Automated analyzer
By controlling the action of the dispensing mechanism and optimizing the liquid sequence, the problem of liquid residue in the automatic analysis device is solved, and high-precision liquid supply and analysis accuracy are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380040446.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-06-16
- Filing Date
- 2023-04-12
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-27
AI Technical Summary
In the automatic analysis device, when the dispensing mechanism continuously attracts and discharges a variety of liquids, it is easy to cause liquid residue, affecting the analysis accuracy.
By controlling the action of the dispensing mechanism, the remaining suction amount is changed according to the order of the suction liquid, ensuring that the target dispensing liquid can be accurately supplied to the reaction vessel, and the optimized suction and discharge sequence and cleaning methods of a variety of liquids are adopted to reduce liquid residue.
Even when multiple liquids are continuously attracted and discharged, the target dispensed amount of liquid can be supplied to the reaction vessel with high accuracy, improving the analysis accuracy, reducing the number of cleaning times and dispensing time.
Smart Images
Figure CN119213317A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analysis device. Background Art
[0002] In recent years, automatic analysis devices that perform biochemical analysis, immunoassay, and gene analysis fully or semi-automatically have been widely used in the fields of clinical examinations, etc. In automatic analysis devices, usually, the reagent and the specimen to be examined are sucked from the container by a dispensing mechanism and discharged into a reaction container on an incubator. Then, the components contained in the mixed solution of the reagent and the specimen in the reaction container are detected by a detection unit.
[0003] Here, as a technique for improving analysis accuracy, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic analyzer that increases or decreases the front end remaining amount and the rear end remaining amount according to the total amount of a sample to be aliquoted.
[0004] Prior art literature
[0005] Patent Literature
[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-243969 Summary of the invention
[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention
[0008] In order to reduce the number of cleaning times and shorten the dispensing time depending on the analysis project, the dispensing mechanism may continuously draw multiple liquids (multiple reagents, reagents and specimens) through one dispensing, and continuously discharge the drawn liquids into the reaction container. In such a case, the liquid drawn first is held on the inner side of the dispensing mechanism, and is therefore likely to remain in the dispensing mechanism when discharged, while the liquid drawn later has relatively less liquid residue.
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer which can supply a target dispensing amount of liquid to a reaction container and has high analysis accuracy even when a dispensing mechanism continuously sucks and discharges a plurality of liquids.
[0010] Means for solving problems
[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the automatic analysis device of the present invention comprises: a dispensing mechanism, which sucks liquid from a specimen container or a reagent container and discharges it into a reaction container; and a control unit, which controls the operation of the dispensing mechanism to achieve a target dispensing amount. When dispensing, the dispensing mechanism sucks a remaining amount of liquid in addition to the target dispensing amount of liquid. When the dispensing mechanism continuously sucks multiple liquids and continuously discharges the multiple liquids sucked, the control unit changes the remaining amount sucked by the dispensing mechanism according to the order of the sucked liquids.
[0012] Effects of the Invention
[0013] According to the present invention, an automatic analysis device can be provided, which can supply a target amount of liquid to a reaction container even when a dispensing mechanism continuously sucks and discharges multiple liquids, and has high analysis accuracy. The detailed subject, structure and effect are clarified through the following description of the embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic analysis device of Example 1.
[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the dispensing mechanism.
[0016] Figure 3 This figure shows the internal conditions of the probe and the tip when three liquids are dispensed simultaneously.
[0017] Figure 4 This is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing three liquids simultaneously.
[0018] Figure 5 This figure shows the internal conditions of the probe and the tip when two liquids are dispensed simultaneously.
[0019] Figure 6 This is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing two liquids simultaneously.
[0020] Figure 7 The diagram shows the internal state of the probe and the tip when dispensing one type of liquid.
[0021] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing one type of liquid.
[0022] Fig. 9 This is a table for setting the dispensing pattern for each analysis item in Example 1.
[0023] Fig.10 This is a block diagram showing the flow of information when the control unit controls the dispensing mechanism based on the analysis items.
[0024] Fig.11 This is a table for setting the dispensing pattern for each analysis item in the second embodiment.
[0025] Fig.12 This is a table for setting the dispensing pattern for each analysis item in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0027] [Example 1]
[0028] The automatic analyzer of Example 1 sucks reagents and specimens into a suction head installed at the front end of a probe of a dispensing mechanism and discharges them into a reaction container. In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the dispensing mechanism continuously sucks up to three liquids (reagents or specimens) and discharges these liquids into a reaction container is used as an example for explanation.
[0029] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the automatic analyzer of Example 1. The automatic analyzer 1 mainly includes a reagent disk 102, a sample disk 104, an incubator 106, a detection unit 109, a dispensing mechanism 111, a cleaning mechanism 116, and a control unit 207 (see Figure 2 ).
[0030] Reagent bottles 101 (reagent containers) containing reagents for analysis are held on a reagent disk 102, and sample containers 103 containing samples are held on a sample disk 104. Reaction containers 105 for reacting samples with reagents are held in an incubator 106 controlled to a constant temperature.
[0031] The reaction container 105 is loaded on the automatic analyzer while being supported by the reaction container tray 107, and is transported to the incubator 106 via the jig 108. The components of the solution reacted in the reaction container 105 are detected by the detection unit 109. After the detection is completed, the used reaction container 105 is discarded to the reaction container discard port 110 via the jig 108.
