Analyzer

Abstract

To provide an analyzer with which it is possible to perform accurate positioning when piercing a specimen container.SOLUTION: Provided is an analyzer in which a feces sampling container 28 held to a specimen rack 26 is carried into the device body and a probe is stabbed into an upper end 29 of the feces sampling container 28 on the separation side (upper side) in an insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) to / from the specimen rack 26 along the insertion / removal direction from the separation side toward the specimen rack 26 side, thereby a specimen in the feces sampling container 28 is sampled. The analyzer comprises: a movement restricting member 45 for restricting the movement of the upper end 29 of the feces sampling container 28 and located on the separation side of the feces sampling container 28 carried to a probe stabbing position; and an advancing / retracting device 42b for causing the movement restricting member 45 to advance and retract in the insertion / removal direction to and from the upper end 29 of the feces sampling container 28 carried to the probe stabbing position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an analytical device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) has been known. This test uses an antigen-antibody reaction to detect human hemoglobin (Hb) in feces, making it possible to detect bleeding from the lower digestive tract. This test is used, for example, in screening for colon cancer, and can detect minute amounts of blood in stool that has bled from colon cancer or polyps. An example of an analytical device used in the above test is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In a fecal occult blood test, a subject collects his or her own stool sample and places it in a stool collection container (specimen container), and the stool sample is dissolved in a stool dissolving liquid in the stool collection container. The solution containing the stool sample is then carried into an analytical device together with the stool collection container, and the components in the sample are measured in the analytical device using a dedicated measurement reagent. The stool collection containers are carried into the main body of the analytical device while being inserted and held in a sample rack in multiple places. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 200031 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned analyzer, a needle-shaped probe is pierced into a piercing part provided in the bottom or the like of a stool collection container to collect a specimen from the container. In the analyzer, the periphery of the piercing part of the stool collection container is held down with a fixing plate in order to stabilize the piercing position. However, the piercing portion of the stool collection container is small, and the positioning of the stool collection container needs to be performed more accurately.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an analyzer that can accurately perform positioning when punching a specimen container such as a stool collection container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, a first aspect of the present disclosure is an analytical device that transports a sample container held in a sample rack into an apparatus body, and inserts a probe into the end of the sample container on the detachable side in the insertion / removal direction from the detachable side toward the sample rack, to collect a sample from the sample container, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a movement restricting member that is positioned on the detachable side of the sample container transported to the probe piercing position and restricts the movement of the end of the sample container, and an advancing / retracting device that moves the movement restricting member forward and backward relative to the end of the sample container transported to the probe piercing position. According to this configuration, when the specimen container is transported to the probe piercing position, the movement restricting member is moved to a retracted position away from the end of the container body, allowing the specimen container to be transported with sufficient spatial space, and after the specimen container is transported to the probe piercing position, the movement restricting member is moved to a restricting position close to the end of the container body, making it possible to hold down the end so as not to move. Therefore, compared to when the movement restricting member is fixed in a fixed position, when the specimen container is transported to the probe piercing position, a distance from the movement restricting member is ensured, making transportation easier, and after the specimen container is transported, the movement restricting member is pressed against the specimen container to reliably prevent movement, displacement, tilt, etc. of the specimen container, allowing the specimen container to be accurately perforated.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned first aspect, the movement control member includes a first control portion that holds an end of the sample container from the removal side toward the sample rack side and controls movement of the end in the insertion / removal direction, and a second control portion that controls movement of the end in a cross direction that intersects the insertion / removal direction. According to this configuration, when piercing the end of the sample container transported to the probe piercing position, the end is positioned in a direction intersecting the direction in which the sample container is inserted and removed, so that the probe can accurately pierce and pierce the sample container even if the piercing portion of the sample container is small. When removing the probe, the end of the sample container can be pressed from the removal side, allowing the probe to be smoothly removed from the sample container.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned first or second aspect, the second regulating portion is formed to follow the outer periphery of the end of the sample container when viewed from the insertion / removal direction, the movement regulating member is provided with a guide portion extending from the second regulating portion toward the sample rack side, and the guide portion is formed so as to extend outside the second regulating portion when viewed from the insertion / removal direction as it is positioned from the second regulating portion side toward the sample rack side in the insertion / removal direction. According to this configuration, by providing a guide portion extending from the second restricting portion toward the sample rack, when the movement restricting member moves from the retracted position to the restricting position, the end of the sample container can be guided toward the second restricting portion by the guide portion. As a result, even if the sample container held in the sample rack is misaligned or tilted, the end of the sample container can be reliably guided to the second restricting portion and positioned. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the analytical device of the present disclosure, accurate positioning can be performed when punching a hole in a sample container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an analysis device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pressing device of the analysis device. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are explanatory views showing an outline of a movement restricting member of the pressing device and a piercing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [Analyzer 10] As shown in Fig. 1, the analysis device 10 includes a cell cassette transport unit 11, a cell supply / disposal unit 12, a reaction table 13, a reagent table 14, a reagent dispensing unit 15, a specimen transport unit 16, a sample dispensing unit 17, a photometry unit 18, and a disposal box 19. The analysis device 10 is placed on a horizontal surface. The lower side of the figure indicates the front of the analysis device 10, the upper side of the figure indicates the rear of the analysis device 10, the left side of the figure indicates the left side of the analysis device 10, and the right side of the figure indicates the right side of the analysis device 10. The front side of the paper in Fig. 1 indicates the top of the analysis device 10, and the back side of the paper indicates the bottom of the analysis device 10.

