centrifuge

Abstract

The present invention provides a centrifuge in which a user can easily determine whether normal operation has ended or operation has not started. In a centrifuge having a setting screen (70A) capable of displaying input of centrifugal operation conditions and a centrifugal operation state, a control device performs centrifugal separation operation of a rotor in accordance with a set operation time, a set rotation speed, and a set temperature. After the centrifugal separation operation ends and the rotor stops, the control device sets an elapsed time display field (71) in the setting screen (70A), counts and displays the elapsed time (73) after the centrifugal separation operation ends.

Description

[0001] This invention is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on September 30, 2020, with application number 202080019308.4 and invention title "Centrifuge". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a centrifuge that allows for the immediate observation of the elapsed time after the centrifugal separation operation has ended. Background Technology

[0003] Regarding centrifuges (centrifuge separators), users set operating conditions such as rotation speed, running time (separation time), holding temperature, acceleration gradient, and deceleration gradient according to the sample being separated. Therefore, centrifuges are equipped with a display unit that shows the set conditions or the actual status. Regarding these displays, displays ranging from those using 7-segment light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to those using touch-screen LCDs have been commercialized, and various studies have been conducted to improve the ease of use of centrifuges. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a centrifuge in which a large amount of information is displayed during condition setting and acceleration / deceleration to understand the centrifuge's functions. Since the acceleration / deceleration time is typically longer than the acceleration / deceleration time, only the information required for centrifugal separation is displayed during rotation adjustment, which is convenient for the user to leave. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 displays the program operation status using a line graph on the display unit and shows the expected time for the rotor to stop rotating.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-301029

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-116541 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] As in Patent Document 1, during the centrifuge's setup process where the user can easily leave, only the necessary information such as "set rotation speed," "set temperature," and "set time" is displayed on the centrifuge. However, while it's possible to determine whether the user has initiated the operation during setup, it's impossible to tell from the screen whether the centrifugation has ended or was never actually performed, as the system returns to the initial screen upon completion. On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, the completed portion of the line graph representing the operation status is highlighted with a shading line, and the indicator showing the current progress position is displayed with an arrow, making it easy to confirm the status. However, using the technology in Patent Document 2 requires a high-resolution display. Furthermore, using a real-time clock (RTC) in the centrifuge requires continuous "time" marking via battery backup even when the system power is cut off, which inevitably increases manufacturing costs when used in a simple centrifuge structure.

[0010] The present invention is made in view of the aforementioned background, and its object is to provide a centrifuge in which, when a user leaves the centrifuge after it has just started operating and returns to find that the operation has stopped, the user can easily determine whether the centrifuge has ended normally or has not started operating at all.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge having the following function: using the centrifuge's built-in timer, the elapsed time after the operation is completed can be determined at a glance without the need for a real-time clock.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge in which, even after operation has ended and the rotor has not been removed and has been left for a long time, the user can immediately determine whether it needs to be operated again.

[0013] Technical means to solve the problem

[0014] If representative features of the invention disclosed in this application are to be described, they will be as follows.

[0015] According to one feature of the present invention, a centrifuge includes: a rotor; a motor for rotating and driving the rotor; an input / output unit capable of allowing a user to input a set operating time for the rotor and a drive start indication for the motor, and capable of displaying the operating status of the motor; and a control unit configured to start driving the motor when a drive start indication is input to the input / output unit, and to control the driving of the motor; the control unit stops the motor after centrifugation for the set operating time input through the input / output unit, and the control unit is configured to start counting the time after the set operating time has elapsed, and to display the counted time on the input / output unit. Furthermore, when the control unit detects an operation based on the user's input / output unit during the counting of the time, it cancels the display of the counted time based on the input / output unit or stops the counting of the time. Furthermore, after the rotor has operated for the set operating time based on a certain rotational speed, it decelerates and stops, and the control unit starts counting the time after the rotor stops.

