Camera holding device for automatic analysis device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a camera holding device for an automatic analysis apparatus, whereby the tip positions of dispensing nozzles having different lengths can be easily adjusted even using a single single-focus camera. To achieve this purpose, the present invention is a camera holding device for an automatic analysis apparatus, the device holding a camera for capturing an image of the tip of a dispensing nozzle of the automatic analysis apparatus on a dispensing arm for moving the dispensing nozzle by a rotating operation, the camera holding device being provided with an elongating / contracting part that elongates and contracts in a vertical direction with respect to the dispensing arm, an arm-side fixing part for fixing one end of the elongating / contracting part to the dispensing arm, and a camera-side fixing part for fixing the camera to the other end of the elongating / contracting part.

Description

Camera holder for automatic analyzer

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera holding device for an automatic analyzer.

[0002] In automated analyzers that mix samples such as serum or urine with reagents to analyze their components, the tip of the nozzle must be inserted into multiple narrow spaces, such as sample containers, reagent containers, and washing holes, when dispensing the samples or reagents. The nozzles used to dispense samples and reagents in automated analyzers are replaced periodically to maintain dispensing accuracy. Each time the nozzle is replaced, the number of drive pulses for the stepping motor that moves the dispensing arm must be adjusted so that the nozzle tip aligns with the target stop position of the sample container, reagent container, washing hole, etc.

[0003] An example of a technology that makes this adjustment easier is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The technology described in Patent Document 1 involves installing a camera at the tip of an arm (dispensing arm) of a movement mechanism that moves a pipette (nozzle) and taking images of the tip of the nozzle and the target stopping position.

[0004] JP 2012-32310 A

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, if the nozzle lengths of the sample and reagent dispensing mechanisms that make up an automatic analyzer are different, it is necessary to use multiple single-focus lenses with different focal lengths, or a large and heavy zoom lens, or to adjust the attachment angle to the dispensing arm individually.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a camera holding device for an automatic analyzer that makes it easy to adjust the tip position of dispensing nozzles of different lengths, even with a single fixed-focus camera.

[0007] The present invention provides a camera holding device for an automatic analyzer, which holds a camera for photographing the tip of a dispensing nozzle on a dispensing arm that moves the dispensing nozzle of the automatic analyzer by rotating the nozzle, and is equipped with an extension / contraction section that extends and contracts vertically relative to the dispensing arm, an arm-side fixing section that fixes one end of the extension / contraction section to the dispensing arm, and a camera-side fixing section that fixes the camera to the other end of the extension / contraction section.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera holding device for an automatic analyzer that can easily adjust the tip position of dispensing nozzles of different lengths even when using a single fixed-focus camera.

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic analyzer. FIG. 1 is a side view of a dispensing mechanism. FIG. 2 is a side view of a camera holding device according to Example 1. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the state of the camera holding device when a camera is attached to the dispensing arm in Example 1. FIG. 4 is a side view of a third dispensing mechanism and a camera holding device according to Example 2. FIG. 5 is a side view of a camera holding device according to Example 3. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the state of the camera holding device when a camera is attached to the dispensing arm in Example 3. FIG. 7 is a side view of a camera holding device according to Example 4. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the state of the camera holding device when a camera is attached to the dispensing arm in Example 4. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the bottom of a dispensing arm according to Example 5. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the central axis (A3) of the extendable section with respect to the screw hole (A1) in the reagent dispensing arm and the screw hole (A2) in the sample dispensing arm. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the camera holding device as viewed from above according to Example 5. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the state of the camera holding device when a camera is attached to the dispensing arm in Example 5.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram of an automated analyzer 1. The automated analyzer 1 includes a reagent disk 12 on which reagent containers 11 are mounted, a reaction disk 13 that mixes and reacts reagents with specimens, a reagent dispensing mechanism 14 that aspirates and dispenses the reagents, and a specimen dispensing mechanism 15 that aspirates and dispenses the specimens. The reagent dispensing mechanism 14 includes a reagent dispensing nozzle 141 (first dispensing nozzle) for dispensing the reagents, and the specimen dispensing mechanism 15 includes a specimen dispensing nozzle 151 (second dispensing nozzle) for dispensing the specimens.

