Automatic analysis device

Abstract

To accurately detect the presence or absence of residual water in a reaction vessel.SOLUTION: An autoanalyzer according to an embodiment comprises a reaction vessel, irradiation means, light detection means, absorbance calculation means, and residual water detection means. The irradiation means irradiates the reaction vessel with light. The light detection means detects light passing through the reaction vessel. The absorbance calculation means determines absorbance based on a temporal change waveform indicating a change with time of a signal value output from the light detection means. The residual water detection means detects residual water in the reaction vessel based on the output from the light detection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings relate to an automated analyzer. [Background technology]

[0002] An automated analyzer is a device that optically and electrically measures the concentration or activity of components contained in blood or urine by utilizing chemical reactions with test reagents.

[0003] The automatic analyzer discharges samples stored for each examinee, such as a patient or a medical examiner, into individual reaction vessels assigned for the measurement of each test item. The automatic analyzer also discharges a reagent corresponding to each test item into the reaction vessel corresponding to the test item. Then, the test item is measured using a mixture of the sample and the reagent in each reaction vessel. When the measurement in each reaction vessel is completed, the mixture is drained from each reaction vessel. Then, each reaction vessel is washed. The process of washing the reaction vessel (hereinafter referred to as the washing process) includes a process of supplying a washing liquid or pure water corresponding to the drained mixture into the inside of the reaction vessel to wash it, a process of aspirating the liquid used for washing (hereinafter referred to as the aspirating process), and a process of drying the reaction vessel from which the liquid used for washing has been aspirated (hereinafter referred to as the drying process). After the drying process is completed, the reaction vessel is used for the measurement of the test item of the subsequent sample.

[0004] In the cleaning process, due to an abnormality in the cleaning mechanism, etc., a phenomenon in which the liquid discharged during the cleaning process remains inside the reaction vessel (hereinafter referred to as "residual water") may occur. Even if there is a small amount of residual water, it is required to accurately detect the presence or absence of residual water in the reaction vessel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-031202 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One of the problems to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings is to accurately detect the presence or absence of residual water in a reaction vessel. However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings are not limited to the above problem. Problems corresponding to the effects of each configuration shown in the embodiments described below can also be positioned as other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The automated analyzer according to the embodiment includes a reaction vessel, an irradiation means, a light detection means, an absorbance calculation means, and a residual water detection means. The irradiation means irradiates the reaction vessel with light. The light detection means detects light that has passed through the reaction vessel. The absorbance calculation means determines the absorbance based on the output of the light detection means. The residual water detection means detects the residual water in the reaction vessel based on a time-varying waveform that indicates a time-series change in the signal value output from the light detection means. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the analysis mechanism of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a typical example of a signal waveform (photometric waveform) used for calculating absorbance. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cleaning mechanism of the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the stage determination processing performed by the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process procedure of the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a determination value in the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a frequency distribution of the reference value used in the remaining water detection process by the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the reference value calculation processing performed by the automatic analyzer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a determination value in the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the first modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a determination value in the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the second modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a determination value in the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the third modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a process procedure of the remaining water detection process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the determination process performed by the automatic analyzer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a determination process performed by an automatic analyzer according to a first modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a determination process performed by an automatic analyzer according to a second modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a determination process performed by an automatic analyzer according to the third modified example of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an automatic analyzer will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be given only when necessary.

[0010] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic analyzer 1 according to a first embodiment. The automatic analyzer 1 includes an analysis mechanism 2, an analysis circuit 3, a drive mechanism 4, an input interface 5, an output interface 6, a communication interface 7, a memory circuit 8, and a control circuit 9.

[0011] The analysis mechanism 2 mixes a sample such as blood or urine with a reagent solution used for each test item. Depending on the test item, the analysis mechanism 2 also mixes a standard solution diluted at a predetermined ratio with the reagent solution used for that test item. The analysis mechanism 2 measures the optical property values ​​of the mixture of the sample or standard solution and the reagent solution. This measurement generates standard data and test data represented, for example, by transmitted light intensity or absorbance, and scattered light intensity.

[0012] The analysis circuit 3 is a processor that generates calibration data and analysis data by analyzing the standard data and test data generated by the analysis mechanism 2. The analysis circuit 3 reads an analysis program from the storage circuit 8, for example, and analyzes the standard data and test data according to the read analysis program. The analysis circuit 3 may include a storage area that stores at least a portion of the data stored in the storage circuit 8.

[0013] The drive mechanism 4 drives the analysis mechanism 2 under the control of the control circuit 9. The drive mechanism 4 is realized by, for example, a gear, a stepping motor, a belt conveyor, a lead screw, and the like.

[0014] The input interface 5 receives settings such as analysis parameters for each test item related to a sample instructed to be measured by an operator or a sample requested to be measured via the hospital network NW. The input interface 5 is realized by, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad where instructions are input by touching the operation surface, and a touch panel. The input interface 5 is connected to the control circuit 9, converts operation instructions input by the operator into electrical signals, and outputs the electrical signals to the control circuit 9. The input interface 5 is an example of an input means.

[0015] In this specification, the input interface 5 is not limited to an interface having physical operation parts such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, the input interface 5 may include an electrical signal processing circuit that receives an electrical signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the automatic analyzer 1 and outputs the electrical signal to the control circuit 9.

[0016] The output interface 6 is connected to the control circuit 9 and outputs a signal provided from the control circuit 9. The output interface 6 is realized by, for example, a display circuit, a printed circuit, an audio device, etc. The output interface 6 notifies the user of the residual water detection result. The output interface 6 is an example of a notification means. The notification means may be called a reporting means.

[0017] The display circuit includes, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, and a plasma display. The display circuit may also include a processing circuit that converts data representing a display object into a video signal and outputs the video signal to the outside. The printing circuit includes, for example, a printer. The printing circuit may also include an output circuit that outputs data representing a print object to the outside. The audio device includes, for example, a speaker. The audio device may also include an output circuit that outputs an audio signal to the outside. The output interface 6 may be realized as a touch panel or a touch screen together with the input interface 5.

[0018] The communication interface 7 is connected to, for example, a hospital network NW. The communication interface 7 performs data communication with a Hospital Information System (HIS) via the hospital network NW. The communication interface 7 may also perform data communication with a Laboratory Information System (LIS) via a laboratory department system connected to the hospital network NW.

[0019] The memory circuitry 8 stores an analysis program executed by the analysis circuitry 3 and a control program for realizing the functions of the control circuitry 9. The memory circuitry 8 stores the calibration data generated by the analysis circuitry 3 for each test item. The memory circuitry 8 stores the analysis data generated by the analysis circuitry 3 for each sample. The memory circuitry 8 stores a test order input by an operator or a test order received by the communication interface 7 via the hospital network NW.

[0020] The memory circuit 8 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an integrated circuit that stores various information. The memory circuit 8 may be a portable storage medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a flash memory, in addition to an HDD or SSD. The memory circuit 8 may be a drive device that reads and writes various information between a semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory circuit 8 may be called a memory.

[0021] The memory circuit 8 stores programs executed by the control circuit 9, various data used in the processing of the control circuit 9, and the like. As the program, for example, a program that is installed in advance in a computer from a network or a non-transient computer-readable storage medium and causes the computer to realize each function of the control circuit 9 is used. Note that the various data handled in this specification are typically digital data. The memory circuit 8 is an example of a storage means.

[0022] The control circuit 9 is a processor that functions as the core of the automatic analyzer 1. The control circuit 9 executes a program stored in the memory circuit 8 to realize a function corresponding to the executed program. Each function executed by the control circuit 9 will be described later. The control circuit 9 may include a memory area that stores at least a portion of the data stored in the memory circuit 8. The control circuit 9 may be called a control unit or a processing circuit.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the analysis mechanism 2 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the analysis mechanism 2 shown in Fig. 1. The analysis mechanism 2 includes a reaction disk 201, a sample disk 202, a first reagent storage 203, a reagent rack 203a, a second reagent storage 204, and a reagent rack 204a.

[0024] The reaction disk 201 holds a plurality of reaction vessels 2011 arranged in a ring shape. The reaction disk 201 includes a thermostatic bath that heats the mixed liquid in the reaction vessels 2011 and keeps it at a constant temperature. The reaction disk 201 also includes a cell wiper that removes air bubbles and dirt from the outside of the reaction vessels 2011. The reaction disk 201 alternately rotates and stops at predetermined time intervals. The reaction vessels 2011 are formed of, for example, glass. The reaction vessels 2011 may be called reaction tubes or cells.

