Automated analysis device and photometer temperature adjustment method

Abstract

Provided is an automated analysis device having an analysis module that performs an analysis operation with regard to a specimen, and a control device that controls the analysis module. The analysis module comprises a light source that emits light, a photometer that measures light from the light source that has passed through a reaction liquid of the specimen and a reagent, a photometer temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the photometer, an environment temperature sensor that is installed in a housing of the analysis module and measures the environment temperature outside the housing, and a heater that heats the photometer. On the basis of the correlation between a stable temperature of the photometer and the environment temperature, the control device calculates the stable temperature of the photometer from the environment temperature measured by the environment temperature sensor, and controls the heater only for a prescribed period that was determined in advance, treating said stable temperature as the target value for the photometer temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor.

Description

Automatic analyzer and photometer temperature adjustment method

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer and a method for adjusting the temperature of a photometer.

[0002] In automated analyzers that analyze samples such as blood, the light source is one of the important components that determines analytical performance. Light emitted from the light source passes through a reaction solution containing a mixture of reagents and samples, is dispersed into a specific number of wavelengths by a spectroscope, and then measured by a photometer. Because the target components are analyzed by photometry in this way, it is important to ensure the stability of the amount of light received by the photometer in automated analyzers in order to ensure analytical accuracy.

[0003] It is known that the optical system of the photometer of an automated analyzer is affected by the ambient temperature of the automated analyzer and the temperature of the photometer. When the automated analyzer is started up from a shutdown state, the temperature of the internal space of the casing of the automated analyzer, which encloses these components, fluctuates due to heat generated by the components. It is important to quickly stabilize the temperature of the photometer so that these temperature fluctuations do not affect photometry.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of controlling the temperature of a photometer to a constant preset temperature set by a user by feedback controlling a heater based on the temperature measured by the photometer. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of storing the temperature when the optical axis is stable in the spectroscopic chamber as a preset temperature, and heating the photometer to raise the temperature to the preset temperature.

[0005] JP 2014-48176 A Japanese Patent No. 5825349 A

[0006] In the technologies of Patent Documents 1 and 2, even after the automatic analyzer is started and transitions to an operating state in which photometry is repeatedly performed, the temperature of the photometer during photometry is continuously controlled by a heater to maintain the photometer at a predetermined temperature. However, the photometer temperature (hereinafter referred to as the stable temperature) that naturally converges as the automatic analyzer operates varies depending on the temperature around the automatic analyzer, i.e., the room temperature in the room in which the automatic analyzer is installed (hereinafter referred to as the ambient temperature). The stable temperature also varies depending on the length of time the automatic analyzer was stopped continuously before startup.

[0007] In the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the difference between the preset temperature and the stable temperature is large, the heater is repeatedly driven continuously or intermittently to control the temperature of the photometer of the automatic analyzer to a preset temperature that differs from the stable temperature of the photometer, resulting in increased power consumption. Furthermore, driving the heater to heat the photometer during photometry can also cause optical noise. Furthermore, because the environmental temperature fluctuates, it is difficult to stabilize the temperature of the photometer at the preset temperature.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer and a photometer temperature adjustment method that can automatically control the temperature of a photometer to a stable temperature according to the fluctuating environmental temperature.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automatic analyzer having an analysis module that performs an analysis operation on a sample, and a control device that controls the analysis module, wherein the analysis module comprises a light source that emits light, a photometer that measures the light from the light source that has passed through a reaction solution of the sample and a reagent, a photometer temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the photometer, an environmental temperature sensor that is installed inside a housing of the analysis module and measures the environmental temperature outside the housing, and a heater that heats the photometer, and the control device calculates a stable temperature of the photometer from the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor based on the correlation between the stable temperature of the photometer and the environmental temperature, and controls the heater for a predetermined period of time using the stable temperature as a target value for the photometer temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor.

[0010] According to the present invention, the temperature of the photometer can be automatically controlled to a stable temperature according to the fluctuating environmental temperature.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical system of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention and its peripheral devices. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the layout of an environmental temperature sensor of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an overview of the temperature adjustment function of a photometer of a control device provided in an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a timing chart related to the temperature adjustment of a photometer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the temperature adjustment procedure of a photometer by a control device provided in an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between a stable temperature and an environmental temperature used in the temperature adjustment control of the photometer of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the effect of the temperature adjustment function of a photometer of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer according to one embodiment of the present invention. The automatic analyzer 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an analysis module 100 and a control device 200.

