Automated analysis device

Abstract

A reagent cold storage unit with reduced insulation material thickness and a smaller size than conventional units, along with an automated analytical apparatus equipped with the same unit, is described. In the reagent cold storage unit of the automated analytical apparatus, vacuum insulation material is disposed around the cooling jacket (sides and / or top and bottom) of the cold storage unit. Furthermore, the ends of the vacuum insulation material are positioned offset from the top and bottom ends and side ends of the cooling jacket to maximize the distance between the ends of the vacuum insulation material and the cooling jacket (see Figure 1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an automated analytical device with a reagent cold storage compartment. Background Technology

[0002] As a reagent coolant in an automated analytical apparatus, a known reagent coolant coolant has a cylindrical shell for storing reagent containers, as in Patent Document 1, and the outer surface of the shell is covered with an insulating material. Patent Document 1 does not specifically mention the material of the insulating material used in the cylindrical shell, but generally polystyrene foam or similar materials are used.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-206113

[0006] However, in the prior art as shown in Patent Document 1, a fairly thick insulating material is required to prevent condensation of moisture in the air to the outside. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the automatic analysis device becomes larger. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] This disclosure was made in view of this situation, and proposes a technology to achieve a reagent cold storage with reduced insulation material thickness and a smaller reagent cold storage than before, as well as an automatic analysis device equipped with the reagent cold storage.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure proposes an automated analysis device that reacts a sample with a reagent to analyze the components within the sample. The automated analysis device includes a reagent cold storage unit comprising: a cooling jacket housing multiple reagent containers containing the reagents; side insulation material disposed on the sides of the cooling jacket; upper insulation material disposed on the upper part of the cooling jacket; lower insulation material disposed on the lower part of the cooling jacket; a frame member covering the periphery of the side insulation material; and a cooling device for cooling the cooling jacket. The side insulation material includes a first insulation material composed of a vacuum insulation material and a second insulation material composed of an insulation material other than a vacuum insulation material. The first insulation material is disposed between the cooling jacket and the frame member, and the second insulation material is disposed between one or both of the first insulation material and the cooling jacket and between the first insulation material and the frame member. The upper part of the first insulation material is located above the upper end of the upper surface of the cooling jacket, and the lower part of the first insulation material is located below the lower end of the lower surface of the cooling jacket.

[0011] Other features associated with this disclosure are clear from the description and drawings in this specification. Furthermore, the solutions of this disclosure are achieved and implemented through elements and combinations of multiple elements, as well as the detailed description thereafter and the appended technical solutions.

[0012] The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and should not be construed as limiting the technical solutions or applications of this disclosure to any particular meaning.

[0013] Invention Effects

[0014] According to the technology disclosed herein, the thickness of the insulation material of the reagent cold storage can be reduced, thus realizing a smaller reagent cold storage and an automated analysis device equipped with the reagent cold storage than before. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an example of the reagent cold storage compartment of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of vacuum insulation material 4.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the thermal conductivity characteristics of vacuum insulation materials.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a graph showing the relationship between cooling capacity and temperature reduction (insulation performance) when the height of the cooling jacket 2 is aligned with the height of the end of the vacuum insulation material 4 (conventional configuration) and when they are staggered (this embodiment).

[0019] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent cold storage compartment 1 of the automatic analysis device according to the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent cold storage compartment 1 of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent cold storage compartment 1 of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent cold storage compartment 1 of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are sometimes used to denote functionally identical elements. It should be noted that the drawings illustrate specific embodiments and installation examples following the principles of the present disclosure, but these are drawings intended for understanding the present disclosure and are not intended to limit or restrict the interpretation of the present disclosure.

[0024] In this embodiment, the present disclosure has been described in full detail for those skilled in the art to implement it. However, it should be understood that other installations and methods are possible, and structural and constructional changes and substitutions of various elements can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description is not intended to be limited to this.

[0025] (1) First implementation method

[0026] <Structural Example of a Reagent Cold Storage for an Automated Analytical Device>

[0027] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an example of the reagent cold storage compartment of the automated analysis apparatus according to the first embodiment. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The structure of the reagent cold storage 1, shown only in the left cross-section of the rotating shaft 211 (described later), is also presented. Figure 1 The upper and lower parts of the reagent cold storage 1 are defined along the Z-axis.

