Centrifugal machine and method for reporting service life of rotor in centrifugal machine

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to enable a user to easily know a service life end period for a rotor in a centrifugal machine. In a centrifugal machine having a rotor, a motor for rotating the rotor, a control unit for controlling centrifugal separation, and a display unit that can receive input, a service life regulation relating to the rotor is stored in advance in a storage device within the control unit. When a condition for centrifugal separation operation is inputted by a user and operation is started, the control unit reads out the identification of the rotor, operation history data relating to the identified rotor, and the service life regulation, and calculates estimated service life end information 35 for the current status of usage by the user. When the centrifugal separation operation is finished, a pop-up screen image 30 is displayed for a prescribed time to inform the user of a usage rate 34 for the rotor until the end of service life and the estimated service life end information 35.

Description

Centrifuge and rotor life notification method for centrifuge

[0001] The present invention relates to a centrifuge that allows a user to easily check the lifespan of a rotor installed therein.

[0002] Centrifuges (centrifuges) separate and purify samples by inserting the sample to be separated (e.g., culture medium, blood, etc.) into a rotor via a tube or bottle and rotating the rotor at high speed. The rotor's settable rotation speed varies depending on the model of centrifuge, with a range of speeds from low (several thousand rpm) to high (maximum rotation speed of 150,000 rpm) available to suit various applications. Various types of rotors can be installed in centrifuges, including those that rotate at ultra-high speeds to subject small samples to high centrifugal acceleration, and those that rotate at low speeds but can handle large samples. These rotors are used according to the sample to be separated, and are configured to be detachable from the rotating shaft of a driving means such as a motor, allowing for easy replacement.

[0003] Each rotor has its own unique limiting rotation speed (maximum rotation speed) to prevent centrifugal force exceeding the material's strength. Because these values ​​must be known by the centrifuge during centrifugation, conventional centrifuges store these values ​​in advance in a memory device within the control unit, identify the type of rotor installed, and retrieve data related to the rotor from the memory device. Conventional methods for identifying installed rotors include placing multiple magnets around the circumference of the rotor's bottom surface, and placing a magnetic sensor inside the centrifuge body to detect the magnetic field generated by the magnets immediately after the rotor starts rotating. For example, in Patent Document 1, a Hall IC is installed in a position close to the rotating rotor but not in contact with the rotor during rotation. Immediately after the rotor starts rotating, the control unit uses the magnetic sensor to detect the presence or absence of magnets at multiple lattice points defined at equal intervals on the same circumference centered on the rotation axis, and decodes the coded rotor ID from the detection interval. Another method is to include the rotor's manufacturing year, maximum rotation speed, rotor serial number, etc. in the rotor ID by increasing the number of coding bits.

[0004] Some rotors, which are subject to heavy or localized loads, have lifespans or maintenance intervals determined based on factors such as metal fatigue. These rotors have lifespans defined by factors such as the number of times they have been operated and the cumulative operating time. When their lifespan is reached, they are either discontinued and disposed of, or undergo maintenance. The centrifuge's control unit reads not only the rotor type but also its serial number and records the number of times the rotor has been operated and the cumulative operating time in the centrifuge. This allows the user to determine how much the rotor has been used and manages its lifespan to prevent it from being used beyond its lifespan. The control unit also identifies the type of rotor installed and optimally controls the motor's rotation and the cooling device's operation within the maximum allowable rotation speed range. Furthermore, the control unit also manages the rotor's lifespan in advance, based on factors such as the number of times the rotor has been operated and the cumulative operating time.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-104076

[0006] In centrifuges equipped with a rotor lifespan management function, the number of uses and other information was previously displayed on the rotor management screen, and when the rotor's number of uses approached the end of its lifespan, an alert would light up and the remaining number of uses would be displayed along with the alert. However, because rotors used in centrifuges are often expensive and some are made to order, if the user is late in noticing the rotor's end of life, they may not be able to purchase a new rotor immediately even when it has reached the end of its lifespan, which could result in a period when the centrifuge cannot be used.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge and a rotor life notification method for a centrifuge that allow a user to easily know when the rotor's life is over. Another object of the present invention is to provide a centrifuge and a rotor life notification method for a centrifuge that allow a user to quantitatively grasp the remaining life of the rotor.

[0008] Representative features of the invention disclosed in this application are as follows. According to one feature of the present invention, a centrifuge includes a drive unit, a rotor detachably mounted on a rotating shaft of the drive unit, a display unit for inputting centrifugation setting information and displaying the operating status, a rotor detection unit for reading an identifier attached to the rotor, and a control unit for identifying the type of rotor attached and controlling the rotation of the drive unit. The control unit is provided with a storage device for recording the rotor's operating history, and a lifespan specification for the rotor being used is pre-stored. When the control unit detects a rotor attached by a user, it reads the rotor's usage history from the operating history for the rotor stored in the storage device and compares it with the rotor's lifespan specification to calculate lifespan estimate information. While the rotor is attached to the rotating shaft, the calculated lifespan estimate information is displayed in one or more of the following ways: (1) constantly on the display unit; (2) before the rotor starts rotating and / or at a predetermined time after rotation stops; (3) when the rotor's lifespan reaches or exceeds a predetermined value; or (4) upon a user request. This estimated lifespan information includes the number of times the rotor has been used and the usage ratio of the rotor, which are included in the lifespan specification, and also displays on the display the predicted time when the rotor will reach the specified lifespan. If the rotor is approaching the end of its lifespan, i.e., if the ratio is greater than a predetermined value or if the time until the predicted time is shorter than the predetermined period, it is advisable to separately display an alert screen on the display prompting the user to replace the rotor.

