Method for controlling a sampling device

Abstract

To manufacture a sample collection device capable of surely moving a nozzle to a prescribed position of a sample tube without requiring man-hours in manufacturing and installation.SOLUTION: Attaching a holding member to a support body of a nozzle unit such that a collecting range w of a sample tube is within a range from a lower limit position separated by a distance w / 2 from a first position corresponding to a first edge of a slit provided with N (N ≥ 3, N is an integer) edges toward an initial position to an upper limit position separated by the distance w / 2 from an N-th position corresponding to an N-th edge toward an opposite side of the initial position; A method of manufacturing a sample collecting device, comprising the steps of: specifying a signal corresponding to a nearest edge recognized by a photointerrupter when a nozzle reaches a center of a collecting range; and storing the number of pulses and the signal corresponding to the nearest edge in a storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sample collection device for collecting a sample such as a blood specimen from a sample tube and subjecting the sample to various analyses. [Background technology]

[0002] In a liquid chromatography apparatus for collecting samples such as blood specimens from sample tubes for analysis, a technique is disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which a blood sample is collected from a blood collection tube set in a rack using a nozzle that is movable in the vertical and horizontal directions. Patent Document 2 also discloses a technique in which a blood collection tube is held between a drive roller and a driven roller, and in this state a nozzle breaks through a cap and enters the blood collection tube, and the aspirated blood is subjected to liquid chromatography. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-127700 [Patent Document 2] WO 2010 / 038852 A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a device that aspirates a liquid sample such as blood through a nozzle while holding the sample tube containing the sample on rollers, such as the technology described in Patent Document 2, a pulse motor is used to drive the movement of the nozzle to a predetermined position in the sample tube. When such a nozzle movement mechanism using a pulse motor does not operate normally, i.e., when the nozzle does not reach the intended position, it is said that the cause is loss of synchronization of the pulse motor, and causes of this include design factors such as a high operating speed or insufficient torque of the pulse motor, as well as unexpected factors such as hitting an obstacle during operation.

[0005] To ensure that a device using such a mechanism operates normally, it is sometimes necessary to confirm whether the mechanism has reached the intended position. A common method for detecting whether a mechanism is operating normally is to use an optical sensor to measure how many slits are detected when the motor is operating, or how many pulses are input to the pulse motor to pass between the slits, and compare this with a preset reference value. The reference value is calculated based on the mechanism's operating distance, the motor's excitation method, the slit width, etc., and is stored as equipment setting information during production.

[0006] Conventional reference values ​​are set to values ​​that are uniquely determined by design (for example, the number of pulses input to a pulse motor), and are set after taking into account differences between mechanisms due to tolerances, errors during assembly, vibrations during mechanism operation, etc., to allow for differences from the reference value at the time of setting. This can result in accuracy that is worse than what can actually be determined. Furthermore, in order to take into account the above-mentioned differences while maintaining accuracy, it is necessary to adjust the reference value and sensor position for each mechanism, which requires man-hours during manufacturing and installation.

[0007] Therefore, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to manufacture a sampling device that can reliably move a nozzle to a predetermined position in a sample tube without requiring many steps during manufacturing or installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a sample collection device comprising: a support provided with a pulse motor and a nozzle unit that moves a nozzle horizontally from an initial position to a sample collection position by driving the pulse motor; a slit plate having slits that serve as a guide for movement of the nozzle unit and that are provided with N consecutive edges (where N is an integer of 3 or more); a photointerrupter that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit and recognizes the slits; a holding member that holds a sample tube that contains a sample and has an insertion port through which the nozzle is inserted, below the sample collection position; a control device that controls the pulse motor and the photointerrupter; and a storage device that stores data for control, wherein the diameter of the collection range, which is the range through which the nozzle can be inserted at the insertion port, is defined as w; of the N consecutive edges, the edge closest to the initial position is defined as the first edge, and the edge farthest from the initial position is defined as the Nth edge; the signals to be sent to the control device when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge to the Nth edge are designated as first to Nth signals, the positions of the nozzle when the photointerrupter recognizes the first to Nth edges are designated as first to Nth positions, the distance between adjacent positions from the first position to the Nth position is all less than w / 2, a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position is designated as a lower limit position, and a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the Nth position toward the opposite side of the initial position is designated as an upper limit position, the method comprising the steps of: attaching a holding member to a support so that the sampling range is within the range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position; loading a sample tube into the holding member; measuring the number of pulses when the pulse motor is driven to move the nozzle to the center of the sampling range of the sample tube; identifying the most recent signal from the first to Nth signals recognized by the photointerrupter when the nozzle reaches the center of the sampling range; and storing the number of pulses and the most recent signal in a storage device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] Since the embodiments of the present disclosure are configured as described above, it is possible to manufacture a sample collection device that can reliably move the nozzle to a predetermined position in the sample tube without requiring additional labor during manufacturing or installation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] The external appearance of the HPLC device is shown in a front perspective view. [Figure 2] The external appearance of the sample collection device is shown in a front perspective view. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device in the sample collecting device. [Figure 4] The external appearance of the sample collection device is shown in a plan perspective view. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic plan view showing the shape of a slit plate. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing the appearance of the holding member. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between a holding member and a sample tube. [Figure 8] 1 is a front perspective view of the sampling device with the nozzle in the sampling position; FIG. [Figure 9] 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between an edge signal and an installation range of a holding member in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the shape of a slit plate. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between an edge signal and an installation range of a holding member in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the sample collecting device of the first and second embodiments. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the sample collecting device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The sample collection device manufactured by the manufacturing method of the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support on which a pulse motor and a nozzle unit that moves a nozzle horizontally from an initial position to a sample collection position by driving the pulse motor are mounted, a slit plate that serves as a guide for movement of the nozzle unit and has N consecutive slits (N is an integer of 3 or more) with edges, a photointerrupter that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit and recognizes the slits, a holding member that holds a sample tube that contains a sample and has an insertion port through which the nozzle is inserted, below the sample collection position, a control device that controls the pulse motor and the photointerrupter, and a memory device that stores data for control.

