Patent Application
20230258674
The present invention relates to an automatic analysis apparatus that analyzes a specimen using a reaction cell.
An automatic analysis apparatus such as a biochemical analysis apparatus or an immunoassay apparatus is known as an apparatus analyzing blood, urine, or the like collected from patients. In such an automatic analysis apparatus, a reaction cell is used to mix a specimen and a reagent for reaction. A reaction cell is a consumable article which is necessary to exchange every predetermined period.
As one automatic analysis apparatus in which it is necessary to exchange a reaction cell every predetermined period, there is a biological automatic analysis apparatus using a mechanism with a turn table shape called a reaction disk. A plurality of reaction cells are mounted on the outer circumference of the reaction disk and the reaction cells are disposed in a circular form. The reaction cells installed in the reaction disk are located inside a doughnut type pool called a reaction chamber and are dipped in a liquid which is kept warm at a constant temperature inside the reaction chamber. Spectrometric light source lamps are disposed close to a circular row of the reaction cells. Since the reaction cells are disposable, it is necessary to exchange the reaction cells every given period. However, it is necessary for a user to execute maintenance of the reaction chamber or the light source lamps. It is necessary to clean the reaction chamber every given period and it is necessary to exchange the light source lamps every given period.
When the reaction chamber is cleaned, for example, it is necessary for the user to discharge the liquid inside the reaction chamber and detach the reaction cells from the reaction disk to reach the reaction chamber. When the light source lamps are installed on the lower side of the reaction disk, it is necessary for the user to detach the reaction disk from the automatic analysis apparatus at the time of exchange of the light source lamps. Even in this case, when the reaction disk is detached, all the reaction cells have to be detached in advance from the reaction disk. Since all the reaction cells have to be detached at every cleaning of the reaction chamber or every exchange of the light source lamps, time and effort for maintenance is necessary. In particular, in an automatic analysis apparatus in which a radius of a reaction disk is large, a workload forced for executing the maintenance increases since the number of reaction cells increases by that.
JPH11-316235A (PTL 1) discloses a reaction disk assumed to be detached from an automatic analysis apparatus with reaction cells mounted thereon.
PTL 1: JPH11-316235A
The reaction disk is mounted from the upper side of a rotor rotating around a vertical axis. Therefore, when the reaction disk is detached from the rotor, it is necessary to lift up the reaction disk vertically. However, it is difficult to lift up the reaction disk exactly vertically and much shaking is involved in the operation of lifting the reaction disk. It is difficult to detach the reaction disk without completely interfering with the rotor, and the reaction disk interferes with the rotor bit by bit during the lifting. The same applies when the reaction disk is mounted on the rotor. This phenomenon considerably arises as the radius of the reaction disk is larger and fit tolerance between the reaction disk and the rotor is smaller.
In the area of the reaction chamber, not only the reaction disk, the reaction cells, and the light source lamps but also a churning mechanism or a cleaning mechanism, and wirings of the electrical devices gather together. Therefore, when the reaction disk is taken out from the rotor with the reaction cells being mounted on and the reaction disk is lifted up while moving the disk bit by bit in the horizontal direction, the reaction cells may interfere with peripheral components such as the churning mechanism or the wirings. The same applies when the reaction disk is mounted. The peripheral components are generally made of a resin as in the reaction cells or are made of a metal with higher hardness. When the reaction cells and the peripheral components interfere with each other, the reaction cells or the peripheral components may be damaged in some cases. In these cases, analysis accuracy of a sample is likely to deteriorate. In the extreme case, analysis is likely not to be possible.
Further, when the reaction cells dipping in the liquid of the reaction chamber are taken out from the rotor along with the reaction disk, the liquid adhering to an external wall of the reaction cell falls on a peripheral component in some cases. For example, when the liquid is applied to an electrical component such as a light source lamp or the wiring, a light-emitting surface of the light source lamp becomes dirty or clouded or the wiring is short-circuited in some cases. Still, the analysis accuracy of the sample is likely to deteriorate and the analysis is likely not to be possible.
An object of the invention is to provide an automatic analysis apparatus capable of detaching and mounting a reaction disk with reaction cells being mounted and efficiently executing maintenance, and thus protecting the reaction cells or peripheral components when the reaction disk is detached and mounted.
To achieve the forgoing object, the invention provides an automatic analysis apparatus including a driving rotor configured such that a rotational center extends vertically; a reaction disk mounted on the driving rotor; a plurality of reaction cells installed in the reaction disk and configured to form a circular row concentric with the driving rotor; a circular reaction chamber configured to accommodate the reaction cells; and a guide configured to guide an elevation trajectory of the reaction disk with respect to the driving rotor.
According to the invention, it is possible to detach and mount a reaction disk with reaction cells being mounted and efficiently execute maintenance, and thus it is possible to protect the reaction cells or the peripheral components when the reaction disk is detached and mounted.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The transport unit 200 is an apparatus that inputs a specimen rack R and retrieve the specimen rack R to and from the automatic analysis system 1000 and also have a role of transporting the specimen rack R to the automatic analysis apparatus 100. At least one sample container that contains a sample is mounted on the specimen rack R. The transport unit 200 is not limited to a type (rack type) unit that mounts a sample container on the specimen rack R and inputs the specimen rack R to a transport line 202 (to be described below) or the like. A type (disk type) unit that sets a sample container to a disk and inputs the specimen container through rotation of the disk can also be applied.
The transport unit 200 includes a rack supply unit 201, the transport line 202, a rack buffer 203, a rack accommodation unit 204, and a controller 205 for transport control. In the transport unit 200, the specimen rack R installed in the rack supply unit 201 is transported to the rack buffer 203 along the transport line 202. In a midway portion of the transport line 202, there is a sensor (not illustrated) for sample presence or absence determination, and thus a sample container mounted on the specimen rack R is recognized by this sensor. When the sample container is recognized by the sensor, a barcode attached to the sample container is read by a barcode reader (not illustrated) and identification information of a sample is recognized. A patient is also identified with the identification information. A scheme of recognizing the identification information of the sample is various and is not limited to the scheme of using a barcode. For example, a specimen rack and a position at which a sample is set are registered for each sample container, and a specimen rack on which the designated sample container is mounted is transported by the transport unit 200 in an operation in some cases. In these cases, the barcode attached to the sample container and the barcode reader may be omitted.