[0028] exist Figure 1 In the reagent cold storage 1, reagent bottles 17 are placed on reagent trays 18. The reagent trays 18 are configured to rotate in the XY plane around a rotation axis 211 (extending along the Z direction) using a drive unit 21.

[0029] A cooling jacket (also called a reagent sleeve) 2 is provided around (on the sides) and on the lower surface of the reagent tray 18. This cooling jacket 2 is cooled by a cooling device 16, such as a Peltier cooling unit, which is installed on the lower surface of the reagent cold storage 1. For the cooling jacket 2, materials with relatively high thermal conductivity, such as copper and aluminum, are used to transfer heat effectively.

[0030] A lower insulation material 7, such as polystyrene foam, is filled on the lower side of the cooling jacket 2 to insulate against external heat. A resin frame 8, made of polypropylene or the like, is provided on the outermost side of the reagent cold storage 1. The vacuum insulation material 4 is fixed to the resin frame 8 using an adhesive or the like. An upper resin material 9 is provided on the upper part of the vacuum insulation material 4, and a lower resin material 10 is provided on the lower part. The portion between the upper and lower resin materials 9 and 10 between the vacuum insulation material 4 and the cooling jacket 2 is filled with an insulation material 5, such as polyurethane foam. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the vacuum insulation material 4 and the polyurethane foam material 5 are combined and referred to as the surrounding insulation section (surrounding insulation material) 3.

[0031] The upper part of the reagent cold storage 1 is covered by an upper cover 50 consisting of an upper insulation material 6 such as polystyrene foam and a resin frame 11 such as polypropylene. A sealing material 12 (e.g., silicone, modified silicone, polyurethane, acrylic, polysulfide, etc.) is provided between the upper resin material 9 and the upper insulation material 6. Nuts 20 are embedded in the upper resin material 9, and the upper cover 50 and the nuts 20 are fixed together by bolts 19. Considering the effect of heat leakage due to heat conduction, the bolts 19 and nuts 20 can be made of resin such as fluororesin. A sealing material 13 is provided between the lower resin material 10 and the lower insulation material 7.

[0032] A step 14 is provided on the lower side of the upper heat insulation material 6 and on the upper side of the surrounding heat insulation portion (surrounding heat insulation material) 3. Similarly, a step 15 is provided on the upper side of the lower heat insulation material 7 and on the lower side of the surrounding heat insulation portion (surrounding heat insulation material) 3. This step 14 allows the upper part of the vacuum heat insulation material 4 to be offset from the upper part of the cooling jacket 2, with the upper part of the vacuum heat insulation material 4 positioned higher than the upper part of the cooling jacket 2. Furthermore, the step 15 allows the lower part of the vacuum heat insulation material 4 to be offset from the lower part of the cooling jacket 2, with the lower part of the vacuum heat insulation material 4 positioned lower than the lower part of the cooling jacket 2. As will be described later, these steps 14 and 15 can reduce the heat transfer from the vacuum heat insulation material 4 to the cooling jacket 2.

[0033] <Structure of Vacuum Insulation Materials>

[0034] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of vacuum insulation material 4. Figure 3 This is a graph showing the thermal conductivity of vacuum insulation material 4.

[0035] Figure 2 As shown, the vacuum insulation material 4 is composed of a core material 41 and an outer cover material 42, which is a composite material surrounding the core material 41 and has gas-barrier properties. This vacuum insulation material 4 is obtained by depressurizing the inner side of the outer cover material 42 to create a vacuum. The core material 41 uses fibrous raw materials such as glass wool, foam, or powder materials. The outer cover material 42 uses materials such as aluminum vapor-deposited film.