[0032] The reagent disk 102, the specimen disk 104, and the incubator 106 are integrally provided with a reagent disk drive mechanism 102a, a specimen disk drive mechanism 104a, and an incubator drive mechanism 106a for rotating and driving them respectively. The reagent disk 102, the specimen disk 104, and the incubator 106 are moved to a position where the dispensing mechanism 111 can access the liquid by the drive mechanism. The access mentioned here means not only approaching the liquid, but also attracting the liquid. The same applies below.
[0033] The dispensing mechanism 111 uses a disposable tip 112 to prevent the components of the specimen and reagent from being retained in the next analysis during dispensing. The dispensing mechanism 111 uses the tip 112 set in the tip buffer 113 to suck the required specimen and reagent. The tip 112 is carried to the automatic analyzer in a state supported by the tip tray 114, and is transported from the tip tray 114 to the tip buffer 113 via the clamp 108. The tip 112 that has completed dispensing is discarded to the tip discard port 115. The cleaning mechanism 116 cleans the dispensing mechanism 111 to prevent the components from remaining when dispensing different liquids.
[0034] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the dispensing mechanism. A suction head 112 is installed at the front end of a probe 201 constituting the dispensing mechanism 111. The probe 201 is connected to a syringe 203 for sucking and discharging liquid via a tube 202. The syringe 203 can suck and discharge liquid by moving a plunger 203b relative to a cylinder 203a. The flow path of the dispensing mechanism 111 is filled with cleaning water 204, which plays a role in increasing the efficiency of pressure transmission and cleaning dirt.
[0035] The syringe 203 performs suction and discharge operations through the syringe driving unit 205, and the probe 201 performs up and down rotation operations through the probe driving unit 206 (moving mechanism). The control unit 207 controls the operation amount and timing of these operations. The cleaning water 204 put into the cleaning water tank 208 is sent to the flow path by the pump 209. When the cleaning water 204 is sent to the probe 201, the control unit 207 opens and closes the electromagnetic valve 210 to start or stop the liquid delivery.
[0036] The tip 112 mounted on the tip of the probe 201 in the tip buffer 113 accesses the three reagents 211a, 211b, 211c contained in the reagent bottle 101, the specimen 212 contained in the specimen container 103, the reaction container 105, and the cleaning mechanism 116, and is then discarded to the tip discard port 115. The cleaning mechanism 116 is composed of a cleaning nozzle 116a and a drain cup 116b, and the outer wall of the tip 112 can be cleaned by the cleaning nozzle 116a. The inner wall of the probe 201 can be cleaned by discharging cleaning water from the probe 201 to the drain cup 116b in a state where the tip is removed. The start and stop of the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle 116a is implemented by the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 213 by the control unit 207.
[0037] <Example of dispensing three liquids simultaneously>
[0038] Figure 3 2 is a diagram showing the internal state of the probe and the suction head when three liquids are continuously sucked and discharged into the reaction container at the same time. First, the probe 201 is filled with cleaning water 204 ( Figure 3 Next, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 301 into the probe 201, and then makes the probe 201 access the tip buffer 113 to install the tip 112 ( Figure 3 (2)). In this way, by pre-sucking the segmented air 301 in the probe 201, dripping of the cleaning water 204 when the suction head 112 is installed can be prevented.
[0039] Next, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 302. Here, the liquid 302 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 302 into the suction head 112 ( Figure 3 (3)). During suction, the liquid 302 adheres to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Therefore, the control unit 207 causes the probe 201 to access the cleaning mechanism 116, and discharges the cleaning water 204 from the cleaning nozzle 116a to the outer wall of the suction head 112, thereby washing away the liquid 302 adhered to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Before or after the cleaning, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 303 into the probe 201, thereby preventing the liquid 302 from dripping ( Figure 3 (4)).
[0040] Next, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the tip 112 in the liquid 304. Here, the liquid 304 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 304 into the tip 112 ( Figure 3 (5)). During suction, the liquid 304 adheres to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Therefore, the control unit 207 causes the probe 201 to access the cleaning mechanism 116, and discharges the cleaning water 204 from the cleaning nozzle 116a to the outer wall of the suction head 112, thereby washing away the liquid 304 adhered to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Before or after the cleaning, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 305 into the probe 201, thereby preventing the liquid 304 from dripping ( Figure 3 (6)).
[0041] Finally, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 306. Here, the liquid 306 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 306 into the suction head 112 ( Figure 3 (7)). Through the process up to this point, all the liquid to be dispensed has been sucked out, so the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to access the reaction container 105 to discharge all the liquid ( Figure 3 (8)). Thus, the three liquids, namely, liquid 302, liquid 304, and liquid 306, can be dispensed using one suction head 112.
[0042] Alternatively, after discharging the three liquids into the reaction container 105 , the control unit 207 may agitate the liquid by sucking the liquid in the reaction container 105 into the suction head 112 and discharging the liquid.
[0043] Figure 41 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing three liquids simultaneously. First, the cleaning water 204 is supplied to the inside of the probe 201 to clean the inside of the probe 201 (step S401). Next, the segmented air 301 is sucked into the probe 201 (step S402), and the suction head 112 is installed at the front end of the probe 201 (step S403).
