Automatic analysis system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic analysis system in which it is possible to transport a used reagent container while reducing human workload. An automatic analysis system according to the present invention acquires the remaining amount of a reagent accommodated in a container, transports the container in which the reagent is accommodated in an amount equal to or greater than a second prescribed amount and less than a first prescribed amount from an automatic analysis device to a storage device, and transports the container in which the reagent is accommodated in an amount equal to or greater than a third prescribed amount and less than the first prescribed information from the storage device to the automatic analysis device (see fig. 10).

Description

Automated Analysis System

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated analysis system.

[0002] Various automatic analyzers and systems have been developed with the aim of reducing the number of personnel and labor required in clinical testing. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for transporting reagent containers using an autonomous mobile robot.

[0003] WO2020 / 021837

[0004] Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the transportation of partially used reagent containers. In large hospitals and testing institutions that operate a large number of automatic analyzers, partially used reagent containers are sometimes removed and temporarily stored during long-term maintenance, etc. The task of storing partially used reagents in the reagent storage room is performed entirely by hand, which imposes a heavy workload on the workers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an automatic analysis system that can transport partially used reagent containers while reducing the workload on personnel.

[0006] The automatic analysis system of the present invention obtains the remaining amount of reagent contained in a container, transports the container containing the reagent that is equal to or greater than a second predetermined amount and less than a first predetermined amount from an automatic analysis device to a storage device, and transports the container containing the reagent that is equal to or greater than a third predetermined amount and less than the first predetermined amount from the storage device to the automatic analysis device.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to transport partially used reagent containers while reducing the workload on the user. Other objects, configurations, advantages, etc. of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0008] 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic analysis system. A side view of a robot 160. An example of storing reagents in a storage cabinet 170. A state of reading tags inside the storage cabinet 170. A side view showing how the storage cabinet 170 manages reagents. An example of when the robot 160 or a person transports reagent containers and when storing them in the storage cabinet 170. An example of a reagent information management table 700. A map for simply showing a method for determining the allocation of devices within the automatic analysis area 100. A flowchart explaining the operation procedure until the robot 160 moves to the automatic analyzer 110. A flowchart explaining the operation procedure when the robot 160 transports reagent containers from the automatic analyzer 110. A flowchart explaining another operation procedure when the robot 160 transports reagent containers from the automatic analyzer 110. A flowchart explaining the operation procedure when the robot 160 transports reagent containers from the automatic analyzer 110. A flowchart explaining the operation procedure when the robot 160 transports reagent containers from the storage cabinet 170.

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic analysis system. The automatic analysis system is composed of various elements present in an automatic analysis area 100 (for example, a testing center or testing room), which is a space for performing automatic analysis.

[0010] The automatic analysis area 100 includes: an automatic analyzer 110; a control unit 120 that controls the automatic analyzer 110; an automatic analyzer 140 that is positioned away from the automatic analyzer 110; a sample transport device 130 that automatically transports samples between the automatic analyzers 110 and 140; an automatic analyzer 150 that is positioned away from the automatic analyzers 110 and 140 and is not connected to the sample transport device 130; an autonomous transport device (hereinafter referred to as a robot) 160 that performs the automatic transport; a storage cabinet 170 that can store multiple reagent containers; disposal equipment 180 that disposes of used reagent containers; and a control device 190 that communicates information between various devices.

[0011] The automated analyzer 110 includes (a) a pre-processing unit 110a that performs preparatory work for sample analysis and temporarily stores items to be used, and (b) analytical units 110b and 110c that analyze samples, connected in parallel. While the analytical units 110b and 110c are depicted as separate components in FIG. 1, they may also be a single component. Although the control device 190 is depicted as being provided independently in FIG. 1, it may be located anywhere within the automated analysis area 100, such as inside the automated analyzer, the robot, or a storage facility. The number of components shown in FIG. 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1.

