Automatic analysis device

Abstract

This invention provides an automated analytical apparatus that, by cooling the space separated from the reagent cold storage with air, can be designed with a high degree of freedom based on cooling performance, thereby suppressing condensation within the reagent cold storage. The automated analytical apparatus includes a reagent cold storage (20) that cools reagent containers (21) with refrigerant, a refrigerant cooling section (201) that cools and circulates the refrigerant within the apparatus, an air supply section (204) that draws in air from outside the apparatus to be delivered to the reagent cold storage (20), and an air supply cooling section (202) that cools the air flowing from the air supply section (204) with refrigerant. By utilizing the air supply drawn in from outside by the air supply section and cooled by the air supply cooling section (202), positive pressure is created within the reagent cold storage, suppressing condensation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automated analysis device. Background Technology

[0002] An automated analytical device is used in clinical examinations to analyze components of blood, urine, and other samples collected from patients. It analyzes samples by reacting various reagents with the specimen and measuring changes in color, luminescence, etc., in the reaction solution. To maintain reagent quality, this automated analytical device is equipped with a reagent chiller to keep the reagents at a specific temperature range.

[0003] The temperature inside the reagent cold storage is maintained lower than that of the outside air. However, the reagent cold storage is partially open for purposes such as reagent dispensing. Therefore, outside air flows in through the openings, causing condensation inside the cold storage and leading to environmental degradation.

[0004] Patent document 1 discloses a technique for preventing condensation by introducing cooled air from outside the reagent cold storage to prevent the inflow of external air.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-270857 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] When cooling the air continuously supplied to the reagent cold storage, if the heat transfer area between the air and the refrigerant is insufficient, the target temperature cannot be reached, reducing the cold storage performance of the reagent cold storage. However, in the automatic analysis device disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the cooling function of the supplied air is integrated with the reagent cold storage, the shape of the reagent cold storage is limited by space when designing the air cooling structure, which may prevent sufficient heat transfer area from being ensured.

[0010] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic analysis device that, by cooling the incoming air in a space separate from the reagent cold storage, can be structurally designed with a high degree of freedom according to the target cooling performance, thereby suppressing condensation in the reagent cold storage.

[0011] Technical solutions to solve technical problems

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automatic analysis device comprising: a reagent cold storage for storing reagent containers for containing reagents that react with a sample; a refrigerant cooling unit for cooling the reagent cold storage with a refrigerant; an external air intake unit for introducing external air to create positive pressure in the reagent cold storage relative to its surroundings; and a supply air cooling unit disposed outside the reagent cold storage, which supplies cooled air obtained by cooling the external air with a refrigerant to the interior of the reagent cold storage.

[0013] Invention Effects

[0014] According to the present invention, by using air drawn in from the outside and cooled by the air supply cooling unit, positive pressure can be created inside the reagent cold storage room to suppress condensation. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view showing the outline of the automatic analysis device.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram showing the AA section of the automatic analysis device.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the air supply cooling section in Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of the air supply cooling section in Embodiment 1.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the air supply cooling section and the air supply section in Embodiment 2.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the air supply cooling section in Embodiment 3.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of the air supply cooling section in Embodiment 3. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The automatic analysis apparatus for implementing the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The automatic analysis apparatus is used to analyze samples such as blood and urine collected from patients during clinical examinations.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] Example 1 is an embodiment of an automatic analysis device, comprising: a reagent cold storage for storing reagent containers containing reagents that react with a sample; a refrigerant cooling unit for cooling the reagent cold storage with a refrigerant; an external air intake unit for drawing in external air to create positive pressure relative to the surrounding area of ​​the reagent cold storage; and a supply air cooling unit disposed outside the reagent cold storage, which supplies cooled air obtained by cooling the external air with a refrigerant to the interior of the reagent cold storage.

[0025] use Figure 1 The automatic analysis device 1 of this embodiment will be described. The automatic analysis device 1 is composed of an analysis unit 2 and a control unit 3 connected by a communication line 4. The control unit 3 is a device that controls the various parts of the analysis unit 2, such as a computer. The operator inputs the analysis content as the target from the input units such as the keyboard, mouse, and touch panel of the control unit 3, and confirms the analysis results through the output units such as the liquid crystal display and touch panel.

