Automatic analysis device

Abstract

In absorption analysis using a photometer in an automatic analyzer, in order to obtain sufficient analytical performance, it is necessary to keep the optical path of the photometer constant and the sensitivity of the light-receiving element constant. However, the temperature of the photometer changes following the temperature rise inside the device, so the optical path length changes due to thermal strain, and the sensitivity of the light-receiving element changes due to the temperature characteristics of the light-receiving element or changes in the environmental temperature, resulting in fluctuations in the photocurrent. [Solution] A photometer equipped with a spectroscopic unit and a light-receiving unit, and a temperature adjustment unit attached to the housing of the photometer, serves to balance the temperature of the photometer. The temperature adjustment unit is attached to the surface of the photometer opposite to the surface on which the light-receiving unit is attached, and is capable of suppressing temperature changes in the photometer, particularly the light-receiving unit, caused by temperature increases within the device, changes in the environmental temperature, etc., and stabilizing the photocurrent.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In an automatic analyzer for analyzing the amounts of components contained in a biological sample (hereinafter referred to as a specimen), a method for increasing detection sensitivity by cooling a light receiving element from a light source has been disclosed (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-20792 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In absorbance analysis using a photometer in an automated analyzer, to obtain sufficient analytical performance, it is necessary to stabilize the wavelength and light intensity received by the light-receiving unit, and to stabilize the light-receiving signal output by the light-receiving unit. This, in turn, requires maintaining a constant optical path for the photometer and maintaining a constant sensitivity for the light-receiving unit. However, the temperature of the photometer changes in response to temperature rises within the device and changes in the ambient temperature. This causes changes in the optical path length due to thermal strain, and the sensitivity of the light-receiving unit changes depending on the temperature characteristics of the light-receiving unit, resulting in fluctuations in the light-receiving signal. Furthermore, sufficient analytical performance cannot be obtained from the time the device is started until the temperature stabilizes, resulting in a waiting time.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that has high-precision analytical performance by keeping the temperature of the housing of the photometer constant and stabilizing the temperature of the light-receiving section, which is greatly affected by temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an automatic analyzer comprising a photometer having a spectroscopic unit and a light-receiving unit, and a temperature adjustment unit that is assembled to the housing of the photometer and equilibrates the temperature of the photometer, the temperature adjustment unit being assembled to the surface of the photometer opposite to the surface to which the light-receiving unit is assembled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an automatic analyzer having highly accurate analytical performance can be provided by keeping the temperature of the housing of the photometer constant and stabilizing the temperature of the light receiving section, which is greatly affected by temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an automatic analyzer. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a photometer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the photometer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the photometer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a supplementary diagram of an example of the configuration of a photometer in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a photometer in a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a photometer according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a top view of a photometer according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a photometer in Example 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer 100. As shown in FIG. The automated analyzer 100 shown in the figure is an apparatus that performs measurements by irradiating a sample with light. The automated analyzer 100 includes a sample disk 103, a reagent disk 106, a reaction disk 109, a dispensing mechanism, a control circuit 201, a light quantity measurement circuit 202, a data processing unit 203, an input unit 204, and an output unit 205. The dispensing mechanism on the reaction disk moves samples and reagents between disks. The control circuit 201 controls each disk and the dispensing mechanism, and the light quantity measurement circuit 202 measures the absorbance of the reaction solution. The data processing unit 203 processes the data measured by the light quantity measurement circuit 202. The input unit 204 and output unit 205 are interfaces with the data processing unit 203. The dispensing mechanism includes a sample dispensing mechanism 110 and a reagent dispensing mechanism 111.

[0010] The data processing unit 203 includes an information recording unit 2031 and an analysis unit 2032. The information recording unit 2031 stores control data, measurement data, data used in data analysis, analysis result data, etc. The data processing unit 203 may be realized using a computer.

[0011] A plurality of sample cups 102, which are containers for holding samples 101, are arranged on the circumference of the sample disk 103. The samples 101 are, for example, blood. A plurality of reagent bottles 105, which are containers for holding reagents 104, are arranged on the circumference of the reagent disk 106. A plurality of reaction cells 108 (reaction containers), which are containers for holding reaction solutions 107 in which the samples 101 and reagents 104 are mixed, are arranged on the circumference of the reaction disk 109.