The rack buffer 203 is a device that has a turn table shape rotating around a vertical axis and the plurality of specimen racks R are retained in the outer circumference of the rack buffer 203. The specimen racks R retained in the rack buffer 203 extend in a radius direction of the rack buffer 203 and are arranged in a circular and radial shape. The transport line 202 and a sample dispensing line 13 (to be described below) are connected in the radius direction to the rack buffer 203 at different positions in the circumferential direction. The target specimen rack R is delivered between the transport line 202 and the sample dispensing line 13 (to be described below) by rotating the rack buffer 203 by a motor (not illustrated). Irrespective of an order of reception in the rack buffer 203 from the transport line 202, the target specimen rack R (for example, a specimen rack with high priority) can be sent from the rack buffer 203 to the sample dispensing line 13. The specimen rack R in which a sample has been sucked in the sample dispensing line 13 is transported to the rack accommodation unit 204 via the rack buffer 203 and the transport line 202. The specimen rack R in which the sample has been sucked in the sample dispensing line 13 is returned to the rack buffer 203 and is awaited until a measurement result is output in the automatic analysis apparatus 100. When re-examination becomes necessary, the specimen rack R is sent again to the sample dispensing line 13. The controller 205 is also a computer that is responsible for controlling the transport unit 200 and executes an operation of transporting the specimen rack R from the rack buffer 203 to the sample dispensing line 13, an operation of transporting the specimen rack R from the sample dispensing line 13 to the rack buffer 203, and the like.
The control apparatus 300 is a computer that generally controls the automatic analysis apparatus 100 and the transport unit 200 and is connected to the automatic analysis apparatus 100 (a controller 9 to be described below) or the transport unit 200 (the controller 205) via a wired or wireless network line. The control apparatus 300 includes a monitor 301 and a user interface 302. The monitor 301 displays a screen for ordering a measurement item for each sample, a screen for confirming a measurement result, and the like. The user interface 302 is an input device with which a user inputs various instructions, and various input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel can be appropriately adopted as the user interface 302.
The reaction disk 1 is a component that has a turn table shape rotating around a vertical axis. The plurality of reaction cells 11 are installed in the outer circumference of the reaction disk 1. The plurality of reaction cells 11 form a circular row. The reaction cell is a disposable container that has an opened upper portion and is made of a chemical-resistant resin and extends vertically in a state in which the reaction cell is mounted on the reaction disk 1. A sample suction position 12 is set near the reaction disk 1. The sample dispensing line 13 (see
The reagent disk 2 is a device that has a turn table shape rotating around the vertical axis. A plurality of reagent bottles (not illustrated) accommodating a reagent can be installed in a circular shape. The reagent disk 2 serves as a role of a reagent storage and has a function of keeping a stored reagent cool. The reagent disk 2 is covered with a cover in which a suction port 2a is formed.
The sample probe 3 is an element that dispenses a sample from the sample container to the reaction cell 11 and is configured to be located between the reaction disk 1 and the sample suction position 12, extend vertically, and execute rotational movement in the horizontal direction and translation movement in the vertical direction. A syringe (not illustrated) for suction of a sample or the like is connected to the sample probe 3. The sample probe 3 is entered into a sample container transported to the sample suction position 12 and sucks a sample or the like with the syringe, and then draws an arc form about a rotation axis to be moved in a circular row of the reaction cells 11 of the reaction disk 1. The target reaction cell 11 is transported to a dispensing position of the sample probe 3 by the reaction disk 1 and the sample probe 3 descends and is entered into the target reaction cell 11, and ejects (dispenses) the sample or the like with the syringe. Although not illustrated in particular, a dedicated cleaning chamber is installed on a movement path of the sample probe 3 and the sample probe 3 can be cleaned in the cleaning chamber.
The reagent probe 4 is an element that dispenses a reagent from the reagent bottle to the reaction cell 11, is located between the reaction disk 1 and the reagent disk 2, and is configured to be able to rotate and move vertically as in the sample probe 3. A syringe (not illustrated) for reagent suction is connected to the reagent probe 4. A target reagent bottle is transported to the reagent disk 2 immediately below the suction port 2a of the reagent disk 2 and the reagent probe 4 is entered into the target reagent bottle via the suction port 2a to suck a reagent with the syringe. Thereafter, the reagent probe 4 is moved in a circular row of the reaction cells 11 of the reaction disk 1. The target reaction cell 11 is transported to a dispensing position of the reagent probe 4 by the reaction disk 1 and the reagent probe 4 descends and is entered into the target reaction cell 11 to eject (dispense) the reagent with the syringe. Although not particularly illustrated, dedicated cleaning chamber is installed on a movement path of the reagent probe 4 and the reagent probe 4 can be cleaned in the cleaning chamber.
The cleaning mechanism 5 is a mechanism that cleans the reaction cell 11 and is disposed close to the reaction cell 11 installed in the reaction disk 1. A cleaning pump (not illustrated) is connected to the cleaning mechanism 5 and a detergent such as an alkaline detergent or an acidic detergent is dispensed from a detergent container 14 to the reaction cell 11.
The ISE analyzer 6 is a device that measures electrolytic concentration in the sample using an ion selection electrode, is located on a movement path of the sample probe 3, and is covered with a cover in which a dispensing port 6a is provided. When an ISE item is measured, the sample probe 3 is inserted into an ISE dilution chamber (not illustrated) via the dispensing port 6a so that the sample sucked from the sample container is disposed to an ISE dilution layer. An ISE reagent is sent from the ISE reagent container 15 to the ISE dilution chamber, and thus the ISE item is analyzed.
