Specimen measurement device and specimen measurement method

Abstract

To conduct an interruption measurement of an emergency specimen simply and quickly.SOLUTION: A specimen measurement device comprises a housing, two or more specimen rack trays each housing a specimen rack capable of holding multiple specimen containers and that are independently removable from the housing, and a control unit. The control unit executes a process related to specimen measurement based on the measurement mode set for each specimen rack that can be either a normal mode or an emergency mode. When both the normal mode rack and the emergency mode rack are housed within the housing, the control unit prioritizes the measurement of specimens held in the emergency mode rack.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a specimen measurement device and a specimen measurement method.

Background Art

[0002] In specimen measurement, when it becomes necessary to measure an emergency specimen with high urgency during the measurement of a normal specimen, it is required that the interrupt measurement of the emergency specimen can be carried out simply and quickly.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a device in which the type of specimen such as a normal specimen, an emergency specimen, and a precision control specimen is set for each installation position of the specimen in a rack. Patent Document 1 describes that when a barcode seal is attached to a cup installed on the rack, the type of specimen is automatically set for the installation position of the rack according to the barcode information, and when there is a cup without a barcode seal attached, the type of specimen can be set by manually inputting the specimen identification number.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When performing interrupt measurement of an emergency specimen in the device of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare a barcode seal storing the type of specimen and attach it to the cup, or set the type of specimen by manual input of the operator. Therefore, the work burden on the operator is large, and mistakes such as incorrect input may also occur, so improvement of the interrupt measurement work of the emergency specimen has been desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The specimen measurement device (1) according to the present invention is a specimen measurement device (1) for measuring a specimen, comprising a housing (10), a first rack tray (65a) that houses a rack (66) capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers (67) and is insertable into and removable from the housing (10), a second rack tray (65b) that houses a rack (66) capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers (67) and is insertable into and removable from the housing (10) independently of the first rack tray (65a), and a control unit (57) that executes processing related to the measurement of a specimen according to a normal mode or an emergency mode in which the urgency of measurement is higher than that of the normal mode, the normal mode and the emergency mode being set in units of the rack. When the rack (66) in the normal mode and the rack (66) in the emergency mode are housed in the housing (10), the control unit (57) preferentially measures the specimen held in the rack (66) in the emergency mode.

[0007] The specimen measurement method according to the present invention includes a step of setting, in units of a rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers (67), a normal mode or an emergency mode in which the urgency of measurement is higher than that of the normal mode as a specimen measurement mode, and a step of housing a rack (66) holding a specimen container in a first rack tray (65a) and a second rack tray (65b) that are configured to be independently insertable into and removable from a housing (10) within the housing (10). When the rack (66) in the normal mode and the rack (66) in the emergency mode are housed in the housing (10), the measurement of the specimen held in the rack (66) in the emergency mode is preferentially performed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the specimen measurement device and the specimen measurement method of the present invention, the interrupt measurement of an emergency specimen can be performed simply and quickly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an example of an embodiment of a specimen measurement apparatus and a specimen measurement method according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0011] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the appearance of the specimen measurement apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The specimen measurement apparatus 1 is used for blood coagulation measurement to analyze the activity of coagulation factors in a specimen (blood specimen).

[0012] The specimen measurement apparatus 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a housing 10 including a front surface portion 20, a rear surface portion 21, a right side surface portion 22, a left side surface portion 23, an upper surface portion 24, and a bottom surface portion 25, and a monitor 40 installed on the upper surface portion 24 of the housing 10. In this specification, the “left” and “right” of the specimen measurement apparatus 1 are based on the directions when the front surface portion 20 is viewed from the front.

[0013] On the upper part of the front portion 20 of the housing 10, an openable and closable cover 30 is provided, and by opening the cover 30, the user can access the inside of the housing 10. At the lower part of the front portion 20, an opening 31 for inserting and removing a reagent rack into and from the reagent rack storage portion 52 described later and a lid portion 32 for opening and closing the opening 31 are provided. Adjacent to the opening 31 and the lid portion 32, at the lower part of the front portion 20, an opening 33 for inserting and removing a specimen rack into and from the specimen rack storage portion 50 and a lid portion 34 for opening and closing the opening 33 are provided. The lid portion 34 is configured to close the opening 33 by being biased by a spring toward the housing 10 side and to open the opening 33 when an external force against the biasing acts.

[0014] The monitor 40 also functions as an input unit for inputting information necessary for specimen measurement. The monitor 40 is a display input unit that displays a plurality of operation screens such as a main menu screen 600 and an order screen 700 described later. The monitor 40 is, for example, a touch panel type display and displays various information for operations necessary for specimen measurement and information on specimen measurement results.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 10 has a vertical wall 180 disposed on the rear surface portion 21 side rather than at the center in the front-rear direction Y inside thereof. The vertical wall 180 has a plate shape with a plate surface directed in the front-rear direction Y. The vertical wall 180 separates the inside of the housing 10 into a main region Z1 and a rear surface region Z2. In the main region Z1, a specimen rack storage portion 50, a reaction vessel storage portion 51, a reagent rack storage portion 52, a measurement portion 53, a cleaning portion 54, a waste disposal portion 55, a dispensing portion 58, and information reading devices 59a and 59b are provided. A power supply portion 56 and a control portion 57 are attached to the surface of the vertical wall 180 on the rear surface region Z2 side. The vertical wall 180 is made of, for example, a material with low thermal conductivity to reduce the influence of heat from the control portion 57 on the measurement portion 53.

[0016] The specimen rack storage unit 50 is the part where the specimen rack 66 is installed. Although it will be described in detail later, the specimen rack storage unit 50 includes a pair of specimen rack trays 65a and 65b that can be independently inserted and removed with respect to the housing 10 (see Fig. 10). The control unit 57 controls the specimen measuring device 1 to execute a series of processes on the specimens held in the specimen rack storage unit 50 based on the measurement mode of the specimens.

[0017] The reaction vessel storage unit 51 arranged on the right side of the specimen rack storage unit 50 is provided on the front part 20 side rather than the center in the front-rear direction Y of the housing 10 and on the right side rather than the center in the left-right direction X of the housing 10, and houses a container rack 71 that holds a plurality of reaction vessels 70. On the left side of the specimen rack storage unit 50, there are provided a reagent rack storage unit 52 and a second information reading device 59b. The first information reading device 59a reads the identification information of the specimen rack stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 and the specimen container held in the specimen rack. Also, the second information reading device 59b reads the identification information of the reagent container held in the reagent rack.

[0018] The specimen rack storage unit 50 is provided on the front part 20 side rather than the center in the front-rear direction Y of the housing 10 and near the center in the left-right direction X of the housing 10. The specimen rack storage unit 50 houses a specimen rack 66 that holds a plurality of specimen containers. The specimen rack storage unit 50 is covered with a cover member 60 (see Fig. 11). The cover member 60 functions as a light-shielding wall that shields external light so that light from outside the housing does not reach the measuring unit 53. The cover member 60 has an upper surface portion 61, and a plurality of dispensing holes 62 are formed in the upper surface portion 61. The pipette 200, which will be described later in the dispensing unit 58, enters the specimen rack storage unit 50 through the dispensing holes 62 and aspirates the specimen contained in the specimen container in the specimen rack storage unit 50.

[0019] The sample rack storage unit 50 stores a pair of sample rack trays 65a and 65b on which sample racks are installed. The pair of sample rack trays 65a and 65b are arranged in two side-by-side manner so as to be adjacent to each other in the left-right direction X in the sample rack storage unit 50. That is, the sample rack storage unit 50 has a space in which two sample rack trays 65a and 65b can be arranged in the left-right direction X. Although details will be described later, the sample rack storage unit 50 has a drive mechanism for independently moving the pair of sample rack trays 65a and 65b in the front-rear direction Y, and is configured such that the two sample rack trays 65a and 65b can be independently taken in and out based on an operation on the user's monitor 40.

[0020] The reagent rack storage unit 52 is provided on the front surface 20 side rather than the center in the front-rear direction Y of the housing 10, and on the left side rather than the center in the left-right direction X of the housing 10. The reagent rack storage unit 52 is provided adjacent to the left of the sample rack storage unit 50. The reagent rack storage unit 52 stores a reagent rack that holds a plurality of reagent containers. The reagent container is a bottomed cylindrical container containing a reagent for preparing a measurement sample. The reagent container is provided with reagent identification information that can be read by a second information reading device 59b.

[0021] The reagent rack storage unit 52 is covered with a cover member 80. Similar to the cover member 60, the cover member 80 functions as a light-shielding wall that shields external light so that light from outside the housing does not reach the measurement unit 53. The cover member 80 has an upper surface portion 81, and a plurality of dispensing holes 82 are formed in the upper surface portion 81. The pipette 200, which will be described later in the dispensing unit 58, enters the reagent rack storage unit 52 through the dispensing holes 82 and aspirates the reagent contained in the reagent container in the reagent rack storage unit 52. The reagent rack storage unit 52 has a cooling unit 83 for cooling the reagent container and a heat exhaust unit 84 for discharging the heat generated by the cooling unit 83 to the outside of the housing 10.

[0022] In the reagent rack storage section 52, a reagent rack tray 85 capable of holding a reagent rack is installed. Two reagent rack trays 85 are arranged side by side in the left - right direction X in the reagent rack storage section 52. The reagent rack storage section 52 may have an electric drive mechanism for moving the reagent rack tray 85 in the front - rear direction Y. However, in this embodiment, the user can insert the reagent rack tray 85 into the reagent rack storage section 52 and pull out the reagent rack tray 85 from the reagent rack storage section 52, so that the reagent rack tray 85 can be taken in and out. The two reagent rack trays 85 can be taken in and out independently of each other.

[0023] The cleaning section 54 is provided between the measurement section 53 and the reaction vessel storage section 51. The cleaning section 54 has a cleaning tank 160 for cleaning the pipette 200 of the dispensing section 58. The disposal section 55 is provided between the measurement section 53 and the reaction vessel storage section 51. The disposal section 55 has a disposal port 170 for disposing of the reaction vessel 70. The power supply section 56 is provided on the left side of the center in the left - right direction X within the rear region Z2 of the housing 10. The power supply section 56 shapes the electric power supplied from an external power source into an appropriate voltage and waveform, and then supplies it to various devices such as the control section 57 in the rear region Z2, the specimen rack storage section 50, the reagent rack storage section 52, the measurement section 53, and the dispensing section 58 in the main region Z1.

