JPH0145869B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for optically inspecting reaction spheres (beads) that have been reacted with the patient's blood as a specimen in a patient's blood test performed in the medical field. The present invention relates to an improvement in a washing device in a blood test device that is used to wash a test tube containing a reaction bulb in order to remove a sample.

Blood tests performed on patients in medical care are usually
As shown in Fig. 1, a predetermined amount of blood as a specimen is titrated into a large number of test tubes a supported in parallel on a rack 3 (or into test holes arranged in a large number on a titration plate), and a predetermined amount of blood is titrated in advance. React with the reagent on the surface of reaction sphere b (beads coated with a reagent that reacts with blood) placed in tube a (the reagent is coated on the inner wall of the test tube or the inner wall of the test hole). ), then reaction sphere b in test tube a
Wash the surface with a cleaning solution to remove excess blood, etc.
This is done by optically inspecting the surface of the washed reaction bulb B, and the reaction bulb B (or the inner surface of the test tube/test hole) inside the test tube A (or test hole).
For washing, the rack 3 that supports the test tubes a in parallel (or the titration plate with a large number of aligned test holes) is usually placed in the machine frame K of the washing device M, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end opening of each test tube a, which is set on the base plate 4 and supported in parallel on the rack 3, is connected to the head A above the base plate 4.
A large number of dispensing needles 1 and suction needles 2 are arranged vertically in a set, and from this state the cleaning liquid is fed to each of the dispensing needles 1 mounted in parallel on the head A. Then, a certain amount of washing liquid is injected into each test tube a from the tip of each dispensing needle 1, and then the platform 4 is raised by the lifting device 40 (the head A may be lowered). Assuming that the tip of each suction needle 2 is inserted into each test tube a, head A
The cleaning liquid is suctioned and removed through each suction needle 2 by the operation of a vacuum pump connected to the base plate 4.
is lowered and the needle tip of each suction needle 2 is pulled upward from inside the test tube a, and in this state, the washing liquid is supplied again and dispensed from the needle tip of each dispensing needle 1 into each test tube a. I try to do this by repeating this.

Then, the injection of the washing liquid from each dispensing needle 1 is controlled, as shown in FIG. A distributor 10 is provided, which consists of a distribution main path 10a that continues long in the left-right direction, and a large number of distribution branch paths 10b in the front-rear direction whose base ends are connected to the distribution main path 10a and arranged in a comb-teeth shape. The base end 1a of each dispensing needle 1 is connected to each distribution branch path 10b of the distributor 10, and the distribution main path 10a of this distributor 10
As shown in FIG.
One end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 is connected to the cleaning liquid tank 13 whose inside is pressurized via the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12, and a valve V is installed in the middle of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12.
is provided, and the control operation of the valve V is performed.

By the way, this conventional means includes a cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 which communicates with the distributor 10 by actuation of the valve V.
When dispensing the cleaning liquid is stopped by interrupting the middle of the pipe, the cleaning liquid inside the dispensing needle 1 will drain from the tip of the dispensing needle 1 connected to the distributor 10 over time. When the washing liquid in one of the dispensing needles 1 among the many dispensing needles 1 falls due to the dropping of the dispensing liquid and the inner cavity of the dispensing needle 1 becomes empty,
Dispensing device 1 through the lumen of the empty dispensing needle 1
When the lumen of the dispensing needle 1 becomes open to the outside, the airtightness inside the dispenser 10 is broken, and air enters the dispenser 10 from the empty lumen of the dispensing needle 1. This causes an inconvenience in that the cleaning liquid accumulated in the distributor 10 flows down from all the dispensing needles 1.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional means without making the mechanism and operation complicated.

The invention will now be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts common to the conventional device.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral A denotes a head, on the lower surface of which a plurality of pairs of dispensing needles 1 and suction needles 2 are assembled at predetermined intervals.

Below the head A, a base plate 4 is mounted which can be raised and lowered via a lifting device 40, on which a large number of test tubes a, a, . . . or a titration plate with a large number of holes are set. The lifting device 40 is for relatively changing the distance between the head A and the base plate 4,
There are cases where head A is raised and lowered.