[0036] The thermal conductivity of the outer casing material 42 is higher than that of the interior of a vacuum. Therefore, as... Figure 3 As illustrated, the thermal conductivity increases at both ends of the vacuum insulation material. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The ears 43 at both ends (the vacuum insulation material inevitably forms the ears) are actually folded and installed, but... Figure 3This part is omitted from the diagram. Since the thermal conductivity of both ends of the vacuum insulation material 4 is high, by setting steps 14 and 15 to offset the positions of the cooling jacket 2 from the ends of the vacuum insulation material 4 as described above, it is possible to reduce the heat (heat from the outside) transferred through both ends of the vacuum insulation material 4.

[0037] <Relationship between cooling capacity and temperature drop: Thermal insulation performance>

[0038] Figure 4 This is a graph showing the relationship between cooling capacity and temperature reduction (insulation performance) when the vertical height of the cooling jacket 2 is the same as the height of the end of the vacuum insulation material 4 (conventional configuration) and when they are staggered (this embodiment). It should be noted that in... Figure 4 In this context, cooling capacity and temperature reduction are expressed as ratios relative to a baseline.

[0039] like Figure 4 As can be seen from the diagram, the structure of this embodiment allows for cooling the interior to a lower temperature using the same cooling capacity. Furthermore, the cooling capacity can be reduced while maintaining the same internal temperature. This improves the heat insulation performance of the surrounding heat insulation portion 3, thus allowing for a reduction in the thickness of the surrounding heat insulation portion (surrounding heat insulation material) 3 while maintaining the same internal temperature and cooling capacity. Specifically, the thickness of the surrounding heat insulation portion (surrounding heat insulation material) 3 can be reduced by approximately 10%.

[0040] As explained above, the thickness of the surrounding insulation material (the insulation material provided on the side of the reagent cold storage 1) can be reduced by the structure of this embodiment, thus enabling the reagent cold storage and the automatic analysis device to be miniaturized.

[0041] (2) Second Implementation

[0042] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent coolant compartment 1 of the automated analysis apparatus according to the second embodiment. The parts common to the first embodiment are labeled with the same numbers.

[0043] In the second embodiment, the vacuum insulation material 4 is positioned separately from the resin frame 8, and polyurethane foam material 5 and polyurethane foam material 51 are filled on both sides of it. In this configuration, similar to the first embodiment, the thickness of the insulation material on the sides of the reagent cold storage 1 can be reduced.

[0044] It should be noted that in the following third to fifth embodiments, the vacuum insulation materials provided on the sides, bottom, and top cover 50 are described as being in a shape that is tightly attached to the resin frame. However, similar to the second embodiment, it is also possible to use a structure in which the vacuum insulation material 4 is provided in a position separate from the resin frame and polyurethane foam material 51 is filled on both sides. In this way, similar to the second embodiment, the thickness of the insulation material on the sides, bottom, and top can be reduced.

[0045] (3) Third implementation method

[0046] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent coolant compartment 1 of the automated analysis apparatus according to the third embodiment. The parts common to the first embodiment are labeled with the same numbers.

[0047] The resin frame 80 of the reagent cold storage 1 in the third embodiment is constructed by extending the lower portion of the resin frame 8 shown in the first embodiment. In fact, the resin frame 80 can be manufactured by integrally molding the side portion and the lower portion or by joining them using an adhesive or the like.

[0048] The resin frame 23 is connected to the resin frame 80 in the portion where the cooling device 16 is not present, forming a structure surrounding the cooling device 16. Polyurethane foam material is injected into the side and lower portions of the cooling sleeve 2 and foamed, thereby creating a structure that integrates the heat insulation portions of the side and lower portions. At this time, polyurethane foam material 5 and polyurethane foam material 22 are injected into the resin frame 23 together and connected in the portion where the cooling device 16 is not present.

[0049] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the length of the vacuum insulation material 4 is longer than that of the vacuum insulation material in the first embodiment, and the lower portion of the vacuum insulation material 4 is positioned lower than the cooling sleeve 2. Additionally, in the third embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a step 14 is provided on the upper side of the surrounding insulation portion (surround insulation material) 3. By configuring it in this way, the two ends of the vacuum insulation material 4 (where the thermal conductivity is higher than that of the central portion) can be moved away from the cooling sleeve 2.