[0009] According to another feature of the present invention, the centrifuge can display a list of rotors whose operating history is recorded on the display unit, and when displaying the list in response to a user instruction, the list can be sorted in order of the closest year and month until the specified number of operations is reached. Furthermore, the rotor operating history includes one or more of the following for the installed rotor: (a) the number of operations, (b) the operating time, and (c) the accumulated weighted average value of the rotor taking into account the centrifugal acceleration and operating time, and the control unit updates the operating history information stored in the memory device when the centrifugation operation is completed.

[0010] According to the present invention, (1) a function for displaying the number of times a rotor has been used and its usage rate on a screen (Run Screen) when selecting a rotor or when an operation ends, (2) a function for providing a sorting function for sorting rotor usage rates in descending order on the rotor management screen, and (3) a function for predicting the end of a rotor's life and displaying the approximate year and month until the rotor reaches its end of life in advance, allows users to specifically predict when a rotor will need to be replaced at an appropriate time. As a result, users can smoothly perform rotor maintenance or purchase a new rotor. Furthermore, since a centrifuge that is easy for users to use can be realized, this has the effect of increasing centrifuge sales.

[0011] 5A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a centrifuge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a screen 20 displayed on the operation panel 10 during operation; FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a screen 20 displayed on the operation panel 10 after operation has ended; FIG. 5D is a diagram showing a screen 20 displayed by switching from the screen 20 of FIG. 2B after a certain time has elapsed from the screen 20 of FIG. 2B; FIG. 5E is a flowchart showing a procedure for managing the lifespan of the rotor 5 of the centrifuge 1 according to this embodiment; FIG. 5F is a flowchart showing a procedure for calculating estimated lifespan information shown in step 53 of FIG. 3; FIG. 5G is a diagram for explaining a sorting function on the rotor management screen 70 of the centrifuge 1 according to this embodiment, showing the screen before sorting; FIG. 5H is a diagram showing a screen 70' after the sorting function has been executed from the state of FIG. 5A; FIG. 5I is an example of a rotor information table 90 stored in the storage device 8b of the centrifuge 1; FIG. 5I is a diagram showing a screen 20A according to a second embodiment (displaying an indicator); FIG. 5I is a diagram showing a screen 20B according to a third embodiment (displaying a usage rate); FIG. 5I is a diagram showing a screen 20C according to a fourth embodiment (displaying the number of uses / number of lifetimes).

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. In addition, in this specification, up, down, left, and right directions will be described as directions shown in the drawings.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a centrifuge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The centrifuge 1 has a box-shaped housing 2 made of sheet metal or the like, and a bowl 3 made of a thin metal plate inside. The bowl 3 and a door 6 define a rotation chamber 4. The door 6 seals the opening of the rotation chamber 4 and can be rotated up and down around a hinge (not shown) provided in part of the housing. The rotor 5 holds the sample to be separated and rotates at high speed, and is attached to the rotation shaft 7a of the motor 7.

[0014] An operation panel 10 operated by the user is located on the side of the door 6, and the user inputs conditions such as the rotation speed of the rotor 5, the centrifugation time, and the rotor model. The operation panel 10 serves both as a display device that displays information indicating the status of the centrifuge and as an input device for inputting instructions from the user, and can be a so-called touch panel type monochrome or color liquid crystal display or organic EL display. Furthermore, the operation panel 10 is not limited to a touch panel type display device, and the input device and display device may be configured separately, or a portable terminal may be used as the input / output device.

[0015] While the motor 7 is stopped, the user can access the rotor 5 through the top opening of the rotating chamber 4 by opening the door 6, allowing the user to remove or install the detachable rotor 5. The rotor 5 is selected by the user based on the sample to be centrifuged and the sample container that holds it. The control unit 8 controls the entire centrifuge 1 and includes a processor 8a capable of executing computer programs and a storage device 8b. The control unit 8 controls the rotation of the motor 7, the temperature inside the rotating chamber 4, receives input instructions from the operation panel 10, and controls the output of various information, such as setting data and operating data, to the operation panel 10, in accordance with setting information for centrifugation operation input from the operation panel 10. The control unit 8 also identifies the installed rotor 5 and manages the operating history of the installed rotor 5. These operations of the control unit 8 are performed by the processor executing computer programs that realize specific functions.

[0016] Bowl 3 is made of a metal alloy such as stainless steel, and is provided with a cooling device (not shown) for cooling bowl 3. Any known cooling device may be used, such as a compressor-type cooling device in which a copper pipe is wound in a spiral shape around the periphery of bowl 3 and a refrigerant is passed through it, or a cooling device in which a Peltier element is placed on the underside of bowl 3. The operation of the cooling device is controlled by control unit 8, and by removing heat from bowl 3, the internal temperature of rotating chamber 4 is maintained at the set temperature designated by the user.

[0017] Rotors 5 of various sizes and shapes can be attached to the rotating shaft 7a. Each rotor 5 is assigned a specific rotation speed limit (maximum rotation speed) to prevent centrifugal force exceeding the strength of the material, as well as operational life specifications and operational time life specifications that set usage limits for the rotor 5. When performing centrifugation, the control unit 8 grasps these values ​​and allows centrifugation operation only when they are within the range of the values. Therefore, the control unit 8 stores the rotation speed limit, operational life specifications, operational time life specifications, etc. for each rotor 5 to be used in advance in the storage device 8b, so that these specifications can be used for control during centrifugation operation.

