Automatic analysis device and automatic analysis method

Abstract

To provide an automatic analysis device capable of efficiently washing a reaction vessel in a short time.SOLUTION: An automatic analysis device performs: raising a temperature of a washing liquid to be used to wash a reaction vessel for storing a sample; discharging the temperature-raised washing liquid to the reaction vessel, so as to wash the reaction vessel; and discharging the washing liquid whose temperature is raised by a temperature adjustment part again to the reaction vessel for storing the washing liquid discharged by a probe, so as to further wash the reaction vessel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer for analyzing a sample. [Background technology]

[0002] In automated analyzers that analyze biological samples such as blood and urine, various contaminants, including proteins, adhere to the parts that come into direct contact with the biological samples (e.g., reaction vessels). To remove these contaminants, a cleaning mechanism is used to wash the vessels with a cleaning solution after measurement. Washing the reaction vessels with a warmed cleaning solution can enhance the removal of contaminants that have adhered to the reaction vessels.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that water is converted into hot water by a heater in a high-temperature unit installed in the device, and the hot water is supplied to a constant temperature bath in which a reaction vessel is attached, and the supplied hot water is used to heat the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel for cleaning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-047027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To measure a sample, an automated analyzer dispenses a sample and reagent into a reaction vessel, causing a reaction, and then measures the reaction solution. After the measurement, the vessel is cleaned using a cleaning mechanism. Because reaction vessels are used repeatedly, they can accumulate contaminants that cannot be removed by normal cleaning. As contaminants accumulate in the reaction vessel, the absorbance value of the blank water increases, which can affect measurement accuracy. When the vessel is heavily contaminated, cleaning is typically performed using a cleaning solution kept chilled on a reagent disk. However, since protein stains are more effectively cleaned using a high-temperature cleaning solution, it is difficult to achieve effective cleaning in a short period of time using a detergent cooled on a reagent disk. Furthermore, if the vessel is heavily contaminated, it becomes unusable for analysis, and the vessel is skipped without dispensing a sample into it. This can cause the automated analyzer to be unable to fulfill its analytical processing capacity, resulting in slower output of measurement results.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an automatic analyzer that can efficiently clean reaction vessels in a short time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The automatic analyzer of the present invention raises the temperature of a cleaning liquid used to clean a reaction vessel containing a sample, and a probe dispenses the heated cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel, thereby cleaning the reaction vessel.The probe further cleans the reaction vessel by again dispensing the heated cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel containing the cleaning liquid dispensed by the probe using the temperature control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the automatic analyzer of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently clean reaction vessels in a short time. Other objects, configurations, advantages, etc. of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic analyzer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of the reaction vessel 2 to be cleaned. [Figure 3] 10 is a table illustrating the manner in which each probe dispenses detergent. [Figure 4] 10 is a graph illustrating the temperature transition of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 when the cleaning liquid heated by the probe cleaning mechanism with temperature adjustment unit is discharged into the reaction vessel 2. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a user interface used to set automatic cleaning of the reaction vessel 2. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a user interface used to set a cleaning method for the reaction vessel 2 during maintenance. [Figure 7A] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for washing the reaction vessel 2 with a cleaning liquid. [Figure 7B] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another procedure for washing the reaction vessel 2 with a cleaning liquid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic analyzer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The automatic analyzer dispenses samples and reagents into a plurality of reaction vessels 2, causing a reaction, and measures the reacted liquid. The automatic analyzer includes a reaction disk 1, a reagent disk 9, a sample transport mechanism 17, reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8, a reagent syringe 18, a sample dispensing mechanism 11, a sample syringe 19, a cleaning mechanism 3, a light source 4a, a spectrophotometer 4, stirring mechanisms 5 and 6, a cleaning pump 20, cleaning tanks 13, 23, 30, 31, 33, and 43, and a controller 21. Heaters 55 and 56 will be described in a second embodiment.

[0011] Reaction vessels 2 are arranged in a circular pattern on the reaction disk 1. Temperature-regulated reaction water circulates within the reaction disk 1, thereby controlling the temperature of the reaction vessels 2 to always be 37°C. A sample transport mechanism 17 is installed near the reaction disk 1 to move racks 16 carrying sample vessels 15.

[0012] A sample dispensing mechanism 11 that can rotate and move up and down is installed between the reaction disk 1 and the sample transport mechanism 17. The sample dispensing mechanism 11 is equipped with a sample probe 11a. A sample syringe 19 is connected to the sample probe 11a. The sample probe 11a moves in an arc around the rotation axis to dispense the sample from the sample container 15 to the reaction container 2. A probe washing mechanism 14 with a temperature control unit for washing the sample probe 11a is arranged on the rotation path of the sample probe 11a. The washing liquid used is supplied automatically.