[0014] The analysis module 100 is a mechanical unit that performs sample analysis operations and includes various devices for performing the analysis operations. The light source 101, which emits light, is one of the devices included in the analysis module 100 and projects light onto a reaction vessel 103 ( FIG. 2 ) containing a reaction solution of a patient's sample, such as blood or urine, and a reagent. The light source 101 is configured using, for example, an LED element. There is no limit to the number of LED elements that make up the light source 101, and the light source 101 can also be configured to include, for example, multiple LED elements with different center wavelengths. When multiple LED elements are used in the light source 101, the amount of current supplied is set individually for each LED element.

[0015] The control device 200 is a computer that controls the analysis module 100, and has an arithmetic and control device such as a CPU, and memories such as RAM and ROM. In this embodiment, the control device 200 is configured to include a control device 201 mounted on the analysis module 100, and a control device 202 that communicates with the control device 201. In addition to a monitor 203, an input device 204 such as a keyboard and a mouse is connected to the control device 202. The monitor 203 can display the processing and measurement results being performed by the automatic analyzer 1. In addition, by operating the input device 204, conditions for the analysis operations to be performed by the automatic analyzer 1 can be input.

[0016] For example, in the control device 200, an operation instruction is output from the control device 202 to the control device 201 based on an input from the input device 204. In accordance with this operation instruction, the control device 201 controls the various devices that make up the analysis module 100, and the analysis operation is performed in the analysis module 100, and measurement data is calculated. The measurement data calculated in the analysis module 100 is sent to the control device 202 via the control device 201 and displayed on the monitor 203.

[0017] However, the division of functions between the control devices 201 and 202 can be changed in design. Also, a configuration in which three or more control devices are connected to be able to communicate with each other can be adopted, or functions can be integrated into a single control device. Furthermore, the control device 200 can also include a server.

[0018] - Photometer - Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the optical system and peripheral devices of the automatic analyzer 1 shown in Figure 1. The analysis module 100 is equipped with a photometer 110, an absorbance calculation unit 250, a photometer temperature sensor 120, an environmental temperature sensor 130, and a heater 140.

[0019] The photometer 110 is an instrument that measures light from the light source 101 that has passed through a reaction solution of a patient's sample, such as blood or urine, and a reagent. The photometer 110 includes a spectroscopic element 111, such as a diffraction grating, a light-receiving element 112, such as a photoelectric converter, and a spectroscopic chamber 113 that surrounds the spectroscopic element 111 and the light-receiving element 112. During operation of the analysis module 100, light is irradiated from the light source 101 toward the photometer 110. For example, the light source 101 is disposed in an area radially outside a doughnut-shaped reaction vessel 102a containing reaction vessel water (a constant-temperature medium), and the photometer 110 is disposed in an area radially inside the doughnut-shaped reaction vessel 102a. A reaction vessel 205 is interposed between the light source 101 and the photometer 110. The reaction vessel 103 of the rotating reaction disk 102 ( FIG. 1 ) moves through the reaction vessel water in the doughnut-shaped reaction vessel 205. The reaction vessel 103 contains a reaction liquid of a specimen and a reagent, and thus light emitted from the light source 101 passes through the reaction liquid and enters the photometer 110 .

[0020] In the reaction solution inside the reaction vessel 103, the measurement item components of the specimen react with the reagent, and a substance to be measured is produced or consumed in proportion to the concentration of the measurement item component. Of the light irradiated onto the reaction solution, light with a wavelength in the absorption range corresponding to the substance to be measured is absorbed by the substance to be measured. Light that is not absorbed by the substance to be measured and passes through the reaction solution is incident on the spectroscopic element 111, which is a concave diffraction grating in the photometer 110. The light incident on the spectroscopic element 111 is split into wavelengths by the spectroscopic element 111 and then incident on the light-receiving element 112. The light-receiving element 112 converts the received light into an electrical signal and outputs an electrical signal with an intensity corresponding to the amount of received light to the absorbance calculation unit 250.

[0021] The absorbance calculation unit 250 calculates the absorbance based on the electrical signal input from the light-receiving element 112, and outputs the calculated absorbance to the control device 200 (control device 201 in this embodiment). The control device 200 performs colorimetric analysis based on the absorbance input from the absorbance calculation unit 250. At this time, data on cell blank measurements, in which cell blank water is dispensed and the absorbance at each wavelength from 340 to 800 nm is measured for all reaction vessels 103 currently installed on the reaction disk 102, is stored as cell blank values ​​in the memory of the control device 200. When performing colorimetric analysis, the control device 200 compares the cell blank value with the absorbance of the reaction solution to be analyzed, corrects the absorbance, calculates the corrected absorbance as measurement data, and outputs the corrected absorbance to, for example, a user interface (such as a screen displayed on the monitor 203).

[0022] The photometer temperature sensor 120 is a thermometer that measures the temperature of the photometer 110. In this embodiment, the photometer temperature sensor 120 is installed inside the box-shaped spectroscopic chamber 113, for example, on the inner wall of the spectroscopic chamber 113. The temperature of the photometer 110 measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 is output to the control device 200.