[0018] Various methods have been proposed so far as means for identifying the rotor 5. The most classic method is for the user, who has set the rotor 5 in the rotation chamber 4, to input the type of rotor 5 using the operation panel 10 (manual input). With this method, if the user inputs the type of rotor 5 incorrectly, there is a risk that the control unit 8 will control the rotation based on incorrect information.

[0019] The second method for identifying the rotor 5 involves defining multiple (n) lattice points on the cylindrical bottom surface of the rotor 5, placing magnets at m (where m<n) of the lattice points, and assigning either a magnet presence (bit 1) or a magnet absence (bit 0) to each of the multiple lattice points, thereby setting identification information using a specific bit string. A magnetic sensor 9 that detects the presence or absence of a magnet is provided at the bottom of the rotating chamber 4, adjacent to the adapter unit (not shown) of the rotor 5. The magnetic sensor 9 reads the identifier (magnet) provided on the rotor 5, and the processor 8a analyzes the output of the magnetic sensor 9, thereby realizing a rotor detection unit. The control unit 8 analyzes the pattern of the detection intensity of the magnetic signal detected by the magnet by the magnetic sensor 9 after the rotor 5 starts rotating, and performs a predetermined calculation to decode the identification information using the bit string, thereby identifying the type, unique number, etc. of the rotor 5. Detection of the identification information using this second method is performed immediately after the rotor 5 starts rotating.

[0020] A third method for identifying the rotor 5 is to position the magnets on the rotor 5 in the same arrangement as the second method, but position the same number of magnetic sensors 9 as the number of lattice points in positions close to the bottom surface of the rotor 5. With the third method, it is possible to read identification information based on a specific bit string using magnets when the rotor 5 is set on the rotating shaft 7a. Other methods include a method in which an optically readable identifier, such as a barcode, is provided on the rotor 5 and optically read, or a wireless method in which a wireless transmitter such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is provided on the rotor 5 and a signal is received from the transmitter. Either method can be used to apply the present invention.

[0021] In this embodiment, it is preferable to use both the first and second methods. The user starts centrifugation operation after inputting the set rotation speed, centrifugation time, rotation chamber temperature, and identification information of the rotor 5. The processor 8a of the control unit 8 detects the identification information of the rotor 5 using the magnetic sensor 9, and compares it with the information input by the user to determine whether the set identification information of the rotor 5 is correct.

[0022] The temperature inside the rotating chamber 4 is measured by the control unit 8 using a temperature sensor (not shown) installed inside the rotating chamber 4. The temperature sensor may be installed at various positions, but is often installed at the bottom of the bowl 3.

[0023] 2A to 2C are screens for displaying control information and operating status related to centrifugation operation. The upper section (upper portion) of screen 20 is allocated three display fields: a rotation speed display field 21 for rotor 5, in which a sample to be centrifuged is placed within rotating chamber 4 of centrifuge 1; an operation time display field 22; and a rotor temperature display field 23. Rotation speed display field 21 is an area for displaying the rotation speed (unit: rpm) of rotor 5. The upper section displays the current rotation speed of rotor 5 (7,000 rpm in this case) measured by a rotation sensor (not shown) attached to motor 7 in large letters, while the lower section displays the set rotation speed set by the user in small letters along with the word "SET." Operation time display field 22 is an area for displaying the operation time of centrifugation. The upper section displays the elapsed time from the start of operation to the present (12 minutes and 20 seconds in this example) in large letters, while the lower section displays the set (operation) time entered by the user in small letters along with the word "SET." The rotor temperature display field 23 is an area that displays the temperature of the rotor 5 (or the temperature of the rotating chamber 4), with the current temperature (4°C in this example) displayed large on the upper row, and the set temperature entered by the user displayed small on the lower row along with the letters SET.

[0024] When the user touches any of the display fields 21 to 23 on the screen, a pop-up screen (not shown) is displayed, which displays numeric keys from 0 to 9, and by displaying and operating these keys, the user can input the set rotation speed, operation time, set temperature of the rotor 5, etc. After a value is input using the numeric keys, the pop-up screen is closed by pressing a setting completion key (not shown) in the pop-up screen, and the input value is acquired by the control unit 8 and displayed to the right of the SET character for the setting target.

[0025] The rotor type display field 24 displays identification information 24a of the installed rotor 5. When the user touches the rotor type display field 24, a pop-up screen (not shown) is displayed. The pop-up screen displays a list of previously selected rotors 5 and a list of identification information for rotors 5 that have not been selected previously but are now selectable. The user selects a rotor 5 by selecting one from the list. If the target rotor 5 is not in the list, a new rotor 5 can be manually registered. When the user selects or inputs a rotor 5 and closes the pop-up screen, the rotor type display field 24 displays identification information 24a of the rotor 5 (here, "AA123-0123"). "AA123" is the model number indicating the type of rotor, and the numbers following the hyphen are the serial number. However, the identification information for the rotor 5 can be set arbitrarily, and any combination of letters, numbers, symbols, and figures that can distinguish individual rotors 5 may be set.

