Sample agitation system

Abstract

To provide a sample agitation system capable of performing sufficient agitation.SOLUTION: A sample agitation system includes: a robot having a robot arm equipped with a hand for holding a sample container to which a sample is supplied; and a lid closing device configured to mount a lid to the sample container. The robot holds by the hand the sample container with the lid mounted by the lid closing device. The robot arm is moved to shake the sample container so as to agitate the sample in the sample container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sample stirring system. [Background technology]

[0002] The kneading system described in Patent Document 1 has a robot equipped with a robot arm equipped with a hand that holds a container filled with powder material and closes the lid of the container. With the container held by the hand and the lid closed, the robot arm is moved to mix the powder in the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-044487 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a kneading system with such a configuration, since the hand grips the container and then caps the container, if the hand's gripping position of the container shifts, the container may not be capped or the cap may come off due to vibrations during mixing, which may result in insufficient mixing of the powder material in the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sample stirring system of the present invention comprises: a robot having a robot arm equipped with a hand for gripping a sample container to which a sample has been supplied; a lid fastening device for attaching a lid to the sample container, The robot holds the sample container with the hand to which the lid has been attached by the lid fastening device, and moves the robot arm to shake the sample container, thereby stirring the sample in the sample container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing the entire sample stirring system according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a specimen container and a sample container. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a compounding operation. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the first cover opening and closing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the second cover opening and closing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a pipette. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a pipette. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a touch-off state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a hand provided on a robot of a sample stirring system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 16]FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the sample container is shaken to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a robot of the sample stirring system according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The sample stirring system of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. For ease of explanation, each figure except for FIG. 3 shows three mutually orthogonal axes: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. The Z-axis extends vertically, and the X-axis and the Y-axis extend horizontally. In the following description, the direction along the X-axis will also be referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction along the Y-axis as the Y-axis direction, and the direction along the Z-axis as the Z-axis direction.

[0008] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a top view showing the entire sample stirring system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a specimen container and a sample container. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of a preparation operation. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a first lid opening and closing device. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a second lid opening and closing device. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a pipette. FIG. 7 is a top view showing a pipette. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a robot. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a touch-off process. FIGS. 10 to 12 are side views showing how a sample container is shaken to stir the liquid sample in the sample container. FIG. 13 is a side view showing how a sample container is shaken to stir the liquid sample in the sample container.

[0009] The sample stirring system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a system that automatically stirs liquid samples. In particular, the sample stirring system 1 of this embodiment is a system that automatically dispenses multiple types of liquid samples to prepare samples, and a robot 2 automatically performs the following operations: using a pipette 8 to aspirate a predetermined amount of liquid sample stored in a sample container 91; dispensing the aspirated liquid sample into a sample container 92; and shaking the sample container 92 to stir the liquid sample in the sample container 92. However, the processes performed by the sample stirring system 1 are not particularly limited.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, such a sample stirring system 1 comprises a mounting table 4 on which a sample container 91 and a sample container 92 are placed, a robot 2 that dispenses and stirs the liquid sample, a first lid opening / closing device 51 that opens and closes the lid 912 of the sample container 91, a second lid opening / closing device 52 as a lid closing device that opens and closes the lid 922 of the sample container 92, an electronic balance 6 that measures the weight of an empty sample container 92, the actual weight of the liquid sample dispensed into the sample container 92, etc., a pipette stand 71 on which a pipette 8 is placed, a tip stand 72 on which a tip 81 attached to the tip of the pipette 8 is placed, and a control device 3 that controls the operation of each part, and these are each arranged in a predetermined location on a base 10.

[0011] However, the configuration of the sample stirring system 1 is not particularly limited. For example, one lid opening / closing device may be provided that also serves as the first and second lid opening / closing devices 51, 52. Furthermore, for example, three robots may be used as the robot 2: a transport robot that mainly transports the sample containers 91 and 92, a dispensing robot that mainly performs dispensing work using the pipette 8, and a stirring robot that mainly stirs the liquid sample in the sample container 92.