[0023] The environmental temperature sensor 130 is a thermometer that is installed inside the housing 107 of the analysis module 100 and measures the environmental temperature outside the housing 107, that is, the room temperature in the room where the analysis module 100 is installed. The environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 is output to the control device 200, and the stable temperature of the photometer 110 is calculated in the control device 200 based on the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130.

[0024] Heater 140 is installed in spectroscopic chamber 113 and heats, for example, the wall surface of spectroscopic chamber 113, thereby heating the entire photometer 110, including the interior of spectroscopic chamber 113. Control device 200 controls heater 140 so that a stable temperature calculated based on the environmental temperature becomes a target temperature, that is, so that the temperature of photometer 110 subsequently measured by photometer temperature sensor 120 at any time becomes a stable temperature.

[0025] —Environment Temperature Sensor— FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the layout of the environment temperature sensor 130. As shown in FIG.

[0026] The housing 107 forming the outer shell of the analysis module 100 is configured to include a frame including a plurality of (e.g., four) posts 108, and an exterior cover 109 forming the outer wall of the analysis module 100, which is attached to the frame so as to close the gaps between the frames. The posts 108 are metal supports for the housing 107. The exterior cover 109 is a plate-shaped part made of metal or resin that covers many of the components of the automatic analyzer 1. The posts 108 and exterior cover 109 that form the housing 107 are both in contact with the atmosphere outside the automatic analyzer 1 and also with the atmosphere inside the housing 107.

[0027] In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 , the housing 107 contains reagent cooling units 104A and 104B that cool and store the reagents to be mixed with the samples, a sample dispensing mechanism 105 that dispenses samples into the reaction vessels 103, and reagent dispensing mechanisms 106A and 106B that dispense reagents into the reaction vessels 103. The reagent cooling units 104A and 104B keep the reagents cool by circulating cooling water cooled by a cooling unit. Therefore, water flows into the interior of the housing 107 from the cooling water flow paths of the reagent cooling units 104A and 104B and the cooling units that store the reagents. The sample dispensing mechanism 105 and the reagent dispensing mechanisms 106A and 106B are driven by stepping motors. Because the stepping motors are energized and in standby mode, they generate heat constantly during operation of the automated analyzer 1, and this heat flows from the stepping motors to the surrounding space within the housing 107. The exterior cover 109 isolates the temperature of the atmosphere inside the housing 107 from the atmosphere outside the automatic analyzer 1, and the above-mentioned cold air and heat mix to create a unique temperature environment. The lamp holder 101a is a component that stores the light source 101, and is installed on the photometer 110, so that the reaction tank water circulating in the reaction tank 205 also circulates inside the lamp holder 101a.

[0028] As the automatic analyzer 1 continues to operate, the photometer 110 installed inside the housing 107 converges to the ambient temperature inside the housing 107, which exhibits complex behavior due to the influences of cold air from the cooling water, heat generated by operating parts such as the stepping motor, and the ambient temperature, and reaches a stable temperature. Therefore, the stable temperature of the photometer 110 tends to be higher than the ambient temperature, but varies from time to time depending on conditions such as the ambient temperature and the base temperature of the photometer 110. The base temperature of the photometer 110 varies depending on the temperature inside the housing 107 when the automatic analyzer 1 is started up, i.e., the stable temperature also changes depending on the length of time that power to the stepping motor and cooling unit is stopped, i.e., the length of continuous stoppage time before starting up the automatic analyzer 1.

[0029] Therefore, the environmental temperature sensor 130 is installed on the inner wall of the housing 107, and in this embodiment, particularly on the inner wall of a post 108, which is a frame that constitutes the housing 107. The housing 107 has multiple posts 108, and the environmental temperature sensor 130 is installed on the post 108 that is closest to the photometer 110. The height direction position of the environmental temperature sensor 130 relative to the post 108 is desirably set to correspond to the height of the photometer 110. Furthermore, the environmental temperature sensor 130 is positioned so as not to contact the photometer 110 and is separated from the photometer temperature sensor 120 installed in the spectroscopic chamber 113 of the photometer 110, and its measurement purpose is clearly distinguished from that of the photometer temperature sensor 120. Essentially, the installation position of the environmental temperature sensor 130 is a position inside the housing 107 where the temperature changes depending on the environmental temperature (i.e., a position that is significantly affected by the environmental temperature). In addition to the inner wall of the post 108, for example, the inner wall of the exterior cover 109 is one example of the installation position of the environmental temperature sensor 130. However, since the outer cover 109 is a part that is opened, closed, or removed during maintenance of the automatic analyzer 1, the post 108, which is a fixed part, is preferable as a part for installing the environmental temperature sensor 130 from the standpoint of ease of wiring, etc.