[0012] Specimens introduced into the automated analyzer 1 are placed in specimen containers 18 and transported on a rack 19 along the transport line 16. The rack 19 can hold a plurality of specimen containers 18. The specimens may be blood-derived specimens such as serum or whole blood, or urine. Reaction cells 131 that mix the specimens with the reagents are arranged in a row on the outer periphery of the reaction disk 13 and move as the reaction disk 13 rotates.

[0013] The reagent dispensing mechanism 14 moves the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 to a stop position where it aspirates the reagent from the reagent container 11, a stop position where it dispenses the reagent into the reaction cell 131, and a stop position where it washes off the reagent adhering to the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 in a washing tank (not shown). Similarly, the specimen dispensing mechanism 15 moves the specimen dispensing nozzle 151 to a stop position where it aspirates the specimen from the specimen container 18, a stop position where it dispenses the specimen into the reaction cell 131, and a stop position where it washes off the specimen adhering to the tip of the specimen dispensing nozzle 151 in a washing tank 17. In addition, the reagent dispensing mechanism 14 and the specimen dispensing mechanism 15 raise and lower the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the specimen dispensing nozzle 151 to match the height of their respective stop positions.

[0014] 2 is a side view of the dispensing mechanism, where (a) shows the reagent dispensing arm 142 and (b) shows the sample dispensing arm 152. The reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the sample dispensing nozzle 151 have different diameters and lengths depending on the depth of the container to be aspirated or discharged and the amount to be dispensed. Generally, as shown in FIG. 2, the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 is short and the sample dispensing nozzle 151 is long.

[0015] A first mounting member 143 is attached to the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142 so as to protrude from the bottom surface, and a second mounting member 153 is attached to the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152 so as to protrude from the bottom surface. D1 shown in Figure 2(a) is the height from the tip (lower end) of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 to the tip (lower end) of the first mounting member 143. D2 shown in Figure 2(b) is the height from the tip (lower end) of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 to the tip (lower end) of the second mounting member 153.

[0016] 3A and 3B are side views of the camera holding device 2 according to the first embodiment, with (a) showing the extendable section 22 in its most retracted (shortest) state and (b) showing the extendable section 22 in its most extended (longest) state. The camera holding device 2 holds a camera 20 that captures images of the tips of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the sample dispensing nozzle 151. As shown in FIG. 3 , the camera holding device 2 of this embodiment includes an extendable section 22 that extends and contracts in the vertical direction (the direction in which the dispensing nozzle moves up and down) relative to each dispensing arm, an arm-side fixing section 23 that fixes one end of the extendable section 22 to each dispensing arm, and a camera-side fixing section 21 that fixes the camera 20 to the other end of the extendable section 22.

[0017] The telescopic section 22 is composed of three cylinders of different diameters: an innermost cylinder 221, an outermost cylinder 222, and an intermediate cylinder 223. Multiple elastically supported protrusions (not shown) protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the outermost cylinder 222 and the outer circumferential surface of the innermost cylinder 221. The intermediate cylinder 223, located between the innermost and outermost cylinders 221, has multiple grooves engraved on its inner and outer circumferential surfaces, each of which is deepest at both ends. The engagement between the protrusions and the grooves connects the cylinders together, allowing relative movement in the axial and circumferential directions. By pushing and pulling the innermost cylinder 221 while rotating it, the protrusions move along the grooves engraved in the intermediate cylinder 223 and drop into the deepest part of the groove, securing the cylinders together. This configuration allows the telescopic section 22 to be adjusted to two different lengths. E in Figure 3 represents the amount of telescopic movement of the telescopic section 22 of the camera holding device 2 (the difference between the shortest and shortest positions).