The churning mechanism 7 (see
The biochemical measurer 8 is an analyzer that analyzes biochemical components of the sample and is disposed close to the reaction cell 11 installed in the reaction disk 1. The biochemical measurer 8 is formed by a light source lamp 8a (see
The controller 9 (see
An overview of an operation of the automatic analysis system 1000 will be described. In the transport unit 200, the specimen rack R installed in the rack supply unit 201 is sent onto the transport line 202 for each rack and is imported to the rack buffer 203. The rack buffer 203 is controlled in response to an instruction from the control device 300 by the controller 205 and the specimen rack R on which a target sample container is loaded is exported from the rack buffer 203 to the sample dispensing line 13. When the specimen rack R is transported with the sample dispensing line 13 and the target sample container arrives at the sample suction position 12, the sample is dispensed to the reaction cell 11 from the target sample container by the sample probe 3. Thereafter, for the reaction cell 11 to which the sample is dispensed, the reagent sucked from the reagent bottle of the reagent disk 2 is dispensed by the reagent probe 4. The sample and the reagent inside the reaction cell 11 are churned by the churning mechanism 7 and thus a reaction liquid is generated. Thereafter, absorbance of the reaction liquid is measured by the biochemical measurer 8 and a measurement result is transmitted from the controller 9 to the control device 300. The reaction cell 11 used for the analysis is cleaned with a detergent dispensed from the cleaning mechanism 5 and waits until a subsequent use opportunity. The control device 300 obtains concentration of a specific component included in the sample by executing a calculation process on the received measurement result, and displays and outputs a result on the monitor 301 or record the result on the memory.
The automatic analysis apparatus 100 includes a driving rotor 20, a reaction chamber 30, a guide 40, and a screw 50 in addition to the reaction cell 11, the churning mechanism 7, and the light source lamp 8a described above as constituent elements disposed around the reaction disk 1.
The driving rotor 20 is a rotor in which a rotational center line extends vertically and includes a driving disk 21 and a shaft 22. The driving disk 21 is formed in a disk shape and the shaft 22 is formed in a columnar shape. The driving disk 21 and the shaft 22 are integrally formed, and the shaft 22 extending vertically is located and protrudes vertically from the driving disk 21, centering on the driving disk 21 that has a disk shape spreading along a horizontal surface.
The reaction disk 1 is concentric with the driving rotor 20, is mounted to be superimposed in the upper portion of the driving disk 21 and comes into contact with the driving disk 21 so that mutually facing surfaces are broad. On the other hand, in the middle of the reaction disk 1, there is a stepped portion with a cylindrical shape protruding upward. As illustrated in
The plurality of reaction cells 11 are installed on the outer circumference of the reaction disk 1 and form a circular row concentric with the driving rotor 20. A rotational force is transmitted to the shaft 22 by a motor (not illustrated). Accordingly, the driving rotor 20 rotates and the reaction cells 11 moves drawing a circle. The motor driving the driving rotor 20 is driven in response with an instruction signal given from the controller 9 in accordance with a dispensing order of a sample or a reagent, a reaction time necessary for measurement, and the like output from the control device 300.
The reaction cells 11 can be individually mounted one by one in the reaction disk 1. In the embodiment, however, the plurality of reaction cells 11 are segmented, as illustrated in
The reaction chamber 30 is a doughnut type pool that accommodates the reaction cells 11. In an analysis operation, the reaction cell 11 is dipped in a liquid reserved and circulated in the reaction chamber 30. A representative liquid stored in the reaction chamber 30 is water, but another liquid such as an oil is used in some cases.
The above-described churning mechanism 7 is one of in-chamber components installed inside the reaction chamber 30 and is closer to the reaction cell 11 than a wall surface (an inner wall on the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side) of the reaction chamber 30, as illustrated in
The light source lamp 8a is a constituent element of the above-described biochemical measurer 8 and is disposed close to the reaction chamber 30 on the lower side of the reaction disk 1 on the inner circumferential side of the doughnut type reaction chamber 30. When the sample is analyzed, the reaction cell 11 is irradiated via a transmission window (not illustrated) provided in the reaction chamber 30 with examination light from the light source lamp 8a. In
The guide 40 is an element that guides an elevation trajectory along which the reaction disk 1 is translated vertically with respect to the driving rotor 20 and a columnar pin is adopted in the embodiment. The guide 40 may be a member separate from the driving disk 21 or may be molded to be integrated with the driving disk 21. The guide 40 protrudes vertically upward from the upper surface of the driving disk 21 and penetrates through a pin hole 1a formed in the reaction disk 1. A configuration in which the pin hole 1a is formed in the driving disk 21 and the guide 40 is provided in the reaction disk 1 can be considered. However, the configuration illustrated in
The reaction disk 1 is positioned with respect to the driving disk 21 by the pin hole 1a and the guide 40 and a positional relationship between the reaction disk 1 and the driving disk 21 is determined in a radial direction and a circumferential direction. For fitting tolerance between the pin hole 1a and the guide 40, a diameter difference between the pin hole 1a and the guide 40 is preferably small in a clearance fit range. The positions of the guide 40 and the pin hole 1a may be inside the driving disk 21 in the radius direction, but are preferably outside from the viewpoint of inhibiting an influence of the diameter difference between the pin hole 1a and the guide 40 on accuracy of the position in the circumferential direction of the reaction cell 11.
The screw 50 is configured as a fixing mechanism that fixes the reaction disk 1 to the driving rotor 20 and also serves as a lift mechanism (to be described below) of the reaction disk 1 or a retention mechanism (to be described below) of the reaction disk 1. In the embodiment, only one screw 50 is used. The screw 50 is disposed at a rotation center of the driving rotor 20, is entered from the upper side into a through hole 1b penetrating vertically in the center of the reaction disk 1, penetrates through the reaction disk 1 to be screwed into a screw hole formed at the center of the shaft 22 of the driving rotor 20 and extending vertically.
Specifically, the screw 50 includes a head portion 51, a shaft portion 52, a body portion 53, and a protrusion portion 54. The shaft portion 52 is a threaded portion and is screwed into the screw hole of the shaft 22 of the driving rotor 20. The diameter of the head portion 51 is larger than the diameter of the through hole 1b of the reaction disk 1 and the lower surface (a seat surface) of the head portion 51 presses the upper surface of the reaction disk 1 in a state in which the screw 50 is tightened to the driving rotor 20 as in
The protrusion portion 54 is a ring-shaped portion provided on the body portion 53 and protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 53. The diameter of the protrusion portion 54 is larger than the diameter of the through hole 1b of the reaction disk 1. In the embodiment, a snap ring (for example, an E snap ring) is adopted as the protrusion portion 54. After the screw 50 passes through the through hole 1b of the reaction disk 1, the snap ring is fixed and mounted to the body portion 53 protruding below the reaction disk 1, which is the protrusion portion 54. In this way, the screw 50 is related to the reaction disk 1 in the protrusion portion 54 and the head portion 51. When the protrusion portion 54 is not detached, a structure in which the screw 50 is not dislocated from the reaction disk 1 is achieved.