[0030] The housing 107 including the post 108 has an outer wall exposed to the atmosphere outside the automatic analyzer 1, and therefore its temperature becomes close to the ambient temperature. Therefore, although the ambient temperature sensor 130 is disposed inside the housing 107, it measures a temperature equivalent to the ambient temperature through the housing 107. Furthermore, because the ambient temperature sensor 130 is disposed inside the housing 107 to begin with, the measurement value of the ambient temperature sensor 130 also reflects the ambient temperature inside the housing 107. Therefore, it is possible to measure temperature taking into account both fluctuations in the ambient temperature and fluctuations in the temperature of the internal space of the housing 107.

[0031] 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of the temperature adjustment function of the photometer 110 by the control device 200. As a first function, the control device 200 (e.g., control device 201) stores in memory the correlation between the stable temperature of the photometer 110 and the environmental temperature, and calculates the stable temperature of the photometer 110 from the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 based on this correlation (stable temperature calculation function 210). Furthermore, as a second function, the control device 200 (e.g., control device 201) controls the heater 140 for a predetermined period of time using the stable temperature calculated based on the environmental temperature as the target value for the temperature of the photometer 110 measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 (heater control function 220).

[0032] This control is performed when the automated analyzer 1 starts up from a shut-down state (power OFF). As explained above, the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 is affected by both the temperature of the atmosphere inside the casing 107 and the environmental temperature. For example, if the automated analyzer 1 is left in a shut-down state for a long period of time, the temperature of the atmosphere inside the casing 107 of the automated analyzer 1 converges to the environmental temperature, and the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 becomes approximately equal to the environmental temperature. In contrast, when the automated analyzer 1 is in an operating state (power ON), the atmospheric temperature inside the casing 107 fluctuates due to the influence of exhaust heat from various devices and cold air from the cooling unit. The temperature at the time of startup of the automated analyzer 1 is used as a base temperature, and the temperature gradually rises over time immediately after startup, and stabilizes at a temperature higher than the environmental temperature, for example, several hours after startup of the automated analyzer 1. If the automatic analyzer 1 has been in a shut-down state for a short period of time before startup and the ambient temperature inside the housing 107 has not yet converged to the environmental temperature, the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 for calculating the stable temperature will be measured higher than the environmental temperature.

[0033] When the automated analyzer 1 is started, the environmental temperature sensor 130 is activated to measure the environmental temperature, for example, only once. "Only once" means a single occasion, and the output of the environmental temperature sensor 130 is not used continuously or repeatedly thereafter for purposes such as feedback control. This does not exclude, for example, outputting multiple measured temperatures, or their average or median values, to the control device 200 on a single occasion. Upon receiving input from this environmental temperature sensor 130, the control device 200 automatically calculates the stable temperature of the photometer 110 according to the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130. Thereafter, the photometer temperature sensor 120 begins temperature measurement, and the temperature of the photometer 110 is measured at regular intervals, and the measured temperature is input to the control device 200 as needed. The control device 200 compares the temperature of the photometer 110 input from the photometer temperature sensor 120 with a stable temperature calculated from the environmental temperature, and if the temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 is below the stable temperature, activates the heater 140 to heat the photometer 110, and if the temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 is equal to or higher than the stable temperature, stops the heater 140. This ON / OFF switching of the heater 140 is repeated for a predetermined period of time.

[0034] —Timing Chart— FIG. 5 is a timing chart relating to the control of the temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 by the control device 200. In FIG.

[0035] In the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment, the states from the shutdown state to the state in which the analysis operation is repeatedly performed can be broadly divided into five states: "OFF", "ON", "Initialize", "Standby", and "Operation". "OFF" is the state in which the power to the automatic analyzer 1 is turned off. "ON" is the state in which the power to the automatic analyzer 1 is turned on. "Initialize" is the state in which the control device 200 starts up and checks whether photometry can be performed by the photometer 110. "Standby" is the waiting state until photometry begins. "Operation" is the state in which the analysis module 100 repeatedly performs the analysis operation of the sample.

[0036] The above-mentioned predetermined period during which the control device 200 controls the heater 140 is a predetermined period that is the period from when the analysis module 100 is started up until the transition to the operation state. In other words, the period during which the temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 is performed is completed before the transition to the operation state and is set so as not to overlap with the operation period. The stable temperature calculation function 210 and heater control function 220 described in FIG. 4 are not executed during photometry by the photometer 110 or between repeated photometry operations.

[0037] The start of the predetermined period is the time when it is confirmed that the environmental temperature sensor 130 is normal after the control device 200 is started. In other words, after the state of the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the initialized state, once it is confirmed that the environmental temperature sensor 130 is operating normally, the stable temperature of the photometer 110 is calculated and control of the heater 140 is initiated. Although it depends on the sequence for checking the abnormal / normal state of the environmental temperature sensor 130, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the state of the environmental temperature sensor 130 is checked once the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the initialized state, and control of the heater 140 is initiated essentially once the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the initialized state.