[0012] 2 is a side view of the robot 160. In this example, the robot 160 is equipped with a reader and a camera. The robot 160 is equipped with a reader 201 at the hand position at the end of the arm. The robot 160 further has a camera 202 at the eye position for reading text information such as a QR code (registered trademark) attached to a reagent container. The reader 201 and camera 202 can supplement or double-check information about the reagent container. The robot 160 is further equipped with a specially made shelf 203 and base 204 to absorb shocks that the reagent containers may receive during transport and to enable the robot 160 to carry large quantities of reagents.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows an example of storing reagents in a repository 170. The repository 170 may include an area 301 where only the robot 160 can store and retrieve reagents, an area 302 where only humans can store and retrieve reagents, or an area 303 accessible to both humans and the robot 160. It may also include an area 304 for collecting reagent containers whose weight has changed. Furthermore, a transparent display may be mounted on the front glass of the repository 170, providing a location 305 for displaying information about the reagent containers in the back in a timely manner. For example, by displaying the expiration date, remaining amount, weight, and next scheduled date of use of the reagent, laboratory workers can easily visually check the reagent information. The repository 170 may also include an area 306 where reagents can be placed in and removed by the box.

[0014] The information to be displayed on the display may be acquired in advance by a device that controls the display, and the acquired information may be supplied to the display. The information may be the same as that acquired by the robot 160, or may be information acquired independently from the robot 160.

[0015] 4 shows how tags are read inside the storage 170. Because people may rearrange the reagent containers 400 in the storage 170 or add or discard reagent containers 400, the control device 190 must always manage the latest information about the reagent containers 400 and their storage locations. As described above, the information about the reagent containers 400 can be read from the tags 401 attached to the reagent containers 400. To perform this reading inside the storage 170, the reader 402 is moved by a reader moving device 403 that can move the reader 402 up, down, left, and right. This makes it possible to read both the positions of the reagent containers 400 lined up in a row and the information written on their tags 401.

[0016] Conventionally, the remaining amount of reagent has been managed by the automatic analyzer or its control device by gradually reducing the remaining amount each time the reagent is used, so the remaining amount of reagent was not known when the container was stored in the storage cabinet 170. With the configuration of Figure 4, the remaining amount of reagent can be known when the container is being managed in the storage cabinet 170, so various measures, as will be described later, can be taken at that time.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a side view showing how the storage 170 manages reagents. The storage 170 includes a shelf 500 for storing reagents, on which reagent containers 501 are placed. A weight sensor 502, such as a load cell (e.g., hydraulic load cell, pneumatic load cell, or strain gauge load cell) or a piezoelectric, capacitance, film-laminated, or sheet / mat type, is provided below the reagent container 501. The weight sensor 502 obtains information about the weight of the reagent in the reagent container 501. The weight sensor 502 transmits this information to the control device 190. The control device 190 manages changes in this weight. When the change exceeds a certain value, e.g., 1 ml, the control device 190 can instruct the robot 160 to move the reagent to a specific area 304. This allows laboratory workers to easily identify reagent containers 501 in the storage 170 whose remaining reagent volume has changed significantly.

[0018] Information such as the remaining amount of reagent measured by the automatic analyzer 110 is transmitted to the control device 190. However, since it is conceivable that the remaining amount of reagent may change little by little after the reagent container is removed from the automatic analyzer, the control device 190 may update information such as the remaining amount of reagent based on information on the weight of the reagent container 501 obtained from the weight sensor 502.

[0019] FIG. 6 shows an example of when a robot 160 or a person transports a reagent container and when it is stored in the storage cabinet 170. A box 600 can store multiple reagent containers. The box 600 may be inserted into the area 306 described above. A display 601 is provided on the side of the box 600, allowing a person to check the contents based on the text and color information displayed there. The display 601 may display the reagent expiration date (see column 705, described below), the number of reagent containers, the storage start date, and the remaining amount of reagent. A person lifts a handle 602 on the side of the box to open the front cover. This opening and closing may be electronically managed with a key 603. It is recommended to lock the box if the next robot 160 transport is scheduled immediately or to prevent simultaneous operation by a person and the robot 160. A separate handle 604 may be provided for the robot and person to transport the box, or it may be shaped to be easy for a person to use. Carrying the box 600 as a whole is expected to improve the work efficiency of the robot 160 and the person, and also to prevent errors. An openable / closable ventilation hole 605 may be provided on the side of the box 600. The ventilation hole 605 may be left open inside the storage cabinet 170 to allow the inside of the box to be cooled, and may be closed when the box is carried out, thereby preventing the temperature inside the box 600 from rising during transportation. The remaining amount of reagent may be obtained from the control unit 120.