[0026] The analysis unit 2 is a device for analyzing a sample by measuring the light emission or color change produced by the reaction between the sample and the analytical reagent. It includes a sample transport path 10, a reagent cold storage 20, an incubator 30, and a reaction solution measuring unit 40.

[0027] The sample delivery path 10 is a mechanism that transports the sample container 11, which holds samples such as blood and urine, to the dispensing position of the sample dispensing unit 12. The sample dispensing unit 12 draws the sample from the delivered sample container 11 and discharges it into the reaction vessel 13 located in the incubator 30. The sample dispensing unit 12 is equipped with a dispensing needle 16, which is conveyed from the support bracket 15 to the dispensing needle loading and unloading unit via the delivery unit 14. To prevent contamination during sample dispensing, the dispensing needle 16 is replaced after each dispensing.

[0028] The reagent cold storage 20 is a mechanism for storing and storing reagent containers 21 containing analytical reagents at low temperatures. It includes a reagent tray 22 and a reagent sleeve 23. The internal temperature of the reagent cold storage 20 is maintained, for example, between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. The reagent tray 22 carries the reagent container 21, and by rotating it along a vertical axis, the reagent container 21 is moved to a predetermined position, such as the dispensing position of the reagent dispensing section 24. The reagent sleeve 23 is a cover located on the outside of the reagent tray 22 and remains stationary even when the reagent tray 23 rotates.

[0029] The incubator 30 is a mechanism for maintaining a constant temperature to promote the reaction of the mixture of sample dispensed by the sample dispensing section 12 and reagent dispensed by the reagent dispensing section 24. Before dispensing the sample or reagent, the reaction vessel 13 is transferred from the mounting bracket 15 to the incubator 30 via the transfer section 14.

[0030] The reaction solution measuring unit 40 analyzes the composition of the sample by measuring the color change, luminescence, etc., of the reaction solution dispensed from the reaction container 13 disposed in the incubator 30 by the reaction solution dispensing unit 41. The measurement results of the reaction solution measuring unit 40 are displayed on an output unit such as an LCD display or touch panel provided in the control unit 3. The reaction container 13 containing the reaction solution is removed by being conveyed from the incubator 30 to the mounting bracket 15 via the conveying unit 14.

[0031] use Figure 2 The structure of the reagent cold storage 20 and related mechanisms inside the analysis unit 2 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 The diagram shows a structural outline of the AA section of the automatic analysis device. In this embodiment, the reagent cooling chamber 20 is connected to the refrigerant cooling unit 201 and the air supply cooling unit 202 via multiple flow paths 205-215. Furthermore, the reagent cooling chamber 20 has a reagent suction port 203 for lowering the reagent dispensing unit 24 to the position where the reagent container 21 is located. The refrigerant cooling unit 201, the air supply unit 204, the air supply cooling unit 202, and the reaction solution measuring unit 40 of the analysis unit 2 are controlled by the control unit 3.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the air supply cooling unit 202 is arranged horizontally with the reagent cold storage 20. The refrigerant cooling unit 201 is located below the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply cooling unit 202 in the vertical direction. The air supply unit 204, which functions as an external air intake, is also arranged below the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply cooling unit 202 in the vertical direction. This arrangement is for ease of installation.

[0033] The refrigerant cooling section 201 is a mechanism for supplying and cooling refrigerant, such as cooling water. The refrigerant, conveyed from the refrigerant cooling section 201 through the eighth flow path 205, circulates within the device to be cooled, and then returns to the refrigerant cooling section 201 through the sixth flow path 206. The refrigerant, whose temperature has risen due to cooling of various parts of the device, is cooled again by the refrigerant cooling section 201. Simultaneously, the refrigerant cooling section 201 releases the heat absorbed from the refrigerant to the outside of the device. The cooled refrigerant is then conveyed again through the eighth flow path 205, circulating repeatedly within the device.

[0034] A seventh flow path 207 is arranged inside the space of the reagent sheath 23. Here, the seventh flow path 207 is arranged in such a way that it contacts the inner side surface of the reagent sheath 23.

[0035] The refrigerant flowing through the 8th flow path 205 and then through the 7th flow path 207 circulates at least once within the space inside the reagent sleeve 23. During this time, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside the reagent cold storage 20, thereby cooling the space inside the cold storage and the reagent container 21 located within it. After circulation, the refrigerant flows to the outside of the reagent cold storage 20 through the 4th flow path 208.