[0012] The control device drives the pulse motor to move the nozzle unit from the initial position to the sample collection position. During this movement, the photointerrupter recognizes the slit, and the recognized information is sent to the control device. The transmitted information is collated with data stored in the memory device, and the control device controls the operation of the nozzle unit. This point will be described in detail later.

[0013] In this case, the diameter of the collection range, which is the range within which the nozzle can be inserted at the insertion port of the sample tube, is defined as w. Furthermore, of the N consecutive edges in the slit, the edge closest to the initial position is defined as the first edge, and the edge farthest from the initial position is defined as the Nth edge. Furthermore, the signals sent to the control device when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge through the Nth edge are defined as the first signal through the Nth signal, respectively. Furthermore, the nozzle positions when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge through the Nth edge are defined as the first position through the Nth position, respectively. Furthermore, the distance between adjacent positions from the first position to the Nth position is all less than w / 2. The position separated by a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position is the lower limit position, and the position separated by a distance w / 2 from the Nth position toward the opposite side of the initial position is the upper limit position. In other words, the distance from the lower limit position to the upper limit position is less than (w + w · (N-1) / 2).

[0014] Then, a step of attaching a holding member to the support so that the sampling range falls within the range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position is performed. In other words, the holding member is attached at a position where the sampling range of the sample tube is not related to either the lower limit position or the upper limit position. Next, a step of loading the sample tube into the holding member is performed. Next, a step of measuring the number of pulses when the nozzle is moved to the center of the sampling range of the sample tube by driving the pulse motor is performed. Next, a step of identifying the most recent signal recognized by the photointerrupter when the nozzle reaches the center of the sampling range is performed, from the first signal to the Nth signal. Finally, a step of storing the measured number of pulses and the identified most recent signal in a storage device is performed, completing the manufacture of the sample sampling device.

[0015] The sample collection device manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment can be operated as follows. In the following description, the first through Nth signals are collectively referred to as "edge signals." First, when a sample tube is loaded into the holder, the control device drives the pulse motor to move the nozzle unit. After driving the pulse motor for the number of pulses stored in the storage device (hereinafter referred to as the "predetermined number of pulses"), the control device stops driving the pulse motor and stops the nozzle unit. Meanwhile, while the nozzle unit is moving, the photointerrupter recognizes the edge signal. When the nozzle unit stops, the control device transmits the most recent signal recognized to the control device. The control device determines whether the most recent signal received matches the most recent signal stored in the storage device (hereinafter referred to as the "reference signal"). If they match, the control device determines that the nozzle unit is in the correct sample collection position and lowers the nozzle to collect a sample. On the other hand, if they do not match, for example, if only the edge signal before the reference signal or the edge signal after the reference signal has been recognized, the control device determines that the nozzle unit is not in the correct sample collection position and does not lower the nozzle. At this time, a predetermined error message may be displayed.