[0044] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 302 in the following order. That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 302 (step S404), and the liquid 302 is sucked into the suction head 112 (step S405). After that, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the cleaning mechanism 116 to clean the outer wall of the suction head 112, and performs cleaning of the suction head 112 and suction of the segmented air 303 (step S406).
[0045] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 304 in the following order. That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 304 (step S407), and the liquid 304 is sucked into the suction head 112 (step S408). After that, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the cleaning mechanism 116 to clean the outer wall of the suction head 112, and performs cleaning of the suction head 112 and suction of the segmented air 305 (step S409).
[0046] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 306 in the following procedure. That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 306 (step S410 ), and the liquid 306 is sucked into the suction head 112 (step S411 ).
[0047] Finally, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the incubator 106 and discharges the sucked liquid. That is, the probe 201 moves to the reaction container 105 (step S412), and the liquid 302, liquid 304, and liquid 306 are discharged into the reaction container 105 (step S413). After that, the probe 201 moves to the tip disposal port 115 and removes the tip 112 (step S414). In addition, just after the liquid is discharged into the reaction container 105 in step S413, the dispensing mechanism 111 can also stir by sucking and discharging the liquid in the reaction container 105 into the tip 112.
[0048] Here, in Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 In the example shown, the first, second, and third liquids in the suction order are liquid 302, liquid 304, and liquid 306, respectively. Liquid 302 is the first in the suction order, so it reaches Figure 3On the other hand, liquid 306, which is the third in the suction sequence, reaches only the lower part of the suction head 112. Liquid 304, which is the second in the suction sequence, reaches a height between liquid 302 and liquid 306.
[0049] exist Figure 4 In the process of discharging the liquid into the reaction container 105 in step 413, liquid residue caused by the liquid film is generated in the suction head 112. The longer the moving distance of the liquid in the suction head 112 is, the more liquid residue caused by the liquid film is. Therefore, the liquid residue of the liquid 302 that reaches the upper part of the suction head 112 is the largest. On the other hand, the liquid residue of the liquid 306 that reaches only the lower part of the suction head 112 is the smallest. The liquid 304 is the liquid residue in the middle of the liquid 302 and the liquid 306.
[0050] In order to accurately discharge the target dispensing amount of each of liquid 302, liquid 304, and liquid 306, it is necessary to consider the liquid residue in the suction head 112 during the discharging process and to suck the liquid 302, liquid 304, and liquid 306 excessively by the assumed liquid residue. Specifically, the control unit 207 not only pre-sets the target dispensing amount, but also pre-sets the amount to be excessively sucked (remaining suction amount). Then, the control unit 207 Figure 4 In step S405, step S408 and step S411, the dispensing mechanism 111 is caused to suck liquid equivalent to the sum of the target dispensing amount and the remaining suction amount. Here, the control unit 207 changes the remaining suction amount according to the suction order. Preferably, the remaining suction amount of the liquid 302 sucked first is set to the largest, the remaining suction amount of the liquid 306 sucked last is set to the smallest, and the remaining suction amount of the liquid 304 is set to the amount between the liquid 302 and the liquid 306.
[0051] Here, the thickness of the liquid film also depends on the physical properties of the liquid, such as liquid viscosity, surface tension, etc. That is, the residual amount of liquid varies according to the physical property values of the liquid, so when the physical property values of the liquid are known before suction, it is preferred to set the remaining suction amount corresponding to the physical property values of the liquid.
[0052] <Example of dispensing two liquids simultaneously>
[0053] Figure 5 2 is a diagram showing the internal state of the probe and the suction head when two liquids are continuously sucked and discharged into the reaction container at the same time. First, the probe 201 is filled with cleaning water 204 ( Figure 5 Next, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 501 into the probe 201, and then makes the probe 201 access the tip buffer 113 to install the tip 112 ( Figure 5 (2)).
[0054] Next, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 502. Here, the liquid 502 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 502 into the suction head 112 ( Figure 5 (3)). During suction, the liquid 502 adheres to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Therefore, the control unit 207 causes the probe 201 to access the cleaning mechanism 116, and discharges the cleaning water 204 from the cleaning nozzle 116a to the outer wall of the suction head 112, thereby washing away the liquid 502 adhered to the outer wall of the suction head 112. Before or after the cleaning, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 503 into the probe 201, thereby preventing the liquid 502 from dripping ( Figure 5 (4)).
[0055] Finally, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 504. Here, the liquid 504 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 504 into the suction head 112 ( Figure 5 (5)). Through the process up to this point, all the liquid to be dispensed has been sucked out, so the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to access the reaction container 105 and discharge all the liquid ( Figure 5 (6)). Thus, the two liquids, liquid 502 and liquid 504, can be dispensed using one suction head 112. In addition, after the two liquids are discharged into the reaction container 105, the control unit 207 can also stir the liquid by sucking and discharging the liquid in the reaction container 105 into the suction head 112.
[0056] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing two liquids simultaneously. First, the cleaning water 204 is supplied to the inside of the probe 201 to clean the inside of the probe 201 (step S601). Next, the segmented air 501 is sucked into the probe 201 (step S602), and the suction head 112 is installed at the front end of the probe 201 (step S603).
[0057] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 502 in the following order. That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 502 (step S604), and the liquid 502 is sucked into the suction head 112 (step S605). After that, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the cleaning mechanism 116 to clean the outer wall of the suction head 112, and performs cleaning of the suction head 112 and suction of the segmented air 503 (step S606).