[0020] 7 shows an example of a reagent information management table 700. This table has, as data columns, a robot number 701 that uniquely identifies the robot 160, a storage cabinet number 702 that indicates the type of storage cabinet 170, a storage position number 703 that indicates the storage location of the reagent container, a reagent container name 704 that indicates the type of reagent, a reagent expiration date 705, a lot number 706 that indicates the type of reagent lot, a reagent cost 707, a most recent use frequency 708 that indicates the most recent frequency of reagent use, an analysis unit name 709 that uniquely identifies the analysis section (110b or 110c), a discharge position 710 that indicates the discharge position of the reagent container, a remaining reagent amount 711 that indicates the amount of reagent remaining in the reagent container, a reagent storage date 712 that indicates the date the reagent container was stored, an environmental impact score 713 for when the reagent is not reused, and a planned reuse date 714 that indicates the planned date on which the reagent container is reused. The reagent information management table may be stored in any storage medium within the automatic analysis area, and the control device 190 may have this function (FIG. 1 shows an example of such a configuration). The table may further include columns 715 to 720. Columns 715 to 720 will be described later.

[0021] The control device 190 creates columns 701 to 713 when discharging a reagent container from the analysis unit 110b. First, the control device 190 controls the robot 160 corresponding to the robot number in column 701 so that it starts moving toward the analysis unit in column 709. When the robot 160 arrives in front of that analysis unit, the control device 190 controls the robot 160 so that it removes the reagent container from the discharge position (column 710) of the analysis unit. The robot 160 then moves toward the storage cabinet (column 702) with the reagent container stored therein, and stores the reagent container in the designated storage position (column 703).

[0022] The placement of reagent containers and the order of transportation work utilize the environmental impact score (column 713). The environmental impact score is an index for each reagent container used to calculate the loss incurred when a partially used reagent container is discarded from the perspective of laboratory economics and environmental impact. The purpose of the calculation is to encourage laboratory workers to take actions that benefit the laboratory's costs and the environment based on the value, and to use the score in the robot 160's operation algorithm. The environmental impact score is calculated from variables related to (I) medical economics (specifically, the costs incurred in the laboratory) and (II) environmental impact (specifically, the environmental impact of recreating valuable liquids due to disposal and the environmental impact of wastewater treatment). The minimum variables required are the reagent cost, which represents (I), and the remaining reagent volume, which represents (II). Adding multiple parameters in addition to these two allows the environmental impact score to be calculated as a value that is more practical. An example of a calculation formula for the environmental impact score is shown below.

[0023] Y=a×X1+b×X2+c×X3...

[0024] a, b, c, ... are variables for optimization determined for each laboratory. X1, X2, X3, ... are the remaining amount of reagent, reagent cost, most recent frequency of use, planned reuse date, carbon footprint, etc. An environmental impact score Y is created for each reagent container.

[0025] Generally, high reagent costs mean that the supply is low or the price is high due to the difficulty of the manufacturing process or the scarcity or difficulty of raw materials. Therefore, they are valuable. Therefore, the higher the reagent cost, the higher the environmental impact score. Also, if a container with a large amount of reagent remaining is discarded, reusable reagent will be thrown away instead of being used. Therefore, the more reagent remaining, the higher the environmental impact score. From the reagent cost, remaining reagent amount, and most recent frequency of use, the expected amount of reagent used, price, and number of times can be calculated using machine learning, etc. The environmental impact score can then be calculated based on these calculated values.

[0026] The planned reuse date (column 714) may be determined individually for each reagent container by the testing worker, or a system may be set up to automatically determine the date based on a predetermined period, such as one month after the container is discharged. The most recent use frequency (column 708) uses the total number of times the reagent has been used in the automated analyzer at the facility over the most recent period, such as one day, one week, one month, six months, or one year. While the above description explains how the placement of reagent containers and the order of transportation work are determined based on the environmental impact score, these may also be determined based on the planned reuse date (column 714), reagent storage date (column 712), most recent use frequency (column 708), reagent cost (column 707), etc. The reagent containers in the repository 170 may be rearranged (sorted) based on these values.