[0012] The sample container 91 is a container for storing a liquid sample to be aspirated by the pipette 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the sample container 91 is cylindrical with a bottom, and is held by the hand 23 by pinching the outer surface from both sides. A lid 912 is screwed onto the upper end of the sample container 91, thereby closing the opening of the sample container 91. By screwing the lid 912 onto the sample container 91 in this way, the lid 912 is less likely to come off the sample container 91.

[0013] On the other hand, the sample container 92 is a container into which a liquid sample is dispensed from the pipette 8. Like the sample container 91, the sample container 92 is cylindrical with a bottom, and is held by the hand 23 by pinching the outer surface from both sides. A lid 922 is screwed onto the upper end of the sample container 92, thereby closing the opening of the sample container 92. By screwing the lid 922 onto the sample container 92 in this way, the lid 922 is less likely to come off the sample container 92.

[0014] However, the configurations of the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 are not particularly limited. For example, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may be rectangular tubular. Alternatively, for example, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may be configured so that the lid 912 fits into the sample container 91, like a stopper. Alternatively, the sample container 91 and the lid 912 may be connected by a hinge or the like. The same applies to the sample container 92. Also, for convenience of explanation, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 are shown to have the same shape in FIG. 2, but this is not limited thereto, and the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may have different shapes. Alternatively, the shape of each sample container 91 may be different, and the shape of each sample container 92 may be different.

[0015] In this embodiment, different types of liquid samples are stored in the multiple sample containers 91. Therefore, the sample mixing system 1 dispenses predetermined amounts of each of the multiple liquid samples into one sample container 92, thereby mixing the multiple liquid samples in the sample container 92 and preparing the desired sample.

[0016] The work performed by the sample mixing system 1 is not particularly limited, but as an example, an example of mixing two types of liquid reagents to prepare a sample will be described.In this example, as shown in FIG. 3 , there are a sample container removal step S1 in which the robot 2 transports the sample container 92 placed on the mounting table 4 to the second lid opening device 52, a sample container lid opening step S2 in which the second lid opening device 52 opens the lid of the sample container 92, a first sample container removal step S3 in which the robot 2 transports the first sample container 91 placed on the mounting table 4 to the first lid opening device 51, a first sample container lid opening step S4 in which the first lid opening device 51 opens the lid of the sample container 91, and a first pipette gripping step S5 in which the robot 2 grips the pipette 8 and attaches a tip 81 to the tip of the pipette. S5, a first suction step S6 in which the robot 2 uses the pipette 8 to aspirate a predetermined amount of liquid sample from an open sample container 91 held by the first lid opening / closing device 51, a first sample container lid closing step S7 in which the first lid opening / closing device 51 closes the sample container 91, a first discharge step S8 in which the robot 2 discharges the liquid sample in the pipette 8 into an open sample container 92 held by the second lid opening / closing device 52, a first pipette return step S9 in which the robot 2 discards the used tip 81 and then returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71, and a first pipette return step S10 in which the robot 2 returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71 after the tip 81 has been closed by the first lid opening / closing device 51. a first sample container returning step S10 in which the robot 2 returns the opened sample container 91 to the mounting table 4; a second sample container removing step S11 in which the robot 2 transports the second sample container 91 placed on the mounting table 4 to the first lid opening device 51; a second sample container opening step S12 in which the first lid opening device 51 opens the sample container 91; a second pipette holding step S13 in which the robot 2 holds the pipette 8 and attaches a tip 81 to the tip of the pipette; a second suction step S14 in which the robot 2 uses the pipette 8 to aspirate a predetermined amount of liquid sample from the opened sample container 91 held by the first lid opening device 51; a second sample container lid closing step S15 in which the device 51 closes the sample container 91; a second dispensing step S16 in which the robot 2 dispenses the liquid sample in the pipette 8 into the open sample container 92 held by the second lid opening / closing device 52; a sample container lid closing step S17 in which the second lid opening / closing device 52 closes the sample container 92; a second pipette returning step S18 in which the robot 2 discards the used tip 81 and then returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71; and a second sample container lid closing step S19 in which the robot 2 returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71 after discarding the used tip 81.and a mixing step S21 in which the robot 2 grasps and shakes the prepared sample container 920 to mix the liquid reagent in the prepared sample container 920.