[0026] The acceleration / deceleration information display field 25 displays the rotation acceleration gradient (ACCEL) at the start of operation when the rotor 5 reaches the set rotation speed from a stopped state, and the rotation deceleration gradient (DECEL) at the end of operation when the rotor 5 reaches the set rotation speed from a stopped state, each associated with a numerical level. When the user touches the acceleration / deceleration information display field 25, a pop-up screen displays selectable acceleration gradient and deceleration gradient levels, allowing the user to select one.

[0027] As described above, the rotation speed display field 21, the operation time display field 22, the rotor temperature display field 23, the rotor type display field 24, and the acceleration / deceleration information display field 25 are fields set or selected by the user. The start button 26 and the stop button 27 are icons that function only by operation, and the centrifugation operation starts when the user presses the start button 26. Once the centrifugation operation starts, the user can stop the motor 7 by pressing the stop button 27 at will. Note that, in this specification, touching the start button 26 or the stop button 27 displayed in icon form on a touch-type liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like with a fingertip or the like may also be described as "pressing a button." However, in this specification, "pressing a button" not only refers to operating the operating portion of a physically operable switch, but also refers to selecting an icon displayed on the display screen with a pointing device such as a fingertip or a mouse (e.g., touching or pressing with a fingertip).

[0028] When the start button 26 is pressed to start the centrifugation operation, the rotor 5 accelerates according to the selected acceleration gradient. Once the set rotation speed is reached, a settling state in which the set rotation speed is maintained is maintained for a set time. After the set time has elapsed, the control unit 8 decelerates the motor 7 according to the selected deceleration gradient and stops the motor, thereby ending the centrifugation operation. When the rotation of the rotor 5 stops, the control unit 8 updates the count values ​​of the rotor 5's usage time and the number of centrifugation operations. As shown in FIG. 2B , a pop-up screen 30 is displayed superimposed at an arbitrary position on the previously displayed screen 20. Because the rotor 5 is stopped in the screen shown in FIG. 2B , the rotation speed in the rotation speed display field 21 is set to 0, and the icon of the stop button 27 (see FIG. 2A ) at the bottom right has been changed to a door lock release button ("OPEN") 28 for releasing the door lock (not shown). The pop-up screen 30 is a display screen for presenting the user with life information regarding the rotor 5 being used, including estimated life end information. The size of the display field of the pop-up screen 30 and the size of the display may be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable to display it in a position that does not hide the display of the rotor type display field 24.

[0029] The contents of the pop-up screen 30 include identification information 31 (the same as the identification information 24a in the rotor type display field 24 visible on the left) and the number of uses 32 of the rotor 5 (here, "5,000 times") accumulated by the control unit 8. Below that, the lifespan count 33 of the rotor 5 is displayed. The lifespan count 33 is the upper limit (default value) of the number of uses specified by the rotor 5 manufacturer, which is "50,000 times" in this case. A usage rate icon 34 is displayed on the right side of the pop-up screen 30, indicating, in percentage, what percentage of the lifespan count 33 the current usage count 32 has reached. The usage rate icon 34 displays the value obtained by dividing the current usage count 32 by the lifespan count 33 (rounded to the nearest whole number). This indicates that 10% of the centrifugation operations have been performed relative to the lifespan. The display of this usage rate icon 34 allows the user to quickly see that the upper limit of the rotor 5's usage count is 90%. The usage rate icon 34 may be displayed in a different display format, such as a different color, size, or type of text, depending on the remaining percentage. For example, if the usage rate icon 34 is less than 80%, it is displayed with white text on a green background. If the usage rate icon 34 is between 80% and 90%, it is displayed with white text or black text on a yellow background. If the usage rate icon 34 is 90% or more, it is displayed with white text or black text on a red background. By changing the icon color in this way, the user can intuitively and quickly grasp how many uses are remaining.

[0030] The estimated end of life date 35 is displayed at the bottom of the pop-up screen 30. This is a value calculated by the control unit 8 and indicates to the user an estimated value that "based on the operating frequency and operating performance of the rotor 5 up to now, the rotor 5 will need to be replaced in February 2025." By looking at the estimated end of life date 35, the user can easily identify that if the rotor 5 is used at the same pace as now, replacement, such as by purchasing a new one, will be necessary by the estimated end of life date 35. In this way, by displaying an estimated value that serves as a guide for when to replace the rotor 5, the user can be prevented from purchasing the next rotor 5 prematurely, and can also effectively prevent delays in purchasing the next rotor 5 that result in the next rotor 5 not being delivered in time for the rotor to reach the end of its life.

[0031] Since the pop-up screen 30 does not need to be displayed indefinitely, it automatically disappears after a predetermined time (e.g., one minute) and transitions to the display state of FIG. 2C . The state of FIG. 2C is the same as FIG. 2B except that the pop-up screen 30 has been removed. Because the rotor 5 is stopped, the rotation speed display field 21 shows the rotation speed as "0," and the operation time display field 22 shows "00:00." To prevent deterioration of the sample placed in the rotor 5, it is preferable to keep the cooling device (not shown) running even after the centrifugation operation has ended. If the user wants to immediately dismiss the pop-up screen 30 in the display state of FIG. 2B , the user can touch the frame of the pop-up screen 30 with their finger, or a dedicated icon (not shown) may be displayed within the pop-up screen 30 to instruct the user to close the screen, allowing the user to select it.