[0018] The arm-side fixing part 23 is composed of a hole 231 provided on one end (top) surface of the innermost cylinder 221, and this hole 231 fits into the first mounting member 143 or the second mounting member 153 shown in Figure 2, thereby positioning and fixing the camera holding device 2 to the reagent dispensing arm 142 or the sample dispensing arm 152. The camera-side fixing part 21 is provided on the side surface of the outermost cylinder 222.

[0019] A feature of this embodiment is that the expansion / contraction amount E of the expandable section 22 is set to be equal to the value D2-D1 obtained by subtracting D1 shown in Fig. 2(a) from D2 shown in Fig. 2(b). Here, "equal" does not mean that the expansion / contraction amount E and D2-D1 need to be exactly the same value, as long as the difference is within the depth of field of the camera 20.

[0020] 4A and 4B are side views showing the state of the camera holding device 2 when the camera 20 is attached to a dispensing arm in Example 1, where (a) shows the camera attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 and (b) shows the camera attached to the sample dispensing arm 152. As shown in Fig. 4, the camera 20 that captures an image of the tip of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 is held by the reagent dispensing arm 142 with the extension / retraction section 22 at its shortest length, and the camera 20 that captures an image of the tip of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 is held by the sample dispensing arm 152 with the extension / retraction section 22 at its longest length. In this case, the distance WD and angle α between the tip of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the camera 20 in Fig. 4A are the same as the distance WD and angle α between the tip of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 and the camera 20 in Fig. 4B. Therefore, the focus, composition, angle, and pixel resolution of the camera 20 relative to the tip of each nozzle remain unchanged, so even in an automatic analyzer configured with dispensing nozzles of different lengths, the nozzle tip positions of all dispensing mechanisms can be adjusted with a single single-focus camera.

[0021] In this embodiment, the mounting member is described as a separate component from the camera holding device 2, but it may be regarded as a part of the camera holding device 2.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a side view of a third dispensing mechanism and a camera holding device 2 according to a second embodiment. In FIG. 5, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the automated analyzer further includes a third dispensing nozzle 101 in addition to the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 (first dispensing nozzle) and the specimen dispensing nozzle 151 (second dispensing nozzle). The third dispensing nozzle 101 is longer than the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 but shorter than the specimen dispensing nozzle 151, and moves by the rotation of the third dispensing arm 102. The third dispensing nozzle 101 may be, for example, a nozzle that dispenses a reagent different from the reagent dispensed by the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 from the reagent disk 12 of the same automated analyzer, or it may be a nozzle that dispenses a reagent or specimen for a different test item from a unit adjacent to the automated analyzer.

[0023] 5(c), the first feature of this embodiment is that it has a third mounting member 103 that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the third dispensing arm 102. The hole 231 of the arm-side fixing part 23 fits into this third mounting member 103, thereby positioning and fixing the camera holding device 2 to the third dispensing arm 102.

[0024] A second feature of this embodiment is that the pressure between the intermediate tube 223 and the innermost tube 221 is set to be smaller than the pressure between the intermediate tube 223 and the outermost tube 222. In this case, if the innermost tube 221 is pulled while being rotated in the state shown in Figure 5(a), the cylinders will be fixed together even when only the innermost tube 221 is extended (extension amount F) as shown in Figure 5(b). In other words, the extension section 22 of this embodiment can be fixed at an intermediate length in addition to the two stages described above, making it possible to adjust the length to a total of three stages.

[0025] Therefore, in this embodiment, the camera 20 that photographs the tip of the third dispensing nozzle 101 is held in place by the hole 231 in the top surface of the innermost tube 221 engaging with the third mounting member 103 when the extendable section 22 is in a state of extension amount F. The extension amount F is the maximum relative extension amount of the innermost tube 221 with respect to the intermediate tube 223, and is set to be equal to the difference D3 - D1 between the distance D3 from the tip (lower end) of the third dispensing nozzle 101 to the tip (lower end) of the third mounting member 103 and the distance D1 shown in Figure 2(a). This allows the camera 20 to be attached to the dispensing arm for three types of dispensing arms with different lengths of dispensing nozzle without changing the distance or angle between the nozzle tip and the camera 20.