[0024] The dispensing section 58 has a function of dispensing to the specimen container 67, the reaction vessel 70, and the reagent container. The dispensing section 58 has a dispensing device 190 and a moving device 191 for moving the dispensing device 190. The moving device 191 is configured to transfer the entire dispensing device 190 to an arbitrary position in the left - right direction X and the front - rear direction Y within the housing 10. The container holding portion 201 of the dispensing device 190 can be moved within the housing 10 by the moving device 191.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a state where the left specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the housing 10. When the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the housing 10, the lid portion 34 is pushed by the specimen rack tray 65a and opens against the biasing force, and when the specimen rack tray 65a is stored in the housing 10, it closes by the biasing force. When the specimen rack tray 65b is pulled out from the housing 10, the lid portion 34 is pushed by the specimen rack tray 65b and opens against the biasing force, and when the specimen rack tray 65b is stored in the housing 10, it closes by the biasing force. Thus, the lid portion 34 can perform the opening and closing operation of the opening 33 in conjunction with the movement of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b.

[0026] The specimen rack trays 65a and 65b each have a substantially elongated rectangular shape in plan view, and are arranged such that their longitudinal directions are along the front-rear direction Y (see FIG. 10). On the specimen rack tray 65a, a rear light-shielding wall 511a is provided at a first end in the longitudinal direction of the tray located on the rear side of the housing 10, and a front light-shielding wall 512a is provided at a second end in the longitudinal direction of the tray located on the front side of the housing 10. In the present embodiment, one specimen rack 66 is placed on the specimen rack tray 65a. The specimen rack tray 65b has substantially the same structure as the specimen rack tray 65a, and the description thereof is omitted. The specimen rack 66 has a substantially elongated rectangular shape in plan view, and is placed on the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b such that its longitudinal direction is along the front-rear direction Y. The specimen rack 66 has a structure capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers 67 such that the plurality of specimen containers 67 are arranged in a row (front-rear direction Y).

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the measuring unit 53, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the measuring unit 53. As shown in FIG. 4, the measuring unit 53 has a cover member 100 that covers the heating unit 90 and the detection unit 91. The cover member 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A plurality of holes 101 are formed in the upper surface portion 100a of the cover member 100. The heating unit 90 and the detection unit 91 are provided on the rear surface portion 21 side rather than the center in the front-rear direction Y of the housing 10 and on the right side rather than the center in the left-right direction X of the housing 10 (see FIG. 2).

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, the heating unit 90 has a first holding part 121 inside the cover member 100. The first holding part 121 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction X. The first holding part 121 has a plurality of holding holes 120 for holding the reaction vessel 70. The plurality of holding holes 120 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The holding hole 120 communicates with a hole 101 arranged on the upper surface part 100a of the cover member 100. The heating unit 90 can heat the reaction vessel 70 held in the holding hole 120 by the heat source 122.

[0029] The detection unit 91 has a second holding part 131 inside the cover member 100. The second holding part 131 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction X. The second holding part 131 has a plurality of holding holes 130 for holding the reaction vessel 70. The plurality of holding holes 130 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction X. The second holding part 131 is provided on the rear surface part 21 side of the first holding part 121. The holding hole 130 is open upward and communicates with the hole 101 arranged on the upper surface part 100a of the cover member 100, and can receive and hold the reaction vessel 70. Since the holding hole 130 is open upward, light can enter the holding hole 130 from the outside of the cover member 100 and reach the detector 141 described later.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the detection unit 91. As shown in FIG. 6, the detection unit 91 has a light source 140 that irradiates light to the reaction vessel 70 held in the second holding part 131, and a detector 141 that detects the light transmitted through the reaction vessel 70. The detection unit 91 can measure the optical information of the measurement sample by irradiating light from the light source 140 to the measurement sample prepared from the sample and reagent in the reaction vessel 70 and detecting the light transmitted through the measurement sample by the detector 141.

[0031] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the dispensing device 190. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the container holding part 201 that constitutes the dispensing device 190. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the dispensing device 190 includes a pipette 200, a container holding part 201, and a moving mechanism 202.

[0032] The pipette 200 is an elongated tube extending in the vertical direction Z and can hold a predetermined amount of liquid therein. The pipette 200 is configured to suck liquid from the tip 210 and also to discharge the sucked liquid.

[0033] The container holding part 201 has two (a pair of) holding arms 220 for holding the reaction container 70. The holding arms 220 are arranged below the pipette 200 and can hold the reaction container 70 coaxially with the pipette 200 in the vertical direction Z. The pipette 200 is thinner than the interval between the two holding arms 220 of the container holding part 201 and can be inserted vertically in the Z direction between the two holding arms 220.

[0034] The moving mechanism 202 relatively moves the pipette 200 and the container holding part 201 in the vertical direction Z while maintaining the pipette 200 and the holding arms 220 coaxially.

[0035] The moving mechanism 202 has a mechanical mechanism configured such that when one of the pipette 200 and the container holding part 201 rises, the other descends in conjunction therewith. Also, the moving mechanism 202 has a mechanical mechanism configured such that when the pipette 200 descends and the container holding part 201 rises in conjunction therewith, and when the container holding part 201 rises to a predetermined position, the interlock is released and the pipette 200 descends while the rise of the container holding part 201 stops. An example of such a mechanical mechanism will be described below.

[0036] The moving mechanism 202 has a first moving part 250 for moving the pipette 200 in the vertical direction Z, a second moving part 251 for moving the container holding part 201 in the vertical direction Z, an interlocking part 252 for interlocking the first moving part 250 and the second moving part 251, and a drive source 253 for driving the interlocking part 252.

[0037] The moving mechanism 202 has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped member 260. The plate-shaped member 260 is erected such that the plate surface faces in the left-right direction X. The first moving part 250, the second moving part 251, and the interlocking part 252 are provided on the first plate surface 260a on the right side in the left-right direction X of the plate-shaped member 260. The drive source 253 is provided on the second plate surface 260b on the left side in the left-right direction X of the plate-shaped member 260.

[0038] The first moving part 250 has a pipette holding member 270 that holds the pipette 200, and a first elevating member 271 to which the pipette holding member 270 is fixed and that moves up and down by the interlocking part 252.

[0039] A pipe 280 for supplying air and sucking air into the pipette 200 is connected to the upper part of the pipette holding member 270. The pipe 280 communicates with a pump device.

[0040] The first elevating member 271 has a plate shape. The pipette holding member 270 is fixed to the plate surface on the right side in the left-right direction X of the first elevating member 271.

[0041] The first elevating member 271 is movably attached to a first guide rail 272 provided in the vertical direction Z of the plate-shaped member 260. The first elevating member 271 is attached to a belt 322 described later.

[0042] The second moving part 251 has a second elevating member 300 to which the container holding part 201 is fixed and that can move up and down, a biasing member 301 that biases the second elevating member 300 upward, a stopper 302 that stops the upward movement of the second elevating member 300, and a pressing member 303 that moves up and down by the interlocking part 252 and can press the second elevating member 300 downward.

[0043] The second elevating member 300 includes a main body part 310 and an arm part 311 that connects the main body part 310 and the container holding part 201.

[0044] The second elevating member 300 is movably attached to a second guide rail 304 provided in the vertical direction Z of the plate-like member 260.

[0045] The biasing member 301 is a spring and is directed in the vertical direction Z. The upper end of the biasing member 301 is fixed at a position above the second elevating member 300 of the plate-like member 260, and the lower end is fixed to the upper portion of the second elevating member 300. The biasing member 301 biases the second elevating member 300 upward.

[0046] The stopper 302 is provided at a position above the second elevating member 300 of the plate-like member 260. The stopper 302 is provided so as to abut against the upper portion of the second elevating member 300 and stop the upward movement of the second elevating member 300 when the second elevating member 300 rises to a predetermined upper limit position, that is, a predetermined position (the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9) where the pipette 200 is inserted into the reaction vessel 70 held by the holding arm 220 of the container holding portion 201.

[0047] The pressing member 303 is provided at a position above the second elevating member 300. The pressing member 303 is attached to a belt 322 described later and is movable up and down by the belt 322. The pressing member 303 can push the second elevating member 300 downward when it descends, and can rise above the upper limit position of the second elevating member 300.

[0048] The second moving portion 251 is configured such that when the container holding portion 201 is lowered, the pressing member 303 is lowered by the interlocking portion 252, and the second elevating member 300 is pushed downward against the biasing force of the biasing member 301. Further, when the container holding portion 201 is raised, the pressing member 303 is raised by the interlocking portion 252, the second elevating member 300 is raised by the biasing force of the biasing member 301, and when the container holding portion 201 rises to a predetermined position, the upward movement of the second elevating member 300 is stopped by the stopper 302.

[0049] The interlocking part 252 has a pair of pulleys 320 and 321 arranged in the vertical direction Z, and an annular belt 322 wound around the pair of pulleys 320 and 321.

[0050] The pair of pulleys 320 and 321 are arranged vertically on the plate-shaped member 260. The pair of pulleys 320 and 321 are provided between the first guide rail 272 of the first moving part 250 and the second guide rail 304 of the second moving part 251 in the front-rear direction Y. The pulley 320 is provided near the upper part of the plate-shaped member 260, and the pulley 321 is provided near the lower part of the plate-shaped member 260.

[0051] The belt 322 is wound around the pair of pulleys 320 and 321, and the belt portions 330 and 331 facing each other in the front-rear direction Y move up and down in opposite directions via the pulleys 320 and 321.

[0052] The first moving part 250 is driven by the belt portion 330. That is, the first elevating member 271 is attached to the belt portion 330, and as the belt portion 330 moves up and down, the first elevating member 271, the pipette holding member 270, and the pipette 200 move up and down.

[0053] The second moving part 251 is driven by the belt portion 331. That is, the pressing member 303 is attached to the belt portion 331, and as the belt portion 331 moves up and down, the pressing member 303 moves up and down. As the pressing member 303 moves up and down, the second elevating member 300 and the container holder 201 can move up and down.