[0036] By cooling the space inside the reagent cold storage 20, moisture in the air will condense. The condensed water is discharged from the third flow path 209 through the drain outlet (outlet) to the outside of the reagent cold storage 20.

[0037] In other words, the air supply cooling unit 202 includes a first flow path 211 that guides cooling air into the reagent cold storage 20 and a second flow path 212 that discharges condensate generated by the air supply cooling unit 202 to a drain outlet. The reagent cold storage 20 includes a third flow path 209 that discharges condensate generated by the reagent cold storage to a drain outlet. The first flow path 211 and the second flow path 212 are configured to merge with the third flow path 209. At the drain outlet side where the second flow path 212 and the third flow path 209 merge, a water storage section is provided to collect condensate and prevent cooling air from leaking to the outside.

[0038] The air supply section 204 functions as an external air intake section that supplies air from outside the device to the inside. For example, by rotating a component such as a fan, air drawn in from outside the device flows into the device through the air supply section 204. This air is called supply air. To prevent the attraction of dust or foreign objects, the air supply section 204 is preferably arranged so that the air intake surface does not face the ground.

[0039] The air supply cooling unit 202 is a mechanism for cooling the air supplied from the air supply unit 204.

[0040] The air supply cooling unit 202 is connected to a fifth flow path 210 for taking in air flowing from the air supply unit 204, a first flow path 211 for discharging the cooled air to the outside of the air supply cooling unit, a fourth flow path 208 for taking in refrigerant, a sixth flow path 206 for discharging refrigerant, and a second flow path 212 for discharging condensate. Furthermore, the air supply cooling unit 202 includes a tenth flow path 214, which serves as an air supply path guiding outside air taken in from the air supply unit 204 (which acts as an outside air intake unit) to the first flow path 211.

[0041] The refrigerant from the reagent cold storage 20 flows into the air supply cooling section 202 through the fourth flow path 208. The refrigerant flows within the air supply cooling section 202, cooling the air flowing in from the fifth flow path 210, and then flows outwards through the sixth flow path 206. Finally, the refrigerant returns to the refrigerant cooling section 201.

[0042] The first flow path 211 is connected to the third flow path 209, which is the flow path through which condensed water flows from the reagent cold storage 20 via the drain outlet. Cooled supply air flowing from the supply air cooling section 202 into the first flow path 211 flows into the interior of the reagent cold storage 20 through the third flow path 209.

[0043] The space inside the reagent cold storage 20 is pressurized by the supplied air, making it a state with a higher pressure than the air outside the device. This prevents outside air from flowing into the cold storage through the reagent suction port 203.

[0044] When the supply air is cooled by the refrigerant in the supply air cooling section 202, the amount of moisture in the air decreases due to condensation. Therefore, the supply air is delivered into the reagent cold storage 20 in a dry state. As a result, not only is the inflow of outside air through the reagent suction hole 203 suppressed, but the supply air also has the effect of reducing the amount of condensation generated inside the reagent cold storage 20.

[0045] Furthermore, since both the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply cooling unit 202 use the circulating refrigerant for cooling, the air supply air cooled by the air supply cooling unit 202 reaches the same temperature as the air inside the reagent cold storage 20. Therefore, the influence of the inflow of air supply air on the temperature regulation inside the reagent cold storage 20 can be suppressed.

[0046] By cooling the air inside the air supply cooling section 202, the moisture in the air will condense. The condensed water is discharged from the second flow path 212 to the outside of the air supply cooling section 202.

[0047] The third flow path 209 and the second flow path 212 merge downstream to form the ninth flow path 213, which is connected to the outside of the device via a drain outlet. Therefore, the condensate generated in the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply cooling section 202 is discharged to the outside of the device through the ninth flow path 213.

[0048] The 9th flow path 213 has a water storage section for temporarily accumulating the aforementioned condensate. Figure 2The condensation water flowing from the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply cooling section 202 is temporarily stored in the water storage section before being discharged to the outside of the device. When the water volume in the water storage section reaches the upper limit, the excess water overflows from the water storage section and is discharged to the outside of the device. The 9th flow path 213 is blocked by the condensation water stored in the water storage section, and the air flowing from the air supply section 204 will not flow out of the device through the 9th flow path 213. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the air supply volume to the reagent cold storage 20 and the reduction of the positive pressure effect inside the cold storage.