[0027] A plurality of robots 160 may be used. For example, the robot 160 closest to a certain automated analyzer may be assigned to remove a reagent container from that automated analyzer. In addition, a plurality of automated analyzers 110 and storage cabinets 170 may be installed in the automated analysis area 100. Even in this case, the reagent information management table 700 can be used to appropriately control the placement and transportation of reagent containers.

[0028] A carbon footprint (column 720) may be calculated for each reagent container and used to calculate the environmental impact score. The carbon footprint is the sum of greenhouse gases emitted in connection with the procurement of raw materials (column 715), greenhouse gases emitted during the manufacturing process (column 716), greenhouse gases emitted during transportation (column 717), greenhouse gases emitted during transportation at the time of disposal (column 718), greenhouse gases emitted during incineration at the time of disposal (column 719), etc. In other words, the carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted throughout the entire life cycle of the reagent container.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a map illustrating a simple method for determining the allocation of devices within the automated analysis area 100. Assume that there is one automated analyzer 110 in each of squares A1 and A2 on the map. All of the automated analyzers 110 are waiting to dispense reagents. Assume that there is one robot 160 in each of squares A4, C3, and E1. Assume that there are no obstacles between these three robots 160 and the automated analyzer 110. The robot 160 in A4 can take the shortest route to the automated analyzer 110. In this way, if there are multiple idle robots 160 for one automated analyzer, the robot 160 with the shortest travel distance is selected. However, if there is an obstacle between them, a detour route is calculated using various algorithms effective for route search, such as the Dijkstra algorithm or the A* algorithm, and the comparison is based on this route.

[0030] Next, consider the case where there are two automatic analyzers 110 and two robots 160. There is one automatic analyzer 110 each at A1, A2, A9, and A10. There is one robot 160 each at C3 and D12. Assuming that one robot heads toward one automatic analyzer, there are two options that the robots 160 can take. In the above case, by assigning the C3 robot 160 to the A1 and A2 automatic analyzers 110 and the D12 robot 160 to the A9 and A10 automatic analyzers 110, the total travel distance of the two robots 160 will be shortest. However, it is assumed that there are no obstacles between the automatic analyzers 110 and the robots 160. If there are obstacles, the shortest travel distance is calculated while avoiding the obstacles, as in the first case.

[0031] Consider a case where there are automatic analyzers 110 at A1, A2, A9, A10, E5, and F5, and robots 160 at C3, D12, and I5. Consider a combination of robots 160 and automatic analyzers 110 that minimizes the sum of the shortest possible paths to the automatic analyzers 110 for the three robots 160. In order to shorten the travel distance, it is appropriate to assign the robot 160 at C3 to the automatic analyzers 110 at A1 and A2, the robot 160 at D12 to the automatic analyzers 110 at A9 and A10, and the robot 160 at I5 to the automatic analyzers 110 at E5 and F5.

[0032] Consider a case where the storage cabinets 170 are located at J11, J12, L2, and L3. It is assumed that there are three automated analyzers 110 and three robots 160 at any of the above locations. It is assumed that the storage cabinets 170 have sufficient capacity to store the reagent containers carried by the robots 160. It is assumed that the robots 160 are assigned to the automated analyzers 110 by the above calculation, and that the robots 160 move toward the automated analyzers 110 and store the reagent containers. From here, as in the above discussion, the shortest route to the nearest storage cabinet 170 is calculated for each robot 160, and the robots 160 transport the reagent containers.

[0033] So far, we have explained the route from the initial position of the robot 160 to the automatic analyzer 110 and the route from the automatic analyzer 110 to the storage 170. However, as will be described in the flow below, when returning a reagent container from the storage 170 to the automatic analyzer 110, the robots to be operated and their allocation are determined in the same way.