[0025] The sample disk 202 is provided near the reaction disk 201. The sample disk 202 rotates to hold a plurality of sample containers 100 containing samples such as blood. The sample disk 202 moves the sample container 100 containing the sample to be dispensed to a sample aspirating position.

[0026] The first reagent storage 203 keeps cool the reagent containers 101 that contain a first reagent that reacts with a predetermined component contained in each of the standard sample and the test sample. A reagent rack 203a is rotatably provided in the first reagent storage 203. The reagent rack 203a holds a plurality of reagent containers 101.

[0027] The second reagent storage 204 keeps cool the reagent containers 102 that contain, for example, a second reagent that pairs with a first reagent of a two-reagent system. A reagent rack 204a is rotatably provided in the second reagent storage 204. The reagent rack 204a holds a plurality of reagent containers 102.

[0028] In addition, the analysis mechanism 2 shown in Figure 2 includes a sample dispensing arm 205, a sample dispensing probe 206, a washing tank 206a, a first reagent dispensing arm 207, a first reagent dispensing probe 208, a washing tank 208a, a second reagent dispensing arm 209, a second reagent dispensing probe 210, a washing tank 210a, a first stirring arm 211, a first stirring bar 212, a washing tank 212a, a second stirring arm 213, a second stirring bar 214, and a washing tank 214a.

[0029] The sample dispensing arm 205 is provided between the reaction disk 201 and the sample disk 202 so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction and rotatable in the horizontal direction. The sample dispensing arm 205 holds a sample dispensing probe 206 at one end. The sample dispensing arm 205 is rotated by the drive mechanism 4. As the sample dispensing arm 205 rotates, the sample dispensing probe 206 rotates along an arc-shaped rotation orbit. A sample suction position where the sample dispensing probe 206 suctions a sample from the sample container 100 is set on this rotation orbit. In addition, a sample discharge position where the sample dispensing probe 206 discharges the sample suctioned by the sample dispensing probe 206 into the reaction container 2011 is set at a position different from the sample suction position on the rotation orbit. In addition, a washing position where the sample dispensing probe 206 is washed is set at a position different from the sample suction position and the sample discharge position on the rotation orbit. The washing position is provided with a washing tank 206a for washing the sample dispensing probe 206. The rotation trajectory of the sample dispensing probe 206 intersects with the movement trajectory of the specimen container 100 held on the sample disk 202 and the movement trajectory of the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201. The intersections with the respective movement trajectories are the sample suction position and the sample discharge position.

[0030] The sample dispensing probe 206 is driven by the driving mechanism 4 and moves up and down between a sample suction position, a sample discharge position, and a cleaning position. The sample dispensing probe 206 also aspirates a sample from the sample container 100 located at the sample suction position under the control of the control circuit 9. The sample dispensing probe 206 also discharges the aspirated sample into a reaction container 2011 located at the sample discharge position under the control of the control circuit 9.

[0031] The first reagent dispensing arm 207 is provided near the outer periphery of the reaction disk 201 so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction and rotatable in the horizontal direction. The first reagent dispensing arm 207 holds a first reagent dispensing probe 208 at one end. The first reagent dispensing arm 207 is rotated by the drive mechanism 4. By rotating the first reagent dispensing arm 207, the first reagent dispensing probe 208 is rotated along an arc-shaped rotation orbit. On this rotation orbit, a first reagent aspirating position where the first reagent dispensing probe 208 aspirates a first reagent corresponding to each test item from a reagent container 101 arranged in the first reagent storage 203 and a first reagent discharging position where the aspirated first reagent is discharged into a reaction container 2011 are set. The rotation trajectory of the first reagent dispensing probe 208 intersects with the movement trajectory of (the reagent suction port of) the reagent container 101 held in the reagent rack 203a in the first reagent storage 203, and with the movement trajectory of the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201. The intersections with the respective movement trajectories are the first reagent suction position and the first reagent discharge position.

[0032] Also, a washing position where the first reagent dispensing probe 208 is washed is set on the rotation orbit. This washing position is provided with a washing tank 208a for washing the first reagent dispensing probe 208. The washing tank 208a washes the first reagent dispensing probe 208 every time dispensing of the first reagent corresponding to each test item is completed.

[0033] The first reagent dispensing probe 208 is driven by the drive mechanism 4 and moves up and down at a first reagent aspirating position and a first reagent dispensing position on the rotation orbit. The first reagent dispensing probe 208 also aspirates the first reagent from the reagent container 101 located at the first reagent aspirating position under the control of the control circuit 9. The first reagent dispensing probe 208 also discharges the aspirated first reagent into the reaction container 2011 located at the first reagent dispensing position under the control of the control circuit 9.

[0034] The second reagent dispensing arm 209 is provided between the reaction disk 201 and the second reagent storage 204 so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction and rotatable in the horizontal direction. The second reagent dispensing arm 209 holds a second reagent dispensing probe 210 at one end. The second reagent dispensing arm 209 is rotated by a drive mechanism 4. By rotating the second reagent dispensing arm 209, the second reagent dispensing probe 210 is rotated along an arc-shaped rotation orbit. On this rotation orbit, a second reagent aspirating position where the second reagent dispensing probe 210 aspirates a second reagent corresponding to each test item from a reagent container 102 held in a reagent rack 204a arranged in the second reagent storage 204 and a second reagent discharging position where the aspirated second reagent is discharged into a reaction container 2011 are set. The rotation trajectory of the second reagent dispensing probe 210 intersects with the movement trajectory of (the reagent suction port of) the reagent container 101 held in the reagent rack 204a in the second reagent storage 204, and with the movement trajectory of the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201. The intersections with the respective movement trajectories are the second reagent suction position and the second reagent discharge position.

[0035] Also, a washing position where the second reagent dispensing probe 210 is washed is set on the rotation orbit. This washing position is provided with a washing tank 210a for washing the second reagent dispensing probe 210. The washing tank 210a washes the second reagent dispensing probe 210 every time dispensing of the second reagent corresponding to each test item is completed.

[0036] The second reagent dispensing probe 210 is driven by the drive mechanism 4 and moves up and down at a second reagent aspirating position and a second reagent dispensing position on the rotation orbit. The second reagent dispensing probe 210 also aspirates the second reagent from the reagent container 102 located at the second reagent aspirating position under the control of the control circuit 9. The second reagent dispensing probe 210 also discharges the aspirated second reagent into the reaction container 2011 located at the second reagent dispensing position under the control of the control circuit 9.

[0037] The first stirring arm 211 and the second stirring arm 213 are provided near the outer periphery of the reaction disk 201. The first stirring bar 212 is provided at the tip of the first stirring arm 211. The first stirring arm 211 holds the first stirring bar 212 and is movable up and down in the vertical direction. The first stirring arm 211 is also rotatable in the horizontal direction and can move the first stirring bar 212 along an arc-shaped rotation path. The first stirring bar 212 is driven by the driving mechanism 4 and moves up and down at the first stirring position on the reaction disk 201 and at a cleaning position provided beside the reaction disk 201. The first stirring bar 212 stirs the mixture of the sample and the first reagent in the reaction container 2011 arranged at the first stirring position on the reaction disk 201.

[0038] The washing position is on the rotation orbit of first stirring bar 212. A washing tank 212a for washing first stirring bar 212 is provided at the washing position. In washing tank 212a, first stirring bar 212 that has stirred the mixture of the sample and the first reagent is washed.

[0039] A second stirrer 214 is provided at the tip of the second stirring arm 213. The second stirring arm 213 holds the second stirrer 214 and is movable up and down in the vertical direction. The second stirring arm 213 is also rotatable in the horizontal direction, and can move the second stirrer 214 along an arc-shaped rotation path. The second stirrer 214 is driven by the driving mechanism 4 and moves up and down at the second stirring position on the reaction disk 201 and at the cleaning position provided beside the reaction disk 201. The second stirrer 214 stirs the mixture of the sample, the first reagent, and the second reagent in the reaction container 2011 arranged at the second stirring position on the reaction disk 201.

[0040] The cleaning position is on the rotation orbit of second stirring bar 214. A cleaning tank 214a for cleaning second stirring bar 214 is provided at the cleaning position. In cleaning tank 214a, second stirring bar 214, which has stirred the mixture of the sample, the first reagent, and the second reagent, is cleaned.