[0038] The predetermined period is a single period, i.e., the control device 200 drives the heater 140 for only one predetermined period after the analysis module 100 is started and before the transition to the operation state, and does not drive the heater 140 in the operation state as described above.

[0039] 5 shows an example in which the temperature adjustment function of the photometer 110 by the control device 200 is turned ON when the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the initialization state and turned OFF when the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the operation state. In other words, in the startup sequence of the automatic analyzer 1, the total period of initialization and standby is set as the predetermined period during which the temperature adjustment function of the photometer 110 is executed. However, this example is not limiting, and a fixed time (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.) set shorter than the total period of initialization and standby may be set as the predetermined period, and control of the heater 140 may be completed earlier than the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the operation state.

[0040] As mentioned above, the control device 200 controls the on / off of the heater 140 for a predetermined period of time. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the control device 200 turns on the heater 140 to heat the photometer 110 if the temperature of the photometer 110 measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 is below a stable temperature calculated based on the ambient temperature, and turns off the heater 140 to stop heating the photometer 110 if the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 is above the stable temperature. Therefore, once the predetermined period begins, the heater 140 is continuously turned on until the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 reaches the stable temperature, and then the heater 140 is turned off when the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 reaches the stable temperature. When the heater 140 is activated, heat is applied to the photometer temperature sensor 120 and its surroundings. The heat applied by the heater 140 causes the temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 to rise, and when the temperature of the photometer 110 becomes higher than the stable temperature, the heater 140 is turned OFF. However, when the heater 140 is turned OFF, as long as the temperature around the photometer 110 is lower than the stable temperature of the photometer 110, the heat given to the photometer 110 is dissipated to the surroundings and is also transferred to the metal parts that support the photometer 110. As a result, the temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 drops, and when it falls below the stable temperature, the heater 140 is turned ON again.

[0041] While the temperature adjustment function of the control device 200 is ON, the heater 140 is turned ON whenever the temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 falls below the stable temperature, and is turned OFF whenever the temperature rises above the stable temperature. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, it is expected that the heater 140 will repeatedly turn ON and OFF. During this time, the ambient temperature of the photometer 110 will also rise due to heat dissipation from the photometer 110 as the photometer 110 heats up, and heat generation by other devices, making it difficult for the temperature of the photometer 110 to decrease. Therefore, as the end of the specified period approaches, the temperature of the photometer 110 will converge to the stable temperature, and the operation interval of the heater 140 may become longer.

[0042] In terms of control, heater 140 is turned off when the temperature measured by photometer temperature sensor 120 reaches a stable temperature, but in reality, there is a delay in response to temperature changes due to the large heat capacity of photometer 110 and heat transfer to the metal parts that support photometer 110. Therefore, the temperature of photometer 110 continues to rise slightly even after heater 140 is turned off, and begins to drop from a temperature slightly higher than the stable temperature.

[0043] 6 is a flowchart showing the temperature adjustment procedure of the photometer 110 by the control device 200. When the control device 200 is started up after the automatic analyzer 1 is started up, the flow of FIG.

[0044] In step S11, when the flow of FIG. 5 starts, the control device 200 first determines whether temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 is possible. Here, the control device 200 checks whether the hardware related to the temperature adjustment function of the photometer 110 is in a state where the temperature adjustment can be performed. For example, the control device 200 checks whether the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 can be obtained normally (whether input from the photometer temperature sensor 120 can be recognized) or whether the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 is within a specified normal temperature range. If input from the photometer temperature sensor 120 cannot be recognized or if the measured temperature input from the photometer temperature sensor 120 is outside the normal range, the flow of FIG. 6 cannot be executed, and the control device 200 ends the flow of FIG. 6 without controlling the heater 140. In this case, the photometer 110 naturally converges to a stable temperature without being actively heated by the heater 140.

[0045] Step S12: If the photometer temperature sensor 120 is confirmed to be in a normal state in step S11, the control device 200 inputs the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 and calculates the stable temperature of the photometer 110 based on the input measured temperature (stable temperature calculation function 210).