[0016] According to another feature of the invention, the input / output unit is a touch-sensitive dot matrix display that displays the rotor's set operating time, set rotation speed, and set temperature of the rotor (or rotor chamber). The control unit displays the counting time either as an addition to the displayed content or as an overlap with the displayed screen. Furthermore, the input / output unit is a combination of a segmented display device and an operation input unit that allows the display content of the display device to be variable. The display device includes a display bar for the rotor's set operating time, and during the counting of the time after the set operating time, the set operating time is displayed upwards in a display format different from the usual display. Moreover, the control unit has a storage unit that stores the end time of motor stopping in the storage unit and displays the stored end time in the input / output unit.

[0017] According to another feature of the invention, a bowl-shaped object is provided to house the rotor. The upper opening of the bowl-shaped object is closed by an opening and closing door to form a rotor chamber. A cooling device is provided to cool the bowl-shaped object. The control unit operates the cooling device to maintain the temperature of the rotor chamber at a set temperature during the counting and display of the counting time in the input / output unit. Furthermore, a communication unit capable of communicating with a portable terminal is included. The control unit transmits the counting time to the external portable terminal via the communication unit for display. Moreover, the centrifugal mechanism is such that when the door of the opening of the rotor chamber is opened, the control unit stops displaying the counting time based on the input / output unit.

[0018] The effects of the invention

[0019] According to the present invention, the centrifuge is configured such that the end of operation can be determined cheaply without the installation of a real-time clock, and the elapsed time after the end of operation can be seen at a glance, thus greatly improving the ease of use of the centrifuge. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of centrifuge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process of centrifuge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the setting screen 50 of the operation panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the display screen 50A of the operation panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the notification screen 70 of the operation panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is Figure 4, which shows the notification screen 70A of the operation panel 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the setting screen 50B after the notification screen 70A of the operation panel 10 in an embodiment of the present invention has been cleared.

[0027] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of the control device 8.

[0028] Figure 9 This diagram represents the state of information being sent from centrifuge 1 to portable communication terminal 300.

[0029] Figure 10 It means Figure 9 The figure shows an example of the display of screen 301 of the portable communication terminal 300.

[0030] [Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures]

[0031] 1. 1A: Centrifuge

[0032] 2: Frame

[0033] 2a: Divider

[0034] 3: Bowl-shaped object

[0035] 4: Rotating Chamber

[0036] 5: Rotor

[0037] 6: Motor

[0038] 6a: Rotation axis

[0039] 7: Door

[0040] 8: Control device

[0041] 9: Cooling device

[0042] 9a: Compressor

[0043] 9b: Condenser

[0044] 9c~9e: Copper pipe

[0045] 10: Control Panel

[0046] 11: Feet

[0047] 12: Shock absorber

[0048] 50: Settings screen

[0049] 50A: Display screen

[0050] 50B: Settings screen

[0051] 51: Rotation speed display area

[0052] 52: Rotational speed

[0053] 53: Set rotation speed

[0054] 54: Running time display area

[0055] 55: Operating Time

[0056] 56: Set operating time

[0057] 57: Temperature display area

[0058] 58: Current temperature

[0059] 59: Set Temperature

[0060] 60: Rotor type display section

[0061] 61: ACCEL Display Section

[0062] 62: DECEL Display Section

[0063] 63: Start button

[0064] 64: Open button

[0065] 70, 70A: Notification screen

[0066] 71: Time Display Bar

[0067] 72: Unit Description Section

[0068] 73: Time has passed

[0069] 119: Cooling Fan

[0070] 121: Central Processing Unit

[0071] 122: Storage device

[0072] 124: Communication Interface

[0073] 125: Wireless LAN

[0074] 126: Short-range communication unit

[0075] 130: Data Bus

[0076] 131: Motor Inverter

[0077] 132: Inverter for compressors

[0078] 134: USB interface

[0079] 135: Drive circuit

[0080] 136: Speaker

[0081] 137: USB connector

[0082] 138: LAN connector

[0083] 300: Portable Communication Terminal

[0084] 301: Screen

[0085] 302: End Message

[0086] 303: Centrifuge model name

[0087] 304: Rotor model name

[0088] 305: Operation Stop Time

[0089] 306: Time Elapsed Display Bar

[0090] 307: Time has passed

[0091] 308: Icon Detailed Implementation

[0092] Example 1

[0093] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the following figures, the same symbols are used to denote the same parts, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Additionally, in this specification, the directions of front-back and up-down are described in the form of the directions shown in the figures.