[0049] use Figure 3 and Figure 4 The structure of the air supply cooling unit 202 in this embodiment will be described below. The air supply cooling unit 202 has an internal cavity that is connected to the fourth flow path 208 and the sixth flow path 206. Furthermore, the air supply cooling unit 202 has an air supply path, namely the tenth flow path 214, configured to pass through the cavity. The tenth flow path 214 includes a portion with a spirally curved structure to increase the contact area with the refrigerant. Downstream of the spiral structure portion in the cavity, the tenth flow path 214 branches into a main flow connected to the first flow path 211 and a branch flow connected to the second flow path 212. Here, the branch flow is configured with an inner diameter smaller than that of the main flow path.

[0050] The refrigerant flowing into the air cooling section 202 from the fourth flow path 208 flows out through the cavity via the sixth flow path 206. Here, the inflow rate is greater than the outflow rate, and the amount of refrigerant liquid in the cavity increases over time. After a certain period of time, the cavity becomes filled with circulating refrigerant.

[0051] When the cavity within the air supply cooling section 202 is filled with refrigerant, the 10th flow path 214 becomes impregnated with the circulating refrigerant. The circulating refrigerant absorbs heat from the air supply flowing through the 10th flow path 214, cooling the air supply. As it cools, condensation forms in the air supply, and the condensate is discharged through the 2nd flow path 212. The cooled air supply flows to the 1st flow path 211.

[0052] The condensate generated by the cooling of the supply air is discharged from the second flow path 212 through a branch of the 10th flow path 214. In the structure of this embodiment, the inclined spiral structure in the 10th flow path 214 and the branch flowing downward in the vertical direction make it easy to discharge the condensate.

[0053] Example 2

[0054] In Example 1, as Figure 1As shown, the air supply cooling unit 202 is arranged horizontally with the reagent cold storage 20. The air supply cooling unit 202 is connected to the reagent cold storage 20 and the air supply unit 204 through various flow paths to fulfill its function. Therefore, the air supply cooling unit 202 is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1. On the other hand, if the pressure loss during the flow of air from the air supply unit 204 to the reagent cold storage 20 is large, the positive pressure performance within the reagent cold storage 20 may be reduced. Therefore, in order to suppress pressure loss, it is desirable for the air supply flow path to be short and have few bends.

[0055] Therefore, in Embodiment 2, an embodiment with a different configuration will be described, where the air supply cooling section 202 and the air supply section 204, which are capable of suppressing pressure loss of the supply air, are configured. In this embodiment, Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The structure shown is the same as in Example 1, so the description is omitted.

[0056] use Figure 5 The configuration of the air supply cooling unit 202 and the air supply unit 204 in Example 2 will be described. In this example, the air supply cooling unit 202 is positioned lower in the vertical direction than the reagent cold storage 20. Furthermore, the air supply unit 204 is positioned near the outside of the device.

[0057] pass Figure 5 The configuration shown shortens the airflow path from the air supply section 204 to the reagent cold storage 20, and reduces the bends in the airflow path, thus suppressing pressure loss.

[0058] Example 3

[0059] In Embodiment 1, in order to increase the contact area between the airflow path and the refrigerant inside the airflow cooling section 202, a portion of the 10th flow path 214 is designed as a spiral structure. On the other hand, the flow path can be designed into different shapes depending on the desired cooling performance, and is not limited to the shape of Embodiment 1. Therefore, as Embodiment 3, the shape of the structure that simplifies the internal structure of the airflow cooling section 202 in order to suppress pressure loss will be described.

[0060] use Figure 6 and Figure 7The structure of the air supply cooling unit 202 in Embodiment 3 will be described. The air supply cooling unit 202 has an internal cavity that is connected to the fourth flow path 208 and the sixth flow path 206. Furthermore, the air supply cooling unit 202 has an eleventh flow path 215, configured as a U-shaped air supply path passing through the cavity. The eleventh flow path 215 branches within the cavity into a main flow path connected to the first flow path 211 and a branch flow path 212. Here, the branch flow path is configured with an inner diameter smaller than that of the main flow path.