[0012] The specimen dispensing mechanism 110 is a mechanism used to transfer a fixed amount of specimen 101 from the specimen cup 102 to the reaction cell 108. The specimen dispensing mechanism 110 is composed of, for example, a nozzle that dispenses or aspirates a solution, a robot that positions and transports the nozzle to a predetermined position, a pump that dispenses or aspirates a solution from the nozzle, and a flow path that connects the nozzle and the pump.

[0013] The reagent dispensing mechanism 111 is a mechanism used when transferring a fixed amount of reagent 104 from the reagent bottle 105 to the reaction cell 108. The reagent dispensing mechanism 111 also includes, for example, a nozzle that dispenses or aspirates a solution, a robot that positions and transports the nozzle to a predetermined position, a pump that dispenses or aspirates a solution from the nozzle, and a flow path that connects the nozzle and the pump.

[0014] The stirring unit 112 is a mechanism that stirs and mixes the specimen 101 and the reagent 104 in the reaction cell 108. The washing unit 114 is a mechanism that discharges the reaction solution 107 from the reaction cell 108 after the analysis process has been completed, and then washes the reaction cell 108.

[0015] In the reaction disk 109, the reaction cells 108 are immersed in a constant temperature fluid 115 in a temperature-controlled thermostatic bath. As a result, the reaction cells 108 and the reaction solutions 107 therein are kept at a constant temperature by the control circuit 201 even while being moved by the reaction disk 109. The constant temperature fluid 115 is, for example, water or air.

[0016] A photometer 113 for performing absorption analysis on the sample 101 is arranged on a part of the circumference of the reaction disk 109 .

[0017] The amounts of components such as proteins, sugars, and lipids contained in the sample 101 are calculated according to the following procedure. First, the control circuit 201 causes the sample dispensing mechanism 110 to dispense a fixed amount of the sample 101 in the sample cup 102 into the reaction cell 108. Next, the control circuit 201 causes the reagent dispensing mechanism 111 to dispense a fixed amount of the reagent 104 in the reagent bottle 105 into the reaction cell 108.

[0018] When dispensing each solution, the control circuit 201 rotates the sample disk 103, the reagent disk 106, and the reaction disk 109 using the corresponding drive units. At this time, the sample cup 102, the reagent bottle 105, and the reaction cell 108 are positioned at predetermined dispensing positions according to the drive timing of the corresponding dispensing mechanism.

[0019] As the reaction disk 109 rotates, the reaction cell 108 containing the reaction solution 107 passes through a measurement position where a photometer 113 is placed. Every time the reaction cell 108 passes through the measurement position, the amount of light transmitted from the reaction solution 107 is measured by the photometer 113. The measurement data is sequentially output to the information recording unit 2031 and stored as reaction process data.

[0020] During the accumulation of this reaction process data, if necessary, another reagent 104 is additionally dispensed into the reaction cell 108 by the reagent dispensing mechanism 111, and measurement is continued for a certain period of time. As a result, the reaction process data acquired at certain time intervals is stored in the information recording unit 2031. [Example]

[0021] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the photometer of Example 1, i.e., the photometer 113. Irradiation light generated from a light source unit 301 is emitted along an optical path 401, and is condensed by a condenser lens 403 to irradiate the reaction cell 108. At this time, a light source-side slit 402 may be arranged to limit the width of the light emitted from the light source unit 301 in order to make the light intensity distribution within the irradiation surface uniform.

[0022] The irradiation light generated from the light source unit 301 is emitted along an optical path 401, and is condensed by a condenser lens 403 to be irradiated onto the reaction cell 108. At this time, a light source side slit 402 may be arranged to limit the width of the light emitted from the light source unit 301 in order to make the light amount distribution within the irradiation surface uniform.

[0023] Light transmitted through the reaction solution 107 in the reaction cell 108 is dispersed by a spectroscopic unit (e.g., a diffraction grating) 3021 mounted in the housing 302 and received by a light-receiving unit 3022 equipped with a number of light receivers. Note that the spectroscopic unit 3021 may not be provided if the irradiation light generated by the light source unit 301 is of a single wavelength or if the number of light receivers equipped in the light-receiving unit 3022 is the same as the number of light sources. Since light that has not transmitted through the reaction solution 107 becomes noise, a spectroscopic unit-side slit 404 may be provided to prevent such stray light from entering the light-receiving unit 3022. Examples of measurement wavelengths received by the light-receiving unit 3022 include 340 nm, 376 nm, 405 nm, 415 nm, 450 nm, 480 nm, 505 nm, 546 nm, 570 nm, 600 nm, 660 nm, 700 nm, 750 nm, and 800 nm. The light reception signals from these light receivers are transmitted to the information recording unit 2031 of the data processing unit 203 via the light quantity measuring circuit 202 .

