecting the bottom side and the top side of the reagent storage 204. The adjustment hole 204312 is, for example, formed by penetrating an area radially outward from the inner placement position provided on the turntable 20431 in a substantially circular shape. The shape of the adjustment hole 204312 is not limited to a substantially circular shape, and can be set to any shape that does not cause bias or turbulence in the cold air that passes through. The diameter and number of the adjustment holes 204312 can be set to any shape depending on the temperature distribution in the reagent storage 204. The position at which the adjustment hole 204312 is provided is not limited to the area radially outward from the inner placement position of the reagent container 100, and can be set to any position that does not cause bias or turbulence in the air that passes through.

The crown 20432 extends upward from the inner circumference of the turntable 20431. The height of the crown 20432 is set according to the height of the reagent container 100 placed on the turntable 20431. The crown 20432 has through holes 204321 formed at preset intervals in the circumferential direction. At this time, the positions at which the through holes 204321 are formed are based on the positions of the reagent containers 100 arranged on the adjacent circumference. Specifically, in FIG. 5, the through holes 204321 are provided on the inner side in the circumferential direction of the reagent containers 100 arranged on the inner circumference and on the inner side in the circumferential direction of the midpoints of the adjacent reagent containers 100 on the inner circumference. It is desirable that the shape of the through hole 204321 has a shape that is elongated in the height direction of the reagent storage 204. The size of the hole can be set arbitrarily according to the temperature distribution in the reagent storage 204.

The support portion 20433 is, for example, a plate-shaped member formed at the upper end of the crown portion 20432. The support portion 20433 removably supports the convection separation plate 2044.

The rotating shaft 20434 is fixed approximately at the center of the support portion 20433. The rotating shaft 20434 is connected to a motor (not shown) and transmits the motor's power to the support portion 20433. When the motor is driven under the control of the control circuit 9, the motor's power transmitted by the rotating shaft 20434 causes the support portion 20433, the crown portion 20432, the rotating table 20431, and the convection separator plate 2044 to repeatedly rotate and stop. As a result, one of the multiple reagent containers 100 placed on the rotating table 20431 is stopped at a position directly below the reagent aspiration port, i.e., at the reagent aspiration position.

The convection separator plate 2044 is a member for separating the space formed by the reagent cover 2041 and the housing 2042, and is, for example, an example of a separating means. The space in the reagent storage 204 formed by the reagent cover 2041 and the housing 2042 is separated, for example, into a first space above the convection separator plate 2044 and a second space below the convection separator plate 2044. The height of the second space is set based on the height of the reagent container 100, which serves as a reference. For example, the second space is set to include the main body of the reagent container 100 that contains the reagent. As a result, the second space contains a portion of the reagent container 100 that requires cooling.

The convection separation plate 2044 is fixed to, for example, a support portion 20433 of the table rotation mechanism 2043. The convection separation plate 2044 has a plurality of protrusion holes 20441 formed therein for protruding the openings of the reagent containers 100 placed on the rotating table 20431 toward the upper surface side of the reagent storage 204. The positions at which the protrusion holes 20441 are formed correspond to the placement positions of the reagent containers 100 set on the rotating table 20431. The shape of the protrusion holes 20441 corresponds to the shape of the reagent containers 100 that can be placed directly on the rotating table 20431.

For example, when the turntable 20431 is set so that cylindrical reagent containers 100 are placed in a double annular shape, the convection separation plate 2044 is provided with circular protrusion holes 20441 in a double annular shape, the diameter of which is slightly larger than that of the reagent container 100 to be placed. On the other hand, when the turntable 20431 is set so that polygonal prism-shaped reagent containers 100 are placed in a single annular shape, the convection separation plate 2044 is provided with polygonal protrusion holes 20441 in a single annular shape, the diameter of which is slightly larger than that of the reagent container 100 to be placed.

The fan 2045 is an example of a blowing means that is driven under the control of the control circuit 9 and blows air in a preset direction. Specifically, for example, the fan 2045 is provided so as to surround the rotating shaft 20434. The fan 2045 is also provided so as to blow air in the space surrounded by the crown portion 20432 and the support portion 20433 toward the bottom surface of the reagent chamber 204. This generates convection in the second space below the convection separation plate 2044. Note that, although FIG. 3 shows an example in which the fan 2045 has its own power source, this is not limiting. The rotating shaft of the fan 2045 may be shared with the rotating shaft 20434 of the table rotation mechanism 2043, and the fan 2045 may be driven by the power of a motor connected to the rotating shaft 20434.