[0017] Each of these steps S1 to S21 mainly includes a robot step performed by the robot 2, a first lid opening and closing device step performed by the first lid opening and closing device 51, and a second lid opening and closing device step performed by the second lid opening and closing device 52. The robot step, the first lid opening and closing device step, and the second lid opening and closing device step can be performed in parallel with one another. Specifically, while one of the robot step, the first lid opening and closing device step, and the second lid opening and closing device step is being performed, one or more of the remaining two steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0018] Next, the configuration of each part of the sample mixing system 1 will be explained in order.

[0019] ≪First lid opening / closing device 51≫ The first lid opening / closing device 51 is a device that opens and closes the lid 912 of the sample container 91, and as shown in Figure 4, has a container gripping unit 510 that grips the sample container 91 transported by the robot 2, a lid gripping unit 511 that grips the lid 912 of the sample container 91 gripped by the container gripping unit 510, a rotation unit 512 that rotates the lid gripping unit 511 gripping the lid 912 about a vertical axis to remove the lid 912 from the sample container 91 or attach the lid 912 to the sample container 91, and a movement mechanism 513 that moves the container gripping unit 510 in the vertical direction. Note that the lid 912 removed from the sample container 91 by the first lid opening / closing device 51 is held by the lid gripping unit 511 until it is time to attach it to the sample container 91 again. This allows the lid 912 to be attached and detached to and from the sample container 91 smoothly, thereby shortening the time required for preparation work.

[0020] In addition, the moving mechanism 513 moves the container holding portion 510 vertically to transport the sample container 91 held by the container holding portion 510 to a transfer position Q12, where the sample container 91 is transferred to and from the robot 2, an opening / closing position Q11, where the lid 912 is opened and closed, and an aspirating position Q13, where the liquid sample is aspirated from the open sample container 91 using the pipette 8.

[0021] However, the configuration of the first lid opening / closing device 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can attach and detach the lid 912 to and from the sample container 91.

[0022] ≪Second lid opening / closing device 52≫ The second lid opening / closing device 52 is disposed adjacent to the first lid opening / closing device 51 in the X-axis direction. The second lid opening / closing device 52 is a device that opens and closes the lid 922 of the sample container 92, and has the same configuration as the first lid opening / closing device 51 described above.

[0023] 5, the second lid opening / closing device 52 includes a container gripping unit 520 that grips the sample container 92 transported to a predetermined position by the robot 2, a lid gripping unit 521 that grips the lid 922 of the sample container 92 gripped by the container gripping unit 520, a rotation unit 522 that rotates the lid gripping unit 521 gripping the lid 922 about a vertical axis to remove the lid 922 from the sample container 92 or attach the lid 922 to the sample container 92, and a movement mechanism 523 that moves the container gripping unit 520. Note that the lid 922 removed from the sample container 92 is held by the lid gripping unit 521 until it is time to attach it to the sample container 92 again. This allows the lid 922 to be attached and detached to and from the sample container 92 smoothly, thereby reducing the time required for preparation work.

[0024] In addition, the moving mechanism 523 moves the container holding portion 520 vertically to transport the sample container 92 held by the container holding portion 520 to a transfer position Q22, where the sample container 92 is transferred to and from the robot 2, an opening / closing position Q21, where the lid 922 is opened and closed, and an ejection position Q23, where a liquid sample is ejected from the pipette 8 into the open sample container 92.

[0025] However, the configuration of the second lid opening / closing device 52 is not particularly limited as long as it can attach and detach the lid 922 to and from the sample container 92.

[0026] <Pipette 8> The pipette 8 is, for example, an electric micropipette, and as shown in FIG. 6, is used with a tip 81 attached to its tip. Such a pipette 8 aspirates a liquid sample from a sample container 91 through the tip 81 and dispenses the aspirated liquid sample into a sample container 92. Although not shown, the pipette 8 has a cylinder, a plunger that slides within the cylinder, a motor that drives the plunger, and a motor control device that controls the driving of the motor. The pipette 8 aspirates and dispenses the liquid sample by driving the motor to slide the plunger within the cylinder. However, the configuration of the pipette 8 is not particularly limited as long as it can aspirate and dispense a predetermined amount of liquid sample.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 6 , an attachment 82 is attached to the pipette 8. The pipette 8 is held by the hand 23 via the attachment 82. The portion of the attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23 has a shape similar to that of a sample container 91. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the portion of the attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23 is cylindrical, like the sample container 91, and its outer diameter is approximately the same as that of the sample container 91. With this configuration, the sample container 91, the sample container 92, and the pipette 8 are all aligned to have similar shapes, allowing each of these three to be stably held by a single hand 23. This allows for smooth and accurate preparation work.