[0054] The drive source 253 is a single motor and is connected to the pulley 320. The drive source 253 is fixed to the second plate surface 260b on the left side of the plate-shaped member 260 in the left-right direction X. The drive source 253 can switch between forward rotation and reverse rotation, and can rotate the belt 322 clockwise and counterclockwise via the pulley 320.

[0055] The moving mechanism 202 has a vibration member 350 that vibrates the reaction vessel 70 held by the container holding portion 201. The vibration member 350 is a vibration element that vibrates by power supply, and is provided on the arm portion 311 of the second elevating member 300.

[0056] The moving mechanism 202 has a heating member 360 that heats the specimen or reagent of the pipette 200. The heating member 360 is a heating element that generates heat by power supply, and is provided on the pipette holding member 270.

[0057] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14, the configurations of the specimen rack storage portion 50, the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b, and the specimen rack 66 will be described in detail.

[0058] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b installed in the specimen rack storage portion 50 and the specimen rack 66 placed on the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b. As shown in FIG. 10, the specimen rack tray 65a has an elongated base portion 509a that is rectangular in plan view. The specimen rack tray 65a has a rear light-shielding wall 511a that extends upward from the first end in the length direction of the base portion 509a, a front light-shielding wall 512a that extends upward from the second end in the length direction of the base portion 509a, and a rack placement portion 510a. The specimen rack tray 65a is installed in the specimen rack storage portion 50 with the second end in the length direction of the base portion 509a facing forward in the front-rear direction Y.

[0059] The rack placement portion 510a is a recess formed in the base portion 509a, and is sized to accommodate one specimen rack 66, and is formed between the rear light-shielding wall 511a and the front light-shielding wall 512a. The rack placement portion 510a accommodates the specimen rack 66 with the length direction of the specimen rack 66 along the length direction of the specimen rack tray 65a. The rear light-shielding wall 511a and the front light-shielding wall 512a have a substantially square plate shape with the plate surface facing in the front-rear direction Y, and are formed perpendicular to the base portion 509a.

[0060] The specimen rack tray 65a further has a pressing portion 513a formed at the front end of the base portion 509a and a rail portion 514a protruding from the side surface of the base portion 509a. The pressing portion 513a is a portion that presses the lid portion 34 from the inside of the housing 10 when the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the specimen rack storage portion 50, and protrudes forward of the front light-shielding wall 512a. The rail portion 514a is a portion that is inserted into a slider portion 520a (see FIG. 11 described later) formed at the bottom of the specimen rack storage portion 50, and is formed straight along the length direction of the base portion 509a. Note that the specimen rack tray 65b similarly has a base portion 509b, a rack placement portion 510b, a rear light-shielding wall 511b, a front light-shielding wall 512b, a pressing portion 513b, and a rail portion 514b.

[0061] The specimen rack 66 is a rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers 67, and has a plurality of holding portions 66b capable of holding the plurality of specimen containers 67 in an upright state. The number of the holding portions 66b is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, six holding portions 66b are arranged in a row in the length direction of the specimen rack 66. The specimen rack 66 has a bottom portion 66a having a rectangular shape in plan view and a wall portion 66c extending upward from the bottom portion 66a. The wall portion 66c is formed perpendicular to the bottom portion 66a and partitions a plurality of holding portions 66b that are storage spaces for the specimen containers 67. Each of the holding portions 66b has a size capable of storing one specimen container 67. In the specimen measurement device 1, for example, one type of specimen rack 66 is used.

[0062] The specimen rack 66 is provided with specimen rack identification information 66d. The specimen rack identification information 66d is a display including identification information readable by the information reading device 59a, and is composed of, for example, a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. The identification information read from the specimen rack identification information 66d is a specimen rack ID (identification), which is unique information capable of distinguishing the specimen rack 66 from other racks. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a barcode, which is a one-dimensional code, is provided on the wall portion 66c of the specimen rack 66. The specimen rack identification information 66d is provided, for example, by attaching a label with a barcode printed thereon to the wall portion 66c.

[0063] The specimen container 67 is a bottomed cylindrical container containing a specimen such as blood collected from a subject. The specimen container 67 is provided with specimen identification information 67d. The specimen identification information 67d is identification information that can be read by the information reading device 59a, and is composed of, for example, a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. The identification information read from the specimen identification information 67d is a specimen ID, which is unique information that can distinguish the specimen container 67 from other containers. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a bar code, which is a one-dimensional code, is provided on the side surface of the specimen container 67. The specimen identification information 67d is provided, for example, by attaching a label with a bar code printed thereon to the side surface of the specimen container 67.

[0064] FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing a state in which the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b are stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the specimen rack storage unit 50 is configured to be able to store the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b on which the specimen racks 66 are placed. The specimen rack storage unit 50 includes a first storage space for storing the specimen rack tray 65a and a second storage space for storing the specimen rack tray 65b that can be taken in and out of the housing 10 independently of the specimen rack tray 65a.

[0065] The specimen rack storage unit 50 has storage spaces for two specimen rack trays 65a and 65b adjacent to each other in the left-right direction X of the specimen measuring device 1, and can store a plurality of specimen racks 66. The specimen rack storage unit 50 can store the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b one by one, and each is provided with an independent electric drive mechanism. As shown in FIG. 14 described later, the specimen rack storage unit 50 may be configured or controlled to be able to take out the specimen racks 66 stored in the respective storage spaces of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b one by one. That is, it may be configured or controlled so that the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b cannot be taken out simultaneously.

[0066] The specimen rack storage unit 50 has a cover member 60 provided so as to cover the entire specimen rack trays 65a and 65b. The cover member 60 is a light-shielding member that surrounds the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b, and has an opening 60a that enables the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b to be inserted into and removed from the specimen rack storage unit 50. Further, a dispensing hole 62 (see FIG. 3) that enables dispensing of the specimen from the specimen container 67 is formed in the upper surface portion 61 of the cover member 60.

[0067] The specimen rack storage unit 50 has a slider portion 520a provided on the bottom surface portion 25 of the housing 10. The slider portion 520a includes a groove into which the rail portion 514a of the specimen rack tray 65a is inserted, extends long in the front-rear direction Y, and supports the specimen rack tray 65a in a state movable in the front-rear direction Y. An opening 33 that enables the specimen rack tray 65a to be inserted into and removed from the specimen rack storage unit 50 is formed in the front surface portion 20 of the housing 10, and the cover member 60 is arranged such that its opening 60a overlaps with the opening 33. The specimen rack tray 65a is stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 through the openings 33 and 60a.

[0068] The cover member 60 has a left side surface portion 63 and a right side surface portion 64 that respectively cover the left and right sides of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50. The left side surface portion 63 abuts against the inner surface of the front surface portion 20 of the housing 10 and is arranged without a gap between the inner surface of the front surface portion 20. On the other hand, the right side surface portion 64 is arranged with a predetermined gap between the inner surface of the front surface portion 20. The information reading device 59a is arranged to the immediate right of the specimen rack storage unit 50, and the said gap between the right side surface portion 64 and the front surface portion 20 allows the light emitted from the information reading device 59a to pass through. Note that the front light-shielding walls 512a and 512b of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b are arranged so as to close the opening 33, and suppress external light from entering through the opening 33 when the lid portion 34 is opened.

[0069] On the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b, the specimen rack 66 is placed with the specimen rack identification information 66d facing the right side of the specimen measuring device 1, that is, in the direction of the information reading device 59a. Also, on the specimen rack 66, the specimen containers 67 are held one by one in each holding portion 66b so that the specimen identification information 67d faces the right side of the specimen measuring device 1. The wall portion 66c of the specimen rack 66 is formed so as not to cover the side surface of the specimen container 67 facing the right side of the specimen measuring device 1. For this reason, it is possible to read the specimen identification information 67d of the specimen container 67 stored in the holding portion 66b.

[0070] FIGS. 13 and 14 are views showing a state in which the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the specimen rack storage portion 50. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the specimen rack storage portion 50 is configured to move the specimen rack tray 65a along the front-rear direction Y and to be able to take in and out the specimen rack tray 65a through the opening 33 of the housing 10. The specimen rack storage portion 50 has an electric drive mechanism 521a for moving the specimen rack tray 65a. The drive mechanism 521a includes a motor 530a, two pulleys 531a, and a belt 532a stretched between the two pulleys 531a. The motor 530a is, for example, a stepping motor, a servo motor, or the like.

[0071] The drive mechanism 521a has a structure in which the two pulleys 531a are arranged apart in the front-rear direction Y below the slider portion 520a, and the belt 532a is arranged along the front-rear direction Y. The belt 532a is connected to the specimen rack tray 65a via a predetermined connecting fitting 535a. The motor 530a is arranged behind the specimen rack storage portion 50 and drives the rear pulley 531a. By driving the rear pulley 531a, the belt 532a is interlocked, and the specimen rack tray 65a connected to the belt 532a moves in the front-rear direction Y along the slider portion 520a.

[0072] When the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the specimen rack storage unit 50, as described above, the pressing portion 513a of the specimen rack tray 65a presses the lid portion 34 from the inside of the housing 10, thereby opening the lid portion 34. The drive mechanism 521a moves the specimen rack tray 65a until the rack placement portion 510a of the specimen rack tray 65a is completely pulled out to the outside of the housing 10 and the rear light-shielding wall 511a closes the opening 33. Note that when the rear light-shielding wall 511a closes the opening 33, entry of outside light into the inside of the housing 10 from the opening 33 is suppressed.

[0073] The specimen rack storage unit 50 further includes an electric drive mechanism 521b and is configured to be able to take in and out the specimen rack tray 65b independently of the specimen rack tray 65a. The drive mechanism 521b includes a motor 530b, a pulley 531b, a belt 532b, etc., similar to the drive mechanism 521a.

[0074] The drive mechanism 521a operates based on the operation information of the monitor 40 which is a touch panel. Although details will be described later, when the specimen rack tray 65a is stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50, the motor 530a operates based on the operation of the rack ejection button, the lid portion 34 is pushed by the pressing portion 513a of the specimen rack tray 65a and opens, and the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the specimen rack storage unit 50. Also, when the measurement start button is operated while the specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out, the motor 530a operates and the specimen rack tray 65a moves into the specimen rack storage unit 50.

