Medical analyzer and method for operating the same

Abstract

The invention provides a medical analyzer. The medical analyzer comprises: a vacuum pump; a discharge line connecting the vacuum pump to a liquid container so as to discharge liquid in the liquid container under negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; a degassing line connecting the vacuum pump to a fluid source so as to remove gas dissolved in the fluid from the fluid supplied by the fluid source under negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; and a control device configured to selectively communicate the vacuum pump to the liquid container or the fluid source. The invention further provides a method for operating the medical analyzer. According to the medical analyzer, the two functions of discharging liquid and removing gas are achieved through the single vacuum pump, in other words, the vacuum pump does not need to be independently arranged for gas removal, and therefore the cost of the medical analyzer can be remarkably reduced, and the structure of the medical analyzer is more compact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medical analyzer, such as a biochemical analyzer, and also relates to a method for operating the medical analyzer. Background Art

[0002] The content of this section only provides background information related to the present disclosure, which does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Medical analyzers can be used to detect and analyze the content of certain biochemical substances in body fluids (e.g., blood), providing information basis for the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis of diseases and health status in clinical practice. Deionized water runs through the whole process of detection and analysis of medical analyzers as a carrier or medium for biochemical reactions, a diluent and solvent for samples or reagents, a cleaning solution for instruments, and even a participant in reactions. Therefore, the quality of deionized water will directly affect the experimental results and the service life of the instrument.

[0004] For this reason, a degassing device is provided to remove air bubbles from deionized water to improve the fluid distribution performance of the medical analyzer and the accuracy of detection or analysis. The degassing device includes a vacuum pump and a membrane. The vacuum pump creates a vacuum environment on one side of the membrane to suck and remove air bubbles from the deionized water on the other side of the membrane. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical Problem

[0006] In existing medical analyzers, the degassing device includes a pump, a membrane, a valve and a circuit board, and is connected to the deionized water pipeline as an independent unit or system. Such medical analyzers have a high cost. In addition, since the degassing device is an independent unit or system, it is difficult to detect the abnormality in time when the degassing device malfunctions, resulting in poor fluid distribution performance and inaccurate detection results.

[0007] In view of at least one of the above problems, the present application provides an improved degassing solution.

[0008] Technical Solution

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a medical analyzer. The medical analyzer includes: a vacuum pump; a discharge pipeline that connects the vacuum pump to a liquid container to discharge the liquid in the liquid container under the negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; a degassing pipeline that connects the vacuum pump to a fluid source to remove the gas dissolved in the fluid supplied from the fluid source under the negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; and a control device configured to selectively connect the vacuum pump to the liquid container or the fluid source.

[0010] In some examples according to the present disclosure, a first container with a vacuum chamber defined therein is provided in the exhaust gas pipeline, and / or a second container with a vacuum chamber defined therein is provided in the discharge pipeline.

[0011] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the medical analyzer further includes a sensor configured to sense the pressure in the exhaust gas pipeline. The control device is configured to control the vacuum pump based on the sensed pressure.

[0012] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the sensor is configured to sense the pressure inside the first container provided in the exhaust gas pipeline.

[0013] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the medical analyzer further includes a commutation device configured to be able to switch between a first state in which the vacuum pump is connected to the liquid container and a second state in which the vacuum pump is connected to the fluid source.

[0014] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the control device is configured to switch the commutation device.

[0015] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the control device is configured to switch the commutation device according to a predetermined timing sequence.

[0016] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the commutation device includes a three-way commutation valve.

[0017] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the fluid stored in the fluid source is deionized water.

[0018] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the medical analyzer is a biochemical analyzer.

[0019] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the liquid container is a cuvette.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating the above medical analyzer is provided. The method includes the following steps: The control device controls the vacuum pump to selectively communicate with the liquid container or the fluid source for liquid discharge or degassing.

[0021] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: sensing the pressure in the exhaust gas pipeline; and based on the sensed pressure, the control device controls the vacuum pump.