[0013] Similarly, a sample dispensing mechanism 12 that can rotate and move up and down is installed between the reaction disk 1 and the sample transport mechanism 17. The sample dispensing mechanism 12 is equipped with a sample probe 12a. A sample syringe 29 is connected to the sample probe 12a. The sample probe 12a moves in an arc around the rotation axis to dispense the sample from the sample container 15 to the reaction container 2. A probe washing mechanism 24 with a temperature control unit for washing the sample probe 12a is arranged on the rotation path of the sample probe 12a. The washing liquid used is supplied automatically.

[0014] A plurality of reagent bottles 10 can be placed circumferentially inside the reagent disk 9. The reagent disk 9 is kept cold.

[0015] A reagent dispensing mechanism 7 that can rotate and move up and down is installed between the reaction disk 1 and the reagent disk 9. The reagent dispensing mechanism 7 is equipped with a reagent probe 7a. A reagent syringe 18 is connected to the reagent probe 7a. The reagent probe 7a moves in an arc around the rotation axis to dispense reagent from the reagent bottle 10 into the reaction vessel 2. A probe washing mechanism 34 with a temperature control unit for washing the reagent probe 7a is arranged on the rotation path of the reagent probe 7a. The washing liquid used is supplied automatically.

[0016] Similarly, a reagent dispensing mechanism 8 is installed between the reaction disk 1 and the reagent disk 9. The reagent dispensing mechanism 8 is equipped with a reagent probe 8a. A reagent syringe 18 is connected to the reagent probe 8a. The reagent probe 8a moves in an arc around its rotation axis to dispense reagent from the reagent bottle 10 into the reaction vessel 2. A probe washing mechanism 44 with a temperature control unit for washing the reagent probe 8a is arranged on the rotation path of the reagent probe 8a. The washing liquid used is supplied automatically.

[0017] Further arranged around the reaction disk 1 are a cleaning mechanism 3, a light source 4a, a spectrophotometer 4, and stirring mechanisms 5 and 6. A cleaning pump 20 is connected to the cleaning mechanism 3. Cleaning tanks 13, 23, 30, 31, 33, and 43 are installed within the operating ranges of the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8, the sample dispensing mechanism 11, the sample dispensing mechanism 12, and the stirring mechanisms 5 and 6, respectively. The cleaning tanks 13, 23, 30, 31, 33, and 43 use cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning pump 20 to clean the probes and stirring mechanisms.

[0018] A test sample (specimen) such as blood is contained in the sample container 15. The sample container 15 is placed on a rack 16 and transported by a sample transport mechanism 17.

[0019] Each mechanism is connected to a controller 21. The controller 21 is configured with a computer or the like, and controls the operation of each mechanism within the automatic analyzer, and also performs calculations to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in a sample such as blood or urine.

[0020] The procedure for analyzing test samples using an automatic analyzer will be described below. First, a rack 16 is transported near the reaction disk 1 by the sample transport mechanism 17. The sample in the sample container 15 placed on the rack 16 is dispensed into the reaction container 2 on the reaction disk 1 by the sample probe 11a of the sample dispensing mechanism 11. Next, the reagent used for the analysis is dispensed from the reagent bottle 10 on the reagent disk 9 by the reagent dispensing mechanisms 7 and 8 into the reaction container 2 into which the sample was previously dispensed. Next, the stirring mechanism 5 stirs the mixture of the sample and reagent in the reaction container 2.

[0021] Thereafter, light generated from the light source 4a is irradiated and transmitted through the reaction vessel 2 containing the stirred mixed liquid, and the luminous intensity of the transmitted light is measured by the spectrophotometer 4. The luminous intensity measured by the spectrophotometer 4 is sent to the controller 21 via an A / D converter and an interface. The controller 21 uses the luminous intensity to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in a liquid sample such as blood or urine, and displays the result on a display unit (not shown) or stores the result in a memory unit (not shown).

[0022] A method for determining whether a reaction vessel 2 can be used will be described. Among automatic analyzers, those known as biochemical automatic analyzers use a reagent that changes color upon reaction with the component to be measured in the sample, and quantitatively measure the color change based on the change in absorbance at multiple wavelengths. In this type of measurement method, the reaction vessel 2 is cleaned using water or detergent (e.g., alkaline detergent or acid detergent) by the cleaning mechanism 3 before analysis begins. Blank water (a colorless liquid) such as water or saline is placed in the cleaned reaction vessel 2, and its absorbance is measured to confirm that it is a value that will not affect the analysis results. The automatic analyzer (controller 21 or storage device) pre-stores a threshold value for the absorbance of blank water that will not affect the analysis results. If the absorbance of blank water dispensed into the cleaned reaction vessel 2 exceeds the threshold value, the controller 21 disables the corresponding reaction vessel 2, preventing it from being used in future analyses.