[0024] The first temperature adjustment unit 3024 is attached to the housing 302 on the side opposite to the side on which the light-receiving unit 3022 is attached. The first temperature adjustment unit 3024 is preferably attached near the light-receiving unit 3022. The first temperature adjustment unit 3024 controls output based on the temperature of the first temperature sensor 3026 and adjusts temperature by at least increasing the temperature. By adjusting the temperature of the housing 302, the time required for the temperature of the housing 302 to stabilize in response to an increase in the internal temperature of the device due to heat generated by a motor or the like can be shortened, thereby shortening the waiting time until analytical performance stabilizes. Furthermore, even when the environmental temperature changes, the first temperature adjustment unit 3024 can suppress temperature changes in the housing 302, thereby maintaining stable analytical performance. By attaching the first temperature adjustment unit 3024 near the light-receiving unit 3022, which is particularly susceptible to temperature changes, the time required for analytical performance to stabilize can be further shortened. The first temperature adjustment unit 3024 can be a heater, a Peltier element, a block in which a temperature-controlled liquid is circulated, or the like.

[0025] The light receiving unit 3022 does not have to be directly assembled to the housing 302. For example, Fig. 3 shows a configuration in which the light receiving unit 3022 is assembled to a holding member 3023, and the holding member 3023 is then assembled to the housing 302. In order to adjust the temperature of the light receiving unit 3022, it is preferable that the holding member 3023 has a base material made of a metal with high thermal conductivity. By assembling the light receiving unit 3022 to the housing 302 via the holding member 3023, the orientation of the light receiving surface of the light receiving unit 3022 can be freely designed to match the layout of the device.

[0026] The temperature adjustment unit transfers heat to the housing 302, but also dissipates heat from the surface exposed to the outside air. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the surface exposed to the outside air and dissipating heat may be covered with a heat insulating material 3029. This allows heat to be transferred to the housing 302 efficiently.

[0027] Figure 5 is a perspective view focusing on the temperature adjustment unit 3024 in Figure 4. The light receiving unit 3022 is attached to the upper surface of the housing 302, and the first temperature adjustment unit 3024 is attached to the lower surface (opposite surface) of the housing 302. The heat insulating material 3029 has two plates: one with holes for screws to secure the temperature sensor, and the other is an ordinary plate. This is because heat escapes through the screw heads, and an additional heat insulating material is placed on top to cover the plate.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, optical components such as a mirror 3028 that reflects light, a filter that transmits specific wavelengths, and a filter that reflects heat rays from a light source that is a high-temperature heat source such as a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp may be installed on the optical path 401 from the light source unit 301 to the spectroscopic unit 3021. [Example]

[0029] In the first embodiment, the output of the first temperature adjustment unit 3024 is adjusted according to the temperature of the first temperature sensor 3026. However, the present invention is not limited to this method of controlling the temperature adjustment unit. For example, the automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment includes a second temperature sensor 3027 that measures the environmental temperature, as shown in FIG. 6. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0030] When controlling the temperature of first temperature sensor 3026 to, for example, 32°C, the amount of heat required to raise the temperature differs between ambient temperatures of 10°C and 30°C, resulting in differences in the temperature distribution in housing 302, the time it takes for the temperature to stabilize, and power consumption. However, by measuring the ambient temperature using second temperature sensor 3027 and switching the target temperature of first temperature sensor 3026 in accordance with the ambient temperature using control circuit 201, it is possible to optimize the target temperature of first temperature sensor 3026. This makes it possible to control first temperature adjustment unit 3024 with a constant amount of heat regardless of the ambient temperature. [Example]

[0031] In the present invention, the number of temperature adjustment units does not need to be one. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the automatic analyzer according to Example 3 has a configuration in which a second temperature adjustment unit 3025 is assembled to the housing 302, and is assembled to the surface opposite to the surface to which the spectroscopic unit 3021 is assembled. The other configurations are the same as those of Example 1. Fig. 8 is a top view of Fig. 7.