Inside the head A, as shown in FIG. 3, there is a distribution main passage 10a that is arranged at the rear end side (upper end side in FIG. 3) of the inner cavity of the head A and continues in the left and right direction.
and a large number of distribution branches 10b in the front-rear direction (in the vertical direction in FIG. 3) whose base ends are connected to the distribution trunk path 10b and arranged in a comb-like shape, forming a comb-like shape as a whole. A distributor 10 is installed, and the base ends 1a of each of the aforementioned dispensing needles 1 assembled on the lower surface of the head A are connected to the bottoms of its distribution branches 10b. Further, inside the head A, there is a liquid collection trunk 20a arranged at the front end side of the inner cavity of the head A and continuous in the left and right direction, and a comb tooth whose base end is connected to the liquid collection trunk 20a. The liquid collector 20 is made up of a large number of liquid collection branches 20b arranged in the front and back directions, and each liquid collection branch 20b thereof is positioned within the interval between the arranged distribution branches 10b of the distributor 10. Each of the suction needles 2 described above is installed in a closed state, and has its base end 2a connected to the bottom of the liquid collection branch 20b of the liquid collector 20. Then, the liquid collector 20 has a connecting pipe 20c connected to its liquid collection main path 20a,
One end of the suction pipe 21 is connected to the upper surface of the head A, and the other end of the suction pipe 21 is connected to the recovery tank 21 as shown in FIG.
2, and a vacuum pump 24 is connected to the collection tank 22 via a communication pipe 23, thereby making it possible to reduce the pressure between the inside of the collection tank 22 and the inner cavity of the suction needle 2.

Furthermore, the distributor 10 has a connecting pipe 10c connected to the main distribution path 10a of the distributor 10 protruding from the upper surface of the head A, and a cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 connected to the connecting pipe 10c.
One end is connected and communicated with the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12.
The other end is connected and communicated with a cleaning liquid tank 13, and a pressure pump 15 is connected and communicated with the cleaning liquid tank 13 via a pressurizing pipe 14, so that the air pressure in the cleaning liquid tank 13 is pressurized by the pump 15. The washing liquid is forced to be fed to each dispensing needle 1 through the distributor 10.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a bypass pipe branched from the middle part of the suction pipe 21, which has one end communicating with the suction needle 1 provided in the head A and the other end communicating with the recovery tank 22 connected to the vacuum pump 24. , is communicated with the intermediate portion of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 via a control valve 6 which can be freely controlled to open and close.

The control valve 6 is provided in the middle of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 and is configured as a three-way valve that also serves as a control valve for controlling the opening and closing of communication between the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 and the cleaning liquid tank 13. be. As shown in FIG. 5, the control valve 6, which is a three-way valve, has a port COM which is always open, and ports NC and NO which alternately communicate with the port COM by the operation of the valve body 60. Equipped with a three-way port, when the power is not energized under normal conditions, the port COM and port NO are in communication as shown in Figure 6, and when the power is energized, the port COM and port NC are in communication as shown in Figure 7. It is a solenoid three-way valve that is connected to its port COM with the distributor side 12a of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12, its port NC with the cleaning liquid tank side 12b of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12, and its port NO with the bypass pipe. 5 is in a connected state. As a result, in the normal state when electricity is not supplied, communication between the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 and the cleaning liquid tank 13 is cut off, and the bypass pipe 5 is connected to the distributor side 12a of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12. Yes, by applying electricity, communication between the bypass pipe 5 and the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 is cut off, and the cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected to the distributor side 12a and the cleaning liquid tank side 12b.
It is arranged so that it is in a state where it communicates with the

Next, the main functions of the cleaning device configured as described above will be explained.

First, set the rack 3 supporting the test tubes a, a, etc. in parallel on the base plate 4, operate the lifting device 40 to adjust the distance between the rack 3 and the dispensing head A, and place a pair above each test tube a. The dispensing needle 1 and the suction needle 2, which are combined with each other, are in a state facing each other.

Next, the vacuum pump 24 is kept in a constantly operating state, and the control valve 6, which is a three-way valve, is energized to open the seventh control valve while the pressurizing pump 15 is in operation.
As shown in the figure, when the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 is switched to a state where the cleaning liquid tank side 12b and the distributor side 12a communicate with each other, the communication between the bypass pipe 5 and the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 is cut off at the same time. The cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 13 is supplied to the distributor 10 via the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12, and is dispensed from each dispensing needle 1 into each test tube a.
The amount dispensed at this time is set as desired by controlling the time during which the current is applied.