[0028] Robot 2 As shown in Figure 8, the robot 2 is a six-axis vertical articulated robot with six drive axes, and has a base 21 fixed to the base 10, a robot arm 22 rotatably connected to the base 21, and a hand 23 attached to the tip of the robot arm 22.

[0029] The robot arm 22 has six arms 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, and 226 rotatably connected in this order from the base 21 side, and includes six joints J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6. Specifically, the arm 221 is rotatably connected to the base 21 via the joint J1. The arm 222 is rotatably connected to the arm 221 via the joint J2. The arm 223 is rotatably connected to the arm 222 via the joint J3. The arm 224 is rotatably connected to the arm 223 via the joint J4. The arm 225 is rotatably connected to the arm 224 via the joint J5. The arm 226 is rotatably connected to the arm 225 via the joint J6. The hand 23 of the arm 226 is attached to the arm 226.

[0030] Of the joints J1 to J6, joints J2, J3, and J5 are bending joints, and joints J1, J4, and J6 are torsion joints. Although not shown, each of the joints J1 to J6 is equipped with a drive mechanism including a motor, a reducer that reduces the speed of the motor's rotation to increase and output a rotational force (torque), and an encoder that detects the amount of rotation of the joint. By independently moving each of the joints J1 to J6, the hand 23 located at the tip of the robot arm 22 can be moved in a desired direction at a desired posture and speed.

[0031] The hand 23 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 22, i.e., to the arm 226. The hand 23 has a base 230 attached to the arm 226 and a pair of claws 231, 232 that are movable relative to the base 230. The pair of claws 231, 232 grips the specimen container 91, sample container 92, or pipette 8 by sandwiching it between them.

[0032] When the hand 23 of this embodiment grips a sample container 92, the central axis of the sample container 92 and the rotation axis of the joint J6 are parallel, and the central axis of the sample container 92 and the rotation axis of the joint J5 are perpendicular to each other. The same is true when gripping a sample container 91. Note that the term "parallel" as used above refers to two objects that are parallel to each other, as well as to objects that are deviated from parallelism within a range that can be considered equivalent to parallelism from the perspective of common technical knowledge. Similarly, the term "orthogonal" as used above refers to two objects that are orthogonal to each other, as well as to objects that are deviated from orthogonal within a range that can be considered equivalent to orthogonal from the perspective of common technical knowledge.

[0033] In addition, a connector 233 is disposed on the base 230 for electrically connecting the pipette 8 held by the hand 23 to the robot 2. For example, the connector 233 is a magnetic connector, and as shown in FIG. 6, when the hand 23 holds the pipette 8, the connector 233 automatically connects to the terminal of the pipette 8 by magnetic force. With this configuration, the electrical connection between the pipette 8 and the robot 2 is automatic, thereby reducing the number of steps required for the preparation work. However, the configuration of the connector 233 is not particularly limited.

[0034] The robot 2 has been described above. However, the configuration of the robot 2 is not particularly limited. For example, the number of arms provided in the robot arm 22 is not limited to six. Furthermore, the robot 2 may be a double-arm robot, a horizontally articulated robot (SCARA robot), or the like. Furthermore, the configuration of the hand 23 is not particularly limited.

[0035] <Control device 3> The control device 3 is electrically connected to each device of the sample mixing system 1 and controls the driving of each device. Specifically, it controls the driving of the robot 2 to transport the sample container 91 and the sample container 92, dispense the liquid sample, and mix the prepared sample container 920, controls the driving of the first lid opening / closing device 51 to attach and detach the lid 912 to the sample container 91, and controls the driving of the second lid opening / closing device 52 to attach and detach the lid 922 to the sample container 92.