[0050] As described above, according to this embodiment, the heat insulation materials for the side and bottom surfaces are manufactured as a single piece, thereby eliminating the joint where the heat insulation materials for the side and bottom surfaces meet, thus preventing heat leakage from that part. Furthermore, the portion of the heat insulation material for the side surfaces can be further thinned, thus enabling further miniaturization of the reagent cold storage.

[0051] (4) Fourth Implementation Method

[0052] Figure 7This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent cold storage compartment 1 of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

[0053] In the fourth embodiment, vacuum insulation materials 24 and 25 are assembled on the lower side, excluding the sides. Vacuum insulation material 24 is fixed to the lower part of the resin frame 80 by an adhesive or the like, and vacuum insulation material 25 is fixed to the resin frame 23 by an adhesive or the like.

[0054] Additionally, vacuum insulation material 26 is assembled on the upper cover 50. Vacuum insulation material 26 is fixed to the resin frame 11 by adhesive or the like. The upper insulation material 6 can also be made using polyurethane foam material, similar to other insulation components. The end 27 of the lower portion of the vacuum insulation material 24 is positioned further outward than the outer surface of the cooling sleeve 2. Furthermore, the end 28 of the vacuum insulation material 26 mounted on the upper cover 50 is positioned further outward than the outer surface of the cooling sleeve 2.

[0055] Thus, vacuum insulation material is also installed on the lower part and the upper cover part, and their ends are positioned further outward than the outer surface of the cooling jacket 2. In this way, the insulation performance can be improved, and the insulation material 22 of the lower part and the upper insulation material 6 of the upper cover part can be thinned respectively, thereby enabling the reagent cold storage to be further miniaturized.

[0056] (5) Fifth Implementation

[0057] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the reagent coolant compartment 1 of the automatic analysis apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, a resin flange 29 for fixing the upper cover 50 is provided on the resin frame 11, and a flange 30 is provided on the upper part of the resin frame 8. The upper cover 50 is fixed by bolts 19 and nuts 20.

[0058] This design prevents ambient heat from penetrating through the bolts and nuts. Furthermore, by positioning the end 28 of the vacuum insulation material 26 further outward, the insulation performance of the upper cover 50 can be improved, and the thickness of the upper insulation material 6 can be further reduced, thus enabling further miniaturization of the reagent cold storage 1. It should be noted that the bolts and nuts can be positioned outside the reagent cold storage 1, allowing the use of metal bolts and nuts.

[0059] (6) Summary

[0060] In this embodiment, the thickness of the insulation material is reduced by using a vacuum insulation material with high thermal insulation efficiency. However, the ends of the vacuum insulation material have ears 43, so the thermal insulation efficiency at the ends is lower than that outside the ends. Therefore, when the vacuum insulation materials (vacuum insulation materials 4, 24 to 26) are arranged around the reagent cold storage 1 (sides and / or top and bottom), the ends of the vacuum insulation materials are positioned offset from the top and bottom ends and side ends of the cooling sleeve 2 to maximize the distance between the ends of the vacuum insulation materials and the cooling sleeve 2. This suppresses heat intrusion into the cooling sleeve 2 through the ends of the vacuum insulation materials with high conductivity, thus improving the thermal insulation effect of the insulation material. Moreover, the thermal insulation effect of the vacuum insulation material can be maximized, so the thickness of the insulation material other than the vacuum insulation material (insulation material composed of polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, etc.) can be thinner than before. In this way, the insulation material of the reagent cold storage 1 can be thinner than the conventional structure, thus enabling the miniaturization of the reagent cold storage 1 and the automatic analysis device. It should be noted that this automated analysis device can be applied to immunoassay devices, biochemical analysis devices, and other devices that generally require reagents to be stored at low temperatures.

