JPH0676963B2 - Particle aggregation pattern determination method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for determining a particle aggregation pattern, and in particular, particles for determining various blood groups and detecting antigens and antibodies from the aggregation pattern of particles such as blood cells based on immunological reaction. The present invention relates to an aggregation pattern determination method.

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional method for determining a particle agglomeration pattern is one in which an image of the bottom surface of a reaction container is imaged on a one-dimensional light-receiving element array for scanning and the agglomeration pattern is determined based on the output. There is. However, in this method, for example, when using a reaction vessel whose bottom surface is an inverted cone,
There is a problem that the aggregation pattern cannot be accurately determined unless the two are accurately aligned so that the center of the image of the inverted conical bottom surface and the center of the one-dimensional light receiving element array coincide with each other. Even when using a microplate in which a large number of reaction vessels are formed on the same substrate in the shape of a matrix, such a problem occurs unless the relative positions of the microplate, that is, the reaction vessel under test and the one-dimensional light receiving element array are accurately aligned. It happens.

Therefore, in the case of adopting such a determination method and configuring an apparatus for automatically determining the blood group by the immunological agglutination reaction and detecting the antigen and the antibody, the reaction container and the one-dimensional light receiving element array are combined. There is a problem that the structure becomes complicated because an accurate positioning mechanism is required.

Object of the invention The object of the present invention is to solve the various problems described above, it is possible to accurately measure the center and periphery of the pattern on the bottom surface of the container without performing accurate alignment between the reaction container and the measurement unit, and An object of the present invention is to provide a particle aggregation pattern determination method capable of always accurately determining a pattern and simplifying the configuration and control when applied to an automatic analyzer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a particle aggregation pattern determination method for determining the presence or absence of aggregation by optically detecting a particle aggregation pattern in which particles in a reaction solution housed in a reaction vessel settle and are formed on the bottom surface, Obtaining all two-dimensional output data relating to a light-receiving image within the light-receiving range by a photoelectric conversion surface having a light-receiving range including the reaction container, and obtaining a contour position of the reaction container from the two-dimensional output data of the light-receiving image. And comparing each optical data corresponding to the central portion of the contour position and its peripheral portion.

Example FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the configuration of an example of a particle aggregation pattern determination device for carrying out the present invention. In this example,
A certain microplate 2 is intermittently transferred in the arrow direction from a transparent member in which a large number of reaction containers 1 are formed in a matrix, and the agglomeration pattern of the reaction containers 1 in a sequential row in the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction is detected. It is a thing. Therefore, the bottom surface of the reaction container 1 of one example is illuminated by the light emitting unit 3 provided at a predetermined position so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction,
The lens 4 provided with the image corresponding to each reaction container 1 in a row
An image is formed on the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 via the scanning lines and scanned. Here, the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 corresponding to each reaction container 1 has a photoelectric conversion surface having an area larger than the area of the image 6 of the bottom surface of the reaction container 1 imaged by the lens 4 as shown in FIG. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain all two-dimensional output data regarding the received light image within the light receiving range.

When the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 is scanned in this manner, the output distribution of one line of the light receiving element array that crosses the bottom image of the reaction container 1 becomes as shown in FIG. 4, for example, and the microplate 2 is flat. The output differs greatly between the image portion of the surface (between positions a and b and c and d) and the image portion of reaction container 1 (between positions b and c).
In the present embodiment, an image showing the bottom surface of the reaction container 1 on the two-dimensional light-receiving element array 5 is utilized by utilizing the difference in output between the flat surface of the microplate 2 and the portion of the reaction container 1 as described above. The contour, that is, the position of the microplate 2 is obtained, and the output thereof is appropriately processed to feed back the movement of the microplate 2 so that the entire bottom image is positioned within the light receiving region. In this way, after the contour of the image showing the bottom surface of the reaction vessel 1 on the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 is obtained, based on the output of the light receiving element within the contour, for example, from the contour of the bottom surface image to the center position thereof. Then, the aggregation pattern is determined based on the comparison between the data of the central part and the data of the peripheral part.

Thus, if the image of the bottom surface of the reaction container 1 is formed through the lens 4 on the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 having a light receiving area larger than the area of the bottom surface image at the image forming position, Strict alignment between the measuring unit having the light emitting unit 3, the lens 4, and the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 and the reaction container 1, that is, the microplate 2, is unnecessary, and the microplate is based on the output of the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5. The second fine adjustment can be easily performed, and the aggregation pattern can always be accurately determined.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the configuration of another example of the particle agglomeration pattern determination device embodying the present invention. In this example, the entire bottom surface of the microplate 2 is illuminated by the light emitting unit 7, the entire image is formed on the two-dimensional light receiving element array 9 through one lens 8, and the two-dimensional light receiving element array 9 is scanned. Thus, the contour of the bottom image of each reaction container 1 is obtained, and the aggregation pattern is determined based on the output of the light receiving element within the contour. Therefore, in the present embodiment as well, similar to the above-described embodiments, the measurement unit having the light emitting unit 7, the lens 8 and the two-dimensional light receiving element array 9 and the microplate 2 are not always accurately aligned with each other. The aggregation pattern can be determined.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the measuring section having the light emitting section 3, the lens 4 and the two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 may be intermittently transferred to the microplate 2. The two-dimensional light receiving element array 5 is the microplate 2
It is not always necessary to separate each of the reaction vessels 1 of one example, and they may be continuous. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, by providing a position detecting marker on the microplate 2, the absolute positions of the microplate 2 and the reaction container 1 can be known. Further, in the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, a two-dimensional light receiving element having a light receiving area larger than the bottom surface image may be separately provided corresponding to each reaction container 1 of the microplate 2. Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above,
The bottom surface image of the reaction container may be imaged on the two-dimensional light receiving element array below the microplate by illuminating the microplate from above. Further, the present invention can be effectively applied not only to the microplate but also to the case of using individually separated reaction vessels.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, according to the present invention, the center and periphery of the pattern on the bottom surface of the container can be accurately measured without performing accurate alignment between the reaction container and the measurement unit, and the agglomeration pattern is always accurate. If the present invention is applied to an automatic analyzer based on an immunological agglutination reaction, the configuration and control can be simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of a particle agglomeration pattern determination apparatus for carrying out the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a relationship between a bottom image of a reaction container and a two-dimensional light receiving element array. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the output distribution of one row of a two-dimensional light receiving element array, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views and cross sections showing the configuration of another example of the particle aggregation pattern determination device embodying the present invention. Is. 1 ... Reaction container, 2 ... Microplate 3,7 ... Light emitting part, 4,8 ... Lens 5,9 ... Two-dimensional light receiving element array 6 ... Bottom image.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A particle agglomeration pattern determination method for optically detecting a particle agglomeration pattern formed by sedimentation of particles in a reaction solution contained in a reaction vessel on the bottom surface to determine the presence or absence of aggregation, wherein the reaction vessel A step of obtaining all two-dimensional output data relating to a light-receiving image in the light-receiving range by a photoelectric conversion surface having a light-receiving range, and a step of obtaining the contour position of the reaction container from the two-dimensional output data of the light-receiving image, A particle agglomeration pattern determination method characterized by comparing respective optical data corresponding to a central portion of the contour position and its peripheral portion.