[0032] As described above, at the end of a centrifugation run, the display screen 20 (RunScreen) displays the number of uses, number of lifespans, usage rate (%), and estimated end-of-life date. In this embodiment, the display mode for whether or not to display the pop-up screen 30 shown in FIG. 2B after the display shown in FIG. 2A can be set in advance in the settings menu to either "enable" (display) or "disable" (do not display) the number-of-uses display function. If the user sets the number-of-uses display function to "enable," the pop-up screen 30 automatically appears on the screen 20 after the run is completed. Alternatively, if the user sets the number-of-uses display function to "disable," the screen transitions directly from FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C after the run is completed.

[0033] Next, the procedure for managing the lifespan of the rotor 5 by the control unit 8 will be described using the flowchart of Figure 3. This control is performed by the processor 8a of the control unit 8 executing a computer program stored in advance in the storage device 8b. Before executing the flowchart of Figure 3, the control unit 8 executes another computer program to detect whether a new rotor 5 has been attached to the rotating shaft 7a. If a rotor 5 has already been attached, the control unit 8 starts executing the computer program that performs the processing of the flowchart of Figure 3. In other words, the computer program of Figure 3 is executed in parallel with the computer program that controls the centrifugation operation.

[0034] First, the processor 8a of the control unit 8 determines whether the rotor 5 is rotating (step 48). When the rotor 5 is rotating, i.e., when the centrifugation operation is in progress, the display state of the screen 20 in Fig. 2A is maintained and the control unit 8 waits until the centrifugation operation is completed. When the control unit 8 detects in step 48 that the rotor 5 has stopped, i.e., the completion of the centrifugation operation, the control unit 8 updates the rotor information table 90 by incrementing the value of the operation count 96 (described later in Fig. 6), which counts the number of times the rotor 5 has been used, by +1 (step 49).

[0035] An example of a rotor information table 90 stored in the storage device 8b will now be described with reference to FIG. 6 . The rotor information table 90 is stored in advance in the storage device 8b, such as an EEPROM, and includes a rotor type (manufacturer's control number or a control number within the storage device) 91, a serial number (a unique number for the rotor 5 that corresponds one-to-one with the rotor type 91) 92, a maximum usable rotation speed 93 for the rotor, and an operation count life specification 94. The operation count life specification 94 is the maximum number of times the rotor 5 can be used. For the rotor type "AA123" stored in the record 81, it is specified that 50,000 operations are possible. The operation time life specification 95 is the maximum cumulative operation time (lifetime) for the rotor 5. For the rotor type "AA123," it is specified that 20,000 hours of use are possible. Both the operation count life specification 94 and the operation time life specification 95 may be specified, or only one of them may be specified. When both are specified, the rotor 5 is judged to have reached the end of its life when either the operation count life specification 94 or the operation time life specification 95 is reached first. These pieces of information are specifications specified by the manufacturer of the rotor 5, and are stored in advance in the storage device 8b (see FIG. 1) when the centrifuge 1 is shipped. They can also be manually added to the storage device 8b after shipping, or automatically added to the storage device 8b via a network. The values ​​of the operation count life specification 94 and the operation time life specification 95 shown in FIG. 6 are exemplary values ​​used to explain the present invention.

[0036] The number of operations 96 is counted by the control unit 8 each time a centrifugation operation is performed. For example, the series of centrifugation operations from placing the rotor 5 containing a sample in the rotation chamber 4 and pressing the start button to start rotation of the rotor 5, through acceleration and deceleration, etc., until the door unlock button 28 is displayed and the door 6 becomes openable and closable, is counted as "one operation." The operation time 97 is calculated by integrating only the settling time during which the rotor 5 is operating at a constant speed at the set rotation speed, or by integrating the time during which the rotor is accelerating and the settling time during which the rotor is operating at a constant speed at the set rotation speed. Note that the control unit 8 may be configured to allow the user to select which of the above integration methods to use and register it.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 3 again, after step 49, the process proceeds to step group 50, which is added in this embodiment. First, the control unit 8 determines whether the "usage count display function" has been enabled in advance (step 51). If the use count display function is enabled, the control unit 8 prepares information for the items to be displayed in the pop-up screen 30 shown in FIG. 2B. Here, the value of the operation count 96 is assigned to the "usage count," and the value of the operation count life specification 94 is assigned to the "life count" (step 52). Next, the control unit 8 performs a process to calculate the "estimated life end time" (step 53). The processing procedure of step 53 is shown in detail in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0038] In the flowchart of FIG. 4 , first, the control unit 8 (not shown) included in the control unit 8 assigns a variable A indicating the "remaining number of uses of the rotor 5" to be used in the program, and calculates the value of the subsequent variable A using the following formula (step 61). The number of lives is set by reading the value of the operation count life regulation 94 in the rotor information table 90 of FIG. 6 from the storage device 8b. The number of uses is set by reading the value of the operation count 96 in the rotor information table 90 of FIG. 6 from the storage device 8b. In the following embodiment, an example is shown in which only the operation count life regulation 94 and the operation count 96 are used for life management, and the operation time life regulation 95 and the operation time 97 are not used. However, both the operation time life regulation 95 and the operation time 97 may be used, or only the operation time life regulation 95 and the operation time 97 may be used, without using the operation count life regulation 94.

[0039] Next, the control unit 8 determines whether the "remaining number of uses" of the rotor 5, which is the content of variable A, is equal to or less than a reference value for determining whether or not to display the pop-up screen 30, for example, 5,000 times (step 62). If the "remaining number of uses" of the rotor 5 is greater than the reference value of 5,000 times, even if the centrifugation operation ends while the screen of Fig. 2A is being displayed, the display of the screen 20 of Fig. 2B is skipped and the screen display of Fig. 2C is displayed (step 62), and therefore, execution of steps 63 to 68 is omitted.