[0061] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0062] 1. Reagent cold storage

[0063] 2 Cooling jacket

[0064] 3. Surrounding insulation (surrounding insulation material)

[0065] 4. Vacuum insulation materials

[0066] 5. Polyurethane foam materials

[0067] 6. Upper insulation material

[0068] 7. Lower insulation material

[0069] 8.80 Resin Frame

[0070] 9. Upper resin material

[0071] 10. Lower resin material

[0072] 11 Resin Frame

[0073] 12, 13 Sealing materials

[0074] Steps 14 and 15

[0075] 16 Cooling device

[0076] 17 Reagent Bottles

[0077] 18 Reagent trays

[0078] 19 bolts

[0079] 20 nuts

[0080] 21 Drive Unit

[0081] 22 Polyurethane foam materials

[0082] 23 Resin Frame

[0083] 24, 25 Lower vacuum insulation material

[0084] 26. Upper vacuum insulation material

[0085] 27. Lower vacuum insulation material end

[0086] 28. Upper vacuum insulation material end

[0087] Flanges 29 and 30

[0088] 31 spacers

[0089] 41 core material

[0090] 42. Outer Cover Material

[0091] 50 top cover

[0092] 211 Rotation axis.

Claims

1. An automated analytical apparatus that reacts a sample with a reagent to analyze components in the sample, wherein, The automated analysis device is equipped with a reagent cold storage. The reagent cold storage has the following features: A reagent tray that holds and seals multiple reagent containers containing the aforementioned reagents; Cooling jacket; Side insulation material; Upper heat insulation material is disposed on the upper part of the cooling jacket; Lower heat insulation material is disposed at the lower part of the cooling jacket; Frame members that cover the periphery of the side insulation material; and Cooling device, which cools the cooling jacket, The cooling sleeve is disposed on the side and lower surface of the reagent tray. The side insulation material is disposed on the side of the cooling jacket. The side insulation material includes a first insulation material composed of vacuum insulation material and a second insulation material composed of insulation material other than vacuum insulation material. The first heat insulation material is disposed between the cooling sleeve and the frame member. The second thermal insulation material is disposed between the first thermal insulation material and the cooling sleeve, and between the first thermal insulation material and the frame member, or both of these locations. The upper part of the first heat insulation material is located above the upper surface end of the cooling jacket. The lower part of the first heat insulation material is located below the lower end of the lower surface of the cooling jacket.

2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, wherein, A first step is provided at the boundary between the side insulation material and the upper insulation material. A second step is provided at the boundary between the side insulation material and the lower insulation material. The frame member is disposed in a first space formed by the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion, and the cooling jacket is disposed in a second space formed by the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion. The distance in the height direction of the first space is greater than the distance in the height direction of the second space.

3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2, wherein, The first step portion and the second step portion are made of resin material.

4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, wherein, The second thermal insulation material is integrally formed with the lower thermal insulation material. The frame member extends to cover the lower part of the cooling sleeve. The frame member is filled with the second thermal insulation material and the lower thermal insulation material.

5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4, wherein, A stepped portion is provided at the boundary between the side insulation material and the upper insulation material. The first thermal insulation material is housed in a first space formed by the stepped portion and the bottom surface of the frame member, and the cooling jacket is disposed in a second space formed by the stepped portion and the bottom surface of the frame member. The distance in the height direction of the first space is greater than the distance in the height direction of the second space.

6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 5, wherein, The stepped portion is made of resin material.

7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1 or 4, wherein, The automatic analysis device also includes an upper frame component that covers the upper insulation material. The upper insulation material includes a third insulation material composed of vacuum insulation material and a fourth insulation material composed of insulation material other than vacuum insulation material. The end of the third heat insulation material is located on the outer side of the side end of the cooling jacket.

8. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein, The automatic analysis device also includes a lower frame component that covers the lower insulation material. The lower insulation material includes a sixth insulation material composed of vacuum insulation material and a seventh insulation material composed of insulation material other than vacuum insulation material. The end of the sixth heat insulation material is located on the outer side of the side end of the cooling jacket.

9. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, wherein, The second thermal insulation material is composed of polyurethane foam.

10. The automatic analysis device according to claim 2, wherein, The upper thermal insulation material is connected to the frame member at the first step by bolts and nuts.

11. The automatic analysis device according to claim 5, wherein, The upper thermal insulation material and the frame member are connected at the stepped portion by bolts and nuts.

12. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, Flanges are provided on the upper cover covering the upper insulation material and on the frame members, respectively. The flange is connected by the bolt and the nut.

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