The protrusion portion 54 of the screw 50 is mounted on the body portion 53 to be located at a position away from both the facing surfaces of the reaction disk 1 and the shaft 22 between the reaction disk 1 and the shaft 22 in a state in which the reaction disk 1 comes into contact with the driving disk 21 and the head portion 51 comes into contact with the reaction disk 1 as in
The screw 50 also functions as a lift mechanism that translates the reaction disk 1 vertically with respect to the driving rotor 20. In the present specification, a mechanism that converts motive power into mechanical work and gives force to the reaction disk 1 in at least one of an upward vertical direction and a downward vertical direction is called “lift mechanism”. The embodiment is an example in which the screw 50 is adopted as a lift mechanism and human power serving as motive power is converted into a shaft force of the screw serving as mechanical work. When the screw 50 is loosened from the state of
Of course, power other than human power can be used as motive power converted into mechanical work by a lift mechanism. For example, an example in which a restoration force of a spring is used in a third embodiment and an example in which electric power is used in a fourth embodiment will be described below.
Further, when the screw 50 is loosened and the reaction disk 1 ascends with respect to the driving rotor 20, the reaction disk 1 can be held in a state of being supported by the protrusion portion 54 at a location where an operation of the screw 50 is stopped in a state in which the thread of the shaft portion 52 of the screw 50 is engaged with the screw hole of the shaft 22. In this way, the screw 50 functions as a retention mechanism that retains the reaction disk 1 in a state of being lifted up with respect to the driving rotor 20.
The length of the guide 40 is set so that a guide distance D2 of the reaction disk 1 by the guide 40 is equal to or greater than a difference distance D1 of a height between a lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 and an upper end 7a of the in-chamber component in a state in which the reaction disk 1 comes into contact with the driving disk 21. The guide distance D2 is a distance by which the reaction disk 1 can ascend from the lowest position in the radial direction without shaking and is equal to a distance from a mask of the reaction disk 1 located at the lowest position (in the embodiment, a position at which the reaction disk 1 comes into contact with the driving disk 21) to a distal end of the guide 40 measured in the vertical direction. When D1 ≤ D2 is set, as illustrated in
In the case of the embodiment, a distance D3 (see
When the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 is executed, a user first executes an operation of starting the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 from the user interface 302 (see
At this time, when a final exchange day of the reaction cell 11 or a scheduled exchange day counted from the final exchange day is displayed on the monitor 301, the user can easily check whether a predetermined maintenance period (maintenance interval) has passed. In this case, when the scheduled exchange day has passed, the user can be notified of the fact that the scheduled exchange day has passed by means of display or an alarm sound.
When the operation of starting the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 is executed, the control device 300 outputs an instruction to the controller 9 and causes the controller 9 to execute a maintenance preparation operation for the automatic analysis apparatus 100 in order to execute the exchange work for the reaction cell 11. An overview of the maintenance preparation operation is, for example, each of the following operations:
When an operation of starting the exchange work for the light source lamp 8a is executed in step S101, the control device 300 causes the controller 9 to turn off the light source lamp 8a as a part of the maintenance preparation operation.
The user may be notified that the maintenance preparation operation is completed, but the notification may not be executed. This is because each operation of the maintenance preparation is immediately completed when the operation of starting the exchange work of the reaction cell 11 is executed.
When the maintenance preparation operation is completed by the automatic analysis apparatus 100, the user loosens the screw 50 and detaches the reaction disk 1 from the driving rotor 20 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted.
When the reaction disk 1 is detached, the user detaches the used reaction cell 11 (the segment 11A) from the reaction disk 1 and mounts a new reaction cell 11 (segment 11A) on the reaction disk 1. When the exchange work for the light source lamp 8a is also executed, an operation of starting the exchange work for the light source lamp 8a is also executed in step S101 and the exchange work for the light source lamp 8a is executed along with the reaction cell 11.
When the exchange of the reaction cell 11 is completed, the user aligns the centers of the reaction disk 1 and the driving rotor 20 and then the position of the pin hole 1a of the reaction disk 1 with the guide 40 to set the reaction disk 1 in the driving rotor 20 with the new reaction cell 11 being mounted. Then, the screw 50 is tightened to descend the reaction disk 1 and the screw 50 is tightened to the last to firmly fix the reaction disk 1 to the driving rotor 20.
When the fixing of the reaction disk 1 is completed, the user inputs the completion of the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 from the user interface 302 (see
When the completion of the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 is input, the control device 300 outputs an instruction to the controller 9 and causes the controller 9 to execute a restoration operation for the automatic analysis apparatus 100 to the state before the exchange work for the reaction cell 11. The restoration operation is, for example, each of the following operations:
When the light source lamp 8a is turned off in step S102, the control device 300 causes the controller 9 to turn on the light source lamp 8a again as a part of the restoration operation.
When there is additional maintenance such as cleaning of the reaction cell 11 or measurement of a blank value after the execution of the restoration operation, the controller 9 automatically executes this maintenance.
After the additional maintenance of step S108 is executed (after the restoration operation of step S107 is executed when there is no additional maintenance), the user performs an update operation for a day in which the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 is executed with the interface 302 and ends the exchange work. Accordingly, the latest exchange date and time of the reaction cell 11 is recorded on a memory of the control device 300 (which may be a memory of the controller 9), a subsequent scheduled day of the reaction cell 11 is calculated and deadline management of the maintenance is resumed.