[0041] The analysis mechanism 2 also includes a photometric unit 220 and a cleaning mechanism 230. A photometric position is set on the rotation orbit where light irradiated toward the reaction vessel 2011 is measured. The photometric unit 220 is provided at the photometric position. The photometric unit 220 irradiates light onto a mixture of a sample and a reagent discharged into the reaction vessel 2011 that rotates and moves, and optically measures the light that passes through the mixture. The photometric unit 220 includes a light source that irradiates light onto the reaction vessel 2011, and a photodetector that detects the light that passes through the reaction vessel 2011. The photodetector generates standard data or test data including absorbance based on the detection result of the light. The light source is an example of an irradiating means, and the photodetector is an example of a light detecting means and an absorbance calculating means.

[0042] The light source irradiates light onto the reaction vessel 2011, which passes between the light source and the photodetector. The photodetector detects the light that has passed through the mixture of the standard sample and the reagent, or the mixture of the test sample and the reagent, in the reaction vessel 2011. Since the wavelength to be detected differs for each test item, the photodetector detects light of the wavelength set for each test item. The photodetector converts the detected light into an electrical signal using a photodiode array or the like, and amplifies the electrical signal using an amplifier or the like. The photodetector then converts the amplified electrical signal into a digital signal using an analog-digital converter (ADC) or the like. The signal value of the digital signal may be called the transmitted light intensity.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a typical example of a signal waveform (hereinafter referred to as a photometric waveform) showing a time change in the signal value of an electric signal amplified by an amplifier or the like in a photodetector. The photometric waveform is a time change waveform used to calculate absorbance. The horizontal axis of the photometric waveform shown in FIG. 3 is time, and the vertical axis is signal value. The photometric waveform shown in FIG. 3 shows a photometric waveform for one reaction vessel 2011. In the photometric waveform, the part of the reaction vessel 2011 corresponding to the time on the horizontal axis changes as the time changes. In addition, the photometric waveform changes between one end and the other end in the width direction of the reaction vessel 2011. The photometric waveform has a time range Rs in which the output value varies due to structural factors such as the reaction disk 201 and the reaction vessel 2011 (hereinafter referred to as a structural factor range), and a time range Rr in which the output value varies due to the liquid properties of the reaction liquid (hereinafter referred to as a reaction liquid factor range). In the reaction liquid factor range Rr, the signal value gradually increases from the end to the center of the reaction vessel 2011, and gradually decreases from the center to the other end. Therefore, the signal value is maximum near the center of the reaction liquid factor range Rr. In other words, the photometric waveform has a maximum value near the center of the reaction liquid factor range Rr.

[0044] The photodetector generates standard data or test data including absorbance using the photometric waveform. The absorbance is a representative value of the photometric waveform. The absorbance is calculated using multiple signal values ​​sampled from the photometric waveform. The absorbance is, for example, an average value of multiple signal values ​​sampled from the photometric waveform. The waveform showing the time change in absorbance has a shape similar to that of the photometric waveform shown in FIG. 3. The range from which signal values ​​are extracted when calculating absorbance (hereinafter referred to as the sampling range) is set to the vicinity of the point where the signal value is maximum.

[0045] The photometric unit 220 outputs the standard data and the test data to the analysis circuit 3. In addition, the photometric unit 220 outputs a photometric waveform to the control circuit 9.

[0046] The cleaning mechanism 230 cleans the reaction vessel 2011 after the measurement by the photometry unit 220 using a predetermined cleaning liquid, and dries the cleaned reaction vessel 2011. The cleaning mechanism 230 is an example of a cleaning means. The process of cleaning the reaction vessel 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the cleaning process) includes a process of supplying a cleaning liquid corresponding to the discharged mixed liquid or pure water into the inside of the reaction vessel 2011 to clean it, a process of sucking up the liquid used for cleaning (hereinafter referred to as the suction process), and a process of drying the reaction vessel 2011 from which the liquid used for cleaning has been sucked up (hereinafter referred to as the drying process).

[0047] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cleaning mechanism 230. The cleaning mechanism 230 includes a cleaning liquid supply unit 240, a cleaning nozzle group 250, a drainage unit 260, a flow rate adjustment unit 270, a three-way solenoid valve 281, a three-way solenoid valve 282, a three-way solenoid valve 291, and a three-way solenoid valve 292. The cleaning mechanism 230 also includes detergent containers 103 and 104 that contain cleaning liquid used to clean the reaction vessel 2011. For example, an acid detergent is contained in the detergent container 103, and an alkaline detergent is contained in the detergent container 104.

[0048] The cleaning nozzle group 250 is a set of nozzles equipped with a predetermined piping. The cleaning mechanism 230 further includes a drying mechanism 295. The cleaning nozzle group 250 includes a first nozzle 251 to a seventh nozzle 257. The first nozzle 251 to the seventh nozzle 257 and the drying mechanism 295 are provided above the cleaning positions W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, B, W7, and W8, respectively. The cleaning positions W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, B, W7, and W8 are set to clean the reaction container 2011 held on the reaction disk 201. The first nozzle 251 to the seventh nozzle 257 and the drying mechanism 295 move in the vertical direction under the control of the control circuit 9.

[0049] The cleaning liquid supply unit 240 includes a first supply pump 241 , a second supply pump 242 , and a third supply pump 243 .

[0050] The first supply pump 241 sucks the pure water purified by the pure water device 300. The first supply pump 241 supplies the sucked pure water to the flow rate adjustment unit 270 as a cleaning liquid.

[0051] The second supply pump 242 sucks the pure water and alkaline detergent from the pure water device 300 and the detergent container 104 via the three-way solenoid valve 281, and generates a diluted solution by diluting the sucked alkaline detergent with pure water. The symbol "NO (normally open)" attached to the three-way solenoid valves 271, 281, 282, 291, and 292 indicates that the solenoid valve is in an open state when not energized and in a closed state when energized. Also, "NC (normally closed)" indicates that the solenoid valve is in a closed state when not energized and in an open state when energized. Also, "COM (common hole)" indicates that the solenoid valve is a common valve. The second supply pump 242 supplies the generated diluted solution to the third nozzle 253 via the three-way solenoid valves 281 and 282 as an alkaline cleaning solution. As a result, the alkaline cleaning liquid is discharged from the third nozzle 253 into the reaction vessel 2011 located at the cleaning position W3.

[0052] The third supply pump 243 sucks the pure water and the acid detergent from the pure water device 300 and the detergent container 103 via the three-way solenoid valve 291, and generates a diluted solution by diluting the sucked acid detergent with the pure water. The third supply pump 243 supplies the generated diluted solution as an acid cleaning solution to the second nozzle 252 via the three-way solenoid valve 291 and the three-way solenoid valve 292. As a result, the acid cleaning solution is discharged from the second nozzle 252 into the reaction container 2011 located at the cleaning position W2.

[0053] The flow rate adjustment unit 270 supplies the cleaning liquid supplied from the first supply pump 241 to the first nozzle 251, the fourth nozzle 254, the fifth nozzle 255, and the sixth nozzle 256. The flow rate adjustment unit 270 includes a three-way solenoid valve 271 and a flow rate adjustment valve 272. In the three-way solenoid valve 271, the solenoid valve marked with "NC" is opened for a predetermined time according to the control of the control circuit 9. The opening and closing degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 272 is manually adjusted by an operator or the like. This causes a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the first nozzle 251, the fourth nozzle 254, the fifth nozzle 255, and the sixth nozzle 256. The supplied cleaning liquid is discharged from the first nozzle 251, the fourth nozzle 254, the fifth nozzle 255, and the sixth nozzle 256 to the reaction vessels 2011 located at the cleaning positions W1, W4, W5, and B, respectively.

[0054] The drainage unit 260 includes a first drainage pump 261 and a second drainage pump 262. The first drainage pump 261 sucks a predetermined liquid contained in the reaction vessel 2011 stopped at the cleaning positions W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, B, and W7 by a first nozzle 251, a second nozzle 252, a third nozzle 253, a fourth nozzle 254, a fifth nozzle 255, a sixth nozzle 256, and a seventh nozzle 257, respectively. The first drainage pump 261 drains the sucked liquid into a drainage tank. The first drainage pump 261 is an example of a suction pump that sucks any of drainage liquid, detergent, and water.