[0046] After calculating the stable temperature of the photometer 110 in steps S13-S16, the control device 200 controls the heater 140 for a predetermined period based on the stable temperature (heater control function 220). Specifically, the control device 200 first inputs the current temperature of the photometer 110 measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120, compares it with the stable temperature calculated in step S12, and determines whether the temperature of the photometer 110 is below the stable temperature (step S13). If the temperature of the photometer 110 is below the stable temperature, the control device 200 turns on the heater 140 to heat the photometer 110 (step S14). If the temperature of the photometer 110 is equal to or higher than the stable temperature, the control device 200 turns off the heater 140 to stop heating the photometer 110 (step S15). During this time, the control device 200 determines whether the end of the predetermined period has arrived, that is, whether the time to transition to operation has arrived, or whether a certain amount of time has passed since the start of the flow in Fig. 6 (step S16). The control device 200 periodically repeats the processing of steps S13-S16 for a predetermined period of time, and ends the flow in Fig. 6 when the predetermined period has passed.

[0047] - Stable Temperature - FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between the stable temperature and the environmental temperature used for temperature regulation control of the photometer 110 of the automatic analyzer 1 of this embodiment.

[0048] As described above, the control device 200 calculates the stable temperature based on the environmental temperature by utilizing the correlation between the environmental temperature and the stable temperature. The graph shown in Figure 7 shows an example of the correlation between the environmental temperature and the stable temperature used by the control device 200 to calculate the stable temperature, with the horizontal axis representing the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 and the vertical axis representing the stable temperature. The correlation between the stable temperature and the environmental temperature is assumed to be a relationship in which the stable temperature monotonically increases as the environmental temperature rises. While Figure 7 shows an example in which the correlation between the environmental temperature and the stable temperature is set as a linear proportional relationship, a curved relationship can also be set.

[0049] In the process of step S12 in FIG. 6 , the control device 200 can calculate the stable temperature by applying the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 to a relational expression that is predefined as defining the relationship in FIG. 7 . For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the environmental temperature is t°C, the stable temperature of the photometer 110 is determined to be a°C from the relational expression. If there are multiple analysis modules 100, this relational expression may be common to all of the analysis modules 100, or may be prepared individually for each analysis module 100. When preparing an individual relational expression for each analysis module 100, for example, during an adjustment stage before shipping, the analysis module 100 can be started and stopped multiple times while changing the environmental temperature, the output of the photometer temperature sensor 120 can be monitored, and the stable temperature of the photometer 110 can be actually measured, and the stable temperature can be calculated from the actual measurement data.

[0050] -Effects- (1) According to this embodiment, the stable temperature of the photometer 110 is calculated from the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 based on the correlation between the stable temperature of the photometer 110 and the environmental temperature, and the calculated stable temperature is used as the target value for the photometer temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120, and the heater 140 is controlled for a predetermined period of time.

[0051] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the effect of the temperature adjustment function of the photometer 110 in this embodiment. In Figure 8, the horizontal axis represents time [h], and the vertical axis represents the temperature [°C] of the photometer 110. The solid line in the graph represents the temperature change of the photometer 110 when the heater 140 is controlled when the automatic analyzer 1 is started from a shutdown state, that is, when this embodiment is applied. The dashed line in the graph represents the temperature change of the photometer 110 when heating by the heater 140 is not performed under the same conditions, that is, when this embodiment is not applied.

[0052] Time 0 is the time when the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to the initialized state. If this embodiment is not applied, the temperature of the photometer 110 gradually increases over time as shown by the dashed line, and eventually (after about 3 hours, for example) stabilizes at b°C, which is the stable temperature of the photometer 110 under those conditions.

[0053] In contrast, in this embodiment, the stable temperature b°C is calculated based on the output of the environmental temperature sensor 130, and the heater 140 is continuously operated with this as the target. As a result, the temperature of the photometer 110 rises at a steep slope immediately after time 0, as indicated by the solid line in the graph, and the temperature of the photometer 110 quickly reaches b°C. After that, the heater 140 is repeatedly turned on and off, and the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor 120 fluctuates oscillatedly, but the temperature fluctuation range becomes smaller over time, and the temperature of the photometer 110 converges to the stable temperature b°C at an earlier stage (for example, about one hour) than indicated by the dashed line.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, the temperature of the photometer 110 can be automatically controlled to a stable temperature according to the fluctuating environmental temperature.

[0055] Furthermore, by controlling the temperature of the photometer 110 to a stable temperature according to the environmental temperature, i.e., a temperature that naturally converges as the automatic analyzer 1 operates, temperature fluctuations in the photometer 110 are suppressed without subsequently operating the heater 140. Therefore, there is no need to use the heater 140 to maintain the temperature of the photometer 110, and it is possible to suppress temperature fluctuations during photometry, thereby ensuring photometric accuracy and reducing energy consumption.

[0056] (2) Furthermore, the environmental temperature sensor 130 is installed in a position inside the housing 107 of the analysis module 100 where the temperature changes depending on the environmental temperature, specifically on the inner wall of the housing 107. As a result, the environmental temperature sensor 130 measures the environmental temperature via the housing 107, and the measured temperature also reflects the influence of the temperature of the atmosphere inside the housing 107. Therefore, it is possible to deal with not only the influence of the environmental temperature, but also fluctuations in the stable temperature due to the length of the shutdown time of the analysis module.