When the maintenance preparation operation by the automatic analysis apparatus 100 is completed in step S102, the user loosens the screw 50, lifts up the reaction disk 1 until the lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 reaches about the height of the upper end 7a of the churning mechanism 7, and stops the operation on the screw 50 here. Accordingly, the reaction disk 1 is retained in a state in which the lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 ascends up to the height of the upper end 7a of the churning mechanism 7. In this example, the procedure proceeds to step S104 continuing from this state and the user exchanges the reaction cell 11 (the segment 11A) in the state in which the reaction disk 1 is lifted up by a predetermined distance without detaching the reaction disk 1 from the driving rotor 20.
When the exchange of the reaction cell 11 ends in step S104, the user directly tightens the screw 50 as it is so that the reaction disk 1 descends and tightens the screw 50 to the last to fix the reaction disk 1 firmly to the driving rotor 20. Then, the procedure proceeds to the work of step S106. In the case of this example, since the reaction disk 1 is not detached from the driving rotor 20, the work for moving the reaction disk 1 to a place where the reaction cell 11 is exchanged or the work for aligning the position of the reaction disk 1 with the driving rotor 20 are not executed.
Next, a work procedure when reaction chamber cleaning is executed will be described.
This step corresponds to cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30 and the user executes an operation of starting the cleaning work of the reaction chamber 30 from the user interface 302 (see
At this time, when a final cleaning day of the reaction chamber 30 or a scheduled cleaning day counted from the final cleaning day is displayed on the monitor 301, the user can easily check whether a predetermined maintenance period (maintenance interval) has passed. In this case, when the scheduled cleaning day has passed, the user can be notified of the fact that the scheduled cleaning day has passed by means of display or an alarm sound.
When the operation of starting the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30 is executed, the control device 300 outputs an instruction to the controller 9 and causes the controller 9 to execute a draining preparation operation as a maintenance preparation operation of the automatic analysis apparatus 100 in order to execute the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30. The draining preparation operation is similar to the maintenance preparation operation (step S102) at the time of exchange work for the reaction cell 11 and is, for example, the following operation.
An operation of interrupting excitation of the reaction disk 1 may be executed after the draining of the reaction chamber 30 is completed (after step S203) .
When the draining preparation operation is executed, the controller 9 gives an instruction to open a drain valve (electromagnetic valve) provided in a drain pipe of the reaction chamber 30 and drains the liquid from the reaction chamber 30.
When the draining of the reaction chamber 30 is completed, a signal is output from the controller 9 to the control device 300, and the control device 300 notifies the user of the draining completion by means of an alarm sound or monitor display. For example, when an opening time of the drain valve reaches a set value, the controller 9 can be caused to recognize the draining completion by the fact that a detection flow rate of a flowmeter provided in the drain pipe is less than a given value, a detected liquid level by a liquid level sensor provided in the reaction chamber 30 is less than a given value, or the like.
When the notification of the draining completion is checked, the user loosens the screw 50 to detach the reaction disk 1 from the driving rotor 20 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted. This work is similar to step S103 of
When the reaction disk 1 is detached, the user cleans the reaction chamber 30. When the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 and the light source lamp 8a are executed together, an operation of starting the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 and the exchange work for the light source lamp 8a in step S201 is also executed. Then, the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 and the light source lamp 8a is executed in conjunction with the cleaning of the reaction chamber 30.
When the cleaning of the reaction chamber 30 is ended, the user mounts the reaction disk 1 on the driving rotor 20 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted. This work is similar to step S105 of
When the fixing of the reaction disk 1 is ended, the user inputs the completion of the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30 from the user interface 302 (see
When the completion of the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30 is input, the control device 300 outputs an instruction to the controller 9 and the controller 9 is caused to execute the restoration operation of the automatic analysis apparatus 100 step by step to the state before the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30. In step S209, for example, the following operations are executed all together as the restoration operation:
The work for turning on the excitation of the reaction disk 1 may be executed after the liquid is supplied to the reaction chamber 30 (step S210).
When the liquid is supplied to the reaction chamber 30, the controller 9 executes the remaining restoration operation of the automatic analysis apparatus 100. In step S210, for example, the following operations are executed all together as the remaining restoration operation:
When there is additional maintenance such as cleaning of the reaction cell 11 or measurement of a blank value after the execution of the restoration operation, such maintenance is automatically executed by the controller 9. This process is similar to step S108 of
After the additional maintenance of step S211 is executed (after the restoration operation of step S211 is executed when there is no additional maintenance), the user executes an operation of updating the execution day of the cleaning work for the reaction chamber 30 with the interface 302 and ends the cleaning work. Accordingly, the latest cleaning date and time of the reaction chamber 30 is recorded on the memory of the control device 300 (which may be the memory of the controller 9), a subsequent scheduled cleaning day of the reaction chamber 30 is calculated, and deadline management of the maintenance is resumed.
(1) According to the embodiment, when the reaction disk 1 is moved vertically with respect to the driving rotor 20, the reaction disk 1 is guided by the guide 40 to be translated vertically. Accordingly, a deflection of the trajectory in the radial direction of the reaction disk 1 at the time of vertical movement can be inhibited. When the reaction disk 1 is mounted and detached with the reaction cell 11 being mounted, interference of the reaction cell 11 in the inner wall of the reaction chamber 30 or the in-chamber component inside the reaction chamber 30 can be inhibited. In the configuration in which the reaction disk 1 can be guided until the lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 exceeds a liquid surface of the reaction chamber 30, the reaction disk 1 is temporarily retained in a state in which the reaction cell 11 is completely pulled up from the liquid and liquid drops attached to the external wall of the reaction cell 11 fall to the reaction chamber 30. In this case, thereafter, when the reaction disk 1 is detached from the driving rotor 20, interference in an electrical component of the automatic analysis apparatus 100 due to falling of the liquid drops attached to the external wall of the reaction cell 11 can be inhibited. Accordingly, it is possible to mount and detach the reaction disk 1 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted and execute efficient maintenance. Thus, when the reaction disk 1 is mounted and detached, it is possible to protect the reaction cell 11 or a peripheral component from damage.
Since vertical movement of the reaction disk 1 is smoothly guided by the guide 40, it is not necessary to lift up the reaction disk 1 while gradually moving the disk in the horizontal direction when the reaction disk 1 is detached or the like. Therefore, a workload of the user is also reduced, and shaking of the reaction disk 1 and the collision between an obstacle and a hand or the like do not occur.