[0040] If the "remaining number of uses" of the rotor 5 is less than the reference value of 5,000, the control unit 8 extracts the usage history of the rotor 5 in use for the past 30 days from the rotor information table 90, substitutes that number of uses for variable B, and adds it up (step 63). In other words, variable B indicates the total number of uses in the previous 30 days. Next, if the value of variable B is greater than 0, i.e., 1 or more times, the process proceeds to step 66 (step 64). If the value of variable B is 0, for the convenience of subsequent calculations, variable B is set to "1" and the process proceeds to step 66.

[0041] Next, the control unit 8 calculates variable B (the number of months until the rotor 5 reaches its end of life based on the number of uses over the past 30 days of the rotor 5 currently in use) and assigns this remaining number of months to variable C (step 66). That is, variable C = remaining number of uses / number of uses over the past 30 days (equation 2). In this way, the control unit 8 calculates how many more months of use per the most recent 30 days will be required to reach the end of its life. For example, if the remaining number of uses = 1,500 times and the number of uses over the past 30 days = 100 times, then C = 1,500 / 100 = 15 months. If the rotor 5 is used 100 times over the next 30 days, it will take 15 months for the remaining number of uses (1,500) to reach 0.

[0042] Next, the control unit 8 calculates the end-of-life date by adding the converted number of months indicated by variable C to the current date (step 67). For example, if the date on which the flowchart of FIG. 4 is being executed is April 1, 2023, adding 15 months indicated by variable C will calculate the end-of-life date as "July 2024." Note that the end-of-life date is merely an estimate calculated based on current usage data, and therefore does not need to be displayed in days; displaying it at the month and day level is sufficient. The control unit 8 sets the calculated screen display variable to "Estimated end-of-life date July 2023" as the character string to be displayed in the estimated end-of-life date field 35 of FIG. 2B (step 68), and then returns to step 54 of FIG. 3.

[0043] In step 54 of Fig. 3, a pop-up screen 30 including the screen display variables is displayed. This screen includes the character string "Estimated Life End Date: July 2023" set in step 68 of Fig. 4. The pop-up screen 30 is automatically deleted after a specified display time, for example, one minute, has elapsed (steps 55 and 56). Note that the process may proceed to step 56 if the user inputs an instruction to delete the pop-up screen 30 during the processing of steps 54 and 55.

[0044] When the pop-up screen 30 is cleared, the control unit 8 determines whether the cumulative number of uses of the rotor 5 has reached its lifespan (step 57), and if so, displays an alert on the screen stating, "The rotor has reached the end of its lifespan and can no longer be used" (step 58). This alert display when the rotor's lifespan has been reached may be displayed in the same manner as in conventional centrifuges.

[0045] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the sorting function on the rotor management screen 70 of the centrifuge 1 of this embodiment. A user of the centrifuge 1 can display a list of the multiple rotors 5 used by the user with the centrifuge 1, mainly before or after starting a centrifugation run, and check information such as the number of uses and cumulative usage time. This rotor management screen 70 is displayed when one of the menu functions included in the management tab (ADMIN) 71c is selected. Records 81 to 84 corresponding to multiple rotors 5 are assigned here, and information such as a rotor name (Name) 72 based on the model, a serial number (S / N) 73, cumulative operating time (Hours) 74, total number of runs (Runs) 75, and the date and time of the previous run (Last Run) 76 is recorded in each record 81 to 84. This information is generated and managed by the control unit 8 for each centrifugation run and stored in the storage device 8b within the control unit 8. The storage device 8b is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., but it is preferable that the above information be stored in a non-volatile memory area that is not erased even when the power to the centrifuge 1 is turned off.

[0046] In the list of FIG. 5A , for example, records 81 to 84 are displayed in the order in which they were registered in the control unit 8. This initial display order is arbitrary. Two icons, namely, a new rotor registration icon (Add rotor) 85 and a sort icon (Sort) 86, are displayed below the display of each column of records 81 to 84. The new rotor registration icon 85 is selected by the user when registering the rotor name 72 or serial number 73. When the new rotor registration icon 85 is selected, the screen transitions to a registration screen for the rotor 5 (not shown). When the sort icon 86 is selected, a selection menu (not shown) is displayed for selecting which of the items 72 to 76 to use as a sorting key. The selection menu displays the sorting items, for example, the remaining number of times the rotor 5 can be used, the available time, and the usage rate (Usage Rate), allowing the user to specify a sorting key.