[0058] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 504 in the following procedure. That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the suction head 112 in the liquid 504 (step S607), and the liquid 504 is sucked into the suction head 112 (step S608).
[0059] Finally, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the incubator 106 and discharges the sucked liquid. That is, the probe 201 moves to the reaction container 105 (step S609), and the liquid 502 and the liquid 504 are discharged into the reaction container 105 (step S610). After that, the probe 201 moves to the tip disposal port 115 and removes the tip 112 (step S611). In addition, just after the liquid is discharged into the reaction container 105 in step S610, the dispensing mechanism 111 can also stir by sucking and discharging the liquid in the reaction container 105 into the tip 112.
[0060] Here, in Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 In the example shown, the first and second liquids in the suction order are liquid 502 and liquid 504, respectively. Liquid 502 is the first liquid in the suction order, so it reaches Figure 5 On the other hand, the liquid 504 reaches only the lower part of the suction head 112 because the suction order is second.
[0061] exist Figure 6 In the process of discharging the liquid into the reaction container 105 in step S610, liquid residue caused by the liquid film is generated in the suction head 112. The longer the moving distance of the liquid in the suction head 112 is, the more liquid residue caused by the liquid film is. Therefore, the liquid residue of the liquid 502 that reaches the upper part of the suction head 112 is large. On the other hand, the liquid residue of the liquid 504 that reaches only the lower part of the suction head 112 is small.
[0062] In order to accurately discharge the target dispensing amount of each of the liquid 502 and the liquid 504, it is necessary to consider the liquid remaining in the suction head 112 during the discharging process and to excessively suck the liquid 502 and the liquid 504 to the expected residual amount of liquid. Specifically, the control unit 207 not only pre-sets the target dispensing amount, but also pre-sets the amount to be excessively sucked (remaining suction amount). Then, the control unit 207 Figure 6 In step S605 and step S608, the dispensing mechanism 111 is caused to suck liquid equivalent to the sum of the target setting amount and the remaining suction amount. Here, the control unit 207 changes the remaining suction amount according to the suction order. Preferably, the remaining suction amount of the liquid 502 sucked first is set to be larger, and the remaining suction amount of the liquid 504 sucked later is set to be smaller.
[0063] Here, the thickness of the liquid film also depends on the physical properties of the liquid, such as liquid viscosity, surface tension, etc. That is, the residual amount of liquid varies according to the physical property values of the liquid, so when the physical property values of the liquid are known before suction, it is preferred to set the remaining suction amount corresponding to the physical property values of the liquid.
[0064] <Example of dispensing one liquid>
[0065] Figure 7 201 is a diagram showing the internal state of the probe and the tip when a liquid is dispensed into a reaction container. First, the probe 201 is filled with cleaning water 204 ( Figure 7 Next, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the segmented air 701 into the probe 201, and then makes the probe 201 access the tip buffer 113 to install the tip 112 ( Figure 7 (2)).
[0066] Next, the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to immerse the tip 112 in the liquid 702. Here, the liquid 704 is any one of the reagents 211a, 211b, 211c, and the specimen 212. After immersion, the control unit 207 drives the syringe 203 to suck the liquid 702 into the tip 112 ( Figure 7 (3)). Through the process up to this point, the liquid to be dispensed is sucked out, so the control unit 207 drives the probe 201 to access the reaction container 105 and discharge the liquid ( Figure 7 (4)). Thus, a single liquid 702 can be dispensed using the suction head 112.
[0067] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the dispensing mechanism when dispensing one liquid. First, the cleaning water 204 is supplied to the inside of the probe 201 to clean the inside of the probe 201 (step S801). Next, the segmented air 701 is sucked into the probe 201 (step S802), and the suction head 112 is installed at the front end of the probe 201 (step S803).
[0068] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the liquid 702 in the following order: That is, the probe 201 is driven to immerse the tip 112 in the liquid 702 (step S804), and the liquid 702 is sucked into the tip 112 (S805).
[0069] Finally, the dispensing mechanism 111 accesses the incubator 106 and discharges the sucked liquid. That is, the probe 201 moves to the reaction container 105 (step S806), and the liquid 702 is discharged into the reaction container 105 (step S807). After that, the probe 201 moves to the tip disposal port 115 and removes the tip 112 (step S808).
[0070] In addition, immediately after the liquid is discharged into the reaction container 105 in step S807 , the dispensing mechanism 111 may stir the liquid in the reaction container 105 by sucking and discharging the liquid into the suction head 112 .
[0071] Here, in Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the case of dispensing in, the object of suction is only liquid 702. Figure 8 In the process of discharging liquid into the reaction container 105 in step S807, liquid residue caused by the liquid film is generated in the suction head 112. In order to accurately discharge the target dispensing amount of liquid 702, it is necessary to consider the liquid residue in the suction head 112 during the discharging process and to suck the liquid 702 excessively to the assumed liquid residue. Specifically, the control unit 207 not only pre-sets the target dispensing amount, but also pre-sets the amount to be excessively sucked (remaining suction amount). Then, the control unit 207 Figure 8 In step S805, the dispensing mechanism 111 is caused to suck liquid equivalent to the sum of the target dispensing amount and the remaining suction amount.