[0016] Here, the lower limit position is a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position, and the upper limit position is a distance w / 2 from the Nth position opposite the initial position. Since the sampling range does not overlap either the lower limit position or the upper limit position, the photointerrupter should recognize at least the first edge but not the Nth edge when the pulse motor is driven a specified number of pulses. Therefore, if the photointerrupter does not recognize the first edge or recognizes the Nth edge when the pulse motor is driven a specified number of pulses, it is considered that an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the pulse motor or the nozzle unit drive system. Furthermore, if the photointerrupter does not recognize an edge related to the reference signal or recognizes the edge following the edge related to the reference signal when the pulse motor is driven a specified number of pulses, it is considered that an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the pulse motor or the nozzle unit drive system. If such an abnormality is suspected, the nozzle unit is not in the correct sample sampling position, and the nozzle is not lowered.

[0017] According to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, when the holding member is attached to the support, if it is attached within the range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position, it becomes easy to insert the nozzle near the center of the collection range in the sample collection device.

[0018] Note that the edges formed by the slits in the slit plate need only be at least three consecutive edges. That is, the sample collecting device manufactured by the manufacturing method of the second embodiment of the present disclosure is the sample collecting device of the first embodiment, in which the slit plate has at least three consecutive edges. These three consecutive edges are designated as a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge, from the side closest to the initial position. Furthermore, signals transmitted to the control device when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge, the second edge, and the third edge are designated as a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal, respectively. Furthermore, the positions of the nozzle when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge, the second edge, and the third edge are designated as a first position, a second position, and a third position, respectively. Furthermore, the distance a from the first position to the second position is less than w / 2, and the distance b from the second position to the third position is less than w / 2. The position separated by a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position is the lower limit position, and the position separated by a distance w / 2 from the third position toward the opposite side of the initial position is the upper limit position. That is, the distance from the lower limit position to the upper limit position is less than 2w.

[0019] Then, a step of attaching a holding member to the support so that the sampling range falls within the range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position is performed. In other words, the holding member is attached at a position where the sampling range of the sample tube is not related to either the lower limit position or the upper limit position. Next, a step of loading the sample tube into the holding member is performed. Next, a step of measuring the number of pulses when the nozzle is moved to the center of the sampling range of the sample tube by driving the pulse motor is performed. Next, a step of identifying the most recent signal recognized by the photointerrupter when the nozzle reaches the center of the sampling range is performed from the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal. Finally, a step of storing the measured number of pulses and the identified most recent signal in a storage device is performed, completing the manufacture of the sample sampling device.

[0020] The operation of the sample collecting device manufactured by the manufacturing method of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0021] The first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that common reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same configurations even if not specifically mentioned in the description of the drawings.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the appearance of a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) apparatus X equipped with a sampling device 40 (see FIG. 2) of the first embodiment.

[0023] The HPLC device X is configured to automatically measure the concentration of glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) in whole blood by setting sample tubes 11 held in a rack 10 on a table 20. The HPLC device X includes a plurality of eluent bottles 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, and 12E (five in FIG. 1 ) and a device main body 2.

[0024] The eluent bottles 12A to 12E respectively hold eluents A to E to be supplied to an analytical column (not shown), and are arranged in a holder section 21 in the device main body 2. The eluents differ in composition, component ratio, pH, osmotic pressure, etc. depending on the application.

[0025] The table 20 is configured to move the rack 10 set at a predetermined location, thereby moving the sample tubes 11 held in the rack 10 to a position where they can be collected by the nozzle 61 of the nozzle unit 60 described later.

[0026] The housing 3 is provided with an operation panel 30 and a display panel 31. The operation panel 30 is provided with a plurality of operation buttons 32, and by operating the operation buttons 32, signals for performing various operations (such as analysis operations and printing operations) can be generated, or various settings (such as setting analysis conditions and inputting the subject's ID) can be performed. The display panel 31 is used to display analysis results and error notifications, as well as operating procedures and operating status during settings.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of a portion of the sampling device 40 built into the HPLC device X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 100 that constitutes a part of the sampling device 40.

[0028] A pulse motor 50 is provided on a plate-shaped support 70 that is erected in the vertical direction. The pulse motor 50 rotates a drive belt 51 that is stretched in the left-right direction, and moves a nozzle unit 60 attached to the drive belt 51 together with a nozzle 61 in the left-right direction (i.e., horizontal direction).