[0034] There is a high possibility that people may be present in an actual examination room. In this case, people are treated as obstacles, and cameras and electromagnetic field sensors are used to detect people, and the shortest safe distance is calculated as needed. A human may create an area where the robot 160 is prohibited from entering. In this case, the robot 160 will move and transport by bypassing that area.

[0035] The route for disposing of reagent containers can also be calculated using the shortest route from the automatic analyzer 110 to the disposal equipment 180, or the shortest route from the storage facility 170 to the disposal equipment 180, and can be similarly used to allocate robots 160.

[0036] What needs to be taken into consideration here is the presence of a person working in the examination room. If a person is in the examination room, the robot 160 will avoid a collision by going around the person. There may be times when a person is using the automatic analyzer 110. In that case, the robot 160 will postpone using that device and prioritize transporting the device to another automatic analyzer 110 or to the storage 170. The same applies when a person is performing some kind of operation on the automatic analyzer 110.

[0037] Finally, transportation from one storage facility 170 to another storage facility 170 is also possible in the manner described above.

[0038] The environmental load score may be used in formulating the transportation route. For example, assume that there are three repositories 170 in the testing room. Real numbers β and γ greater than 0 (0 < β < γ) are defined. Reagents with an environmental load score equal to or greater than γ are stored in repositories X1, reagents with an environmental load score equal to or greater than β but less than γ are stored in repositories X2, and reagents with an environmental load score less than β are stored in repositories X3, thereby enabling the customer to grasp the environmental load score for each repositories 170. Similarly, multiple thresholds based on the environmental load score may be set, and similar distinctions may be made for shelf levels within the repositories 170.

[0039] The position of the robot 160 can be recognized, for example, as follows, but other methods may also be used. The robot 160 recognizes the shape of the robot 160's surroundings by detecting the surrounding environment using a light irradiation sensor such as the camera 202 or LiDAR (or the control unit 120 acquires the detection signal and uses this to recognize the surroundings). The robot 160 (or the control unit 120) compares the recognized shape of the surroundings with a three-dimensional map of the environment in which the robot 160 is installed, and identifies a position that matches the recognized shape. This allows the position of the robot 160 to be identified. The control unit 120 transports the container by driving the robot 160 that is closest to the destination or source (such as an automated analyzer, a storage facility 170, or a disposal facility 180).

[0040] 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation procedure until the robot 160 moves to the automatic analyzer 110. Each step is performed by the control device 190. An example in which the robot 160 transports a reagent container between the automatic analyzer 110 and the storage 170 will be described below. Here, the control device 190 is described as controlling the robot 160 via communication, but the robot 160 may control the operation of its own control unit, or may control the robot 160 via communication with a control unit of the automatic analyzer 110.

[0041] S901: The control device 190 acquires information about the reagent containers stored in the automated analyzer 110. Here, the remaining amount of reagent stored in each reagent container, the expiration date of the reagent, the lot number of the reagent, and so on are acquired. This information can be acquired, for example, as follows: an RFID reader (hereinafter referred to as "reader") is attached to the hand of the robot 160, and information is acquired from an RFID tag (hereinafter referred to as "tag") attached to the reagent container; while the reagent container is stored inside the automated analyzer 110, information is acquired from the automated analyzer 110 without going through the robot 160, based on information read by the reader inside the automated analyzer 110 and the number of times it has been used. The tag may be any medium from which information can be read, such as a barcode. The reader may also be any suitable device (if the tag is a barcode, the reader is a barcode reader).

[0042] S902-S903: When information indicating that a reagent container is being discharged from the automated analyzer 110 is acquired (S902: Yes), it is checked whether the information matches a predetermined condition (S903). The predetermined condition is, for example, a laboratory worker manually setting a threshold value for a specific reagent container, such as the remaining amount of reagent or the expiration date of the reagent. A break from testing operations or maintenance of the device may also be set as a condition. In other words, it is sufficient to predetermine, for example, (a) a condition under which the user wants the robot 160 to perform this process without manual operation, and (b) a condition under which the robot 160 automatically replaces expired reagents.

[0043] S904: If the conditions are met in S903, the robot 160 is moved toward the analysis device.