[0012] In the analysis device 10 , first, the reaction cell 11 a on the cell cassette transport unit 11 is set on the reaction table 13 by the cell supply / discard unit 12 . Next, the reagent on the reagent table 14 is added to the reaction cell 11a on the reaction table 13 by the reagent dispensing unit 15, and the sample is supplied to the same reaction cell 11a by the sample dispensing unit 17. This causes the reagent and the sample to react in the reaction cell 11a. The sample is extracted by the sample dispensing unit 17 from a stool collection container (specimen container) 28 housed in a specimen rack 26 described later.

[0013] In addition, the absorbance of the mixed solution in the reaction cell 11a is measured by the photometry unit 18. After the measurement, the reaction cell 11a is discarded into a waste box 19 by the cell supply / disposal unit 12. In the analysis device 10, the above-mentioned operations are repeatedly performed in parallel.

[0014] A plurality of sample racks 26 are arranged in the sample transport unit 16. A plurality of stool collection containers 28 each containing a sample are held in the sample rack 26. The stool collection containers 28 will be described later. The sample rack 26 moves in the directions of arrows A, B, and C in Fig. 1 in order. The position of the moving sample rack 26 is detected by a position detection sensor (not shown). A barcode (not shown) is affixed to the side of the sample rack 26, and the attributes of the multiple samples held by the sample rack 26 are identified by reading the barcode with a first barcode reader 21. A barcode (not shown) is affixed to each stool collection container 28, and each sample is identified by reading the barcode with a second barcode reader 22.

[0015] The sample dispensing unit 17 is equipped with a rotating arm 34 having a specimen dispensing pipette 36 attached to its tip. The rotating arm 34 can be rotated horizontally about a rotation axis 34a by a drive mechanism (not shown) and can be raised and lowered in the up-down direction (vertical direction). By rotating the rotating arm 34, the specimen dispensing pipette 36 reciprocates in an arc shape in a plan view between the stool collection container 28 arranged at the specimen suction position (extraction position, probe piercing position) P1 in the specimen transport unit 16 and the reaction cell 13b arranged at the specimen dispensing position P2 on the reaction table 13.

[0016] A suction and discharge device (not shown) for suctioning and discharging the sample is connected to the specimen dispensing pipette 36. In this manner, the specimen dispensing pipette 36 is capable of dispensing the sample aspirated from the stool collection container 28 into the reaction cell 13b.

[0017] The reaction table 13 has a circular shape in a plan view, and a plurality of reaction cells 13b are arranged on the outer periphery of the reaction table 13. The reaction cells 13b are rectangular prism-shaped cells with an open top, and are made of heat-resistant glass or resin having optical transparency.

[0018] The reaction table 13 can be rotated about a rotation axis 13a by a driving mechanism (not shown). By rotating the reaction table 13, each reaction cell 13b moves in the circumferential direction of the reaction table 13.