Next, from this state, the power supply to the control valve 6 is cut off, the bypass pipe 5 is connected to the distributor side 12a of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12, and the communication between the distributor side 12a of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 12 and the cleaning liquid tank side 12b is established. If the state is switched to the shut off state, the cleaning liquid tank 13
The supply (pressure feeding) of the cleaning liquid from the pipe is stopped, and at the same time, the distributor 10 is brought into communication with the suction pipe 21 leading to the vacuum pump 24 via the bypass pipe 5. The cleaning liquid filled in each dispensing needle 1 is quickly collected in the collection tank 22 and transferred to the distributor 10.
At the same time, the inside of the dispensing needle 1 becomes empty, and the outside air is subsequently sucked in.

Next, from this state, the head A is lowered so that the needle tips of the suction needles 2 enter into the test tubes a. As a result, the suction needle 2... suctions the cleaning liquid in the test tube a, and transfers it to the collection tank 22 via the suction pipe 21.
to be collected. At this time, external air that is subsequently sucked from the dispensing needles 1 flows into the suction pipe 21, but this does not hinder the suction of the cleaning liquid by the suction needles 2.

As explained above, the washing device in the blood test apparatus according to the present invention pumps the washing liquid to the distributor, and delivers a calculated fixed amount of washing liquid from each dispensing needle into each test tube (or test hole). When dispensing, when the supply of washing liquid is cut off after dispensing, each dispensing needle and distributor are connected to the collection tank, and the washing liquid in each dispensing needle is drawn out. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem that when a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid is dispensed, the liquid drips from the dispensing needle, causing an imbalance in the amount of cleaning liquid and causing uneven cleaning. In addition, only one control valve is required to switch the distributor and dispensing needle to the state in which they are connected to the recovery tank side when they have finished dispensing, and it is only necessary to operate that one control valve. , the mechanism and operation are not complicated.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rack and test tube, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional plan view of the head of the same device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the same device, FIG. 5 is a symbolic diagram of the control valve, and FIG.
7 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views of the control valve when it is not energized and when it is energized, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional device. Explanation of drawing symbols: A...Head, 1...Dispensing needle, 1a...Proximal end, 10...Distributor, 10a...
...Distribution trunk path, 10b...Distribution branch path, 10c...Connecting pipe, 12...Washing liquid supply pipe, 13...Washing liquid tank, 12a...Distributor side, 12b...Washing liquid tank side, 14... ... Pressure pipe, 15 ... Pressure pump, 2 ... Suction needle, 2a ... Proximal end, 20
...Liquid collector, 20a...Liquid collection trunk, 20b...Liquid collection branch, 20c...Connecting pipe, 21...Suction pipe, 22...Recovery tank, 23...Communication pipe,
24... Vacuum pump, 3... Titration plate (rack), a... Test tube, b... Reaction bulb, 4... Base plate,
40... Lifting device, 5... Bypass pipe, 6...
...control valve, 60...valve body, M...cleaning device, K...
...Machine frame, V...valve.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A head for attaching a dispensing needle and an aspiration needle, a platform for setting a test tube below the head, an elevating device for relatively changing the distance between the head and the platform, and a device for moving the aspiration needle to a vacuum. A suction pipe and a recovery tank connected to the pump, a distributor built into the head to be connected to each of the dispensing needles and to distribute washing liquid thereto, and a washing liquid supply pipe connected to the distributor. a cleaning liquid tank that communicates with the cleaning liquid tank, a pressurizing pump that pressurizes the inside of the cleaning liquid tank, a bypass pipe that branches from an intermediate portion of the suction pipe and connects to an intermediate portion of the cleaning liquid supply pipe, and the bypass pipe. and a control valve that controls opening and closing of communication between the washing liquid supply pipe and the washing liquid tank, and these control valves are configured as three-way valves and are configured as three-way valves to control the communication between the washing liquid supply pipe and the washing liquid tank. The three-way valve is disposed at a connection point between the pipe and the cleaning liquid supply pipe, and the three-way valve disconnects the cleaning liquid supply pipe from communicating with the cleaning liquid tank to connect the bypass pipe and the distributor side of the cleaning liquid supply pipe. Blood characterized by being configured to switch between a state in which the bypass pipe communicates with the washing liquid supply pipe and a state in which the communication between the bypass pipe and the washing liquid supply pipe is cut off and the distributor side of the washing liquid supply pipe and the washing liquid tank side communicate with each other. Cleaning device for inspection equipment.