[0023] When making a reaction vessel 2 that can no longer be used for analysis usable again, the user selects and executes reaction vessel cleaning from the maintenance items on the display. When executed, cleaning solution cooled on the reagent disk 9 is dispensed onto all reaction vessels 2 using the reagent probes 7a and 8a, and immersion cleaning begins. After cleaning is performed, blank water is dispensed from the cleaning mechanism 3, and the absorbance of the blank water is measured. If the measured value is below the threshold, the controller 21 determines that the reaction vessel 2 can be used for analysis. This makes it possible to reuse a reaction vessel 2 that can no longer be used for analysis. If the absorbance of the blank water does not fall below the threshold even after cleaning the reaction vessel 2, the unusable state will remain and the reaction vessel cannot be used until it is replaced with a new reaction vessel.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of cleaning the reaction vessel 2. Sample probes 11a and 12a are used to aspirate a sample and dispense it from the sample vessel 15 into the reaction vessel 2. Furthermore, reagent probes 7a and 8a are used to aspirate a reagent from a reagent bottle 10 to react with the sample and dispense it into the reaction vessel 2. This converts the liquid in the reaction vessel 2 into a reaction liquid. The minimum reaction volume is 75 μL, and the maximum reaction volume is 135 μL. Position A represents the maximum reaction volume 80, and position B represents the minimum reaction volume 81. The required range of cleaning liquid to be aspirated and dispensed from the detergent bottle placed on the reagent disk 9 by the reagent probes 7a and 8a must be above the maximum reaction volume 80. This is because the reaction liquid may rise due to surfactants in the reagent or rise during stirring. However, depending on the type and properties of the reaction liquid, there may be little rise or only a small amount of liquid. In such cases, it is sufficient to introduce cleaning liquid up to the position between A and B. This reduces the consumption of cleaning fluid.

[0025] In the first embodiment, a method for washing the reaction vessel 2 using a heated washing solution will be described. After being dispensed into the reaction vessel 2, the temperature of the washing solution used to wash the reaction vessel 2 only rises to a maximum of 37°C due to the temperature control function of the reaction disk 1, making it difficult to perform effective washing in a short time. Protein stains from the sample can be effectively washed using a washing solution at a high temperature (for example, an alkaline detergent at 60°C or higher). Although washing can be performed using a washing solution kept cold on the reagent disk 9, it is desirable that the washing solution used be at a high temperature in order to effectively wash away protein stains adhering to the inside of the reaction vessel 2.

[0026] The automated analyzer of FIG. 1 has temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanisms 14, 24, 34, and 44 provided on the rotational trajectories of the sample probe 11a, sample probe 12a, reagent probe 7a, and reagent probe 8a to clean the probes. The temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanisms can be supplied with either detergent or system water. Temperature adjustment of the cleaning liquid supplied to the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanisms is controlled by a controller 21, allowing the cleaning liquid to be heated at the required timing. The cleaning liquid heated by the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanisms is aspirated using the sample probe 11a, sample probe 12a, and reagent probes 7a and 8a, and then dispensed into the reaction vessel 2, allowing the heated cleaning liquid to be used to clean the reaction vessel 2.

[0027] If more than one of sample probe 11a, sample probe 12a, reagent probe 7a, and reagent probe 8a can access the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism, it is not necessary to install a temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism for each probe, and the probes may share the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism. After the temperature-adjusted detergent has been dispensed into reaction vessel 2, it is better to increase the cleaning efficiency of reaction vessel 2 by stirring the detergent with stirring mechanisms 5 and 6.

[0028] Figure 3 is a table explaining the method by which each probe dispenses detergent. "Detergent only" is a method in which only detergent is dispensed into reaction vessel 2. "Detergent + system water" is a method in which the detergent in the probe is dispensed together with system water. "System water only" is a method in which only system water is dispensed without aspirating detergent. Examples of the amount dispensed by each probe are also listed.

[0029] The temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism can also heat system water to hot water. For example, detergent heated by the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism can be aspirated using the sample probe 11a and dispensed into the reaction vessel 2, and then hot system water heated by the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism can be aspirated using the reagent probe 7a and dispensed into the reaction vessel 2. Even in this case, cleaning can be performed using a high-temperature cleaning liquid, resulting in effective cleaning. As long as a high-temperature cleaning liquid (including heated system water) is used, the same effect can be obtained with any combination of probes.