The cooling element 2046 is a semiconductor element that is driven under the control of the control circuit 9 to generate a cooling effect, and is an example of a cooling means. For example, multiple cooling elements 2046 are provided on the bottom surface of the reagent container 100 where cold air accumulates.

Next, the convection currents that occur in the reagent storage 204 configured as described above will be described. The operator opens the reagent cover 2041 and places the reagent container 100 on the rotating table 20431 by inserting the reagent container 100 into the protruding hole 20441 formed in the convection separator plate 2044. For reagent containers that differ from the preset standard shape and reagent containers that are lower than the standard height, an adapter is attached and the reagent container is inserted into the protruding hole 20441.

When the reagent container 100 is inserted into the protruding hole 20441 of the convection separator plate 2044 and placed on the turntable 20431, for example, a portion of the reagent container 100 above the shoulder protrudes from the protruding hole 20441 to the upper surface side of the reagent storage 204. In this embodiment, the shoulder of the reagent container 100 refers to, for example, a portion of the body of the reagent container 100 where the diameter becomes smaller toward the opening. In addition, when the reagent container 100 is inserted into the protruding hole 20441, the space inside the reagent storage 204 is separated into a first space above the convection separator plate 2044 and a second space below the convection separator plate 2044. When all the reagent containers 100 are placed, the operator closes the reagent cover 2041.

When the reagent cover 2041 is closed and testing begins, the fan 2045 rotates at a predetermined timing. There is no limitation on the timing of rotating the fan 2045 while the reagent cover 2041 is closed, and for example, the fan 2045 may rotate all the time. Furthermore, if the temperature of the first space rises to about room temperature as a result of the reagent cover 2041 being opened and the temperature of the second space is also showing an upward trend, the control circuit 9 may boost the power of the cooling element 2046 and control the fan 2045 to increase its rotation speed.

When the fan 2045 rotates, air in the space surrounded by the crown 20432 and the support 20433 is sucked into the fan 2045, and the sucked air is sent toward the bottom of the reagent chamber 204. Negative pressure is created in the space into which the air has been sucked. In other words, the space surrounded by the crown 20432 and the support 20433 becomes a negative pressure chamber.

The air sent toward the bottom pushes the cold air, which has been cooled by the cooling element 2046 and is stagnating at the bottom, toward the mounting surface of the turntable 20431 through the gap formed between the adjustment groove 204311 of the turntable 20431 and the housing 2042, and through the adjustment hole 204312. The cold air pushed toward the mounting surface is attracted toward the central space, which is under negative pressure. As a result, the direction of the pushed-out cold air is switched by approximately 90 degrees from the first space direction to the direction of the rotation axis 20434. The cold air, whose direction has been switched, passes between the reagent containers 100 placed on the turntable 20431 and reaches the central space, which is under negative pressure. As a result, the cold air is circulated in the second space.

Of the cold air pushed out towards the placement surface, some of the cold air that maintains its direction of travel collides with the convection separation plate 2044. Because the protrusion hole 20441 formed in the convection separation plate 2044 is filled with the main body of the reagent container 100, the gap between the protrusion hole 20441 and the reagent container 100 is small, and little cold air passes through this gap to reach the first space. Therefore, most of the cold air that collides with the convection separation plate 2044 is drawn into the central space, which is under negative pressure.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of convection in the reagent storage 204. As shown in Figure 6, cold air circulates in the second space and hardly reaches the first space.

As described above, in this embodiment, a convection separator plate 2044 is provided in the reagent storage 204, separating it into a first space in which the opening of the reagent container 100 exists, and a second space in which the reagent container body of the reagent container 100 to be cooled exists. Air convection is then generated in the second space, and the convection in the second space is prevented from propagating to the first space. This makes it possible to suppress evaporation of the reagent from the opening while maintaining a constant temperature distribution in the reagent storage 204.