Further, as described above, the liquid drops attached to the external wall of the reaction cell 11 can easily fall to the reaction chamber 30. Therefore, when the reaction disk 1 is detached, caution as to the flying liquid drops is not forced to be taken. The advantageous effect of reducing a mental workload of the user can be expected.
(2) In the embodiment, the guide distance D2 of the reaction disk 1 by the guide 40 is set to be equal to or greater than the difference distance D1 of the height between the lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 and the upper end 7a of the in-chamber component (in the example of
(3) Since the distance D3 (see
(4) The screw 50 functions as a lift mechanism, a shaft force of the screw 50 can act on the reaction disk 1 to translate the reaction disk 1 vertically with respect to the driving rotor 20. A force can be perpendicularly operated to the reaction disk 1. Thus, compared to a case in which the reaction disk 1 is lifted up and down with a hand, force dissipation in the horizontal direction is considerably small and high linearity can be achieved because of the elevation trajectory of the reaction disk 1.
(5) By adopting a screw 50 screwed to the driving rotor 20 in relation to the reaction disk 1 as a lift mechanism, the screw 50 serves as both a lift mechanism and a fixing mechanism of the reaction disk 1. The screw is an element used for positioning in general machine and can also serve as a retention mechanism. According to the embodiment, one screw 50 makes it possible to construct a fixing mechanism, a lift mechanism, and a retention mechanism of the reaction disk 1 considerably simply. Since the screw 50 is located at the center of the reaction disk 1, the head portion 51 of the screw 50 may be used in place of a grip when the screw 50 is excluded from the driving rotor 20 and the reaction disk 1 is carried with the reaction cell 11 being mounted. Since one screw 50 is used, a load of work for tightening or loosening the screw is light.
(6) When the screw 50 is tightened, the reaction disk 1 comes into contact with the driving rotor 20 and the protrusion portion 54 becomes away from the reaction disk 1. When the screw 50 is loosened, the protrusion portion 54 lifts up the reaction disk 1. While the screw 50 is tightened, the protrusion portion 54 becomes away from the reaction disk 1. Therefore, the reaction disk 1 can be pressed firmly by the head portion 51 finally. At this time, when a gap is formed between the protrusion portion 54 and the driving rotor 20 in a state in which the head portion 51 comes into contact with the upper surface of the reaction disk 1, the reaction disk 1 can be pressed firmly by the head portion 51 more reliably.
Differences between the present embodiment and the first embodiment are that only one screw 50 is used in the first embodiment and a plurality of screws 50 are disposed in the present embodiment. The configuration of the screw 50 is similar to that of the first embodiment and the screw 50 includes a head portion 51, a shaft portion 52, a body portion 53, and a protrusion portion 54.
In the embodiment, screw holes corresponding to the plurality of screws 50 are disposed at positions other than the center of the shaft 22 of the driving rotor 20 and are all formed in the driving disk 21. A through hole 1b through which each screw 50 passes is disposed in a surface facing to the driving disk 21 in the reaction disk 1 to correspond to these screw holes. The number of screws 50 may be plural, and from the viewpoint of stability of the fixing structure, three or more screws 50 are preferably disposed to define a virtual plane. Here, as the number of screws 50 is larger, an effort to operate the screws 50 when the reaction disk 1 is mounted and detached is greater. Therefore, in consideration of this, three screws 50 or the screws slightly more than the three screws are preferable.
The plurality of screws 50 are disposed, for example, at an equal distance in a circumferential direction on a virtual circle concentric with the driving rotor 20 so that a center of gravity of an assembly of the reaction disk 1 and the driving rotor 20 does not deviate from a central line of the shaft 22. When three screws 50 with the same weight are used, a layout of a 120-degree pitch is achieved. A positional relationship with the guide 40 is not particularly limited. As described in the first embodiment, since the guide 40 is disposed to be separated from the central line of the shaft 22 from the viewpoint of positioning accuracy of the reaction disk 1, the screws 50 are disposed closer to the shaft 22 than the guide 40 in the example of
Since the facing surfaces of the reaction disk 1 and the driving disk 21 come into contact with each other as in the first embodiment, a recessed portion (hand reeling) facing the driving disk 21 is provided in a penetration portion of the through hole 1b in the reaction disk 1 in the present embodiment. As in the first embodiment, a gap in which the protrusion portion 54 is moved is formed between the protrusion portion 54 and the reaction disk 1. The recessed portion is, for example, circular when viewed from the side of the driving disk 21 and the number of recessed portions is plural to correspond to the screws 50. In
In the embodiment, since it is not necessary to press the center of the reaction disk 1 with the screw 50, a configuration in which a central portion of the reaction disk 1 is penetrated by the shaft 22 of the driving rotor 20 is exemplified. A handle 1d is provided in the upper end of a cylindrical portion through which the shaft 22 penetrates in the reaction disk 1, and thus it is easy to carry the reaction disk 1 when the screw 50 is removed from the driving rotor 20. Although particularly not illustrated, it is preferable to attach positioning marks defining a positional relation in a mutual circumferential direction to the cylindrical portion of the center of the reaction disk 1 and the upper end surface of the shaft 22.
Except for the above-described configuration, the present embodiment has the similar configuration with those of the first embodiment, the advantageous effects obtained in the first embodiment can be obtained by the common configuration in the present embodiment. Since the number of screws 50 is plural and the screws 50 are distant from the rotation center by a given distance, there is also the advantage of adding stability of the fixed structure of the reaction disk 1.
Further, as described above, the shaft 22 of the driving rotor 20 can be configured to penetrate through the center of the reaction disk. Therefore, the user can expose a part of the driving rotor 20 from the hole of the center of the reaction disk 1. Therefore, as described above, when the positioning marks are attached to the reaction disk 1 and the upper end surface of the shaft 22, work for positioning the guide 40 and the pin hole 1a at the time of setting of the reaction disk 1 in the driving rotor 20 can be efficiently executed. Here, this is the incidental advantage in one configuration example of the reaction disk 1 illustrated in
Differences of the present embodiment and the first embodiment are that the screw 50 configures the lift mechanism or the like in the first embodiment and a fixing mechanism, a lift mechanism, and a retention mechanism include a spring 55 and a screw 56 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the screw 50 adopted in the first and second embodiments is omitted in the present embodiment.