[0019] The photometric unit 18 is provided with a light source (not shown) and a light receiving section (not shown) that detects light. The light source may be, for example, an LED light source or a halogen lamp, and the light receiving section may be a light receiving section corresponding to the light source. The light source irradiates light onto the reaction cell 13b of the reaction table 13. The light receiving section receives the light that has passed through the mixture of the reagent and the sample in the reaction cell 13b. Here, the concentration of the component in the specimen can be calculated by measuring the absorbance of the light that has passed through the mixture of the reagent and the sample at any one or multiple timings. For example, the concentration of the component in the specimen can be calculated by measuring the absorbance of the light that has passed through the mixture before the reaction of the reagent and the sample and the absorbance of the light that has passed through the mixture after the reaction of the reagent and the sample. The component in the specimen to be calculated may be, for example, human hemoglobin. In addition to measuring the absorbance by receiving the light that has passed through the mixture of the reagent and the sample with the light receiving section, the scattering intensity may be measured by receiving the light that has been scattered by the mixture of the reagent and the sample with the light receiving section. In addition, the absorbance and scattering intensity may be measured together using a plurality of light receiving parts.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the stool collection container 28 includes a cylindrical container body 28a with a bottom, and a fitting (not shown) that is detachably fitted to the opening side of the container body 28a. The stool collection container 28 is inserted and held in the sample rack 26 in an upright position with the bottom 28a1 of the container body 28a facing upward and the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the cylindrical shape aligned along the up-down direction. A stool dissolving liquid is contained in the stool collection container 28. A stool collection stick (not shown) may be integrally provided with the fitting. The subject removes the fitting from the container body 28a, collects a stool sample with the stool collection stick, and then reattaches the fitting to the container body 28a, so that the stool sample is immersed in the stool dissolving liquid in the stool collection container 28 and dissolved.

[0021] The container body 28a is made of plastic, the inside of which is visible from the outside, and examples of the material include flexible resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride.

[0022] The container body 28a has a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical shape. The container body 28a has a tapered peripheral wall that reduces the cross-sectional shape from the opening side toward the bottom 28a1 side in the axial direction. A pierced portion 28a2 that is thinner than the surrounding area is formed in the center of the bottom 28a1 of the container body 28a. The pierced portion 28a2 has a small area compared to the bottom 28a1, and reduces the effect on the rigidity of the container body 28a.

[0023] The piercing portion 28a2 can be pierced by a needle-shaped specimen dispensing pipette 36. By piercing the piercing portion 28a2 with the specimen dispensing pipette 36, the specimen in the stool collection container 28 can be aspirated by the specimen dispensing pipette 36. In order to reliably pierce the specimen dispensing pipette 36 into the piercing portion 28a2 (perform the piercing process) while suppressing the lifting and lowering output of the rotating arm 34, it is desirable to suppress positional deviation and tilt of the stool collection container 28 at the probe piercing position P1 of the specimen transport unit 16 (which is also the extraction position where the specimen is extracted).

[0024] [Movement restriction device 40] Next, a description will be given of the movement restriction device 40 that restricts the movement of the stool collection container 28 when the specimen dispensing pipette 36 is pierced into the stool collection container 28 transported to the extraction position P1.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the movement restriction device 40 includes a motor 42 as a drive source, a power conversion mechanism 43 that converts the rotational output of the motor 42 into vertical movement of a lifting frame 44, and a movement restriction member 45 that is attached to the lifting frame 44 and moves up and down integrally therewith. The motor 42 is disposed, for example, with its drive shaft 42a horizontal, and is mounted on the housing of the analyzer via a support frame 41. The motor 42 is disposed with the axial direction of the drive shaft 42a aligned along the front-rear direction.

[0026] The power conversion mechanism 43 includes a drive pulley 43a attached to a drive shaft 42a of the motor 42 so as to be integrally rotatable with the drive pulley 43a, a driven pulley 43b rotatably supported by the support frame 41 at a distance above the drive pulley 43a, and an endless transmission belt 43c wound around the drive pulley 43a and the driven pulley 43b. A connecting arm 44a of the lifting frame 44 is fixed to a side portion of the transmission belt 43c extending in the vertical direction between the drive pulley 43a and the driven pulley 43b. As a result, when the motor 42 is driven to drive the transmission belt 43c, the lifting frame 44 rises and falls together with the side portion of the transmission belt 43c between the drive pulley 43a and the driven pulley 43b.