[0047] FIG. 5B shows the screen 70′ after sorting by usage rate (Usage Rate) 77 in descending order. The column indicated by the symbol 77 displays the usage rates of the rotors 5 displayed in FIG. 2B in percentage units, sorted in descending order from highest to lowest. The usage rate 77 column displays, for example, the highest achievement rate of either the operating time or the number of operations. In the example of FIG. 5B, only four records 81 to 84 are displayed. However, since many more rotors 5 are actually registered, the registered rotors 5 that have been used are sorted accordingly. The left-arrow previous page icon 87a and the right-arrow next page icon 87b shown at the bottom of the rotor management screen 70 are touched by the user to move to the previous or next page of the list including the displayed records 81 to 84 and switch the display.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 5B , by using the sort icon 86, records 83 and 81 with the highest calculated usage rates 77 are displayed in order from the top down among the rotors 5 managed by the control unit 8. By periodically checking the rotor management screen 70′, the user can quickly identify rotor names 72 that require replacement or maintenance among the multiple records 81-84. Furthermore, by checking the rotors (here, 82 and 84) with the lowest usage rates 77 on the rotor management screen 70′, the user can determine that they do not need to worry about their lifespan or maintenance for the time being. Note that the screens of FIGS. 5A and 5B may be displayed in different colors depending on whether the usage rate 77 is high and nearing the end of its life. For example, if the usage rate 77 is equal to or greater than a first threshold (e.g., 90% or greater), the frame of the corresponding record may be displayed in red. If the usage rate is equal to or greater than a second threshold (e.g., 80% or greater) but less than the first threshold, the frame of the corresponding record may be displayed in yellow. This color coding may allow the user to determine which rotors 5 are nearing the end of their lifespan.

[0049] According to this embodiment, it is possible to quantitatively grasp the extent of the rotor 5's usage status relative to its lifespan, and also to provide an estimated lifespan end date based on the current usage status, enabling the user to replace the rotor 5 at an appropriate time. This provides a centrifuge that is easy to use and allows for easy rotor replacement management. Note that the display format of the information regarding the rotor 5's lifespan shown in FIG. 2 may be used in combination with another display format. This other display method will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a screen 20A according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a display screen during centrifugation operation, and is almost identical to the screen 20 shown in FIG. 2A, which displays control information and operating status. The only difference is that an indicator 36 indicating the remaining lifespan is displayed in the rotor type display field 24. The indicator 36 has ten rectangular boxes within an outer frame, and the boxes are filled with black according to the amount of use. In this case, the right end of the black display portion is displayed as a bar graph indicating the remaining usage time. From the indicator 36 in FIG. 7, the user can see that one of the ten levels of usage has been reduced, indicating that the remaining lifespan is approximately 90%. In this way, the indicator 36 visually displays the remaining number of uses (lifespan) of the rotor 5 installed in the rotation chamber 4. When the rotor is new, all ten squares are filled with white, and when the rotor is close to reaching the end of its lifespan, all ten squares are filled with black. The user can intuitively understand the remaining number of uses as the number of black display portions decreases.

[0051] When the remaining number of uses of the rotor 5 becomes extremely low, it is preferable to further alert the user by flashing the indicator 36 or changing the display color. In this case, it is also possible to change the display color of the icon and emit a sound at the same time by just flashing. Furthermore, when the remaining number of uses reaches the lowest limit, a warning screen may be displayed to the effect that the rotor 5 cannot be used, and centrifugation operation may not be permitted.

[0052] Although the number of bars displayed by the indicator 36 in the second embodiment is 10, the indicator 36 may be divided into a different number of bars, an analog meter may be displayed on the LCD screen as an analog pointer, or any other visually identifiable form may be used. The indicator 36 may be configured to be constantly displayed when the rotor 5 is installed, i.e., when the rotor 5 identification information 24a is displayed. However, instead of being constantly displayed, the indicator 36 may be displayed only when the number of times the rotor 5 has been used (or the amount of time it has been used) reaches or exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 70% or more). With this configuration, when the rotor 5 has a sufficient remaining life, less-essential information (indicator 36) is displayed on the screen 20A, thereby preventing the screen 20A from becoming cluttered.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a screen 20B according to a third embodiment. Instead of the indicator 36 of the screen 20A shown in FIG. 7, this screen 20B displays the percentage of the number of uses of the attached rotor 5 as a numerical percentage 37. Here, "10%" is displayed. However, text information indicating the meaning of 10% may be displayed in addition to the number. As in the third embodiment, the percentage of the number of uses remaining for the attached rotor 5 is specifically displayed near the identification information 24a of the attached rotor 5, allowing the user to easily grasp the lifespan of the rotor 5. Various display modes are possible. When there are sufficient remaining uses, the percentage of the number of uses 37 may be omitted, or a vague text display such as "Sufficient remaining uses," "Normal," or "OK" may be displayed. Furthermore, when the remaining number of uses is decreasing, the display color, font, or flashing may be used in conjunction with the remaining number of uses.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows a screen 20C according to a fourth embodiment. Instead of the indicator 36 of the screen 20A shown in FIG. 7, this screen 20B directly displays the lifespan information 38 of the installed rotor 5, i.e., the numerical value of "number of uses / lifespan." FIG. 9 shows an example in which the lifespan information 38 is displayed simply as the numerical value "5000 / 50000." It is also possible to add a caption indicating what each number represents, such as "number of uses / lifespan of rotor" in small letters above the numerical value. This display allows the user to know that the lifespan of the installed rotor 5 is 50,000 times and further understand that 5,000 of the 50,000 times have already been performed. Various display formats are possible. When there are sufficient remaining uses, the display of the lifespan information 38 may be omitted, or text such as "sufficient remaining uses" or "normal" may be displayed. Furthermore, when the remaining uses are decreasing, the display color, font, or flashing may be used.