The spring 55 is a spring (in the embodiment, a coil spring) that is expandable in the vertical direction, and is interposed between the reaction disk 1 and the driving rotor 20 (in the embodiment, the driving disk 21), and is sandwiched and compressed vertically between the reaction disk 1 and the driving rotor 20. Accordingly, a restoration force of the spring 55 acts as a force for pushing up the reaction disk 1 with respect to the driving rotor 20.
Only one end of the vertical sides of the spring 55 is fixed to the lower surface of the reaction disk 1 or the upper surface of the driving rotor 20. In the embodiment, a cylindrical spring guide 57 that guides expansion and contraction of the spring 55 is provided and the outer circumference of the spring 55 is covered with the spring guide 57 at the time of full contraction in
The number of installed springs 55 can be singular or plural. When the number of springs 55 is singular, for example, a configuration in which a coil spring that has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the shaft 22 is adopted and the spring 55 is covered in the shaft 22 from above to be interposed between the driving disk 21 and the reaction disk 1 can be exemplified. In this way, by disposing the spring 55 to be concentric with the reaction disk 1, a vector of a pushing-up force acting on the reaction disk 1 by the restoration force of the spring 55 can be set to be perpendicular upward. When the number of springs 55 is plural, three or more springs 55 are preferably disposed to define a virtual plane from the viewpoint of stability of the support structure of the reaction disk 1 by the spring 55. The plurality of springs having the same size, shape, and restoration force are preferably arranged at an equal distance in a circumferential direction on a virtual circle concentric with the driving rotor 20. This is because the vector of the pushing-up force acting on the reaction disk 1 by the restoration force of the spring 55 can be set to be perpendicular upward.
The screw 56 is screwed to the driving rotor 20 perpendicularly downward to press the reaction disk 1 from above. The screw 56 includes a head portion 56a and a shaft portion 56b and does not include an element (an element corresponding to the protrusion portion 54 of the screw 50 in the first embodiment) that restricts the screw 56 with respect to the reaction disk 1. The body portion may be included or not included. In the embodiment, the shaft portion 56b is located on a central line of the shaft 22, and is screwed to the shaft 22 from the upper end surface. The head portion 56a is formed in a cover shape covering the upper surface and the outer circumferential surface of the handle 1d of the reaction disk 1, but the shape can be changed as long as the head portion 56a interferes in a part of the upper surface of the reaction disk 1 and presses the reaction disk 1. In
The distance D4 by which the spring 55 expands is preferably equal to or greater than the above-described difference distance D1. The same applies to the guide distance D2 by which the guide 40 guides the reaction disk 1. A distance D5 (see
In the foregoing configuration, when the screw 56 is tightened, the reaction disk 1 is pressed with the head portion 56a to descend against the restoration force of the spring 55 in the embodiment. By tightening the screw 56 to the last, reaction disk 1 can be fixed to the driving rotor 20, as illustrated in
In the first and second embodiments, the shaft force of the screw 50 is used as the force for lifting up the reaction disk 1 and the own weight of the reaction disk 1 is used as the force for causing the reaction disk 1 to descend. On the other hand, in the embodiment, the shaft force of the screw 56 is used as the force for causing the reaction disk 1 to descend and the restoration force of the spring 55 is used as the force for lifting up the reaction disk 1.
In the embodiment, by operating the screw 56, it is also possible to move up and down the reaction disk 1 by the shaft force of the screw 56 and the restoration force of the spring 55 and it is possible to guide the vertical movement trajectory of the reaction disk 1 perpendicularly by the guide 40 as in the first and second embodiments. Accordingly, it is possible to mount and detach the reaction disk 1 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted and execute efficient maintenance. Thus, when the reaction disk 1 is mounted and detached, it is possible to protect the reaction cell 11 or peripheral components from damage.
Except for the above-described configuration, the configuration of the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the first or second embodiment. With the common configuration, the advantageous effects obtained in the first or second embodiment can also be obtained in the present embodiment.
Differences between the present embodiment and the first to third embodiments are that the reaction disk 1 is connected to the driving disk 21 via a telescopic mechanism 58. The telescopic mechanism 58 is interposed between the reaction disk 1 and the driving disk 21, includes a plurality of pipes 58a to 58c, and expands and contracts in a perpendicular direction. Specifically, the central pipe 58b can be accommodated to enter and exit from the outer pipe 58a and the inner pipe 58c can be accommodated to enter and exit from the pipe 58b. The outer pipe 58a is fixed to the upper surface of the driving rotor 20 and the inner pipe 58c is fixed to the reaction disk 1. An upper limit position of a movable range of the pipe 58b to the pipe 58a and an upper limit position of a movable range of the pipe 58c to the pipe 58b are limited by each stopper, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the reaction disk 1 has a shape similar to that of the third embodiment. In the driving rotor 20, the shaft 22 protrudes from the driving disk 21 to only the lower side, and the upper end surface of the shaft 22 is flush with the upper surface of the driving disk 21. Accordingly, a space is ensured inside a cylindrical portion of the center of the reaction disk 1.
When the actuator 59 is driven to normally rotate the pinion, the rack ascends with respect to the pinion and the reaction disk 1 ascends with respect to the driving rotor 20. Conversely, when the actuator 59 reversely rotates the pinion, the rack descends with respect to the pinion and the reaction disk 1 descends with respect to the driving rotor 20. The actuator 59 is controlled by the controller 9. Since there is a braking force of the output shaft in the actuator 59, the actuator 59 can also function as not only a lift mechanism but also a fixing mechanism or a retention mechanism of the reaction disk 1.