[0036] Such a control device 3 is, for example, configured as a computer, and has a processor (CPU) for processing information, a memory communicatively connected to the processor, and an external interface for connecting to external devices. Various programs executable by the processor are stored in the memory, and the processor can read and execute the programs stored in the memory.

[0037] The configuration of each part of the sample stirring system 1 has been described above.

[0038] Next, the first and second dispensing steps S8 and S16 of the sample preparation work shown in FIG. 3 will be described. In the first and second dispensing steps S8 and S16, the robot 2 supplies the liquid sample to the sample container 92 by dispensing the liquid sample into the sample container 92 using the pipette 8 held by the hand 23. At this time, the robot 2 touches off the pipette 8. As shown in FIG. 9, touching off refers to the act of contacting the tip of the tip 81 with the inner wall of the sample container 92 after dispensing the liquid sample from the pipette 8 into the sample container 92, thereby adhering any liquid sample remaining at the tip of the tip 81 to the inner wall of the sample container 92. By performing touching off, it is less likely that the liquid sample will remain at the tip of the tip 81, enabling more accurate dispensing. However, this is not limited to this, and the robot 2 does not have to perform touching off in the first and second dispensing steps S8 and S16.

[0039] Next, the mixing step S21 of the sample preparation work shown in FIG. 3 will be described. In the mixing step S21, first, the robot 2 moves the robot arm 22 to grasp the prepared sample container 920 returned to the mounting table 4 with the hand 23. Next, the robot 2 moves the robot arm 22 to move the grasped prepared sample container 920 to the mixing work area. Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the robot 2 moves the robot arm 22 to shake the prepared sample container 920 grasped with the hand 23, thereby stirring the liquid sample in the prepared sample container 920. In the sample mixing system 1, the second lid opening / closing device 52 attaches the lid 922 to the prepared sample container 920, thereby enabling the lid 922 to be more reliably attached to the prepared sample container 920. Furthermore, any error in the attachment of the lid 922 can be detected before mixing. This reduces the risk of stirring a prepared sample container 920 without the lid 922 properly attached, or of the lid 922 coming off the prepared sample container 920 due to vibrations or impacts during stirring. Therefore, sufficient stirring can be performed more safely than in the conventional configuration in which the hand 23 both holds and closes the lid of the prepared sample container 920.

[0040] In particular, in this embodiment, the lid 922 is configured to be attached to the prepared sample container 920 by a screw thread. This makes it more difficult for the lid 922 to come off the prepared sample container 920. This effectively prevents the lid 922 from loosening or coming off due to vibrations or impacts received during stirring, allowing for sufficient stirring to be performed more safely.

[0041] To explain the mixing in more detail, the robot 2 shakes the prepared sample container 920 so as to collect droplets of liquid sample adhering to the inner wall of the sample container 92 due to touch-off. That is, the robot 2 shakes the prepared sample container 920, bringing the liquid sample stored at the bottom of the prepared sample container 920 into contact with the droplets adhering to the inner wall, thereby collecting the droplets. This mixing method allows the entire amount of liquid sample dispensed into the prepared sample container 920 to be mixed as a whole, thereby suppressing deviations in the blend ratio of multiple types of liquid sample. It also suppresses variations in the distribution of components within the sample. This improves the accuracy of sample blending.

[0042] The robot 2 also shakes the prepared sample container 920 in the vertical direction to agitate the liquid sample in the prepared sample container 920. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the prepared sample container 920 is shaken alternately between an orientation P1 in which the central axis L2 of the prepared sample container 920 faces the vertical direction and an orientation P2 in which the central axis L2 of the prepared sample container 920 faces the horizontal direction, thereby agitating the liquid sample in the sample container 92. This method not only enables efficient stirring of the liquid sample in the sample container 92, but also more reliably recovers droplets of the liquid sample adhering to the inner wall of the sample container 92 by touch-off. Note that the term "shaking in the vertical direction" means shaking in a direction having a vertical component.