[0027] The movement restricting member 45 is fixed to the lifting frame 44 above the extraction position P1. The movement restricting member 45 is disposed so as to overlap with the extraction position P1 in a plan view. The movement restricting member 45 moves up and down together with the lifting frame 44, and is thereby capable of advancing and retreating in the vertical direction relative to the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 transported to the extraction position P1.

[0028] The movement restricting member 45 is movable between a retracted position P3 separated from the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 on the removal side in the insertion / removal direction and a restricting position P4 where the movement restricting member 45 moves from the retracted position P3 toward the sample rack 26 and engages with the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 to restrict the movement of the upper end 29. The movement restricting member 45 is formed with a through hole 45a through which the sample dispensing pipette 36 can be inserted. The movement restricting member 45 is movable up and down (advance and retreat) from above with respect to the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 by an advancing and retreating device 42b including a motor 42, a power conversion mechanism 43, and a lifting frame (advance and retreat frame) 44.

[0029] By raising and lowering the movement restricting member 45, when the stool collection container 28 is transported to the extraction position P1 where the specimen is extracted, the movement restricting member 45 can be moved to the retracted position P3, making it possible to easily transport the stool collection container 28. On the other hand, after the stool collection container 28 is transported to the extraction position P1, the movement restricting member 45 can be moved to the restricting position P4 to hold down the upper end 29. This makes it possible to prevent the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 from shifting out of position. When removing the specimen dispensing pipette 36 from the stool collection container 28, the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 can be held down from the detachable side, making it possible to smoothly remove the specimen dispensing pipette 36.

[0030] 3, the movement restricting member 45 has a first restricting portion 46 that abuts against the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 from above. The first restricting portion 46 presses the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 from the upper side (detachment side) toward the lower side (sample rack 26 side) of the stool collection container 28, restricting movement of the stool collection container 28 toward the detachment side. The first restricting portion 46 may have the same shape as the outer periphery of the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 in a plan view.

[0031] The movement restricting member 45 is provided with a second restricting portion 47 that restricts the movement of the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 in a cross direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (up-down direction) of the stool collection container 28. The second restricting portion 47 corresponds to, for example, a corner of the outer periphery of the first restricting portion 46. The upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 is positioned in the cross direction by engaging a corner of the outer periphery of the first restricting portion 46 with a corner of the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28. Therefore, the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 can be reliably positioned, and the limited piercing portion 28a2 can be accurately pierced. The movement restricting member 45 may have a wall surface along the outer periphery of the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 as the second restricting portion 47.

[0032] The movement restricting member 45 may include a guide portion 48 extending from a second restricting portion 47 along the outer periphery of the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 toward the sample rack 26, with an inclination that widens toward the end. The guide portion 48 is tapered so as to widen outward from the second restricting portion 47 as viewed from the insertion / removal direction as it moves from the second restricting portion 47 toward the sample rack 26.

[0033] Even if there is some misalignment or tilt of the stool collection container 28 held in the sample rack 26, when the movement restricting member 45 moves from the retracted position P3 to the restricting position, the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 can be guided toward a specified position (toward the second restricting portion 47) by the guide portion 48.

[0034] As described above, the analysis device 10 in the above embodiment transports a stool collection container 28 held in a sample rack 26 into the device body, and pierces the probe 36 into the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 on the detachable side (upper side) in the insertion / removal direction (up and down direction) of the sample rack 26 from the detachable side toward the sample rack 26 in the insertion / removal direction to collect a sample from the stool collection container 28. The analysis device 10 is equipped with a movement restriction member 45 that is positioned on the detachable side of the stool collection container 28 transported to the probe piercing position and restricts the movement of the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28, and an advancing / retracting device 42b that moves the movement restriction member 45 forward and backward in the insertion / removal direction relative to the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 transported to the probe piercing position.