[0044] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation procedure when the robot 160 carries out a reagent container from the automatic analyzer 110. Each step is performed by the control device 190.

[0045] S1001: The control device 190 controls the robot 160 to store the reagent container in a part of the robot 160 (for example, the shelf 203 or the pedestal 204). By preparing a place for placing the reagent container on the robot 160 in advance, transportation of a large quantity of reagent containers can be performed with vibration resistance ensured.

[0046] S1002: The control device 190 controls the robot 160 to check whether there is any reagent with a remaining amount greater than 0. A reagent container with a remaining amount greater than 0 but less than full is hereinafter referred to as a partially used container. If there is any reagent in the container, it must be stored in the storage cabinet 170 in priority to reagent containers with a remaining amount of 0, in order to prevent the reagent to be reused from being altered or denatured due to temperature rise, which could affect the test values. This step is for determining whether there is any such container.

[0047] S1003 to S1007: The control device 190 controls the robot 160 to confirm the destination of the reagent container (S1003). If the destination is a repository, the robot 160 is moved in front of the repository 170 (S1004), and if the destination is the automatic analyzer 110, the robot 160 is moved in front of the automatic analyzer 110 (S1006). The control device 190 stores the reagent in the repository Xn or the analyzer Yn (S1005, S1007). n = 1, 2, 3, .... In this step, it is considered that there may be multiple repositories 170 and multiple automatic analyzers 119.

[0048] S1008: The control device 190 controls the robot 160 to check whether there are any reagent containers with a remaining amount greater than 0. For example, suppose there are five reagent containers with a remaining amount greater than 0, and two of them have been stored in storage cabinet X1. If the remaining three are to be divided into two and one, and stored in storage cabinets X2 and X3, respectively, the flow from S1003 to S1008 is repeated two more times. The same applies if the storage destination is the automatic analyzer 110.

[0049] S1009 to S1012: If there is no reagent container with a remaining amount greater than 0, the control device 190 checks whether there is any reagent container with a remaining amount of reagent of 0 (S1009). If there is a reagent container with a remaining amount of reagent of 0, the control device 190 moves the robot 160 in front of the disposal facility 180 (S1010) and discards the reagent container into the disposal facility 180 (S1011). Finally, the control device 190 moves the robot 160 to a predetermined location (S1012). This location is called location A. Location A may be, for example, a location for supplying power to the robot 160, or may be a location that does not get in the way of an operator.

[0050] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating another operation procedure when the robot 160 carries a reagent container out of the automated analyzer 110. The difference from FIG. 10 is that in S1109, a determination is made as to whether or not to discard a reagent container based on the environmental impact score of the reagent container, instead of the amount of reagent remaining in the reagent container. In S1109, an environmental impact score threshold α is set as a threshold for determining whether or not to discard the container. α is a real number greater than 0, and can be set at any value by the customer or the solution provider. For reagent containers whose environmental impact score is equal to or greater than threshold α, S1103 to S1108 are repeated. Reagent containers whose environmental impact score is less than threshold α are discarded in S1110 to S1111.

[0051] 10 and 11, in which reagents are stored in the storage cabinet (S1005, S1007, S1105, S1107), reagent containers with high environmental load scores may be placed at the front of the storage cabinet 170 or at the front of the automated analyzer 110. Alternatively, as described in FIG. 3, the storage cabinet 170 may be divided into areas, and reagent containers with specific environmental load scores (or scores within a certain range) may be stored in specific areas. Furthermore, reagent containers may be divided and stored in multiple storage cabinets 170 based on their environmental load scores.

[0052] In S1109 to S1110, the control unit 120 may determine the order in which to discard reagent containers according to the value of the environmental load score. For example, the smaller the environmental load score, the smaller the load on the environment caused by discarding the reagent container, so it is conceivable to discard the reagent containers in ascending order of environmental load score. If the reagent containers are left inside the automated analyzer / storage 170, they will be discarded later. If the reagent containers are removed preferentially from the automated analyzer / storage 170, they will be discarded earlier.

