JPH071278B2 - Automatic analyzer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention is an automatic analysis for automatically performing chemical analysis for measuring the concentration and activity value of a target component in a sample containing multiple components such as serum and urine. It relates to the device.

(Prior Art) Up until now, a device provided with one measurement unit capable of measuring a plurality of measurement items (hereinafter simply referred to as an item) has been mainly used, but recently, measurement of a plurality of items has been performed. An automatic analyzer has been developed which is equipped with a plurality of possible measurement units, in which measurement items can be set for each sample, and which samples are commonly used by a plurality of measurement units. In an automatic analyzer equipped with a plurality of measuring units, the user sets the conditions such as allocating items to each measuring unit and determining the measuring order in the measuring unit based on experience.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) If the items are not properly distributed to the respective measurement units, the measurement efficiency becomes poor. For example, if the number of processes is unbalanced between the measurement units, such that only one measurement unit performs the measurement and the other measurement unit stops the measurement, the processing capacity of the entire automatic analyzer decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to distribute the items so that the number of items measured by the plurality of measurement units is almost equal.

Also, in the case of an analyzer in which the measurement unit has reaction cells (which also function as photometric cells) arranged along the circumference of the reaction disk and the reaction cells are repeatedly used, various items are randomly repeated in the same measurement unit. When analyzed, after one round of the measurement line of the measurement unit, the effect of cross-contamination between reagents (contamination between reagents) appears in the reaction cell, or the effect of cross-contamination in the reagent dispenser when measurement items change. It may come out. Therefore,
In consideration of cross-contamination between items, it is necessary to allocate the items to the measurement unit and determine the measurement order in the measurement unit. If a person who does not know whether there is an influence of cross-contamination sets the item allocation or measurement order, incorrect measurement results may occur.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to set an item to be measured and distribute the item to a plurality of measuring units so as not to reduce the processing capacity.

Another object of the present invention is to distribute items so that the influence of cross contamination is small.

Another object of the present invention is to automatically determine the measurement order so that the influence of cross contamination is reduced in the measurement unit.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The present invention is provided with a plurality of measurement units capable of measuring a plurality of items, the items can be set for each sample, and the sample is a plurality of measurement units. This is an automatic analyzer commonly used, and is provided with a control device shown in FIG. 2 for allocating items to a measuring unit and determining a measuring order of the items in the measuring unit.

1 is a measurement frequency storage unit in which the expected measurement frequency of each item is set, 2 is a cross contamination information storage unit in which a combination of main items in which cross contamination occurs is set, 3 is an input device such as a keyboard Reference numeral 4 is a measurement item setting unit for setting the selected item. The measurement frequency storage unit 1 and the cross-contamination information storage unit 2 are equipped with databases, and as a basic database, average frequency coefficients in hospitals of various sizes and cross-contamination between items acquired empirically. Remembers information (at risk).

The contents of the database can be added or modified from the input device 3. For example, it is possible to add and correct the total number of items for each month in the facility used, new information regarding cross contamination, and the like.

5 is a distribution unit, which distributes the measurement items to each measurement unit so that the number of measurements of each measurement unit becomes almost equal based on the measurement frequency set in the measurement frequency storage unit 1 for the selected item. , Or, based on the cross-contamination information set in the cross-contamination information storage unit 2 and the measurement frequency set in the measurement frequency storage unit 1 for the selected item, the number of measurements of each measurement unit is almost equal. Allocate items to each measurement unit so that

Reference numeral 6 denotes a measurement order determination unit, which is set in the cross-contamination information storage unit 2 when there is a combination in which cross-contamination occurs in the measurement unit whose items are distributed by the distribution unit 5. Based on the nation information and the measurement frequency set in the measurement frequency storage unit 1, the measurement order of the items is determined in an order in which the influence of cross contamination is less likely to occur.