[0022] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: when the sensed pressure is abnormal, an alarm is given.

[0023] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the method further includes: the control device causing the vacuum pump to switch between a first state connected to the liquid container and a second state connected to the fluid source.

[0024] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the control device performs the switching according to a predetermined timing sequence.

[0025] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the medical analyzer is a biochemical analyzer.

[0026] In some examples according to the present disclosure, the liquid container is a cuvette.

[0027] Technical effects

[0028] For the medical analyzer according to the present application, a single vacuum pump is used to achieve two functions of discharging liquid and removing gas dissolved in the fluid (also simply referred to as "gas" herein). In other words, there is no need to separately set up a vacuum pump for degassing. Therefore, the cost of the medical analyzer can be significantly reduced, and the structure of the medical analyzer can be made more compact.

[0029] In the medical analyzer according to the present application, a first container and / or a second container are provided in the degassing pipeline and / or the discharge pipeline, which can provide a more stable negative pressure, thereby improving the reliability or stability of degassing and / or liquid discharging.

[0030] For the medical analyzer according to the present application, a sensor is provided, which can detect the negative pressure for removing gas. Therefore, abnormalities during degassing can be detected in a timely manner and processed in a timely manner to prevent affecting the detection results. Therefore, the detection accuracy and dispensing performance of the medical analyzer can be improved. Description of the drawings

[0031] Through the following description with reference to the drawings, the features and advantages of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will become more readily understood. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a part of a medical analyzer according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic flow diagram of an operation method of a medical analyzer according to an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of exemplary embodiments. In several of the drawings, like reference numerals denote like components and assemblies. The following detailed description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and is in no way a limitation of the present disclosure or its application or use. The embodiments described in this specification are not exhaustive and are only some of the many possible embodiments. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies may not be described in detail.

[0035] The following will be described with reference to Figure 1 a medical analyzer according to the present application. It should be understood that the medical analyzer of the present application should not be limited to Figure 1 the specific examples shown therein. On the contrary, it can be any suitable instrument to which the present invention is applicable. For example, the medical analyzer can be a biochemical analyzer.

[0036] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a part of a medical analyzer 10 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] As Figure 1 shown, the medical analyzer 10 includes a vacuum pump 11, a discharge line 13 connecting the vacuum pump 11 to a liquid container 12, and a degassing line 15 connecting the vacuum pump 11 to a fluid source 14.

[0038] A membrane 18 is provided in the degassing line 15. For example, the membrane 18 can be a membrane that is permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid. The fluid flowing out of the fluid source 14 flows through one side of the membrane 18, and a negative pressure is established on the other side of the membrane 18 by the vacuum pump 11, thereby removing the dissolved gas in the fluid supplied from the fluid source 14 under the negative pressure. The fluid from which the gas has been removed is supplied via a supply line 19 to, for example, a sample tube, a reagent tube, or a liquid container (such as a cuvette).

[0039] It should be understood that the membrane can be selected according to requirements and should not be limited to the specific examples described herein. It should be understood that the above-mentioned vacuum pump 11 can be used for any fluid from which gas needs to be removed. For example, it can be deionized water.

[0040] Similarly, the vacuum pump 11 can establish a negative pressure in the discharge line 13, thereby pumping out the liquid (such as waste liquid) in the liquid container 12 under the negative pressure.

[0041] The medical analyzer 10 further includes a control device 16. The control device 16 causes the vacuum pump 11 to selectively communicate with the liquid container 12 via the discharge line 13 to discharge the liquid in the liquid container 12, or communicate with the fluid source 14 via the degassing line 15 to remove the dissolved gas in the fluid supplied from the fluid source 14.

[0042] In the medical analyzer according to the present application, since the vacuum pump can be alternately used to discharge the liquid in the liquid container and to discharge the dissolved gas in a fluid such as deionized water, the cost of the medical analyzer can be significantly reduced and the structure of the medical analyzer can be made more compact.