[0053] 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation procedure when the robot 160 transports a reagent from the storage 170. When a trigger occurs by satisfying a condition (S1201), the control device 190 moves the robot 160 to storage A (S1202). The robot 160 grasps and transports the reagent container from the storage 170, and determines whether the destination of the reagent container is the automated analyzer 110 or storage B based on the reagent information management table 700 (S1204). The robot 160 transports the reagent container to the destination (S1205, S1207) and stores the reagent container in the automated analyzer 110 or storage 170 (S1206, S1208). Finally, the robot moves to a predetermined location (S1209). The predetermined location may be, for example, a predetermined standby position for each robot 160, the location of a charger for charging the robot 160, etc.

[0054] The trigger in S1201 may be, for example, set to be triggered when a period created by an operator performing laboratory work ends, or when a specific quantity of specific reagent containers are discharged from the automated analyzer 110. In S1201 to S1204, reagent containers stored in the storage 170 that contain reagent less than the full capacity (first predetermined amount) and greater than or equal to a threshold value (third predetermined amount) are transported from the storage 170 to the automated analyzer 110. The third predetermined amount may be the same as or different from the second predetermined amount.

[0055] For example, the storage cabinets A and B in S1202 and S1207 may store specific types of reagent containers in preparation for the next time a person or robot removes the reagent containers, or a threshold value may be set for the remaining amount of reagent in each reagent container, and the storage cabinets may be divided according to the remaining amount. This reduces the distance that the reagent containers must be transported.

[0056] When placing reagent containers in the storage cabinet in S1202 and S1207, the control device 190 may control the robot 160 to perform at least one of the following: (a) placing a reagent container of a type that is used more frequently at the front; (b) placing a reagent container that is close to its expiration date at the front; or (c) placing a reagent container with a larger remaining amount at the front. Placing a reagent container of a type that is used more frequently at the front may result in reducing the total time the storage cabinet door is open. Reagent containers that are close to their expiration date are placed at the front because it is desired to use the reagent container as soon as possible. Reagent containers with a large remaining amount are placed at the front because a large loss would occur if the reagent container were not used. The frequency of use, expiration date, and remaining amount may be stored in a storage medium provided in the control device 190, for example.

[0057] Depending on the operating environment, there may be a restriction that a partially used reagent container can only be loaded into the analyzer that previously used that reagent container. In this case, the storage cabinet closest to the analyzer from which the reagent container was removed may be selected in S1004 of Fig. 10. This allows the reagent container to be efficiently transported to the analyzer in S1205 of Fig. 12.

[0058] 10, a reagent container is considered to be a partially used container when the remaining amount of reagent is 0, but the remaining amount standard does not necessarily have to be 0. In other words, a reagent container in which the remaining amount of reagent is equal to or less than the full capacity (first predetermined amount) and equal to or greater than some threshold value (second predetermined amount) may be considered to be a partially used container.

[0059] In the above embodiments, at least one of the means for acquiring the remaining amount of reagent is sufficient. For example, the following means are possible: (a) the control unit 120 calculates the remaining amount of reagent based on the weight acquired by the weight sensor 502; (b) the camera 202 photographs the reagent container, and the control unit 120 identifies the liquid level of the reagent from the captured image, thereby calculating the remaining amount of reagent; or (c) the automated analyzer acquires the remaining amount of reagent in the reagent container, and the control unit 120 acquires that value. Furthermore, by having any reader (e.g., reader 201 or 402, or a similar reader provided in the automated analyzer) write the acquired remaining amount of reagent to the tag 401, the remaining amount of reagent can thereafter be acquired from the tag 401.

[0060] In the above embodiment, of the reagent containers, those with a high environmental load score may be stored first, followed by those with a low environmental load score. Containers with a high environmental load score and containers with a low environmental load score may be stored in different repositories 170. For example, reagents with a high environmental load score are typically highly important, so this type of handling is useful.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the control unit 120 may obtain information such as the amount of reagent remaining in a reagent container from two or more of the storage 170, the robot 160, and the automated analyzer. For example, when a reagent container is transported from the automated analyzer, the automated analyzer obtains the amount of reagent remaining in the reagent container, and the control unit 120 can obtain this value. Alternatively, when a reagent container is stored in the storage 170, a reader in the storage 170 can read the amount of reagent remaining in the reagent container, and the control unit 120 can obtain this value. When the amount of reagent remaining is obtained, the control unit 120 can instruct the robot 160 to take the optimal action (e.g., discard, store, etc.) based on the amount of reagent remaining and the location of the reagent container at that time.