[0094] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a centrifuge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the centrifuge 1, a bowl-shaped object 3 made of a thin metal plate is disposed inside a frame 2 made of a box-shaped metal plate or the like, and the bowl-shaped object 3 and a door 7 define a rotating chamber 4. A foot 11 is provided at the bottom of the frame 2. The door 7 seals the opening of the rotating chamber 4 and can rotate vertically around a hinge (not shown) located on a part of the frame. A rotor 5 holds the sample to be separated and rotates at high speed, and is mounted on the rotating shaft 6a of a motor 6. The motor 6 is an AC motor driven by commercial AC power or a brushless motor controlled by an inverter, and the motor 6 is held by the partition plate 2a of the frame 2 via a shock absorber 12.

[0095] An operation panel 10 is located on the right side of door 7. This panel allows the user to input conditions such as rotor speed or separation time, and displays various information. The operation panel 10 serves as an input unit for providing the centrifuge with the necessary control information. In this embodiment, a touch-panel type liquid crystal display is used, which also functions as a display unit for showing the operator the required information. Furthermore, the operation panel 10 can be constructed not only of a touch-panel type liquid crystal display, but also of other dot-matrix type input / output devices. Additionally, it can be constructed using a combination of other known display devices and known input devices.

[0096] The opening on the upper side of the rotating chamber 4 is configured to be sealed by the door 7, allowing the rotor 5 to be installed or removed inside the rotating chamber 4 when the door 7 is open. The rotor 5 is appropriately selected based on the sample to be centrifuged or the sample container holding the sample, and is mounted on the rotating shaft 6a of the motor 6. The control device 8 controls the entire centrifuge 1 and, based on various information input from the operation panel 10 for centrifugal operation, controls the rotation of the motor 6, the operation of the cooling device 9, etc.

[0097] The temperature of rotor 5 can be measured by a temperature sensor (not shown) disposed in rotating chamber 4. Multiple locations are considered for the temperature sensor, but in this embodiment it is disposed at the bottom of bowl-shaped object 3. The output of the temperature sensor is monitored by control device 8, which operates cooling device 9 to maintain the temperature of rotating chamber 4 at the set temperature input by the user.

[0098] The bowl-shaped object 3 is made of a metal alloy such as stainless steel, and a copper tube (not shown) is spirally wound around its outer circumference. The copper tube forms part of the cooling device 9. Refrigerant from the compressor 9a included in the cooling device 9 is sent to the condenser 9b via the copper tube 9c. The refrigerant, cooled by the condenser 9b and a fan (not shown), is liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant is then supplied to the copper tube 9d via a capillary tube (not shown). At the portion wound around the outer circumference of the bowl-shaped object 3, heat is rapidly drawn from the surface of the bowl-shaped object 3, thereby cooling the interior of the rotating chamber 4. The refrigerant, vaporized by the heat drawn from the bowl-shaped object 3, returns to the compressor 9a via the copper tube 9e. Thus, the interior of the rotating chamber 4 is maintained at a predetermined and constant temperature by the control device 8, which controls the cooling device 9.