[0055] The drying mechanism 295 dries the reaction vessel 2011 after the predetermined liquid is sucked by the drainage unit 260. The drying mechanism 295 includes an eighth nozzle 258 and a drying tip 296. The second drainage pump 262 sucks the predetermined liquid contained in the reaction vessel 2011 stopped at the cleaning position W8 by the eighth nozzle 258. The second drainage pump 262 drains the sucked liquid into a drainage tank. The second drainage pump 262 is an example of a suction pump that sucks any of drainage liquid, detergent, and water. The drying tip 296 is attached to the eighth nozzle 258. The drying tip 296 is inserted into the reaction vessel 2011 stopped at the cleaning position W8 under the control of the control circuit 9. Then, the drying tip 296 moves up and down while in contact with the reaction vessel 2011 under the control of the control circuit 9, thereby wiping off moisture attached to the inner wall of the reaction vessel 2011. The drying mechanism 295 is an example of a drying means.

[0056] Next, the configuration of the control circuit 9 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. The control circuit 9 executes a program read from the storage circuit 8 to execute a system control function 91, a water remaining detection function 92, an output control function 93, and a reference value calculation function 94. That is, the control circuit 9 includes the system control function 91, the water remaining detection function 92, the output control function 93, and the reference value calculation function 94. In this embodiment, each function is realized by a single processor, but this is not limited to the above. For example, a control circuit may be configured by combining multiple independent processors, and each processor may execute a program to realize each function. In addition, the system control function 91, the water remaining detection function 92, the output control function 93, and the reference value calculation function 94 may be called a system control circuit, a water remaining detection circuit, an output circuit, and a reference value calculation circuit, respectively, or may be implemented as individual hardware circuits. The above description of each function executed by the control circuit 9 is the same in the following embodiments and modified examples.

[0057] The term "processor" used in the above description means a circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an ASIC, a programmable logic device (e.g., a Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). The processor realizes its function by reading and executing a program stored in the memory circuit 8. Note that instead of storing a program in the memory circuit 8, the program may be directly built into the circuit of the processor. In this case, the processor realizes its function by reading and executing the program built into the circuit. Note that each processor in this embodiment is not limited to being configured as a single circuit for each processor, and may be configured as one processor by combining multiple independent circuits to realize its function. Furthermore, multiple components in FIG. 1 may be integrated into one processor to realize its function. The above description of the "processor" is also applicable to the following embodiments and modified examples.

[0058] The control circuit 9 uses a system control function 91 to comprehensively control each part of the automatic analyzer 1 based on input information input from the input interface 5. For example, in the system control function 91, the control circuit 9 drives the drive mechanism 4 to perform a measurement according to a test item, and controls the analysis circuit 3 to analyze the standard data and test data generated by the analysis mechanism 2. The control circuit 9 that realizes the system control function 91 is an example of a system control means.

[0059] The control circuit 9 executes a process (hereinafter referred to as a residual water detection process) for detecting residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 based on the output of the photometric unit 220 by the residual water detection function 92. In the residual water detection process, the control circuit 9 calculates a judgment value using the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process, and detects residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 by comparing the calculated judgment value with a pre-stored reference value. For example, if the judgment value is within the reference range, the control circuit 9 judges that there is no residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 from which the photometric waveform was acquired, and if the judgment value is not within the reference range, it judges that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 from which the photometric waveform was acquired. For example, the reference range is calculated based on the average value of the reference values ​​and the standard deviation of the reference values. The control circuit 9 that realizes the residual water detection function 92 is an example of a residual water detection means.

[0060] The judgment value is a value calculated using the photometric waveform detected during the cleaning process. The judgment value is calculated using multiple signal values ​​extracted (sampled) from multiple points of the detected photometric waveform. For example, the judgment value is calculated using the photometric waveform measured from the reaction vessel 2011 passing through the photometric position after the drying process is completed at the cleaning position W8.

[0061] The number of signal values ​​used in calculating the judgment value (hereinafter referred to as the sampling number) may be 2 or more. Furthermore, the sampling number of the judgment value is preferably larger than the sampling number of the absorbance. In this case, the interval between the multiple signal values ​​sampled when calculating the judgment value (hereinafter referred to as the sampling interval) is smaller than the sampling interval of the absorbance. In other words, the sampling interval of the judgment value is different from the sampling interval of the absorbance.

[0062] Furthermore, when calculating the judgment value, the sampling range can be set to substantially the entire reaction solution factor range Rr, so that the sampling range of the judgment value can be made larger than the sampling range of the absorbance.

[0063] The reference value is a value calculated using a photometric waveform detected when light is irradiated onto an empty reaction vessel 2011 with no residual water remaining. The reference value may also be called a normal value or a blank value. The reference value is calculated in advance when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed or when the reaction vessel 2011 is replaced. The reference value is calculated for each reaction vessel 2011 using the same calculation formula as the determination value. Therefore, the number of samplings of the reference value is the same as the number of samplings of the determination value. The reference value is stored in, for example, the memory circuit 8.

[0064] The control circuit 9 uses the output control function 93 to control the output interface 6 based on the detection result of the remaining water in the reaction vessel 2011 determined by the remaining water detection function 92, and outputs information about the remaining water, information about an abnormality in the reaction vessel 2011, information about an abnormality in the automatic analyzer 1, etc. The control circuit 9 uses the output control function 93 to cause the display circuit to display, for example, error information about the remaining water. The control circuit 9 also causes the printing circuit to print, for example, error information about the remaining water.

[0065] The control circuit 9 executes a process for calculating a reference value used in the remaining water detection process (hereinafter referred to as a reference value calculation process) by using a reference value calculation function 94. The control circuit 9 that realizes the reference value calculation function 94 is an example of a reference value calculation means.

[0066] (Step Judgment Processing) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the stage determination process executed by the automatic analyzer 1. The stage determination process is a process that determines whether the current stage is an operation stage in which a sample analysis is performed, or a reference value setting stage in which a reference value used in the residual water detection process is calculated. The automatic analyzer 1 executes the stage determination process, for example, based on an operation input from an operator to start the process.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the stage determination process. Note that the process procedure in each process described below is merely an example, and each process can be modified as appropriate as possible. In addition, for the process procedure described below, steps can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. The above description of the process procedure in each process is the same for each of the following embodiments and modified examples. In the following description, an example will be described in which the number of samples of the determination value and the number of samples of the reference value are "8".

[0068] The control circuit 9 uses the system control function 91 to determine whether the current stage is the operation stage (step S101). At this time, the control circuit 9 determines whether the current stage is the operation stage based on an input from an operator. If the current stage is the operation stage (step S101-Yes), the control circuit 9 executes a remaining water detection process using the remaining water detection function 92 (step S102). The details of the remaining water detection process will be described later.

[0069] If the current stage is not the operation stage (step S101-No), it is determined whether or not the current stage is the reference value setting stage (step S103). At this time, the control circuit 9 determines whether or not the current stage is the reference value setting stage based on an input by an operator. If the current stage is the reference value setting stage (step S103-Yes), the control circuit 9 executes a reference value calculation process by the reference value calculation function 94 (step S104). The details of the reference value calculation process will be described later.

[0070] If the current stage is not the reference value setting stage (step S103-No), the control circuit 9 displays a display screen displaying a status error on the display circuit by the output control function 93. On the display screen displaying the status error, for example, a sentence is displayed that prompts the operator to input information regarding whether the current stage is the operation stage or the reference value setting stage.

[0071] (Residual water detection process) Next, an example of the procedure of the remaining water detection process executed in step S102 will be described in detail. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the remaining water detection process executed by the remaining water detection function 92. In the remaining water detection process, the control circuit 9 sequentially executes the following processes for the reaction vessel 2011 that has completed the drying process each time the drying process for the reaction vessel 2011 is completed.

[0072] A photometric waveform generated based on light passing through the reaction vessel 2011 is acquired from the photodetector (step S201). Next, the control circuit 9 acquires the cell number of the reaction vessel 2011 from which the photometric waveform was acquired (step S202). Next, the control circuit 9 acquires the reference value of the reaction vessel 2011 from which the photometric waveform was acquired from the memory circuit 8 (step S203). The control circuit 9 calculates a judgment value using the acquired photometric waveform (step S204).