[0072] Here, the thickness of the liquid film also depends on the physical properties of the liquid, such as liquid viscosity, surface tension, etc. That is, the residual amount of liquid varies according to the physical property values of the liquid, so when the physical property values of the liquid are known before suction, it is preferred to set the remaining suction amount corresponding to the physical property values of the liquid.
[0073] Fig. 9 This is a table for setting the dispensing pattern for each analysis item in Example 1. Fig. 9 Analytical Examples 1 to 4 set in the example correspond to different analytical items, and a part of each analytical mode is different. That is, in each analytical example, the three reagents of reagent 211a, reagent 211b, and reagent 211c and the specimen 212 are common in that they are supplied to the common reaction container 105 by two dispensings, but the number of types of liquids dispensed each time, the target dispensing volume, and any one of the suction order are different. The remaining suction volume of each liquid is determined according to the suction order and the target dispensing volume.
[0074] (Analysis example 1)
[0075] First, the dispensing mechanism 111 simultaneously dispenses the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 in the first dispensing, i.e., the first dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211a (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the specimen 212 (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded and a new suction tip 112 is attached to the probe 201.
[0076] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 dispenses the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c simultaneously in the second dispensing, i.e., the second dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211b (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the reagent 211c (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded, and the dispensing action of the analysis example 1 is completed.
[0077] As described above, in the first dispensing, the reagent 211a is sucked first, and the sample 212 is sucked second. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The liquid 502, the specimen 212 corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 are dispensed, the amount of liquid remaining in the reagent 211a is greater than that in the specimen 212. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent 211a is set to 1.1 μL, and 31.1 μL is aspirated by the probe 201 together with the target aliquot amount of 30 μL. On the other hand, the remaining amount of the specimen 212 is set to 0.7 μL, and 30.7 μL is aspirated by the probe 201 together with the target aliquot amount of 30 μL.
[0078] As described above, in the second dispensing, the reagent 211b is sucked first, and the reagent 211c is sucked second. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The liquid 502 in the reagent 211c corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when dispensing reagent 211b and reagent 211c, the liquid remaining in reagent 211b is greater than that in reagent 211c. Therefore, the remaining aspiration amount of reagent 211b is set to 1.0 μL, and together with the target aspiration amount of 30 μL, 31.0 μL is aspirated through probe 201. On the other hand, the remaining aspiration amount of reagent 211c is set to 0.5 μL, and together with the target aspiration amount of 30 μL, 30.5 μL is aspirated through probe 201.
[0079] In addition, the remaining suction amount of the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 in the first dispensing is set to be larger than the remaining suction amount of the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c in the second dispensing. This is because after the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 are discharged into the reaction container 105 in the first dispensing, when the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c are discharged into the same reaction container 105 in the second dispensing, the components of the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 (discharged into the reaction container 105) adhere to the tip 112. In consideration of the carryover of the components of the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 due to this adhesion, different remaining suction amounts are set in the first dispensing and the second dispensing.
[0080] (Analysis example 2)
[0081] First, the dispensing mechanism 111 simultaneously dispenses the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 in the first dispensing, i.e., the first dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211a (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the specimen 212 (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded and a new suction tip 112 is attached to the probe 201.
[0082] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 dispenses the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c simultaneously in the second dispensing, i.e., the second dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211c (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the reagent 211b (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded, and the dispensing action of the analysis example 2 is completed.
[0083] As described above, in the first dispensing, the reagent 211a is sucked first, and the sample 212 is sucked second. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The liquid 502, the specimen 212 corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when dispensing the reagent 211a and the specimen 212, the residual amount of the reagent 211a is larger than that of the specimen 212. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent 211a is set to 1.6 μL, and 61.6 μL is sucked by the probe 201 together with the target dispensing amount of 60 μL. On the other hand, the remaining amount of the specimen 212 is set to 0.4 μL, and 30.4 μL is sucked by the probe 201 together with the target dispensing amount of 30 μL.
[0084] As described above, in the second dispensing, the order of aspiration of reagent 211c is the first, and the order of aspiration of reagent 211b is the second. Therefore, reagent 211c corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6The liquid 502 in the reagent 211b corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when dispensing reagent 211b and reagent 211c, the residual amount of liquid in reagent 211c is greater than that in reagent 211b. Therefore, the remaining amount of reagent 211b is set to 0.6 μL, and together with the target dispensing amount of 30 μL, 30.6 μL is sucked through the probe 201. On the other hand, the remaining amount of reagent 211c is set to 0.8 μL, and together with the target dispensing amount of 30 μL, 30.8 μL is sucked through the probe 201.
[0085] In the first dispensing of Analysis Example 2, the order of aspirating the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 is the same as that of the first dispensing of Analysis Example 1. However, the target dispensing volume of the reagent 211a is 60 μL in Analysis Example 2, compared to 30 μL in Analysis Example 1. If the target dispensing volume is increased, the liquid reaches Figure 5 1, the remaining amount of liquid also increases. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent 211a in the first dispensing of Analysis Example 2 is set to be larger than the remaining amount of the reagent 211a in the first dispensing of Analysis Example 1. On the other hand, the amount of the reagent 211a in the first dispensing of Analysis Example 2 is larger than that of Analysis Example 1, so the specimen 212 is washed by the reagent 211a during discharge and is less likely to remain in the suction tip 112. Therefore, the remaining amount of the specimen 212 in the first dispensing of Analysis Example 2 is set to be smaller than the remaining amount of the specimen 212 in the first dispensing of Analysis Example 1.