[0099] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process of centrifuge 1 in this embodiment. Figure 2 The series of processes shown can be executed in software using a program pre-stored in the control device 8. Initially, the user places the rotor 5, which contains the centrifugal separation object, into the rotating chamber 4, closes the door 7, and inputs various information for centrifugal separation operation from the operation panel 10 (step 21). The various information includes the set rotational speed, set temperature, operating time, acceleration, deceleration, etc. of the rotor 5. Figure 1 The centrifuge 1 shown does not have a vacuum device, but in the case of a centrifuge with a vacuum device, the vacuum level inside the rotating chamber 4 is set. Here, using Figure 3 This describes the setting screen 50 of the operation panel 10, which displays various information for centrifugal separation operation.

[0100] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the setting screen 50 of the operation panel 10 in step 21. This display screen shows the state immediately after the centrifuge 1's operating conditions are set (before the start button is pressed). The setting screen 50 displays the centrifuge 1's operating status and operating conditions (set values). The screen includes a rotation speed display area 51, an operating time display area 54, and a temperature display area 57, which are the centrifuge's operating conditions. Surrounding these areas are a rotor type display 60 indicating the type of rotor 5 installed in the rotating chamber 4, an acceleration display 61 indicating the degree of rotor 5's acceleration, and a deceleration display 62 indicating the degree of rotor 5's deceleration. On the lower right side of the setting screen 50 are a start button 63, displayed as an icon to indicate the start of centrifugation, and an open button 64 for opening the door 7.

[0101] The rotation speed display area 51 displays information related to the rotation speed of rotor 5. The large number "0" in the center indicates the current rotation speed 52 of rotor 5, and the number following "SET" below it is the set rotation speed 53. Figure 3 In this example, the set rotation speed 53 for centrifugal separation is set to 18,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). When the user touches the frame of the rotation speed display area 51 with their finger, a numeric keypad (not shown) pops up, allowing the user to set the set rotation speed 53 by operating the numeric keypad.

[0102] The operating time display area 54 displays information related to the operating time of rotor 5. The large number in the center is the actual operating time (elapsed time) 55 for rotor 5 to operate at the set rotation speed 53, displayed in units such as minutes and seconds. Figure 3 The current state is before centrifugation and rotor 5 has not yet rotated, so the running time 55 is displayed as 00 minutes and 00 seconds. The running time 55 is automatically counted and displayed using the timer function included in the microcomputer of the control device 8. The number following "SET" below the running time 55 is the user-inputted centrifugation time, i.e., the set running time 56. Figure 3 In the example, the setting for centrifugation is 25 minutes and 00 seconds. Similar to the rotation speed display area 51, when the user touches the frame of the running time display area 54 with their finger, a numeric keypad display screen (not shown) pops up, allowing the user to set the running time by operating the numeric keys.

[0103] Temperature display area 57 displays information related to the internal temperature of the rotating chamber 4. The large number in the center is the current temperature 58 of the rotating chamber 4, and the number following "SET" below it is the set temperature 59 of the rotor 5 that should be maintained during centrifugal separation. Figure 3 The current temperature 58 is 20.0℃, and the set temperature is 4.0℃. Similar to the rotation speed display area 51, when the user touches the frame of the temperature display area 57 with their finger, a numeric keypad display screen (not shown) pops up, allowing the user to set the temperature by operating the numeric keys.

[0104] The rotor category display unit 60 displays the model name of the operating rotor 5. Figure 3The rotor 5 is displayed as "TA18A41". The rotor 5 can be configured such that the user touches a portion of the rotor category display unit 60 to display a rotor overview screen (not shown) and select from the list; alternatively, the rotor 5 can hold its own information, and after being placed in the centrifuge 1, the rotor model is automatically identified on the centrifuge 1 side. Regarding the method for automatic rotor model identification, an optical or magnetic ID code can be attached to the rotor, or other known identification methods can be used; therefore, a description is omitted here.

[0105] The start button 63 is used to start the centrifuge 1. When the start button 63 is touched, the control device 8 accelerates the rotor 5 to the set rotational speed 53 set in the rotational speed display area 51, and makes the rotor 5 rotate at the set rotational speed 53 (set). The open button 64 is used to open the door 7 of the centrifuge 1. When the open button 64 is touched, the locking mechanism of the door 7 (not shown) is released.