(Operation) As shown in FIG. 3, if items are selected from the input device 3 and set in the measurement item setting unit 4, the distribution unit 5 displays the frequencies of those selected items from the measurement frequency storage unit 1. Items are allocated to the measurement units so that the number of measurements can be balanced among the measurement units. The distribution unit 5 also
In addition to the measurement frequency, cross-contamination information is also incorporated, and the items are distributed so that the effect of cross-contamination is reduced and the number of measurements between measurement units is balanced.

The measurement order determination unit 6 determines the measurement order in the measurement unit of the items assigned to each measurement unit. For the determination, for example, items are arranged in the order of decreasing measurement frequency, or if there is an influence of cross contamination in the measuring unit, for example, item E → item F, if continuously measured, cross contamination occurs. Then, the measurement order is set such that item E → item A → item C → item F so that other items may be inserted in the middle.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an example of an automatic analyzer to which the present invention is applied.

Reference numeral 11 is a sample transfer line, in which the sample 12 is transferred in the direction of the arrow by the belt, stopped by the stopper at the sample dispensing position, and dispensed into the reaction cell of each measurement unit. A is the first measurement unit, B is the second
This analyzer is equipped with two measuring units, and the sample 12 is commonly carried to both measuring units A and B by one sample carrying line 11 and dispensed commonly.

Reference numeral 13a denotes a sample dispensing mechanism for dispensing the sample 12 in the measuring unit A to the reaction cells 14a arranged along the circumference of the reaction disk 15a. The reaction cell 14a also serves as a photometric cell, is arranged along the circumference of the reaction disk 15a, and moves as the reaction disk 15a rotates. The reaction disk 15a is provided with a colorimeter 16a that irradiates the reaction cell 14a with light and measures the absorbance from the transmitted light. Colorimeter 1
6a has a light source inside the array of reaction cells 14a and a spectroscope and a detector outside. The unit of the colorimeter 16a measures the absorbance while rotating along the arrangement of the reaction cell 14a. The measurement unit A is further provided with a reagent turntable 17a, and the reagent turntable 17a
The reagents are arranged along the circumference of. Reference numeral 18a is a reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent into the reaction cell 14a.

The measuring unit B also has a reaction disk 15b having the same structure as that of the measuring unit A, a reaction cell 14b also serving as a photometric cell is arranged on the circumference thereof, and a colorimeter 16b for measuring the absorbance is provided. ing. 13b is a sample dispensing mechanism, 17b is a reagent turntable, and 18b is a reagent dispensing mechanism, which also have the same structure as that of the measurement unit A.

Reference numeral 19 is a control device for controlling the operation of the entire automatic analyzer including the operations of both measuring units A and B, and includes a computer. Each unit shown in FIG. 2 is realized by the control device 19.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

In the control device 19, the item to be measured by the device of the facility is selected from the items shown in Table 1. For the selected item, the frequency% of each item is calculated from the frequency coefficient stored in advance or the number of measurements of each item input at that facility per month. Items selected with a circle in the item number in Table 1 are the selected items.

The% in parentheses in the frequency coefficient column of Table 1 is the frequency% of the selected item.

For the selected item, first, the cross-contamination information between the items stored in advance is sorted according to the information having a great influence of the cross-contamination, and the measurement units should be separated. Assuming that the circled items in Table 1 are selected, it is assumed that there are the following six types of items that have a large influence of cross contamination among those items.

(1) TBA and T-BIL (D-BIL), CHE (2) LDH and GOT, GPT, SA (3) TP and T-BIL (D-BIL), CHE (4) T-CHO and TG (5 ) TG and T-BIL (D-BIL) (6) UA and T-BIL (D-BIL) When the items with these relationships are sorted so as to become different measurement units, the cross contamination information in Table 2 Is the result of distribution to the measurement units A and B with reference to.

Next, regarding the remaining selected items, when the items are sequentially sorted such that the items with the highest frequency% are sorted to the measuring units with the smallest cumulative frequency% until then, the frequency% information in Table 2 is obtained. The distribution result based on is obtained. However, (1) IgG, IgA, IgM, (2) C3, C4, etc. that should be in the same measurement unit, those information are also stored in the control device 19 as a database, and those items Sort by total frequency%.