[0057] For example, it is conceivable to measure the environmental temperature directly by attaching the environmental temperature sensor 130 to the outer wall of the housing 107. However, in this case, the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130 will be approximately equal to the environmental temperature regardless of the ambient temperature inside the housing 107, making it difficult to consider the ambient temperature inside the housing 107 in the temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor 130. For example, when the analysis module 100 starts up after a short shutdown period, the ambient temperature inside the housing 107 has not yet dropped to the ambient temperature, and the base temperature of the photometer 110 has not dropped. Therefore, the stable temperature should be calculated higher. However, this fact is not reflected, and the stable temperature is estimated lower than the appropriate value. Therefore, to calculate the appropriate stable temperature, it is necessary to install a temperature sensor separate from the environmental temperature sensor 130 to measure the internal temperature of the housing 107 and correct the stable temperature based on the measurement value. However, as mentioned above, the behavior of the temperature inside the housing 107 after transitioning to operation is complex and difficult to predict, and it is not easy to develop a stable temperature correction algorithm.

[0058] In contrast, in this embodiment, the ambient temperature is measured under the influence of the temperature inside the housing 107, so that the temperature inside the housing 107 is reflected in the measured ambient temperature, and a stable temperature corresponding to both the ambient temperature and the shutdown time can be calculated very simply without the need for complex correction processing.

[0059] Furthermore, if the environmental temperature sensor 130 is installed on the outer wall of the housing 107, the environmental temperature sensor 130 protruding from the outer wall surface of the automatic analyzer 1 will function as an antenna and receive radio waves, which may affect the photometric results. In contrast, in this embodiment, the environmental temperature sensor 130 does not protrude from the outer wall surface of the housing 107, so there is no such concern.

[0060] (3) When installing the environmental temperature sensor 130 on the inner wall of the housing 107 to measure the environmental temperature that reflects the internal temperature of the housing 107, it is also possible to install the environmental temperature sensor 130 on, for example, the inner wall of the exterior cover 109. However, since the exterior cover 109 is opened, closed, or removed during maintenance of the analysis module 100, taking into consideration wiring and the like, it is advantageous to install the environmental temperature sensor 130 on the main body frame part of the housing 107, which is a fixed part, such as the inner wall of the post 108, as in this embodiment, and this can also reduce the impact on maintenance work.

[0061] (4) As described above, temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 by controlling the heater 140 is completed before the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to operation. This prevents the spectroscopic element 111 and the light-receiving element 112 of the photometer 110 from being heated by the heater 140 during photometry, thereby suppressing the effect of heating by the heater 140 on the photometric results. For example, an increase in the temperature of the light-receiving element 112 may increase the sensitivity of only specific wavelengths. Furthermore, the spectroscopic element 111 must be precisely positioned to ensure spectral accuracy. If the components supporting the spectroscopic element 111 expand due to the influence of heating by the heater 140, the position of the spectroscopic element 111 may shift. According to this embodiment, temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 by controlling the heater 140 is completed before the automatic analyzer 1 transitions to operation, and the heater 140 is not operated during operation, thereby suppressing the effect on photometric accuracy. (5) In this embodiment, temperature adjustment of the photometer 110 by controlling the heater 140 is initiated when it is confirmed that the environmental temperature sensor 130 is normal after the start of the control device 200. In this way, by starting temperature control as soon as it is confirmed that the environmental temperature sensor 130 is normal, it is possible to make the temperature of the photometer 110 reach a stable temperature as quickly as possible, and it is possible to improve the reliability of maintaining the temperature of the photometer 110 at a stable temperature within a predetermined period of time.

[0062] (6) In this embodiment, after the analysis module 100 is started up and before the transition to the operation state, the temperature control of the photometer 110 using the heater 140 (flow chart in FIG. 6 ) is performed only once. By limiting the opportunity for controlling the heater 140 to before operation, when the behavior of the internal temperature of the housing 107 becomes complex, control can be simplified. Furthermore, as described above, by estimating the stable temperature of the photometer 110, which will eventually converge without heating by the heater 140, based on the ambient temperature and the internal temperature of the housing 107 at that time, and heating the photometer 110 to this stable temperature, the temperature of the photometer 110 can be stabilized without controlling the heater 140 after the analysis module 100 transitions to the operation state. Therefore, the opportunity for adjusting the temperature of the photometer 110 using the heater 140 is sufficient only once, before the transition to the operation state. Furthermore, because the heater 140 is not operated while the analysis module 100 is in the operation state, energy consumption can be reduced, as described above.