[0106] Return to Figure 2 After inputting various information for centrifugal separation operation in step 21, the user operates the start button 63 via the self-operation panel 10 (see...). Figure 3 The centrifugal separation operation begins (step 22). The centrifugal separation operation process includes, for example, the acceleration, setting, and deceleration of rotor 5, and these operation control procedures are the same as those of the previous centrifuge. Regarding the control device 8, if the centrifugal separation operation has ended, it proceeds to step 24; if it has not ended, it returns to step 22 (step 23). Here, the display screen 50A on the operation panel 10 showing the end of the centrifugal separation operation and the deceleration of rotor 5 is displayed. Figure 4 middle.

[0107] exist Figure 4 Only shows Figure 3 The information required in the setup screen 50 shown is displayed in three areas: rotation speed display area 51, running time display area 54, and temperature display area 57. Because the rotor 5 is decelerating, the start button 63 is not displayed on screen 50A (see reference). Figure 3 ) and the open button 64 (see reference) Figure 3 Here, the current rotational speed 52 of rotor 5 is shown as reduced to 300 rpm, and the elapsed operating time 55 is displayed as 00 minutes and 00 seconds. Here, the operating time 55 is counted upwards or downwards during centrifugal separation operation, but... Figure 4In the indicated state, the centrifugal separation operation ends and the rotor 5 decelerates from its self-tuning speed (18,000 rpm) to zero or reset. After the centrifugal separation operation ends, the cooling device 9 continues to operate, and the temperature inside the rotating chamber 4 is maintained at a constant level. Therefore, the current temperature 58 of the rotating chamber 4 is maintained at 4.0°C, which is equal to the set temperature 59. The cooling device 9 is controlled by the control device 8 to stop after the door 7 is opened.

[0108] Return to Figure 2 Step 24 onwards involves control after the centrifugal separation operation ends and the rotor 5 stops rotating. As a prerequisite for executing steps 25 and 26 after step 24, the centrifuge 1 in this embodiment is configured to be preset to either "issue a special operation end notification to the user on the operation panel 10 after the centrifugal separation operation ends" or "not issue it." Issuing the "operation end notification" is a characteristic control of this embodiment. The control device 8 determines whether the "operation end notification" has been preset based on the preset settings (step 24). If the preset settings have been issued, the control device 8 displays a "display screen showing the time elapsed after the centrifugal separation operation ended" (step 25). If the preset settings have not been issued, i.e., if the setting is to not issue an operation end notification after the centrifugal separation operation ends, the process proceeds from step 24 to step 27. Here, using... Figure 5 This describes the notification screen 70 that appears after the program has finished running.

[0109] exist Figure 5 In the middle, the notification screen is 70. Figure 4 An elapsed time display is added to the display screen 50A before the rotor 5 stops. That is, the three display areas, namely the rotation speed display area 51, the running time display area 54, and the temperature display area 57, are moved to the top of the notification screen 70, and an elapsed time display bar 71 is displayed below it. On the right side of the elapsed time display bar 71, a description indicating that time has passed ("have passed") 74 is displayed. Figure 5 The state indicates that just now Figure 4 The display screen 50A switches to Figure 5 Shortly after the notification screen 70 appears, the elapsed time 73 shown in the elapsed time display bar 71 is displayed as "00:00:00". Above the elapsed time 73, a description indicating the unit of time ("TIME h:m:s") 72 is displayed.

[0110] Return to Figure 2After the control device 8 displays the notification screen 70 indicating the end of operation in step 25, it determines whether there is any operation (input) based on the user's operation panel 10 (step 26). If there is no operation, it returns to step 25 and performs the elapsed time 73 in the notification screen 70 indicating the end of operation (refer to...). Figure 5 The update of ) . "Some operations" refers to operations that can be confirmed before the user is in the centrifuge 1, here referring to operations where the user touches any area of ​​the operation panel 10, such as the rotational speed display area 51, the running time display area 54, or the temperature display area 57. Here, using Figure 6 Let's take a look at the updated notification screen 70A.