[0043] In particular, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the joint J5, which is a bending joint, is horizontal, and the arm 225 is rotated back and forth around the joint J5 to swing the prepared sample container 920 vertically by rotating it back and forth around the rotation axis of the joint J5. With this configuration, the prepared sample container 920 can be swung vertically with simple control, since it is only necessary to control the drive of one joint J5. Furthermore, by moving the joint J5, which is the bending joint among the joints J2, J3, and J5 and is located closest to the tip of the robot arm 22, the inertia of the robot arm 22 during the mixing operation can be reduced compared to when the other joints J2 and J3 are moved. Therefore, the prepared sample container 920 can be swung at a higher speed, allowing for sufficient mixing in a shorter time.

[0044] The rotation angle θ1 at this time is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, between 60° and 120°, and is 90° in this embodiment. This allows for sufficient mixing, and also makes it possible to sufficiently reduce the driving range of the robot arm 22 during mixing work, thereby minimizing the mixing work area. This allows for the miniaturization of the sample mixing system 1.

[0045] However, the method for vibrating the prepared sample container 920 in the vertical direction is not particularly limited. For example, instead of the joint J5, one of the bending joints J2 and J3 may be moved. Furthermore, instead of the rotational vibration described above, the prepared sample container 920 may be vibrated in the vertical direction in a linear motion by moving two or more joints selected from the bending joints J2, J3, and J5 in conjunction with each other, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0046] The stirring step S21 has been described above, but the stirring step S21 is not particularly limited as long as it can stir the liquid sample in the prepared sample container 920. For example, the robot 2 may stir the liquid sample inside by shaking the prepared sample container 920 horizontally. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12 , the prepared sample container 920 is shaken left and right while maintaining an orientation in which the central axis L2 of the prepared sample container 920 faces vertically, thereby stirring the liquid sample inside. This method allows the liquid sample in the prepared sample container 920 to be efficiently stirred. Note that the term "shaking horizontally" means shaking in a direction having a horizontal component.

[0047] In this case, the arm 226 is rotated back and forth around the joint J6 to swing the prepared sample container 920 back and forth around the rotation axis of the joint J6, thereby swinging the prepared sample container 920 horizontally. With this configuration, the drive of only one joint J6 needs to be controlled, so the prepared sample container 920 can be swung horizontally with simple control. However, this is not limiting, and for example, the prepared sample container 920 may be swung horizontally by rotating the arm 221 back and forth around the joint J1.

[0048] 13, the sample mixing system 1 further mixes the liquid sample in the sample container 91 immediately before the liquid sample is aspirated by the pipette 8 in the first and second suction steps S6 and S14. For example, the sample container 91 passes through a mixing area during transport in the first and second sample container removal steps S3 and S11, and the robot arm 22 is moved in the mixing area to shake the sample container 91 and mix the liquid sample in the sample container 91. The mixing method can be the same as that used in the mixing step S21 described above. By mixing the liquid sample in the sample container 91 before the first and second suction steps S6 and S14 in this way, variations in the component distribution in the liquid sample due to precipitation, etc. can be suppressed, thereby further improving the accuracy of sample preparation.

[0049] The above describes the sample stirring system 1. As described above, the sample stirring system 1 includes the robot 2 equipped with the robot arm 22 to which the hand 23 is attached, which grasps the sample container 92 to which a liquid sample has been supplied, and the second lid opening / closing device 52, which is a lid closing device that attaches a lid 922 to the sample container 92. The robot 2 also grasps the sample container 92, to which the lid 922 has been attached by the second lid opening / closing device 52, with the hand 23, and moves the robot arm 22 to shake the sample container 92, thereby stirring the liquid sample in the sample container 92. With this configuration, the second lid opening / closing device 52 attaches the lid 922 to the sample container 92, thereby more reliably attaching the lid 922 to the sample container 92. This reduces the risk that the lid 922 will not be attached to the sample container 92 or that the lid 922 will come off the sample container 92 due to vibration or impact during stirring. This allows for sufficient stirring to be performed more safely than in a conventional configuration in which the hand 23 both grasps and closes the sample container 92.

[0050] As described above, the lid 922 is attached to the sample container 92 by screwing, and the second lid opening / closing device 52 attaches the lid 922 to the sample container 92 by rotating the lid 922 relative to the sample container 92. This configuration makes it more difficult for the lid 922 to come off the sample container 92. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the lid 922 from loosening or coming off due to vibrations or impacts received during stirring, and sufficient stirring can be performed more safely.