[0075] The specimen rack storage unit 50 has a home sensor 533 that detects the presence of the specimen rack tray 65a or the specimen rack 66. The home sensor 533 is a sensor that detects the completion of the loading of the specimen rack 66, that is, the movement of the specimen rack 66 to an appropriate position of the specimen rack storage unit 50 where specimen aspiration can be started. In the present embodiment, when the home sensor 533 detects the specimen rack tray 65a, the completion of the loading of the specimen rack 66 is detected. Similarly, in the case of the specimen rack tray 65b, the motor 530b is controlled based on the operation information of the monitor 40, and the completion of the loading of the specimen rack 66 is detected by the home sensor 533.

[0076] The home sensor 533 is provided behind the specimen rack storage unit 50 inside the cover member 60. When the specimen rack tray 65a is stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50, the motor 530 stops when the home sensor 533 detects the specimen rack tray 65a. The home sensor 533 is, for example, a reflective photosensor, and one is provided corresponding to each of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b.

[0077] The specimen rack storage unit 50 has a sensor 534 that detects the specimen container 67 held by the specimen rack 66. The sensor 534 is a sensor for confirming the presence or absence of the specimen (specimen container 67), and a photosensor similar to the home sensor 533 can be used for the sensor 534. The sensor 534 may be provided one by one corresponding to each of the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b. The detection information of the specimen container 67 by the sensor 534 is used as a trigger to start the imaging of the information reading device 59a. The information reading device 59a reads the specimen identification information 67d of the specimen container 67 at the holding portion 66b where the specimen container 67 is detected by the sensor 534.

[0078] Figure 7 is a block diagram regarding the control of the specimen measurement device 1. As shown in Figure 7, the control unit 57 can communicate with various devices such as the specimen rack storage unit 50, the reagent rack storage unit 52, the measurement unit 53, the dispensing unit 58, and the information reading device 59, and controls the operations of the various devices. In this embodiment, two information reading devices 59a and 59b are provided as the information reading device 59 (see Figure 2). The control unit 57 has a CPU and a memory, and the CPU executes a program stored in the memory to control the various devices and perform specimen measurement.

[0079] The control unit 57 is connected to the monitor 40 which is a display input unit. For example, based on the information input from the monitor 40, the control unit 57 performs specimen measurement and displays the result of the specimen measurement on the monitor 40. Also, the control unit 57 is connected to a host computer via a communication network. The specimen measurement device 1 is installed, for example, in a hospital laboratory. In this case, an example of the host computer is a system that is connected to a plurality of inspection devices including the specimen measurement device 1 and centrally manages information regarding specimens.

[0080] In the specimen measurement device 1, the measurement mode is set in units of specimen racks. The control unit 57 executes processing related to the measurement of a specimen according to the normal mode set in units of specimen racks as the measurement mode of the specimen or the emergency mode in which the measurement urgency is higher than that of the normal mode. Although it will be described in detail later, when the first specimen rack in the normal mode and the second specimen rack in the emergency mode are stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50, the control unit 57 preferentially measures the specimen held in the second specimen rack.

[0081] With reference to Figure 15, an example of specimen measurement by the specimen measurement device 1 will be described. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the specimen measurement process.

[0082] In the specimen measurement of the specimen measurement device 1, mainly, the transfer process S1 of the reaction vessel, the dispensing process S2 of the specimen, the dispensing process S3 of the reagent, the measurement process S4, and the recovery / disposal process S5 of the reaction vessel are performed in this order. These respective processes are executed under the control of the control unit 57.

[0083] Before the start of sample measurement, a plurality of empty reaction vessels 70 are stored in the reaction vessel storage section 51. A sample rack 66 that holds a plurality of sample containers 67 containing samples is placed on the sample rack tray 65a or the sample rack tray 65b and stored in the sample rack storage section 50. Also, a reagent rack that holds a reagent container containing a reagent is placed on the reagent rack tray 85 and stored in the reagent rack storage section 52.

[0084] Then, in sample measurement, a transfer process S1 of the reaction vessel 70 is performed. In the transfer process S1 of the reaction vessel, first, the container holding portion 201 of the dispensing device 190 moves from the initial position onto the container rack 71 of the reaction vessel storage section 51, and then descends to hold the empty reaction vessel 70 of the container rack 71.

[0085] Next, the container holding portion 201 moves onto the heating section 90 and then descends, and the reaction vessel 70 is held in the holding hole 120 of the heating section 90. Then, the container holding portion 201 ascends.

[0086] Subsequently, a sample dispensing process S2 is performed. First, the pipette 200 of the dispensing device 190 moves onto the sample rack storage section 50 and descends. The pipette 200 is inserted into the sample container 67 of the sample rack 66 placed on the sample rack tray 65a or the sample rack tray 65b through the dispensing hole 62 on the upper surface portion 61 of the cover member 60 to aspirate the sample. The dispensing hole 62 is formed corresponding to all the holding portions 66b of the sample rack 66, and the pipette 200 can aspirate the sample from all the sample containers 67 held in the sample rack 66. Although details will be described later, in the sample dispensing process S2, it is determined from which of the sample rack trays 65a and 65b to dispense the sample according to the measurement priority determined based on the first priority criterion regarding the measurement mode and the second priority criterion regarding conditions other than the measurement mode.

[0087] Thereafter, the pipette 200 ascends on the sample rack storage section 50 and moves onto the heating section 90. The pipette 200 descends toward the reaction vessel 70 of the heating section 90 and injects the sample into the reaction vessel 70.

[0088] Next, the pipette 200 rises above the heating unit 90 and moves onto the cleaning unit 54. The pipette 200 descends toward the cleaning tank 160 of the cleaning unit 54, is inserted into the cleaning tank 160, and is cleaned. Finally, the pipette 200 rises above the cleaning unit 54.

[0089] Next, the reagent dispensing step S3 is performed. First, the pipette 200 moves onto the reagent rack storage unit 52 and descends. The pipette 200 is inserted into the reagent container of the reagent rack held by the reagent rack tray 85 through the dispensing hole 82 on the upper surface portion 81 of the cover member 80, and aspirates the reagent.

[0090] Next, the pipette 200 rises above the reagent rack storage unit 52. Next, the reagent in the pipette 200 is heated by the heating member 360. While the reagent in the pipette 200 is being heated, the pipette 200 moves onto the heating unit 90.

[0091] Next, the container holding unit 201 of the dispensing device 190 descends toward the reaction vessel 70 of the heating unit 90 and holds the reaction vessel 70 of the heating unit 90.

[0092] Next, the container holding unit 201 rises above the heating unit 90, and the pipette 200 descends and is inserted into the reaction vessel 70. Then, the pipette 200 injects the reagent into the reaction vessel 70 of the container holding unit 201. Next, the reaction vessel 70 of the container holding unit 201 is vibrated by the vibrating member 350, the sample containing the reagent is stirred, and the measurement reagent is prepared.

[0093] Next, the container holding unit 201 moves onto the detection unit 91 and then descends. The container holding unit 201 descends toward the holding hole 130 of the detection unit 91 and holds the reaction vessel 70 in the holding hole 130. Finally, the container holding unit 201 rises above the detection unit 91.

[0094] Next, the measurement step S4 is performed. The specimen measurement performed in the measurement step S4 is affected by external light. In the detection unit 91, blood coagulation measurement for analyzing the activity of the coagulation factor of the specimen accommodated in the reaction vessel 70 is performed. As shown in FIG. 6, the measurement is performed by irradiating light from the light source 140 to the measurement sample in the reaction vessel 70, the detector 141 detecting the light transmitted through the measurement sample, and measuring the optical information of the measurement sample.

[0095] The optical information is the time-series data of the light detected by the detector 141. That is, the optical information is time-series data continuously detected for a predetermined time, and the time when the time-series data is detected is about 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Note that the time-series data may be a plurality of time-series data obtained by detecting light of a plurality of wavelengths that have passed through the measurement sample. For example, the time-series data may be for calculating the coagulation time of the specimen, the concentration or activity of the components contained in the specimen, or the coagulation time of the specimen may be calculated from the time-series data using the percent detection method. Also, the concentration or activity of the components contained in the specimen may be calculated from the time-series data using the synthetic substrate measurement method, or the concentration or activity of the components contained in the specimen may be calculated from the time-series data using the immunoturbidimetry measurement method.

[0096] Finally, the reaction vessel recovery and disposal step S5 is performed. First, the container holding unit 201 of the dispensing device 190 moves above the detection unit 91 and then descends. Next, the container holding unit 201 holds the reaction vessel 70 of the detection unit 91.

[0097] Next, the container holding unit 201 rises above the detection unit 91 and moves above the disposal unit 55. The container holding unit 201 descends toward the disposal port 170 of the disposal unit 55 and disposes of the reaction vessel 70 at the disposal port 170. Finally, the container holding unit 201 rises above the disposal unit 55 and then returns to the initial position.

[0098] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 16 to 23, the measurement mode of the specimen, particularly the emergency mode, will be described in detail. Also, the main menu screen 600 including the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612, and the order screen 700 including the emergency mode selection button 702 will be described in detail.

[0099] FIG. 16 shows the main menu screen 600. FIG. 17 shows the order screen 700 for selecting the measurement mode of the specimen and starting the measurement. The main menu screen 600 and the order screen 700 are displayed on the monitor 40. As shown in FIG. 16, the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 are displayed on the main menu screen 600. When the rack ejection button 611 is operated, the left specimen rack tray 65a is pulled out from the housing 10, and the specimen rack 66 placed on the specimen rack tray 65a is taken out from the specimen rack storage unit 50, and the order screen 700 shown in FIG. 17 is displayed on the monitor 40. When the rack ejection button 612 is operated, the right specimen rack tray 65b is pulled out from the housing 10, and the specimen rack 66 placed on the specimen rack tray 65b is taken out from the specimen rack storage unit 50, and the order screen 700 shown in FIG. 17 is displayed on the monitor 40.