[0111] Figure 6 The example shown illustrates the process. Figure 5 The display is left for 15 minutes after it is shown, during which time the user does not perform any operation. Except for one difference, Figure 6 Notification screen 70A and Figure 5 The notification screen is the same as 70, except that after time 73... Figure 5 Counting upwards from "00:00:00" is Figure 7 The time displayed is "00:15:00". By observing the notification screen 70A, the user can immediately determine that 15 minutes have passed since the centrifugal separation operation ended. Furthermore, in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the present invention, notification screens 70 and 70A are displayed in monochrome. However, when a touch-screen display device capable of color display is used as the operation panel 10, the display can also be in color to indicate the end of the centrifugal separation operation. For example, when the centrifugal separation operation ends normally, the entire screen or a specific area is set to a blue color scheme, and when the centrifugal separation operation stops abnormally, the entire screen or a specific area is set to a red color scheme. Furthermore, even in the case of normal end, the display color of the elapsed time display bar 71 can be changed in a manner that alters the display pattern, such as green for 0 minutes to less than 10 minutes, yellow for 10 minutes to 20 minutes, and red for more than 20 minutes.

[0112] Return to Figure 2 In step 26, if there is an operation based on the user's operation panel 10, the control device 8 terminates the control of this embodiment by returning the display of the operation panel 10 to the setting screen 50B. Here, using Figure 7 Let's explain the settings screen 50B shown in step 26. Figure 7 In the middle, apart from some differences, the setting screen 50B and Figure 3The setting screen 50 shown is the same. Regarding the display in the rotation speed display area 51, since the rotor 5 has stopped rotating, the rotation speed 52 is "0". The operating time 55 displayed in the operating time display area 54 remains the same as... Figures 4-6 The same "00:00" state. The current temperature 58 displayed in the temperature display area 57 remains at 4.0°C. This is because, due to the continuous cooling of the centrifugally separated object located inside the rotating chamber 4, the cooling device 9 operates until the door 7 is opened and closed by operating the open button 64.

[0113] As explained above, the control device 8 displays the contents of display screen 50A and the elapsed time 73 on the notification screen 70 immediately after the operation ends, and counts it up. Therefore, the user can reliably determine the end status of the centrifuge 1's operation based on the display on the operation panel 10, especially whether the operation has ended. In addition, the elapsed time 73 is specifically displayed in the elapsed time display column 71, and the display continues until the user performs certain operations. Therefore, especially in the case of easily damaged centrifugation objects (samples), it is easy to determine the necessity of further centrifugation of the sample.

[0114] Example 2

[0115] In the first embodiment, the operation panel 10 displays the elapsed time after the centrifuge 1 has finished operating. However, it can also be configured such that not only is the elapsed time after the operation finished displayed on the operation panel 10, but a communication unit capable of communicating with an external portable terminal is also provided in the centrifuge, and the control unit sends the counting time to the external portable terminal via the communication unit for display. Figures 8-10 The second embodiment will be described below.

[0116] Figure 8This is a schematic block diagram of the control device 8. Internally, the control device 8 includes a central processing unit 121 connected via a data bus (BUS) 130, a communication interface (I / F) 124, a local area network (LAN) 125, a near-field communication (NFC) unit 126, a universal serial bus (USB) interface (I / F) 134, and a storage device 122. The control device 8 also includes a motor inverter 131 for driving the motor 6, a compressor inverter 132 for driving the compressor 9a of the cooling unit, and a drive circuit 135 for driving the cooling fan 119 of the cooling unit. The driving of these motors is controlled by the central processing unit 121. The control device 8 is further connected to an operation panel 10, a speaker 136, a LAN connector 138, and a USB connector 137. Furthermore, the control device 8 contains a power supply (not shown), an analog / digital (A / D) converter, a digital / analog (D / A) converter, etc., but... Figure 8 This document only describes the main parts relevant to the present invention. Illustrations and descriptions of other structures are omitted.