[0043] In Figure 1 In the illustrated example, a first container 151 can be provided in the degassing pipeline 15. A vacuum chamber is defined inside the first container 151, whereby a stable negative pressure can be provided in the degassing pipeline 15, thereby improving the degassing performance. Similarly, a second container 131 can be provided in the discharge pipeline 13. A vacuum chamber is defined inside the second container 131, whereby a stable negative pressure can be provided in the discharge pipeline 13, thereby providing liquid discharge performance.

[0044] It should be understood that the structures of the first container and the second container should not be limited, as long as the functions described herein can be achieved. For example, the first container and the second container can have different structures or sizes.

[0045] In the medical analyzer according to the present application, by providing a first container and / or a second container in the degassing pipeline and / or the discharge pipeline, a more stable negative pressure can be provided, thereby improving the reliability or stability of degassing and / or liquid discharge.

[0046] As Figure 1 shown, a three-way switching valve 17 can be provided between the discharge pipeline 13, the degassing pipeline 15 and the vacuum pump 11. The three-way switching valve 17 is capable of switching between a first state in which the vacuum pump 11 is connected to the liquid container 12 and a second state in which the vacuum pump 11 is connected to the fluid source 14.

[0047] In Figure 1 the illustrated example, the three-way switching valve 17 can have three ports 17a, 17b and 17c. The port 17a is connected to the vacuum pump 11; the port 17b is connected to the liquid container 12; the port 17c is connected to the fluid source 14. The port 17a can be selectively connected to the port 17b or the port 17c. When the port 17a is connected to the port 17b, the vacuum pump 11 can be connected to the liquid container 12, whereby the liquid in the liquid container 12 can be discharged. When the port 17a is connected to the port 17c, the vacuum pump 11 can be connected to the fluid source 14, whereby the gas in the fluid can be discharged.

[0048] The three-way switching valve 17 can be controlled or switched by the control device 16. The three-way switching valve 17 can alternately switch to connect the vacuum pump 11 with the liquid container 12 or with the fluid source 14. For example, according to the operating characteristics of the medical analyzer, the three-way switching valve 17 can be switched according to a predetermined time sequence. The predetermined time sequence can be predetermined and stored in the memory (not shown) of the control device 16.

[0049] It should be understood that Figure 1 the three-way switching valve 17 shown in Figure 1 is only an example of the switching device according to the present application. The switching device should not be limited to

[0050] such as Figure 1 shown, a sensor 153 can also be provided to sense the pressure in the degassing pipeline 15. The sensor 153 can be provided at any suitable position. For example, the sensor 153 can be provided in the first container 151 in the degassing pipeline 15 to sense the negative pressure in the first container 151.

[0051] The sensor 153 can send the sensed pressure to the control device 16. The control device 16 can control the operation of the vacuum pump 11 or switch the three-way switching valve 17 according to the received sensed pressure.

[0052] It should be understood that the setting of the sensor should not be limited to the specific examples shown in the drawings or described in this text, but can be changed as long as it can achieve the functions described in this text. For example, the sensor 153 can be provided on the vacuum side of the membrane 18.

[0053] In the medical analyzer according to the present application, the negative pressure for removing gas is sensed by the sensor, so abnormalities during degassing can be detected in a timely manner and processed in a timely manner to prevent affecting the detection results. Therefore, the detection accuracy and dispensing performance of the medical analyzer can be improved.

[0054] It should be understood that the structure of the medical analyzer according to the present application should not be limited to Figure 1 the specific example shown in

[0055] Next, a method for operating a medical analyzer according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 2 is a schematic flow diagram of the operation method S10 of the above-mentioned medical analyzer 10. Figure 2

[0056] such as Figure 2 ​As shown, in step S11, the medical analyzer 10 is first started and run.

[0057] Start the vacuum pump 11 and connect it to the liquid container 12 to drain the liquid in the liquid container 12, for example, waste liquid. When supplying fluid (e.g., deionized water) from the fluid source 14, switch the vacuum pump 11 to be connected to the fluid source 14, so as to discharge the gas in the fluid flowing out from the fluid source 14. The control device 16 makes the vacuum pump 11 alternately fluidly connected to the liquid container 12 and the fluid source 14, so as to alternately drain the liquid from the liquid container 12 and discharge the gas from the fluid (e.g., deionized water), see step S13.