[0055] The second to fourth embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 9 are performed in addition to or instead of the display of the pop-up screen 30 shown in Figure 2B. When additional display is performed, when the centrifugation operation is completed, it is preferable to display the estimated life end date 35 (see Figure 2B) by displaying the pop-up screen 30 as shown in Figure 2B on the screens 20A to 20C.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0057] 1...centrifuge, 2...casing, 3...bowl, 4...rotating chamber, 5...rotor, 6...door, 7...motor, 7a...rotating shaft, 8...controller, 9...magnetic sensor, 10...operation panel, 20, 20A to 20C...screen, 21...rotation speed display field, 22...operation time display field, 23...rotor temperature display field, 24...rotor type display field, 24a...(rotor) identification information, 25...acceleration / deceleration information display field, 26...start button, 27...stop button, 28...door lock release button button, 30...pop-up screen, 31...identification information, 32...number of uses, 33...number of lifespans, 34...usage rate icon, 35...estimated lifespan end date and year, 36...indicator, 37...number of uses, 38...lifespan information, 70...rotor management screen, 71c...tab (ADMIN), 72...rotor name (Name), 73...serial number (S / N), 74...accumulated operating time (Hours), 75...total number of operations (Runs), 76...date and time of previous operation (Last Run), 77...Usage Rate, 81-84...Records, 85...New rotor registration icon, 86...Sort icon, 87a...Previous page move icon, 87b...Next page move icon, 90...Rotor information table, 91...Rotor model, 92...Serial number, 93...Maximum rotation speed, 94...Operation count life specification, 95...Operation time life specification, 96...Operation count, 97...Operation time

Claims

1. A centrifuge having a drive unit, a rotor attached to a rotating shaft of the drive unit, a display unit that displays centrifugation setting information and operating status, a rotor detection unit that reads an identifier attached to the rotor, and a control unit that identifies the type of the attached rotor and controls the rotation of the drive unit, wherein the control unit is provided with a storage device that records the operating history of the rotor, and the control unit calculates estimated life end information by comparing the usage record of the rotor recorded in the operating history with a life specification that is pre-recorded in the storage device, and displays the calculated estimated life end information on the display unit.

2. The centrifuge according to claim 1, characterized in that the life expectancy information is one or more of the following when the rotor is attached to the rotating shaft: (1) constantly displayed on the display unit; (2) displayed for a certain period of time before the rotor starts to rotate and / or after it stops rotating; (3) displayed when the degree of end of life of the rotor reaches or exceeds a predetermined value; or (4) displayed on the display unit in response to a display request from a user.

3. The centrifuge according to claim 2, characterized in that the estimated lifespan information is calculated by the control unit based on the number of times the rotor has been used, and the control unit executes one or more of the following: displaying on the display unit the number of lifespans included in the lifespan regulations and the number of times the rotor has been used together, displaying the ratio between them, or displaying on the display unit the predicted time when the rotor will reach the number of lifespans.

4. The centrifuge described in claim 3, characterized in that when the ratio is greater than a predetermined value or the period until the predicted time is shorter than a predetermined period, the control unit separately displays a detailed screen regarding the rotor life on the screen of the control unit display unit.

5. The centrifuge according to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit is capable of displaying on the display unit a list of the rotors for which the operating history is recorded, and in response to an instruction from a user, sorting and displaying the list in order of the closest date to when the rotors will reach their lifespan.

6. The centrifuge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the operating history includes one or more of (a) the number of operations of the installed rotor, (b) the operating time, and (c) the accumulated stress due to centrifugal acceleration of the rotor taking into account the set centrifugal acceleration (set rotation speed) to the allowable centrifugal acceleration (allowable rotation speed), and the control unit updates the operating history stored in the memory device when the centrifugal separation operation is completed.

7. A centrifuge having a rotor for holding a sample to be centrifuged, a motor for rotating the rotor fixed to a rotating shaft, a control unit for controlling the rotation of the motor and overall control of the centrifugation operation, a display unit for displaying centrifugation setting information and operating status, and an input unit for inputting operations from a user to the control unit, wherein the control unit has a storage device that prestores a life specification for the rotor, and when the rotor is fixed to the rotating shaft by a user, operating conditions for the centrifugation operation are input and the centrifugation operation is started, the control unit reads out identification of the rotor, operating history data for the identified rotor, and the life specification, calculates estimated life end information using the operating history data and the life specification, and displays the calculated estimated life end information on the display unit after the centrifugation operation is completed.

8. A rotor life notification method for a centrifuge as described in claim 7, characterized in that the life end estimate information includes one or more of the remaining number of operations, remaining operating time, ratio of life end count to number of operations, ratio of life end time to operating time, and estimated life end time.

9. A rotor life notification method for a centrifuge as described in claim 8, characterized in that the display of the estimated life end information on the display unit is one or more of the following while the rotor is attached to the rotating shaft: (1) constantly displaying on the display unit after the type of the rotor is identified, (2) displaying for a certain period of time before the motor starts to rotate, or (3) displaying only for a certain period of time after the motor starts to rotate.

10. A rotor life notification method for a centrifuge as described in claim 9, characterized in that the estimated life end information includes one or more of the following: an indicator format until the end of the life, numerical values ​​of the number of uses and the number of times the rotor has been used, a ratio of the number of uses and the number of times the rotor has been used, and an estimated time when the rotor will reach its end of life.

11. A rotor life notification method for a centrifuge as described in claim 10, characterized in that the estimated end of life time is calculated based on the user's usage record of the rotor over a certain period of time in the past.

12. A rotor life notification method for a centrifuge as described in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that when the period or percentage until the end of the rotor's life falls below a predetermined value, the control unit, in addition to displaying the estimated life end information, displays an alarm screen on the display unit to prompt the user to replace the rotor.

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