[0117] The central processing unit 121 is responsible for generating and storing the centrifuge's operating data, as well as communicating with the portable communication terminal 300, and is configured including a microcomputer, etc. The storage device 122 is used to store the centrifuge 1's control program, setting condition data, operating data, or audit trail data, and is configured using known hard disk devices or semiconductor storage devices, etc. The operation panel 10 is an input / output unit implemented through a touch-panel type liquid crystal display device, and functions as both an input unit for user input and a display unit for displaying operating data or various information to the user. The operation panel 10 is connected to the data bus 130. In this embodiment, a touch-panel type liquid crystal display device is used as the operation panel 10, but it is not limited to this; a personal digital assistant (PDA) (portable information terminal) with a central processing unit can also be used to implement the operation panel itself.

[0118] Communication interface 124 is a circuit for communicating with external devices via a wired network line, and is a circuit for using common communication methods such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and can be connected to external devices such as routers via a known LAN connector 138. Wireless LAN 125 is a communication unit for communicating with external connection devices wirelessly, and connects to an external portable communication terminal 300 (e.g., a smartphone) to transmit and receive all or part of the information displayed on the operation panel 10. Near-field communication unit 26 is a known near-field communication unit using Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), etc. Through these structures, the centrifuge's central processing unit 121 can communicate directly with portable communication terminals 300 such as smartphones, etc. Figure 10 As shown, the centrifuge can send a message indicating the end of operation or the elapsed time to the portable communication terminal 300 and display it.

[0119] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the state of information transmission from centrifuge 1A to portable communication terminal 300. In centrifuge 1A, the shape of the frame 2A differs from that of the frame 2 in the first embodiment, and the mounting position of the operation panel 10 is also different, but the internal structure remains the same. Here, the control device 8 of centrifuge 1A uses a communication unit to transmit the required information to portable communication terminal 300. All or part of the received information is displayed by pre-installing dedicated application software ("application") on the portable communication terminal 300 side for receiving information from centrifuge 1A and displaying it on screen 301.

[0120] Figure 10 It means Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the display on screen 301 of a portable communication terminal 300. Users of the portable communication terminal 300 are not limited to being near the centrifuge 1A; sometimes they are located in places where the centrifuge 1A is not visible. Therefore, when the centrifuge 1A finishes operating, the microcomputer included in the centrifuge 1A's control device 8 will display information indicating the end of operation, the model name of the centrifuge 1A, etc. Figure 3 and Figure 6 The information shown is sent to the portable communication terminal 300. The portable communication terminal 300 extracts the information deemed necessary from the received information and displays it on screen 301. Figure 10This is an example illustration. On screen 301, an end message 302 stating "Centrifugal separation operation has ended" is displayed. Below this, the necessary information is shown: the model name 303 of centrifuge 1A (here, "CF18R") and the rotor model name 304 (here, "T18A41"). This is because if at least the model name 303 of centrifuge 1A ("CF18R") is not displayed, the user cannot determine which centrifuge the message refers to.

[0121] Furthermore, the display of rotor model name 304 can be omitted, but the user can easily identify the type of sample container or the contents of the sample by being informed of rotor model name 304. The operation stop time 305 is the time when a message is received from centrifuge 1A at the end of centrifuge operation. Although there are cases where a real-time clock is not set in centrifuges 1 and 1A in this embodiment, a real-time clock must be set in the portable communication terminal 300. Therefore, when the portable communication terminal 300 receives information starting from the elapsed time 307 received from centrifuge 1A, it can display the operation stop time 305 of centrifuge 1A.