[0030] When the sample probe 11a is used to aspirate cleaning fluid from the temperature-controlled probe washing mechanism, the operation can shift to dispensing cleaning fluid into the reaction vessel 2 in the operation cycle after the reaction vessel 2 is determined to be unusable based on the absorbance measurement result of blank water in the reaction vessel 2. In the past, if the reaction vessel 2 was determined to be unusable, the sample probe 11a would not dispense anything and would skip the dispensing operation because the reaction vessel 2 could not be used for analysis. Therefore, the operation cycle became an idle cycle. An idle cycle reduces the analytical processing throughput of the automated analyzer. The reaction vessel 2 must be cleaned before it can be used again. As an example of early recovery of the reaction vessel 2, the operation can be changed to aspirating and dispensing cleaning fluid from the temperature-controlled probe washing mechanism at the timing of dispensing the sample probe 11a. This allows the reaction vessel 2 to be cleaned, eliminating the idle cycle. Furthermore, cleaning can be initiated without leaving any contaminants adhering to the reaction vessel 2. When the sample probe 12a is used to aspirate and dispense cleaning liquid from the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism, the same effect can be obtained as when the sample probe 11a is used to aspirate and dispense cleaning liquid from the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism. That is, while the sample probe was originally intended to dispense the sample into the reaction vessel 2, one of the probes is changed to dispensing cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel 2 instead. This allows cleaning to be performed without interrupting the analysis operation.

[0031] When using the reagent probe 7a to aspirate cleaning liquid, a large amount can be aspirated in one go, allowing the necessary amount of cleaning liquid to be dispensed in one go. The reagent probe 7a also has a dispensing method that pushes out the aspirated reagent with system water, diluting the reagent. This method can also be used to dispense cleaning liquid, allowing for diluted cleaning liquid to be dispensed. When the reagent probe 7a aspirates and dispenses cleaning liquid from the temperature-controlled probe washing mechanism in one go, the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 is simply left to soak after dispensing. This allows the temperature of the cleaning liquid to decrease, so it can be dispensed in multiple runs. Because the sample probe 11a and sample probe 12a can aspirate only a small amount of cleaning liquid in one go, dispensing additional cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel 2 containing the cleaning liquid dispensed from the sample probe can make up for any shortage of cleaning liquid. The reagent probe 8a can achieve the same effect as the reagent probe 7a. In other words, in either case, it is preferable to supply cleaning liquid in multiple runs.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a graph for explaining the temperature transition of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 when the cleaning liquid heated by the probe cleaning mechanism with a temperature control unit is discharged into the reaction vessel 2. In order to increase the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2, it is desirable to use each probe to suck the cleaning liquid from the probe cleaning mechanism with a temperature control unit in multiple times and discharge it into the reaction vessel 2. For example, when the cleaning liquid heated to 60 degrees by the probe cleaning mechanisms 14, 24, 34, 44 with a temperature control unit is discharged for the first time using the sample probe 11a, for the second time using the reagent probe 7a, and for the third time using the reagent probe 8a, immediately after the first discharge of the cleaning liquid, the temperature t1 of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel is 60 degrees. Since the temperature-controlled reaction layer water circulates in the reaction disk 1, immediately before the second discharge of the cleaning liquid t2, the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 decreases due to the influence of the reaction layer water until just before the discharge. Therefore, t2 < t1. By additionally discharging the cleaning liquid heated to 60 degrees there, the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 rises and can be made higher than the temperature t2 before the second discharge (t2 < t3 < t1). The temperature immediately before the third discharge of the cleaning liquid becomes a temperature t4 lower than the temperature immediately after the second discharge due to the influence of the reaction layer water. By additionally discharging the cleaning liquid heated to 60 degrees there, the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 rises (t4 < t2 ≦ t5 < t3 < t1). Thus, by dividing the discharge of the cleaning liquid heated by the probe cleaning mechanism with a temperature control unit into multiple times, the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 can be periodically increased, and the reaction vessel 2 can be cleaned while maintaining a high cleaning effect.

[0033] If the number of times of discharging the cleaning liquid heated by the probe cleaning mechanism with a temperature control unit into the reaction vessel 2 increases, the timing of increasing the temperature of the cleaning liquid increases by the number of discharge times. Therefore, discharging the cleaning liquid using all the probes can make the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 the highest. Or, by increasing the temperature of the discharged cleaning liquid, the time for the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 to decrease becomes slower, and it becomes possible to increase the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the reaction vessel 2 even without using all the probes.

[0034] The higher the temperature of the cleaning liquid, the greater the cleaning effect. However, as long as the temperature of the cleaning liquid dispensed the first time is higher than the temperature of the reaction disk 1 (approximately 37°C), a higher cleaning effect than conventional methods can be achieved. Therefore, the first dispense of cleaning liquid involves the reagent probe 7a pushing out detergent heated by a temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism with system water, the second dispense of cleaning liquid involves the reagent probe 8a discharging detergent heated by a temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism, and the third dispense of cleaning liquid involves the reagent probe 8a again discharging hot water heated in a temperature-adjusted probe cleaning tank. This combination also allows the cleaning liquid in the reaction container 2 to be kept at a high temperature. In other words, regardless of whether the sample probe 11a, sample probe 12a, or reagent probes 7a and 8a are used to dispense the cleaning liquid, as long as the high temperature of the cleaning liquid can be maintained, a higher cleaning effect than conventional methods can be achieved.