[0029] A slit plate 71 is attached to a top plate 76 that forms the upper surface of the support 70. The nozzle unit 60 is also provided with a nozzle 61 attached thereto so as to move left and right together with the nozzle unit 60. A photointerrupter 62, which has a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion (not shown), is also attached thereto so as to move together with the nozzle unit 60. The nozzle unit 60 moves left and right with the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the photointerrupter 62 sandwiching the slit plate 71. A reference photointerrupter 75, which has a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion similar to the photointerrupter 62, is also attached to the support 70. A light-shielding plate attached to the nozzle unit 60 passes between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion. As shown in FIG. 2 , when the light-shielding plate is positioned to shield the reference photointerrupter 75, the control device recognizes the nozzle unit 60, to which the light-shielding plate is attached, as being in its initial position, and also recognizes the photointerrupter 62 attached to the nozzle unit 60 as being in its initial position, and the nozzle 61 as being in its initial position 90. When pulses are applied to the pulse motor 50 from this state, the pulse motor 50 rotates the drive belt by a predetermined amount with each pulse, and the nozzle 61 of the nozzle unit 60 moves a predetermined distance corresponding to the predetermined amount toward the sample collection position 95 (see Figure 8) to the right in the figure, and moves to the sample collection position 95.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective plan view showing the appearance of the sample collection device 40. As described above, the slit plate 71 is attached to the top plate 76 of the support 70. As shown enlarged in the schematic plan view of FIG. 5, the slit plate 71 has a comb-like appearance with multiple (five in this embodiment) notched slits 72 formed therein. The slits 72 are aligned in order along the direction in which the photointerrupter 62 of the nozzle unit 60 moves. Both sides of each slit 72 form edges. In this embodiment, from the initial position side (left side in the figure), the edges are: first edge 73a, second edge 73b, third edge 73c, fourth edge 73d, fifth edge 73e, sixth edge 73f, seventh edge 73g, eighth edge 73h, ninth edge 73i, and tenth edge 73j. When the photointerrupter 62 passes through a portion of the slit plate 71 without a slit 72, it enters a light-blocking state in which the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are shielded from light, and when it passes through the slit 72, the light-receiving portion receives light from the light-emitting portion and enters a light-receiving state. In this embodiment, the photointerrupter 62 outputs an ON signal when in a light-blocking state, and an OFF signal when in a light-receiving state. Furthermore, another slit is formed in the top plate 76 to the left of the slit plate 71, with its left edge forming a first minor edge 74a and its right edge forming a second minor edge 74b.

[0031] 3, the control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 120, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 130, and a storage device 150. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 190 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The CPU 110 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each component. That is, the CPU 110 reads programs from the ROM 120 or the storage device 150 and executes the programs using the RAM 130 as a work area. The CPU 110 controls each of the above components in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 120 or the storage device 150.

[0033] The ROM 120 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 130 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage device 150 is configured as storage using an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, and stores various programs including an operating system, and various data. In the first embodiment, the ROM 120 or the storage device 150 stores programs and various data related to control and judgment.

[0034] In the control device 100, the CPU 110 of the above hardware configuration executes the above-mentioned program to control the pulse motor 50 and the photointerrupter 62. The storage device 150 also stores data for this control, specifically data related to the specified pulse number and the reference signal.

[0035] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the appearance of the holding member 80. The holding member 80 is provided with a driven roller 81 that rotates by itself and a driven roller 82 that rotates following the rotation of the driven roller 81. As shown in the schematic plan view of Figure 7, when the sample tube 11 is sandwiched between the driven roller 81 and the driven roller 82, it becomes possible for the nozzle 61 to collect a sample through the collection area 11B of the insertion port 11A. The diameter of this collection area 11B is w.

[0036] 8 shows the state in which the nozzle unit 60 has moved rightward from the initial position 90 shown in Fig. 2 to reach the sample collection position 95. In this state, the nozzle 61 can be inserted into the sample tube 11 from the collection range 11B shown in Fig. 7.

[0037] 9 shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between the edge signal and the installation range R of the holding member 80. The horizontal axis of the graph in Fig. 9 indicates the distance from the initial position 90 of the nozzle unit 60 (specifically, the nozzle 61), and the vertical axis indicates the ON and OFF states of the edge signal.

[0038] When a pulse is applied to the pulse motor 50, the nozzle unit 60 starts moving from the initial position 90. At the beginning of the movement, the photointerrupter 62 is kept in a light-blocking state and the signal remains ON, but when it recognizes the first minor edge 74a (see FIG. 4), it generates a first minor signal E1, the photointerrupter 62 enters a light-receiving state, and the signal turns OFF. Immediately after, it recognizes the second minor edge 74b (see FIG. 4), generates a second minor signal E2, and the signal turns ON again.