[0122] The elapsed time display bar 306 after stopping shows a similar... Figure 5 , Figure 6 The notification screen 70 displays the same elapsed time 73 as centrifuge 1 and centrifuge 1A. This time is sent from centrifuge 1 and centrifuge 1A at predetermined intervals (e.g., every minute). Here, an example is shown where the elapsed time 307 after the centrifugation operation has ended is 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds. An icon 308 labeled "Close" is displayed in the lower right corner of screen 301. The owner of the portable communication terminal 300 can close the screen and return to the original screen by touching icon 308. Alternatively, the screen can be reopened by restarting the application after it has been closed. Figure 10 The screen 301 can be displayed, or the display history can be shown. When screen 301 is displayed again, the elapsed time 307 can be updated and displayed according to the time of re-display.

[0123] The present invention has been described above based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit. For example, in the described embodiments, the operation panel 10 is a liquid crystal display with input / output functions, but it can also be achieved using input units such as buttons, four-way switches, or dials, and display mechanisms with segmented LEDs. When using segmented LEDs, the same function can be achieved by setting the display bar to flash slowly while counting upwards.

Claims

1. A centrifuge, characterized in that, include: Rotor; The motor drives the rotor to rotate; The input / output unit allows the user to input the set operating time of the rotor and the drive start indication of the motor, and can display the operating status of the motor. as well as The control unit starts driving the motor and controls the driving of the motor when the drive start instruction is input to the input / output unit. and After centrifugal separation for the set operating time input through the input / output unit, the control unit stops the motor drive, thereby stopping the rotor. The control unit starts counting the time after the rotor stops and displays the counting time on the input / output unit. The counting time is performed by counting upwards, and the display format of the counting time changes according to the time elapsed after the rotor stops. When the control unit detects an operation based on the user's input / output unit during the counting of the counting time, it cancels the display of the counting time based on the input / output unit.

2. The centrifuge according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: The rotor chamber houses the rotor and has an opening for removing / inserting the rotor; and the door, opening and closing the aforementioned opening; and When the door is opened, the control unit stops the display of the counting time in the input / output unit.

3. A centrifuge, characterized in that, include: Rotor; Rotor chamber, which houses the rotor; The motor drives the rotor to rotate; The door opens and closes the opening of the rotor chamber; A locking mechanism used to lock the door; The input / output unit allows the user to input the set operating time of the rotor and the drive start indication of the motor, and can display the operating status of the motor. as well as The control unit starts driving the motor and controls the driving of the motor when the drive start instruction is input to the input / output unit. and After centrifugal separation for the set operating time input through the input / output unit, the control unit stops the motor drive, thereby stopping the rotor. The control unit starts counting the time after the motor stops and displays the counting time on the input / output unit. The counting time is performed by counting upwards, and the display format of the counting time changes according to the time elapsed after the rotor stops. When the control unit detects an operation based on the user's input / output unit during the counting time, it stops the counting time and can operate the unlock button of the locking mechanism.

4. The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The input / output unit is a touch-screen dot matrix display that shows the rotor's set operating time, set rotation speed, and set rotor temperature. The control unit displays the counting time either by adding it to the displayed content or by overlapping it with the displayed screen.

5. The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The input / output unit is a combination of a segmented display device and an operation input unit that allows the display content of the display device to be changed. The display device includes a display bar for the set operating time of the rotor. The counting of the time after the set operating time is performed by displaying the set operating time column in a different display format upwards.

6. The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The control unit has a storage unit, which can store the end time of the motor stopping in the storage unit and display the end time stored in the storage unit on the input / output unit.

7. The centrifuge according to claim 4, characterized in that, It has a bowl-shaped structure that houses the rotor, and the upper opening of the bowl-shaped structure is closed by an opening and closing door to form a rotor chamber. A cooling device is provided to cool the bowl-shaped object. During the counting of the counting time and the display of the counting time in the input / output unit, the control unit also operates the cooling device to maintain the temperature of the rotor chamber at the set temperature.

8. The centrifuge according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, It also includes a communication unit capable of communicating with portable terminals. The control unit transmits the counting time to an external portable terminal via the communication unit and displays it.

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