[0026] The number of cylinders constituting the expandable section 22 is not limited to three. By setting the pressurization in multiple stages, the length of the expandable section 22 can be adjusted in multiple stages, and even in an automatic analyzer configured with a variety of dispensing mechanisms, it becomes possible to adjust the nozzle tip positions of all of the dispensing mechanisms with a single single-focus camera.

[0027] 6A and 6B are side views of a camera holding device 2 according to a third embodiment, in which (a) shows the telescopic section 22 in its shortest position and (b) shows the telescopic section 22 in its longest position. A first feature of this embodiment is that the first mounting member 143 and the second mounting member 153 are both made of a magnetic material. A second feature of this embodiment is that, as shown in FIG. 6 , a magnet 232 is provided on the bottom surface of a hole 231 constituting the arm-side fixing section 23 to attract the first mounting member 143 and the second mounting member 153.

[0028] 7A and 7B are side views showing the state of the camera holding device 2 when the camera 20 is attached to a dispensing arm in Example 3, where (a) shows the camera attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 and (b) shows the camera attached to the sample dispensing arm 152. As shown in Fig. 7, in this example as well, the camera 20 that captures images of the tip of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 is held by the reagent dispensing arm 142 with the extension / retraction section 22 at its shortest length, and the camera 20 that captures images of the tip of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 is held by the sample dispensing arm 152 with the extension / retraction section 22 at its longest length. The distance WD and angle α between the tip of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the camera 20 in Fig. 7A are the same as the distance WD and angle α between the tip of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 and the camera 20 in Fig. 7B.

[0029] In this embodiment, the force with which the magnet 232 of the arm-side fixing portion 23 attracts the first mounting member 143 and the second mounting member 153 is utilized, making it easier to attach and detach the camera 20 to and from the dispensing arm.

[0030] 8A and 8B are side views of the camera holding device 2 according to the fourth embodiment, in which (a) shows the state in which the extension / contraction section 22 is at its shortest length, and (b) shows the state in which the extension / contraction section 22 is at its longest length.

[0031] The first feature of this embodiment is that the outermost tube 222 is provided with a pair of first extensions 24 extending in the extension / contraction direction of the telescopic section 22, and the innermost tube 221 is provided with a pair of second extensions 25 extending in the extension / contraction direction of the telescopic section 22.

[0032] The second feature of this embodiment is that the height G1 (see (a) of Figure 8) from the bottom surface of the hole 231 of the arm side fixing portion 23 to the upper end of the first extension portion 24 is longer than the amount of protrusion B1 (see (a) of Figure 2) of the first mounting member 143 from the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142, and shorter than the amount of extension E of the extension portion 22 (see (a) of Figure 3).

[0033] The third feature of this embodiment is that the height G2 (see (b) of Figure 8) from the bottom surface of the hole 231 of the arm side fixing portion 23 to the upper end of the second extension portion 25 is shorter than the aforementioned protrusion amount B1 and longer than the protrusion amount B2 (see (b) of Figure 2) of the second mounting member 153 from the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152.

[0034] The fourth feature of this embodiment is that the spacing between the pair of first extensions 24 is equal to the width of the reagent dispensing arm 142, and the spacing between the pair of second extensions 25 is equal to the width of the sample dispensing arm 152.