[0039] Thereafter, when the photointerrupter 62 reaches the slit plate 71, it recognizes a first edge 73a (see FIG. 5) and generates a first signal S1 at a first position L1, where the signal is OFF. It recognizes a second edge 73b (see FIG. 5) and generates a second signal S2 at a second position L2, where the signal is ON. It recognizes a third edge 73c (see FIG. 5) and generates a third signal S3 at a third position L3, where the signal is OFF. It recognizes a fourth edge 73d (see FIG. 5) and generates a fourth signal S4 at a fourth position L4, where the signal is ON. It recognizes a fifth edge 73e (see FIG. 5) and generates a fifth signal S5 at a fifth position L5, where the signal is OFF. The signal is turned ON at a sixth position L6 where a sixth edge 73f (see FIG. 5) is recognized and a sixth signal S6 is generated, the signal is turned OFF at a seventh position L7 where a seventh edge 73g (see FIG. 5) is recognized and a seventh signal S7 is generated, the signal is turned ON at an eighth position L8 where an eighth edge 73h (see FIG. 5) is recognized and an eighth signal S8 is generated, the signal is turned OFF at a ninth position L9 where a ninth edge 73i (see FIG. 5) is recognized and a ninth signal S9 is generated, the signal is turned ON at a tenth position L10 where a tenth edge 73j (see FIG. 5) is recognized and a tenth signal S10 is generated, and this state is maintained thereafter.

[0040] In other words, the nozzle position when the photointerrupter 62 recognizes the first edge 73a and generates the first signal S1 is the first position L1, the nozzle position when the photointerrupter 62 recognizes the second edge 73b and generates the second signal S2 is the second position L2, the nozzle position when the photointerrupter 62 recognizes the third edge 73c and generates the third signal S3 is the third position L3, the nozzle position when the photointerrupter 62 recognizes the fourth edge 73d and generates the fourth signal S4 is the fourth position L4, and the nozzle position when the photointerrupter 62 recognizes the fifth edge 73e and generates the fifth signal S5 is the fifth position L5. The position of the nozzle when the photointerrupter 62 is in a position to recognize the sixth edge 73f and generate a sixth signal S6 is the sixth position L6, the position of the nozzle when the photointerrupter 62 is in a position to recognize the seventh edge 73g and generate a seventh signal S7 is the seventh position L7, the position of the nozzle when the photointerrupter 62 is in a position to recognize the eighth edge 73h and generate an eighth signal S8 is the eighth position L8, the position of the nozzle when the photointerrupter 62 is in a position to recognize the ninth edge 73i and generate a ninth signal S9 is the ninth position L9, and the position of the nozzle when the photointerrupter 62 is in a position to recognize the tenth edge 73j and generate a tenth signal S10 is the tenth position L10.

[0041] The distance between the first position L1 and the second position L2, the distance between the second position L2 and the third position L3, the distance between the third position L3 and the fourth position L4, the distance between the fourth position L4 and the fifth position L5, the distance between the fifth position L5 and the sixth position L6, the distance between the sixth position L6 and the seventh position L7, the distance between the seventh position L7 and the eighth position L8, the distance between the eighth position L8 and the ninth position L9, and the distance between the ninth position L9 and the tenth position L10 may be the same or different as long as they are shorter than w / 2. Also, the distance between the position where the second sub-signal E2 is generated and the first position L1 is equal to or greater than w. In addition, if the distance between the first position L1 and the second position L2, the distance between the second position L2 and the third position L3, the distance between the third position L3 and the fourth position L4, the distance between the fourth position L4 and the fifth position L5, the distance between the fifth position L5 and the sixth position L6, the distance between the sixth position L6 and the seventh position L7, the distance between the seventh position L7 and the eighth position L8, the distance between the eighth position L8 and the ninth position L9, and the distance between the ninth position L9 and the tenth position L10 are w / 2 or more, these distances can be made shorter than w / 2, for example, by replacing them with slit plates with shorter slit edge spacing.

[0042] When the center of the collection range 11B is located at the first position L1, the left end of the collection range 11B, in other words, the position that is a distance w / 2 away from the first position L1 toward the initial position, is set as the lower limit position 94. When the center of the collection range 11B is located at the tenth position L10, the right end of the collection range 11B, in other words, the position that is a distance w / 2 away from the tenth position L10 toward the opposite side of the initial position, is set as the upper limit position 96. The area between the lower limit position 94 and the upper limit position 96 is the installation range R of the holding member 80. If the holding member 80 is installed so that the collection range 11B is inside this installation range R (in other words, at a position that does not overlap either the lower limit position 94 or the upper limit position 96), the collection range 11B of the sample tube 11 installed on the holding member 80 will be positioned below at least two adjacent positions from the first position L1 to the tenth position L10, and the center of the collection range 11B will be positioned between those two positions, so that one of the first signal S1 to the ninth signal S9 will always be sent from the photointerrupter 62 to the control device 100 just before the nozzle 61 moves to the center of the collection range 11B.