[0035] According to this configuration, when the stool collection container 28 is transported to the probe piercing position, the movement restricting member 45 is moved to a retracted position P3 away from the upper end 29 of the container body 28a, allowing the stool collection container 28 to be transported with sufficient space, and after the stool collection container 28 is transported to the probe piercing position, the movement restricting member 45 is moved to a restricting position P4 close to the upper end 29 of the container body 28a, allowing the upper end 29 to be held down so as not to move. Therefore, compared to when the movement restricting member 45 is fixed in a fixed position, when the stool collection container 28 is transported to the probe piercing position, a distance from the movement restricting member 45 is secured to facilitate transportation, and after the stool collection container 28 is transported, the movement restricting member 45 is pressed against the stool collection container 28 to reliably suppress movement, positional deviation, tilt, etc. of the stool collection container 28, allowing accurate perforation of the stool collection container 28.

[0036] In the above-mentioned analysis device 10, the movement restricting member 45 is provided with a first restricting portion 46 which holds the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 from the removal side toward the sample rack 26 side and restricts the movement of the upper end 29 in the insertion / removal direction, and a second restricting portion 47 which restricts the movement of the upper end 29 in intersecting directions (front-back and left-right directions) which intersect with the insertion / removal direction. According to this configuration, when piercing the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 transported to the probe piercing position, by positioning the upper end 29 in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction of the stool collection container 28, the probe 36 can be accurately pierced and perforated even if the piercing portion 28a2 of the stool collection container 28 is small. When removing the probe 36, the upper end 29 of the stool collection container 28 can be pressed from the removal side, allowing the probe 36 to be smoothly removed from the stool collection container 28.

[0037] In the above-mentioned analytical device 10, the second regulating portion 47 is formed to follow the outer periphery of the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 when viewed from the insertion / removal direction, and the movement regulating member 45 is provided with a guide portion 48 extending from the second regulating portion 47 toward the sample rack 26 side, and the guide portion 48 is formed so as to extend outside the second regulating portion 47 when viewed from the insertion / removal direction as it is positioned from the second regulating portion side toward the sample rack 26 side in the insertion / removal direction. According to this configuration, by providing the guide portion 48 extending so as to widen from the second restricting portion 47 toward the sample rack 26 side, when the movement restricting member 45 moves from the retracted position P3 to the restricting position P4, it becomes possible for the guide portion 48 to guide the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 toward the second restricting portion 47. As a result, even if the stool collection container 28 held in the sample rack 26 is misaligned or tilted, the upper end portion 29 of the stool collection container 28 can be reliably guided to the second restricting portion 47 and positioned.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the stool collection container in the embodiment is arranged upright along the vertical direction, but may be arranged at an angle to the vertical direction. In this case, the advancing and retracting directions of the probe and the movement restricting member also have a similar angle. Furthermore, the movement restricting member may be configured to move (advance and retract) in a cross direction that intersects with the insertion and removal direction to hold down the stool collection container. In the embodiment, the present invention is applied to an analyzer that uses a stool collection container containing a stool sample, but it may also be applied to an analyzer that uses a sample container that contains a sample other than a stool sample, such as serum or plasma. The configurations in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiments with well-known components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Analyzer 26 Sample Rack 28 Stool collection container (specimen container) 29 Upper end (end) 36 Sample dispensing pipette (probe) 40 Movement restriction device 42b Advancement / retraction device 45 Movement restriction member 46 First Regulatory Department 47 Second Regulatory Department 48 Guide part

Claims

1. 1. An analyzer for collecting a sample from a sample container held in a sample rack by carrying the sample container into an apparatus body and inserting a probe into an end of the sample container on a detachment side in a direction in which the sample container is inserted into and removed from the sample rack, from the detachment side toward the sample rack along the insertion and removal direction, a movement restricting member that is disposed on the detached side of the sample container transported to a probe piercing position and restricts movement of the end of the sample container; an advancing / retracting device that moves the movement restricting member forward and backward in the insertion / removal direction relative to the end of the sample container transported to the probe piercing position.

2. The movement restricting member is a first restricting unit that holds the end of the sample container from the removal side toward the sample rack side and restricts movement of the end in the insertion / removal direction; The analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the end portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

3. the second restricting portion is formed along an outer periphery of the end portion of the sample container when viewed from the insertion / removal direction, the movement restricting member includes a guide portion extending from the second restricting portion toward the sample rack, The analyzer according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide portion is formed so as to extend outwardly from the second regulating portion when viewed from the insertion / removal direction as it is positioned from the second regulating portion toward the sample rack in the insertion / removal direction.

Images