[0035] 9A and 9B are side views showing the state of the camera holding device 2 when the camera 20 is attached to a dispensing arm in Example 4, where (a) shows the camera 20 attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 and (b) shows the camera 20 attached to the sample dispensing arm 152.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9A , when the camera 20 is attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 with the telescopic section 22 at its shortest position, the first extension 24 protrudes upward most and faces the side of the reagent dispensing arm 142. In this embodiment, as described above, the distance between the pair of first extensions 24 is equal to the width of the reagent dispensing arm 142. Therefore, the first extensions 24 clamp the side of the reagent dispensing arm 142, thereby reliably maintaining the position of the camera 20. A space B1 larger than the aforementioned G2 is secured between the bottom of the hole 231 in the arm-side fixing section 23 and the bottom of the reagent dispensing arm 142. Therefore, even if the width of the reagent dispensing arm 142 is wider than the width of the sample dispensing arm 152, the second extension 25 will not interfere with the reagent dispensing arm 142.

[0037] 9(b), when the camera 20 is attached to the sample dispensing arm 152 with the extendable section 22 at its maximum length, the second extension section 25 protrudes most upward and faces the side surface of the sample dispensing arm 152. In this embodiment, as described above, the distance between the pair of second extension sections 25 is equal to the width of the sample dispensing arm 152, so that the second extension sections 25 sandwich the side surface of the sample dispensing arm 152, thereby reliably maintaining the position of the camera 20. In this case, even if the width of the sample dispensing arm 152 is wider than the width of the reagent dispensing arm 142, the first extension section 24 does not interfere with the sample dispensing arm 152.

[0038] According to this embodiment, whether the camera 20 is attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 or the sample dispensing arm 152, the first extension 24 or the second extension 25 clamps the side of the dispensing arm. This not only improves the positioning accuracy of the camera 20 in the Yaw direction, but also suppresses displacement or tilt of the camera after attachment due to the movement of the dispensing arm. Furthermore, by adjusting the spacing between the pair of first extensions 24 to correspond to the shape (width dimension) of the reagent dispensing arm 142 and the spacing between the pair of second extensions 25 to correspond to the shape (width dimension) of the sample dispensing arm 152, the camera can be held with high accuracy even on dispensing arms of different shapes.

[0039] The dispensing arm may be pre-formed with screw holes for fixing an electronic board for detecting the liquid level, screw holes for connecting a grounding cord, etc. In this way, if the dispensing arm has pre-formed screw holes, the above-mentioned mounting member can be fastened using the pre-formed screw holes.

[0040] In Example 5, the mounting member is fixed using existing screw holes provided in the bottom surface of the dispensing arm. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the bottom surface of the dispensing arm in Example 5, where (a) shows the position of screw holes 144 provided in the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142, and (b) shows the position of screw holes 154 provided in the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152.

[0041] 10(a), O1 is the intersection point between the central axis of the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 and the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142, A1 is the intersection point between the central axis of the existing screw hole 144 and the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142, and R1 is the intersection point between the rotation axis of the reagent dispensing arm 142 and the bottom surface of the reagent dispensing arm 142. The screw hole 144 forms an internal thread, and a external thread provided at the upper end of the first mounting member 143 is fastened to the internal thread.

[0042] 10(b), O2 is the intersection point between the central axis of the sample dispensing nozzle 151 and the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152, A2 is the intersection point between the central axis of the existing screw hole 154 and the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152, and R2 is the intersection point between the rotation axis of the sample dispensing arm 152 and the bottom surface of the sample dispensing arm 152. The screw hole 154 forms an internal thread, and a external thread provided at the upper end of the second mounting member 153 is fastened to the internal thread.

[0043] 10(a) and 10(b), the positional relationship of A1 to O1 may differ from the positional relationship of A2 to O2. In this case, the positional relationship of the threaded hole 144 (first mounting member 143) in the reagent dispensing arm 142 to the reagent dispensing nozzle 141 will differ from the positional relationship of the threaded hole 154 (second mounting member 153) in the sample dispensing arm 152 to the sample dispensing nozzle 151. Therefore, if the central axis of the extendable section 22 of the camera holding device 2 is configured to coincide with the central axes of these threaded holes (mounting members), the distance and angle between the tip of the dispensing nozzle and the camera 20 will differ for reagents and samples.