[0086] Furthermore, in the second dispensing of the analysis example 2, the order of aspiration of the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c is opposite to that of the second dispensing of the analysis example 1. Therefore, the liquid residual amount of the reagent 211b in the second dispensing of the analysis example 2 is reduced, and the liquid residual amount of the reagent 211c is increased, compared with that of the analysis example 1. Therefore, the remaining aspiration amount of the reagent 211b in the second dispensing of the analysis example 2 is set to be less than the remaining aspiration amount of the reagent 211b in the analysis example 1, and the remaining aspiration amount of the reagent 211c in the second dispensing of the analysis example 2 is set to be greater than the remaining aspiration amount of the reagent 211c in the analysis example 1.
[0087] Thus, when comparing Analysis Example 2 with Analysis Example 1, it can be seen that the suction order of the liquids dispensed simultaneously and a part of the target dispensing amount are different, and therefore the remaining suction amount is also different.
[0088] (Analysis example 3)
[0089] First, the dispensing mechanism 111 simultaneously dispenses the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 in the first dispensing, i.e., the first dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211a (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the specimen 212 (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded and a new suction tip 112 is attached to the probe 201.
[0090] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 dispenses the reagent 211b and the reagent 211c simultaneously in the second dispensing, i.e., the second dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211b (aspiration sequence 1) and then aspirates the reagent 211c (aspiration sequence 2), these liquids are collectively discharged into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded, and the dispensing action of the analysis example 3 is completed.
[0091] As described above, in the first dispensing, the reagent 211a is sucked first, and the sample 212 is sucked second. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The liquid 502, the specimen 212 corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when dispensing the reagent 211a and the specimen 212, the residual amount of the reagent 211a is larger than that of the specimen 212. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent 211a is set to 1.5 μL, and 31.5 μL is sucked by the probe 201 together with the target dispensing amount of 30 μL. On the other hand, the remaining amount of the specimen 212 is set to 1.0 μL, and 61.0 μL is sucked by the probe 201 together with the target dispensing amount of 60 μL.
[0092] As described above, in the second dispensing, the order of aspiration of reagent 211b is the first, and the order of aspiration of reagent 211c is the second. Therefore, reagent 211b corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The liquid 502 in the reagent 211c corresponds to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Therefore, when dispensing reagent 211b and reagent 211c, the liquid remaining in reagent 211b is greater than that in reagent 211c. Therefore, the remaining aspiration amount of reagent 211b is set to 1.0 μL, and together with the target aspiration amount of 30 μL, 31.0 μL is aspirated through probe 201. On the other hand, the remaining aspiration amount of reagent 211c is set to 0.5 μL, and together with the target aspiration amount of 30 μL, 30.5 μL is aspirated through probe 201.
[0093] In addition, in the first dispensing of the analysis example 3, the target dispensing amount of the sample 212 is larger than that of the analysis example 1, and liquid is likely to remain. Therefore, the remaining dispensing amount of the sample 212 in the analysis example 3 is set to be larger than that of the sample 212 in the analysis example 1. Moreover, since the target dispensing amount of the sample 212 is larger than that of the analysis example 1, the reagent 211a, which is the first in the aspiration order, reaches the upper part of the suction head 112 compared with the case of the analysis example 1, and the amount of liquid remaining becomes larger. Therefore, the remaining aspiration amount of the reagent 211a in the analysis example 3 is set to be larger than that of the reagent 211a in the analysis example 1.
[0094] Thus, by comparing Analysis Example 3 with Analysis Example 1, it can be seen that, in particular, in the first dispensing, a part of the target dispensing amount of the liquid dispensed simultaneously is different, so the remaining suction amount is also different. In addition, in the second dispensing, the suction order and the target dispensing amount of the liquid dispensed simultaneously are the same in Analysis Example 1 and Analysis Example 3, so it can also be seen that the remaining suction amount is also the same in each analysis example.
[0095] (Analysis example 4)
[0096] First, the dispensing mechanism 111 simultaneously dispenses the reagent 211a, the reagent 211b, and the specimen 212 in the first dispensing, i.e., the first dispensing. Specifically, the probe 201 first aspirates the reagent 211a (aspiration sequence 1), then aspirates the reagent 211b (aspiration sequence 2), and finally aspirates the specimen 212 (aspiration sequence 3), and discharges these liquids collectively into the reaction container 105. After that, the used suction tip 112 is discarded, and a new suction tip 112 is attached to the probe 201.
[0097] Next, the dispensing mechanism 111 dispenses only the reagent 211c in the second dispensing, that is, the second dispensing. Specifically, when the probe 201 aspirates only the reagent 211c (aspiration sequence 1), it is discharged into the reaction container 105. Thereafter, the used tip 112 is discarded, and the dispensing operation of Analysis Example 4 is completed.