In addition, when the reagent cover 2041 is opened to replace the reagent container 100, high-temperature outside air flows into the reagent storage 204, causing the temperature of the first space to rise to the same temperature as the outside air, but the temperature rise in the second space separated by the convection separator 2044 is suppressed to some extent.

In addition, when the temperature of the first space, which rose when the reagent cover 2041 was opened, drops by closing the reagent cover 2041, condensation inevitably occurs in the first space. The occurrence of condensation indicates that the relative humidity in the first space is high, which means that the environment is such that it is difficult for the reagent to evaporate.

In addition, in this embodiment, a negative pressure chamber is generated in the second space, in which air is sucked in by the fan 2045, creating a negative pressure inside. The convection current generated by the fan 2045 circulates through the cooling element 2046, the main body portions of the multiple reagent containers 100 placed on the turntable 20431, and the negative pressure chamber. This allows the air in the second space to be efficiently cooled. For example, even if the reagent cover 2041 is opened when replacing the reagent container 100, it is possible to restore the temperature immediately after closing the reagent cover 2041.

In addition, in this embodiment, a negative pressure chamber is formed in the second space at a position that draws in the cold air that passes through the rotating table 20431 and travels toward the first space. This makes it possible to further reduce the amount of cold air that reaches the first space.

In addition, in this embodiment, the turntable 20431 is provided with mechanisms for passing cold air, such as the adjustment groove 204311 and the adjustment hole 204312, radially outward from the placement position of the reagent container 100. In other words, the turntable 20431 is provided with a cold air passage mechanism upstream of the placement position of the reagent container 100 in the direction of cold air travel. This allows the cold air that has passed through the turntable 20431 to efficiently collide with the reagent container 100 as it flows in the direction of the rotation axis 20434, making it possible to efficiently cool the reagent container 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, if the shape and height of the reagent container 100 to be placed on the turntable 20431 do not match the standard shape and height, an adapter is attached to the reagent container 100 and it is placed on the turntable 20431. This means that no special mechanism is required even if the shapes and heights of the reagent containers 100 are different.

The structure of the reagent storage 204 according to this embodiment is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3. The reagent storage 204 may have, for example, a second fan 2047 located closer to the bottom side than the fan 2045. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example configuration of the reagent storage 204 according to this embodiment.

The second fan 2047 is a fan for horizontal circulation, and is realized by, for example, a sirocco fan. The second fan 2047 is driven according to the control of the control circuit 9, and circulates the air near the bottom of the reagent storage 204 in the horizontal direction. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of convection generated near the bottom of the reagent storage 204 shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the convection generated by the second fan 2047 passes directly above the cooling element 2046. As a result, the air cooled by the cooling element 2046 spreads over the entire bottom of the reagent storage 204, and the bottom of the reagent storage 204 is cooled to a constant temperature.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the reagent containers 100 are placed directly on the turntable 20431. However, this is not limited to this. The reagent containers 100 may be mounted on a reagent rack capable of mounting multiple reagent containers 100, and then placed on the turntable 20431. In this way, the reagent containers 100 are collectively placed on the turntable 20431 by installing the reagent rack on the turntable 20431. Furthermore, the reagent containers 100 are collectively removed from the turntable 20431 by removing the reagent rack from the turntable 20431.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the automated analyzer 1 can suppress evaporation of the reagent in the reagent storage 204 with a simple structure. Furthermore, even when reagent containers are stored at high density, evaporation of the reagent in the reagent storage 204 can be suppressed. Therefore, waste of reagent due to evaporation in the sample measurement processing process can be constantly reduced. Furthermore, abnormalities in the test results caused by deterioration of the reagent due to evaporation can be avoided.

The term "processor" used in the description of the embodiments means, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (for example, a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)). The processor realizes its function by reading and executing a program stored in a memory circuit. Instead of storing a program in a memory circuit, the processor may be configured to directly incorporate the program in the circuit. In this case, the processor realizes its function by reading and executing a program incorporated in the circuit. Each processor in each of the above embodiments is not limited to being configured as a single circuit for each processor, but may be configured as a single processor by combining multiple independent circuits to realize its function. Furthermore, the multiple components in each of the above embodiments may be integrated into a single processor to realize its function.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims, as well as the scope and spirit of the invention.