[0063] (7) The heater 140 is also controlled on / off. As described above, the ambient temperature inside the housing 107 is a mixture of cold air and exhaust heat, and is also affected by the environmental temperature, making it difficult to predict its behavior. Therefore, parameter setting is difficult when attempting to control the heater 140 to vary its output. In this regard, the ON / OFF control has a simple algorithm and can stably converge the temperature of the photometer 110 to the target temperature. Furthermore, after the analysis module 100 is started, the heater 140 operates continuously until the temperature of the photometer 110 reaches the target stable temperature, so the temperature of the photometer 110 quickly reaches the stable temperature.

[0064] However, in order to obtain the above-mentioned essential effect (1), instead of ON / OFF control, it is also possible to configure the heater 140 to have its output variably controlled in accordance with, for example, the difference between the measured temperature of the photometer temperature sensor 120 and the stable temperature.

[0065] (8) Both the photometer temperature sensor 120 and the heater 140 are provided in the spectroscopic chamber 113 of the photometer 110, and are configured to measure the overall temperature of the photometer 110 and heat the entire photometer 110. As described above, thermal fluctuations can have a complex effect on the sensitivity of the light-receiving element 11 as well as the accuracy of the optical path of the spectroscopic element 111 and the like. Therefore, it is preferable to grasp and adjust the overall temperature of the photometer 110, rather than measuring and adjusting the temperature of a specific element. This embodiment can address this issue.

[0066] -Modifications- The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may include various modifications. For example, 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. It is possible to replace some of the configurations with other configurations. It is also possible to delete some of the configurations of the embodiments or add other configurations.

[0067] For example, although an example of applying the flow of Figure 6 when starting up the analysis module 100 has been described, if there is specific maintenance that needs to be performed when the temperature of the photometer 110 is stable, the flow of Figure 6 can also be applied during such maintenance.

[0068] 1...automatic analyzer, 100...analysis module, 101...light source, 107...casing, 108...post (frame), 110...photometer, 111...spectroscopic element, 112...light-receiving element, 113...spectroscopic chamber, 120...photometer temperature sensor, 130...environment temperature sensor, 140...heater, 200...control device

Claims

1. An automatic analyzer having an analysis module that performs an analysis operation of a specimen, and a control device that controls the analysis module, wherein the analysis module comprises: a light source that emits light, a photometer that measures light from the light source that has passed through a reaction solution of the specimen and a reagent, a photometer temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the photometer, an environmental temperature sensor that is installed within a housing of the analysis module and measures the environmental temperature outside the housing, and a heater that heats the photometer, wherein the control device calculates a stable temperature of the photometer from the environmental temperature measured by the environmental temperature sensor based on a correlation between the stable temperature of the photometer and the environmental temperature, and controls the heater for a predetermined period of time using the stable temperature as a target value for the photometer temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor.

2. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the environmental temperature sensor is installed on an inner wall of the housing.

3. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the environmental temperature sensor is mounted on a frame constituting the housing.

4. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the environmental temperature sensor is installed at a position where the temperature changes depending on the environmental temperature.

5. The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein said photometer temperature sensor is installed in the spectroscopic chamber of said photometer and is separated from said environmental temperature sensor.

6. An automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is a period from when the analysis module is started up until when the analysis module transitions to an operation state in which the analysis module repeatedly performs an analysis operation on the sample.

7. The automatic analyzer according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined period of time is a period that begins from a point in time when it is confirmed that the environmental temperature sensor is normal after the start-up of the control device.

8. The automatic analyzer according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined period is a single period, and the control device drives the heater only once for the predetermined period after the analysis module is started and before the analysis module transitions to the operation state.

9. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the on / off of the heater.

10. The automatic analyzer of claim 9, wherein the control device turns on the heater if the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor is below the stable temperature, and turns off the heater if the temperature measured by the photometer temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the stable temperature.

11. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the correlation between the stable temperature and the environmental temperature is such that the stable temperature increases monotonically as the environmental temperature increases.

12. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the photometer has a spectroscopic element, a light receiving element, and a spectroscopic chamber surrounding these, and the photometer temperature sensor is installed in the spectroscopic chamber.

13. The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the photometer has a spectroscopic element, a light receiving element, and a spectroscopic chamber surrounding these, and the heater is installed in the spectroscopic chamber to heat the spectroscopic chamber.

14. A method for adjusting the temperature of a photometer provided in an automatic analyzer having an analysis module that performs an analysis operation of a sample and a control device that controls the analysis module, comprising the steps of: installing a heater for heating the photometer; measuring an external environmental temperature within a housing of the analysis module; calculating a stable temperature of the photometer from the environmental temperature based on a correlation between the stable temperature of the photometer and the environmental temperature; and controlling the heater for a predetermined period of time with the stable temperature as a target value to adjust the temperature of the photometer.

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