[0061] The refrigerant flowing into the air-cooled section 202 from the fourth flow path 208 flows out through the cavity via the sixth flow path 206. Here, the inflow rate is greater than the outflow rate, and the amount of refrigerant liquid in the cavity increases over time. After a certain period of time, the cavity becomes filled with circulating refrigerant. When the cavity in the air-cooled section 202 is filled with refrigerant, the eleventh flow path 215 becomes impregnated with circulating refrigerant.

[0062] The circulating refrigerant absorbs heat from the supply air flowing through the 11th flow path 215, cooling the supply air. As it cools, condensation forms in the supply air, and the condensate is discharged through the 2nd flow path 212. The cooled supply air then flows to the 1st flow path 211.

[0063] The condensate generated by the cooling of the supply air is discharged from the second flow path 212 through a branch of the 11th flow path 215. Here, due to the U-shaped shape of the 11th flow path 215 and the fact that the branch faces downward in the vertical direction, it is a structure that facilitates the discharge of condensate.

[0064] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes various modifications. For example, the above embodiments are detailed descriptions provided to facilitate understanding of the invention and are not limited to having all the structures described.

[0065] Label Explanation

[0066] 1. Automatic analysis device

[0067] 2. Analysis Department

[0068] 3. Control Department

[0069] 4. Communication lines

[0070] 10. Specimen transport path

[0071] 11 Specimen container

[0072] 12 Specimen dispensing department

[0073] 13. Reaction Vessel

[0074] 14. Teleportation Department

[0075] 15. Equipped with a bracket

[0076] 16-point injection needle

[0077] 20 Reagent Cold Storage

[0078] 21. Reagent containers

[0079] 22 Reagent trays

[0080] 23. Reagent sheath

[0081] 24. Reagent Dispensing Section

[0082] 30 Incubator

[0083] 40 Reaction Solution Measuring Section

[0084] 41 Reaction solution dispensing section

[0085] 201 Refrigerant Cooling Section

[0086] 202 Air Supply Cooling Section

[0087] 203 Reagent Dispensing Hole

[0088] 204 Air Supply Department

[0089] 205 8th flow path

[0090] 206 6th flow path

[0091] 207 7th flow path

[0092] 208 4th flow path

[0093] 209 3rd flow path

[0094] 210 5th flow path

[0095] 211 1st flow path

[0096] 212 2nd flow path

[0097] 213 9th flow path

[0098] 214 10th flow path

[0099] 215 11th flow path.

Claims

1. An automatic analysis device, characterized in that, include: A reagent cold storage facility for storing reagent containers that contain reagents that react with samples; A refrigerant cooling unit that uses refrigerant to cool the reagent cold storage; Bringing in outside air into the reagent cold storage room to create a positive pressure environment relative to the surrounding outside air intake; and An air supply cooling unit, located outside the reagent cold storage, supplies cooled air (obtained by the refrigerant from the outside air) into the interior of the reagent cold storage. The refrigerant flows into the air supply cooling section via the reagent cold storage.

2. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air supply cooling unit includes a first flow path that guides the cooling air into the reagent cold storage and a second flow path that discharges the condensate generated by the air supply cooling unit to a drain outlet. The reagent cold storage includes a third flow path that discharges the condensate generated by the reagent cold storage to the drain outlet. The first flow path and the second flow path are formed in a manner that merges with the third flow path. At a position closer to the drain outlet than the point where the second flow path and the third flow path merge, a water storage section is provided to accumulate the condensate and prevent the cooling air from leaking to the outside.

3. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air supply cooling unit is configured to be arranged horizontally with the reagent cold storage.

4. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant cooling section is located on the lower side of the reagent cold storage and the air supply cooling section in the vertical direction.

5. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The external air intake is located on the lower side of the reagent cold storage and the air supply cooling unit in the vertical direction.

6. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The air supply cooling unit includes an air supply path that guides external air taken in from the external air intake unit to the first flow path.

7. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The air supply path is spiral-shaped.

8. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The air supply path is configured as a U-shape that opens upwards in the vertical direction.

9. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a reaction solution measuring section and a control section. The control unit controls the refrigerant cooling unit, the external air intake unit, the air supply cooling unit, and the reaction liquid measuring unit.

10. The automatic analysis device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The control unit has an output unit that displays a screen showing the measurement results of the reaction solution measuring unit.

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