[0035] The mechanism of the multi-jointed reagent probes 7a and 8a shown in Figure 1 allows access to various stopping positions of the reaction vessel 2, so that detergent adjusted to a high temperature can be dispensed more than once into the same reaction vessel 2. This allows for effective cleaning. Furthermore, the dispensing methods of each probe shown in Figure 3 may be selected and used in combination.

[0036] As described above, if the cleaning solution in the reaction vessel 2 can be heated to a high temperature, the same cleaning effect can be achieved regardless of the combination of probes used and the cleaning solution dispensed. However, when attempting to dispense multiple times using the same non-articulated probe, such as sample probe 11a or sample probe 12a shown in Figure 1, the timing for the second dispense is when the reaction vessel 2 stops at the position where the cleaning solution was dispensed the first time. In this case, when the cleaning solution is aspirated and dispensed from the temperature-controlled probe washing mechanism for the second time, the temperature of the cleaning solution in the reaction vessel 2 will be the same as the temperature (approximately 37°C) of the temperature-controlled reaction bath water circulating within the reaction disk 1. Therefore, when aspirating and dispensing cleaning solution multiple times using the same non-articulated probe from the temperature-controlled probe washing mechanism, the analytical operation will be stopped, leading to a decrease in throughput. Therefore, it is not desirable to dispense cleaning solution multiple times using the same non-articulated probe during analytical operation. When dispensing multiple times using the same non-articulated probe, it is preferable to do so during maintenance, which is not related to the analysis. However, the operation of the reaction disk 1 will be stopped every time the cleaning solution is dispensed, which will result in a longer maintenance time.

[0037] 5 is an example of a user interface used to set automatic cleaning of the reaction vessel 2. This user interface (setting screen) can be provided by the controller 21. The controller 21 controls the operation of each part in accordance with the items set on the user interface. The same applies to each item on the user interface described below.

[0038] The automatic cleaning setting allows the user to set the absorbance increase rate of blank water in the reaction vessel 2 (column 61). This increase rate can be set arbitrarily by the user. The measurement results of the absorbance of blank water in the reaction vessel 2 are recorded until a new reaction vessel 2 is installed. For example, consider a case where the absorbance of blank water in a new reaction vessel 2 is 9,000 counts, and the user wants to automatically start cleaning the reaction vessel 2 when the absorbance of the blank water reaches 9,900 counts or more. In this case, the user sets the blank water absorbance increase rate to 10% on the settings screen. As a result, the reaction vessel 2 whose blank water absorbance reaches 9,900 counts becomes unusable, and the cleaning operation begins from the next cycle. If the setting value for the blank water absorbance increase rate is set to a low value, the cleaning operation will be performed more frequently, increasing the number of unusable reaction vessels 2 and potentially reducing the throughput of the automated analyzer. Furthermore, frequent cleaning of the reaction vessel 2 will consume a large amount of cleaning solution (detergent). If the set value for the rate of increase in absorbance of blank water is set to a small value, the reaction vessel 2 will be cleaned when it is less soiled, so the amount of cleaning liquid (detergent) used can be reduced by switching the discharge method to dilute the detergent with water or hot water before discharging it.

[0039] When the automatic analyzer is started up or shut down, if the user-set value for the increase rate of absorbance of blank water (for example, -5%) is reached, the automatic analyzer may be configured to automatically start cleaning the reaction vessel 2. By cleaning the reaction vessel 2 when the analyzer is started up or shut down, the number of times that the reaction vessel 2 is interrupted during analysis operation can be reduced, and the number of maintenance operations can also be reduced.

[0040] The timing of automatic cleaning may be set on the user interface as either at startup or shutdown of the automated analyzer. The user selects the desired timing for automatic cleaning from the options on the screen (option 62 or 63), and the controller 21 controls each component according to that setting. If either option is set, the reaction vessel 2 will be cleaned when the analyzer is started or shut down, so if one option is selected, the other option may be masked so that it cannot be selected. If the automated analyzer is not operated 24 hours a day, the reaction vessel 2 will always be cleaned if either option is set at startup or shutdown. Therefore, if either option is selected, it may be possible to select whether or not to perform cleaning during analysis (i.e., option 64 may be activated). If the option at startup or shutdown is not set, it is possible that the analyzer will not be shut down, so cleaning will be performed during analysis (i.e., option 64 is active).