[0062] 100: Automatic analysis area 110, 140, 150: Automatic analyzer 110a: Pre-processing section 110b, 110c: Analysis section 120: Control section 130: Sample transport device 160: Robot 170: Storage 180: Disposal facility 190: Control device 201: Reader 202: Camera 203: Shelf 204: Base 401: Tag 402: Reader

Claims

1. An automated analysis system for analyzing samples, comprising: an automated analyzer that analyzes specimens using a reagent; a storage device that is positioned away from the automated analyzer and stores containers that hold the reagent; a transport device that transports the containers between the automated analyzer and the storage device; a memory unit that stores information about the reagent; and a control unit that controls the transport device, wherein the containers are configured to be able to hold the reagent up to a first predetermined amount, the control unit acquires the remaining amount of the reagent held in the container, and the control unit controls the transport device to transport from the automated analyzer to the storage device those containers for which the remaining amount of reagent has been acquired that contain a second predetermined amount or more and less than the first predetermined amount of reagent, and the control unit controls the transport device to transport from the storage device to the automated analyzer those containers for which the remaining amount of reagent has been acquired that contain a third predetermined amount or more and less than the first predetermined amount of reagent, 2. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the transport device has a reader that obtains the remaining amount of the reagent contained in the container by reading information recorded on a tag attached to the container, and the control unit obtains the remaining amount of the reagent contained in the container based on the information read by the reader.

3. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the control unit receives from the automatic analysis device first information relating to reagents stored in the automatic analysis device, the control unit receives from the storage device second information relating to reagents stored in the storage device, and the control unit transmits work instructions to the transport device based on the first information and the second information.

4. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises: a storage section configured to be able to store a plurality of the containers in a row; and a second reader that reads information recorded on tags attached to each of the plurality of containers, the second reader reading the information recorded on the tabs attached to each of the plurality of containers by moving relative to the storage section along the row.

5. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies the destination to which the transport device transports the container or the source from which the transport device transports the container as the destination of the transport device, the transport device is equipped with a sensor that recognizes the physical shape of the surrounding environment of the transport device, the control unit identifies the position of the transport device according to the shape recognized by the sensor, and the control unit moves the transport device that is closest to the destination toward the destination according to the identified position of the transport device.

6. The automated analysis system according to claim 1, further comprising a box configured to accommodate one or more of the containers and configured to be transportable by the transport device, the box having a display that displays the remaining amount of the reagent in the containers accommodated in the box.

7. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores an environmental impact score for each of the containers, the environmental impact score being derived by calculating the loss that would occur if the container were to be discarded partially used, based on the economic efficiency of the laboratory and the impact on the environment; and the control unit determines the order in which the containers are to be discarded depending on the value of the environmental impact score.

8. The automatic analysis system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit calculates the environmental load score for the container when the container is transported out of the automatic analysis device.

9. The automatic analysis system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit calculates the environmental impact score based on at least the remaining amount of reagent in the container and the cost of the reagent.

10. The automatic analysis system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit calculates the environmental load score based on the impact on the environment of greenhouse gases generated by handling the container.

11. The automated analysis system of claim 7, wherein the storage device has a first area for storing containers whose environmental load score is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a second area for storing containers whose environmental load score is less than the predetermined value.

12. The automatic analysis system of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores at least one of the expiration date of the reagent contained in the container, the frequency of use of the reagent contained in the container, and the remaining amount of the reagent contained in the container, and the control unit controls the transport device to determine the position of the container when storing the container in the storage device according to at least one of the expiration date, the frequency of use, and the remaining amount.

13. The automatic analysis system of claim 12, wherein the control unit controls the transport device to perform at least one of the following: storing the container in a more frequently used position closer to the front of the storage device; storing the container in a more expiry date closer to the front of the storage device; storing the container in a more remaining amount closer to the front of the storage device.

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