[0032] According to the automatic analyzer of this embodiment, by assembling the second temperature adjusting unit 3025, the temperature distribution in the housing 302 can be balanced, and the influence of changes in the environmental temperature and the like can be reduced. [Example]

[0033] In order to further shorten the time it takes for the temperature adjustment unit to stabilize the temperature of the housing 302, it is possible to suppress heat radiation to and heat absorption from the outside air of the housing 302. As shown in Fig. 9, the automated analyzer according to Example 4 has a configuration in which the surface of the housing 302 exposed to the outside air is covered with a heat insulating material 3029. The other configurations are the same as those of Example 1. Covering the housing 302 with the heat insulating material 3029 makes it possible to suppress heat radiation to and heat absorption from the outside air of the housing 302, thereby increasing the efficiency of the first temperature adjustment unit 3024 and shortening the time it takes for the temperature to stabilize.

[0034] The surface of the housing 302 exposed to the outside air may be partially covered with the heat insulating material 3029. For example, a configuration is possible in which only the surface near the heat generating element in the periphery of the housing 302 and affected by the heat generating element is covered with the heat insulating material 3029.

[0035] Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but by combining multiple embodiments, a more reliable automated analyzer can be provided. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an automatic analyzer having all of the configurations described. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 100: Automatic analyzer 101: Specimen 102: Sample cup 103: Sample disk 104: Reagents 105: Reagent bottle 106: Reagent disk 107: Reaction solution 108: Reaction cell 109: Reaction disk 110: Sample dispensing mechanism 111: Reagent dispensing mechanism 112: Stirring section 113: Photometer 114: Cleaning section 115: Constant temperature fluid 201: Control circuit 202: Light intensity measurement circuit 203: Data processing unit 2031: Information Recording Department 2032:Analysis Department 204: Input section 205: Output section 301: Light source section 302: Cabinet 3021: Spectroscopy section 3022: Light receiving section 3023: Light receiving unit holding member 3024: 1st temperature adjustment section 3025:Second temperature adjustment section 3026: First temperature sensor 3027: Second temperature sensor 3028:Mirror 3029:Insulation material 401: Light path 402: Light source side slit 403: Condenser lens 404: Spectroscopic side slit

Claims

1. a light source that irradiates light onto an object; a light receiving unit that receives transmitted light that has passed through the object; a first temperature adjusting unit having a function of adjusting the temperature by increasing the temperature; the first temperature adjustment unit is attached to a surface opposite to a surface to which the light receiving unit is attached; An automatic analyzer characterized by:

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, a spectroscopic unit that spectroscopically separates light transmitted through the object, the light receiving unit receives the light dispersed by the spectroscopic unit; An automatic analyzer characterized by:

3. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, a first temperature sensor that measures a temperature in the vicinity of the first temperature adjustment unit; a second temperature sensor for measuring the ambient temperature of the device; a control unit that controls the first temperature adjustment unit based on the temperature of the second temperature sensor so that the temperature of the first temperature sensor becomes a target temperature, An automatic analyzer characterized by:

4. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, a second temperature adjustment unit having a function of adjusting the temperature by increasing the temperature, the second temperature adjustment unit is attached to a surface opposite to a surface to which the spectroscopic unit is attached; An automatic analyzer characterized by:

5. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, a mirror is provided on an optical path from the light source to the spectroscopic unit; An automatic analyzer characterized by:

6. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, a mirror is provided on an optical path from the light source to the spectroscopic unit, The optical axis can be adjusted by adjusting the mounting angle of the mirror. An automatic analyzer characterized by:

7. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, The housing in which the light receiving unit is assembled is covered with a heat insulating material. An automatic analyzer characterized by:

8. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, a housing in which the light receiving unit is assembled and the first temperature adjusting unit are covered with a heat insulating material; An automatic analyzer characterized by:

9. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, The first temperature adjustment unit is covered with a heat insulating material. An automatic analyzer characterized by:

10. The automatic analyzer according to claim 9, The heat insulating material is installed on the bottom of a housing in which the light receiving unit is assembled. An automatic analyzer characterized by:

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