[0098] As described above, in the first dispensing, the reagent 211a is sucked first, the reagent 211b is sucked second, and the specimen 212 is sucked third. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The liquid 302 in the reagent 211b corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the liquid 304, the specimen 212 corresponds to Figure 3 and Figure 4306 in the sample 212. Therefore, when dispensing the reagent 211a, the reagent 211b, and the sample 212, the amount of liquid remaining increases in the order of the reagent 211a, the reagent 211b, and the sample 212. Therefore, the remaining amount of the reagent 211a is set to 1.6 μL, and 31.6 μL is sucked through the probe 201 together with the target amount of 30 μL. Next, the remaining amount of the reagent 211b is set to 0.9 μL, and 30.9 μL is sucked through the probe 201 together with the target amount of 30 μL. Then, the remaining amount of the sample 212 is set to 0.5 μL, and 30.5 μL is sucked through the probe 201 together with the target amount of 30 μL.
[0099] As described above, in the second dispensing, only the reagent 211c is dispensed. Therefore, the reagent 211c corresponds to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The remaining aspirated amount of the reagent 211c is set to 0.6 μL, and 30.6 μL is aspirated by the probe 201 together with the target aliquot amount of 30 μL.
[0100] In addition, in the first dispensing of the analysis example 4, three kinds of liquids are sucked continuously, so the reagent 211a, which is the first in the suction order, reaches the upper part of the suction head 112, and the residual amount of liquid becomes larger than that of the analysis example 1 in which two liquids are sucked continuously. Therefore, even if the suction order and the target dispensing amount of the reagent 211a of the analysis example 4 are the same as those of the analysis example 1, the residual suction amount is set to be larger than that of the analysis example 1. Similarly, in the second dispensing of the analysis example 4, only the reagent 211c is sucked, so the residual amount of liquid of the reagent 211c is reduced compared with that of the analysis example 2 in which two kinds of liquids are sucked continuously. Therefore, even if the suction order and the target liquid amount of the reagent 211c of the analysis example 4 are the same as those of the analysis example 2, the residual suction amount is set to be smaller than that of the analysis example 2. On the other hand, when comparing the reagent 211c in the analysis example 4 with the reagent 211c in the analysis example 1, the reagent 211c in the analysis example 1 is washed by the reagent 211b when discharged, but the reagent 211c in the analysis example 4 is not washed. Therefore, the remaining aspirated amount of the reagent 211 c in Analysis Example 4 is set to be larger than the remaining aspirated amount of the reagent 211 c in Analysis Example 1.
[0101] Thus, by comparing Analysis Example 4 with the other Analysis Examples, it can be seen that the remaining suction amounts are different because the numbers of types of liquids dispensed simultaneously are different.
[0102] Fig.10It is a block diagram showing the information flow when the control unit controls the dispensing mechanism according to the analysis items. The analysis items are input by the input unit 1001 and stored in the analysis item storage unit 1002. After the analysis starts, the control unit 207 sets the types of liquids to be dispensed simultaneously, the target dispensing amount of each liquid, the suction order, etc. based on the dispensing information pre-stored in the dispensing information storage unit 1003. Next, the control unit 207 determines the remaining suction amount of each liquid, and calculates the total suction amount for each liquid as the sum of the target dispensing amount and the remaining suction amount. Moreover, based on the calculated total suction amount, the control unit 207 controls the dispensing control unit 1005 ( Figure 2 The syringe driving unit 205, etc.) controls the suction action of the probe 201.
[0103] In addition, sometimes, in addition to the analysis items, priority (urgency) information is also input from the input unit 1001. In this case, if the priorities are different, even if the analysis items are the same, the control unit 207 determines different dispensing modes such as the number of types of liquids to be dispensed simultaneously. For example, in the case of a normal specimen, analysis example 1 is adopted, and the reagent 211a and the specimen 212 are reacted by the first dispensing, and the second dispensing is performed after a prescribed time. On the other hand, in the case of an emergency specimen, analysis example 4 is adopted, and if the reagent 211a, the reagent 211b, and the specimen 212 are dispensed by the first dispensing, the second dispensing is performed immediately. In this way, even in the same analysis item, the combination of liquids to be dispensed simultaneously and the suction order are different depending on whether it is an emergency specimen, and therefore the remaining suction amount is also different.
[0104] According to this embodiment, the remaining suction volume is set according to the number of types of liquids to be dispensed simultaneously and the suction order, so that the target amount of liquid can be supplied to the reaction container with high accuracy. Therefore, not only can the number of cleaning times and the dispensing time be reduced, but also high-reliability analysis can be performed in a large number of analysis items.
[0105] [Example 2]
[0106] use Fig.11 Example 2 is described. Fig.11 This is a table for setting the dispensing pattern for each analysis item in Example 2. Example 2 changes the remaining suction amount according to the discharge speed of the liquid. Only the differences from Example 1 will be described below.
[0107] The discharge speed (of the liquid) in step S413, step S611 and step S807 described in Example 1 can be set to different speeds according to the analysis items. Fig.11 As shown, the analysis items corresponding to Analysis Example 6 have a higher discharge rate and a higher processing efficiency than the analysis items corresponding to Analysis Example 5.
[0108] Here, the greater the liquid discharge speed, the thicker the liquid film and the greater the amount of liquid remaining. Therefore, in Analysis Example 6, the remaining suction amount of the entire liquid is set to be larger than that in Analysis Example 5. In addition, information related to the discharge speed of each analysis item is stored in Fig.10 In the dispensing information storage unit 1003, the control unit 207 determines the remaining suction amount of each liquid based on the information.