[0100] In this embodiment, the specimen rack 66 is stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 in a state of being placed on the specimen rack tray 65a and the specimen rack tray 65b. By operating the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612, the drive mechanism of the specimen rack storage unit 50 is activated, and the specimen rack tray 65a and the specimen rack tray 65b are pulled out from the housing 10. The operator can select the measurement mode of the specimen in units of racks on the order screen 700, and by operating the measurement start button 705 on the order screen 700, the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b on which the specimen rack 66 is placed can be inserted into the specimen rack storage unit 50. When the measurement start button 705 is operated, the drive mechanism of the specimen rack storage unit 50 is activated, and the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b are pulled into the housing 10.

[0101] In the specimen measurement device 1, as described above, the measurement mode is set for each specimen rack unit. The measurement modes include a normal mode and an emergency mode with a higher measurement urgency than the normal mode. By the function of the control unit 57, the measurement mode of the specimen is set for each specimen rack unit, and the specimens held in the emergency mode specimen rack 66 are given priority over the specimens held in the normal mode specimen rack 66. By setting the emergency mode for each specimen rack unit, for example, it becomes unnecessary to prepare barcodes for emergency specimens, manually input necessary information, etc., and the interrupt measurement of emergency specimens can be carried out simply and quickly.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 16, on the main menu screen 600, a first toolbar 610 including rack ejection buttons 611, 612, a second toolbar 620, and a menu icon display area 630 are displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the first toolbar 610 is displayed at the lower end of the main menu screen 600, and the second toolbar 620 is displayed at the upper end of the main menu screen 600. However, for example, the positions of the toolbars may be reversed, or they may be arbitrarily changed. The main menu screen 600 is, for example, the screen that is first displayed when the specimen measurement device 1 is started.

[0103] In the menu icon display area 630, a plurality of icons for performing various operations and displaying information are displayed. Examples of the icons displayed in the menu icon display area 630 include a reagent and consumable icon 631, a calibration curve icon 632, a QC chart icon 633, a maintenance icon 634, an error history icon 635, a logoff icon 636, and a shutdown icon 637, etc. The operator can, for example, check the usage status of the reagents and consumables loaded in the specimen measurement device 1 by operating the reagent and consumable icon 631.

[0104] The first toolbar 610 is a strip-shaped area including rack ejection buttons 611 and 612, and is displayed at the lower part of the main menu screen 600. The toolbar 610 further includes an information display section 613 for displaying information such as error messages. The toolbar 610 may also include various indicators for displaying information such as the state of the device, the state of the host computer, the remaining amounts of reagents, consumables, etc.

[0105] The toolbar 610 is preferably displayed on a plurality of screens including the main menu screen 600. That is, the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 are displayed on at least one selected from a plurality of screens, preferably on a plurality of screens including the main menu screen 600. In this case, when taking out the specimen rack 66 from the specimen rack storage unit 50, the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 can be operated on a screen other than the main menu screen 600, improving usability. Note that the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 may be displayed outside the toolbar 610, or may be displayed in the menu icon display area 630 or the like.

[0106] Indicators 611a and 612a for indicating the state of the specimen rack 66 stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 and the state of the specimen held by the specimen rack 66 are provided on the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612. For example, when the specimen rack 66 is not stored in the specimen rack tray 65a or a specimen rack 66 not including the specimen container 67 is stored, the indicator 611a displays the character "None" indicating an empty state (the same applies to the indicator 612a). When a specimen is aspirated from the specimen container 67 held by the specimen rack 66 and measurement is started, the indicator 611a displays the character "Processing" indicating that measurement is in progress.

[0107] When the specimen is aspirated from all the specimen containers 67 held in the specimen rack 66, or when it is determined that re-examination will not be performed, the indicator 611a displays the character "Completed" indicating the completion of aspiration. Also, depending on the specimen rack 66 and the state of the specimen, the color, lighting state, etc. of the rack discharge button itself may be changed. The color of the rack discharge buttons 611, 612 may change, for example, to "white" in the empty state, "green" during measurement, and "blue" when aspiration is completed.

[0108] In the example shown in FIG. 16, circular marks 611b, 612b are respectively displayed above the right of the rack discharge buttons 611, 612. The marks 611b, 612b function as indicators showing the state of the specimen rack 66 and the state of the specimens held in the specimen rack 66. The marks 611b, 612b may change at least one of their color and lighting state, or may become non-displayed, for example, according to the state of the specimen rack 66 and the specimens. Note that the shape, arrangement, etc. of the marks 611b, 612b are not particularly limited.

[0109] Table 1 shows an example of the display mode of the marks 611b, 612b.

Table 1

[0110] For example, the marks 611b, 612b light up in blue until the specimen aspiration starts after the specimen rack trays 65a, 65b are pulled out by operating the rack discharge buttons 611, 612, and light up in green from the start of specimen aspiration until the measurement of all the specimens in the specimen rack 66 is completed or until the aspiration of all the specimens is completed. Also, when the measurement or aspiration of all the specimens in the specimen rack 66 is finished, the marks 611b, 612b enter a blinking state.

[0111] Note that the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 may have only one of the indicators 611a and 612a or marks 611b and 612b. When the marks 611b and 612b are displayed on the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612, characters indicating that they are buttons for ejecting the specimen rack 66 (for example, "Rack Open / Close") may be displayed on the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612.

[0112] The second toolbar 620 is a strip-shaped area including a third rack ejection button 621. In the present embodiment, when the specimen rack 66 is pulled out from the specimen rack storage unit 50 by operating the rack ejection buttons 611 and 612 of the first toolbar 610 and the order screen 700 is displayed on the monitor 40, the order screen 700 can also be opened by operating the third rack ejection button 621. However, when the third rack ejection button 621 is operated, the control unit 57 determines the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b to be moved to the extraction position based on the measurement status of the specimens placed on the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b.

[0113] The toolbar 620 may include some of the icons displayed in the menu icon display area 630. Also, the toolbar 620 may be displayed on a plurality of screens including the main menu screen 600, similar to the toolbar 610.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 17, on the order screen 700, an order registration unit 701 for registering specimen information such as specimen ID and measurement items and a measurement start button 705 are displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the order registration unit 701 is displayed in the center of the order screen 700, and the measurement start button 705 is displayed in the lower right of the screen. The measurement start button 705 is a button for starting the measurement of the specimen. By operating this button, the specimen racks 66 placed on the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b are drawn into the specimen rack storage unit 50, and the specimen identification information 67d of each specimen container 67 is read by the information reading device 59a. The order screen 700 is displayed on the monitor 40 until, for example, the loading of the specimen rack 66 is completed.

[0115] The order registration unit 701 is displayed in a table format in which information on each specimen can be input. When information on a specimen such as measurement items is registered in the host computer in association with the specimen ID, there is no need to input the information into the order registration unit 701. After placing the specimen rack 66 on the pulled-out specimen rack tray 65a and the specimen rack tray 65b, the measurement start button 705 may be operated. In this case, as described above, the information reading device 59a reads the specimen identification information 67d of the specimen container 67 held in the specimen rack 66 and inquires the host computer of information necessary for specimen measurement such as measurement items.

[0116] The order screen 700 functions as an input screen that allows selection of the measurement mode of a specimen in units of specimen racks. In the present embodiment, when the emergency mode is selected on the order screen 700, the control unit 57 preferentially measures the specimens held in the corresponding specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode. On the other hand, when the emergency mode is not selected, the control unit 57 measures the specimens held in the corresponding specimen rack 66 in the normal mode. That is, when measuring a specimen in the normal mode, an operation for selecting the normal mode is not required.

[0117] The order screen 700 includes a measurement mode selection button for selecting the measurement mode in units of specimen racks. In the present embodiment, an emergency mode selection button 702 is provided as the measurement mode selection button. The emergency mode selection button 702 is a button for selecting whether or not to apply the emergency mode in units of specimen racks. By providing the emergency mode selection button 702 on the order screen 700, an operator can easily select the measurement mode. When the emergency mode is selected by the emergency mode selection button 702, the control unit 57 preferentially measures the specimens held in the corresponding specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode.

[0118] The emergency mode selection button 702 has a checkbox. Also, the characters "STAT", which mean emergency, are displayed on the emergency mode selection button 702. When the operator checks the checkbox of the emergency mode selection button 702, the measurement mode of the specimens being registered in the order screen 700 is set to the emergency mode in rack units. That is, by operating the emergency mode selection button 702, the measurement modes of all the specimens held in the corresponding specimen rack 66 are set to the emergency mode.

[0119] The emergency mode selection button 702 is arranged above the order registration unit 701 on the screen, but the arrangement of the button is not particularly limited. Also, the emergency mode selection button 702 may be a pull-down type button, and the configuration of the button is not particularly limited. The order screen 700 may be provided with a button for selecting whether or not to apply the normal mode, but in this embodiment, such a button is not provided. Therefore, when the emergency mode is not selected by the emergency mode selection button 702, the control unit 57 measures the specimens held in the corresponding specimen rack 66 in the normal mode.

[0120] The order screen 700 further includes a measurement mode display unit 703 and a rack identification information display unit 704. For example, the currently selected measurement mode is displayed on the measurement mode display unit 703. The measurement mode display unit 703 may be provided with a pull-down type button, and this button may function as a measurement mode selection button, and the measurement mode may be selectable by operating this button. The identification number or management number of the specimen rack 66 is displayed on the rack identification information display unit 704.

[0121] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an order screen 700, and shows a screen when the emergency mode is selected and the specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode is retracted into the specimen rack storage unit 50. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the checkbox of the emergency mode selection button 702 is checked, and the characters "Emergency Specimen Order" indicating that the emergency mode is selected are displayed in the measurement mode display unit 703. When the emergency mode is not selected, characters such as "Normal Specimen Order" indicating that the measurement mode is the normal mode may be displayed in the measurement mode display unit 703.

[0122] The order screen 700 further includes a reading result display unit 706 on which the reading status and results of the specimen identification information 67a by the information reading device 59a are displayed. In the reading result display unit 706, a rack image with a position number assigned to each holding unit 66b of the specimen rack 66 is displayed, and the reading status and results of the specimen identification information 67a are displayed for each holding unit 66b. In the example shown in FIG. 18, specimen containers 67 are installed in the holding units 66b of No5 and No6, and icons indicating that the specimen identification information 67a has been normally read are displayed at No5 and No6 of the rack image.