[0073] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating the judgment value. FIG. 7 shows photometric waveforms detected from n reaction vessels 2011 with cell numbers 1 to n during the cleaning process. In FIG. 7, "Cn" indicates the cell number of the reaction vessel 2011. For example, the photometric waveform of "C1" indicates that it was detected from the reaction vessel 2011 with cell number 1. In the process of step S204, the control circuit 9 calculates the signal value T_P1 of the first point P1 to the signal value T_P8 of the eighth point P8 as the judgment value for each of the reaction vessels 2011 with cell numbers C1 to Cn. "Pn" indicates a sampling point. For example, "P1" indicates the first point in the A photometric waveform. "T_Pn" indicates a signal value sampled from the photometric waveform. For example, "T_P1" is the signal value at the first point P1.

[0074] When the calculation of the judgment value is completed, the control circuit 9 judges whether or not there is residual water using the judgment value and the reference value (step S205). Here, an example will be described in which the average value and standard deviation of the signal value are used as the reference value. Equation (1) is an example of a judgment equation for judging whether or not there is residual water. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the frequency distribution of blank values. The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 indicates the signal value (blank value), and the vertical axis indicates the frequency. The control circuit 9 judges whether or not the judgment value satisfies equation (1), thereby judging whether or not the judgment value is within the reference range for each reaction vessel 2011 during the cleaning process.

[0075] M_P1-3×S_P1 < T_P1 < M_P1+3×S_P1…(1)

[0076] In formula (1), "Mn" is the average value (hereinafter referred to as the average value) of signal values ​​(hereinafter referred to as blank values) measured multiple times using an empty reaction vessel 2011 at the time of installation. The blank value is measured, for example, 10 times. For example, "M_P1" is the average value of blank values ​​measured multiple times for the first point P1. "S_P1" is the standard deviation of the blank values. For example, "S_P1" is the standard deviation of blank values ​​obtained from multiple reaction vessels 2011 for the blank value at the first point P1.

[0077] In the process of step S205, the control circuit 9 uses formula (1) to determine whether the signal value T_P1 of the first point P1 is within the reference range. As with the first point P1, the control circuit 9 determines whether each of the signal values ​​T_P2-T_P8 of the second point P2 to the eighth point P8 is within the reference range. If the determined values ​​at all sampling points are within the reference range, the control circuit 9 determines that there is no remaining water in the reaction vessel 2011 (step S205-No). In this case, the control circuit 9 sets the remaining water detection flag of the reaction vessel 2011 to "OFF" (step S206).

[0078] If there is one or more sampling points whose judgment value is outside the reference range, that is, if there is a judgment value that does not satisfy the judgment formula, the control circuit 9 determines that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 (step S205-Yes). In this case, the control circuit 9 determines whether the residual water detection flag of the reaction vessel 2011 is "ON" or not (step S207).

[0079] If the remaining water detection flag of the reaction vessel 2011 is "OFF" (step S207-No), the control circuit 9 sets the remaining water detection flag of the reaction vessel 2011 to "ON" (step S208). If the remaining water detection flag of the reaction vessel 2011 is already "ON" (step S207-Yes), the control circuit 9 causes the display circuit of the output interface 6 to display an error display screen indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the reaction vessel 2011 (step S209). This allows the user to be informed that remaining water has been detected only when it is determined that an abnormality exists consecutively in the same reaction vessel 2011, taking into consideration cases where the remaining water detection result is erroneous.

[0080] The control circuit 9 calculates the number of times that it is consecutively determined that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the number of consecutive detections) in the determination of the presence or absence of residual water that is sequentially performed on the reaction vessels 2011 after the drying process has been completed. The control circuit 9 determines whether the calculated number of consecutive detections is equal to or greater than a preset value N (step S210). If the number of consecutive detections is equal to or greater than N (step S210-Yes), the control circuit 9 determines that there is an abnormality in the cleaning mechanism 230. In this case, the control circuit 9 causes the display circuit of the output interface 6 to display an error display screen indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the cleaning mechanism 230, and stops the use of the reaction vessel 2011 in which residual water has been detected. This makes it possible to inform the user that an abnormality has occurred in the cleaning mechanism 230 when residual water is detected in more than the preset number of reaction vessels 2011.

[0081] The control circuit 9 repeatedly executes the processes from step S201 to step S211 until the cleaning process is completed for all reaction containers 2011 (step S212-No). Then, when the cleaning process is completed for all reaction containers 2011 (step S212-Yes), the control circuit 9 ends the remaining water detection process and the stage determination process.

[0082] (Reference value calculation process) Next, an example of the procedure of the reference value calculation process executed in step S104 will be described in detail. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the reference value calculation process executed by the reference value calculation function 94 etc. The reference value calculation process is executed, for example, when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed.

[0083] In the reference value calculation process, the control circuit 9 irradiates light onto an empty reaction vessel 2011, and acquires a photometric waveform generated based on the light that has passed through the reaction vessel 2011 from the photodetector (step S301). The control circuit 9 acquires a photometric waveform for each empty reaction vessel 2011 by rotating the reaction disk 201 using the system control function 91. The control circuit 9 repeats the process of step S301 until it acquires 10 photometric waveforms for each reaction vessel 2011 (step S302).

[0084] Next, the control circuit 9 calculates the reference value of each reaction vessel 2011 using the acquired photometric waveform (step S303). In the process of step S303, first, the signal values ​​from the first point P1 to the eighth point P8 are sampled from each of the ten photometric waveforms. Next, the average value M_P1 and the standard deviation S_P1 of the ten signal values ​​acquired from the first point P1 are calculated as the reference value. As with the first point P1, the average value M_P2-M_P8 and the standard deviation S_P2-S_P8 are calculated as the reference value for each of the second point P2 to the eighth point P8. The control circuit 9 repeatedly executes the calculation of the reference value described above for all reaction vessels 2011.

[0085] The control circuit 9 stores the calculated reference values ​​in the memory circuit 8 (step S304). Here, for each reaction vessel 2011, the average values ​​M_P1-M_P8 and the standard deviations S_P1-S_P8 are stored as reference values.

[0086] The effects of the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0087] The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment includes a reaction vessel 2011 and a photometric unit 220. The photometric unit 220 includes a light source that irradiates the reaction vessel 2011 with light, and a photodetector that detects light that has passed through the reaction vessel 2011. The automatic analyzer 1 can determine absorbance based on the output of the photodetector, and detect residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 based on the output of the photodetector.

[0088] Moreover, the output of the photometric unit 220 includes a photometric waveform that indicates a change in signal value over time. Therefore, according to the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment, by detecting the remaining water using the photometric waveform, it is possible to detect the remaining water by taking into account many signal values ​​compared to the case where the absorbance is directly used for detecting the remaining water. This further improves the accuracy of detecting the presence or absence of remaining water.

[0089] With the above configuration, the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment detects the remaining water in the reaction vessel 2011 based on the output of the photodetector, and therefore, even when the amount of remaining water is very small, it is possible to accurately determine the presence or absence of remaining water in the reaction vessel 2011. Thus, the detection performance in detecting an abnormality in the reaction vessel 2011 can be improved.

[0090] In addition, the sampling interval of the signal value used to detect the remaining water is different from the sampling interval of the signal value used to calculate the absorbance. Therefore, by detecting the remaining water using the signal value sampled at a different sampling interval than the calculation of the absorbance, the presence or absence of remaining water can be detected more accurately than when the absorbance is directly used to detect the remaining water.

[0091] In addition, the number of sampled signal values ​​used to detect remaining water is greater than the number of sampled signal values ​​used to calculate absorbance. Therefore, the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can detect remaining water by taking into account more signal values ​​than when absorbance is directly used to detect remaining water. This further improves the accuracy of detecting the presence or absence of remaining water.

[0092] The automatic analyzer 1 also includes an output interface 6 that notifies the user of the residual water detection result. The user can replace the reaction vessel 2011 in which residual water has been detected by checking the residual water detection result displayed on a display circuit, for example. The automatic analyzer 1 can also stop using the reaction vessel 2011 in which residual water has been detected. This can improve the accuracy of testing by the automatic analyzer 1.

[0093] Moreover, the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment further includes a cleaning mechanism 230 that cleans the reaction container 2011. The automatic analyzer 1 can detect residual water based on the output of the photometric unit 220 acquired during the cleaning process of the reaction container 2011. Therefore, the presence or absence of residual water generated during the cleaning process can be accurately detected.