Then, the measurement order in each measurement unit is determined. Set as follows based on the information of medium or small influence of cross contamination between items and the information of frequency%. If there is an effect of cross-contamination by arranging in the order of decreasing frequency% and then measuring item A → item B in succession, if item A is before item B, item B is before item A. Move to. If the order is determined in this manner, items with high measurement frequency and little influence of cross contamination are analyzed toward the end of each sample, so that cross contamination between samples can also be avoided. In this way, when the measurement order is determined, it is determined as in the bottom row of Table 2.

Based on the results of the above-mentioned allocation and determination of the measurement order, the reagents are placed on the reagent turntables 17a and 17b and analyzed.

Here, what has a large influence of cross contamination means that (a) those that are affected by cross contamination between reaction cells, (b) those that affect each other, or (c) one Even if it only affects, it refers to the one that has a great effect. The effect of cross-contamination is medium or small, but only one is affected, but the degree is not so large.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the two measuring units A and B are arranged at different places, but in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the reaction disks 25a and 25b of the two measuring units are arranged concentrically. 24a,
24b is a reaction cell that also serves as a photometric cell for the reaction disks 25a, 25b, and the colorimeter 26 is for both reaction disks 25a, 25b.
The reaction cell of b has a structure capable of irradiating light, a spectroscope and a detector for the reaction cell 24b are provided inside the array of the reaction cell 24b, and a spectrometer for the reaction cell 24a is provided outside the array of the reaction cell 24a. And a detector. The reagent turntable 27 is commonly used by the two measuring units, and reagent dispensing mechanisms 28a and 28b are provided for the respective measuring units.
The sample dispensing mechanism 13 is configured to dispense a sample from the sample 12 on the sample transport line 11 to both reaction cells 24a and 24b.

In the measurement frequency storage unit 1 of FIG. 2, the database of the measurement frequency storage unit 1 is created based on the worksheet information (which indicates which item measures which item) created for the measurement of the day, The setting can be easily rearranged by setting the optimum condition of the day or by adding the newly found cross contamination information in the cross contamination storage unit 2.

In the embodiment, the one provided with two measurement units is shown, but the one provided with three or more measurement units is also applicable.

(Effect of the invention) In the present invention, if the user inputs a measurement item, the distribution of the item to a plurality of measurement units is automatically determined.
The user does not need to sort the items, the operation is simple, and the items are sorted in a well-balanced manner in each measuring unit, so that the processing capability is enhanced.

If the number of measurements for each item is regularly reviewed, maximum efficiency can always be achieved in response to changes in the scale of the facility and changes in the number of measurements.

Further, when the distribution and the determination of the measurement order are made in consideration of the cross contamination information, the highly reliable measurement can be performed. If the cross-contamination information is provided as a database, it is possible to determine the sorting and measurement order based on the cross-contamination information even if the user has no knowledge of the cross-contamination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control part in the present invention, FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is another embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows. 1 ... Measurement frequency storage unit, 2 ... Cross contamination information storage unit, 3 ... Input device, 4 ... Measurement item setting unit, 5 ... Distribution unit, 6 ... Measurement order determination unit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic analyzer comprising a plurality of measurement units capable of measuring a plurality of items, setting measurement items for each sample, and using the sample commonly to the plurality of measurement units. In, the measurement frequency storage section in which the expected measurement frequency of each item is set, the cross-contamination information storage section in which the combination of major items causing cross contamination is set, and the measurement item is selected. Based on the measurement frequency set in the measurement frequency storage unit and the cross contamination information set in the cross contamination information storage unit for the selected measurement item, the number of measurements of each measurement unit is substantially equal. An automatic analyzer characterized by comprising: a distribution unit for distributing measurement items to each measurement unit. 2. When cross-contamination occurs in the same measurement unit, the cross-contamination information set in the cross-contamination information storage unit and the measurement frequency set in the measurement frequency storage unit are displayed. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a measurement order determination unit that determines a measurement order of measurement items based on an order in which the influence of cross contamination is less likely to occur.