[0123] As described above, the order screen 700 displays a rack image indicating the reading status and results of the specimen identification information 67a for each specimen holding position in the specimen rack 66. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the reading result display unit 706 including the rack image is displayed immediately to the left of the order registration unit 701, but the reading status and results of the specimen identification information 67a may be displayed in the table of the order registration unit 701. The reading result display unit 706 is displayed, for example, at the timing when the measurement start button 705 is operated. An icon indicating the situation may be displayed at the position where the reading of the specimen identification information 67a by the information reading device 59a is in progress or will be executed next.

[0124] When the specimen identification information 67a cannot be read, an icon indicating a reading abnormality is displayed at the corresponding position of the rack image on the reading result display unit 706. For example, when the specimen container 67 is installed in the specimen rack 66 with the specimen identification information 67a facing in the direction opposite to the information reading device 59a, the specimen identification information 67a cannot be read, and an icon indicating a reading abnormality is displayed. In this case, the operator can pull out the specimen rack 66 from the specimen rack storage unit 50 and reinstall the specimen container 67. Note that no icon regarding the success or failure of reading is displayed on the holding unit 66b where the specimen container 67 does not exist.

[0125] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the procedures for taking out, installing, and setting the measurement mode of the specimen rack 66. In FIG. 19, starting from the state where the specimen rack 66 being measured in the normal mode exists in the specimen rack tray 65a on the left side of the specimen rack storage unit 50 and the main menu screen 600 is displayed on the monitor 40, the procedures until the measurement mode is set for the specimen rack 66 to be installed in the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side are shown. It is assumed that a measured specimen rack 66 is installed in the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 19, in step S10, the main menu screen 600 is displayed on the monitor 40. The main menu screen 600 includes a rack ejection button 612 for pulling out the specimen rack 66 from the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side. When the control unit 57 acquires the operation signal of the rack ejection button 612 (Yes in step S11), it pulls out the specimen rack 66 from the specimen rack tray 65b (step S12) and causes the order screen 700 to be displayed on the monitor 40 (step S13). If the operation signal of the rack ejection button 612 is not acquired (No in step S11), the process does not proceed to steps S12 and S13.

[0127] In step S12, the control unit 57 controls the drive mechanism of the specimen rack storage unit 50 to move the specimen rack tray 65b on which the specimen rack 66 is placed forward of the apparatus. In step S13, the control unit 57 switches the screen of the monitor 40 from the main menu screen 600 to the order screen 700, or displays the order screen 700 above the main menu screen 600. Note that steps S12 and S13 may be executed simultaneously, or the removal of the specimen rack 66 may be executed after the order screen 700 is displayed on the monitor 40. When performing additional measurement of a specimen, the operator places the specimen rack 66 holding the specimen container 67 on the pulled-out specimen rack tray 65b.

[0128] When the control unit 57 acquires an operation signal of the emergency mode selection button 702 (Yes in step S14), it sets the measurement mode of the specimen rack 66 placed on the specimen rack tray 65b to the emergency mode (step S15). As described above, since the measurement mode of a specimen is set in units of specimen racks, the measurement modes of all specimens held in the specimen rack 66 are set to the emergency mode. On the other hand, when the operation signal of the emergency mode selection button 702 is not acquired in step S14 (No in step S14), the control unit 57 sets the measurement mode of the specimen rack 66 to the normal mode (step S16).

[0129] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a procedure for inserting the specimen rack tray 65b into the specimen rack storage unit 50. As shown in FIG. 20, when the control unit 57 acquires an operation signal of the measurement start button 705 (Yes in step S20), it displays a reading result display unit 706 on the order screen 700 (step S21) and draws the specimen rack tray 65b into the specimen rack storage unit 50 (step S22). When the operation signal of the measurement start button 705 is not acquired (No in step S20), steps S21 and S22 are not proceeded to.

[0130] In step S21, the control unit 57 controls the drive mechanism of the specimen rack storage unit 50 to move the specimen rack tray 65b on which the specimen rack 66 is placed into the specimen rack storage unit. The drive mechanism moves the specimen rack tray 65b into the specimen rack storage unit while temporarily stopping it at the reading position of the specimen identification information 67a by the information reading device 59a. In step S22, the control unit 57 causes a rack image with a position number assigned to each holding unit 66b of the specimen rack 66 to be displayed on the order screen 700. Note that steps S21 and S22 may be executed simultaneously, or the reading result display unit 706 may be displayed on the order screen 700 after starting the drawing-in of the specimen rack 66.

[0131] When the control unit 57 acquires the detection signal of the specimen container 67 by the sensor 534 installed in the specimen rack storage unit 50 (Yes in step S23), it reads the specimen identification information 67a by the information reading device 59a (step S24). The control unit 57 repeats steps S22 to S24 until the detection signal of the specimen rack tray 65b is acquired by the origin sensor 533 installed in the specimen rack storage unit 50. When the detection signal of the origin sensor 533 is acquired (Yes in step S25), the specimen rack tray 65b is in a state of being drawn into the back of the specimen rack storage unit 50, and the input process of the specimen rack 66 is completed. Note that the control unit 57 controls the motor 530b of the drive mechanism 521b to move the specimen rack tray 65b. Similarly, when moving the specimen rack tray 65a, the control unit 57 controls the motor 530a of the drive mechanism 521a.

[0132] Hereinafter, a specific example will be given and described for the method of determining the priority of specimen measurement with appropriate reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

[0133] In the method for determining the priority of specimen measurement in this embodiment, first, the priority of specimen measurement is determined based on whether there is an emergency measurement designation. Second, the priority of specimen measurement is determined based on a second criterion, such as the input time of the specimen rack 66. The presence of an emergency measurement designation means that the measurement mode of the specimen is set to the emergency mode. In this embodiment, it means that the emergency mode selection button 702 is operated on the order screen 700. On the other hand, the absence of an emergency measurement designation means that the measurement mode of the specimen is set to the normal mode.

[0134] When there is an emergency measurement designation, that is, when the measurement mode of the specimen is set to the emergency mode, the control unit 57 gives priority to measuring the specimen in the second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode over the specimen in the first specimen rack 66 in the normal mode. On the other hand, when there is no emergency measurement designation, that is, when the measurement mode of the specimen is set to the normal mode, the control unit 57 determines the priority of specimen measurement based on the input time of the specimen rack 66 into the specimen rack storage unit 50. Specifically, the specimen with the earlier input time of the specimen rack 66 is preferentially measured.

[0135] The control unit 57 determines the priority of measurement based on the first priority criterion regarding the measurement mode, and when the measurement modes of the respective specimen racks 66 stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 are the same, determines the priority of measurement based on the second priority criterion regarding conditions other than the measurement mode. In determining the priority of specimen measurement, the first priority criterion takes precedence over the second priority criterion, and as long as interrupt measurement of emergency specimens is possible, the emergency specimens held in the specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode are measured earlier than the normal specimens held in the specimen rack 66 in the normal mode.

[0136] Note that a priority measurement tray may be defined for the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b in the specimen rack storage unit 50. For example, when the specimen racks 66 are inserted into the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b substantially simultaneously, if the specimen rack tray 65a is set as the priority measurement tray and the measurement modes of all the specimen racks 66 are in the normal mode, the measurement of the specimens in the specimen rack tray 65a will be prioritized over the specimens in the specimen rack tray 65b. In this case, the location where the specimen rack 66 is installed (specimen rack tray 65a, specimen rack tray 65b) becomes the second priority criterion.

[0137] The control unit 57 preferably determines the measurement priority based on the first priority criterion regarding the measurement mode and the second priority criterion regarding the time. When the measurement modes of the respective specimen racks 66 stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 are the same, the control unit 57 preferentially measures the specimens held in the specimen rack 66 with an earlier input time to the specimen rack storage unit 50 based on the second priority criterion. The input time of the specimen rack 66 to the specimen rack storage unit 50 is not limited to the start time or completion time of the insertion of the specimen rack 66, and may be the time when the operation for inserting the specimen rack 66 is performed.

[0138] The input time regarding the second priority criterion is determined based on at least one selected from, for example, (1) the time when the completion of the insertion of the specimen rack 66 is detected by the origin sensor 533 installed in the specimen rack storage unit 50, (2) the time when the specimen container 67 is detected by the sensor 534 (specimen presence / absence confirmation sensor) installed in the specimen rack storage unit 50, (3) the time when the measurement start button 705 is operated, and (4) the time when the information regarding the specimen is input on the order screen 700.

[0139] The times in (3) and (4) above can be regarded as the times when operations for loading the specimen rack 66 are performed. In particular, since the pulling-in of the specimen rack 66 is started by operating the measurement start button 705 at the time in (3), it can be regarded as the start time of loading. When information regarding the specimen such as the measurement item is registered in the host computer in association with the specimen ID, there is no need to input information regarding the specimen on the order screen 700, so any one of the times in (1) to (3) is regarded as the loading time regarding the second priority criterion.

[0140] When the measurement modes of a plurality of specimen racks 66 stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 are the same, the control unit 57 may preferentially perform the measurement of the specimen that arrived at the laboratory earlier based on the second priority criterion regarding time. Generally, since specimens are transported to the laboratory in the order in which they are collected, if the specimens that arrived at the laboratory earlier can be preferentially measured, it becomes easier to perform the measurements in the order in which the specimens are collected.

[0141] The time when the specimen arrives at the laboratory is, for example, the time when the specimen identification information 67a is read by an information reading device such as a barcode reader installed in the laboratory. Alternatively, when an IC tag is attached to the specimen rack 66 or the specimen container 67 (the specimen identification information 67a may be constituted by the IC tag) and an IC tag detector is installed at the entrance of the laboratory, the time when the IC tag is detected may be regarded as the time when the specimen arrives at the laboratory.