[0094] Furthermore, the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can detect residual water by calculating a judgment value based on the output of the photometric unit 220 obtained during the cleaning process, obtaining a reference value calculated based on the output of the photometric unit 220 obtained using an empty reaction vessel 2011, and comparing the judgment value with the reference value.

[0095] The photometric waveform when residual water exists is different from the photometric waveform when the reaction vessel 2011 is empty. In this embodiment, by comparing the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process with a normal photometric waveform acquired using an empty reaction vessel 2011 when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed or when the reaction vessel 2011 is replaced, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not an abnormality such as residual water exists in the photometric waveform.

[0096] After being dried in the drying process, the reaction vessel 2011 is reused for the next test. The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can detect the remaining water based on the photometric waveform acquired after the drying process. Therefore, by detecting the remaining water after the drying process, it is possible to reliably prevent the reaction vessel 2011 in which the remaining water is generated from being used for the next test.

[0097] (First Modification of the First Embodiment) In this embodiment, an example has been described in which signal values ​​extracted from a photometric waveform are used as the reference value and the judgment value, but other parameters calculated from the photometric waveform may also be used as the judgment value.

[0098] Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a first modified example of the first embodiment. In Fig. 10, photometric waveforms detected from n reaction vessels 2011 with cell numbers 1 to n are shown by thin solid lines. In this modified example, coefficients α, β, and γ of a quadratic approximation curve (y=αX^2+βX+γ) calculated from the photometric waveform are used as the reference value and the judgment value. In Fig. 10, the quadratic approximation curve is shown by a thick solid line. The quadratic approximation curve is generated by quadratic curve approximation of the photometric waveform.

[0099] Equation (2) is an example of a judgment formula for judging the presence or absence of residual water. In equation (2), "T_α" is the value of coefficient α of the approximation curve calculated from the photometric waveform obtained during the cleaning process. "M_α" is the average value of coefficient α of the approximation curve calculated from the photometric waveform obtained when measuring the blank value. "S_α" is the standard deviation of coefficient α calculated from the photometric waveform obtained when measuring the blank value.

[0100] M_α-3×S_α < T_α < M_α+3×S_α…(2)

[0101] The control circuit 9 uses equation (2) to determine whether the coefficient T_α is within the reference range. Similarly to the coefficient T_α, the control circuit 9 determines whether each of the coefficients T_β and T_γ is within the reference range. Then, if all of the coefficients T_α, T_β, and T_C are within the reference range, it is determined that there is no residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated. On the other hand, if there is one or more coefficients outside the reference range, it is determined that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated.

[0102] (Second Modification of the First Embodiment) Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining a second modified example of the first embodiment. Fig. 11 shows a photometric waveform detected from a reaction vessel 2011 to be judged. In this modified example, the length of the horizontal section of the photometric waveform (hereinafter referred to as the upper side length) and the signal value of the horizontal section are used as the reference value and the judgment value.

[0103] A horizontal interval is a continuous range including the point (hereinafter referred to as the maximum point) Pm where the signal value is maximum, and has signal values ​​within a predetermined range. In other words, all signal values ​​included in the horizontal interval are values ​​within the predetermined range. The predetermined range is, for example, the range from the signal value (hereinafter referred to as the maximum value) Vm at the maximum point Pm to a value (Vm-A) obtained by subtracting a predetermined value L from the maximum value Vm. The signal value of the horizontal interval is also the average value of the signal values ​​included in the horizontal interval.

[0104] Equations (3) and (4) are examples of equations for determining whether or not there is residual water. In equation (3), "T_1" is the upper edge length calculated from the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process. "M_1" is the average value of the upper edge lengths calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when the blank value is measured. "S_1" is the standard deviation of the upper edge lengths calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when the blank value is measured. Also, in equation (4), "T_v" is the signal value of the horizontal section calculated from the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process. "M_v" is the average value of the signal values ​​of the horizontal section calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when the blank value is measured, and "S_v" is the standard deviation of the signal values ​​of the horizontal section.

[0105] M_1-3×S_1 < T_1 < M_1+3×S_1…(3) M_v-3×S_v < T_v < M_v+3×S_v…(4)

[0106] The control circuit 9 uses equation (3) to determine whether the top side length T_1 is within a reference range, and uses equation (4) to determine whether the signal value T_v is within a reference range. If both the top side length T_1 and the signal value T_v of the horizontal section are within the reference ranges, it is determined that there is no residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated. On the other hand, if one or more of the top side length T_1 and the signal value T_v of the horizontal section are outside the reference ranges, it is determined that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated.

[0107] (Third Modification of the First Embodiment) FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a third modified example of the first embodiment. In FIG. 12, the photometric waveform detected from the reaction vessel 2011 to be judged is shown by a solid line. In this modified example, the coefficient A of the approximation line (y=AX+B) of the first inclined section and the coefficient B of the approximation line (y=CX+D) of the second inclined section are used as the reference value and the judgment value. In FIG. 12, the approximation lines are shown by dotted lines. The first inclined section is a region where the signal value increases in the reaction liquid factor range Rr. The second inclined section is a region where the signal value decreases in the reaction liquid factor range Rr. The horizontal section is located between the first inclined section and the second inclined section.

[0108] Equations (5) and (6) are examples of equations for determining whether or not there is residual water. In equation (5), "T_A" is the value of coefficient A calculated from the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process. "M_A" is the average value of coefficient A calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when measuring the blank value. "S_A" is the standard deviation of coefficient A calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when measuring the blank value. In equation (6), "T_C" is the value of coefficient C calculated from the photometric waveform acquired during the cleaning process. "M_C" is the average value of coefficient C calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when measuring the blank value. "S_C" is the standard deviation of coefficient C calculated from the photometric waveform acquired when measuring the blank value.

[0109] M_A-3×S_A < T_A < M_A+3×S_A…(5) M_C-3×S_C < T_C < M_C+3×S_C…(6)

[0110] The control circuit 9 uses equation (5) to determine whether the coefficient T_A is within the reference range, and uses equation (6) to determine whether the coefficient T_C is within the reference range. If both the coefficients T_A and T_C are within the reference range, it is determined that there is no residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated. On the other hand, if one or more of the coefficients T_A and T_C are outside the reference range, it is determined that there is residual water in the reaction vessel 2011 being evaluated.

[0111] Second Embodiment A second embodiment will be described. This embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the first embodiment as follows. Descriptions of the same configuration, operation, and effects as those of the first embodiment will be omitted. The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment detects residual water using a photometric waveform at multiple times during the cleaning process, making it easy to identify abnormal locations that are the cause of residual water.

[0112] 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment. The control circuit 9 executes a determination function 95 in addition to the functions described in the first embodiment. The control circuit 9 that realizes the determination function 95 is an example of a determination means.

[0113] The control circuit 9 detects the remaining water in the reaction container 2011 at multiple timings during the cleaning process using the remaining water detection function 92. For example, the control circuit 9 detects the remaining water at the timing of passing the photometry unit 220 after the suction process, in addition to the timing of passing the photometry unit 220 after the drying process. In this case, the control circuit 9 detects the remaining water in the reaction container 2011 at the timing of passing the photometry position after being dried at cleaning position W8, and at the timing of passing the photometry position after the liquid in the reaction container 2011 is sucked up at cleaning position W7.

[0114] The control circuit 9 executes a process (hereinafter referred to as a determination process) for determining the cause of the remaining water based on the output of the photometric unit 220 using the determination function 95. For example, the control circuit 9 identifies the location of the abnormality based on the detection result of the remaining water after the drying process and the detection result of the remaining water after the suction process using the determination process. When detecting the presence or absence of the remaining water after the suction process, a value calculated based on the photometric waveform after the suction process measured when there is no abnormality in the automatic analyzer 1 is used as the reference value.

[0115] (Residual water detection process) Next, the operation of the remaining water detection process executed by the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the remaining water detection process according to this embodiment. The processes of steps S401-S404 are similar to the processes of steps S201-S204 in Fig. 6, respectively, and therefore will not be described.

[0116] The control circuit 9 judges the presence or absence of remaining water at each timing after the drying process and after the suction process in the same manner as in the first embodiment (step S405). If no remaining water is detected after both the drying process and the suction process, the control circuit 9 judges that there is no remaining water in the reaction vessel 2011 to be judged (step S405-No) and turns off the remaining water detection flag (step S406).