In the embodiment, for example, a configuration in which the actuator 59 is omitted and the handle 1d is included to lift up the reaction disk 1 can also be used. Although the actuator 59 is omitted, the elevation trajectory of the reaction disk 1 is guided by the guide 40. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately inhibit interference or the like of the reaction cell 11 and peripheral components. When the actuator 59 is adopted, a lid is not particularly necessary. In the case of the configuration in which the handle 1d is included to lift up the reaction disk 1, it is preferable to provide a lid 1e covering the handle 1d so that the reaction disk 1 is not lifted up erroneously except for maintenance. The lid 1e may be configured to cover the handle 1d. However, a configuration in which the lid is not engaged with the reaction disk 1 and the reaction disk 1 is not lifted up in relation to the lid 1e even when the lid 1e is lifted up is preferable (see
A distance D7 by which the telescopic mechanism 58 expands is preferably equal to or greater than the above-described difference distance D1. The same applies to the guide distance D2 by which the guide 40 guides the reaction disk 1. The distance D5 (see
According to the embodiment, as a further retention mechanism of the reaction disk 1, a lock mechanism in which a slit 58s and a protrusion 58p are used is provided in the telescopic mechanism 58, as illustrated in
Except for the above description, in the embodiment, the configurations similar to those of the first, second, or third embodiment can be used.
When the maintenance preparation operation of step S102 is completed, the user executes an operation of lifting up the reaction disk 1 from the user interface 302 (see
When the reaction disk 1 ascends up to a predetermined height at which maintenance is possible, a signal is output from the controller 9 to the control device 300, and the control device 300 notifies the user of the lifting-up completion of the reaction disk 1 by means of an alarm sound or monitor display. The ascending of the reaction disk 1 to the predetermined height can be determined from, for example, a rotation speed or a driving time of the actuator 59. The rotation speed of the actuator is a known constant value and the driving time can be measured by a timer included in the controller 9. An ascending distance of the reaction disk 1 can also be calculated from a rotation speed (meaning the number of rotations) of the output shaft of the actuator 59. A limit switch can also be installed in the telescopic mechanism 58, and when a signal is input from the limit switch, it can be detected that the telescopic mechanism 58 extends by a predetermined length and the reaction disk 1 reaches a predetermined height. When a notification of the lifting-up completion is checked, the procedure proceeds to step S104 and the user executes the exchange work for the reaction cell 11. In the embodiment, since the reaction disk 1 is not dislocated from the driving rotor 20, the reaction cell 11 is exchanged without detaching the reaction disk 1 from the driving rotor 20.
When the exchange of the reaction cell 11 is completed in step S104, the user inputs the completion of the exchange work for the reaction cell 11 from the user interface 302 (see
In the embodiment, the vertical movement of the reaction disk 1 is guided perpendicularly by the guide 40 and it is possible to mount and detach the reaction disk 1 with the reaction cell 11 being mounted and execute efficient maintenance. Thus, when the reaction disk 1 is mounted and detached, it is possible to protect the reaction cell 11 or peripheral components from damage. At this time, in the embodiment, since the actuator 59 moves up and down the reaction disk 1, it is possible to reduce a load of a user necessary in the maintenance work. Since the driving rotor 20 and the reaction disk 1 are connected by the telescopic mechanism 58, the reaction disk 1 does not come out from the driving rotor 20 unintentionally. In addition, the advantageous effects obtained in the first to third embodiments with regard to the configurations common to those of the first to third embodiments can also be obtained in the present embodiment.
In the embodiment, a feed valve V1 is included in a feed pipe P1 connected to the reaction chamber 30 and a drain valve V2 is included in a drain pipe P2 connected to the reaction chamber 30. The feed valve V1 and the drain valve V2 are, for example, electromagnetic valves, and opening and closing are controlled by the controller 9.
In the embodiment, even in a state in which the reaction disk 1 ascends highest in a range of the guide distance D2 (see
Accordingly, in the embodiment, the controller 9 is configured to control the drain valve V2 at a predetermined timing such that the liquid level of the reaction chamber 30 is lowered to the lower end 11c of the reaction cell 11 ascending highest within the range of the guide distance D2 or a position lower than the lower end 11c. In
After the maintenance is completed, the controller 9 controls the feed valve V1 to raise the liquid level to a height before the draining. The operation of raising the liquid level is executed in association with, for example, the restoration operation of step S107 (see
Except for the above description, in the embodiment, the configurations similar to those of the first, second, third, or fourth embodiment can be used.
In the embodiment, the work of pulling up all the reaction cells 11 from the liquid of the reaction chamber 30 and temporarily retraining the reaction cells 11 can be automatically executed in association with the maintenance preparation operation for the automatic analysis apparatus 100 without being performed manually by the user. That is, since the user completes the dehydrating step for an external wall of the reaction cell 11 in a stage in which the reaction disk 1 is detached from the driving rotor 20, it is possible to inhibit interference of liquid drops falling from the external wall of the reaction cell 11 in electric components at the time of detaching of the reaction disk 1 more rationally. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a psychological load of the user at the time of the maintenance work or a load of work for wiping out flying liquid drops.
Compared to a case in which the liquid is all discharged from the reaction chamber 30, it is possible to inhibit a required time of the maintenance preparation operation or the restoration operation from becoming long by stopping a draining amount of the liquid at a required amount, and thus it is possible to shorten a series of maintenance times. A consumption amount of the liquid is also reduced. In addition, the advantageous effects obtained in the first to fourth embodiments with regard to the configurations common to those of the first to fourth embodiments can also be obtained in the present embodiment.
In the first to third embodiments, instead of a screw or a spring, an actuator can also be used as an elevation driving device as in the fourth embodiment. That is, in a configuration in which the reaction disk 1 is not connected to the driving rotor 20 by the telescopic mechanism 58, an actuator can also be used as a lift mechanism, a fixing mechanism, or a retention mechanism. Conversely, in the fourth embodiment in which the telescopic mechanism 58 is adopted, a lift mechanism of the reaction disk 1 in which a shaft force of a screw or a restoration force of a spring is used can also be used instead of the actuator 59. In the first to fifth embodiments, a configuration in which the reaction disk 1 is lifted up or lowered with a hand can be used without using the screw, the spring, or the actuator. In this case, when there is the handle 1d described in the third or fourth embodiment, work becomes easy. Even in a configuration in which there is no lift mechanism, the interference between the reaction cell 11 and the peripheral components can be appropriately inhibited by guiding the elevation trajectory of the reaction disk 1 by the guide 40.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-099591 | Jun 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/004440 | 2/5/2021 | WO |