[0142] In addition to the above loading time, the management number, status information, etc. of the specimen rack 66 may be used as the second priority criterion. For example, the control unit 57 assigns a serial number each time the specimen rack 66 is loaded into the specimen rack storage unit 50, and when the measurement modes of each specimen rack 66 stored in the specimen rack storage unit 50 are the same, it preferentially measures the specimen of the specimen rack 66 with a smaller serial number. The serial number may include information such as the measurement date and the measuring device, and generally, the numbers are assigned in the order in which the specimen racks are loaded into the specimen rack storage unit 50.

[0143] The above status information is set, for example, in the order in which each specimen rack 66 is inserted into the specimen rack storage unit 50. The specimen rack 66 inserted first has the status "A", and the specimen rack 66 inserted later has the status "B". When the measurement of the specimen is completed and the specimen rack 66 is taken out, the status information is reset, and the specimen rack 66 of the specimen being measured and inserted later has the status A. The control unit 57 measures the specimens in the specimen rack 66 with the status A prior to the specimens in the specimen rack 66 with the status B, unless a specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode is inserted.

[0144] FIGS. 21 and 22 are diagrams for explaining a specific example of the emergency mode, showing a case where a second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode is inserted into the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side while a first specimen rack 66 being measured in the normal mode exists in the specimen rack tray 65a on the left side.

[0145] As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, even after the aspiration of the specimen has started for the first specimen rack 66 in the normal mode installed in the specimen rack tray 65a on the left side, when a second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode is inserted into the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side, the aspiration of the normal specimen is interrupted and the aspiration of the emergency specimen is given priority. Here, the normal specimen means the specimen held in the first specimen rack 66 in the normal mode, and the emergency specimen means the specimen held in the second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode.

[0146] In the example shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, at the time when the second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode is inserted into the specimen rack storage unit 50, the aspiration of the three normal specimens held in L1 to L3 of the first specimen rack 66 in the normal mode has been completed. That is, the three normal specimens held in L4 to L6 of the first rack are in an unaspirated state. Note that L1 to L6 indicate the positions of the holding portions 66b of the first specimen rack 66 installed in the specimen rack tray 65a on the left side. R1 to R6 indicate the positions of the holding portions 66b of the second specimen rack 66 installed in the specimen rack tray 65b on the right side.

[0147] In the above state, the control unit 57 interrupts the aspiration of the normal specimens in L4 to L6 of the first specimen rack 66 and first performs the aspiration of the emergency specimens held in the second specimen rack 66. In the example shown in FIG. 22, a specimen container 67 containing emergency specimens for which interrupt measurement is to be performed is held at R5 and R6 of the second specimen rack 66. That is, the control unit 57 causes the measurement of the emergency specimens at R5 and R6 of the second specimen rack 66 to interrupt before the measurement of the normal specimens in L4 to L6 of the first specimen rack 66. Then, the aspiration of the normal specimens in L4 to L6 of the first specimen rack 66 is performed after aspirating the emergency specimens at R5 and R6 of the second specimen rack 66.

[0148] When the pre-measurement process of the normal specimen is in progress, the control unit 57 first performs the measurement of the emergency specimen after performing the measurement of the specimen related to the pre-measurement process. The normal specimens in L1 to L3 of the first specimen rack 66 have completed the aspiration of the specimen and are being temperature-controlled in the heating unit 90. In this embodiment, the measurement of the normal specimens in L1 to L3 continues as it is, and after that measurement, the measurement of the emergency specimens at R5 and R6 of the second specimen rack 66 is performed. For example, it is also possible to discard the normal specimens in L1 to L3 and first perform the measurement of the emergency specimens at R5 and R6, but by continuing the measurement of the normal specimens whose pre-measurement process is in progress as it is, the loss of the specimen can be prevented.

[0149] When the aspiration operation of the normal specimen is in progress, the control unit 57 first performs the measurement of the emergency specimen after the aspiration of the specimen is completed. It is also possible to discard the aspirated normal specimen and first perform the measurement of the emergency specimens at R5 and R6, but by continuing the measurement of the aspirated normal specimen as it is, the loss of the specimen can be prevented. Also, when the movement of the pipette 200 has started toward L3 of the first specimen rack 66 where the normal specimen is held but the normal specimen has not yet been aspirated by the pipette 200 of the dispensing device 190, the control unit 57 may aspirate the emergency specimen after the aspiration of the normal specimen in L3 is completed.

[0150] As described above, after measuring the emergency specimens held in the second specimen rack 66, the control unit 57 measures the unmeasured normal specimens held in the first specimen rack 66. At this time, no special operation by the operator is required, and the control unit 57 automatically measures the unmeasured normal specimens. That is, when the aspiration of the emergency specimens in R5 and R6 of the second specimen rack 66 is completed, the aspiration of the normal specimens in L4 to L6 of the first specimen rack 66 is automatically restarted, and the measurement of the normal specimens in L4 to L6 is performed following the measurement of the emergency specimens in R5 and R6.

[0151] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 23 to 27, another example of the embodiment will be described. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those in the above embodiment, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0152] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a modified example of the specimen rack storage unit, and FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a modified example of the main menu screen. FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining the priority of specimen measurement when the specimen rack storage unit includes three or more storage units as illustrated in FIG. 23.

[0153] As shown in FIG. 23, a specimen measurement apparatus 1x, which is another example of the embodiment, includes a specimen rack storage unit 50x including three or more rack storage units (trays) capable of independently loading and unloading the specimen rack 66. The specimen rack storage unit 50x includes five specimen rack trays 65A to 65E capable of storing one specimen rack 66 each. The specimen rack storage unit 50x including the trays 65A to 65E may have a manual rack loading and unloading structure, but preferably has an electric drive mechanism for moving the specimen rack trays 65A to 65E in the front-rear direction Y. Each of the trays 65A to 65E is independently loaded and unloaded based on the operation of the monitor 40, which is a display input unit, in the same manner as the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b described above.

[0154] Note that when three or more trays are provided as in the specimen measurement apparatus 1x, it may be possible to set the normal mode / emergency mode only for specific trays (for example, tray 65A and tray 65B).

[0155] As shown in FIG. 24, on the main menu screen 600x, five rack ejection buttons 651 to 655 corresponding to five specimen rack trays 65A to 65E are provided. The rack ejection buttons 651 to 655 are buttons for taking out the specimen rack 66 from the trays 65A to 65E, and may include character information or the like for identifying the trays. For example, the operator can pull out the specimen rack tray 65A on which the specimen rack 66 is placed by operating the rack ejection button 651. When the rack ejection button 651 is operated, the drive mechanism operates, and the specimen rack tray 65A is taken out from the specimen rack storage unit 50x. Similar to the above-described rack ejection buttons 611 and 612, the rack ejection buttons 651 to 655 are included in the toolbar 610x of the main menu screen 600x and may be displayed on a plurality of screens including the main menu screen 600x.

[0156] FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the priority of specimen measurement in the specimen measurement apparatus 1x. As shown in FIG. 25, in the specimen measurement apparatus 1x as well, first, the priority of specimen measurement is determined based on the presence or absence of designation of emergency measurement (step S40), which is common to the case of the specimen measurement apparatus 1. When there is a designation of emergency measurement in step S40, the control unit 57 gives priority to measuring the specimens in the emergency mode specimen rack 66 over the specimens in the normal mode specimen rack 66 previously installed in the specimen rack storage unit 50x. Further, when there is no designation of emergency measurement in step S40, the control unit 57 determines the priority of specimen measurement based on the time when the specimen rack 66 is inserted into the specimen rack storage unit 50x (step S41).

[0157] In the specimen measurement device 1x, even when an emergency measurement is specified, the priority of specimen measurement is determined based on the second criterion (step S42), which is different from the case of the specimen measurement device 1. In the specimen measurement device 1x, since there are five specimen rack trays 65A to 65E, there may be a situation where emergency measurements are specified for a plurality of specimen racks 66. In such a case, similar to the specimen racks 66 in the normal mode, the priority of specimen measurement is determined based on the time when the specimen rack 66 is inserted into the specimen rack storage unit 50x (step S42), and the specimen with an earlier insertion time of the specimen rack 66 is preferentially measured.

[0158] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a modified example of the order screen. The order screen 700y illustrated in FIG. 27 is common to the above order screen 700 in that it includes an emergency mode selection button 702, a measurement start button 705, etc. On the other hand, the order screen 700y is different from the order screen 700 in that it includes a second emergency mode selection button 710. The second emergency mode selection button 710 has, for example, a check box similar to the first emergency mode selection button 702. In addition, the characters "urgency (high)" are displayed on the second emergency mode selection button 710.

[0159] The second emergency mode selection button 710 is used when performing interrupt measurement preferentially over the emergency specimens of the specimen rack 66 after the specimen rack 66 set to the emergency mode by operating the first emergency mode selection button 702 is inserted into the specimen rack storage unit. That is, the scene where the second emergency mode selection button 710 is operated is when the specimen rack 66 set to the emergency mode is installed in the specimen rack storage unit. The second emergency mode selection button 710 is preferably applied to a specimen measurement device including three or more trays such as the specimen rack storage unit 50x.

[0160] When the second emergency mode selection button 710 is operated, the control unit 57 preferentially measures the second emergency specimen set by the operation of the second emergency mode selection button 710 over the first emergency specimen set by the operation of the first emergency mode selection button 702. The method of interrupt measurement of the second emergency specimen is, for example, the same as the interrupt measurement of the first emergency specimen for a normal specimen, but as in the method described later, it is also possible to interrupt the measurement pre-treatment or aspiration of the previous specimen and perform the interrupt measurement of the second emergency specimen.

[0161] When the measurement pre-treatment or aspiration of the normal specimen held in the normal mode specimen rack 66 is in progress, the control unit 57 may interrupt the measurement pre-treatment or aspiration and preferentially perform the measurement of the emergency specimen held in the second specimen rack 66 in the emergency mode. In this case, the control unit 57 makes an error in the measurement of the normal specimen whose measurement pre-treatment or aspiration has been interrupted. By interrupting the measurement pre-treatment or aspiration of the normal specimen, the measurement result of the emergency specimen can be obtained more quickly. Also, the interrupt measurement performed by interrupting the measurement pre-treatment or aspiration of the normal specimen may be applied to the measurement of the emergency specimen set by the operation of the second emergency mode selection button 710.