[0051] As described above, the robot 2 supplies the liquid sample to the sample container 92 by discharging the liquid sample into the sample container 92 using the pipette 8 held by the hand 23. This allows a predetermined amount of liquid sample to be supplied to the sample container 92.

[0052] As described above, the robot 2 performs touch-off when dispensing the liquid sample. By performing touch-off in this manner, the liquid sample is less likely to remain at the tip of the tip 81 attached to the pipette 8, allowing for more accurate dispensing.

[0053] As described above, the robot 2 shakes the sample container 92 to collect droplets of the liquid sample that have adhered to the inner wall of the sample container 92 due to touch-off. This method allows the entire amount of liquid sample dispensed into the sample container 92 to be stirred as a whole, thereby preventing deviations in the blend ratio when multiple types of liquid sample are mixed, thereby improving the accuracy of sample blending.

[0054] As described above, the robot 2 shakes the sample container 92 in the vertical direction to agitate the liquid sample in the sample container 92. This method makes it possible to efficiently agitate the liquid sample in the sample container 92, and also to more reliably recover droplets of the liquid sample that have adhered to the inner wall of the sample container 92 by touch-off.

[0055] As described above, the robot arm 22 has the joint J5, which is a bending joint, and by moving the joint J5, the sample container 92 is swung. With this configuration, the sample container 92 can be swung in the vertical direction with simple control.

[0056] Furthermore, as described above, before dispensing the liquid sample into the sample container 92, the robot 2 grasps the sample container 91 containing the liquid sample with the hand 23 and moves the robot arm 22 to shake the sample container 91, thereby stirring the liquid sample in the sample container 91. This configuration can reduce variations in the distribution of components in the liquid sample due to precipitation, etc., thereby further improving the accuracy of sample preparation.

[0057] Second Embodiment Fig. 14 is a side view showing a hand provided in a robot of a sample stirring system according to a second embodiment. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 are side views showing how a sample container is shaken to stir a liquid sample in the sample container.

[0058] The sample stirring system 1 of this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment described above, except that the configuration of the hand 23 and the stirring process S21 are different. In the following explanation, the differences between this embodiment and the previous embodiment will be mainly described, and explanations of similar points will be omitted. In each drawing of this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals.

[0059] In the robot 2 of the first embodiment described above, when the hand 23 grasps the sample container 92, the central axis L2 of the sample container 92 and the rotation axis of the joint J6 become parallel. In contrast, in the robot 2 of this embodiment, when the hand 23 grasps the sample container 92, the central axis L2 of the sample container 92 and the rotation axis of the joint J6 become perpendicular to each other, as shown in FIG.

[0060] In the robot 2, in the stirring step S21, the robot arm 22 is moved to repeatedly turn the prepared sample container 920 upside down, thereby stirring the liquid sample inside. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 15, the liquid sample inside the prepared sample container 920 is stirred by alternately repeating a position P3 facing vertically upward and a position P4 facing vertically downward. This method makes it possible to efficiently stir the liquid sample inside the prepared sample container 920, and to more reliably collect droplets adhering to the inner wall of the prepared sample container 920 by touch-off.

[0061] In particular, in this embodiment, the arm 226 is rotated back and forth around the joint J6, which is a torsion joint, to rotate the prepared sample container 920 back and forth around the rotation axis of the joint J6, thereby repeatedly turning the prepared sample container 920 upside down. With this configuration, it is only necessary to control the drive of one joint J6, so the prepared sample container 920 can be turned upside down with simple control.

[0062] The stirring step S21 has been described above, but the stirring step S21 is not particularly limited as long as it can stir the liquid sample in the prepared sample container 920. For example, as shown in Fig. 16, the robot 2 may stir the liquid sample in the sample container 92 by swinging the prepared sample container 920 left and right from the attitude P3.

[0063] As described above, in the sample stirring system 1 of this embodiment, the robot 2 repeatedly inverts the sample container 92 to stir the sample in the sample container 92. This method makes it possible to efficiently stir the liquid sample in the sample container 92, and also to more reliably recover droplets of the liquid sample that have adhered to the inner wall of the sample container 92 by touch-off.