[0041] Although not shown in Figure 5, reaction vessels 2 in which the absorbance of blank water has increased may be identified at predetermined intervals (for example, one week) and automatically cleaned. By doing so, the number of times automatic cleaning is performed may be reduced, and cleaning may be performed all at once. The rate of increase in absorbance and the period may be combined to allow the user to select the optimal automatic cleaning method.

[0042] 6 is an example of a user interface used to set a cleaning method for the reaction vessel 2 during maintenance. When the user wants to clean the reaction vessel 2, the user can perform cleaning of the reaction vessel 2 from this user interface (maintenance screen) (instruct the controller 21 to start cleaning).

[0043] There are two methods for cleaning the reaction vessel 2: normal cleaning (option 70) and strong cleaning (option 71), which can be selected as desired. In the case of normal cleaning, the reaction vessel 2 is cleaned using a cleaning solution kept refrigerated on the reagent disk 9, as in the past. In the case of strong cleaning, the reaction vessel 2 is cleaned using a cleaning solution warmed by a probe cleaning mechanism with a temperature control unit. Normal cleaning is used when you want to clean the reaction vessel 2 not long after it has been replaced. If it has not been long since the reaction vessel 2 was replaced, it is likely that the reaction vessel 2 will not be very dirty, so it is okay to use a cleaning solution that is kept refrigerated. Strong cleaning can also be selected as preventive maintenance. Strong cleaning is expected to be used when you want to refresh the condition of a reaction vessel 2 that has been used for a long time. When strong washing is selected, all probes (reagent probes 7a, 8a, sample probes 11a, 12a) may aspirate washing liquid heated to, for example, 60°C from the temperature-adjusted probe washing mechanism and dispense it into the reaction vessel 2, or the washing liquid may be heated to a temperature higher than 60°C by the temperature-adjusted probe washing mechanism, and one of the probes may be used to aspirate the washing liquid and dispense it into the reaction vessel 2. When it is desired to refresh the condition of the reaction vessel 2, it is desirable to use detergent as the washing liquid, but as mentioned above, a higher temperature washing liquid is more effective for removing protein stains, so the detergent may be diluted with hot water.

[0044] The maintenance screen also allows you to select the reaction vessels 2 to be cleaned. If you want to refresh the status of all reaction vessels 2, select "All" (option 72). If you select "Above set value" (option 73), only reaction vessels 2 that show a blank water absorbance value higher than the value set for the blank water absorbance increase rate described above will be cleaned. This selection makes it possible to reduce detergent consumption. Also, only the necessary reaction vessels 2 will be cleaned, which shortens the time required for maintenance.

[0045] 7A is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for washing the reaction vessel 2 with a washing liquid. This flowchart can be implemented by the controller 21. The same applies to the flowcharts described below. In this flowchart, the pattern for discharging the washing liquid is changed based on the absorbance of blank water. Each step is explained below.

[0046] S102: Blank water is supplied to the reaction vessel 2, and the absorbance of the blank water is measured. If the absorbance is less than the threshold, the reaction vessel 2 is deemed usable for analysis (S106). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, proceed to S103.

[0047] S103: If all probes are always aspirated and dispensed with cleaning solution (detergent) heated by the temperature-controlled probe cleaning mechanism, regardless of the blank water absorbance value, this will result in increased detergent consumption. Therefore, in this step, the type of cleaning solution dispensed into reaction vessel 2 may be changed depending on the blank water absorbance value. For example, if the absorbance threshold for blank water in the automated analyzer is set to 13,000 counts, and an absorbance reading of 13,000 counts or higher is determined to be unusable, cleaning is performed by aspirating and dispensing cleaning solution (detergent) heated by the temperature-controlled probe cleaning mechanism into the reaction vessel using sample probe 11a, sample probe 12a, and reagent probes 7a and 8a. If the absorbance is between 12,000 and 13,000 counts, which is relatively close to the threshold, cleaning solution heated by the temperature-controlled probe cleaning mechanism is used. However, instead of using detergent heated by the temperature-controlled probe cleaning mechanism for all probes, hot water is dispensed for one of the probes. Even in this case, a sufficient cleaning effect can be achieved. In this way, by using different cleaning liquids depending on the range of absorbance of the blank water, the amount of detergent used can be reduced.

[0048] S104 to S107: Cleaning is performed using the method selected in S103 (S104). After cleaning, the absorbance of blank water is measured again (S105). If the absorbance is below the threshold, the reaction vessel 2 is deemed usable (S106), and if it is above the threshold, it is deemed unusable (S107).

[0049] Fig. 7B is a flowchart illustrating another procedure for washing the reaction vessel 2. This flowchart shows that re-washing is performed if the absorbance does not become less than the threshold value after one wash. S108 to S111 are performed instead of S107 in Fig. 7A. The rest is the same as Fig. 7A.