[0058] See step S15, sense the pressure in the degassing pipeline 15 through the sensor 153. This can realize the real-time monitoring of the degassing process. If the negative pressure in the degassing pipeline 15 is too small, it may cause the gas in the fluid to not be discharged well or completely, which will make the detection result inaccurate. The control device 16 can control the vacuum pump 11 according to the sensed pressure, for example, start or stop the operation of the vacuum pump 11, switch the connection state of the vacuum pump 11 with the liquid container 12 or the fluid source 14, etc.

[0059] In step S17, judge whether the negative pressure sensed by the sensor 153 is within the normal range (threshold range). If the sensed negative pressure is within the normal range, return to step S11 to continue running the medical analyzer. If the sensed negative pressure is outside the normal range, an alarm can be issued to warn the operator of abnormal degassing. For example, the alarm can be issued in the form of light and / or sound, etc. After receiving the alarm, the operator can manually intervene or abort the operation of the medical analyzer to eliminate the fault. After eliminating the fault, the operation of the medical analyzer can be resumed again.

[0060] It should be understood that the method for operating a medical analyzer according to the present disclosure should not be limited to Figure 2 the specific examples shown therein, but can be changed as long as the functions described herein are achieved. For example, without contradiction, the execution order of each method step does not have to be carried out in the order described herein, but can be changed. For example, according to the operation requirements of the medical analyzer, a certain step can be added or omitted.

[0061] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail herein. Without departing from the scope defined by the claims, those skilled in the art can make various changes to the exemplary embodiments. Without contradiction, the features in each embodiment can be combined with each other. Or, a certain feature in the embodiment can also be omitted.

Claims

1. A medical analyzer, comprising: a vacuum pump; a discharge pipeline that connects the vacuum pump to a liquid container to discharge the liquid in the liquid container under the negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; a degassing pipeline that connects the vacuum pump to a fluid source to remove the gas dissolved in the fluid supplied from the fluid source under the negative pressure generated by the vacuum pump; and a control device configured to selectively connect the vacuum pump to the liquid container or the fluid source.

2. The medical analyzer according to claim 1, wherein a first container with a vacuum chamber defined therein is provided in the degassing pipeline, and / or a second container with a vacuum chamber defined therein is provided in the discharge pipeline.

3. The medical analyzer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the medical analyzer further includes a sensor configured to sense the pressure in the degassing pipeline, and the control device is configured to control the vacuum pump based on the sensed pressure.

4. The medical analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to sense the pressure in the first container provided in the degassing pipeline.

5. The medical analyzer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the medical analyzer further includes a commutation device configured to be able to switch between a first state of connecting the vacuum pump to the liquid container and a second state of connecting the vacuum pump to the fluid source.

6. The medical analyzer according to claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to switch the commutation device.

7. The medical analyzer according to claim 6, wherein the control device is configured to switch the commutation device according to a predetermined timing sequence.

8. The medical analyzer according to claim 5, wherein the commutation device includes a three-way commutation valve.

9. The medical analyzer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid stored in the fluid source is deionized water.

10. The medical analyzer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the medical analyzer is a biochemical analyzer.

11. The medical analyzer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid container is a cuvette.

12. A method of operating the medical analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the following steps: The control device controls the vacuum pump to selectively communicate with the liquid container or the fluid source for liquid discharge or degassing.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: sensing the pressure in the degassing pipeline; and based on the sensed pressure, the control device controls the vacuum pump.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: when the sensed pressure is abnormal, issuing an alarm.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising: The control device switches the vacuum pump between a first state of being connected to the liquid container and a second state of being connected to the fluid source.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, the control device performs the switching according to a predetermined time sequence.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein, the medical analyzer is a biochemical analyzer.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein, the liquid container is a cuvette.

Images