[0043] In the second embodiment, the same slit plate 71 as in the first embodiment is used, and as shown in the schematic plan view of Figure 10, the fifth edge is the first edge 73a, the sixth edge is the second edge 73b, and the seventh edge is the third edge 73c.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 11, while the photointerrupter 62 repeatedly turns on and off the signal as in the first embodiment, the photointerrupter 62 recognizes a first edge 73a (see FIG. 10) and turns off the signal at a first position L1 where a first signal S1 is generated, recognizes a second edge 73b (see FIG. 10) and turns on the signal at a second position L2 where a second signal S2 is generated, recognizes a third edge 73c (see FIG. 10) and turns off the signal at a third position L3 where a third signal S3 is generated, and thereafter the photointerrupter 62 repeatedly turns on and off the signal as in the first embodiment.

[0045] Furthermore, the distance a between the first position L1 and the second position L2, and the distance b between the second position L2 and the third position L3 may be the same or different from each other, as long as they are shorter than w / 2.

[0046] When the center of the collection range 11B is located at the first position L1, the left end of the collection range 11B, in other words, the position that is a distance w / 2 away from the first position L1 toward the initial position, is defined as the lower limit position 94. When the center of the collection range 11B is located at the third position L3, the right end of the collection range 11B, in other words, the position that is a distance w / 2 away from the third position L3 toward the opposite side of the initial position, is defined as the upper limit position 96. The area between the lower limit position 94 and the upper limit position 96 is the installation range R of the holding member 80. The installation range R of this embodiment is narrower than the installation range R of the first embodiment. If the holding member 80 is installed so that the collection range 11B is located inside this installation range R (in other words, at a position that does not overlap either the lower limit position 94 or the upper limit position 96), the collection range 11B of the sample tube 11 installed on the holding member 80 will be located below at least two adjacent positions from the first position L1 to the third position L3, and the center of the collection range 11B will be located between these two positions, so that either the first signal S1 or the second signal S2 will be sent from the photointerrupter 62 to the control device 100 just before the nozzle 61 moves to the center of the collection range 11B.

[0047] In any of the above embodiments, the installation range R can be indicated, for example, on the housing 3 or the support 70. The operator can install the holding member 80 so that the collection range 11B of the sample tube 11 is located at any position inside this installation range R.

[0048] A method for manufacturing the sample collecting device 40 of the first and second embodiments will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0049] First, in a step shown in S1, the holding member 80 is attached to the support body 70 so that the collection area 11B falls within the installation area R (see FIGS. 9 and 11).

[0050] Next, in the step shown in S2, the sample tube 11 is loaded into the holding member 80 as shown in FIG. 7. When the signal received by the reference photointerrupter 75 is ON (i.e., when the nozzle unit 60 is in the initial position), the process proceeds to the step shown in S3, where the photointerrupter 62 is activated to apply a pulse to the pulse motor 50, causing the nozzle unit 60 to move toward the sample collection position 95, and the movement is stopped when the nozzle 61 reaches the center of the collection range 11B. Note that if the nozzle unit 60 (specifically, the nozzle 61) is not in the initial position (when the reference photointerrupter 75 has its signal OFF), a step is performed before S2 in which the pulse motor 50 is rotated until the signal received by the reference photointerrupter 75 is ON (i.e., until the nozzle unit 60 and nozzle 61 move to their initial positions).

[0051] Next, in step S4, the number of pulses applied to the pulse motor 50 up to this point is measured and defined as the specified pulses. In other words, the number of pulses required to move the nozzle 61 from the initial position 90 to the center of the collection range 11B is defined as the specified pulse number. At the same time, in step S5, the edge signal most recently recognized by the photointerrupter 62 is identified and defined as the specified edge. In the first embodiment, this specified edge is one of the first signal S1 to the ninth signal S9, and in the second embodiment, it is one of the first and second signals. Specifically, the number of edge signals detected by the photointerrupter 62 before the nozzle 61, which is in the initial position, reaches the center of the collection range 11B (i.e., the number of edges detected by the photointerrupter) can be defined as the specified edge. Note that if the interval between the positions where each edge signal is provided is sufficiently smaller than the diameter w of the collection range 11B, the number of signals before and after the number of signals detected by the photointerrupter 62 can also be defined as the specified edge.