[0064] As described above, the robot arm 22 has the joint J6, which is a torsion joint, and by moving the joint J6, the sample container 92 is inverted. With this configuration, the sample container 92 can be inverted with simple control.

[0065] The second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

[0066] Third Embodiment FIG. 17 is a side view showing the robot of the sample stirring system according to the third embodiment.

[0067] The sample stirring system 1 of this embodiment is the same as the first embodiment described above, except for the placement of the robot 2. In the following explanation, the differences between this embodiment and the previous embodiment will be mainly described, and explanations of similar points will be omitted. In addition, in each drawing of this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals.

[0068] 17, in the sample stirring system 1 of this embodiment, the robot 2 is suspended from a ceiling 11 arranged above the base 10. With this configuration, for example, as shown in the figure, the mounting table 4 can be arranged below the robot 2, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the sample stirring system 1.

[0069] The third embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above.

[0070] The sample stirring system of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, any other configuration may be added to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...sample stirring system, 10...base, 11...ceiling, 2...robot, 21...base, 22...robot arm, 221...arm, 222...arm, 223...arm, 224...arm, 225...arm, 226...arm, 23...hand, 230...base, 231...claw, 232...claw, 233...connector, 3...control device, 4...mounting table, 51...first lid opening / closing device, 510...container gripping portion, 511...lid gripping portion, 512...rotating portion, 513... Moving mechanism, 52...second lid opening / closing device, 520...container gripping part, 521...lid gripping part, 522...rotating part, 523...moving mechanism, 6...electronic balance, 71...pipette stand, 72...tip stand, 8...pipette, 81...tip, 82...attachment, 91...sample container, 912...lid, 92...sample container, 920...prepared sample container, 922...lid, J1...joint, J2...joint, J3...joint, J4...joint, J5...joint, J6...joint, L2... Central axis, P1...posture, P2...posture, P3...posture, P4...posture, Q11...opening / closing position, Q12...delivery position, Q13...suction position, Q21...opening / closing position, Q22...delivery position, Q23...discharge position, S1...sample container removal step, S2...sample container lid opening step, S3...first sample container removal step, S4...first sample container lid opening step, S5...first pipette gripping step, S6...first suction step, S7...first sample container lid closing step, S8...first discharge step , S9...first pipette returning step, S10...first sample container returning step, S11...second sample container removing step, S12...second sample container opening step, S13...second pipette gripping step, S14...second suction step, S15...second sample container closing step, S16...second discharge step, S17...sample container closing step, S18...second pipette returning step, S19...second sample container returning step, S20...sample container returning step, S21...mixing step, θ1...rotation angle

Claims

1. a robot having a robot arm equipped with a hand for holding a sample container containing a sample; a lid fastening device for attaching a lid to the sample container, A sample stirring system characterized in that the robot holds the sample container with the lid attached by the lid closing device in the hand, and stirs the sample in the sample container by moving the robot arm to shake the sample container.

2. the lid is attached to the sample container by a threaded engagement; 2. The sample stirring system according to claim 1, wherein the lid fastening device attaches the lid to the sample container by rotating the lid relative to the sample container.

3. 2. The sample stirring system according to claim 1, wherein the robot supplies the liquid sample to the sample container by discharging the liquid sample into the sample container using a pipette held by the hand.

4. The sample stirring system according to claim 3 , wherein the robot performs a touch-off operation during the dispensing.

5. The sample stirring system according to claim 4 , wherein the robot shakes the sample container to collect droplets of the sample that have adhered to the inner wall of the sample container by the touch-off.

6. The sample stirring system according to claim 5 , wherein the robot stirs the sample in the sample container by shaking the sample container vertically.

7. the robot arm has a bending joint; The sample stirring system according to claim 6, wherein the sample container is shaken by moving the bending joint.

8. The sample stirring system according to claim 5 , wherein the robot repeatedly inverts the sample container to stir the sample in the sample container.

9. the robot arm has a torsion joint; The sample stirring system according to claim 8 , wherein the sample container is inverted by moving the torsion joint.

10. The sample stirring system of claim 1, wherein the robot holds a sample container containing the sample with the hand before discharging the sample, and stirs the sample in the sample container by moving the robot arm to shake the sample container.

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