[0050] S108: In order to thoroughly remove the dirt from the reaction vessel 2, the most powerful cleaning is performed by using all the probes and discharging the cleaning liquid (detergent) heated by the temperature-adjusted probe cleaning mechanism.

[0051] S109-S111: The absorbance of the blank water is measured again (S109). If the measurement result is below the threshold, the reaction vessel 2 becomes usable (S110). If the absorbance is still above the threshold even after re-cleaning, it is determined that the reaction vessel 2 needs to be replaced, and the reaction vessel 2 is made unusable, and an alarm indicating that the reaction vessel 2 needs to be replaced is issued on the display unit (S111).

[0052] <Embodiment 2> In the first embodiment, heaters 55, 56 may be provided on the flow paths connected to the reagent probes 7a, 8a. These heaters can raise the temperature of the internal washing water used for internal washing of the reagent probes 7a, 8a, thereby enabling hot water to be discharged. By providing heaters on the flow paths of the probes, even if the reagent probes 7a, 8a are not configured with a probe washing mechanism with a temperature regulator, the reagent probes can discharge hot water heated by the heaters, thereby increasing the temperature of the washing liquid in the reaction vessel 2. Furthermore, even if the reagent probes 7a, 8a are configured with a probe washing mechanism with a temperature regulator, the diluted liquid used when diluting and discharging the washing liquid (detergent) from the reagent probes is hot water, not water, so the washing liquid discharged into the reaction vessel 2 can always be kept at a high temperature.

[0053] <Modifications of the present invention> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0054] In the above embodiments, after one of the probes has discharged a cleaning liquid into a reaction vessel 2 during an analysis operation, the reaction vessel 2 may move (e.g., the reaction disk 1 may rotate) before the cleaning liquid is re-discharged into the reaction vessel 2 containing that cleaning liquid. Even in this case, the reaction vessel 2 can be washed without interrupting the analysis operation by one of the probes moving to the destination of the reaction vessel 2 and re-discharging the cleaning liquid. This probe may be any probe as long as it can discharge the cleaning liquid into the position of the reaction vessel 2.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, when the probe cleaning mechanism heats the cleaning liquid, it is desirable to heat the cleaning liquid to a temperature at least higher than the temperature of the reaction bath water, thereby achieving a higher cleaning effect than conventional cleaning liquids.

[0056] In the above embodiments, the automated analyzer may generally be configured such that during an analysis operation, the sample probe first dispenses a sample into the reaction vessel 2, and then the reagent probe dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessel 2. When the reaction vessel 2 is washed during an analysis operation, if the washing operation is performed without changing this operation sequence, the washing operation can be inserted without significantly changing the control process. In other words, the sample probe first dispenses a washing liquid into the reaction vessel 2, and if further washing is required, the reagent probe dispenses a washing liquid into the reaction vessel 2.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the controller 21 can be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that implements its functions, or can be configured by a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes software that implements its functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...Reaction disk 2...Reaction vessel 3...Cleaning mechanism 4...Spectrophotometer 4a…Light source 5...Stirring mechanism 6...Stirring mechanism 7, 8...Reagent dispensing mechanism 7a, 8a...Reagent probe 9...Reagent disk 10...Reagent bottle 11...Sample dispensing mechanism 11a...Sample probe 12...Sample dispensing mechanism 12a...Sample probe 13...Cleaning tank 14...Probe cleaning mechanism with temperature control unit 15...Sample container 16...Rack 17...Sample transport mechanism 18...Reagent syringe 19...Sample syringe 20...Cleaning pump 21...Controller 23...Cleaning tank 24...Probe cleaning mechanism with temperature control unit 29...Sample syringe 30...Cleaning tank for stirring mechanism, 31...Cleaning tank for stirring mechanism 32...Cleaning tank 33...Cleaning tank 34...Probe cleaning mechanism with temperature control unit 43...Cleaning tank 44...Probe cleaning mechanism with temperature control unit 55,56...Heater

Claims

1. An automated analyzer for analyzing a sample, comprising: A temperature control unit that adjusts the temperature of the liquid, a probe for discharging a liquid into a reaction vessel containing the sample; Equipped with the temperature adjustment unit increases the temperature of a cleaning solution used to clean the reaction vessel; the probe cleans the reaction vessel by discharging the cleaning liquid, the temperature of which has been increased by the temperature adjustment unit, into the reaction vessel; The probe further cleans the reaction vessel by re-discharging the cleaning liquid, the temperature of which has been increased by the temperature adjustment unit, into the reaction vessel containing the cleaning liquid discharged by the probe. An automatic analyzer characterized by:

2. the temperature control unit is configured by a cleaning tank that contains a liquid for cleaning the probe by immersing the probe in the cleaning liquid; The probe aspirates the liquid contained in the washing tank from the washing tank as the washing liquid to be used for washing the reaction vessel, and discharges the aspirated washing liquid into the reaction vessel, thereby washing the reaction vessel.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

3. The automated analyzer further includes a reaction disk on which the reaction vessel is placed, Reaction water circulates inside the reaction disk to maintain the temperature of the reaction vessel. The temperature adjusting unit increases the temperature of the cleaning liquid to a temperature higher than the temperature of the reaction bath water.

3. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2.

4. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable due to contamination, the controller determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable based on whether the absorbance of the blank water contained in the reaction vessel is equal to or greater than a threshold value; When it is determined that the reaction vessel is unusable, the probe performs an operation of washing the reaction vessel by discharging the washing liquid into the reaction vessel instead of the operation of dispensing the sample.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

5. the temperature adjustment unit increases the temperature of either water or a detergent other than water as the cleaning liquid, The probe cleans the reaction vessel by discharging either the water or the detergent heated by the temperature control unit into the reaction vessel.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

6. the probe is configured to be able to change a planar position at which the liquid is aspirated and a planar position at which the liquid is discharged, After discharging the cleaning solution into the reaction vessel, if the reaction vessel is moved before the cleaning solution is re-discharged into the reaction vessel containing the cleaning solution, the probe re-discharges the cleaning solution into the reaction vessel at the new position, thereby cleaning the reaction vessel without stopping the analysis cycle performed by the automatic analyzer.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

7. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable due to contamination, the controller is configured to determine whether the reaction vessel is unusable based on whether the absorbance of the blank water contained in the reaction vessel is equal to or greater than a threshold value; the controller receives a threshold input specifying the threshold, and determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable according to the threshold input; When it is determined that the reaction vessel is unusable, the probe performs an operation of cleaning the reaction vessel by discharging the cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

8. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that instructs the probe to perform an operation of washing the reaction vessel; the controller receives timing inputs specifying that the reaction vessels are to be washed when the automated analyzer starts, when the automated analyzer finishes, and / or while the automated analyzer is analyzing the samples; The controller instructs the probe to perform an operation of washing the reaction vessel at the timing designated by the timing input.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

9. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable due to contamination, the controller is configured to determine whether the reaction vessel is unusable based on whether the absorbance of the blank water contained in the reaction vessel is equal to or greater than a threshold value; the controller receives a designation input specifying whether to wash all the reaction vessels or only the reaction vessels whose absorbance is equal to or greater than the threshold value; The probe washes the reaction vessel designated by the designation input.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

10. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable due to contamination, the controller is configured to determine whether the reaction vessel is unusable based on whether the absorbance of the blank water contained in the reaction vessel is equal to or greater than a threshold value; The type of the cleaning liquid that the probe discharges into the reaction vessel varies depending on the absorbance value.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

11. When the absorbance is within a first range, the probe dispenses a detergent other than water as the cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel; When the absorbance is within a second range smaller than the first range, the probe discharges water as the cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel.

11. The automatic analyzer according to claim 10.

12. The automated analyzer further includes a controller that determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable due to contamination, the controller is configured to determine whether the reaction vessel is unusable based on whether the absorbance of the blank water contained in the reaction vessel is equal to or greater than a threshold value; After the probe has cleaned the reaction vessel that has been determined to be unusable, the controller re-determines whether the reaction vessel is unusable by comparing the absorbance of blank water contained in the reaction vessel after cleaning with the threshold value; The probe re-cleans the reaction vessel by re-discharging the cleaning solution into the reaction vessel that has been determined to be unusable by the re-determination.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

13. the automated analyzer further includes a heater in the flow path connected to the probe, the heater heating the liquid in the flow path; The probe cleans the reaction vessel by discharging the liquid heated by the heater into the reaction vessel.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

14. The probe is a sample probe for aspirating or discharging the sample; a reagent probe for aspirating or discharging a reagent to be reacted with the sample; It is composed of When analyzing the sample, the probe first ejects the sample into the reaction vessel using the sample probe, and then ejects the reagent into the reaction vessel using the reagent probe; When the reaction vessel is to be washed, the probe first ejects the cleaning solution into the reaction vessel using the sample probe, and when the reaction vessel is to be further washed, the probe then ejects the cleaning solution into the reaction vessel using the reagent probe.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1.

15. 1. An automated analytical method for analyzing a sample, comprising: a step of increasing the temperature of a cleaning solution used to clean a reaction vessel containing the sample; cleaning the reaction vessel by discharging the heated cleaning solution into the reaction vessel using a probe; a step of further cleaning the reaction vessel by re-discharging the heated cleaning liquid into the reaction vessel containing the cleaning liquid discharged by the probe; have An automatic analysis method characterized by:

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