[0117] On the other hand, if residual water is detected at least one of the timings after the drying process and the suction process (step S405-Yes), the control circuit 9 determines that residual water exists in the reaction vessel 2011 to be judged, and turns on the residual water detection flag (step S407). Then, the control circuit 9 executes a judgment process by the judgment function 95 (step S408).

[0118] (Decision making process) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the determination process executed by the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the determination process according to this embodiment.

[0119] In the determination process, the control circuit 9 first obtains the detection result of the remaining water after the drying process and the detection result of the remaining water after the suction process (step S501). If the detection result of the remaining water after the suction process is "remaining water exists" (step S502-Yes), the control circuit 9 determines that the first drainage pump 261 has an abnormality (step S503). If the remaining water is detected after the suction process, it can be determined that the suction pump has an abnormality regardless of whether there is remaining water after the drying process.

[0120] If the detection result of the remaining water after the suction step is "no remaining water" (step S502-No), that is, if the detection result of the remaining water after the drying step is "remaining water", the control circuit 9 determines that there is an abnormality in the second drainage pump 262 or the drying tip 296 (step S504). If no remaining water is detected after the suction step and remaining water is detected after the drying step, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the second drainage pump 262 or the drying tip 296.

[0121] The control circuit 9 causes the display circuit of the output interface 6 to display the aforementioned determination result (step S505).

[0122] The effects of the automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0123] The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can identify the location of the abnormality based on the result of detection of the remaining water after the drying process and the result of detection of the remaining water after the suction process. In other words, by detecting the remaining water at multiple times during the cleaning process, it is possible to easily isolate the cause of the abnormality. The user can replace only the part where the abnormality occurred by checking the location of the abnormality displayed on the display circuit, for example.

[0124] The timing of detecting the remaining water may be further increased during the cleaning process. In this case, the location of the abnormality can be identified in more detail by analyzing the obtained detection results.

[0125] (First modified example of the second embodiment) A first modified example of the second embodiment will be described. This modified example is obtained by modifying the configuration of the second embodiment as follows. Descriptions of the configuration, operation, and effects similar to those of the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0126] When the determination function 95 repeatedly detects the same type of abnormality in the same reaction vessel 2011, the control circuit 9 determines that the reaction vessel 2011 is dirty or scratched. In this case, the control circuit 9 determines that at least one of the reaction vessel 2011, the thermostatic bath, and the cell wiper is abnormal, and prompts the user to check the reaction vessel 2011, the thermostatic bath, and the cell wiper.

[0127] (Decision making process) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the determination process executed by the automatic analyzer 1 of this modified example. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the determination process according to this modified example.

[0128] In the determination process, the control circuit 9 first acquires all photometric waveforms related to the reaction vessel 2011 to be determined (step S601). At this time, the control circuit 9 acquires various data used when the remaining water detection process was performed in the past. The various data include, for example, photometric waveforms, determination values, reference values, remaining water detection results, etc.

[0129] When the same type of abnormality is repeatedly detected in the photometric waveform of the same reaction vessel 2011 (step S602-Yes), the control circuit 9 determines that the reaction vessel 2011 is dirty or scratched. For example, when the signal value T_P1 at the first point P1 does not repeatedly satisfy the formula (1), the control circuit 9 determines that the reaction vessel 2011 is dirty or scratched at a location corresponding to the first point P1 (step S603). In this case, the control circuit 9 determines that at least one of the reaction vessel 2011, the thermostatic bath, and the cell wiper is abnormal, and causes the display circuit of the output interface 6 to display, together with the determination result, a display prompting the user to check the state of the reaction vessel 2011, the thermostatic bath, and the cell wiper (step S604).

[0130] The effects of the automatic analyzer 1 according to this modified example will be described below.

[0131] When an abnormality occurs in the cell wiper, dirt may adhere to the outside of the reaction vessel 2011. When an abnormality occurs in the thermostatic bath, scratches may occur on the outside of the reaction vessel 2011. When dirt or scratches occur in the reaction vessel 2011, the same type of abnormality is repeatedly detected in the same reaction vessel 2011. When the same type of abnormality is repeatedly detected in the same reaction vessel 2011, the automatic analyzer 1 according to this modification can determine that the reaction vessel 2011 is dirty or scratched. In this case, it can be determined that the reaction vessel 2011, the thermostatic bath, or the cell wiper is abnormal. That is, by determining whether or not dirt or scratches are present in the reaction vessel 2011 in which residual water is detected, it is possible to easily isolate the cause. For example, a user can confirm or replace only the part in which the abnormality has occurred by checking the location of the abnormality displayed on the display circuit.

[0132] (Second Modification of the Second Embodiment) A second modified example of the second embodiment will be described. This modified example is obtained by modifying the configuration of the second embodiment as follows. Descriptions of the configuration, operation, and effects similar to those of the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0133] The control circuit 9 uses the determination function 95 to determine whether or not impurities or foreign matter are mixed in the reaction vessel 2011, using the photometric waveform when impurities are mixed in or the photometric waveform when foreign matter is mixed in. Then, when impurities or foreign matter are mixed in a plurality of reaction vessels 2011, the control circuit 9 determines that there is an abnormality in at least one of the cleaning flow path, the pure water device, and the cleaning tank of the cleaning mechanism 230. The photometric waveform when impurities or foreign matter are mixed in is measured in advance, for example, when the automatic analyzer 1 is installed, and stored in the memory circuit 8. The photometric waveform when impurities are mixed in or the photometric waveform when foreign matter is mixed in may be measured in advance for each type of impurity or foreign matter.

[0134] (Decision making process) Next, the operation of the determination process executed by the automatic analyzer 1 of this modified example will be described. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the determination process according to this modified example. Here, as an example, a case of determining whether or not a foreign matter is present will be described.

[0135] In the determination process, the control circuit 9 first obtains the photometric waveform obtained in the current inspection (step S701). Next, the control circuit 9 obtains the photometric waveform when a foreign object is mixed in the reaction vessel 2011 to be determined (step S702). The control circuit 9 determines the presence or absence of a foreign object in the reaction vessel 2011 to be determined by comparing the photometric waveform obtained this time with the photometric waveform when a foreign object is mixed in (step S703). At this time, for example, as in the first embodiment and each modified example of the first embodiment, the control circuit 9 obtains a reference value and a reference range from the photometric waveform when a foreign object is mixed in, and determines whether or not the determination value obtained from the photometric waveform obtained this time is within the reference range, thereby determining the presence or absence of a foreign object.

[0136] When it is determined that a foreign object is mixed in (step S703-Yes), the control circuit 9 determines that an abnormality exists in at least one of the cleaning flow path, the pure water device, and the cleaning tank, and displays the determination result on the display circuit of the output interface 6 (step S704). At this time, only when it is determined that a foreign object is mixed in a plurality of reaction vessels 2011, it is determined that an abnormality exists in at least one of the cleaning flow path, the pure water device, and the cleaning tank.

[0137] The effects of the automatic analyzer 1 according to this modification will be described below.

[0138] The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can determine whether or not impurities or foreign matter are mixed into the reaction vessel 2011 by using the photometric waveform when impurities are mixed in or the photometric waveform when foreign matter is mixed in. If impurities or foreign matter are mixed in a plurality of reaction vessels 2011, it can be determined that there is an abnormality in at least one of the washing flow path, the pure water device, and the washing tank of the washing mechanism 230. That is, by determining whether or not impurities or foreign matter are mixed into the reaction vessel 2011 in which residual water is detected, it is possible to easily isolate the cause. For example, the user can confirm or replace only the part in which the abnormality has occurred by checking the location of the abnormality displayed on the display circuit.

[0139] (Third modified example of the second embodiment) A second modified example of the second embodiment will be described. This modified example is obtained by modifying the configuration of the second embodiment as follows. Descriptions of the configuration, operation, and effects similar to those of the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0140] The control circuit 9 uses the determination function 95 to determine whether or not carryover has occurred using the photometric waveform at the time carryover has occurred, and if carryover is detected, causes the reaction vessel 2011 to be washed until carryover is no longer detectable. Carryover is a phenomenon in which the liquid used in the immediately preceding test remains inside the reaction vessel 2011 even during the next test. Carryover may occur when multiple test items are performed in a specific order. The photometric waveform at the time carryover has occurred is measured in advance and stored in the memory circuit 8 as carryover information together with test item information.