[0052] Then, in a step S6, the specified number of pulses measured in the step S4 and the specified edge identified in the step S5 are stored in the storage device 150, and the sample collecting device 40 is completed.

[0053] An example of control of the sampling device 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0054] First, in the step shown in S10, the sample tube 11 containing the liquid sample is set in the holding member 80.

[0055] Then, at the stage shown in S20, the control device 100 activates the photointerrupter 65 when the signal received by the reference photointerrupter 75 is ON (i.e., when the nozzle unit 60 and nozzle 61 are in their initial positions), applies a specified number of pulses stored in the memory device 150 to the pulse motor 50, and moves the nozzle unit 60 (specifically, the nozzle 61) toward the sample collection position 95 and stops it. Note that if the nozzle unit 60 and nozzle 61 are not in their initial positions (i.e., when the reference photointerrupter 75 has its signal OFF), a step of rotating the pulse motor 50 until the signal received by the reference photointerrupter 75 is ON (i.e., until the nozzle unit 60 and nozzle 61 move to their initial positions) is performed before the stage shown in S20.

[0056] Next, at the stage indicated by S30, when the nozzle unit 60 stops, the control device 100 determines whether or not the specified edge stored in the memory device 150 has been detected. Here, if the specified edge is defined as the number of edge signals detected by the photointerrupter 62 at the stage indicated by S4, the number of edge signals measured at the stage indicated by S4 is compared with the number of edge signals measured at the stage indicated by S20. If the number of edge signals measured at the stage indicated by S20 is equal to or greater than the number of edge signals measured at S4, it is determined that the specified edge has been detected. On the other hand, if the number of edge signals measured at the stage indicated by S20 is less than the number of edge signals measured at S4, it is determined that the specified edge has not been detected.

[0057] If it is determined in step S30 that the specified edge has been detected, the process proceeds to step S40, where the control device 100 determines whether the edge following the specified edge has been detected. If the specified edge is defined as the number of edge signals detected by the photointerrupter 62 in step S4, if the number of edge signals measured in step S20 is the same as the number of edge signals measured in step S4, it is determined that the edge following the specified edge has not been detected. On the other hand, if the number of edge signals measured in step S20 is greater than the number of edge signals measured in step S4, it is determined that the edge following the specified edge has been detected.

[0058] If it is determined in the step shown in S30 that the specified edge has not been detected, or if it is determined in the step shown in S40 that the edge next to the specified edge has been detected, some kind of abnormality may have occurred, and even if the nozzle 61 is lowered as is, it may not hit the sampling range 11B, which may result in a malfunction. In either case, the process proceeds to the step shown in S50, an error message is displayed using an appropriate means (for example, the display panel 31 shown in FIG. 1), and the nozzle 61 does not aspirate the sample.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined in the step shown in S40 that the edge next to the specified edge has not been detected, it is determined that the nozzle 61 is located near the center of the sampling range 11B, and the process proceeds to the step shown in S60, where the nozzle 61 is lowered by the nozzle unit 60, the tip of the nozzle 61 is inserted into the sample tube 11, and the sample is aspirated. The aspirated sample is subjected to analysis by the HPLC device X.

[0060] When the analysis of the sample is completed, the process proceeds to the step shown in S70, where it is determined whether or not there is a next sample. If there is not, the control ends. On the other hand, if there is a next sample, the process proceeds to the step shown in S80, where the pulse motor 50 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the nozzle unit 60 to the initial position 90. Then, when the reference photointerrupter 75 is shielded by the light shielding plate 63, it is determined that the initial position 90 has been reached, and the movement is stopped. Then, after necessary measures such as cleaning of the nozzle 61 are taken, the control resumes from the step shown in S10.

[0061] The manufacturing method of the present embodiment described above can be performed as follows. Specifically, in step S4, the number of pulses applied to the pulse motor 50 required to obtain the edge signal most recently recognized by the photointerrupter 62 is further measured. In step S5, this number of applied pulses is designated as the reference pulse number. In step S6, this reference pulse number, along with the specified edge and specified pulse, is stored in the storage device 150. If it is determined in step S40 that the next edge has not been detected, the next step determines whether the number of pulses applied to the pulse motor 50 required to obtain the edge signal most recently recognized by the photointerrupter 62 is the same as the reference pulse number or falls within a predetermined tolerance. If the number of applied pulses is the same as the reference pulse number or falls within a predetermined tolerance, the process proceeds to step S60, where the nozzle is lowered. As a result, a sample collecting device can be manufactured that can more reliably move the nozzle to the desired position in the sample tube. [Industrial Applicability]