[0109] According to the present embodiment, a target dispensing amount of liquid can be supplied to the reaction container with higher accuracy, so the analysis accuracy is further improved.
[0110] [Example 3]
[0111] use Fig.12 Example 3 is described. Fig.12 This is a table for setting the dispensing mode for each analysis item in Example 3. Example 3 changes the remaining suction amount according to the viscosity of the liquid. Only the differences from Example 1 will be described below.
[0112] The viscosity of the dispensed liquid varies depending on the analysis item. For example, Fig.12 As shown, the analysis item corresponding to Analysis Example 8 has a higher viscosity than that corresponding to Analysis Example 7.
[0113] Here, the greater the viscosity of the liquid, the thicker the liquid film and the greater the amount of residual liquid. Therefore, in Analysis Example 8, the remaining amount of the entire liquid is set to be larger than that in Analysis Example 7. In addition, information related to the viscosity of each analysis item is stored in Fig.10 In the dispensing information storage unit 1003, the control unit 207 determines the remaining suction amount of each liquid based on the information.
[0114] According to the present embodiment, a target dispensing amount of liquid can be supplied to the reaction container with higher accuracy, so the analysis accuracy is further improved.
[0115] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the dispensing mechanism 111 for dispensing using the suction head 112 is described, but even if the dispensing mechanism does not use a suction head and directly sucks the liquid in the probe 201, the same scheme as the above-mentioned embodiments can be applied. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the case of dispensing one to three liquids at a time is described, but the liquids dispensed at a time can also be four or more. Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the case of dispensing twice (the first dispensing and the second dispensing) into a common reaction container is described, but the number of dispensing times for the common reaction container can be once or more than three times.
[0116] Moreover, in Example 2 and Example 3, the remaining suction amount is changed according to the discharge speed and viscosity of the liquid, but the remaining suction amount can also be changed according to other physical properties of the liquid. For example, the greater the surface tension of the liquid, the thinner the liquid film, and the less the residual liquid. Therefore, when the surface tension of the liquid is large, the remaining suction amount can be reduced compared with the case where the surface tension of the liquid is small. In addition, the greater the density of the liquid, the thicker the liquid film, and the more residual liquid. Therefore, when the density of the liquid is large, the remaining suction amount can be increased compared with the case where the density of the liquid is small.
[0117] Description of Reference Numerals
[0118] 1...Automatic analyzer, 101...reagent bottle, 102...reagent tray, 103...specimen container, 104...specimen tray, 105...reaction container, 106...incubator, 107...reaction container tray, 108...clamp, 109...detection unit, 110...reaction container waste port, 111...dispensing mechanism, 112...pipette tip, 113...pipette tip buffer, 114...pipette tip tray, 115...pipette tip waste port, 116...cleaning mechanism, 116a...cleaning nozzle, 116b...drain cup, 201...probe, 202...tube, 203...syringe, 203a...cylinder, 203b...plunger, 204...cleaning water, 205...injection Injector driving unit, 206...probe driving unit, 207...control unit, 208...cleaning water tank, 209...pump, 210...solenoid valve, 211a...reagent, 211b...reagent, 212...sample, 213...solenoid valve, 301...segmented air, 302...liquid, 303...segmented air, 304...liquid, 305...segmented air, 306...liquid, 501...segmented air, 502...liquid, 503...segmented air, 504...liquid, 701...segmented air, 702...liquid, 1001...input unit, 1002...analysis item storage unit, 1003...dispensing information storage unit, 1005...dispensing control unit.
Claims
1. An automatic analysis device, comprising: a dispensing mechanism that sucks liquid from a specimen container or a reagent container and discharges it into a reaction container; and a control unit that controls the operation of the dispensing mechanism to achieve a target dispensing amount, wherein the dispensing mechanism, when dispensing, sucks liquid of a remaining amount in addition to the target dispensing amount, characterized in that: When the dispensing mechanism continuously sucks a plurality of liquids and continuously discharges the sucked plurality of liquids, the control unit changes the remaining amount sucked by the dispensing mechanism according to the order of the sucked liquids.
2. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of types of liquids sucked by the dispensing mechanism varies depending on the analysis items.
3. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that The order in which the liquids are sucked by the dispensing mechanism differs depending on the analysis items.
4. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that the remaining suction amount of the liquid sucked first is larger than the remaining suction amount of the liquid sucked later.
5. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4, characterized in that The control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that when the target dispensing amount of the liquid is large, the remaining suction amount becomes larger than when the target dispensing amount of the liquid is small.
6. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the dispensing mechanism performs dispensing two or more times to a common reaction container, the control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that the remaining aspirated amount of the liquid in the first dispensing is larger than the remaining aspirated amount of the liquid in the second dispensing.
7. The automatic analysis device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the dispensing mechanism performs dispensing two or more times to a common reaction container, even if the analysis items are the same, the number of types of liquids dispensed in the first dispensing will be different if the priorities are different.
8. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that when the suction speed of the liquid is high, the remaining suction amount becomes larger than when the suction speed of the liquid is low.
9. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that when the viscosity of the liquid is high, the remaining suction amount becomes larger than when the viscosity of the liquid is low.
10. The automatic analysis device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit controls the dispensing mechanism so that when the surface tension of the liquid is large, the remaining suction amount becomes smaller than when the surface tension of the liquid is small.