[0044] Therefore, in the camera holding device 2 according to this embodiment, the hole 231 of the arm-side fixing part 23 is positioned eccentrically from the central axis (A3) of the extendable part 22. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relative position of the central axis (A3) of the extendable part 22 with respect to the screw hole 144 (A1) of the reagent dispensing arm 142 and the screw hole 154 (A2) of the sample dispensing arm 152. Specifically, the positions of A1 and A2 are shown with O1 and O2 in FIG. 10 aligned and the line segments O1-R1 and O2-R2 superimposed on the same straight line. As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the central axis (A3) of the extendable part 22 is positioned vertically downward, passing through the midpoint of the line segment A1-A2.

[0045] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the camera holding device 2 from above in Example 5, showing the telescopic section 22 in its shortest position (FIG. 12A) and the telescopic section 22 in its longest position (FIG. 12B). Because the innermost tube 221 rotates relative to the outermost tube 222 and displaces axially relative to the outermost tube 222, the hole 231, which is positioned eccentrically from the central axis (A3) of the telescopic section 22, displaces circumferentially depending on the amount of expansion and contraction of the telescopic section 22. When the telescopic section 22 is in its shortest position, as shown in FIG. 12A, the positional relationship of the hole 231 with respect to the telescopic section central axis (A3) is the same as the positional relationship A1 with respect to A3 in FIG. 11. When the telescopic section 22 is in its longest position, as shown in FIG. 12B, the positional relationship of the hole 231 with respect to the telescopic section central axis (A3) is the same as the positional relationship A2 with respect to A3 in FIG. 11.

[0046] Therefore, even if the positions of the existing screw holes in the reagent dispensing arm 142 are relatively different from the positions of the existing screw holes in the sample dispensing arm 152, it is possible to attach the camera holding device 2 to each dispensing arm so that the positional relationship of the central axis of the extendable section 22 with respect to each dispensing nozzle remains unchanged. Note that in this embodiment, grooves are formed in the intermediate tube 223 so that the innermost tube 221 rotates 180 degrees relative to the outermost tube 222 as the extendable section 22 extends from the shortest state to the longest state, but the angle of rotation from the shortest to the longest state is not limited to 180 degrees.

[0047] 13A and 13B are side views showing the state of the camera holding device 2 when the camera 20 is attached to a dispensing arm in Example 5, where (a) shows the camera attached to the reagent dispensing arm 142 and (b) shows the camera attached to the sample dispensing arm 152. As shown in Fig. 13, the position of the camera 20 fixed to the outermost cylinder 222 remains unchanged relative to the tip of each dispensing nozzle, and therefore the focus, composition, angle, and pixel resolution of the camera 20 relative to the nozzle remain unchanged.

[0048] In this embodiment, since existing screw holes are used, the camera can be attached to an existing automatic analyzer without any additional processing. In addition, the hole 231 and magnet 232 that make up the arm-side fixing part 23 can be used for both dispensing arms, which reduces the weight of the camera holder and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0049] The above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0050] 1...automatic analyzer, 2...camera holding device, 10...third dispensing mechanism, 11...reagent container, 12...reagent disk, 13...reaction disk, 14...reagent dispensing mechanism, 15...specimen dispensing mechanism, 16...transport line, 17...washing tank, 18...specimen container, 19...rack, 20...camera, 21...camera side fixing part, 22...extension part, 23...arm side fixing part, 24...first extension part, 25...second extension part, 10 1...Third dispensing nozzle, 102...Third dispensing arm, 103...Third mounting member, 131...Reaction cell, 141...Reagent dispensing nozzle, 142...Reagent dispensing arm, 143...First mounting member, 144...Threaded hole, 151...Specimen dispensing nozzle, 152...Specimen dispensing arm, 153...Second mounting member, 154...Threaded hole, 221...Innermost cylinder, 222...Outermost cylinder, 223...Intermediate cylinder, 231...Hole, 232...Magnet

Claims

1. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer that holds a camera for photographing the tip of a dispensing nozzle on a dispensing arm that moves the dispensing nozzle of an automatic analyzer by rotating the nozzle, the camera holding device for an automatic analyzer comprising: an extension / contraction section that extends and contracts vertically relative to the dispensing arm; an arm-side fixing section that fixes one end of the extension / contraction section to the dispensing arm; and a camera-side fixing section that fixes the camera to the other end of the extension / contraction section.

2. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the automatic analyzer comprises a first dispensing arm that rotates a first dispensing nozzle, a second dispensing arm that moves a second dispensing nozzle that is longer than the first dispensing nozzle by a rotational action, a first attachment member that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the first dispensing arm, and a second attachment member that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the second dispensing arm, wherein the arm-side fixing part is composed of a hole that fits into the first attachment member and the second attachment member, wherein the difference between the height from the tip of the second dispensing nozzle to the tip of the second attachment member and the height from the tip of the first dispensing nozzle to the tip of the first attachment member is the amount of extension and contraction of the telescopic part, wherein the camera that photographs the first dispensing nozzle is held by the first dispensing arm with the telescopic part in its most contracted state, and wherein the camera that photographs the second dispensing nozzle is held by the second dispensing arm with the telescopic part in its most extended state.

3. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the telescopic section has a plurality of cylinders of different diameters, the arm side fixing section being provided on the top surface of the innermost cylinder, and the camera side fixing section being provided on the side surface of the outermost cylinder.

4. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer as described in claim 3, wherein a magnet formed of a magnetic material is provided on the bottom surface of the hole in the arm side fixing part to attract the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

5. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer as described in claim 3, wherein the positional relationship of the first mounting member on the first dispensing arm relative to the first dispensing nozzle is different from the positional relationship of the second mounting member on the second dispensing arm relative to the second dispensing nozzle, the innermost tube is displaced axially relative to the outermost tube while rotating relative to it, and the arm-side fixing part is provided at a position eccentric to the central axis of the telescopic part, and the telescopic part is in a different circumferential position when in its most contracted state and when its most extended state.

6. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer as described in claim 5, wherein the first mounting member and the second mounting member have male threads at their upper ends, which are fastened to female threads provided on the bottom surfaces of the first dispensing arm and the second dispensing arm.

7. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the outermost tube has a pair of first extensions extending in the extension and contraction direction of the telescopic section, the innermost tube has a pair of second extensions extending in the extension and contraction direction of the telescopic section, the height from the bottom of the hole in the arm-side fixing section to the upper end of the first extension is longer than the amount of protrusion from the bottom of the first dispensing arm of the first mounting member and shorter than the amount of extension and contraction of the telescopic section, the height from the bottom of the hole in the arm-side fixing section to the upper end of the second extension is shorter than the amount of protrusion from the bottom of the first dispensing arm of the first mounting member and longer than the amount of protrusion from the bottom of the second dispensing arm of the second mounting member, when the telescopic section is in its most contracted state, the first extensions protrude most upwards and clamp the side of the first dispensing arm, and when the telescopic section is in its most extended state, the second extensions protrude most upwards and clamp the side of the second dispensing arm.

8. A camera holding device for an automatic analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the automatic analyzer comprises a third dispensing arm that moves a third dispensing nozzle by a rotational action, the third dispensing nozzle being longer than the first dispensing nozzle and shorter than the second dispensing nozzle, and a third attachment member that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the third dispensing arm, wherein the telescopic section comprises the innermost tube, the outermost tube, and an intermediate tube disposed therebetween, and the pressure between the intermediate tube and the innermost tube is smaller than the pressure between the intermediate tube and the outermost tube, and the camera that photographs the third dispensing nozzle is held on the third dispensing arm by fitting the hole in the arm-side fixing part to the third attachment member when only the innermost tube is fully extended.

Images