[0062] The present invention can be used to manufacture devices such as HPLC devices that have a mechanism for collecting samples through a nozzle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 2 main units 3 chassis 10 racks 11 Sample tube 11A Insertion port 11B Collection area 12A~12E Eluent bottles 20 table 21 holder section 30 operation panel 31 Display panel 32 Operation buttons 40 Sampling Device 50 Pulse motor 51 Drive belt 60 nozzle unit 61 nozzle 62 photointerrupter 63 light shielding plate 70 support 71 slit plate 72 slit 73a~73j 1st edge~10th edge 74a, 74b First minor edge, second minor edge 75 Reference photointerrupter 76 Top plate 80 holding member 81 driving roller 82 driven roller 90 Initial position 94 Lower limit position 95 Sampling position 96 Upper limit position 100 control device 110 CPU 120 ROM 130 RAM 150 Storage device 190 Bus E1, E2 1st calibration signal, 2nd calibration signal L1~L10 1st position~10th position R Installation range S1~S10 1st signal~10th signal X HPLC equipment

Claims

1. a support provided with a pulse motor and a nozzle unit that moves the nozzle horizontally from an initial position to a sample collection position by driving the pulse motor; a slit plate having N (where N is an integer of 3 or more) consecutive slits each having an edge, the slit serving as a guide for movement of the nozzle unit; a photointerrupter that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit and recognizes the slit; a holding member that holds a sample tube that contains a sample and has an insertion port into which the nozzle is inserted, below the sample collection position; a control device that controls the pulse motor and the photointerrupter; a storage device that stores data for performing the control; A method for manufacturing a sample collection device comprising: The diameter of the collection range in which the nozzle can be inserted at the insertion port is defined as w, Among the N consecutive edges, the edge closest to the initial position is designated as a first edge, and the edge farthest from the initial position is designated as an Nth edge; signals to be transmitted to the control device when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge to the Nth edge are designated as first signals to Nth signals, respectively; the positions of the nozzle when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge to the Nth edge are defined as a first position to an Nth position, respectively; The distance between any two adjacent positions from the first position to the Nth position is less than w / 2, a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position is set as a lower limit position; When a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the N position on the opposite side of the initial position is defined as an upper limit position, Attaching the holding member to the support so that the collection range falls within a range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position; loading the sample tube into the holding member; measuring the number of pulses when the nozzle is moved to the center of the collection range of the sample tube by driving the pulse motor; identifying the most recent signal recognized by the photointerrupter when the nozzle reaches the center of the collection range from the first signal to the Nth signal; storing the number of pulses and the most recent signal in the memory device; A method for manufacturing a sample collection device, comprising:

2. a support provided with a pulse motor and a nozzle unit that moves the nozzle horizontally from an initial position to a sample collection position by driving the pulse motor; a slit plate having a slit with at least three continuous edges, the slit serving as a guide for movement of the nozzle unit; a photointerrupter that moves in conjunction with the nozzle unit and recognizes the slit; a holding member that holds a sample tube that contains a sample and has an insertion port into which the nozzle is inserted, below the sample collection position; a control device that controls the pulse motor and the photointerrupter; a storage device that stores data for performing the control; A method for manufacturing a sample collection device comprising: The diameter of the collection range in which the nozzle can be inserted at the insertion port is defined as w, the three consecutive edges are designated as a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge in order from the side closest to the initial position; signals transmitted to the control device when the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge, the second edge, and the third edge are designated as a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal, respectively; When the photointerrupter recognizes the first edge, the second edge, and the third edge the nozzle positions are respectively a first position, a second position, and a third position, a distance a from the first position to the second position is less than w / 2; a distance b from the second position to the third position is less than w / 2; a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the first position toward the initial position is set as a lower limit position; When a position separated by a distance w / 2 from the third position on the opposite side of the initial position is defined as an upper limit position, Attaching the holding member to the support so that the collection range falls within a range from the lower limit position to the upper limit position; loading the sample tube into the holding member; measuring the number of pulses when the nozzle is moved to the center of the collection range of the sample tube by driving the pulse motor; identifying the most recent signal recognized by the photointerrupter when the nozzle reaches the center of the collection range from the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal; storing the number of pulses and the most recent signal in the memory device; A method for manufacturing a sample collection device, comprising:

3. The method for manufacturing a sample collecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the distance a is equal to the distance b.

4. 4. The method for manufacturing a sample collection device according to claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the most recent signal is a step of identifying the most recent signal by identifying the number of edges recognized by the photointerrupter before the nozzle in the initial position reaches the center of the collection range.

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