[0141] (Decision making process) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the determination process executed by the automatic analyzer 1 of this modified example. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the determination process according to this modified example.

[0142] In the determination process, the control circuit 9 first discharges water into the reaction vessel 2011 at the cleaning position B. As a result, the reaction vessel 2011 is filled with blank water to determine whether or not there is carryover. After that, the control circuit 9 acquires a photometric waveform acquired using the reaction vessel 2011 filled with blank water (step S801). Next, the control circuit 9 acquires information about the test item (step S802). At this time, the control circuit 9 acquires the name of the current test item and the name of the test item immediately before. Next, the control circuit 9 acquires carryover information (step S803). The carryover information includes the photometric waveform at the time of carryover occurrence and the name of the test item. When the tests are performed in an order in which carryover may occur, the control circuit 9 compares the photometric waveform at the time of carryover occurrence with the photometric waveform acquired in the current test to determine whether or not there is carryover in the reaction vessel 2011 to be determined (step S804). In this case, for example, as in the first embodiment and each modified example of the first embodiment, the reference value and reference range are obtained from the photometric waveform when carryover occurs, and the presence or absence of carryover is determined by determining whether the judgment value obtained from the photometric waveform acquired this time is a value within the reference range.

[0143] When it is determined that carryover has occurred (step S804-Yes), the control circuit 9 causes the reaction vessel 2011 to be determined to be washed again until carryover is no longer detected (step S805).

[0144] The effects of the automatic analyzer 1 according to this modification will be described below.

[0145] If carryover has occurred, it is believed that the residual water can be eliminated by washing the reaction vessel 2011 again. The automatic analyzer 1 according to this embodiment can determine the presence or absence of carryover using the photometric waveform at the time of carryover occurrence. Then, if carryover is detected, the reaction vessel 2011 can be washed until carryover is no longer detectable. In other words, by determining the presence or absence of carryover for the reaction vessel 2011 in which carryover has been detected, necessary measures can be efficiently taken.

[0146] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the presence or absence of residual water in a reaction container can be detected with high accuracy.

[0147] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1…Automatic analyzer 2…Analysis mechanism 201...Reaction disk 2011…Reaction vessel 220…Photometric unit 230...Cleaning mechanism 240…Cleaning solution supply unit 250…Cleaning nozzle group 260…Drainage unit 295...Drying mechanism 3…Analysis circuit 4. Driving mechanism 5. Input interface 6...Output interface 7...Communication interface 8…Memory circuit 9...Control circuit 91...System control function 92...Residual water detection function 93...Output control function 94…Reference value calculation function 95…Judgment function W1-W5, B, W7, W8...Washing positions

Claims

1. A reaction vessel; An irradiation means for irradiating the reaction vessel with light; a light detection means for detecting light passing through the reaction vessel; an absorbance calculation means for calculating absorbance based on an output from the light detection means; a residual water detection means for detecting residual water in the reaction vessel based on a time-varying waveform showing a time-varying change in a signal value output from the light detection means; A determination means for determining a cause of the residual water based on an output of the light detection means; A cleaning means for performing a cleaning step of cleaning the reaction vessel; Equipped with The washing means further includes a suction means for sucking a liquid used for washing, and a drying means for drying the washed reaction vessel, the washing step includes a suction step of suctioning any one of a waste liquid, a detergent, and water from the reaction vessel by the suction means, and a drying step of drying the reaction vessel by the drying means after the suction step; The determination means identifies a location where an abnormality has occurred based on a result of detection of remaining water after the drying process and a result of detection of remaining water after the suction process. Automatic analyzer.

2. A reaction vessel; An irradiation means for irradiating the reaction vessel with light; a light detection means for detecting light passing through the reaction vessel; an absorbance calculation means for calculating absorbance based on an output from the light detection means; a residual water detection means for detecting residual water in the reaction vessel based on a time-varying waveform showing a time-varying change in a signal value output from the light detection means; Equipped with The residual water detection means calculates a judgment value based on the time-varying waveform, obtains a reference value calculated using an empty reaction vessel, and detects the residual water by comparing the judgment value with the reference value; the reference value is a value calculated by generating a plurality of time-varying waveforms based on signal values ​​output a plurality of times from the light detection means, and using a plurality of signal values ​​sampled from each of the plurality of time-varying waveforms for each of a plurality of sampling points; The remaining water detection means is A reference range is set using the reference value, If the judgment value is within the reference range at all sampling points, it is determined that there is no residual water, If there is a sampling point where the judgment value is outside the reference range, it is determined that there is residual water. Automatic analyzer.

3. A reaction vessel; An irradiation means for irradiating the reaction vessel with light; a light detection means for detecting light passing through the reaction vessel; an absorbance calculation means for calculating absorbance based on an output from the light detection means; a residual water detection means for detecting residual water in the reaction vessel based on a time-varying waveform showing a time-varying change in a signal value output from the light detection means; Equipped with The residual water detection means calculates a judgment value based on the time-varying waveform, obtains a reference value calculated using an empty reaction vessel, and detects the residual water by comparing the judgment value with the reference value; the determination value is a coefficient of an approximation curve generated by approximating a waveform of a predetermined section based on the time-varying waveform, the reference value is a value calculated based on coefficients of the plurality of approximation curves by generating a plurality of time-varying waveforms based on signal values ​​outputted a plurality of times from the light detection means, approximating the waveform of the predetermined section in each of the plurality of time-varying waveforms, and The remaining water detection means is A reference range is set using the reference value, When the judgment value in the section is within the reference range, it is judged that there is no residual water, If the judgment value in the section falls outside the reference range, it is determined that there is residual water. Automatic analyzer.

4. a sampling interval of a plurality of signal values ​​extracted from the output of the light detection means in detecting residual water is different from a sampling interval of a plurality of signal values ​​extracted from the output of the light detection means in calculating absorbance; The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the number of samplings of the plurality of signal values ​​extracted from the output of the light detection means in the detection of residual water is greater than the number of samplings of the signal values ​​extracted from the output of the light detection means in the calculation of absorbance; The automatic analyzer according to claim 4.

6. In the time-varying waveform, the corresponding part of the reaction vessel changes as time changes. The automatic analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Further comprising a notification means for notifying a user of the result of the detection of the residual water. The automatic analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The residual water detection means stops use of the reaction vessel in which residual water is detected. The automatic analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. Further comprising a cleaning means for performing a cleaning step of cleaning the reaction vessel, The residual water detection means calculates the determination value based on the output of the light detection means acquired during the cleaning process. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2 or 3.

10. The washing means further comprises a suction means for sucking the liquid used for washing, and a drying means for drying the washed reaction vessel, the washing step includes a suction step of suctioning any one of a waste liquid, a detergent, and water from the reaction vessel by the suction means, and a drying step of drying the reaction vessel by the drying means after the suction step; The residual water detection means detects the residual water based on an output of the light detection means obtained after the drying process. The automated analyzer according to claim 9.

11. The water supply device further includes a determination unit for determining a cause of the residual water based on an output of the light detection unit. The automated analyzer according to claim 9.

12. The washing means further comprises a suction means for sucking the liquid used for washing, and a drying means for drying the washed reaction vessel, the washing step includes a suction step of suctioning any one of a waste liquid, a detergent, and water from the reaction vessel by the suction means, and a drying step of drying the reaction vessel by the drying means after the suction step; The determination means identifies a location where an abnormality has occurred based on a result of detection of remaining water after the drying process and a result of detection of remaining water after the suction process. The automated analyzer according to claim 11.

13. The determination means determines that the reaction vessel is dirty or scratched when the same type of abnormality is repeatedly detected in the same reaction vessel. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 11.

14. The determining means determines that there is an abnormality in the reaction vessel, the thermostatic chamber, or the cell wiper when the reaction vessel is dirty or scratched. The automated analyzer according to claim 13.

15. The determination means determines whether or not impurities or foreign matter are present in the reaction vessel using the output of the light detection means when impurities or foreign matter are present. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 11.

16. the determining means determines that there is an abnormality in at least one of the cleaning flow path, the pure water device, and the cleaning tank when impurities or foreign matter are present in the multiple reaction vessels; The automated analyzer according to claim 15.

17. the determination means determines the presence or absence of carryover using the output of the light detection means when carryover occurs, and when carryover is detected, causes the reaction vessel to be washed until carryover is no longer detectable; The automatic analyzer according to claim 1 or 11.

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