[0162] The measurement of the normal specimen whose measurement pre-treatment or aspiration has been interrupted is performed after the measurement of the emergency specimen. At this time, no special operation by the operator is required, and the measurement of the unmeasured normal specimen is automatically performed by the function of the control unit 57. For example, when the aspiration of the emergency specimen is completed, the normal specimen whose measurement pre-treatment or aspiration has been interrupted is aspirated, and the measurement of the normal specimen is performed following the measurement of the emergency specimen.

[0163] FIG. 27 shows a confirmation screen 800 when removing a specimen rack 66 holding a specimen being measured from the specimen rack storage section. The confirmation screen 800 includes an information display section 801 that displays information such as that the specimen held in the specimen rack 66 scheduled to be removed is being measured and that measurement of an unaspirated specimen results in an error, a removal execution button 802, and a removal cancellation button 803. The removal of the specimen rack 66 being measured can be performed, for example, by operating a rack discharge button or by operating a separately provided forced discharge button.

[0164] Based on an operation signal of the rack discharge button or the forced discharge button, the control unit 57 controls the drive mechanism of the specimen rack storage section to pull out the specimen rack 66 being measured and makes the measurement of an unaspirated normal specimen an error. When the confirmation screen 800 is displayed on the monitor 40, the removal of the specimen rack 66 being measured is executed when an operation signal of the removal execution button 802 is acquired. By providing this function, it becomes possible to more quickly perform interrupt measurement of an emergency specimen when all the trays of the specimen rack storage section are in use.

[0165] As described above, according to the specimen measurement apparatus of the above embodiment, interrupt measurement of an emergency specimen can be performed simply and quickly. By setting the emergency mode in units of specimen racks, for example, it is not necessary to prepare a barcode for an emergency specimen, manually input necessary information, etc., and the burden on the operator is reduced. In addition, errors caused by manual input, etc. are less likely to occur, and dedicated equipment for interrupt measurement, such as a rack or tray for an emergency specimen, is not required.

[0166] Note that the above-described embodiment can be appropriately modified within a range that does not impair the object of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the emergency mode is set based on the operation of the measurement mode selection buttons (emergency mode selection buttons 702 and 710), but the emergency mode may be set based on other methods. As an example of other methods, reading of identification information (e.g., barcode) for emergency measurement attached to the specimen rack 66 or the specimen container 67 can be mentioned. Also in this case, the point that the measurement mode is set for each specimen rack unit is common to the above-described embodiment.

[0167] In the above-described embodiment, the form in which the specimen rack 66 is placed on the specimen rack trays 65a and 65b and then inserted into the specimen rack storage section is illustrated. However, the specimen rack may be fixed to each tray, for example. Also in this case, the specimen rack fixed to each tray can be taken in and out with respect to the housing, and the operator can install the specimen container on the rack pulled out from the housing.

[0168] The configuration of the specimen measurement device, the configuration of the information reading device, and the information reading method of the present invention can also be applied to devices for performing specimen measurements other than blood coagulation measurement, such as blood immunoassay, blood cell count measurement, biochemical analysis, and urine analysis.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0169] 1 Specimen measurement device 10 Housing 20 Front part 21 Rear part 22 Right side part 23 Left side part 24 Upper part 25 Bottom part 30 Cover 31, 33 Opening 32, 34 Lid part 40 Monitor 50 Specimen rack storage section 51 Reaction vessel storage section 52 Reagent rack storage section 53 Measurement section 54 Washing section 55 Disposal section 56 Power supply unit 57 Control unit 58 Dispensing unit 59, 59a, 59b Information reading device 60 Cover member 60a Opening 61 Upper surface part 62 Dispensing hole 63 Left side surface part 64 Right side surface part 65a, 65b Specimen rack tray 66 Specimen rack 66a Bottom part 66b Holding part 66c Partition wall 66d Specimen rack identification information 67 Specimen container 67d Specimen identification information 70 Reaction container 71 Container rack 80 Cover member 81 Upper surface part 82 Dispensing hole 83 Cooling part 84 Heat exhaust part 85 Reagent rack tray 90 Heating part 91 Detection part 100 Cover member 100a Upper surface part 101 Hole 120 Holding hole 121 First holding part 122 Heat source 130 Holding hole 131 Second holding part 140 Light source 141 Detector 160 Washing tank 170 Waste outlet 180 Vertical wall 190 Dispensing device 191 Moving device 200 Pipette 201 Container holding part 202 Moving mechanism 210 Tip part 220 Holding arm 250 First moving part 251 Second moving part 252 Interlocking part 253 Driving source 260 Plate-like member 260a First plate surface 260b Second plate surface 270 Pipette holding member 271 First elevating member 272 First guide rail 280 Pipe 300 Second elevating member 301 Biasing member 302 Stopper 303 Pressing member 304 Second guide rail 310 Main body part 311 Arm part 320, 321 Pulley 322 Belt 330, 331 Belt part 350 Vibration member 360 Heating member 509a, 509b Base 510a, 510b Rack mounting part 511a, 511b Rear light-shielding wall 512a, 512b Front light-shielding wall 513a, 513b Pressing part 514a, 514b Rail part 520a Slider part 521a, 521b Driving mechanism 530a, 530b Motor 531a Pulley 532a, 532b Belt 533 Home position sensor 534 Sensor 535a Connecting fitting 600 Main menu screen 610 First toolbar 611 First rack ejection button 611a, 612a Indicator 611b, 612b Mark 612 Second Rack Ejection Button 613 Information Display Section 620 Second Toolbar 621 Third Rack Ejection Button 630 Menu Display Area 631 Reagent Consumable Icon 632 Calibration Curve Icon 632 633 QC Chart Icon 634 Maintenance Icon 635 Error History Icon 636 Logoff Icon 637 Shutdown Icon 700 Order Screen 701 Order Registration Section 702 Emergency Mode Selection Button 703 Measurement Mode Display Section 704 Rack Identification Information Display Section 705 Measurement Start Button 706 Reading Result Display Section

Claims

1. In a specimen measurement device for measuring a specimen, a housing, a first rack tray that houses a rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers and is insertable into and removable from the housing, a second rack tray that houses a rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers and is insertable into and removable from the housing independently of the first rack tray, a control unit that executes processing related to the measurement of a specimen according to a normal mode set in units of the rack or an emergency mode having a higher measurement urgency than the normal mode, comprising: when the rack in the normal mode and the rack in the emergency mode are housed in the housing, the control unit preferentially measures the specimen held in the rack in the emergency mode. A specimen measurement device.

2. further comprising an input unit that enables selection of the measurement mode in units of the rack, when the emergency mode is selected by the input unit, the control unit preferentially measures the specimen held in the corresponding rack in the emergency mode. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

3. when the emergency mode is not selected, the control unit measures the specimen held in the corresponding rack in the normal mode. The specimen measurement device according to claim 2.

4. further comprising a display input unit that displays an order screen including a measurement start button, the order screen includes a measurement mode selection button for selecting the measurement mode in units of the rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

5. the measurement mode selection button is a button for selecting whether the emergency mode can be applied in units of the rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 4.

6. the control unit determines the measurement priority based on a first priority criterion related to the measurement mode, and when the measurement modes of the respective racks housed in the housing are the same, based on a second priority criterion related to conditions other than the measurement mode. Determine the priority of the measurement. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

7. the control unit, determines the measurement priority based on a first priority criterion related to the measurement mode and a second priority criterion related to time, when the measurement modes of the respective racks housed in the housing are the same, based on the second priority criterion, preferentially measures the specimen held in the rack that was inserted into the housing earlier. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

8. The input time regarding the second priority criterion is determined based on at least one selected from the time when the completion of loading of the rack is detected by the origin sensor installed in the housing, the time when the specimen container is detected by the sensor installed in the housing, the time when the measurement start button is operated, and the time when information regarding the specimen is input by the input unit. The specimen measurement device according to claim 7.

9. The control unit determines the priority of measurement based on a first priority criterion regarding the measurement mode and a second priority criterion regarding time, when the measurement modes of the respective racks stored in the housing are the same, based on the second priority criterion, gives priority to measuring the specimen that arrived at the laboratory earlier. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

10. The specimen measurement device has a drive mechanism for taking in and out the first rack tray and the second rack tray, further includes a rack ejection button for taking out the first rack tray and the second rack tray from the housing, and the rack ejection button is provided with an indicator indicating the state of the rack stored in the housing and the state of the specimen held by the rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

11. further includes a display input unit that displays a plurality of screens, and the rack ejection button is displayed on at least one selected from the plurality of screens. The specimen measurement device according to claim 10.

12. The rack ejection button is displayed on the plurality of screens. The specimen measurement device according to claim 11.

13. further includes a display input unit that displays the reading status and results of the specimen identification information for each specimen holding position in the rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

14. In a series of processes related to the measurement of the specimen, when the pre-measurement process of the specimen held in the normal mode rack is in progress, after measuring the specimen related to the pre-measurement process, the control unit gives priority to measuring the specimen held in the emergency mode rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

15. In a series of processes related to the measurement of the specimen, when the aspiration of the specimen held in the normal mode rack is in progress, after the aspiration of the specimen is completed, the control unit gives priority to measuring the specimen held in the emergency mode rack. The specimen measurement device according to claim 1.

16. In a series of processes related to the measurement of a sample, after measuring the sample held in the rack in the emergency mode, the control unit measures the unmeasured samples held in the rack in the normal mode. The sample measurement device according to claim 14 or 15.

17. In a series of processes related to the measurement of a sample, when the pre-measurement process or the suction operation of the sample held in the rack in the normal mode is in progress, the control unit aborts the pre-measurement process or the suction and preferentially measures the sample held in the rack in the emergency mode. The sample measurement device according to claim 1.

18. A step of setting, as a sample measurement mode, a normal mode or an emergency mode with a higher measurement urgency than the normal mode in a rack unit capable of holding a plurality of sample containers; A step of storing a rack holding a sample container and storing, in the housing, a first rack tray and a second rack tray configured to be independently inserted into and removed from the housing; including A sample measurement method in which, when the rack in the normal mode and the rack in the emergency mode are stored in the housing, the measurement of the sample held in the rack in the emergency mode is preferentially performed.

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