1 ... automatic analyzer 2 ... analysis mechanism 201 ... reaction disk 2011 ... reaction container 202 ... thermostatic section 203 ... rack sampler 2031 ... sample rack 204 ... reagent storage 2041 ... reagent cover 2042 ... housing 2043 ... table rotation mechanism 20431 ... rotating table 204311 ... adjustment groove 204312 ... adjustment hole 20432 ... crown 204321 ... passage hole 20433 ... support section 20434 ... rotation shaft 2044 ... convection separation plate 20441 ... protrusion Hole 2045... Fan 2046... Cooling element 2047... Second fan 206... Sample dispensing arm 207... Sample dispensing probe 208... Reagent dispensing arm 209... Reagent dispensing probe 210... Stirring unit 211... Photometric unit 212... Cleaning unit 3... Analysis circuit 4... Drive mechanism 5... Input interface 6... Output interface 7... Communication interface 8... Memory circuit 9... Control circuit 91... System control function 100... Reagent container

Claims (11)

a mounting means configured to be able to hold a plurality of reagent containers at a first annular mounting position and a second annular mounting position formed on the outer circumferential side of the first mounting position, the first mounting position and the second mounting position rotating together;
a housing formed to be capable of accommodating the placement means and a plurality of reagent containers placed on the placement means;
A cover for covering the opening of the housing;
a separation means for separating a space formed by the housing and the lid into a first space in which openings of the plurality of reagent containers are present and a second space in which bodies of the plurality of reagent containers are present;
a cooling means for generating a cooling effect within the second space;
a blower means for generating a convection current of the air cooled by the cooling means in the second space,
the mounting means has a first passing mechanism that communicates spaces above and below the mounting means at a position radially outward from the first mounting position ,
the air sent from the space above the placement means to the space below the placement means by the air blowing means flows into the space above the placement means through the first passing mechanism, and the air flow into the first space is restricted by the separation means, so that the air flows toward the center of the rotation and reaches the air blowing means.
Reagent storehouse. the first passing mechanism corresponding to each of the reagent containers held at the first placement position is provided on the placement means;
The reagent repository according to claim 1 . the placement means has a second passage mechanism that communicates spaces above and below the placement means radially outward from the second placement position;
The reagent repository according to claim 1 or 2 . a negative pressure chamber in which air is sucked in by the blowing means to create a negative pressure therein is provided in the second space;
4. The reagent repository according to claim 1, wherein convection currents generated by the air blowing means circulate through the cooling means, main bodies of a plurality of reagent containers placed on the placement means, and the negative pressure chamber. 5. The reagent repository according to claim 4 , wherein the negative pressure chamber is formed at a position that draws in a convection current that is generated by the air blowing means and passes through the placement means and advances toward the first space. The reagent repository according to claim 1 , wherein the separating means comprises a plurality of openings for inserting and placing the plurality of reagent containers from above. The reagent repository according to claim 6 , wherein the placement unit is configured to be capable of placing columnar reagent containers as the plurality of reagent containers. The reagent repository according to claim 7 , wherein the opening has a circular or polygonal shape corresponding to a reagent container to be placed through the opening. The reagent repository according to claim 1 , wherein the separating means is formed in a flat plate shape. A reagent storage capable of storing a plurality of reagent containers;
an aspirating unit that aspirates a reagent contained in at least one of the plurality of reagent containers,
The reagent storage includes:
a mounting means configured to be able to hold the plurality of reagent containers at a first annular mounting position and a second annular mounting position formed on an outer circumferential side of the first mounting position, the first mounting position and the second mounting position rotating together;
a separating means for separating a space within the reagent vault into a first space in which the openings of the plurality of reagent containers are present and a second space in which the bodies of the plurality of reagent containers are present;
a cooling means for generating a cooling effect within the second space;
a blower means for generating a convection current of the air cooled by the cooling means in the second space,
the mounting means has a first passing mechanism that communicates spaces above and below the mounting means at a position radially outward from the first mounting position ,
the air sent from the space above the placement means to the space below the placement means by the air blowing means flows into the space above the placement means through the first passing mechanism, and the air flow into the first space is restricted by the separation means, so that the air flows toward the center of the rotation and reaches the air blowing means.
Automated analyzer. the first passing mechanism corresponding to each of the reagent containers held at the first placement position is provided on the placement means;
The automated analyzer according to claim 10.